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Younis Khan talks about Misbah-ul-Haq, and how they forged Pakistan’s most iconic partnership in recent times

Younis Khan12-May-2017Misbah and I go a long way back, to before the time he became captain. In the 2006 Champions Trophy, when Inzamam-ul-Haq was banned and I went as captain, I had wanted Misbah in the team. I knew his background, I knew he was doing well domestically and I was a big believer in him.Then in 2007, he made that really strong comeback at the World T20. It was a really difficult decision for the selection committee to drop Mohammad Yousuf and bring Misbah in. That must have put a lot of pressure on him, but the way he came in and played, on unfamiliar South African pitches – and won matches for us – was amazing.He told me at the time that he had worked really hard, not just for a few months but over the previous three years to get back into the Pakistan side. He had been going to the National Cricket Academy every day, he said. It was his bad luck that we had such a strong middle order at the time; that’s why he didn’t get many opportunities. But, as they say, whatever happens does so for the better.So I wasn’t surprised when he came back as captain against South Africa in 2010. It wasn’t easy, that series. When we were playing that last day in Dubai, I remember talking to Misbah in the dressing room and on the pitch. We knew that this was a very new, inexperienced side and if one of us got out, then South Africa could win the Test. Even when the last hour started, they wanted to play on a little, so it was pretty tense. That partnership to save the Test set the tone for us, allowing us to put together many century partnerships.The partnership in Dubai against South Africa in 2010 set the tone for Younis and Misbah•AFPWe were successful together because of the way we are as people. My batting style is quite different to his but we complemented each other well. The experiences that have shaped us are similar -­ his background, his career playing first-class cricket, the fact that we both struggled early on, and that was always with us when we batted: the fact that we had come through it. The other thing that was in our minds is that we wanted to serve the team. We were the seniors and we wanted to lead from the front.I learnt from Misbah that if I wanted to get a performance out of someone, I had to let them do it – to give them independence and not interfere, especially the younger players. Misbah did that. If a player was making mistakes, he would go up and chat a little, but mostly he would let them do what they need to do.We have a healthy respect for each other. The way Misbah respects Younis Khan, I want to respect him and his family even more. If you watch my Sydney Test hundred then you can see his son cheering. The way he got happy, how he celebrated for my hundred; that is that respect and I’ve tried to return that respect to him and his family.I’m not surprised he did so well as captain. He is a very strong character. At his age, to be able to maintain fitness, and to be able to keep performing, you can see his commitment. We could not say often that he was out of form. Whatever else happened, he kept performing with the bat, leading by example, right from the front. That is the most important thing for a leader. His attitude has been very important. He is very calm.Sometimes people say aggression is everything, but I think the calmness Misbah has shown, towards the Pakistan Cricket Board, his game and the team, has been vital to his success. We are humans, of course, and a leader is under a lot of pressure. On the ground or in the dressing room, off and on, he does get angry, but the calmness is there for everyone to see.Out on the field, I have never tried to impose myself on him. I am a strong believer that the leader, whoever he is, should take decisions by himself. That is why he is the leader. Misbah is not a young leader. He has led departments, associations and Pakistan A. If he called on me on the field, I always gave him my honest opinion and advice. That element of trust has been very important.Off the field, we’ve been fishing together a few times. We did it in New Zealand last year. He really enjoyed it as well. In 2008-09, we had a home series and held a camp – we did a lot of fishing then as well.Read Misbah on Younis here

Even Nick Compton doubted whether he would get a second chance with England but he could provide crucial balance to the Test side at No. 3

George Dobell in Pietermaritzburg19-Dec-2015Just as Eric Morecambe needed Ernie Wise, so England need a batsman like Nick Compton.Much has been made of England’s more dynamic approach in recent times and it is true they have, in Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Moeen Ali and at times, Jos Buttler, a middle-order that are at their best playing positive cricket.But to have the best chance of playing that sort of cricket, they need someone to play the straight man role that Compton can fulfil. Someone to see off the new ball, draw the sting from bowlers at their freshest and set up a platform upon which they can build. It may be a less glamorous role than playing strokes in the middle order, but it is just as valuable.It is for this reason that Compton has been recalled. He is certain, barring injury, to bat at No. 3 for England in the Boxing Day Test at Durban.This is a return – “a second coming” as he put it – in more ways than one for Compton. He went to Clifton School in Durban and still returns at Christmas each year to see his family. Among the trees circling this ground is one planted by his grandfather, Denis, in 1957. Compton knows the opposition, having been a schoolmate of Hashim Amla’s for a while, he knows the conditions and he knows the climate.More importantly, it provides a second chance to make a go of international cricket. While he had some legitimate grounds for feeling aggrieved ahead of his dropping on the eve of the 2013 Ashes, he would also accept that, having failed to reach 20 in his final six Test innings before the axe fell, he had hardly made himself impregnable.”I didn’t take my chance with both hands,” he says now. “I didn’t play as well as I would have liked.”What he is not doing – and what nobody involved should be doing – is clinging on to any of the resentments of the past. Maybe mistakes were made; maybe judgments were harsh; maybe his recall now simply proves that it was wrong to drop him in the first place. But it does nobody any good to be settling scores or focusing on that now.

