Tag Futebol

There were numerous doubters amongst the footballing world about Southampton this season.

After losing a host of big name stars that were influential in their fantastic eighth placed Premier League finish last season, the Saints were one of the favourites to be relegated when the 2014/2015 campaign began. Replacing players like Rickie Lambert, Adam Lallana, Luke Shaw, Calum Chambers, Dejan Lovren and manager Mauricio Pochettino, Southampton looked like they had a mountain to climb.

This has not proved to be the case thus far. New gaffer Ronald Koema, has arrived and rejuvenated a beleaguered Southampton side, who only five years ago were lying in 22nd place in League One. The former Feyenoord coach has also made some very shrewd signings in order to replace the key players that got them back into England’s top flight.

The stand out players has been Italian target man Graziano Pelle and winger Dusan Tadic, both of whom were signed from Koeman’s native Netherlands. Other new recruits such as goalkeeper Fraser Forster, left back Ryan Bertrand and striker Shane Long resulted in the South Coast club spending an astonishing £57.9m after generating players’ sales just short of the £100m mark.

One rising star that cost a hefty £10m is winger Sadio Mane. Questions were immediately asked about the wisdom of the St. Mary’s outfit spending that amount of money on a 21-year-old coming from Red Bull Salzburg and the less competitive Austrian league.

However, Mane is already starting to justify his £10m price tag, making a significant contribution in the 2-1 Capital One Cup win away at Arsenal, as well as notching two domestic goals already, in the 8-0 thrashing of Sunderland and the narrow 1-0 against Stoke City.

So who is Sadio Mane?

The Senegalese midfielder started his footballing life with French side FC Metz, and in the 2011/2012 season scored two goals in 22 appearances. This prompted a move to Austria, moving to Red Bull Salzburg for £4m, the third biggest transfer fee FC Metz had received.

His time in Austria just showed why Koeman was eager to snap him up immediately. In 63 games, Mane scored an eye-catching 31 goals. While playing in the Austrian league, Mane was also testing himself across Europe in the Europa League. This showed that the tricky winger loves to take on defenders, completing 38 successful dribbles in the competition, more than any other player in the Europa League last season.

The Austrian Bundesliga and Austrian Cup winner also had the privilege of representing his country at the 2012 Olympics in London. Making four appearances for Senegal, Mane helped his team qualify out of the group, finishing above Uruguay, before being knocked out in the quarter finals by eventual winners Mexico.

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His impressive goal record and young age is the main reason why Southampton signed him when they had the chance. On this basis, considering the impressive start the Saints have made, Mane could become a top class winger in the Premier League.

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It’s been something of a turbulent week for Arsenal FC, which saw the Gunners knocked out of the Capital One Cup on Tuesday at the hands of League 2 side Bradford City at Valley Parade.

Prior to that, Arsene Wenger’s men took on West Brom in the Premier League at the Emirates Stadium and, while Arsenal won 2-0, the match was not without controversy.

Mikel Arteta scored twice from the spot, with the first penalty wrongly awarded after Arsenal’s Santi Cazorla dived when challenged by Steven Reid.

Here is Reid pointing at Cazorla – can you come up with a funny caption for this image?

Leave your suggestions below…

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This week you can win a copy of the Arsenal Big Match DVD!

Back in the days of power cuts and perms, the only way football fans could see the stars of the day on TV was through programmes like Saturday night’s Match of the Day and The Big Match on Sunday afternoon.

Introduced by Rodney Marsh, this DVD relives an era that has taken on legendary status.

Available on Amazon.

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For the FootballFanCast.com Caption Competition Terms and Conditions click here

Check out our Caption Competition Gallery for some inspiration and to see the winners so far.

Last week’s winner: Lee Burgess – click here to see all entries

We answer all your questions about the upcoming Champions Trophy in Pakistan and the UAE

Hemant Brar06-Feb-2025

When is Champions Trophy 2025 starting?

Champions Trophy 2025 will begin on February 19, with hosts Pakistan taking on New Zealand in Karachi. The final will be played on March 9. Click here for the full schedule.

It has been a while since we had a Champions Trophy, right?

Yes, the previous edition was played in 2017, in England and Wales, where Pakistan beat India in the final. Here is the list of all previous winners.

Why has there been such a long gap?

Since its inception in 1998, the tournament was played every two years till 2009. After that, it was moved to a four-year cycle. India were supposed to host the 2021 edition but it was replaced with the T20 World Cup, which was ultimately played in the UAE.Related

• From BPL to Champions Trophy – Simmons wants 'that 50-over mentality' quickly

• England bank on familiar core for Champions Trophy acid test

• Batch of new quicks gives in-transition Bangladesh hope

• SA replace injured Nortje with Bosch for Champions Trophy

• Context is king as Pakistan and New Zealand open pre-Champions Trophy tri-series

So Pakistan are the hosts this time?

