The Argentina coach was emotional when asked about Messi, who could be playing his final World Cup qualifier on home soil
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From healing wounds within the Australian dressing room to setting and pushing towards long-term goals, the new head coach will have plenty on his plate
Daniel Brettig03-May-20180:46
Langer: Ball-tampering mistakes can be forgiven
CultureOne of Justin Langer’s oft-quoted phrases is “culture is behaviour”, a saying he has personally followed with monastic thoroughness since his earliest days as a fiercely aspirational young batsman. Lacking some of the more outsize batting talents of his contemporaries, Langer worked assiduously at mental and technical improvement, becoming the hardest man to dismiss in domestic cricket while slipping in and out of the national team. When he finally gained a more permanent berth as Matthew Hayden’s opening partner at the conclusion of the 2001 Ashes, Langer unleashed a more shot-laden and aggressive streak. By his career he set an example he has been able to draw upon as a coach. Earnest discipline combined with uncompromising cricket: that will be the culture Langer seeks to impart.What Langer said”I think one of the things that’s really important is we keep looking to earn respect. To me respect is worth more than all the gold in the world. To earn respect on and off the cricket field. Another really important foundation over the last six years in WA cricket is we look to encourage great cricketers and great people. It’s not just about how we play our cricket, it’s also about being good citizens and good Australians. The Australian cricket team, the public will be disappointed if we don’t play hard competitive cricket. That said, we can also modify our behaviours. Over that time, I was lucky to play with great competitors. We talk about Allan Border, Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath, Adam Gilchrist and Steve Waugh. They played hard but they were also outstanding people. We modify our behaviour a bit so that it’s not angry or not over-aggressive but we’re still aggressive in the mindset that we play with the bat and the ball.”
“I love the way [David Warner] plays his cricket. Has he got areas to get better at? Yep. Has Steve Smith? Yep. Has Cameron Bancroft? Yep. Every single person in Australian cricket? Yep. If we can keep mentoring and helping them and they want to get better and meet the standards of the Australian cricket team of course they will be welcomed back.”Justin Langer
Track recordLanger was implored to return to the Australian set-up during the 2009 Ashes by then coach Tim Nielsen and captain Ricky Ponting. He would stay on until late 2012, whereupon he accepted the commission to coach a dysfunctional WA. The signal moment arrived a few games into that first season, a tale Adam Voges has recounted. Realising the team had celebrated a win a little too raucously with another match soon to follow, Langer pounced the next morning. “We thought all we were doing was grabbing our bags at the oval on the way to the airport, but it turned very quickly into ‘Get your running shoes on, get your shorts on, and start running’.” From that day forward the WA/Perth Scorchers alliance has become one of the most admired (or envied) in Australian cricket, winning trophies while shaping players.What Langer said”Hopefully the last six years in WA cricket has been a dress rehearsal. When I went into the job back then we were spending more time on the front pages than the back pages. We went about setting some really strong values, some really simple rules. One of the things about leadership it can be quite lonely. You have to be on it every single day. if someone does something well you say well done, that’s how we do it around here. If they don’t, no, no, no, that’s not how we do it. How people view us, that’s none of our business. We know in this world everyone has got an opinion and they’re able to voice their opinion. If we go about our behaviours on and off the field really well those outcomes will look after themselves.”SledgingOn his Test debut in Adelaide in 1993, Langer was targeted by a fearsome West Indian side that, after he was hit on the back of the helmet by an Ian Bishop bouncer, questioned his courage and ability. From that tough school Langer emerged as an advocate for Steve Waugh’s “mental disintegration”, and does not resile from the fact he believes Australian teams should be able to compete with noun, verb and adjective as much as bat and ball. But he is also aware that times have changed and so too do teams – his WA side has been tough in approach but nowhere near as vocally hostile as Australia. A balance will need to be struck.What Langer said”October 3 every year I’ll read the same headline. I’ve laughed about this the last 25 years. Every team that comes over, how are you going to combat the Australian sledging. They go ‘we’re not going to be scared of the Australian sledging’, it’s going to be great headlines. I’ve probably seen two incidents in my whole career where it got really personal and it crossed the line. There was one with Glenn McGrath and [Ramnaresh] Sarwan in the West indies, that was a very sensitive time for Pigeon. It probably crossed the line and there were consequences for that. I saw it one other time, we’ve always played hard. Some of the best banter is among each other to get the opposition thinking about