Tag Futebol

The women’s team will take on Pakistan in December 2023 and England in March and April next year

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Jul-2023New Zealand will host Australia for a Test series for the first time in eight years in the upcoming summer, right after attempting to secure a maiden Test series victory against South Africa, according to the fixtures released by New Zealand Cricket (NZC) for the 2023-24 home season.The New Zealand men’s team begin their home season with three ODIs and three T20Is against Bangladesh in the last two weeks of December. They then have a 11-day break before hosting Pakistan for five T20Is from January 12 to 21.South Africa then visit for two Tests between February 4 and 17, followed by Australia, who tour for three T20Is and two Tests between February 21 and March 12.Related

• Stead gets two-year extension as New Zealand head coach

• Williamson not giving up on the World Cup dream just yet

• Adam Milne offered NZC contract after five years

New Zealand women also host Pakistan for three T20Is and three ODIs between December 3 and 18, and then take on England in five T20Is and three ODIs between March 19 and April 7. The England women’s A team will also tour New Zealand at the time.This will be the first international summer in 24 years to be screened live free-to-air on TVNZ.NZC said its schedule includes ten double-headers (two games back-to-back at the same venue) as it attempts “to address both the needs of different audiences and enhance the efficiency of its playing programme in an era of climate change awareness.”NZC chief executive David White said: “In terms of venues with lights, we’ve been able to schedule several back-to-back night matches and day matches to ensure good opportunities for both families and adult patrons, respectively, which we think is good for the game.”It’s a strategy that also complements our need to prioritise energy efficiency – and to just do the right thing as a sports organisation, given the challenges we’re facing from climate change these days.”

New Zealand men’s fixtures

vs Bangladesh
1st ODI: December 17, Dunedin2nd ODI: December 20, Nelson3rd ODI: December 23, Napier1st T20I: December 27, Napier2nd T20I: December 29, Tauranga3rd T20I: December 31, Taurangavs Pakistan
1st T20I: January 12, Auckland2nd T20I, January 14, Hamilton3rd T20I, January 17, Dunedin4th T20I, January 19, Christchurch5th T20I, January 21, Christchurchvs South Africa
1st Test: February 4 to 8, Tauranga2nd Test: February 13-17, Hamiltonvs Australia
1st T20I: February 21, Wellington2nd T20I: February 23, Auckland3rd T20I: February 25, Auckland1st Test: February 29-March 4, Wellington2nd Test: March 8-12, Christchurch

New Zealand women’s fixtures

vs Pakistan1st T20I: December 3, Dunedin2nd T20I: December 5, Dunedin3rd T20I: December 9, Queenstown1st ODI: December 12, Queenstown2nd ODI: December 15, Christchurch3rd ODI: December 18, Christchurchvs England1st T20I: March 19, Dunedin2nd T20I: March 22, Nelson3rd T20I: March 24, Nelson4th T20I: March 27, Wellington5th T20I: March 29, Wellington1st ODI: April 1, Wellington2nd ODI: April 4, Hamilton3rd ODI: April 7, Hamilton

Chelsea are now seriously keen on signing a “sensational” player, who was recently on the verge of signing for Sunderland, according to reports.

Blues eyeing new signings amid Club World Cup campaign

The Blues have been faring well in the new-look Club World Cup, progressing out the group before most recently dispatching of Benfica 4-1 in the round of 16, setting up a very winnable quarter-final clash against Palmeiras.

However, manager Enzo Maresca was less than impressed by the two-hour break which interrupted play, saying: “I think it’s a joke to be honest, it’s not football. It’s not for us.

“You cannot be inside. I struggle to understand. I can understand that for security reasons, you suspend the game. But if you suspend seven, eight games, that means that probably [this] is not the right place to do this competition.”

Fabrizio Romano: Star now set to sign new deal instead of joining Chelsea

Enzo Maresca won’t be signing him.

ByEmilio Galantini Jun 28, 2025

Despite being out in the USA for the Club World Cup, the west Londoners remain active in the transfer market, with widespread reports suggesting deals for Jamie Gittens and Joao Pedro are edging closer to completion.

Having already signed Liam Delap, it is clear Maresca is very keen to bolster his attacking options this summer, but the manager is also looking to strengthen at the opposite end of the pitch, according to a report from Caught Offside.

