How young should Australia's Test top six be?

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Warner, Smith and Labuschagne are pretty much nailed on. But who are the others?

Daniel Brettig17-Oct-2019Four summers ago, Australia returned home from a draining double tour of the West Indies and England with the evident need to regenerate their team, particularly in terms of batting. The retirements of Michael Clarke, Chris Rogers, Brad Haddin and Shane Watson left a large hole in the line-up, but the national selectors had two paths down which they could go.One would have been to invest very much in youth, surrounding the new captain Steven Smith with a group of his own generation and affording them the chance to develop together in Test series against New Zealand and the West Indies that represented strong competition but nothing like a bout against England, India or South Africa.Instead, the panel chaired by Rod Marsh went for a hybrid of youth and experience, picking Joe Burns, Usman Khawaja and Mitchell Marsh and retaining Adam Voges and Shaun Marsh. Batting around Smith and David Warner, all enjoyed productive summers, as Australia enjoyed three series wins and, at summer’s end in New Zealand, the brief pleasure of the No. 1 ranking on the ICC table.Yet when that moment in the Christchurch sun was followed by five defeats in a row against Sri Lanka and South Africa, another rebuild was swiftly called for after Rod Marsh’s resignation and Smith’s public statement of embarrassment at the team’s performance. The mountains of runs made at home the summer before were made to look not only hollow, but something of a waste: Voges’ anomalous Test batting average of 61.87 stands as a monument to the tack taken by the selectors.ESPNcricinfo LtdThis time, the retention of the Ashes in England for the first time since 2001 was cause for celebration, but Australia still aren’t sure of their best top six. A 2-2 scoreline in which Smith’s feats more or less carried the batting line-up, brought both the urn and plenty of considerations for the selection chairman Trevor Hohns and the coach Justin Langer – right now, the only two members of the national panel.If Warner, revitalised by a high-quality hundred at the Gabba in the opening Sheffield Shield round, takes his place alongside Smith and the two other best Ashes performers in Marnus Labuschagne and Matthew Wade, then there are two spots up in the air. An opener and a middle-order player. Last week’s centurions included Alex Carey and Will Pucovski, who would both represent more future-focused selections, while Burns, a reborn Nic Maddinson and the Ashes incumbent Marcus Harris also made runs.Apart from Smith and Warner, no-one possesses a better record in home Tests than Khawaja, and he has the capacity to both open or bat at No. 3. Similarly, Burns has made centuries for Australia both at the top of the order and in the middle. Then there’s Travis Head, vice-captain of the Test team until he was dropped for the Oval due to a desperately poor record against balls angled into him from around the wicket. Mitchell Marsh’s broken hand also means there is no allrounder particularly likely to press for the No. 6 berth ahead of captain Tim Paine.Usman Khawaja poses at the toss•Getty ImagesDarren Lehmann was a selector as recently as April last year, when the Newlands scandal brought an abrupt end to his stint as national team coach. Asked to name his top three for the first Test against Pakistan at the Gabba, he was succinct. “Warner, Burns, Marnus are my top three, Smith at four,” Lehmann said.”Warner definitely. His record in Australia is unbelievable, he got a hundred here at the Gabba in the Shield game and I thought he batted beautifully. Obviously got a first baller in the second innings but he played well. I like Burns, because I just think Burns’ Test record is pretty good and he needs another opportunity. Uzzy and Burnsy are the ones fighting for one spot aren’t they? That’s the thing at the moment for them. Uzzy’s a class player, his record in Australia is exceptional as well. A lot will come down to the next couple of Shield games actually.”He could easily open and Joe could bat down [the order], they could easily do that as well. It depends on the make up the selectors want, I suppose. It’s a good thing when you see so many young guys making big runs. The Junction wicket was quite flat last week, but I think the best hundred of the round would have to be David Warner’s at the Gabba and then Perth had a bit in it as well. Tim Paine to get a hundred looks like he’s in good form, Carey got a hundred, so a lot of players making runs, which was pleasing.”Khawaja was not one of the players fortunate enough to put their name in lights in round one, pinned lbw by Harry Conway from around the wicket on day one and then wafting outside off stump to edge Sean Abbott behind in the second innings. Always at pains to indicate he is not getting ahead of himself in terms of thinking about international matches while the task of leading the Bulls is his job this week, Khawaja did note however that early season Shield games with Test selection in the air tended to be especially willing.At the same time, he also observed that runs at the Gabba needed to be given plenty of currency relative to those scored at other venues. There could be little comparison, for instance, between the hundreds scored at Junction Oval and Warner’s singular effort in Brisbane as the ball seamed, swung and bounced. To that end, A century for any one of Khawaja, Burns, Head or Carey in Queensland’s meeting with South Australia could vault them above numerous other contenders. Doubly so given that Hohns has chosen to watch the Gabba match this week.