Yes, but there is more to it. Since India refused to travel to Pakistan, the PCB opted for a hybrid model with India’s matches to be held in Dubai. That decision was arrived at after a long impasse. The Pakistan leg will be played in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi. The National Stadium in Karachi and the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore are undergoing significant upgrades and renovation, almost racing against time. Their readiness will be tested during the tri-series, involving Pakistan, New Zealand and South Africa, just before the Champions Trophy.

Where will the opening ceremony be held then?

The PCB will host an event in Lahore on February 16 to mark the start of the tournament. However, there will be no captains’ meet, or press conference, because of logistical reasons. This also ends the speculations about whether India captain Rohit Sharma will travel to Pakistan or not.

But why are India not going to Pakistan when everyone else is?

Because of political tension between the two countries. Even Indian match officials are not travelling to Pakistan. The last time India visited Pakistan was for the 2008 Asia Cup, even though Pakistan have played several ICC tournaments in India since then, including the 2023 ODI World Cup. Before the Champions Trophy, the two boards and the ICC reached an agreement that till 2027, even Pakistan’s matches in an ICC tournament hosted in India would be played at a neutral venue.

When was the last time an ICC tournament was held in Pakistan?

For that, you will have to go all the way back to 1996, when Pakistan co-hosted the ODI World Cup with India and Sri Lanka. Pakistan were supposed to host the Champions Trophy in 2008. But due to security concerns, the tournament was eventually played in South Africa in 2009.

Are India playing Pakistan in Champions Trophy 2025?

Yes, they are in the same group and will face each other on February 23, Sunday in Dubai. Unlike the World Cups, where India have a 15-1 head-to-head record, things have been much closer in the Champions Trophy, with Pakistan leading 3-2.Fakhar Zaman, centurion and Player of the Match in the final of the last Champions Trophy, has been recalled for this year’s edition•Getty Images

How many teams are participating in all?

Eight, the same as the 2017 edition. The only difference is that Afghanistan have qualified ahead of Sri Lanka this time. The teams are divided into two groups. Group A has India, New Zealand, Pakistan and Bangladesh, and Group B South Africa, Australia, Afghanistan and England. You can find all the squads here.

How were the participants decided?

Being the hosts, Pakistan secured automatic qualification. The other seven teams were decided based on the 2023 ODI World Cup standings. Sri Lanka and Netherlands, who finished ninth and tenth, missed the cut.

What happened to West Indies?

Since West Indies had not qualified for the 2023 ODI World Cup, they could not compete for the Champions Trophy either. It was the same case for Zimbabwe and Ireland, the other missing Full Members.

What is the format for the Champions Trophy?

Each team will play its fellow group members once. After that, the top two teams from each group will qualify for the semi-finals, with A1 playing B2 and B1 playing A2.If India qualify, they will play their semi-final in Dubai on March 4, irrespective of their position on the points table. Similarly, if Pakistan qualify, they will play their semi-final in Lahore on March 5.The final will be played on March 9 in Lahore, unless India make it till there. In that case, the venue will once again be Dubai.

What will happen if a match ends in a tie?

All tied matches throughout the tournament will be decided via the Super Over. If the Super Over is also tied, then subsequent Super Overs will be played until there is a winner.Joe Root is back in England’s ODI plans for the Champions Trophy•Getty Images

Is there a reserve day for the knockout matches?

Yes, the two semi-finals and the final have a reserve day. But every attempt will be made to finish the game on the scheduled day itself. If that is not possible, the match will resume on the reserve day from where it was stopped.In the knockout matches, the team batting second should have the opportunity to play at least 25 overs – as opposed to 20 in the group stage – for the result to be decided via the DLS method.

What happens if there is still a washout?

In case of a no result in the semi-finals, the team that finished higher in the group stage will proceed to the final. If the final is washed out, the trophy will be shared.

Has there ever been joint winners?

Yes, India and hosts Sri Lanka shared the trophy in 2002 after the final was washed out. There was a reserve day in place but, as per the playing conditions back then, the match was played afresh. On both days, Sri Lanka batted first and played their full 50 overs, but rain did not allow more than ten overs in the second innings on either occasion.

What are some of the key things I need to know about the teams?