other things. Mental toughness is about being 100% focused on the next ball. If you’re worrying about what you just said to me there’s a distraction. We all know what the acceptable behaviours are. There’s a difference between the competitiveness and aggression and we have to be careful with that.”Spirit of cricketDuring a Test in Sri Lanka in 2004, Langer was caught on camera tipping off a bail at the batsman’s end as he crossed the pitch between overs, leading his captain Ricky Ponting to appeal to the umpires for hit-wicket. While many observers questioned the incident and its implications, Langer always maintained it was accidental and was cleared of wrongdoing by the match referee. By common Australian custom, Langer always awaited the umpire’s decision, famously being reprieved from a caught-behind verdict by the umpire Peter Parker – who had mistakenly given Langer out in the first innings – during the epic fourth-innings Hobart chase of 1999. Those close to Langer have often talked about his tendency to see things in terms of absolutes, right and wrong.What Langer said”Culturally and historically, we look back at the old Anzac spirit we were renowned [for], we were great fighters, we looked after each other, we looked after our mates. Adam Gilchrist, elite sportsman, walked when he got out. I never walked. I loved batting so much I didn’t want to get out. That’s one of the great things about being Australian, we are fighters. Ultimately everyone knows what right and wrong is. We get taught that since when you’re a little kid from your parents, through school. If our players literally stick to that, right or wrong, they’ll be okay.”Getty ImagesSecond chancesLanger found himself on the outside of the Australian team on plenty of occasions, going on almost as many tours as a reserve batsman as he would later do as a member of the first XI. To that end he needed continual improvement to keep himself in contention. In terms of discipline, Langer has dealt firmly with numerous members of the WA squad at times, but kept an emphasis on learning from mistakes. More pragmatic as a coach than he has at times appeared, Langer is likely to be open to the returns of the “Newlands Three” given that Australia’s vaunted bowling attack will be blunted without adequate runs to defend.What Langer said”We’ll learn from what’s happened. Cameron Bancroft and Steve Smith, literally besides Mike Hussey, love the game more than anyone I know. They are cricket tragics, and they’re great kids. That’s why it was such a surprise they made the mistake they did. Davey Warner is the same. He’s a really good young bloke, he made a mistake. I love the way he plays his cricket. Has he got areas to get better at? Yep. Has Steve Smith? Yep. Has Cameron Bancroft? Yep. Every single person in Australian cricket? Yep. If we can keep mentoring and helping them and they want to get better and meet the standards of the Australian cricket team of course they will be welcomed back.”The dressing roomWith WA, Langer’s prime achievement was to forge a singular identity regardless of whether it was the Warriors or the Scorchers. This closeness and sense of shared purpose was something he took from his years in a dominant Australian dressing room, an experience he has often spoken about at a level of hyperbole that can make those who see the team as a representative side somewhat uncomfortable. Nevertheless, Langer will be quick to try to stamp out the divisions that emerged in the aftermath of Cape Town, between bowlers and batsmen, and Warner and the rest. He can also be expected to place a high premium on keeping things in-house, following the “praise in public, criticise in private” attitude that characterised much of Steve Waugh’s Australian captaincy.What Langer said”Elite mateship within the Australian cricket team’s going to be a key value. We’ll have to work on that. If you have that camaraderie, it’s the glue that keeps everything together, particularly when you’re under pressure. I would say, without being in it, that camaraderie wasn’t as tight as it needed to be because we were under pressure. I like us all to be tight, not just the players, the support staff, Cricket Australia. It’s like the great paradox for me, it was so competitive getting into the team, but when you walk through the doors with the baggy green it was like a brotherhood, it was like a nightclub, it was awesome, you’d walk in and they are like my brothers – Matthew Hayden, Adam Gilchrist, Ricky Ponting, Glenn McGrath – they are literally like my brothers. That’s what we have to keep promoting in the Australian cricket team.”GoalsGiven how badly the team fell apart at the back end of the South African tour, Langer’s first and most urgent task will be to build a competitive side with restricted batting resources. Beyond the forthcoming Australian summer, the prizes are rich – the 2019 World Cup and Ashes double – but befitting his connection to Waugh, Langer’s eyes are on India, which has once again become a frontier for Australian overseas success.What Langer said”If I fast forward it, the Indian tour against India, the Test tour in three or four years time, to me that’s the ultimate. We will judge ourselves as a great cricket team if we beat India in India. I look back on my career, the Mt Everest moment was 2004 when we finally beat India in India. We’ve got to get better at playing away, we’ve got to get better at playing overseas.”