“The more time I can spend out there, I feel I’ll be doing a job for the team and myself. The key is to push on and get some big scores”Nick Compton

This is a new start for Compton with a new management environment who are not looking to change him as much as utilise his range of skills for the team’s benefit.For nobody should think that Compton has changed since he last played Test cricket. He hasn’t developed new strokes, he hasn’t found an extra gear. He is, at heart, an old-fashioned Test batsman whose game is built upon a pretty solid defence. He plays fast bowling well and has the hunger to bat all day. The game may have changed – it may have quickened and emboldened – but such qualities will always be valuable.”I didn’t feel I needed to change my game,” Compton said after training at the picturesque Pietermaritzburg Oval. “I always felt my game was built on pretty solid foundations. It’s just about getting my head down and watching the ball.”My aim is to get myself in and give myself the best chance. The more time I can spend out there, I feel I’ll be doing a job for the team and myself. The key is to push on and get some big scores because that helps the average and your tally of runs.”He was also accused of being somewhat “intense” – whatever that means – by some team-mates after his last spell in the side, but while he accepts his life is probably more balanced now (he is more comfortable settled back in London and is happy in a long-term relationship), he has not felt the need to approach his second chance with any change in his mental approach.So, in the weeks before the tour, he returned to the nets with his mentor, Neil Burns. Those sessions often involve facing the bowling machine at its quickest with the lights in the sports hall dimmed. The theory being, if he can manage in those conditions, he should be able to manage in the excellent conditions usually prevalent in Test cricket.”Being hard on myself is one of the things that has got me as far as I have,” he says. “You can see it as a negative, but I see it as a positive. It keeps making me strive to get better.”Yes, at times I questioned whether the chance would ever come again. But the hunger was always there and I always felt I had more to give. It’s a cliché, but this really is a dream come true for me.”His recall also reflects well on Alastair Cook. A more stubborn leader might have insisted that there was no way back for Compton who has, at times, been unusually critical of the England regime for a current player and with whom there had clearly been some disagreement during the early months of 2013.But Cook has shown, as he did when he insisted upon the recall of Kevin Pietersen before the India tour of 2012, that a change of heart can be good for the team. Compton is, in many ways, a batsman in Cook’s image. It seems to be working pretty well for Cook.And if Cook and Compton become bogged down while batting together? It may be regarded as the sort of problem England would like to face. The fragility of their top-order has been a recurring fault of this England side – at one stage this year, the third wicket had fallen for 52 or fewer in eight out of 14 innings – and a little bit of solidity, even if it takes some time out of the game, can be no bad thing.Mark Footitt is expected to get another chance to impress against South Africa A•Getty ImagesIt appears England will play their Test batting line-up in the game against South Africa A, a three-day match starting on Sunday. Indeed, the top eight here is likely to be the top eight in Durban.There is a strong temptation to rest James Anderson, however. Anderson delivered only five overs in the opening game but, such is his experience and his importance to the attack, there is a reluctance to make him bowl any more than necessary before the Test series starts. The short gap between the first two Tests – just two days – is especially unforgiving for the seamers.With Anderson likely to be rested, there is a chance for Steven Finn to impress. Mark Footitt, who produced a nervous performance in Potchefstroom, is also likely to win another chance to find his feet in this environment, while Stuart Broad is expected to play in order to gain a little more rhythm.Chris Woakes, who looked the sharpest of the England attack in the nets on Saturday, is the most likely choice of third seamer for the first Test. But it remains possible Finn could displace him, or push himself up to first reserve if the management feel that fresh legs are required for the second Test.In a perfect world, England could have done with a little more warm-up time. But they decided against requesting that this game lose its first-class status and allow them to use 12 or 13 players in the knowledge that it was highly unlikely such a request would have been granted. Many of this South Africa A side, substantially stronger than the opposition in the first warm-up game, have international aspirations of their own to further over the next few days.The pitch at the Pietermartizburg Oval, where the playing area contains a large tree just in from the backward square boundary, has been slow and uneven in recent times. But the Kingsmead groundsman, Phil Russell, has been drafted in to improve it in recent weeks and appears cautiously optimistic. In this hot, humid weather batting is less hard work than bowling, but there may well be some assistance for the seamers.Meanwhile Paul Farbrace, the assistant coach, is expected to join the tour party on Saturday evening having been given a little extra time at home after a relentless year in which he has lived and breathed every success and failure of every member of the squad.England (probable): Alastair Cook (capt), Alex Hales, Nick Compton, Joe Root, James Taylor, Ben Stokes, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Moeen Ali, Stuart Broad, Steven Finn, Mark Footitt

Samiullah Beigh and Parvez Rasool are confident that the Jammu & Kashmir players can compete in the Ranji Trophy if the board arranges training facilities