Australia go into the tournament as ODI world champions but their captain Pat Cummins, fast bowler Josh Hazlewood and allrounder Mitchell Marsh have been ruled out with injuries. Also Marcus Stoinis has retired. Australia have until February 12 to name their replacements.South Africa will be without Anrich Nortje and Gerald Coetzee (both injured). On the other hand, a fit-again Ibrahim Zadran is back for Afghanistan. Also keep an eye out for their mystery spinner AM Ghazanfar.India will hope Rohit and Virat Kohli come good after poor returns in Test cricket lately. Pakistan have recalled Fakhar Zaman, the Player of the Match in the final last time, and England have done the same with Joe Root, while Bangladesh have left out Shakib Al Hasan and Litton Das. New Zealand will play their first global tournament under Mitchell Santner.

Finally, where can I watch the games?

Depending on your location, you can watch the games as per the following.Afghanistan – Ariana TV
Australia – Prime Video
Bangladesh – Nagorik TV and T Sports
England – Sky Sports
India – Star Sports Network and Disney+ Hotstar
New Zealand – Sky Sport
Pakistan – PTV, A Sports and tapmad
South Africa – SuperSport
Sri Lanka – Star Sports Network
UAE – Starz On
USA – Willow TV
As always, ESPNcricinfo will have full coverage, from scores, news and features to analysis and expert opinions.

The spin trio shared six wickets as India were bundled out for 80

Srinidhi Ramanujam09-Dec-2023England spinners ran through India’s batting line-up to hand the visitors a series-clinching four-wicket victory in the second T20I at the Wankhede Stadium. India, clueless and all over the place after being sent in, were bowled out for 80 – their third-lowest T20I total – in 16.2 overs. England chased it down in the 12th over to go 2-0 up in the series with the final game to be played on Sunday.In an attack that boasts of variety in the spin department, offspinner Charlie Dean, who missed the first T20I due to a stomach bug, left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone, and legspinner Sarah Glenn scalped two wickets each and conceded just 42 runs in their combined 10.2 overs to dominate India.

India’s horror start

India looked indecisive with the bat from the beginning, and it reflected immediately on the scoreboard. Dean struck with the second ball of the match, trapping Shafali Verma lbw as the batter got stuck in the crease against a full delivery. Smriti Mandhana, too, was lbw, trying to play another full ball from Dean from the back foot.Harmanpreet Kaur paddled Nat Sciver-Brunt for two back-to-back fours but then missed a straight ball and was lbw. When Deepti Sharma, playing her 100th T20I, edged Lauren Bell behind, India were 29 for 4.Renuka Singh struck twice in one over but India didn’t have enough runs•BCCI

Ecclestone’s sensational, low catch off her own bowling in the following over sent Richa Ghosh back. But there was some resistance from Jemimah Rodrigues, who was one of the two India batters to get to double digits. She played 33 balls and scored 30, mostly using the sweep shot against spinners to find runs. She eventually fell to Glenn in the 13th over, as the eighth wicket.Ecclestone could have added one more wicket to her tally but England failed to review an lbw chance in the 14th over. She had pinged Titas Sadhu on the boot but there was hardly any appeal. Replays showed there was no bat involved and Sadhu was plumb.

India fight back, briefly

Playing her second match after returning from a stress injury, Renuka Singh once again found swing with the new ball. She was wayward in her first over but gave India some hope by castling Sophia Dunkley and Danni Wyatt in the second.Alice Capsey and Sciver-Brunt put on 42 off 29 balls for the third wicket, but it wasn’t smooth sailing for England. In a space of 17 balls, they slipped from 61 for 2 to 73 for 6. It started with Pooja Vastrakar cleaning up Sciver-Brunt for 16 when she exposed her stumps while looking to go big. Substitute fielder Amanjot Kaur’s brilliant catch gave left-arm spinner Saika Ishaque her first wicket. In the next over, Deepti struck twice in two balls, removing Amy Jones and Freya Kemp.But India didn’t have enough runs to make a match out of it; England needed just five after Deepti’s over. After a couple of runs, Ecclestone got an outside edge off Shreyanka Patil that ran way for four and sealed the series.