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“If a team bowls well at the Gabba there’s not much you can do,” Khawaja said. “You can’t bully attacks at the Gabba, can’t get on the front foot and drive on the up and do the other stuff you can do in other states when the ball gets a bit older. It’s a lot more of a patience game, especially the way the wicket was last week and the weather around made it a little bit tougher too.”So it always means more, the WACA can be a bit like that too when it’s swinging around, so hundred is a hundred anywhere, but when there’s a result on the line it just means that much more. Every game is a big game of Shield cricket, both individually and as a team, especially when there’s Test series coming up, spots up for grabs.”So I’m sure all the guys will want to do well, bowlers are wanting to do well, batsmen are wanting to do well, but for us as a team, the main focus is trying to play as a team, trying to do what we can for the team. That usually involves batters scoring as many runs as they can and bowlers taking wickets and being patient. If you do that as an individual and take care of that, the team stuff takes care of itself too, so it’s a bit of a circle.”Four summers ago, Khawaja took his chance to have a breakout summer that has kept him on the international scene more or less ever since. In 2019, as Hohns and Langer weigh up whether to mix youth and experience or rebuild the batting order ahead of future overseas challenges in South Africa, India and ultimately England again, opportunities beckon for those steady enough to show their best attributes with the eyes of the selectors squarely on the Test top six.

Lockers, bread rolls, amateur barbers – cricket's famous self-inflicted injuries

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

Incidents of players being injured when not actually batting, bowling or fielding

Andrew McGlashan14-Oct-2019Ben Stokes
Be like Stokes was Tim Paine’s message to Mitchell Marsh before the Oval Test in September. But he probably didn’t mean this much. On the 2014 tour of West Indies, Stokes became so frustrated by a run of low scores that after being dismissed for a duck in a T20I in Barbados he took his anger out on a dressing room locker which resulted in a broken hand. The injury ruled him out of the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh and it was another year before Stokes became a fixture in the team.Jimmy Adams
The build-up to West Indies’ 1998-99 tour of South Africa had already been chaotic with the series almost canceled amid a threats of a strike by the West Indies players. At the 11th hour, a deal was agreed, but on the flight to Johannesburg, Adams severed the tendons in his hand while cutting a bread roll. It proved serious enough to rule him out of the series. West Indies lost 5-0.Jason Roy
During the 2018 T20 Blast, Roy was forced to miss a game after being struck in the face by his bat, which he had thrown in frustration at being dismissed against Hampshire. “I’m extremely embarrassed and apologetic to my team-mates and fans for this moment of stupidity,” Roy said. “I want to apologise to Surrey as a club and all the members. I threw my bat into the ground purely out of self-frustration. It bounced, hit me, and as a result I sustained the injury.”Quinton de KockOn the eve of the third Test against England at Johannesburg in 2015-16, Quinton de Kock was out walking his dogs when he slipped and injured his knee. De Kock was ruled out of the match and it resulted in a hasty call-up for Dane Vilas, who had to fly across the country and arrived an hour after play started.Police deal with the pitch invasion as Terry Alderman lies injured•Wisden Cricket MonthlyTerry AldermanAt the WACA in 1982, Alderman was struck on the back of the head by one of the many pitch invaders who were a problem during the Ashes. He decided to chase after the man himself. “I could see that there were no police in the vicinity so I attempted to apprehend him.” He managed to rugby-tackle the spectator, a 19-year-old Englishman named Gary Donnison, but in the process landed badly on his right shoulder dislocating it. It would keep him out of action for a year.Chris LewisNot quite an injury, but certainly self-inflicted. The day after arriving in the Caribbean, Lewis decided to get a haircut and used Devon Malcolm as the barber. The result was a completely shaved head. Lewis then got on with the first week of training, only he opted not to wear a hat. Come the opening tour match against an Antigua XI he was ruled out with sunstroke. “I’ve been telling him all week to wear a hat,” Dave Roberts, the England physio, said.George GartonWhile on his way to the Caribbean for England Lions’ tour of the West Indies in 2018, Garton faced a race against the clock to catch a connecting flight from Los Angeles airport. Fearing a long wait in the terminal, he ran to the baggage carousel to pull his 30kg bag off, but his haste meant he suffered a side strain in the process. “It was a pretty freakish injury and one that really sucked, to be honest,” he said, after he had missed the whole of the tour, plus the majority of the following season.

Akila Dananjaya: Resilience, guile, and a bit of elbow grease

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Plenty of spinners, particularly those from Sri Lanka, have faded away after remodelling their actions. It’s still early days, but Akila Dananjaya seems to be bucking that trend

Andrew Fidel Fernando in Galle14-Aug-2019Australia have long had a complicated relationship with on-field behaviour, and South Africa have tasted World Cup heartbreaks like no one else, but when it comes to spin bowlers and the appropriate amount of elbow flexion, no team has quite had the storied history of Sri Lanka.Forget a book – Muttiah Muralitharan’s action-related travails deserve a TV series spanning several seasons. Though Murali could not have cleared his record any more emphatically after being made guinea pig for bowling’s biomechanics revolution, other Sri Lanka spinners have less happy outcomes. Sachithra Senanayake, for example, was pulled up and suspended for straightening his elbow by as much as 40 degrees. A longtime long-sleeved operator, he treated umpires to the sight of his naked elbow upon his return following a thorough remodelling process, but the fast-spinning darts that had previously made him such a limited-overs force turned out not to be so fast or so spinning any more. A year later, Tharindu Kaushal had his doosra banned, and has by many accounts been a shadow of his former self since.Aside from Murali, whose unique physiology makes him exceptional on all fronts, the standard story is essentially this:

  • A spinner gets reported for throwing.
  • His indignant board decries the injustice, and vows to have its man cleared.
  • The board sends him to an elbow whisperer (a biomechanics expert or a bowling coach who specialises in fixing these sorts of things).
  • The spinner comes back full of enthusiasm, promising to pile dismissed batsmen in a heap in the middle of the pitch like he once had.
  • The board realises its fellow is no good any more, and quietly ditches him.