Nagraj Gollapudi & Amol Karhadkar20-Sep-2014On Thursday Samiullah Beigh, Jammu & Kashmir’s senior-most and best fast bowler, went to the suburb of Nishat, about eight kilometres outside Srinagar, to attend his friend Tariq’s funeral. Though it’s unclear how he died, it has been suggested that Tariq, volunteering to rescue victims caught in floods that ravaged the north Indian state, might have been electrocuted while clinging to high-tension power cables, a survival tactic thousands were using as water levels rose dangerously.On September 7, the river Jhelum, the lifeline of J&K, breached its embankment and submerged not only remote districts of the state but also Srinagar, the capital of Kashmir, half of which continues to lie under water.Cricket, then, is the last thing on anyone’s mind. Beigh last played cricket on September 1. Heavy rains washed out the Ranji Trophy trial matches, scheduled to start on September 3. The ongoing Downtown Champions League, a local T20 tournament, also had to be abandoned. Three days later, the flood waters entered Srinagar. Beigh was at a relative’s place in Buchpora, a town on an elevated level on the outskirts of Srinagar. But in Allochi Bagh, in the commercial heart of the capital, Beigh’s family was not so lucky. Jhelum was raging and houses were fast filling with water. Phone and power supply had been cut.
“The last thing I heard from my sister was the ground floor of our three-storey house was under water. That was on the afternoon of September 7. For half the following week I did not hear from them,” Beigh recollects.Beigh’s tale is similar to that of J&K captain Parvez Rasool, who was stranded along with his family, trying to stay afloat above the fast-rising flood waters in his house in Bijbehara in Anantnag district, about 50 kilometres from Srinagar. Rasool had seen cars floating in the water from the third floor of his house but had taken the risk to extract his kit from the boot of his car in the nick of time.”The last 15 days have been the most difficult days of my life,” Rasool says over the phone, explaining it’s still difficult to get a phone signal in Bijbebara. “Every year or alternate year, floods cause some damage, but this year, it was worse than I could have ever imagined. All the vehicles in my neighbourhood were washed away. At least 125 houses have been badly damaged. Even houses constructed on elevated structures above flood levels were virtually submerged this year.”Back in Srinagar, Beigh used makeshift rafts to join the relief squads. On the way he was heartened to meet fellow Ranji team-mates Obaid Haroon, Zahoor Sofi, Sajad Sofi and Abid Nabi. “I was delighted to see Nabi alive, because, according to reports, Pampore, where he comes from, was one of the most severely affected,” Beigh says. “No one among us can even think playing cricket because we are yet to recover from the shock and the loss due to the floods.”Beigh says most of the state’s cricketers depend on the game for their livelihood, so the current situation is going to affect them badly. But he doesn’t know whom to approach for help.The Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association offices are housed in Srinagar’s Sher-i-Kashmir Stadium, which is reported to be still under 15 feet of water. The players usually train at the stadium because the facilities are better than any in Jammu.
ML Nehru, the JKCA secretary, believes it is highly unlikely any cricket will be possible in Srinagar this year since winter will set in two months and the grounds will soon be covered by snow. “We still cannot really say that the situation is under control. There are plenty of boys who we have been struggling to get in touch with, across age groups. The natural calamity was so severe that all the grounds in Srinagar are still submerged. Though the situation in Jammu is slightly better, all the wickets are severely affected, so we are not really sure when will things get back on track.”According to Nehru, the selection trials’ matches for various age groups will need to be moved to the Science College ground in Jammu. But Beigh is uncertain about the inadequate facilities at college ground. “The problem is there are no facilities in Jammu. There are no practice pitches. There is only one turf wicket, which is in the central square and needs to be utilised for the four home Ranji matches, so it needs to be preserved.”Rasool is anxious to get on with his cricket as he is likely to feature in the Duleep Trophy starting in October. If the Jammu ground is unfit, he may consider moving to Delhi and practise on his own.Both Beigh and Rasool hope the BCCI will step in and help the players.”If the BCCI could help us train at NCA, or some good facility outside J&K, that could be a solution,” says Beigh. “In a month the domestic season will start. In November the domestic ODIs will start followed by the Ranji season in December.”
The BCCI is “very cooperative”, Nehru says, without elaborating on any plan of action. “They have assured as that they will extend all sorts of help we will require.”Nehru says without help the JKCA’s hands are tied. “The Under-16 tournament starts early in October and I doubt if we can participate in it. I doubt if we can conduct the selection trials of the kids and it is not advisable for the kids to travel at the moment. We will explain the situation to the board and take a final call.”Beigh is confident of bouncing back if help is offered to J&K’s cricketers. “Provided we get the best facilities during our preparation in October,” we can put up a good show. Without that I am not sure we can even participate in Ranji Trophy.”Rasool is equally confident. “Till the floods, we were playing trial matches, were training hard, but now cricket has taken a backseat. If it’s difficult to restore the facilities even in Jammu, it would be better if our training camp is moved out of the state.”