That call, Hardik’s performance, and a resurgent Bhuvneshwar’s four-for were key to the outcome on Sunday night

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Aug-20221:06

“Sending Jadeja at four made Pakistan delay Nawaz’s overs”

Hardik Pandya justifiably cornered most of the glory after India’s win over Pakistan in the Asia Cup last night in Dubai. But two other aspects of India’s game stood out too. Firstly, Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s four-wicket haul, including the early dismissal of Babar Azam. And secondly, a sparkling backroom idea to send Ravindra Jadeja up to bat at No. 4.Though Bhuvneshwar’s heroics came first, let’s begin with Jadeja. Rishabh Pant, the only left-handed top-order batter in the India squad, had been left out to accommodate Dinesh Karthik in the finisher’s role, which meant a top five, or even six, of right-handers. Not ideal. So Jadeja was sent out at the fall of Rohit Sharma’s wicket at the end of the eighth over. He batted through till the final over and scored 35 in 29 balls, adding 36 with Suryakumar Yadav [fourth wicket] and 52 with Hardik [fifth wicket]. A plan that clearly worked on the day.Related

• India vs Pakistan – cricket, not hype, takes centre stage ahead of Round 2

• With dry wit and a lot of mental prep, Jadeja embraces 'real pressure' in dynamic role

• Explainer – Why did India and Pakistan have five fielders inside the circle in the death overs?

• Plan for Pakistan: Open with Fakhar; Babar or Rizwan at No. 3

• Kohli shreds Dubai's nerves with perfectly imperfect knock

“The key for me was having a left-hander there in the middle because that meant they [Pakistan] couldn’t bring [Mohammad] Nawaz back,” Mickey Arthur said of India’s chase on ESPNcricinfo’s T20 Time Out programme after the game. “So they had to hold Nawaz to the back-end. And that ultimately probably cost them.”Chatting with Hardik in a bcci.tv feature after the game, Jadeja noted, “When I was promoted in the batting order, I was just thinking of taking my chances against the spinners, attack them at every opportunity I get. And our partnership was very crucial. We just talked in the middle about backing our strengths and play our shots – this was very crucial.”The Nawaz factor was a crucial one. Pakistan’s bowling combination on the night featured three right-arm quicks, a legspinner, and the one left-armer in spinner Nawaz. And Nawaz had done well. In his first over, the eighth of the innings, he had sent back Rohit. And in his next, the tenth, accounted for Virat Kohli. He bowled the 12th too, but, because of Jadeja’s presence, was brought back on only for the final over.”Nobody I think saw that [Jadeja at No. 4] coming. It was a good call. It was a good move. Something that no one really foresaw. I actually quite like that decision,” Robin Uthappa said on the same show. “Going for a bit of Pakistan’s perspective, in hindsight, they could have bowled that one over of the left-arm spinner [Nawaz] in the first six, because they had two right-handers [batting] and it was the right time.”It looked like Babar [Azam] took the safer option to bring in the spinners immediately after the powerplay. He could have brought one of them on during the powerplay. [It] would have been a great match-up for Rohit and Kohli. In the first ten balls to the spinners, they nudge the ball around and they don’t really have a great strike rate at that point in time, and that proved right again today [India were 38 for 1 after the powerplay]. That should have encouraged Pakistan.”Arthur agreed, stressing that after putting up a modest total on the board, 147, Pakistan could have done better with their spin options.”They should have taken pace off towards the back-end of the powerplay,” he said. “Principally because they knew they had only 12 overs of pace with the side they had picked, they could have gone through certainly one over of Nawaz, or even one over of Shadab [Khan, the legspinner], because I know, having studied and set up against Rohit, he doesn’t play legspin particularly well in the powerplay. Or his strike rate to legspin is a lot less.”So you could have bowled Shadab, you could have bowled Nawaz. Nawaz generally bowls in the powerplay for his franchise in the PSL anyway. That would have been a very good match-up to Virat and Rohit. Which would have delayed the overs of the genuine quicks to a little bit later in the game.”4:15

Arthur: ‘Hardik Pandya in the side means India almost have 12 players’

But well before Jadeja did his bit, there was Bhuvneshwar [and Hardik too, he was everywhere].Third over, after India had won the toss and asked Pakistan to bat, Bhuvneshwar, not known to be terribly quick, sent in a bouncer that might have caught Babar by surprise. The pull only caught the top edge and flew to Arshdeep Singh at short fine-leg. The big one gone. Bhuvneshwar returned to pick up three more wickets – Shadab, Asif Ali and Naseem Shah – in the last quarter of the innings to end with 4 for 26.”[Bhuvneshwar’s contribution] was right up there with Hardik Pandya’s contribution as well,” Uthappa noted. “His story of resurgence has been a long and arduous one. He has gone from two years from an injury, not being able to figure out what the injury was […] to work day in and day out at the NCA – and I am telling you, those are not easy days, you have a surgery, you do rehab; the rehab part is the most difficult, the surgery is the easiest – and to come back and do that boring stuff day in and day out, months on end, is extremely hard.”And he has taken his time, he’s played a lot of cricket, and he’s gotten better and better. His confidence has grown. You can see him swinging the ball early and late.”Coming as this performance did on the back of good outings in Ireland, England and the West Indies, Bhuvneshwar could be a shoo-in for the men’s T20 World Cup, in Australia in October-November. Even when Jasprit Bumrah and Harshal Patel, India will hope, are back in the mix.