India’s record at the Wanderers is an outlier when it comes to away touring
Bharath Seervi25-Jan-2018India’s bowlers prevailed once again at the Wanderers in Johannesburg, managing to get the hosts all out for 194. It’s India’s most successful bowling venue in South Africa and one of the reasons they’re unbeaten in four previous Tests here. India average 28.22 with the ball at the Wanderers – their best at any venue in South Africa.
| Venue | Bow. Ave | Mat | Won | Lost | Draw | W/L |
| Johannesburg | 28.22 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 3 | – |
| Durban | 29.90 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0.33 |
| Cape Town | 35.87 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0.00 |
| Port Elizabeth | 39.42 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.00 |
| Centurion | 50.54 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Bloemfontein | 56.09 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.00 |
In fact, this is the venue where India have recorded their best figures in all away Tests where they played five or more Tests. Next on the list is Eden Park in Auckland, where they average 29.61, followed by Durban. Nagpur is the only venue where India have a better bowling average (28.07) – anywhere in the world – with a qualifier of five Tests played.Jasprit Bumrah’s five-wicket haul in the first innings is the fourth such haul by an Indian bowler at Wanderers – the most at any South African venue. Before Bumrah, Anil Kumble in 1992-93, Javagal Srinath in 1996-97 and S Sreesanth in 2006-07 took five-wicket hauls. In the one Test in which Indian bowlers didn’t take a five-for, in 2013-14, there were two four-wicket hauls, taken by Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma. Since 1992, only at Lord’s and Sabina Park in Kingston have India had more five-wicket hauls away with five each.South Africa batsmen have struggled against Indian bowling at the Wanderes like against no other visitor. Their average runs per wicket at the venue against India is their lowest against all visiting teams. Against the other subcontinent teams, they have averaged the best: 41.37 against Pakistan and 40.60 against Sri Lanka. They have won at least two Tests against all other teams at Wanderers, but not once against India.
| Opposition | Bat. Ave | Mat | Won | Lost | Draw | W/L |
| India | 28.22 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0.00 |
| Australia | 29.04 | 11 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 0.50 |
| England | 33.46 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1.00 |
| New Zealand | 35.21 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3.00 |
| West Indies | 38.09 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | – |
| Sri Lanka | 40.60 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | – |
| Pakistan | 41.37 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | – |
India are yet to face a whitewash in South Africa and that has been solely due to their domination at the Wanderers. Leading by 42 runs with nine wickets in hand after day two and considering their previous results at the venue, India have got the best chance to finish the series on a high after two defeats.
Seamer Nathan Ellis claimed a hat-trick before Tim David powered Hobart Hurricanes to a vital five-wicket victory over slumping Sydney Thunder at the Bellerive Oval in Hobart.After electing to bat in sunny conditions, Thunder never recovered from David Warner’s dismissal for a duck in the opening over. Quicks Ellis and Riley Meredith combined for six wickets, while emerging left-arm wristspinner Patrick Dooley claimed three scalps to bowl out Thunder for a modest 135.Hurricanes navigated several nervous junctures in their chase, with David smashing 76 off 41 balls as he finished the contest in the 17th over with his sixth six.The result meant Hurricanes leapfrogged Thunder to fifth place, who have lost three matches in a row.
There has naturally been a lot of excitement for Warner’s BBL comeback after an eight-year absence. He returned against Perth Scorchers on Friday and showed glimpses of his belligerent best before falling on 19.On what appeared a batting-friendly surface, Warner fell for a second-ball duck when he was clean bowled by a gem of a yorker from Meredith. Warner was completely beaten by pace in what was surely one of the best deliveries of this BBL season. Meredith, who rivals Lance Morris as the fastest quick in Australia, hit speeds around 150kmh in a lightning-quick burst.He wasn’t done with his pace enticing an edge from Sam Whiteman as Thunder soon slumped to 24 for 4.Ellis returned in the 15th over and immediately ended Ollie Davies’ rallying innings. On the next delivery he bowled Nathan McAndrew to claim a hat-trick having earlier dismissed Matthew Gilkes to end the fourth over.Ellis celebrated modestly and was seemingly unaware that he had joined Xavier Doherty as the only other Hurricanes player to have bagged a hat-trick.