This is not just a Sri Lanka thing, by the way. Saeed Ajmal’s post-remodelling fortunes were bleak. Mohammad Hafeez’s bowling has been suspended, reinstated, suspended and reinstated so many times, he may as well have moved house to the nearest biomechanics testing lab. And Sunil Narine only rarely braves the spotlight of international cricket now.There was a time when it seemed like this was exactly the way Akila Dananjaya’s career was going to go. He’d been groomed as Sri Lanka’s main ODI spinner for at least a year, but when he came back from remodelling his action, he was wayward and easily rattled – basically the opposite of how he’d been before. In that return series against South Africa, he took two wickets in four ODIs and averaged 92. Consequently a World Cup place eluded him. A long, languishing career in domestic cricket beckoned. Same timeline, different guy, we’d seen this all before.Kane Williamson was out for 0, after lobbing a ball straight to Dimuth Karunaratne•AFPBut there is a tenacity to Akila, first seen when he was thrown into a World T20 campaign at 18 years of age, and over the past two months, the man has wrestled his way out of that box. First via a Sri Lanka A tour to India, where he didn’t get many wickets, but during which coaches felt he was unlucky not to have had richer hauls. Then there were two creditable performances in ODIs against Bangladesh. It would have been no surprise if the selectors had left him out of the Tests, but he’d changed the narrative enough by that stage that his selection was no shock, either.Now, on the first day at Galle, he reannounced himself. Midway through the first session, discovering a spot that yielded turn and bounce around the line of the left-hander’s off stump, he kept working that area over, like a masseuse responding to the moans of a client. Eventually, that persistence brought him the wickets of both left-handed openers. Against Kane Williamson, he required only three deliveries to execute a plan. Williamson, a prolific worker of the ball into the on side against the spinners, had been dismissed five times playing that shot in Test cricket, before this game. Akila slowed an offbreak down, and had him into the shot early, to provide a leading edge. Short-midwicket had been positioned to gobble up precisely that catch.Later, just before tea, after Henry Nicholls and Ross Taylor had put on a century stand, Akila beat Nicholls’ sweep with an offbreak that dipped to beat his sweep, catching the batsman lbw. BJ Watling’s wicket was almost a freebie – the ball staying low to miss his pull, and strike him on the pad. His fourth five-wicket haul, in only his sixth Test match, has also got to be his sweetest. For the self-doubt and other-people-doubt he’d have had to overcome, yes, but also because without Akila, Sri Lanka’s day may have been bleak. Left-arm spnner Lasith Embuldeniya was successfully hit off his lines by Taylor. Dhananjaya de Silva, meanwhile, was not yet gaining enough assistance off the surface to make his gentle offbreaks menacing.If we are being real, this is only a start. Having failed a biomechanic test once, Akila’s now on the ICC’s dodgy-action radar. Umpires will watch him closely when he comes round the wicket, especially, which is the angle of attack that had raised the initial suspicion. If the Hafeez example is anything to go by, the remodelling process can sometimes seem like an injection, the effects of which wear off after several months. Bad habits can return.But keep taking wickets for another year. Keep that elbow straight. Stay off the naughty list.Following Wednesday’s 5 for 57, he averages 22.25 in the middle of his sixth Test match. Sri Lanka need him to keep charting his own path.

'Once I put my mind to it, I can achieve anything'

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

Fabian Allen made his mark in the Global T20 Canada 2018 and this year’s World Cup. Now he has his eye on the IPL

Saurabh Somani06-Dec-2019Fabian Allen’s left elbow has a network of scars that could well be a Rorschach inkblot test. Those marks are not remnants of a tattoo – of which Allen has quite a few, with plans to get more.”In 2016, I had a car accident,” he says. “I almost lost my arm. I have to just give God thanks that I’m still alive and I’m here. It was a situation that could have happened to anyone. I was trying to protect the other driver, who was coming from the opposite side. Unfortunately, the car lost control and turned over. The doctor said I’m lucky, because I almost lost my hand. But God kept me going.”From that jolting experience to three years later, Allen has had quite the journey. He caught the world’s attention at the 2019 World Cup with a blazing half-century against Sri Lanka, albeit in a losing cause when his partnership with centurion Nicholas Pooran was cut short by a run-out. That World Cup, though, is etched on Allen. Literally – he has the tournament logo tattooed on his neck.”A lot of people would wish they had been to the World Cup, and I got the opportunity to go and showcase my talents. It’s a pleasure. And I love tattoos,” says Allen. “Every World Cup I go to [including T20 World Cups] I will get a tattoo. All will be on the neck.”It may sound like a lot of pain to go through, but Allen is no stranger to it. A resident of St Elizabeth in Jamaica, he didn’t have it easy growing up. But it’s not something he wants to talk about much. “I grew up in rough areas. We are tough and can bear pain. Where I live, it’s very tough to play. We used to play cricket on the dirt,” is all he’ll say.What that upbringing has wrought, though, is a player who lights up cricket grounds with his dynamic batting and electric fielding. Throw in his handy left-arm spin and you’ve got a proper allrounder. It’s not surprising that Allen is already a crucial part of West Indies’ limited-overs teams despite having played only 21 List A games and 27 T20s, almost half of which have been for West Indies.His T20 strike rate of 165.70 is an indication of his ability, and the reason he was fast-tracked into the West Indies team.