The report states that Chelsea now hold a serious interest in OGC Nice goalkeeper Marcin Bulka, who is attracting plenty of interest from the Premier League, with it being revealed he was on the verge of signing for Sunderland just days ago.

Manchester United, Leeds United and Aston Villa are also in the race for Bulka, who is set to be available for the affordable price of just €20m – €25m (£17m – £21m), so there could be fierce competition for his signature.

The Blues’ interest comes amid doubts over Robert Sanchez, with the Spaniard failing to convince Maresca he should be the first-choice option between the sticks moving forward.

"Sensational" Bulka could be solution to Chelsea's problems

Maresca clearly wasn’t impressed by both Sanchez and Filip Jorgensen at times last season, with the goalkeepers being used interchangeably, and there are signs the Nice goalkeeper could be the answer to the manager’s problem.

Once lauded as “absolutely sensational” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, the Pole caught the eye in Ligue 1 on a number of occasions, being voted as Player of the Month after impressing in September 2023.

More recently, the 25-year-old proved himself against European champions Paris-Saint Germain, making nine saves from inside the box to keep the Ligue 1 title-winners at bay and help his side secure a 3-1 victory.

Bulka could be a bargain signing for Chelsea at just £17m – £21m, and they should move swiftly to ensure they win the race for his signature.

The left-arm quick has not played any domestic T20 since 2015 and his international numbers have dived

Alex Malcolm07-Nov-20222:59

Moody: Much more to Starc’s exclusion than it being a tactical selection

There is a working theory developing among Australia’s hierarchy that Mitchell Starc’s decision not to participate in the IPL could have had a major detrimental effect on his T20 form over recent years, highlighting the difficulty of playing all three formats as a fast bowler.Starc was a shock axing from Australia’s line-up to face Afghanistan in their must-win World Cup match on Friday and he had earlier been demoted from his new ball posting due after conceding 14 in Australia’s opening over of the tournament against New Zealand in a loss that ultimately caused their exit from the tournament.Starc has not played in the IPL since 2015 or the BBL since 2014 in order to rest during those periods to be fresh for international duty as a regular in all three formats for Australia. His decision not to play franchise cricket has been widely praised in Australia and has come at significant personal financial cost given what he could potentially earn in an IPL auction.But the difference between Starc’s T20 numbers between 2012-19 and 2020-22 are remarkable across all three phases of the innings. He is no longer the weapon he once was.ESPNcricinfo LtdWhile Starc has remained fresh for Test cricket and has performed excellently in the last 12 months, having been the only fast bowler to play each of Australia’s last 10 Tests including five in Pakistan and Sri Lanka, his decline in T20 cricket in the same period has been revealing.There have been glimpses of the old Starc. He bowled a double-wicket maiden against Ireland in his opening over, but he then conceded 43 runs in his next three overs and Australia’s hopes of gaining a net run-rate boost took a major blow as a result.Starc was once the most feared left-armer in the world. Yet in this tournament, of the 13 left-arm quicks who have played three games or more, he has the fewest wickets and the highest economy rate.Related