Ellis and Meredith, who have both played international limited-overs cricket, issued a reminder of their talents to add to Australia’s embarrassment of pace options.
Thunder have blown hot or cold this season. They suffered the humiliation of being routed for 15 all out against Adelaide Strikers, but also have had several stellar wins including one against Scorchers in Perth.On Sunday, Thunder couldn’t get going against a disciplined Hurricanes attack apart from emerging 22-year-old Davies, who briefly rescued Thunder with a crisp 45 off 38 balls. He wisely started by knocking the ball around before showcasing his class with a six over extra cover off left-arm spinner Tom Andrews. But Davies narrowly fell short of what would have been his fourth half-century in five innings as Thunder again collapsed.Handy cameos from Ben Cutting and captain Chris Green ensured Thunder mustered a somewhat competitive total.
Hurricanes’ chase started nervously and they slumped to 20 for 3 in the third over. It could have been worse with Wade reprieved on 3 when Davies dropped an easy chance at point off McAndrew.Wade, who returned after missing a match due to personal leave, then smashed a boundary on the next delivery and combined in a blistering 79-run partnership with David that belied Hurricanes’ tricky position.David started slowly before putting the foot down in the seventh over with a six on the leg side off Cutting. In a matter of deliveries, including consecutive sixes off spinner Usman Qadir, David put the Hurricanes chase on track. He reached his second BBL half-century and held his nerve amid a late wobble as Hurricanes kept their unbeaten home record intact.
At the drinks break with David amid a purple patch, a war of words erupted between skippers Wade and Green. It was unclear what the commotion was about, but led to a confrontation between Wade and Warner.Warner pushed Wade although it might have been in jest between two long-time team-mates for Australia.After the match, Wade and Green had a brief chat in better spirits and departed with a handshake and Wade was also seen chatting pleasantly with Warner.Allrounder Daniel Sams tried his best to keep Thunder in the match with canny variety to claim four wickets, including Wade and Asif Ali in the back-end, but it wasn’t enough.
Shamsi’s three-for helped restrict Netherlands to 189 which the hosts chased with ease
Firdose Moonda31-Mar-2023
Temba Bavuma made a match-winning 90*•Gallo Images
South Africa 190 for 2 (Bavuma 90*, Markram 51*, Dutt 1-30) beat Netherlands 189 (Nidamanuru 48, Vikramjit 45, Shamsi 3-25, Magala 3-37) by eight wickets South Africa gained ten crucial points on the World Cup Super League table by cruising to victory over Netherlands. The win puts South Africa on the same number of points as eighth-placed West Indies, who have played all their matches, bringing the hosts within reach of automatic qualification for this year’s fifty-over World Cup.To secure their spots without going through the qualifying tournament in Zimbabwe in June, South Africa need to beat Netherlands again on Sunday and hope that Ireland lose at least once to Bangladesh in May. On the evidence of this match, the first of those is possible.The Adelaide anomaly – when the Dutch defeated South Africa and cost them a place in the semi-final – appeared long-banished as the hosts bowled an inexperienced Netherlands line-up out for under 200 and chased it down in 30 overs. Temba Bavuma and Aiden Markram scored half-centuries and shared an unbeaten third-wicket stand of 102 to take South Africa to an easy win after Sisanda Magala and Tabraiz Shamsi claimed three wickets apiece in conditions that offered both swing and turn.South Africa lost Quinton de Kock early in the chase, when he top-edged a sweep off Aryan Dutt and was caught at backward square leg. It wasn’t long before Netherlands suffered the bigger blow. Dutt bowled one more over and then had to leave the field after colliding with Musa Ahmed in the deep with what looked like a knee injury. Dutt did not return to the field and was seen on the sidelines gingerly testing out his ability to put weight on his right leg.Bavuma and Rassie van der Dussen put South Africa on track with a second-wicket stand of 70. Van der Dussen was aggressive from the get go and drove the fourth ball he faced through the covers for four. He was equally confident on the back foot and his next two boundaries came as he hung back in his crease before he struck three successive fours off Shariz Ahmad, all with the pull shot. Van der Dussen outscored Bavuma and was racing towards the finish when he was undone by Fred Klaasen bouncer that he top-edged to Musa at midwicket.Markram took over from van der Dussen and was alongside Bavuma, who brought up fifty with a loft over mid-off with rain in the air. Although South Africa were well ahead of the DLS requirements, both batters pushed on. Bavuma scored 40 runs off the next 24 he faced and flirted with getting to a third ODI century. Instead, it was Markram who got to a sixth ODI fifty, off 37 balls. Bavuma hit the winning runs off the last ball of the 30th over, to seal an important win.Tabraiz Shamsi took three wickets•Gallo Images/Getty Images