The man just above him on the list is a T20 colossus – Andre Russell. Allen sports a mohawk, just like Russell. He doesn’t aim for four when he can hit a six, just like Russell. He can bat, bowl, field – and make a game-turning impact in all three disciplines, just like Russell. “Just like Russell” could be Allen’s tagline.”Yeah, he’s my brother,” Allen smiles. “He’s my idol, so I’m going to be taking a lot of notes from him about my game. He inspires me a lot, how to go about my game, how to focus, how to relax… stuff like that.” Is the haircut then a tribute to Russell? “Yes, everything.”When asked to explain his power-hitting technique, Allen doesn’t think there’s anything to break down.”I think it’s a natural West Indian thing,” he says about the ability to clear fences. “You don’t need to do nothing, just stand properly and get bat on ball. Yes, we practise our strengths. That’s the major aspect of the game.”Surely Russell would have shared tips on some of the finer aspects of power-hitting? “Just need to get bat on ball. Keep your base, keep your shape. That’s all.”Look, if it were that simple, a lot more people would have been hitting it at the strike rates he and Russell do. Allen shrugs. “It’s all about determination, you know? If you’re not determined to do something, you’re not going to.”What about the secret to his gravity-defying fielding efforts, like this one or this one? Allen acknowledges that he was always a very good fielder, though he says that if people put their minds to it, they could fly through the air like he does.”I started playing cricket from when I was nine years old,” he says. “Fielding was my main focus. I used to field first before I started batting and bowling. It’s not hard. Very simple. Just train. Train properly, do what you have to do. And the main thing is to be focused, dedicated.”Whenever I’m fielding, I give my 100%. I expect the ball to come to me, and I expect to do crazy stuff on the field. It’s just me.”The flying Jamaican: Allen’s superhuman feats of fielding are well documented•Getty ImagesAllen’s talent was first spotted during the 2018 Global T20 Canada tournament, where he was part of the West Indies B team that reached the final. He had the highest batting average (42.25) and strike rate (181.72) for his team, and the second best economy rate (6.56). About three months after the final, he made his ODI and T20I debuts.”Well, the selectors saw something in me,” Allen says. “The Global T20 brought my career into the spotlight, made everyone see me. I think I did pretty well. I have to give credit to West Indies. They saw the talent and future in me. I was playing against the best in the world, lots of different guys from different countries. I got a lot of experience from them, seeing how they move, how they go about things. It’s a good feeling to be around guys like Chris Gayle and others.”The T20I series against India comes right before the IPL 2020 auction. “It’s everybody’s dream to play IPL, and it’s my dream too,” Allen says. “I just have to do what I have to do [on the field] and look to get into a team. You know, money’s not everything. It’s just that I want to get into the action. Once I do the job, money’s going to come.”My goal is just to contribute to my team, in any competition. Just be Fabian Allen and achieve the best I can. Whatever any team asks me to do, I’ll just lift up my hand and do it.”And what if he comes up against Russell in an IPL match? “So be it! I would love that challenge.”How would Allen the bowler bowl to Allen the batsman? “I won’t tell you that!” he says with a full-throated chuckle. “Basically, I would just try to build pressure and try to keep the pressure on me.”Perhaps surprisingly for someone who is making headlines in white-ball cricket, Allen made his first-class debut in 2016, before his List A (2018) and T20 (2017) debuts. In his first seven first-class matches, he racked up runs and averaged 58.30. But around that time, he began finding success in the shorter formats, where his career really took off. Since then he drifted away from the red-ball game somewhat.”It’s just that I’m playing more shorter formats now, I’m focusing on the shorter formats,” Allen explains. “I still love red-ball cricket. Red-ball cricket is my dream. It gave me the opportunity to be here, so I have to give thanks for it. Everyone has a goal. Everyone’s looking to play as long as possible. I wouldn’t mind if I play a long, long, long time till I hang up my boots. Once you put in the work, you’re going to get the results and the selectors are going to look at you.”So is Test cricket still on the cards? “Definitely. Once I put my mind to it, I can achieve anything.”It sounds like a cliché, but when you’ve grown up in a rough neighbourhood, had a potentially life-threatening accident, kicked off an impressive first-class career before changing lanes and skyrocketing in limited overs, who would dare argue that Allen the cricketer cannot achieve whatever he wants?

Vijay Shankar's second chance to bounce back in New Zealand

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Having replaced Hardik Pandya in the A squad for New Zealand, Vijay has another chance to make it back to the India side

