Queens Park Rangers’ lengthy search for a new centre back continues as a deal between the West London club and Tottenham Hotspur’s Michael Dawson has stalled.
QPR had a £9million offer accepted by Spurs this week and it seemed R’s boss Mark Hughes was set to add another defender to his squad after their 5-0 home thrashing by Swansea on the opening day.
However, Hughes has told talkSPORT that personal terms cannot be agreed between the club and the player and it seems the deal is as good as dead.
“At the moment it is not where I’d hoped it would be,” said Hughes.
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“It may change. Obviously we’ve still got days left until the window closes so it might be revisited, but at the moment it is not in a place we think we can progress. There was an issue with personal terms.”
Manchester United and Arsenal’s Premier League clash this Sunday represents the end of an era. Under Arsene Wenger, the Gunners emerged as the Red Devils’ ultimate title rivals during the late 1990s and early 2000s. But having announced he’ll be leaving the club at the end of the season, this could well be the last time the Frenchman faces his oldest foes, not to mention one of his most bitter enemies in United counterpart Jose Mourinho.
So will Sunday’s concluding instalment provide the perfect end to this 22-year Premier League subplot, and can previous encounters tell us anything about what to expect this weekend? Here’s the complete Premier League history of Man United vs Arsenal…
Head-to-Head
Arsenal’s 1-0 win at Old Trafford in 2002 to clinch the title remains one of the most celebrated occasions in Arsenal’s recent history, but their overall record against Manchester United is actually quite modest considering how competitive their rivalry was throughout the first 15 years of the Premier League. They’ve only won 13 games against United from 51 attempts, and that famous victory on United’s patch was just one of three they’ve managed there out of a possible 25 in the Premier League.
United though, have suffered their own slump in recent years and that’s seen the balance of this fixture largely level out; both teams have won two, lost two and drawn two of the last six meetings, with Arsenal scoring two more goals than the Red Devils during that time.
Top Scorer – Wayne Rooney
Arsenal inadvertently played a key role in announcing Wayne Rooney to the world as a teenager and throughout his career, no club has conceded more goals from the former England captain.
Nine of those 15 came in 24 Premier League appearances for United, making Rooney the all-time top scorer in this fixture. He’s closely followed by Thierry Henry, who notched up eight in 14 top flight appearances against United, failing to net past them during just two of his full Premier League campaigns.
Robin van Persie and Danny Welbeck, meanwhile, have represented both sides of the Arsenal-United divide. With the Dutchman on six, a hat-trick for the England international this weekend would see him move just behind Henry in this fixture’s top scorer chart.
The Shared Icon – Robin van Persie
He may have broken a million hearts and earned the moniker Judas when he jumped ship to Old Trafford in 2012, but Robin van Persie was without a doubt Arsenal’s most talented player by a considerable distance at that time. Eight seasons in north London produced 132 goals, three Premier League Goal of the Month awards, a Golden Boot and an FWA Player of the Year award – but just one piece of silverware from 2004/05.
Upon joining the Red Devils, van Persie instantly fired his new employers to the Premier League title, clinching a second consecutive Golden Boot in the process. It provided the parting gift Sir Alex Ferguson deserved, a final title before retiring, but that’s when RVP’s importance to United started to wane. After scoring just 22 league goals in the following two seasons under David Moyes and Louis van Gaal, the Dutchman was allowed to leave for Fenerbahce.
The Classic Clash – Man United 0-1 Arsenal
There have been far more entertaining clashes down the years in terms of goals, not least including a succession of heavy hammerings handed out by the Red Devils. But few, if any, have matched the significance of this meeting at Old Trafford in 2002 when Arsenal clinched the Premier League title on their rivals’ patch.
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It was an ugly, bitter-fought game with few clear-cut chances – between a United side in transition and a Gunners outfit starting to evolve into the Invincibles – but Sylvain Wiltord remained a menace all afternoon and it was the Frenchman who eventually proved the difference. His counter-attacking run in the second half lead to a Freddie Ljungberg shot that Fabien Barthez could only manage to parry, leaving an onrushing Wiltord to tuck home the rebound.
United pushed for an equaliser but that only made them more open and Arsenal had the chance to extend their lead. Not that the scoreline truly mattered; this clash was all about the result.
Liverpool fans in the Football Transfer Tavern are preparing for a trip to Wembley this weekend, as their side prepare to take on Aston Villa for a place in the FA Cup final.
Brendan Rodgers is hoping a first trophy of his Liverpool career can save a season that otherwise looks set to end in disappointment, after the Reds fell out of the race for the top four with back-to-back defeats to Manchester United and Arsenal.