Head returns to Australia ODI squad, multi-format quicks included

Why did Australia leave Starc out? 'Tactical decision' says Vettori

The baffling breakdown of the Australian T20I team

Australia's hometown exit: a campaign that started badly and never got going

His Test bowling has benefitted from skipping the IPL. However, by not testing himself against the best T20 batters in the world each year on mostly batter-friendly IPL pitches, there is a theory that his T20 skills have diminished in terms of both his new ball and death bowling. His yorker no longer appears on command and opponents are far better at pouncing on his misses. Since 2020, he has dropped from 18th in the T20I bowling rankings to 40th, having been a career-high fourth in 2014 when he was playing in the IPL.By contrast, Josh Hazlewood has gone the other way. He was not in Australia’s T20I calculations in 2019. Having been a fringe player at the 2016 World Cup, playing only two games, he fell out of favour in the white-ball teams, missing out on the 2019 ODI World Cup, as he was seen as a Test specialist.But he played in the BBL in 2020 helping the Sydney Sixers win the title with an outstanding individual finals series. He then played 24 games in the next three IPL seasons, including nine prior to the 2021 T20 World Cup in the UAE where he helped Chennai Super Kings win the title. In 2022 he took 20 wickets in 12 games for Royal Challengers Bangalore and has turned himself into the premier new-ball bowler in T20I cricket rising to No.1 in the rankings this year after being ranked outside 200 in 2020. But Hazlewood has only played six Test matches since the start of 2020 and just two in the last 12 months.There have been glimpses from Mitchell Starc, but he is not the T20 bowler of old•ICC/Getty ImagesPat Cummins, the third member of Australia’s three-format fast bowling triumvirate, has played in the IPL and Test cricket in the last two years but rested from various ODI and T20I international series in order to remain fresh for key assignments.His T20 bowling has suffered a similar fate to Starc since some outstanding returns in the 2019-20 summer where he played eight of nine T20Is and saw his ranking climb to No.17 in the world. Since then, he has taken on the Test captaincy and maintained his ranking as the best Test bowler in the world for three straight years. But where his unerring lengths and lines at good pace in Tests produce wickets in bucketloads, those same on-pace lengths have been met with ferocious hitting in T20 cricket, to the point where he was dropped by Kolkata Knight Riders last season. He is now the 50th ranked T20I bowler in world cricket.He was marginally better than Starc in this tournament, using his off-speed deliveries to better contain opponents at times, but even former Australia captain Ricky Ponting raised the question of leaving out Cummins on the eve of the Afghanistan match.It leaves Australia’s selectors with a decision to make. Having gone to well twice with Australia’s three-format trio for one World Cup triumph and one Super 12s exit inside 12 months, what do they do moving forward ahead of the 2024 World Cup in West Indies and the USA?There are Australian T20 specialists building their resumes by the day. Nathan Ellis has every right to feel aggrieved not to be in Australia’s World Cup squad having proven himself as Australia’s best death bowler in franchise cricket over the past 12 months and having bowled outstandingly well in two high-scoring T20Is in Mohali and Perth just prior to the World Cup.The Caribbean and American pitches may also ask for two specialist spinners, bringing Ashton Agar back into the equation.What does that mean then for Starc? Just as Hazlewood turned to the IPL following his snubbing in 2019, does Starc follow the same path following his axing in Adelaide? The only problem is that Australia play nine Test matches prior to the IPL next year, and a minimum of five, possibly six if they make the World Test Championship final, immediately after it.One thing is certain, Starc is no longer one of the first names on Australia’s T20 team sheet.

Manchester United have become known for relying on numerous top young prospects, with many playing key roles within the first-team and helping them achieve various levels of success.

The Red Devils have either promoted them from the academy ranks, or even paid big money for them in an attempt to secure Premier League glory in the future.

Kobbie Mainoo was one of the youngsters who emerged out of the youth ranks at Old Trafford, but his career has hit a stumbling block over the last few months under Ruben Amorim.

He’s rapidly fallen down the manager’s pecking order in the first-team ranks, which could result in a winter transfer away from his boyhood club in the upcoming window.

The same can’t be said for one other senior player, who has become a crucial player since the manager took the reins at the Red Devils a little over 12 months ago.

Amad Diallo’s key moments at Man Utd

Back in October 2020, United announced the addition of winger Amad Diallo from Italian side Atalanta, with many supporters unaware of the talent purchased by the board.

He would subsequently arrive a few months later during the January transfer window, with his first couple of years seeing him be a bit-part player and even being sent on loan twice.

However, Amorim’s arrival has seen the Ivorian become a key member of his squad over the last few months, even utilising the 23-year-old in a somewhat unnatural wing-back role.

The switch may have come as a surprise to many, but it has been a masterstroke and one that has allowed the youngster to create numerous moments to remember for the supporters.

Arguably, his biggest goal to date came in the Manchester Derby last campaign, with his last-minute effort securing a famous win at the Etihad for the Red Devils.

He’s even contributed on numerous occasions at Old Trafford, with his phenomenal quickfire hat-trick against Southampton in 2024/25 securing the side three crucial points.

The 2025/26 season has been somewhat quiet compared to the standards he’s set for himself over recent times – but he did manage to score a potential Goal of the Season contender against Nottingham Forest.

The star who could be United's next Amad

In his first 13 league games of the 2025/26 campaign, Amad has racked up a total of three combined goals and assists – with one of the efforts coming in that clash at the City Ground.

However, the manager will no doubt have to find a solution in the coming weeks, as the 23-year-old looks set to join up with the Ivory Coast squad for the African Cup of Nations.