Alastair Cook has had a difficult first two days as England’s Test captain as life in India has proved as challenging as ever

Alan Gardner16-Nov-2012Alastair Cook lives on a farm, so you would expect him to be used to spending long days in the field. Perhaps that was why he was still there at the close of the second day, scanning the Gujarat horizon for the merest hint of a red sky.It would not have taken a shepherd to warn Cook that life as an England captain abroad is seldom easy but his first official Test in charge has provided him with exceptionally little to smile about.
After shuffling his bowling options for 160 overs until his Indian counterpart, MS Dhoni, called them in early – one could almost imagine it was as much out of boredom as attacking impulse – Cook then watched on as three of his colleagues were rendered helpless by the dizzying sensation of facing a subcontinental spinner.If Cook had spent the last few weeks fretting about his team’s chances in India, then he has done well not to show it. He has been groomed for this job, more obviously than any England captain of recent years. Famously, he never sweats – but a rare bead must have broken out as he batted through to the close to the sound of clustered close fielders whooping and jigging again and again.Although there is plenty of familiar green to catch the eye at Motera (deliberately so to limit the potential from a scrubby outfield or used pitches for reverse swing) it has been a far from pleasant land for England thus far. The reconstituted pitch of sand and red clay need not develop the spin and bounce more commonly seen at Roland Garros to undo the batting line-up twice over, as evinced by the final passage of play.The positive view – and it is never difficult to find a Pangloss in the England camp – is that their best two batsmen are at the crease with a job to be done. That one is the captain is all the more reason to set an example. He made a hundred in India on his Test debut; another in his first Test as captain must have been on his mind at the end of the day.Cook even found himself following England’s shoddy example in the field as he became the latest player to muff a regulation chance. Samit Patel didn’t deserve the wicket of Yuvraj Singh – caught of what might be described as a “fool toss”, in that neither bowler nor batsman came out of it well – and he did not do much to earn the chance off R Ashwin shortly before tea but he had a right to expect better as Cook clawed wearily at the ball as it flew past him. Had it been a chicken in the yard, he might have done better.This is what comes of toiling and grafting as captain in what seems like the cricketing equivalent of a desert, agonising for so long over little details that you miss the big possibility. Was it a mirage or did he sometimes have a vision of Monty Panesar gambolling around in a wicket-taking ecstasy before the sweat ran into you eye?By the time the catch flew past him, Cook’s mind had perhaps already turned towards seeking a route that would lead England out of trouble. In India, it is an overgrown pathway and although Graeme Swann marched ahead unstintingly, the rest of England’s attack floundered. Should they have played a second spinner? Could their fields have been more attacking? And what it going on with the catching? Cook knows as much as anyone about scoring runs in India but, as Test captain, he is still learning how to read a compass.With Stuart Broad nursing an injury disturbingly close to the start of the match, England were never likely to make him share the fast-bowling burden solely with James Anderson. Did Cook hesitate, even momentarily, when pencilling in the name of his vice-captain? Could he have contemplated cutting England’s leading Test bowler in 2012 and going into the match with a better-balanced side, a side including Panesar? Did he even dare to float this with his fellow selectors? These are questions that Cook must learn to wrestle with on a regular basis from now on.The immediate challenge is to dispense with concerns about the lack of reverse swing or how best to induce a mistake from Cheteshwar Pujara and focus instead on his own batting. Some captains scheme Brearley-like from the slips but others lead in deed.Cook has already shown an ability to inspire through hard work (if not perspiration, that would be expecting too much) by guiding the ODI side to No. 1 in the world rankings, an achievement that would once have seemed as outlandish as the idea of Kevin Pietersen being welcomed back into the team huddle or England winning a Test series in India.Cook can be occasionally robotic at the crease and in press conferences. His first two days in the job have been every bit as tough as he could reasonably have expected and this tour may well end up giving him a headache to go with the obligatory stomach rumbles for England tourists. Now comes the time for him to get his hands dirty, just like down on the farm. Good job, it’s what he does best.

Pakistan’s new wicketkeeper’s story began at the Under-15 World Cup in 2000, in which he participated only six months after his mother’s death