Prior to that, Liverpool had been the form team in the country, going a run of 13 games unbeaten and getting themselves back into the mix for a top four finish after a dismal start to the season.
It looks as if they are going to fall short however, and the supporters will demand an improvement next term – and some better summer signings.
Here we have identified five of the most pointless Liverpool transfers of all time.
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Click on Brendan Rodgers to reveal 5 most pointless Liverpool transfers ever
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El Hadji Diouf
Football – Stock 03/04 – 17/3/04El Hadji Diouf – LiverpoolMandatory Credit : Action Images / Darren Walsh
It looked as though Liverpool were going to make Nicolas Anelka’s loan spell permanent back in 2002 but for some inexplicable reason, Gerard Houllier decided against the move.
In what many consider to be the beginning of the end for the French coach, Houllier opted to bring in El-Hadji-Diouf for £10 million instead, having watched him perform well for Senegal at the 2002 World Cup.
Diouf turned out to be perhaps the worst number 9 in the club’s history, managing just three Premier League goals in two seasons, and no shortage of disgraceful controversies – one of which included spitting at a Celtic fan during a UEFA Cup tie in 2003.
Salif Diao
Football – Chelsea v Liverpool FA Barclays Premiership – Stamford Bridge – 3/10/04Chelsea’s Eidur Gudjohnsen is chased by Liverpool’s Salif DiaoMandatory Credit: Action Images / Tony O’Brien04/05NO ONLINE/INTERNET USE WITHOUT A LICENCE FROM THE FOOTBALL DATA CO LTD. FOR LICENCE ENQUIRIES PLEASE TELEPHONE +44 207 298 1656.
Like his fellow countryman El Hadji Diouf – who arrived at the same time – Diao struggled to settle in England, and never produced the same form he did on the international stage.
In three season’s at Anfield, he managed 37 Premier League appearances, and just one goal.
He was not helped either by Gerard Houllier’s comments, with the former Anfield boss claiming he was signing a midfielder similar in style to Patrick Vieira.
Sadly for all connected with LFC, Diao was hardly good enough to clean the boots of the Arsenal legend.
Bruno Cheyrou
Football – FA Barclaycard Premiership – Wolverhampton Wanderers v Liverpool – 21/1/04Bruno Cheyrou celebrates his goal for LiverpoolMandatory Credit : Action Images / Richard Heathcote
Bruno Cheyrou completed Gerard Houllier’s holy trinity of disastrous signings when he joined Salif Diao and El Hadji Diouf as the new summer signings in 2002, with the Frenchman arriving for £4.5million.
Houllier famously labelled Cheyrou ‘the new Zidane’, a comment that seemed to prove a huge burden.
Cheyrou enjoyed a decent patch of goalscoring during the 2003-04 season, but left Anfield following the arrival of Rafael Benitez with a record of 31 Premier League appearances and two goals, having made no real impact at a time when the Reds were hoping to build on their second placed finish of 2001/02.
Milan Jovanovic
Football – Liverpool v West Bromwich Albion – Barclays Premier League – Anfield – 10/11 – 29/8/10Liverpool’s Milan JovanovicMandatory Credit: Action Images / Carl RecineNO ONLINE/INTERNET USE WITHOUT A LICENCE FROM THE FOOTBALL DATA CO LTD. FOR LICENCE ENQUIRIES PLEASE TELEPHONE +44 (0) 207 864 9000.
A parting ‘gift’ from former Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez, the Reds had apparently beaten Real Madrid of all clubs to the free transfer of the Serbian forward – seriously, Real Madrid.
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Jovanovic joined Liverpool in the summer of 2010, managed only one season, two goals, and just a handful of average performances, before being sold the following summer.
Benitez had built him up in what proved to be his final season on Merseyside, although his successors Roy Hodgson and Kenny Dalglish never rated him – and neither did any of the Liverpool fans.
Christian Poulsen
Who in their right mind tries to replace Javier Mascherano with Christian Poulsen? Only current England boss Roy Hodgson.
The Danish midfielder was a good six or seven years past his best when he arrived at Anfield, and completed a dreadful summer of business which saw the previously mentioned Jovanovic, Joe Cole, Paul Konchesky and Danny Wilson arrive.
Any of those players could have made this list in truth, but it’s Poulsen who makes the cut simply because of the drop in class he brought compared to the player he was replacing.
The time period in which he was brought into the club is looked back on as perhaps the darkest in Liverpool’s Premier League history.
It’s difficult to determine whether the ‘Manchester City Project’ has been a success, despite the club’s silverware. Their title win came after a monumental slip up from their inner-city adversaries, resulting in a 1st place finish due to a goal difference of +64 to Manchester United’s +56.