It remains to be seen who will likely fill the void, especially with Bryan Mbeumo and Noussair Mazraoui also set to join up with their respective nations for the competition.

Such a period could see the hierarchy delve into the transfer market to land an immediate and or long-term solution to help provide needed depth in the wide areas.

Other areas of the squad will no doubt be targeted too, in the hope of finding a player with a similar profile to Amad, whilst having the potential to develop into a top-level talent.

The hierarchy have already completed one deal ahead of the transfer window, with Colombian teenager Cristian Orozco already making the move to Old Trafford.

The central midfielder set to join the club in the winter window from Fortaleza, subsequently costing a fee in the region of $1m (£750k) – a potential bargain fee.

However, despite being just 17 and operating in a different position, he does offer some similarities to United’s Ivorian star, in largely being an unknown quantity to many.

He’s also agreed to join before arriving at a later date, like Amad, which may only generate even more excitement until he formally joins the club at the start of 2026.

Minutes played

90

Touches

107

Pass accuracy

75%

Passes completed

63

Tackles made

2

Duels won

9

Recoveries made

9

Dribbles completed

2

Orozco, who’s been dubbed a “destroyer” by one analyst, recently featured for his country at the U17 World Cup, playing a key role in all of their matches, with his showing against El Salvador showcasing the talent he possesses at his tender age.

He managed to complete 67 passes at an accuracy rate of 75%, whilst also completing two dribbles within his total of 107 touches – highlighting his incredible talents with the ball at his feet.

The teenager also won nine duels and nine recoveries alongside two tackles – numbers which could make him the perfect ball-winner for Amorim’s side in the years ahead.

His move to England certainly does have huge glimpses of the previous deal for Amad, with the fanbase undoubtedly hoping that the youngster can develop into another top talent.

However, expectations will no doubt need to be managed during his time in Manchester, but there’s no reason why the supporters can’t begin to get excited about the pending transfer.

Cunha 2.0: INEOS to fast-track Man Utd bid for 'best winger in England'

Manchester United look set to make a huge move for one player in the upcoming January window.

ByEthan Lamb 6 days ago

da apostaganha： How will Sunderland respond to their Craven Cottage setback?

da bet7： Unfortunately, for the Black Cats, their return to the Premier League after the international break was rather subdued, as Regis Le Bris’ men slipped to a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Fulham.

They could put things instantly right, though, with a welcome return to home soil up next versus AFC Bournemouth, with the Wearside giants yet to lose at their beloved Stadium of Light so far this season in league action.

The games come thick and fast after this clash with the Cherries, too, with a Tyne-Wear Derby even on the menu as an early Christmas treat in mid-December.

Before you know it, the January transfer window will also reopen, as Sunderland already begin to be linked with some high-profile captures.

Sunderland looking to spend more big money

Le Bris will be hopeful that Wilson Isidor can break his four-game goalscoring duck when Andoni Iraola’s men come to town.

If he does continue to fire blanks, though, Sunderland could be prepared to splash the cash on a flashy, new striker recruit in January, as AC Milan forward Santiago Gimenez begins to be tipped for a move to England, for around the £26m price range.

He, of course, isn’t the only Serie A talent on the Premier League newcomers’ agenda, however.

Indeed, the main rumour rumbling on, heading into the bumper window, is Matteo Guendouzi potentially returning to England with the Black Cats, with a £26m move also being reported on for the Frenchman to link back up with his ex-Lorient manager in Le Bris.

There is a slight spanner in the works, though, with Italian journalist Enrico de Lellis stating – via a relayed report from Sport Witness – that the Lazio star isn’t keen on joining the newly promoted side, even with an offer allegedly being on the table for his services.

De Lellis said: “Guendouzi has an offer from Sunderland, but the player doesn’t want to go there.”

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

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The Mackems could well have to battle it out with Antonio Conte’s Napoli for his signature, as per further words from de Lellis, but fighting it out with some elite clubs in the past hasn’t stopped the Black Cats from landing other statement signings, as Le Bris aims to land his next Le Fee in Guendouzi.

How Guendouzi can be Le Bris' next Le Fee

Once allegedly on the radar of Arsenal, Le Fee would end up being a major coup of a loan signing for Le Bris and Co. during their promotion heroics last season.