Nagraj Gollapudi at Edgbaston06-Aug-2010″I was 100% certain that I would one day play for Pakistan,” Zulqarnain Haider told Cricinfo on the eve of his Test debut at Edgbaston. As it turned out, his first taste of the big time was brutally anticlimactic. He came to the crease with his team in disarray at 36 for 5, and edged his first ball, to fall for a duck to Stuart Broad.Nevertheless, it’s been a long and eventful journey for the 24-year-old wicketkeeper from Lahore, and given the distance he’s already travelled, the disappointment of the moment will surely pass. His story began at the Under-15 World Cup here in England in the summer of 2000, in which he participated only six months after his mother’s death from cancer.It was a big step to take for a 13-year-old, never mind one coming to terms with such a loss, but his mother’s dying wish had been that one of her four sons should travel abroad. Zulqarnain, the second, was the only one with the talent to excel as a cricketer, and it was the promise he made to her that drove him towards the top. Four years later, at the Under-19 World Cup in Dhaka, he scored a vital 23 not out from 18 balls, and claimed three catches, as Pakistan took the title in the final against West Indies.Now, in a grimly tragic turn of events, he found himself preparing for the biggest moment of his life with another family trauma hanging over his head. Three days ago, his father, Syed Raza Haider, was hospitalised with hepatitis C. He had an ulcer in his digestive system that caused profuse bleeding, leading to a coma. On Thursday morning, he briefly regained consciousness, but Zulqarnain doesn’t yet know if he’s aware of the step his son has just taken.For a man battling with such competing emotions, Zulqarnain’s challenge has been to keep a clear head. He thinks cricket has been a good distraction, a comfort blanket through which to relieve his stresses.”I would like to make a hundred and take 10 catches,” he said, when asked about his ambitions for his maiden Test. “And to end up as the Man of the Match.”On the eve of the match he was as excited as any Test debutant would be. The world wanted a piece of him and he wanted the attention. There was nothing wrong with that. But there were plenty of nerves on display as well, especially as he hadn’t been expecting the call-up so soon, regardless of the criticism that Kamran Akmal attracted during the Trent Bridge Test. “I had the hopes that I would play at least one Test but at the end of the series, not the second Test,” Zulqarnain said.If there is something he still has in common with the 13-year-old boy of a decade ago, it is intent. Add to that guts. Immediately after the two-day warm-up match against Leicestershire last month, he wandered into the Lord’s nets, where some of the Pakistan fast bowlers were preparing for the first Test against Australia. Aaqib Javed, the assistant coach, was looking on as Mohammad Amir, Umar Gul and Mohammad Tanvir gave Imran Farhat a serious working-over.Zulqarnain, sitting on the sidelines, was getting restless to bat. Dressed in black sneakers and some non-team whites, he looked more like a net bowler than Pakistan’s reserve wicketkeeper. Eventually when Aaqib gave him permission, Zulqarnain hurriedly padded up, donned a helmet and took guard on a wicket with ample bounce and movement.The bowlers laughed and warned him for not wearing an arm guard. “I don’t need one,” he replied with a boyish smile. For the next 20 minutes he played without getting hit once, and even impressed his captain-to-be, Salman Butt, with his solid technique, keeping the bat close to the pads while still looking to play his shots.Zulqarnain thinks it was his “outstanding” work in the two-day warm-up game against Leicestershire that forced the tour selectors to keep an eye on him. His acrobatic saves on both sides of the wicket were a happy sight for the bowlers who had grown used to watching Kamran spill extras on many an occasion. At 180cm, Zulqarnain is tall for a wicketkeeper, and he agrees it is an advantage. “My reach is a strong point.”Despite Kamran’s shoddy glovework at Trent Bridge, long-term followers of Pakistan cricket believed the team management wouldn’t dare drop him. But Waqar Younis and Salman Butt are steadily turning the tide in their own way. The pair believe it is time to be bold, and they have remained transparent in their ways and encouraged every member of the squad to put in effort.”Even after what happened [in the first Test] I never expected I would still play here at Edgbaston because he [Kamran] is a senior and has been playing for many years,” Zulqarnain said. “So to play a youngster in the second Test would not be possible. However, now that they have shown the confidence in me, I need to repay the faith. Now that I’ve got another chance, I would like to prove and establish myself.”

Zulqarnain believes that he can make use of the basics he first learned on the streets of Lahore, when he used to cope with the wild flight of a tape ball. He developed sharp reflexes and the daring to dive without fear on the hard concrete of his on Link Road in Model Town

Zulqarnain had reason to be nervous, given it was his Test debut, and the swinging and seaming conditions in England that have sent chills up the spines of many experienced keepers. But he believes he’ll be kept in good stead by the basics he first learned on the streets of Lahore, when he used to cope with the wild flight of a tape ball. He developed sharp reflexes and the daring to dive without fear on the hard concrete of his on Link Road in Model Town.”One of my acquaintances saw me take some good catches and told me I had the guts and I could play at a higher level,” he said. He started playing with older boys and became more popular as a result. Those days of coping with the swift and random swing of the tape ball are bound to come handy now in England, where reflexes and reach are paramount.Those were also days of wearing torn shoes and torn gloves. Days when passion got the adrenalin pumping. It was also a trying time for the Haider family, with Zulqarnain’s mother’s cancer spreading rapidly. His father was the lone breadwinner, working at a local factory, but the treatment was expensive and at times the family could not save enough to eat two meals a day. “The injections cost around Rs 60,000 and she needed about two to three per month,” Zulqarnain said. “We needed to save every penny.”His elder sister, Any, suffered from typhoid when she was young and in the absence of their mother, somebody needed to take care of her. Zulqarnain’s dad made sure that he married as soon as he reached adulthood. “He did not want me to get spoilt,” Zulqarnain said with a hearty laugh. The first person he called, a minute after his name was announced during the team meeting on Thursday was his wife, Iqra.Meanwhile, he hasn’t forgotten the promise he made himself after his mother’s death. “I promised that the day that I make my Test debut I would donate half my match fee to the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital, where she was treated.” Fittingly, it is the hospital founded by Imran Khan in memory of his own mother.