Deivarayan Muthu21-Jan-2020About a year back, Vijay Shankar took on Lockie Ferguson and co. on India A’s tour of New Zealand, then broke into the senior white-ball side, and made a compact 45 after a top-order collapse in an ODI in Wellington. Vijay’s technique in swinging conditions had impressed the team management and the selectors so much that they took a punt on him for the No. 4 slot in the 50-over World Cup.Vijay’s family travelled all the way to England to watch him live on the biggest stage and although he took a first-ball wicket against Pakistan in the World Cup, the dream soon turned into a nightmare as a toe injury in the nets sidelined him after a mere three games in the tournament.Vijay has fought more injuries and is now fit again, but hasn’t been part of the India side since. With Hardik Pandya, too, recovering from a back surgery, Mumbai allrounder Shivam Dube was trialled recently in the shorter formats. Pandya was originally picked for the New Zealand A tour that begins this week, but the BCCI said his rehab was “taking longer than expected”.ALSO READ: India have missed a trick with their allrounder strategyThat has once again opened doors for Vijay by accident as he was called up at the last minute to replace Pandya in the A squad for the two warm-ups and the three one-dayers against New Zealand A which begin on Wednesday. Vijay had a decent workout with the bat in the second warm-up over the last weekend, helping finish the innings with a 41-ball 58, but proved expensive with the ball – his weaker suit – to concede 50 runs in only four overs in Lincoln. Vijay, though, had fared much better with the ball in the first warm-up, claiming 1 for 26 in six overs.Vijay is now looking for a second chance in a country where he had been handed his first real chance last year. Recently, former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar had said on ESPNcricinfo that the conditions in New Zealand could suit Vijay’s nippy medium-pace and he could give the senior side some batting depth and a fifth-bowling option in Tests.Getty ImagesThe India squads for the three ODIs against New Zealand, which begin on February 5, and the two Tests, beginning on February 21, have not been announced yet. Vijay will hope the selectors will wait to look at the three-match one-day series against New Zealand A on whether he stands a chance as a seam-bowling allrounder or not.It has not been an easy wait for Vijay since the World Cup. He was in line to play against South Africa A at home last year, but he split his webbing at a club game and spent further time on the sidelines.”Coming back from an injury has always been a tough thing for me because I’ve always had some setbacks, which has kept me out for a while,” Vijay told ESPNcricinfo during the domestic white-ball season. “Being out [of action] is very disturbing and irritating at times, but what has happened has happened and it’s going to be a fresh start.”I kept training hard, which kept me going. I travelled with the Tamil Nadu team to Jaipur [even when I wasn’t playing]. By watching the game also you can learn. When I started batting, I wanted to implement that in my game and definitely, yes, [I’ve] been batting well and bowling well after those injuries.”Vijay had floated up and down the order in the 50-over Vijay Hazare Trophy and 20-over Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. After forging some crucial partnerships with his Tamil Nadu captain Dinesh Karthik in the 50-over matches, he nearly took them to the Syed Mushtaq Ali title. Once Tamil Nadu were reduced to 80 for 4 while chasing 181 in the domestic T20 final, Vijay took charge and made a calculated 27-ball 44. He had focused on his strengths – timing the ball and taking the chase deep as opposed to slogging against the Karnataka attack. He narrowed the equation down to four off two balls, before he was run out, by a rocket throw from Manish Pandey, despite a sprawling dive.”If you see my opportunities, I’ve carried the bat in some games and a couple of games I batted down the order, where I’ve got out also,” he said. “In whatever other opportunities I got I have done well, I just need to adapt to the situation and condition and deliver what the team needs. I need to take up responsibility and deliver at that particular moment. That will give me more satisfaction. Scoring 100 or 150 matters, but playing tough situations at some point is also important.”Despite the narrow loss in the Mushtaq Ali final, Vijay did show that he had learnt from the Nidahas Trophy final, where he was desperately swiping and missing balls against Mustafizur Rahman. Vijay’s personal coach and former Railways player S Balaji said that they have been working on ensuring that Vijay maintains a stable base when he meets the ball.NurPhoto/Getty Images”We discuss on the balance at the crease during training,” Balaji said. “If you see Rohit Sharma, he has the best balance in the whole world. You can’t copy him, but we’re trying to make it better [for Vijay]. If you look at M Vijay as well, his balance and control when he hits the ball is good. You need to be in proper position when you want to hit the ball wherever.”Last year during IPL, he tried to hit the ball straight and over the leg side. We’re looking more at the off side now, behind point and over covers, where there are vacant areas. If you hit straight, there’re always two fielders to stop the ball if you can’t clear the rope. Sixes can come later on, you need to build the innings – maybe start at a strike rate of 80 and then move to 150 in T20s – and we’re working on that.”On the bowling front, Vijay had taken the new ball on the seamer-friendly pitches in Jaipur during the Vijay Hazare Trophy and then hit hard lengths in the Mushtaq Ali semi-final against Rajasthan in Surat, where he returned with 2 for 13 in his four overs. While Vijay hadn’t picked up a bagful of wickets in the domestic season, he was pleased with the way his bowling was coming along following multiple injuries in 2019.”With the ball the numbers might have not been like three-four wickets, but then it’s very important for me to bowl well,” he said. “Sometimes you might not get wickets, but it’s important to bowl tight and sometimes you will end up picking wickets at some stage, but it’s important to keep at it and try to execute it.”Vijay and Balaji were initially targeting a “big” IPL at the turn of 2020, and the latest India A call-up has come as a pleasant surprise. With his ability to bounce back and having made it to the World Cup last year, he has fond memories from the last New Zealand tour to look back on as he prepares to grab his second chance one year on in the same country.

Slot could boldly axe "special" Liverpool star who's the new James Milner

by rastrear-estafeta.com Uncategorized

Arne Slot is hardly riding on Jurgen Klopp’s coattails, but it’s fair to say that the Dutch tactician has made use of his predecessor’s assembled Liverpool squad.

That’s why the forthcoming transfer window is so important. Liverpool need to sort out their lingering contractual concerns while targeting the right players to shore up the team this summer.

Trent, Salah, Van Dijk

Liverpool are firm favourites to win the Premier League, with the midfield engine driving the efforts. Slot has been reluctant to chop and change, but his formula, on this front, has worked a treat.