Le Fee’s classy displays – which included this goal being expertly put away during the tense run-in – gave the Black Cats just that extra bit of pizazz to seal a dramatic return to the Premier League, as the French boss now hopes Guendouzi’s arrival can gift Sunderland another calm and controlled performer, like Fee, in their ongoing bid to punch above their weight in the top-flight.

Like his fellow compatriot, though, who struggled to get going at Lazio’s fierce rivals in AS Roma, Guendouzi hasn’t always had it his own way during his bumpy career.

He was discarded by Arsenal at the close of the 2021/22 season for his “petulance” often getting the better of him, as per the words of ex-Gunners defender Lee Dixon.

Thankfully, since his Emirates departure, Guendouzi has managed to turn into a goal-and-assist machine in Serie A with 16 goal contributions collected, with an expectation he will return to the Premier League and be capable of delivering on the big stage, much like Le Fee showed off when he converted a penalty against Brentford in late August.

Guendouzi in Serie A – 2025/26

Stat (* = per 90 mins)

Guendouzi

Games played

10

Goals scored

2

Assists

1

Touches*

57.2

Accurate passes*

41.5 (89%)

Ball recoveries*

4.3

Total duels won*

3.0

Stats by Sofascore

He has also put his hot-headedness, which became his undoing in North London, to better use in Italy, with an energetic 4.3 ball recoveries averaged per Serie A clash this season, backing up claims that he is a “monster” by scout Jacek Kulig.

Amazingly, Guendouzi’s high ball recovery numbers put him on the same pedestal as another of Arsenal’s reinvigorated ex-roster in Granit Xhaka, who has 4.6 ball recoveries averaged next to his name. Le Bris will surely be champing at the bit at the prospect of both his ex-Lorient youngster and his standout captain battling it out together from the centre of the park, away from any Le Fee comparisons.

It could well be a deal that’s hard to pull off, but Sunderland’s ambition has previously been rewarded in Le Fee, who joined the ranks permanently in the summer for £19.3m.

For around £6m more, this feels like a transfer fight worth persisting with.

Related Isidor upgrade: Sunderland open talks to sign "unstoppable" £26m striker

Sunderland are reportedly keen on a move for a striker who could come in as an upgrade on Wilson Isidor.

Posts ByDan Emery Nov 27, 2025

Manchester City are getting through plenty of work at an early stage of the transfer window and could now pounce for one of Europe’s brightest attacking talents, according to a report.

Manchester City look to push Rayan Ait-Nouri deal over the line

While Rayan Cherki and Tijjani Reijnders look set to join Manchester City from Lyon and AC Milan, respectively, there may be more good news on the way for Citizens’ supporters if David Ornstein’s latest update on business at the Etihad Stadium is anything to go by.

With the Club World Cup approaching and the need for signings to help Pep Guardiola evident, Rayan Ait-Nouri is closing in on a move to the blue half of Manchester from Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Although a full agreement has yet to be reached between all parties, there is an expectation that the Algerian left-back will head to Manchester City shortly to compete with Josko Gvardiol and Nathan Ake on the left-hand side of defence.

Intriguingly, Guardiola has admitted he wants to run with a small squad to ensure he is able to allocate minutes appropriately rather than harbouring fringe stars with no realistic prospect of first-team football.

“I said to the club I don’t want that (a large squad). I don’t want to leave five or six players in the freezer. I don’t want that. I will quit. Make a shorter squad, I will stay.”

Hugo Viana makes £40m+ Man City offer to sign Brazilian ahead of Man Utd

The Citizens are looking to steal a march on their rivals…

BySean Markus Clifford May 30, 2025

His comments indicate that a quality over quantity approach may be the method of action taken to streamline his group after a trophyless season. Putting emphasis on the ‘quality’ he craves, Guardiola could now move for one of Europe’s most explosive young talents to provide a fresh injection on the flanks.

Manchester City line up swoop for Bradley Barcola

According to CaughtOffside, Manchester City have extensively scouted Paris Saint-Germain star Bradley Barcola during his excellent campaign for the French giants.

The outlet claim the 22-year-old could be a long-term replacement for Jack Grealish at the Etihad, though the Champions League holders are said to value the winger at around £101 million.

Bradley Barcola’s superb campaign for PSG – Ligue 1 (Fotmob)

Completed dribbles

34

Successful crosses

7

Shots on target

39

Chances created

50

Expected goals

13.58

Touches in opposition box

228

Becoming a force on the flank, Barcola registered 21 goals and 19 assists in 58 appearances across all competitions for PSG, which has also seen Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur coming to the table for his signature.