Cricinfo decides it’s time to cast its gaze into the crystal ball

Jenny Thompson15-Aug-2005

It is your destiny: Michael Vaughan seeks celestial intervention © Getty Images
As anyone who has been glued to Channel 4’s coverage of this match must now be aware, this is, apparently, “the dawning of the age of Aquarius” – according to that infuriating car advert that accompanies the end of every over. With England’s star in the ascendancy and Australia’s apparently on the wane, Cricinfo decided it was time to cast its gaze into the crystal ball to see what the astrologers had to make of a crucial final day at Old Trafford.Justin Langer, a Scorpio, failed to heed the warnings of Mystic Meg. “It’s clear you have something to be getting on with today,” Meg told Langer, “so get on with it.” Alas, he muddled “getting on” with “getting out”, and edged through to Matthew Hoggard in the second over of the morning.She may have been hopeless at picking the winning Lottery numbers in her TV days but Meg, a keen cricket fan, believes she has identified Australia’s key man in what she expects to be a charge for the line. She urged Simon Katich to draw strength from his inner lion and had this message for the brave Leo. “The perfect sun/moon mix makes this the day to trust your talent and really go for it.”Meg has been keeping a close eye on Jason Gillespie, too, and hinted darkly that it may be time for him to think about quitting Test cricket: “You have the dash of daring you need to try out for a very different kind of job.” However, she didn’t say whether, when this ambitious Arian called her premium phoneline for further advice, his call would be forwarded on to Metallica’s manager.Meg was determined to leave no stone unturned in her analysis of this vital Ashes day. So she turned her attentions to the state of the deteriorating pitch, and had this advice for Shane Warne, a Virgo. “At work, you can see beyond surface appearances,” said the sage Meg, “and you know what is really on offer.” Another late charge with the bat for Warne?Better news for England, and their captain Michael Vaughan. “An ambition that you have had for up to a year suddenly gets its chance now that the sun and moon are working for you.” Not to mention the crowd at Old Trafford who will be a key extra player today, as the TV pundits have yet, unaccountably, failed to mention.Hoggard and Simon Jones, both pro-active Capricorns, were given a boost, meanwhile, by ‘s astrologer, David Wells. “If you think you have the wherewithal to get something done,” he said, “then go right ahead.”Wells has been worried about Ricky Ponting’s alleged fracas with Warne, and offered a healing touch to Australia’s beleaguered captain, a Scorpio. “What about dealing with something close to home?” he coaxed. “A domestic needs resolving.”But what exactly is the Age of Aquarius anyway? “This order appears to be the reverse of the familiar order of the signs of the zodiac,” according to a cod-astrology website. Now, if that doesn’t mean the Ashes are coming home, I don’t know what does. Oh, but what’s this? “The dawn doesn’t occur until 2648AD …”Oh well.

CSA also roped in Duminy as permanent batting coach and Kleinveldt as temporary bowling coach for the white-ball set-up