And while the last game of the season was riveting for City fans and neutrals alike, the Citizens only managed their first title in 44 years by narrowly beating the now-relegated Q.P.R. With margins that tight, the difference between success and failure comes down to the stud on a player’s boot.
Of course, the less said about Manchester City’s time in Europe since Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan and his moneybag cronies stepped in the better, but considering this is an article about Mancini, I’ll say it anyway.
With a collective of European experience in abundance, City failed to impress in what has become the holy grail of cup competitions. Cited reasons for their failure included their admittedly tough groups, a lack of involvement at this stage, and a testing domestic timetable. But one simply needs to mention Borussia Dortmund to render these feeble arguments obsolete.
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Considering the £536.7m spent on transfer fees alone (agent fees and wages will make that figure significantly higher) and a return of one Premier League title and one FA Cup, then you have to admit that judgement day is coming for Roberto Mancini – and it doesn’t look pretty.
Granted, he could make it two FA Cups unless Wigan do the unthinkable come Saturday May 11th, but his form in Europe has been woeful. It begs the question; does the suave Italian really have the tools to push Manchester City to the next level – say, back-to-back title challenges and posing a genuine threat in Europe?
If we consider tools to mean finances, then Mancini is fully equipped to do so; everyone is acutely aware of the spending power at his disposal. If we consider tools to mean personnel, then again, Mancini has a wealth of options at his fingertips – a roster of international players, Champions League winners and now league winners.
But if we were to consider tools as Mancini’s skillset as a manager, then his checklist of achievements since joining City would suggest he doesn’t have what it takes to mould this into a team of perennial winners.
Tactically, the former Sampdoria player has fallen short. His dalliance with alternative formations – three in defence, loading the middle of the park – have only offered a sharp retort. The decision to experiment with the shape of his team – even during games – has been baffling, especially as he tinkered in Europe against sides such as Ajax, Real Madrid and Dortmund.
Then there’s his transfer record. Buying players has been a huge part of the project over in the blue side of Manchester. It hasn’t quite been ‘stuff the team full of talent and see what sticks’, but it hasn’t been far off that either.
Vincent Kompany, Pablo Zabaleta and Joe Hart have been Manchester City’s most consistent performers. Last season, the solid partnership of their Belgian rock and England’s Number One effectively secured them the title, while this year, Zabaleta has once again underlined the importance of the roaming, hard-working full back to a top European side.
Mancini didn’t sign any of these players; he inherited them. Amongst his successful signings, we can count James Milner, Sergio Aguero and Yaya Toure – signed for a combined fee of £90m. These weren’t exactly unknowns in the footballing world, and had an impressive track record to precede their big-money moves.
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Counting Mancini’s less successful transfers takes more time. Maicon, Samir Nasri, Edin Dzeko, Javi Garcia, Jack Rodwell, Scott Sinclair and Gael Clichy have rarely been on a run of form befitting a world-class player, at Manchester City anyway. This is not to say their résumés weren’t impressive before joining, but they’ve certainly failed to make the impact they’re paid to make. The buck, unless it is revealed he’s not in charge of first team comings and goings, stops at Roberto.
With tactical deficiencies so rife this season, and a questionable grip on the transfer market today, Mancini seems unable to steer this blue ship towards the glory so feverishly demanded by the club’s owners and fans. Say what you will about their spending power (and plenty has been said) but while it’s there, employing the best person possible to look after it is paramount.
Jose Mourinho’s love affair with Chelsea looks to be rekindled this summer, and while Manchester City could take advantage of the London club’s exiting Spaniard, they probably won’t. Despite a Champions League and (probably) another Europa League under his belt, he too seems to lack that star quality required to be a City manager.