Nevertheless, Luis Enrique isn’t keen to lose one of his star men and is set to offer the Lyon-born star a contract that would see him remain at the Parc des Princes until 2030.

Manchester City are on the lookout for talent to shape the next few years of silverware they hope to achieve and Barcola would be someone who could thrive under Guardiola’s tutelage if he were to pitch up on English shores.

MatériaMais Notícias

da cassino online： O Goiás recebe o Estudiantes nesta quarta-feira pelo jogo de volta das oitavas de final da Copa Sul-Americana, às 19h, no Serra Dourada. Após ser derrotado por 3 a 0 na Argentina, o Esmeraldino tem a difícil missão de reverter um placar elástico contra um gigante do continente.

RelacionadasNotíciasComo foram os últimos jogos do Botafogo na Sul-Americana? Relembre aquiNotícias08/08/2023SantosPromessa do Santos é promovida para treinar com o profissionalSantos08/08/2023PalmeirasInvicto há nove jogos diante do Atlético-MG, Palmeiras perdeu apenas uma vez para o Galo no Allianz ParquePalmeiras08/08/2023

da heads bet： + Jogos das oitavas de final da Sul-Americana: chaveamento, onde assistir, datas e horários

+ Quer apostar nessa partida? Então se liga nos mercados imperdíveis que a Lance! Betting preparou. É só clicar e curtir!

Apesar dessa derrota para o Estudiantes, o restropecto recente do Goiás é positivo. O time tem somente uma derrota em cinco partidas recentes, ganhando duas e empatando outras duas. A única derrota foi justamente contra o Estudiantes.

Os argentinos, somando com as últimas partidas do campeonato nacional, estão com uma ótima sequência de cinco vitórias consecutivas. No jogo de ida, com a expulsão de Bruno Santos, do Goiás, aos 47′, o Estudiantes soube aproveitar a vantagem numérica e encaminhou a classificação.

TRANSMISSÃO:o jogo será exibido por ESPN eStar+(serviço de streaming – saiba como assinar).

Tem promoção exclusiva para você abrir sua conta agora na Lance! Betting. Aposte R$50 e receba mais R$50 de bônus. Clique aqui e aproveite!

GOIÁS x ESTUDIANTES

Data e horário: quarta-feira, 9/8, às 19h (de Brasília)
Local: Estádio Serra Dourada, em Goiás, no Brasil.
Onde assistir:ESPN e Star +

PROVÁVEIS ESCALAÇÕES:

GOIÁS: Tadeu; Apodi, Lucas Halter, Bruno Melo e Hugo; Willian Oliveira, Morelli e Guilherme; Anderson Oliveira, João Magno e Vinícius.Técnico:Armando Evangelista.

ESTUDIANTES:Andújar; Leonardo Godoy, Santiago Núñez, Lollo e Benedetti; Fernando Zuqui, Santiago Ascacíbar, Rodríguez, Zapiola e Rollheiser; Mauro Méndez. Técnico: Eduardo Domínguez.

“The focus has moved to doing well in Australia, England [so] that we’ve kind of let playing spin, which was always a strength, fall back a little bit,” says new assistant coach

Shashank Kishore21-Aug-2024

Ryan ten Doeschate, the former Netherlands allrounder, didn’t think batting against spin was an area he would need to focus on when he signed up as one of India’s assistant coaches, but it’s a challenge he’s keen to take on as the team builds towards a home season comprising five Tests – two against Bangladesh and three against New Zealand.”One of the challenges I wasn’t expecting and I kind of overlooked is the playing of spin by Indian batters,” ten Doeschate told . “We got undone in Sri Lanka.”India lost 27 wickets to spin in the recently concluded three ODIs in Sri Lanka, the most any team has lost to this variety of bowling in a three-match series. After the series, captain Rohit Sharma said it was an area that needed some addressing.Related