Firdose Moonda06-Mar-2023Aiden Markram has been appointed South Africa’s new T20I captain, while Cricket South Africa (CSA) roped in JP Duminy as the batting coach and Rory Kleinveldt as the bowling coach in the white-ball set-up. Markram takes over captaincy from Temba Bavuma, who has been dropped from the squad altogether for the upcoming home T20Is against West Indies later this month.Duminy has been appointed on a permanent basis whereas Kleinveldt has come in only for the West Indies series for now.Talks between new white-ball coach, Rob Walter, and former captain Faf du Plessis meanwhile proved unfruitful for now and du Plessis was not included in the T20I squad. This could change in the future.ESPNcricinfo LtdMarkram led South Africa’s Under-19 side to victory at the World Cup in 2014 and more recently was at the helm of Sunrisers Eastern Cape, who won the inaugural SA20 title. He has also been named captain of Sunrisers Hyderabad for the upcoming IPL and Walter sees the national leadership as a natural progression for Markram.”Aiden has shown himself to be a leader over a period of time now. Obviously, his most recent success for the Sunrisers [Eastern Cape] stands out so it seemed like just a logical progression into the leadership of the national side,” Walter said at a press conference in Johannesburg. “He has been there before but I think he’s matured a lot as a player and as a leader since then.”This is Markram’s second foray into leading the senior side after he captained them in an ODI series against India in February 2018, in the absence of an injured du Plessis. Then, the captaincy negatively affected his batting and he scored 118 runs in five matches at 23.60.ESPNcricinfo LtdAs for Bavuma, who stepped down as the T20I captain to take over the Test leadership recently, Walter indicated the shortest format door is not closed to him. “It was purely a T20 performance-based decision,” Walter said. “My job now is to work with him to get him back into the side. That’ll certainly be one of our focuses.”Bavuma had a tough 2022 in the T20I format, and got into double figures only five times in 12 innings. He led South Africa at the last two T20 World Cups, in 2021 and 2022, and they failed to reach the semi-finals in both. Bavuma also faced criticism over his strike rate, which sits at 116.08 in T20Is and he was not bought at the SA20 auction. He got a deal with Sunrisers Eastern Cape as a replacement player later in the tournament, by which point he scored a series-winning century against England in a World Cup Super League ODI.Walter was still in New Zealand at the time, where he coached Central Stags, and the ODI team was under the command of new Test coach Shukri Conrad, who introduced a more aggressive style of play which Walter endorses and will build on. “The way that you saw the ODI side play against England was how we’d like the team to play going forward,” Walter said.South Africa will play three ODIs against West Indies, starting on March 16, which do not count for World Cup Super League points. For those ODIs, South Africa have rested fast bowlers Anrich Nortje (who is also out of the second Test with a groin niggle) and Kagiso Rabada, but the duo will return for the following three T20Is. Fast bowler Gerald Coetzee and batters Tony de Zorzi and Tristan Stubbs earned their maiden ODI call-ups.There is no place for Dewald Brevis in the South Africa squads yet•SA20There is still no room for 19-year old batting sensation Dewald Brevis, who was the leading run-scorer at last year’s age-group World Cup, and has experience in the IPL, CPL and SA20. Walter had indicated Brevis needs to bide his time before making the step up.”He forms part of a category of young, exciting cricketers that are in the system. The job and the journey with him will be exactly the same as it is for the others in trying to find opportunities that are below the Proteas level to give him access to,” Walter said. “The SA20 would have given him some insight as to the areas that he needs to develop in his game, along with many others. There’s an x-factor that is exciting and now we just need to give him the foundations and the pathway to grow.”After the T20Is, South Africa will end the summer with two must-win ODIs against Netherlands in the World Cup Super League. If South Africa win both games and Sri Lanka win one match or fewer in their three-match series against New Zealand, South Africa will secure automatic qualification for the 2023 World Cup. “Hopefully the Blackcaps do what they need to do and and secure that series and then we still have to take care of our business,” Walter said. “Everything else becomes irrelevant if we don’t take take care of that first.”The matches against Netherlands take place on March 31 and April 2 and clash with the opening matches of the IPL. CSA’s director of cricket, Enoch Nkwe, confirmed that the South African contracted players who are part of the IPL will be available for national duty before leaving for India. “As it stands, they are available,” Nkwe said. “We have been engaged with the IPL and the BCCI as well, so the selected players will be available for the two ODIs.”South Africa’s T20I squad for West Indies series: Aiden Markram (capt), Quinton de Kock , Bjorn Fortuin, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Sisanda Magala, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Wayne Parnell, Kagiso Rabada, Rilee Rossouw, Tabraiz Shamsi, Tristan Stubbs.Squad for ODIs: Temba Bavuma (capt), Gerald Coetzee, Quinton de Kock, Tony de Zorzi, Bjorn Fortuin, Reeza Hendricks, Sisanda Magala, Keshav Maharaj, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Ryan Rickelton, Andile Phehlukwayo, Tristan Stubbs, Lizaad Williams, Rassie van der Dussen. For third ODI only: Aiden Markram, David Miller, Marco Jansen, Wayne Parnell.

MatériaMais Notícias

O acúmulo de questões relacionadas a lesionados e risco de suspensão deve fazer o Internacional promover muitas mudanças pensando na última rodada classificatória do Campeonato Gaúcho. Na oportunidade, a equipe jogará diante do Esportivo, no próximo sábado (12), em confronto marcado para o Beira-Rio.

Com desfalques certos, entram nessa lista o atacante Pedro Henrique e o técnico Mano Menezes. Ambos tomaram o terceiro amarelo no clássico do último domingo e devem dar lugar a Luiz Adriano e o auxiliar Sidnei Lobo.

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>No mês da mulher, Internacional planeja ações especiais

Já em relação a outras escolhas, tudo dependerá da análise por parte tanto da Comissão Técnica como também do Departamento Médico. Sendo que, no aspecto clínico, os nomes que mais preocupam são os de Keiller, Vitão e Baralhas, todos ressentidos de problemas também contraídos no Gre-Nal.

Enquanto o goleiro fraturou dois dentes, o defensor reclamou de uma trauma na coxa esquerda e o meio-campista de um problema no tornozelo direito. Em caráter de preocupação, o mais provável é que nenhum deles esteja sequer na lista de nomes relacionados.

Por fim, existe também a preocupação com jogadores pendurados já que, no regulamento, quem tomar o terceiro cartão amarelo na última rodada classificatória terá de cumprir suspensão no primeiro embate da semifinal. São seis os jogadores do Colorado nessa situação: Alemão, Baralhas, Bustos, Carlos de Pena, Johnny, Lucas Ramos e Mauricio.

O Inter está matematicamente classificado para o mata-mata do estadual. Com 19 pontos e na vice-liderança, a briga da equipe será para sustentar a posição e ter o mando de campo no confronto decisivo da semi. A diferença para os concorrentes, Ypiranga e Caxias, é de apenas duas unidades.