South Africa will play three ODIs, one Test and three T20Is in Bengaluru and Chennai
Shashank Kishore and Nagraj Gollapudi03-May-2024India is set to host South Africa for a multi-format women’s tour in June-July. ESPNcricinfo has learnt Bengaluru will host the white-ball leg, beginning with three ODIs from June 16, while Chennai will host the one-off Test starting June 28.The three T20Is will be played after the Test, with a view to ensure continuity in formats ahead of the T20 World Cup that is set to be held in Bangladesh in September-October. The ODIs will be played on June 16, 19 and 23, the T20Is on July 5, 7 and 9.The six white-ball games were part of the ICC’s women’s FTP. Both series, along with a visit from New Zealand, were supposed to be played between July and September last year but had to be postponed due to the men’s ODI World Cup and logistics.The one-off Test wasn’t part of the FTP. It was a late addition, as part of CSA and the BCCI’s recent push to promote women’s Tests.This will be the third Test India will play in seven months, having played against England and Australia in December. Those two Tests came on the back of a significant development aimed at taking the “first step towards tackling discrimination” with the BCCI announcing equal match fees for centrally contracted male and female cricketers.Meanwhile, South Africa, who broke their eight-year hiatus from the format when they played in England in June 2022, last played a four-day game in February in Perth, where they lost to Australia by an innings and 284 runs.The tour is also a significant step in the BCCI’s aim to take women’s cricket to newer centres. For the past few years, the BCCI has preferred to host teams across multiple venues in Mumbai citing logistical reasons. They broke away from that norm with the WPL earlier this year, with games held in Bengaluru and Delhi.The three ODIs are part of the ICC Women’s Championship, which will give direct qualifications to the top four teams, apart from the hosts, for the 2025 ODI World Cup, which will be held in India. South Africa are currently second on that table.
“It is very difficult to balance the side at the moment. I am not 100% sure if Shakib would be able to bowl”
Mohammad Isam18-Dec-2022Shakib Al Hasan is likely to play the Dhaka Test as a pure batter after he was unable to bowl post the first day in Chattogram. Head coach Russell Domingo said that they would have difficulty in balancing the side if that was the case, but would be happy having Shakib as batter and captain as they try to level the series.”He could play as a batter [only],” Domingo said after Bangladesh lost the first Test. “Obviously he didn’t bowl enough overs. He is still struggling with his shoulder and [ribcage] bruising. It left us with four bowlers – a big blow for us.”Ebadot [Hossain] broke down [too], so we were stuck with three bowlers. It is very difficult to balance the side at the moment. I am not 100% sure if Shakib would be able to bowl. He is definitely available to play as a batter, which is an issue for us. We need an allrounder.”Related
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Shakib made 84 in the second innings in Chattogram, getting out trying to slog Kuldeep Yadav as he looked for quick runs even as Bangladesh kept losing wickets at the other end on the fifth morning. The hosts eventually lost the match by 188 runs but Shakib’s batting was one of the few bright spots in the game.Domingo said that Shakib has shown that despite his “laidback” demeanour, he is hungry to perform in Tests. The topic came up for discussion after Shakib was not seen on the field for certain periods during India’s first innings, but Domingo believes Shakib wants to continue to play Tests.”It is a tricky question. It is a good question,” he said. “He comes across as very laidback, but when he is in the contest, he has pride in performance. Looking from the outside, you may think, ‘Does he really care?’. But I know that he has a lot of pride in performances. He doesn’t want to be embarrassed out there. He is competing 100%.”Bangladesh have brought on left-arm spinner Nasum Ahmed as cover for Shakib, who is unlikely to bowl in the second Test. But Shakib’s fitness aside, they have other worries too – specifically with the bat. They were folded for 150 after India posted 404 in the first innings, before performing much better with the bat on the fourth day. However, late wickets meant survival would be difficult while chasing an improbable 513.Russell on debutant Zakir Hasan: “It was a no-brainer to pick him due to his confidence and form”•AFP/Getty Images
Domingo said that their top order “isn’t confident”, but the inclusion of Zakir Hasan was a timely one, as he brought recent runs from domestic and A cricket.”We wanted to compete. India is a good side, but once again, one bad session with the bat destroyed our chance in the match,” Domingo said. “Four-hundred is a good score, but it is manageable in Chittagong. We shouldn’t have been bowled out for 150 in the first innings. The most disappointing thing is the poor decision making from the batters.”There’s a lack of confidence in the top order. They are not managing to find a way to get out of the slump. There’s a whole host of players in the top five or six that haven’t played well or been as consistent as I had hoped. The young player who hasn’t played Tests with us is confident at the moment. He has shown us how to do it. He played really well.”Domingo was particularly disappointed at the timing of Litton Das’ dismissal on the fourth evening. He had built a nice defensive approach but six minutes before the tea break, dinked one straight to mid-on, playing what seemed like a half-hearted loft of Kuldeep.”I was disappointed with Litton’s dismissal, particularly the timing of it,” he said. “He is such a good player, so I am sure he’d be disappointed with it too. I can’t see Virat, Root, Smith or Marnus giving their wicket away in that sort of mode six minutes before tea. Litton is that good for us.”Domingo also explained that Mahmudul Hasan Joy and Mominul Haque were dropped due to lack of form.”It is based on the fact that domestically and for the A side, [Joy] hasn’t really got a lot of runs off late,” he said. “He hasn’t played international cricket for five to six months. It was a no-brainer to pick Zakir due to his confidence and form. That’s why Joy missed out.”Mominul got 10 of his 11 hundreds at this venue. He’d be the first to admit that in the last year, he hasn’t got the runs. But he is too good a player to not have around. You cannot lose a player of Mominul’s quality. He will definitely be considered for the second Test.”Mominul lacks confidence. He is under constant scrutiny, [and] pressure. He probably is trying too hard, listening to a lot of opinions, [and] trying a lot of things. He needs to go back to find his own to get runs. Some of the best players in the world have gone through slumps.”