Rohit: India 'need to seriously look at' their batting against spin

“The mindset of India has been such that they’ve been so desperate to do well overseas,” ten Doeschate said. “The focus has moved to doing well in Australia, England [so] that we’ve kind of let playing spin, which was always a strength of the Indian team, fall back a little bit. That’s one thing I’m looking forward to helping with, getting to that position where Indians are the best players of spin in the world again.”Ten Doeschate, 44, is one of two assistants alongside Abhishek Nayar in the Gautam Gambhir-led coaching staff. He has been active in the coaching circuit since his retirement in 2021, having worked with Kent, Kolkata Knight Riders and, more recently, LA Knight Riders in Major League Cricket.In his new role with India, he said the focus would be largely on preparation rather than being too technical. “I don’t think much of what we’re going to bring is technical knowledge to these guys,” he said. “It’s more about mindsets, situational awareness, how we think they can control certain phases of the game.”[It’s about] throwing ideas out there, de-briefing and keeping the mental space really good. That’s going to be really important.”Ten Doeschate said he was wary of the challenges of taking over a successful team, which is coming off a World Cup triumph, but also exuded excitement at the prospect of what lay ahead.”It’s exciting and kind of daunting at the same time,” he said. “In terms of what we’re looking forward to, qualifying for the WTC final [next June is a goal]. There’s a great opportunity with 10 Tests left, five in India [over the next couple of months] and then going to Australia [for five more at the end of 2024] is going to be great.”Then in the medium term there’s the Champions Trophy [in February 2025]. With only three ODIs left in the prep phase, it’s going to be really challenging to switch between the formats and get the team ready for that, which again is something they’re desperate to win.”Then in the next [WTC] cycle, the tour to England [summer of 2025] is going to be fantastic and then prepping the team for the [2026] T20 World Cup. In terms of timing, it’s quite difficult to walk into a team that’s just come back with the [2024 T20] World Cup, but in terms of what’s ahead for the next 18 months, it’s mouth-watering as a coach. It’s all the series you want to be involved in and all the challenges you want to come up against.”

On a tricky pitch in a stop-start game, he stepped up with both ball and bat to KO defending champions England

Vishal Dikshit28-Jun-20241:40

Axar: Hitting big shots, sweeps, reverse sweeps was all tough

When Axar Patel got the ball in the fourth over of England’s chase of 172, he had already been told by his captain Rohit Sharma, India’s top scorer, that the pitch was keeping low and skidding, and hitting the big shots wasn’t easy. India were already feeling confident after posting a total that had “10-15 extra” runs on a pitch difficult for batting, and Axar thought since the batters were going to attack him early on, it was best to not do anything “extraordinary” and force the batters to try and do different things, which could work in his favour.That’s exactly what happened when Axar sent down his first delivery, from around the wicket to England captain Jos Butter, who went for a reverse sweep and ended up popping the ball to wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant. Axar then went on to take down Jonny Bairstow and Moeen Ali in consecutive overs to leave England on 46 for 4 and finish with a stifling 3 for 23, which earned him the Player-of-the-Match award.”I hadn’t really planned to get a wicket on the first ball,” Axar said with a laugh at the press conference. “My mindset was to put the ball in the right areas. Obviously, when you play knockouts, you want to start and finish well with the first and last ball.Related

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“The plan in the powerplay was the usual. It’s tough to bowl in the powerplay, but when you know that you are getting help from the wicket, then without thinking much, without doing anything extraordinary, I thought that the more I keep it simple, the easier it would be for me. We spoke about it in the dressing room that it’s not an easy wicket [for batting], and I knew that the batsman will charge at me. It wasn’t going to be easy to hit me down the ground and hitting off the back foot wasn’t easy either because the ball wasn’t coming on the bat nicely. My plan was to make it difficult for them, force them to think of playing some other shots, and, that’s what happened on the first ball.”I think we knew we could defend 170, it was a par score. The way the wicket was behaving, and Rohit bhai said after he finished batting that it was very difficult to hit big shots because the odd ball was spinning, staying low, skidding as well. We thought that 150-160 was also a very good score which we could have defended. So, when we made 170, we knew that we had 10-15 runs extra.”1:33