The home batters would have been comfortable with the task they were set after their attack kept Netherlands largely quiet even as they notched up their second-highest ODI score against South Africa. Apart from forties from Vikramjit Singh and Teja Nidamanuru, no other Dutch batter made more than 18 and they unravelled after a good start.Max O’Dowd and Vikramjit posted a 58-run opening stand dominated by Vikramjit. He took on all the bowlers he faced and his coup de grace was hitting Kagiso Rabada for two sixes in his fourth over. O’Dowd was less proactive, especially against a searing opening spell by Marco Jansen, and walked when he tried to steer Magala to deep third but edged to de Kock instead. Vikramjit launched one more six before he mistimed a chip over mid-off to Bavuma and was dismissed five short of a half-century. Netherlands lost their third wicket three overs later, when Wesley Barresi picked out Rabada on the fine leg boundary as he tried to flick Anrich Nortje over.At 81 for 3 in the 18th over, it was up to captain Scott Edwards and Musa to steady things but Edwards was sucked into a drive off Nortje and edged to Jansen at slip. Musa nicked Tabraiz Shamsi off and Netherlands were 105 for 5 after 26 overs.Nidamanuru took the fight to South Africa when he whipped a Jansen half-volley over backward square leg for six and then shuffled across to hit him over square leg. He shared a 30-run stand with Dutt which threatened but Dutt sent a Shamsi wrong’un to Rabada at deep midwicket. Nidamanuru fell for 48 when he feathered an edge off Magala and South Africa were into the Dutch tail. They lost their last six wickets for 84 runs and would have known their total was unlikely to be enough.
Manchester United loanee Marcus Rashford is eyeing a move to Barcelona and the Catalan side are reportedly open to signing the England international.
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Former NZ allrounder Corey Anderson and England international Liam Plunkett picked up by San Francisco Unicorns
Peter Della Penna20-Mar-2023A former India Under-19 World Cup champion from 2012 went first overall in the 2023 Major League Cricket domestic player draft held at NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas on Sunday night, but not the one some people might have expected.Harmeet Singh, the 30-year-old left-arm spinning allrounder formerly of Rajasthan Royals who last played first-class cricket in India for Tripura in 2020 but has since migrated to the USA, was the first overall selection by Seattle Orcas. Harmeet has made a name for himself on the cricket scene in the city after captaining Seattle Thunderbolts to the Minor League Cricket T20 championship last August.Harmeet was one of six players taken in the first round, all priced in a fixed $75,000 draft slot for the round. He was followed by a team-mate of his on the Thunderbolts, former South Africa Under-19 wicketkeeper Andries Gous taken by Washington (D.C.) Freedom.Related
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Former USA captain Steven Taylor went third overall to Mumbai Indians New York. It was a sign of things to come as MI New York wound up taking six USA national squad players, far and away the most of any franchise. J Arunkumar, who served as USA men’s head coach from April 2020 until December 2022, now serves as an assistant coach for Mumbai Indians and had been on hand in Houston throughout the week leading up to the draft to continue scouting local talent.Former New Zealand allrounder Corey Anderson, who married an American and migrated to her home state of Texas in 2020, was taken fourth overall by San Francisco Unicorns. Los Angeles Knight Riders took USA fast bowling superstar Ali Khan with the fifth overall pick in the first round, maintaining continuity with a player who has been a squad member with Kolkata Knight Riders, Trinbago Knight Riders and Abu Dhabi Knight Riders. Rusty