BCCI vice-president Rajiv Shukla says, “remainder of the IPL will happen but in due course”

Nagraj Gollapudi04-May-2021IPL 2021 has been postponed, following several positive Covid-19 cases across franchises over the past couple of days. There is no official word yet on when or whether the remainder of the tournament will be staged, though BCCI vice-president Rajiv Shukla was emphatic it “will happen” and a decision would be taken when the pandemic situation improved.In a statement, the IPL said the decision was “unanimously” taken by the tournament’s Governing Council and the BCCI. “The BCCI does not want to compromise on the safety of the players, support staff and the other participants involved in organising the IPL,” the statement said. “This decision was taken keeping the safety, health and wellbeing of all the stakeholders in mind.”These are difficult times, especially in India, and while we have tried to bring in some positivity and cheer, however, it is imperative that the tournament is now suspended and everyone goes back to their families and loved ones in these trying times.”The statement also said the BCCI would do “do everything in its powers to arrange for the secure and safe passage of all the participants in IPL 2021”.Shukla, speaking to Star Sports, hinted at the decision-making process. “Obviously the currently situation in India is pretty bad, everybody is scared, so even they [foreign players] might be scared. A few players spoke to their franchises about wanting to leave the country, the franchises also confided in us. Not many players were willing to leave the country, but obviously there is a panic-like situation, and if people are scared, we need to look at that aspect and take steps accordingly. So taking the players’ concerns, their families’ concerns in mind, we have taken this decision.”Though the statement itself was unclear on the tournament resuming, Shukla’s comments suggested that it would at some point. “One thing I want to make very clear, it has not been cancelled – it has been suspended, it has been postponed, it has been deferred. So it will happen. The remainder of the IPL will happen but in due course, when the Covid situation improves, a decision will be taken.”

The immediate cause

The announcement came following increasing Covid-19 positive cases within the IPL. The Sunrisers Hyderabad became the third franchise to register cases when it was confirmed earlier on Tuesday that Wriddhiman Saha had tested positive for Covid-19 and was isolating from the rest of the squad.On Monday, the Kolkata Knight Riders’ Varun Chakravarthy and Sandeep Warrier tested positive and the day’s match between the Knight Riders and the Royal Challengers Bangalore in Ahmedabad was put off. Within hours came news from Delhi of two confirmed cases in the Chennai Super Kings camp: bowling coach L Balaji and a member of their service staff.Balaji’s case, in particular, raised concerns among the other franchises as he was in the team’s dugout on May 1 during the match against the Mumbai Indians. Earlier on Tuesday, it was confirmed that the Super Kings had gone into isolation for a week. The Saha news soon followed, before the tournament’s postponement was announced.Related

• ICC leaning towards T20 World Cup in UAE

• Ashwin opens up on sleepless nights during IPL after family members tested positive for Covid-19

• BCCI mulls September-October window for remainder of IPL 2021

• 'Difficult' to play T20 World Cup in India – Mike Hussey

• Prasidh Krishna tests positive for Covid-19

What happens to the overseas players now?

The Australians, who can’t go home for another ten days, are expected to spend the time in the Maldives, joining broadcast commentator Michael Slater. There are 24 Australians in the playing and coaching staff among the franchises; though some, like Dan Christian, have playing deals in England, and even those borders are currently sealed to non-UK nationals flying in from India.The two Bangladeshi players, Shakib Al Hasan and Mustafizur Rahman, will have to undergo 14-day quarantine once they are back home, according to the country’s health authority, which refused the BCB’s request for a shorter isolation period. They are expected to return home in a chartered flight in a couple of days. They were both named in Bangladesh’s preliminary squad for the ODI home series against Sri Lanka, which is likely to start on May 23. The BCB will be hoping that the pair arrives in the next couple of days so that they have a few days of training, after the 14-day quarantine, before the first ODI in Dhaka.The ECB said it was in “close contact with our players and staff in India as arrangements are put in place for them to return home safely”.Cricket South Africa said those travelling back to South Africa would undergo home quarantine “in line with the current World Health Organization recommendations”.New Zealand recently lifted its travel ban for India but there are limited flights between the two countries, and the New Zealand players will have to undergo a 14-day quarantine whenever they get home. NZC issued a statement saying it was liaising with different authorities to find a solution.