Liverpool's transformational rebuild

It’s May 2023 and Liverpool are staring down the barrel of a gun. For the first time in a full season under Klopp’s management, Anfield has failed to qualify for the Champions League.

naby-keita-liverpool-jurgen-klopp-premier-league

Triumph in the 2022/23 season’s curtain-raiser – a win over Manchester City in the Community Shield – issued delusions of grandeur.

But this false dawn was a product of hesitations and a lack of transfer investment. Liverpool’s midfield were tired, past their sell-by date. Jordan Henderson and Fabinho and co were actually branded “awful” by pundit Jamie Carragher after one embarrassing defeat against newly-promoted Nottingham Forest.

Jordan Henderson and Fabinho

Approaching the end of their contracts, James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain were all expected to leave at the end, ushering in a new group of talents to reshape the central fold.

But Saudi Pro League approaches for Fabinho and Liverpool’s captain were unforeseen, prompting a more dramatic rebuild that saw Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Ryan Gravenberch and Wataru Endo brought in.

All four midfielders have played important roles since joining, each levelling up within Slot’s system. However, Endo was only brought in as a stop-gap option from Stuttgart for £16m.

Having now played 69 times for the Merseyside club, Endo has paid his due and then some, although, his continued presence in the team runs the risk of seeing him become the club’s next Milner, a modern legend but perhaps one who stayed in the mix for a tad too long.

Liverpool's new James Milner

The argument for Endo’s sale this summer is a strong one. Indeed, the Japan international hasn’t started a single game in the Premier League this season and isn’t getting any younger at 32.

Liverpool's Wataru Endo

However, he’s achieved cult status within Liverpool circles for his tough-tackling, all-important cameos in recent months, introduced late on to steer Slot’s side over the line.

As per FBref, he ranks among the top 14% of midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for pass completion, the top 15% for tackles and the top 16% for clearances per 90, underscoring that point.

Premier League

14 (0)

–

–

137′

Champions League

6 (1)

–

–

140′

Carabao Cup

4 (3)

–

–

296′

FA Cup

2 (2)

–

–

169′

He might be a well-liked part of the team and a valuable defensive option besides, but Endo has played the equivalent of a game-and-a-half of football in the Premier League and we have reached the penultimate month of the campaign.

Moreover, Sky Germany have reported that Eintracht Frankfurt have already made enquiries for the £50k-per-week midfielder ahead of the summer window, and that Liverpool have confirmed his departure is a possibility.

There’s a possibility that Endo is indeed turning into the next Milner, having been compared to “one of the biggest Liverpool legends of my time” by Klopp for his ability to enter the fray late on and close games down.

James Milner

Milner, who joined Liverpool on a free transfer from Manchester City when he was 29 and went on to play 332 times for the Merseysiders – more than for any other club – is one of the more prosaic members of Anfield’s modern dynasty, but an important one all the same.

The former England international was 37 when he departed in 2023, finding a new home on the South Coast with Brighton & Hove Albion, but he ceded that the time was right to move on.

In fact, Liverpool could have been quicker in cutting ties with the veteran, who was very much a part of the malfunctioning midfield cohort across 2022/23, so sapped and tired after many years of tireless running in Klopp’s system.

Now, Endo, praised for his “special” qualities by Slot, is much younger than Milner was when he left Liverpool, but there’s little question about the Englishman’s prodigious fitness levels, so incredible in his ability to keep pace with his youngers.

Liverpool midfielder James Milner.

However, the signs of his regression were clear on that final campaign. As per Sofascore, he completed 81% of his passes, won 48% of his duels and averaged 0.4 key passes and 0.8 tackles per game.

Contrast that with the 2018/19 season: Milner succeeded with 75% of his dribbles, won 56% of his duels, made 1.4 key passes and tackles apiece on average each game and racked up nine goal involvements.

Milner’s still kicking in the Premier League, but it’s fair to say that Liverpool could have benefitted from acting quicker in crafting their midfield rebuild before Klopp left – though with the title on the horizon, it’s all worked out rather okay.

FSG’s Liverpool sporting director, Richard Hughes, will need to think long and hard about enforcing a few changes in midfield this summer. It’s not the priority area this summer, but with past mistakes highlighting the error in not being a bit more ambitious in the transfer market, it’s something worth considering for sure.

Were Endo to leave, a young and fresh new option could be welcomed to provide competition to Gravenberch, who has looked leggy in recent weeks. Time, of course, will tell.

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Chelsea may have found a new Werner who was one of Maresca's "passengers"

by rastrear-estafeta.com Uncategorized

Chelsea’s grip on a Champions League spot looks more and more uncertain by the day, especially after Enzo Maresca’s Blues stumbled to an unconvincing 0-0 draw versus Brentford on Sunday.

Indeed, the race for that final coveted spot in the Premier League’s top four is heating up, with the likes of Aston Villa, Newcastle United and Manchester City all fancying their chances over the up-and-down West Londoners.

Unfortunately for Maresca, one dud at his disposal is slowly becoming his team’s next version of Timo Werner, with the German a colossal failure in-front of goal for most of his cursed stay at Stamford Bridge.

Werner's frustrating Chelsea stint

Werner would join the Chelsea ranks back in 2020 with a growing reputation for being one of Europe’s most clinical strikers, costing the Blues a pretty £45m subsequently.

Indeed, the Stuttgart-born star had managed to fired home a staggering 113 goals from 213 games donning a RB Leipzig strip – across his two spells – but his time in the English capital with Chelsea would be anything but lethal.