Dasgupta: Axar a standout performer from game one

When Axar batted at No. 8 for six balls from Chris Jordan and Jofra Archer in the death overs, he saw that they were taking the pace off, and putting the balls away wasn’t easy at all, though he struck a six off one of Jordan’s slower ones.”Obviously, I got a clue from that as to what to do and what not to,” Axar said of the mental notes he made while batting. “Giving pace would have made it easy for them. It was ideal to bowl at good areas. No one has hit me when I’ve pitched the ball at a good length. It was important to pitch the ball on a good length and line and that’s what I tried to do in the powerplay.”His first delivery, to Buttler, wasn’t particularly quick at 91.5kmh. When he bowled one slightly quicker to Bairstow at 94.5kmh, he still stuck to his accuracy by pitching it around off stump, and the ball skidded on with low bounce to knock over the off stump. His third wicket was a reward, along with some luck, after he had conceded just 11 runs in his first two overs. England were 46 for 3 after seven overs and Moeen on 8 off nine balls when he tried to clip a delivery from Axar off his pads and took off for what he thought was a single. But the ball had only deflected off his pad towards Pant, who whipped the bails off when Moeen ventured out of the crease.”It’s also about pressure,” Axar said when he was asked if the England batters got more worried facing spinners compared to other teams, “when you are chasing, and you know that the wicket is helping the bowlers in that pressure. So, as an opener, or anyone in the top four, they must be thinking of cashing in on the powerplay as much as possible. I’m guessing that’s what they were thinking, but it didn’t work out.”I think it was difficult to hit big shots as well as the sweeps and reverse sweep because some balls were keeping low on this pitch so it wasn’t easy to connect. It creates a doubt in the batsman’s mind that if he sweeps and the ball keeps low, he’ll get hit on the pad. So it depends on what line and length you bowl. Mostly our spinners kept it stump to stump so it was very difficult to execute the sweeps and reverse sweeps.”Then, the batsmen think of hitting straight as an option but we had seen videos of their batsmen that they play a lot on the back foot, but on this kind of pitch you have to come on the front foot and play your shots.”

The board also announced that a “technical method” would be established for issuing NOCs

Danyal Rasool15-Jul-2024

The PCB is considering “several key changes” to the nature of international cricketers’ obligations to Pakistan cricket, with potential implications for the ability to obtain NOCs, participation in domestic cricket and a change to central contracts agreed last year.What those key changes contain, however, remains shrouded in mystery. A 500-word statement that was light on detail – and not released through official channels or uploaded to the PCB’s official website – stated that domestic cricket “is now compulsory for players”. The board also announced that a “technical method” would be established for issuing NOCs, and only players meeting the criteria of that method would be granted NOCs. It would appear that the tenure of central contracts has been reduced to one year, an apparent rollback of the landmark three-year contracts announced last year.However, despite the potentially wide-reaching implications of such changes, no specific information was provided on what these changes would entail and how they would come into effect. Mohammad Rafiullah – a spokesperson for the board chairman Mohsin Naqvi – told ESPNcricinfo that committees would be formed to work out the fine print: devising the technical method for the NOCs, the tweaking of the central contract, and how much domestic cricket international players would be required to play.Related

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The original statement made no mention of the establishment of any committee, and it is not yet clear whether one committee will be tasked with all three responsibilities, or three separate committees will be formed to handle one task each. Rafiullah told ESPNcricinfo the committees – which have not come into existence yet – would submit their findings for implementation within 15 days.The statement did clarify that the centrally contracted players’ remuneration would not be reduced, a punitive move that initial reports suggested was being considered in the wake of Pakistan’s disastrous T20 World Cup campaign. It also said “the inclusion of players in various categories of the central contract would follow a defined procedure” without information on how this procedure was to be defined.It was also announced that Test head coach Jason Gillespie and white-ball coach Gary Kirsten had been added to the selection committee, though once again, it has yet to be clarified whether that means both coaches will make selectorial decisions across formats, or only sit on committees relevant to the formats they are respective coaches for.The issue concerning player NOCs is perhaps the prickliest one in Pakistan cricket at the moment, with some players understood to feel the spirit of the agreement to allow players two overseas leagues per year was not being respected . Last week, ESPNcricinfo reported Naseem Shah had been refused an NOC to play the Hundred on a contract worth GBP 125,000, while Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam are also expected to have their NOCs for the Global T20 League in Canada turned down. There is no international cricket that clashes with either of these leagues, but the PCB is likely to cite workload management as a reason for their refusal.In a separate statement, one that was uploaded to the PCB’s official website, Australian pitch curator Tony Hemming was appointed the head curator on a two-year contract. He comes in ahead of a busy home season for Pakistan, which includes seven Test matches, a tri-series and the ICC Champions Trophy.