The broader pandemic backdrop

The tournament has been held with India in the grip of a vicious second wave of the pandemic, with the six host cities – New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru and Ahmedabad – among the worst hit. The IPL’s “caravan” model of scheduling, with two of the six venues being used at any given time, cut down on air travel and other risk factors as compared to the usual home-and-away concept, but still left teams vulnerable.The rising numbers – around 400,000 new positive cases daily over the past few days – prompted several countries to ban travellers from India. The Australian government even imposed a ban on its own citizens returning from India until May 15 and said any transgression would be deemed a criminal offence.It led to a statement last week from the BCCI that sought to reassure all stakeholders and the eight teams that the tournament bubble was “totally safe”.However, the players were getting anxious. Liam Livingstone and Andrew Tye (both Rajasthan Royals) and the Royal Challengers pair of Adam Zampa and Kane Richardson returned home – to England and Australia – before the clampdowns. The Delhi Capitals lead spinner R Ashwin also left the IPL after the first leg to attend to his family, many of whom had tested positive for Covid-19. Senior Indian umpire Nitin Menon too returned home to Indore to attend to his parents, who were positive. Australian umpire Paul Reiffel admitted he was minutes away from leaving India until the travel corridor through which he was planning to return was shut off.

“It does disappoint me when a lot of our boys don’t get opportunities as assistant coaches in IPL”

Saurabh Somani in Lucknow28-Nov-20191:39

‘It disappoints me that some of our boys are not picked as coaches in the IPL’ – Dravid

Rahul Dravid believes IPL franchises are “missing a trick” by not involving more Indian coaches. Dravid feels Indian coaches are as good as any in the world, and even if not appointed at the top of the tree, they will add value as assistant coaches, given that a majority of players in every IPL franchise is Indian.”I believe we’ve got some very good coaches, a lot of good people. I’m fully confident [in their ability]. Just as we have a lot of talent in the cricket department, we have a lot of talent in the coaching department,” Dravid said in Lucknow on Thursday. “We need to give them confidence and time to flourish. I’m sure they will do it.”It does sometimes disappoint me when a lot of our boys don’t get opportunities as assistant coaches in IPL. Honestly, there are so many Indian players in the IPL, there’s so much of local knowledge [among our coaches]. I feel a lot of teams could actually benefit from using a lot of our Indian coaches in the IPL. They know the Indian players better, they understand them better. Even as assistant coaches… there is a lot of talent and ability. It just needs to be given the opportunity, and flourish.”In an expanded role as the National Cricket Academy director, from previously being the head coach of India A and India Under-19, part of Dravid’s remit is to develop Indian coaches in addition to overseeing the next rung of talent in Indian cricket.Rahul Dravid has been cleared by the BCCI to take charge at the National Cricket Academy•Getty Images

“A part of our goal is to create a programme for coaches as well, so that we can give them certain skills in which they can develop – and hopefully then get the opportunities to work at a slightly higher level,” Dravid said. “I think a lot of IPL teams miss a trick by not using more domestic talent in the coaching area and the talent identification area, even if it is as assistants.”That’s my personal opinion. It’s not for me to decide for franchises and head coaches what they do, but I think they miss a trick by not involving more Indian coaches. Indian coaches understand and know the system, and they know a lot of Indian players. Every IPL team has at least 17-18 Indian players. It’s my personal view, but I would love to see a lot of our boys get the opportunity to be in and around that environment. Hopefully we can work with some teams to try and ensure that.”Dravid has been in Lucknow to observe the ongoing one-day series between India Under-19 and Afghanistan Under-19 as part of preparations for the World Cup early next year. Victory in the fourth one-dayer meant India took a winning 3-1 lead in the series. Dravid said the trickle-down effect of the success of India’s pacers had in international cricket could be seen in how many young cricketers were taking up pace bowling at the age-group level.”Every year now in Under-19 cricket, we’ve had some very good fast bowlers,” Dravid said. “Last time, (in the Under-19 World Cup 2018), we had three of them in Kamlesh (Nagarkoti), Shivam (Mavi) and Ishan (Porel). This year also you will see some good fast bowlers in the team.”