In total, the former Chelsea number 11 would slot home a weak 23 strikes from 89 games playing for the Premier League giants, leading to Werner retreating back to Leipzig in the summer of 2022 to try and recapture his deadly edge.

Now on the books of Tottenham Hotspur – where he continues to struggle with zero league strikes picked up in 2024/25 – Chelsea will definitely jot down the deal for Werner as a blunder in the transfer market, coupled with the fact the German would relocate back to the Bundesliga for just £25.3m.

History could now be unfortunately repeating itself with this dud in Maresca’s camp, with the wasteful flop also costing Chelsea a hefty amount, only for the expensive attacker to be staring the exit door in the face after one too many passive performances in West London.

Maresca's very own Werner

The Champions League chasers aren’t exactly blessed with plentiful numbers in the centre-forward department, considering both David Datro Fofana and Marc Guiu are sidelined currently, alongside Nicolas Jackson being drip-fed more and more minutes recently after battling back from injury issues of his own.

Therefore, Maresca has had his hands tied behind his back somewhat when it comes to team selections, resulting in a goal-shy Christopher Nkunku having to regularly lead the line.

The Frenchman was particularly below-par away at Brentford on Sunday, with the former Leipzig attacker – which is where the similarities with Werner begin – only registering one shot on goal all game, before Maresca dragged him off at the half-time interval.

With just three goals all season long in the top-flight, Nkunku will now have the same unwanted tag above his head as the German in being an extortionate waste of money, with the 27-year-old only amassing a weak 17 goals on English shores overall, after costing an eye-watering £52m to obtain back in 2023.

RB Leipzig

172

70

52

Paris St. Germain

78

11

4

Chelsea

53

17

5

Sourced by Transfermarkt

Moreover, his explosive spell with Leipzig – which saw him collect a stunning 122 goal contributions from 172 games – makes his poor showings at Stamford Bridge even harder to stomach, with Nkunku managing just 18 touches on average this season in the Premier League as a presence now too afraid to leave a lasting mark on a contest.

Even labelled as one of Maresca’s “passengers” versus the Bees according to one football journalist, the beginning of the end for Nkunku at Chelsea already looks to be underway, with the Blues perhaps having to offload the inconsistent Frenchman for way below his past £52m price tag – much like they had to with Werner.

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Chelsea make offer this week to sign Real Madrid star for £59 million

by h79snht.top Uncategorized

Chelsea have made an offer to sign a Real Madrid sensation in the last few days, with Los Blancos also replying to the proposal from Enzo Maresca’s side.

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Enzo Fernández scored the only goal to pile more pressure on Ange Postecoglou as Chelsea sealed a 1-0 London derby victory over Spurs at Stamford Bridge on Thursday.

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Chelsea dominated the early stages, but failed to take advantage of some truly questionable defending from the visitors until Fernandez finally broke the deadlock with a free header inside the penalty area.

Moises Caicedo also had a screamer ruled out for offside, but Maresca was nearly made to pay for only having a one-goal advantage late in the game. Pape Matar Sarr’s excellent equaliser was chalked off for a foul in the build-up, and it took an excellent save from Robert Sanchez to deny Son Heung-min.

Chelsea’s next five Premier League fixtures

Date

Brentford (away)

April 6th

Ipswich Town (home)

April 13th

Fulham (away)

April 20th

Everton (home)

April 26th

Liverpool (home)

May 4th

“I just said to the players, since day one we don’t work every day to win the game in the way we win and play in the last 10 minutes,” said Maresca on Chelsea’s nervy end to the contest.

“In terms of waiting for them and give the ball to them. But if you want to become a team, I think you need also to learn and to play in the way we played in the last 10 minutes. Win a game in a dirty way. Because I think for 90 minutes until extra time we were in control, we created enough chances to win the game. We created enough chances in the first half.

“And then to be honest, that’s been my mistake [bringing Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Tosin Adarabioyo on for Cole Palmer and Fernandez] because I did the change before I saw the extra time. And when I saw 12 minutes, I saw that probably it was too early to make that kind of change. But fortunately, we won the game, and we are happy.”

The result will go a long way in Chelsea’s race for Champions League qualification, which in turn will help them attract Europe’s best players.

Chelsea make £59m offer to Real Madrid for Endrick

On their transfer activity, quite a big claim has emerged from the Spanish media, involving Real Madrid striker Endrick.

The Brazilian hasn’t exactly been a mainstay for Carlo Ancelotti, but did play a role in their thrilling 4-4 Copa del Rey semi-final draw with Real Sociedad earlier this week, a result which booked their place in the final. Endrick has also been called a “special” young striker by pundits from his native Brazil.

“The boy is special, no doubt about it,” said ex-Manchester City star Elano to FourFourTwo.

Brazil'sEndrickduring the warm up

“He belongs to that group of super-talented players that Brazil has produced in the past: Neymar, Ronaldinho, Ronaldo and others. He’s another rare case of a youngster who convinces everyone they’re special; youngsters born with incredible talent.”

Now, Spanish media report that Chelsea made a £59 million offer to Real for Endrick right after the Copa del Rey semi-final on Tuesday.

Maresca’s side believe he’s the ideal candidate to lead their forward line, prompting them to swoop in with a proposal before the summer window. However, they’re set to be left disappointed, as the La Liga heavyweights have no intention of accepting this bid.

While Chelsea would also offer Endrick a good salary, and the South American is dissatisfied with his game time right now, he’s also showing no desire to leave and Real are just as reluctant.