Theron, who previously represented South Africa prior to moving to the USA whom he subsequently debuted for in 2019, went with the final pick in the first round to Team Texas, the franchise affiliated with Chennai Super Kings.Unmukt Chand, who gained fame in India for captaining India to the 2012 Under-19 World Cup, was LA Knight Riders’ second pick in a round valued at $65,000. In the third round ($50,000), Knight Riders also snapped up USA wicketkeeper Jaskaran Malhotra, who became the fourth player to hit six sixes in an international match in 2021 in an ODI against Papua New Guinea, as well as former Canada captain Nitish Kumar in round four ($40,000).One of the other most notable headline names in the league joined Anderson at the Unicorns in round two. Liam Plunkett, whose final match for England was the 2019 World Cup Final at Lord’s where he took three wickets in the epic super over win over New Zealand, was the ninth overall selection. After wrapping up his English domestic career with Welsh Fire in The Hundred competition in 2021, Plunkett moved to suburban Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, his American wife’s hometown.Unmukt Chand was LA Knight Riders’ second pick•Unmukt Chand/TwitterA significant presence of former Pakistan players now residing around the USA were taken in the draft. Hammad Azam was the first of six ex-senior Pakistan internationals now in the USA who were drafted, taken by MI New York. He was followed one pick later in the second round by Mukhtar Ahmed to Washington Freedom. Ehsan Adil joined Hammad at MI New York in round four while round five ($35,000) saw Saad Ali go to the Freedom and Sami Aslam taken by Team Texas. Nauman Anwar was the last one to go in round six ($25,000) to Seattle Orcas. Aside from those six, three other players with first-class cricket experience in Pakistan were also drafted: Shayan Jahangir to MI New York and Saif Badar to LA Knight Riders in round seven ($15,000) and Zia Shahzad to Team Texas in round eight ($10,000).Eleven other current or recent USA national team squad members were chosen, including a trio in round four – Nosthush Kenjige (MI New York), Saurabh Netravalkar (Freedom) and Cameron Gannon (Seattle Orcas) – as well as current USA men’s captain Monank Patel (MI New York) and his vice-captain Aaron Jones (Seattle Orcas) in round five.But perhaps the biggest winner of the night was 20-year-old left-arm spinning allrounder Ali Sheikh, who went to LA Knight Riders in round six. The former USA Under-19 squad member has yet to make his senior team debut, despite being in the T20I squad for USA’s 1-1 T20I series draw against Ireland in December 2021.Liam Plunkett, who last played for England during the 2019 World Cup final, was signed by Unicorns in round two of the Draft•Getty ImagesBut Sheikh saw his stock rise dramatically during a T20 Quadrangular series staged by MLC last week in Houston played among the pool of draft prospects in which he claimed two Player-of-the-Match awards for a pair of phenomenal death displays on both sides of the ball. On the first occasion, he took three wickets in the 20th over before top-scoring with 49 two days later, which included two fours and two sixes in the 20th over.Among other players who were picked having previously played senior international cricket for Test nations were the Sri Lankan pair of Shehan Jaysuriya (R2, Seattle Orcas) and Angelo Perera (R8, Seattle Orcas) as well as former South Africa spinner Dane Piedt (R6, Freedom).Seattle Orcas – Harmeet Singh, Shehan Jayasuriya, Shubham Ranjane, Cameron Gannon, Aaron Jones, Nauman Anwar, Phani Simhadri, Angelo Perera, Matthew Tromp (U23).Washington (D.C.) Freedom – Andries Gous, Mukhtar Ahmed, Obus Pienaar, Saurabh Netravalkar, Saad Ali, Dane Piedt, Sujith Gowda, Justin Dill, Akhilesh Bodugum (U23).MI New York – Steven Taylor, Hammad Azam, Ehsan Adil, Nosthush Kenjige, Monank Patel, Sarbjeet Ladda, Shayan Jahangir, Kyle Phillip, Saideep Ganesh (U23).SF Unicorns – Corey Anderson, Liam Plunkett, Tajinder Singh, Chaitanya Bishnoi, Carmi Le Roux, Brody Couch, David White, Smit Patel, Sanjay Krishnamurthi (U23).LA Knight Riders – Ali Khan, Unmukt Chand, Jaskaran Malhotra, Nitish Kumar, Corne Dry, Ali Sheikh (U23), Saif Badar, Shadley van Schalkwyk, Bhaskar Yadram (U23)Team Texas – Rusty Theron, Calvin Savage, Lahiru Milantha, Milind Kumar, Sami Aslam, Cameron Stevenson, Cody Chetty, Zia Shahzad, Sai Mukkamalla (U23)
Fenerbahce are stepping up negotiations to sign Rasmus Hojlund on loan from Manchester United, according to a new report.