The wicketkeeper-batsman scored at a strike-rate of 462.50, slamming eight sixes and six fours

Barny Read22-Nov-2018″Feeling tired? Low on energy? In need of a boost?”We’ve all heard the adverts. In fact, there were probably hundreds of them as coatings of dot balls and most energetic player at last year’s T10 League.They usually come with a handy little vitamin solution with the promise of added vigour and perk.But there is a remedy you ignore at your peril. One so smack-you-round-the-gob invigorating, it can wake a few thousand drowsy cricket fans from their slumber in, give or take, 30 minutes.This is, of course, the outrageously addictive product from Afghanistan; Mohammad Shahzad.Still doubtful? There are ringing celebrity endorsements from the likes of coaches Herschelle Gibbs and Tom Moody that can further sway you.”Unheard of. I haven’t seen such clean hitting in a long time,” Gibbs said. “Everything they tried he had an answer to. That was on another level of striking.””We saw something pretty unique and special tonight and you have to take a step back and admire a performance like that,” added Moody on the cure he described as “something out of the ordinary”.”I’d be surprised if we saw an innings like that again in the next couple of weeks. I think tonight we’ve been treated to something special.”Shahzad entered things on the back of a lethargic start to T10’s second season, ready to write prescriptions for all and sundry with a cocktail of sixes over cover, rasping cuts through point, bludgeons over mid-wicket and those – most powerful-of-all – launches over long-on.His 74 off just 16 balls included eight sixes and six fours. This innings should have come with a warning over dosages.Just let it sink in a minute, 74 off a mere 16 balls.He scored at a strike-rate of 462.50 and had he been up against a more challenging total would surely have blistered a first T10 ton. Chris Gayle’s record-fastest T20 century of 30 balls was well within sight, the extra ball to surpass AB de Villiers’ ODI record of 31 balls would have almost certainly given him a six-run buffer.There wasn’t a single dot ball, it was the fastest T10 half-century, the format’s highest score and the most sixes in a single innings. Shahzad breathed life into the opening night of the new T10 League season with an audience desperately in need of vitality. It had just borne witness to a sluggish start to the tournament that undermines the very essence of T10’s modus operandi.There was lethargy early on, a small crowd taking in proceedings but far from engaged and in need of a pickup. Shahzad well and truly delivered the lift, encapsulating everything T10 aims to be as he blasted a whirlwind knock that peppered the boundary. His innings was just what the doctor ordered as a sleepy Sharjah were invigorated by the Shahzad tonic; inspiring Rajputs into chasing down Sindhi’s total of 94 in just four overs and all ten wickets intact.It was with such majesty that Shahzad dispatched the bowling attack that captain Brendon McCullum was reduced to the role of junior doctor, with a knock of 21 off eight balls. His knock was something to savour, to bottle up and take in small doses at risk of sending your body into a spasm.The dizzying side effects resulted in far greater rapture in the stands for the second game, with the likes of Chris Gayle and Shahid Afridi on hand to maintain the buzz as Pakhtoons set Kerala Knights 110 to win from their ten overs.And Shahzad is not the only chemist on the circuit, there are two fine alternatives in the form of Paul Sterling (40 off 14 balls) and Eoin Morgan (46* off 20). After Gayle departed, they kept the party going with some potent medication of their own as Kerala Knights got their title defence up and running with an eight-wicket win.But it was Shahzad who stole the show on a night two sets of bowlers were left feeling dizzy. The onus is now on them to discover an antidote.

The Global T20 League will find a dedicated block in South Africa’s cricket calendar which is set to accommodate three touring countries before April 2018

Firdose Moonda04-Sep-2017South Africa’s six domestic franchises will compete in all three formats – including a T20 event – in the 2017-18 summer, which will be headlined by the inaugural T20 Global League.To accommodate for the privately-owned glamour competition, there will be no domestic cricket for almost two months, between October 26 and December 20, while the T20 Global League is played. In that time, all South Africa’s national players will be available, but their likelihood of featuring for their franchises has been reduced by a packed international calendar that sees them hosting Bangladesh, India and Australia.The domestic season begins with a round of first-class fixtures which start on September 19, nine days before the Test series against Bangladesh begins on September 28. Four more rounds of first-class cricket will be played before the format takes an extended break until February 8. That means South Africa’s cricketers will be without immediate long-form practice before the Test series against India. Dates are yet to be confirmed but that series is expected to start in January 2018 and CSA are considering other opponents to fill the gap over Boxing Day.India are understood to want at least two tour matches before the series, which could delay the traditional New Year’s Test, but will provide an opportunity for some South African players to get back into the red-ball mindset after six weeks of T20 cricket.The T20 Global League will be played from November 3 until December 16, after which the domestic one-day cup will kick off. It will run from December 20 until February 4, and will follow the usual format of a league round, semi-finals and a final.The second-half of the first-class competition will be played between February 8 and March 11, by which time South Africa will be involved in a four-Test series against Australia which will also coincide with the franchise T20 tournament. From March 14 to April 15, the six franchises will compete in two sets of round-robin matches against each other, semi-finals and a final.For the second season in succession, the T20 competition is set to be played without a sponsor. In the 2015-16 summer, courier company RAM put their name to the event which was broadcast internationally for the first time. It was marred by a corruption scandal which saw seven players, including former internationals Alviro Petersen, Thami Tsolekile, Lonwabo Tsotsobe and Gulam Bodi, banned for between two and 20 years, for their roles in attempting to fix matches. RAM did not back the competition in 2016-17 and it was played with CSA’s sole funding. It appears that will be the case again in 2017-18.