It is unclear whether Chelsea will return with a counteroffer, but it appears they may have to move on to alternative striker targets. Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap is among the other centre-forwards on Maresca’s transfer list.

Imagine him & Marmoush: Man City must play ace who "plays like a superstar"

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

Manchester City are back in action once again in the Premier League this evening as they prepare to travel to Old Trafford to take on Manchester United.

The Cityzens come into this match off the back of a 2-0 win over Leicester City at The Etihad last time out in the top-flight, thanks to goals from Jack Grealish and Omar Marmoush.

Pep Guardiola will still be without star striker Erling Haaland, due to an ankle injury, but the Spanish head coach knows that he can now rely on Marmoush to step up in that position.

Why Omar Marmoush has been a worthwhile signing for Man City

The Egypt international joined the club from Eintracht Frankfurt in the January transfer window and has hit the ground running in Manchester as a versatile forward, who can play out wide or through the middle as a striker.

He started as the centre-forward against Leicester and showed off his goalscoring instincts and technique to pounce on a mistake by Mads Hermansen and fire the ball in off the crossbar.

Marmoush

The 26-year-old sensation has now scored five goals and created three ‘big chances’ for his teammates in seven starts in the Premier League this year, which shows that he has provided an instant threat in the final third as both a scorer and a creator.

These statistics illustrate why he has been a worthwhile signing for City already, because he has made an impact right away and offered quality in front of goal in the absence of Haaland.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Guardiola must, now, unleash Kevin de Bruyne from the start – for his last Manchester derby before he leaves in the summer – to partner Marmoush in attack this evening.

Why Kevin de Bruyne should start against Man Utd

There is, of course, the sentimental angle in the sense that this will be his last chance to play in the derby before his contract expires at the end of the season, so it could be a good moment to bring him back into the XI to have one last dance with the Red Devils.

The Belgian whiz, who has scored three goals and provided six assists against Man Utd in his career, was an unused substitute in the win over Leicester, which could allow him to come into this game fresh and raring to go.

De Bruyne, as you can see in the clips above, has been a sensational creative force for the Cityzens over the years, with his ability to pick out sublime passes and crosses to assist his teammates.

The Belgium international, who Frank Lampard claimed “plays like a superstar”, has consistently created ‘big chances’ for his fellow attackers to find the back of the net throughout his Premier League career with the club.

24/25

12

11

23/24

15

21

22/23

28

31

21/22

25

16

20/21

23

19

19/20

32

33

18/19

11

11

17/18

36

19

16/17

33

24

15/16

22

8

As you can see in the table above, de Bruyne tends to create ‘big chances’ when he starts matches for City in the top-flight, which is why he should be unleashed this evening.

Jeremy Doku, who did not contribute to a goal or an assist last time out, could drop to the bench with Grealish moved out to the left, allowing the Belgian star to play centrally behind Marmoush.

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This would, hopefully, allow the Man City legend to provide the Egyptian star with the ‘big chances’ he needs to add to his growing collection of Premier League goals since his move to The Etihad in January.

Jose Mourinho open to being Rangers manager on one key condition with 49ers

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

Rangers’ chances of hiring Jose Mourinho as their next manager could hinge on one key factor, according to a new update regarding their next boss.

Latest on Rangers' next manager

After bowing out of the Europa League at the hands of Athletic Bilbao last week, Barry Ferguson feels increasingly unlikely to be handed the Gers job on a permanent basis. The former captain has done a good job at times, mopping up after the disappointing reign of Philippe Clement, but he has only won four of his 10 matches in charge in all competitions.

Steven Gerrard has been strongly linked with a return to Ibrox, having led the Gers to Scottish Premiership title glory back in 2020/21, with the Liverpool legend perhaps feeling that he has unfinished business at the club. The 44-year-old was most recently in charge of Saudi Pro League team Al-Ettifaq.

Former Southampton boss Russell Martin has also emerged as an alternative to Gerrard, with the Englishman favouring a ball-playing style, while Sean Dyche has been mentioned as an option, too, and would bring a very different approach. Mourinho’s name has also been mooted, and a now fresh claim has dropped regarding Rangers potentially hiring him this summer.

Mourinho has one key demand for 49ers

According to TEAMtalk, Mourinho “would be open” to becoming Rangers’ next manager, as has been recently reported, but only if he is backed with “new additions” by 49ers Enterprises. The update also claims that the Gers “have not approached his entourage yet”, with Gerrard still looking like the front-runner to replace Ferguson.

Rangers hiring Mourinho would be one of the most high-profile appointments in the club’s history, considering the Portuguese is among the most successful managers of his generation.

The 62-year-old is a two-time Champions League winner, having led both Porto and Inter Milan to European glory, and there is also the small matter of him winning eight league titles in four different countries – the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A and Primeira Liga.

Mourinho possesses the winning mentality to help bridge the gap between Rangers and Celtic, and he has the ability to create a siege mentality and endear himself to his own supporters.

Admittedly, at 62, he may not quite be at his absolute peak as a manager anymore – he would arguably be in a bigger job than Fenerbahce if that was the case – but he remains a born winner who could be an instant hero at Ibrox.

The fact that Rangers haven’t approached Mourinho yet does suggest that he is an outside bet to come in at the end of the season, with Gerrard feeling like the more likely choice.

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For all the former Chelsea and Real Madrid manager’s controversial character, though, there is no doubt that the Gers hiring him would be a huge story and a potentially game-changing appointment.

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