The visitors lost 9 for 48 in a dismal batting display in Canberra with Australia’s inexperienced attack impressing again

Tristan Lavalette06-Feb-2024Lance Morris’ spectacular return was cut short by a side strain injury, but Xavier Bartlett continued a strong start to his international career with four wickets as Australia thrashed a hapless West Indies at Manuka Oval to sweep the ODI series.Openers Josh Inglis and Jake Fraser-McGurk raced toward the low target by smashing 67 runs within five overs. They had struck Australia’s fastest team 50 in men’s ODIs since 2002.Their eight-wicket victory with 43.1 overs to spare was the shortest men’s ODI ever played in Australia. The match lasted just 31 overs and was completed in three hours, including the innings break.Related

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Bartlett had starred with 4 for 21 as West Indies were embarrassingly bowled out for 86 in 24.1 overs in their fifth lowest ODI score. Playing their 1000th ODI, the second nation to do so after India, Australia were almost flawless following comprehensive victories in Melbourne and Sydney.Inglis raced to 22 off seven deliveries as he played gorgeous orthodox shots, but was quickly overtaken by Fraser-McGurk who muscled three sixes in four balls off seamer Matthew Forde.Fraser-McGurk was on track for a rapid half-century, but holed out to mid-on to end his 18-ball 41 and dashed Australia’s hopes for a 10-wicket win. Aaron Hardie made just two before Australia passed the target after 6.5 overs.Australia recorded their 12th straight victory in the 50-over format, but were aided by a shoddy West Indies effort with a number of batters dismissed in tame fashion.It wasn’t all rosy for Australia with Morris, who returned to the side along with Bartlett in place of injured Matthew Short and a rested Josh Hazlewood, coming off the ground midway through his fifth over with a left side strain. He will have a scan and faces a nervous wait ahead of Australia’s tour of New Zealand.Steven Smith elected to bowl under bleak skies with Bartlett looming as a major threat in seaming conditions. After having a breather following his stunning four-wicket debut at the MCG, Bartlett was immediately on the money with the new ball and he had opener Kjorn Ottley lbw in his second over.Ottley trudged off after a short discussion with Alick Athanaze, but replays showed he had inside edged the ball. Bartlett continued to showcase his prowess for swing bowling and he bowled an unrelenting line and length to finish with 1 for 11 off his opening five-over spell.Jake Fraser-McGurk gave a glimpse of his potential•Getty ImagesBut Athanaze and Keacy Carty held firm as West Indies’ fortunes momentarily seemed to turn with the sun emerging and they eyed a decent total on the traditionally batting-friendly Manuka Oval surface.West Indies avoided the early collapses that marred their opening two games, but the introduction of Morris in the 11th over soon left them in familiar woe.Morris had his first international wicket when Carty was brilliantly caught by a flying Marnus Labuschagne at backward point. Captain Shai Hope unsuccessfully reviewed an lbw decision off Sean Abbott in the next over before Morris clean bowled debutant Teddy Bishop with a searing full delivery that rattled the stumps.In contrast to when he took the new ball at the MCG, Morris enjoyed being held back in a role he usually relishes with Western Australia at domestic level. He bowled consistently in the mid 140kph and a threatening short of a length before going off the ground.Athanaze had held the innings together until he threw away his wicket with a rash sweep stroke against legspinner Adam Zampa that was caught deep backward squareSmith went on the attack and brought back Bartlett, who on his first delivery nicked off Romario Shepherd. Bartlett soon became just the sixth men’s bowler to record four-plus wicket hauls in his first two ODIs.West Indies’ woeful performance was summed up with a comical run out of Forde, who bickered with batting partner Roston Chase on his way off, as their 27-year ODI drought against Australia in Australia continues.

MatériaMais Notícias

Com duelo marcado para este sábado (26), às 15h, o Festival Paulista sub-14 será definido pelo encontro do Corinthians com a Ferroviária. O jogo, que acontecerá noestádio José Liberatti.Pepê, jovem meia da equipe corintiana, interpretou
partida como uma vitória que poderá valer muito mais do que ‘apenas’ o título da
competição.

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Veja até qual fase o Brasil foi em cada Copa do Mundo que disputou desde 1930

Veja tabela da Copa do Mundo

-É uma partida extremamente nivelada e que promete ser um dos jogos mais
disputados que tivemos até o momento. A Ferroviária é uma equipe muito qualificada e que sempre se impôs no futebol feminino. Mas temos um grupo muito forte do nosso lado do campo também. Vai ser um daqueles jogos para ficar na memória não só dos torcedores, como também das jogadoras – disse a jovem atleta.

– É importante estampar o nome do Corinthians no hall de títulos de todas as competições que pudermos. Não entramos em nenhum torneio vestindo a camisa do Corinthians apenas para participar. Entramos em campo sempre para vencer, essa é a missão que temos quando vestimos uma camisa tão pesada quanto a do Corinthians – completou.

O Corinthians tem a missão de superar as atuais campeãs do Festival já
que em 2019, última edição disputada, a Ferroviária se sagrou campeã. Com a quarta edição em andamento, a equipe tenta se inserir no grupo de campeões do Festival Paulista, que conta com: Tiger em 2017, Centro Olímpico em 2018, e a Ferroviária em 2019.

continua após a publicidade