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Jose Mourinho's side want striker on loanHas endured difficult season at Old TraffordNegotiations set to begin in ManchesterFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Per Fotomac, Fenerbahce are set to step up their pursuit of Hojlund as they aim to bring the Denmark international in on loan this summer. The Turkish club are acutely aware of the need to sign a new striker this summer, with Edin Dzeko's contract expiring and both Cenk Tosun and Youssef En-Nesyri available for transfer.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE
According to the report, Fener sporting director Mario Branco is poised to travel to England to begin negotiations with United over a move for the 22-year-old. The club hope to sign the Denmark international on loan with an option to buy but it is unclear if United will countenance that prospect.
DID YOU KNOW?
Hojlund has scored four Premier League goals this season in 31 games and has been at the centre of some intense criticism; United legend Roy Keane recently claimed the club do not have a striker in a pointed dig at the forward.
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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?
United face Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League final on Wednesday evening. Then, one can imagine that negotiations will get underway for a multitude of summer deals.
Sri Lanka now dependent on other results, as hopes of direct entry to World Cup are hit further
Madushka Balasuriya28-Mar-2023
The umpires called the game off following the final inspection at 4.25pm•Getty Images
Unrelenting rain in Christchurch meant that the second ODI between New Zealand and Sri Lanka was washed out without even the toss taking place. While rain had been forecast for much of the day, there had nevertheless been hope of a shortened match getting underway at some point.But as the day wore on and the rain persisted at the Hagley Oval, that prospect looked less and less likely. The cut-off time for a 20-over game, the minimum allowed for rain-curtailed ODI, had been marked for 7.02pm local time, but with the rains persisting, the umpires called the game off following the final inspection at 4.25pm.As a result, the teams split points, with Sri Lanka’s hopes of automatic World Cup qualification being hit further. The top eight teams from the Super League table get direct entry in the World Cup, but Sri Lanka are currently placed ninth after 82 points, and have just one more match remaining in the cycle – the third ODI against New Zealand in three days’ time.While a win will take them above West Indies and thus up to eighth, Sri Lanka will hope that tenth-placed South Africa win at most one out of their two upcoming ODIs against Netherlands. That will leave South Africa stuck at 88 points, and allow Sri Lanka, who will finish on 92 should they beat New Zealand, to scrape through to the World Cup.However, New Zealand are set to end the Super League as table toppers despite the washout in Christchurch, and even if they lose to Sri Lanka in the third ODI in Hamilton. They have 165 points at the moment – ten clear of England, who are second – but will have hoped that their fringe players get enough practice ahead of the World Cup.Also, the washout has meant they can’t lose the ongoing series against Sri Lanka, as they had thumped them by 198 runs in the first ODI in Auckland on Saturday. In fact, they will finish the Super League having lost just one ODI series.
Matt Short scored his maiden Sheffield Shield century in stunning fashion to put Victoria in a strong position at the midway point of their match against South Australia in Melbourne.A low-scoring contest was turned on its head as Short mastered the tricky Junction Oval pitch to score 119 – a tally nearly three times better than any other batter in the match.The century continues a rich vein of form for Short, who broke through for his first 50-over century last week, more than seven years after his senior debut.Related
Wickets tumble on Maxwell's return to first-class cricket
Taking the aggressive route key to Sutherland's breakout season
Victoria ended the day at 8 for 285 for a massive 340-run lead that seemed highly improbable just 24 hours earlier.South Australia’s lower order capitulated earlier in the day. Having resumed at 5 for 75, they were dismissed for 114 to concede a 55-run first-innings deficit.Short played a major role in building that advantage, with his 70 off 69 balls on day one more than double the next best for either side in the first innings.In the second innings, he punched 15 boundaries and a six in his 135-ball knock of 119, and it took some fancy footwork to dismiss him, with Jordan Buckingham taking a juggling catch on the boundary rope.Short’s wicket earned Spencer Johnson a five-wicket haul, with the debutant paceman returning figures of 5 for 72.At the time of his dismissal, Short had, incredibly, scored some 36 percent of the runs in the match across the three innings.Batting seemed much simpler during the latter two sessions of the day, highlighted by an 82-run stand – easily the largest in the match – for the seventh wicket between Short and Will Sutherland (43).The news wasn’t so good for returning short-form star Glenn Maxwell, who was clean bowled second ball after playing an expansive drive off Wes Agar.Maxwell made just 5 in the first innings, though his dismissal came via a contentious lbw decision.Earlier, in his first game back after suffering a broken leg, Maxwell left the field during SA’s innings after being struck on a wrist by a ball when fielding at slip.