Essex trampled all over Kent in front of their own fans for a derby hammering that soured a truly exceptional night of revelry.

Vithushan Ehantharajah at Canterbury22-Jul-2016
ScorecardRavi Bopara’s all-round excellence kept Essex alive in the tournament•Getty Images

On a night when one campaign would be reignited and another shelved, Essex trampled all over Kent in front of their own fans for a derby hammering that soured a truly exceptional night of revelry. It was standard English T20 fare: ale in the air, kids playing in the array of green nooks that Canterbury has to offer and unhindered sun cheering even the most straight-laced Kent fan lamenting a season in which a side that promised so much has delivered so little.Before the match Ravi Bopara was not entirely sure what Essex needed for a quarter-final spot. Having called the toss correctly, he assumed winning every match might do it. Opting to bat, both he and Tom Westley notched their first half-centuries of the competition to post 190. A turn with the ball, removing Alex Blake and then running out James Tredwell with a direct hit, showed that Bopara was at least up to scratch with the short-term needs if not the bigger picture. He’ll be pleased to know that they now sit in fourth, with their fate in their own hands.With a plethora of English talent on show, Andy Flower was present to soak in an evening when the ground was bursting at the seams with a crowd that pushed the 6,000 capacity to its limit. There was not a seat nor a patch of grass spare on the bank. Standing space, too, had to be earned. The food village at the Nackington Road End was a sweaty mosh-pit of pad thai at the interval. Flower opted for the sedate order of the Sainsbury’s next to the ground.As it happens, he would have made all if not most of his notes of praise during Essex’s innings, as Kent Spitfires’ chase stuttered every few boundaries. Sam Northeast, with 994 Championship runs and, now, over 403 in the T20 Blast, was snipped after 12 balls at the crease, just as he was starting to threaten a thrilling star turn. The returning Lions fared no better: Daniel Bell-Drummond gifting David Masters a high return catch before Sam Billings, given a WWE-style fanfare when he strode to the crease, made a more sombre return walk after just two balls for Masters’ second.Westley shone brightest, coming in during the fifth over and batting right through to the end for 74 off 49 balls. It was typically Westley – a wrist-heavy affair that was more kiss-kiss than bang-bang. He took a particular liking to Darren Stevens, at times allowing deliveries to sit up, on a pitch that responded well to variety, to find gaps on both sides of the wicket.The half-century came off 33 balls, by which point, in the 15th over, Bopara had just 12 from 17 balls. A post-fifty acceleration from Westley allowed his captain the chance to settle before thrashing 15 off the 20th over, bowled by David Griffiths. Bopara’s own half-century saw him redress his stodgy start with 31 off the last 15 balls. Together, they put on 119.Tonight also marked the return of Matt Coles. Since being made unavailable for selection after an indiscretion during the Championship game against Glamorgan in Cardiff last month, the rumour mill has been turning. It is familiar territory for Coles, who is Kent through and through but will find it harder to command the goodwill of a fan base starting to lose their patience with him.News of Coles’ return to the side had not reached those at the ground until the toss, many of whom had already sussed his presence, a spitting burly figure throwing down stumps with Kagiso Rabada in the warm-ups. Brought on after four overs, he conceded consecutive boundaries off his first two balls back but finished the over with the wicket of Nick Browne – caught well by Rabada at deep midwicket- before undoing Dan Lawrence with a change of pace.A penny for Flower’s thoughts: it was he who ejected Coles from a Lions tour in 2013, along with Ben Stokes, as his visit to the camp in Australia coincided with their drunken misdemeanours. Stokes has made his peace by becoming one of the game’s most exciting allrounders as Coles battles on to find his.He needs time to get back to where he wants to be – in cricket and in life. In so many ways, it is hard not to look at Coles and, even considering the self-inflicted nature of his misdemeanours, label him “unlucky”. As one member of that 2013 Lions tour put it: “it’s not that Colesy got drunk – it’s that he got caught”.