Welsh Fire beaten for third game running after losing key moments against experienced visitors
ECB Reporters' Network06-Aug-2021A quickfire 46 from Samit Patel and a superb spell of death bowling from Wahab Riaz took Trent Rockets to the top of the Hundred table as they brushed aside the Welsh Fire in Cardiff.Fire had looked set for a very big total after a 72-run stand between Glenn Phillips and Leus du Plooy, but Wahab brought Rockets back into the game at the death.The early dismissal of D’Arcy Short and a cluster of wickets in the middle of Rockets’ innings had given the Fire hope of defending the 140-run target but Patel’s intelligent innings took the Rockets to a straightforward win. Victory takes Rockets to eight points, two points clear of the chasing pack with three group matches still to play.Fire lost two early wickets with Tom Banton and Ian Cockbain both falling inside the Powerplay. Phillips and Ben Duckett looked to rebuild after the loss of both openers, taking the fire to 53 before Duckett was the third wicket to fall when he skied a catch off Steven Mullaney to Riaz.That brought together du Plooy and Phillips who put on the biggest stand of the match. Phillips brought up his first half-century of the competition from just 34 balls. Unfortunately for the home team he could not go on from there, falling to the very next ball.With Phillips and du Plooy well set Fire were eyeing up a total 150 or more. That became 139 for 8 at the end of their 100 balls thanks to a superb final 10 from Wahab Riaz in which he conceded just 11 runs and claimed three wickets.Rockets looked to build a solid platform at the start of their innings, reaching 31 for 1 at the end of their Powerplay. Qais Ahmad removed Dawid Malan and Alex Hales while Mullaney fell to David Payne, giving Fire a chance of defending the total. But Patel and Lewis Gregory put on an undefeated stand of 69 from just 33 balls to take their side to victory.Gregory was bowed by Payne with 25 still needed but a no-ball was picked up by the third umpire and the Rockets pair quickly finished the job in Matt Milnes’ next set.Patel’s innings included five sixes, including a big shot over the bowler’s head to win the game. Rockets won by six wickets with 10 balls to spare and they are very well placed to claim one of the three spots in the latter stages of the tournament.
“At the moment our main thrust is safeguarding the payers and staff – because without them we have nothing”
Umar Farooq15-Apr-2020The PCB, in a bid to deal with a possible funds’ crunch because of the Covid-19 pandemic, has decided not to spend on the infrastructure at its stadia and save in the region of Rs 5 billion ($29,943,185 approx.), which could be used to safeguard the interests and well-being of its cricketers and staff members. A plan is being chalked out to prepare for the worst-case scenario, in case cricket operations are hit for the next two years.”Our No. 1 priority is to protect the players and staff,” Ehsan Mani, the PCB chairman, said in a podcast on Tuesday. “Realistically, we won’t make any plans that aren’t attainable, but our message is clear with assurances that we will protect you as much as [we] can. We will safeguard the interest of the cricketers. There will be a cost impact, but there won’t be any unusual cuts. As far as contracts are concerned, they are performance-based, and selectors have to take a call; but we are not cutting down any domestic and international contract. In fact, if our initiative becomes a success and in next couple of years when cricket resumes, I feel we have to pay our players more.”Pakistan’s professional cricketers are already among the lowest-paid in world cricket, as Mani acknowledged, but he intends to bring the pay at par with international standards. “Just compare to the rest of the world, take an example of England – a player playing all three formats earns $1 million and our slab comparatively is very low,” he said. “We might not be able to bring our players to the range in the foreseeable future, but we need to make sure that our cricketers are paid competitively in the industry. They are our elite sportsmen, they deserve to be paid more than what they are presently being paid.”It will take time and I am not going to make false promises but this is one of the priorities to make Pakistan cricket stronger and for that, we have to make it financially viable for the people who come into the game. We are working towards that but at the moment our main thrust is safeguarding the payers and staff – because without them we have nothing.”Cricket in Pakistan, similar to other parts of the world, has come to a standstill since the pandemic led to large parts of the world locking down. The PCB headquarters is closed as the operational staff are working from their homes, while cricketers have been given guidelines on how to keep fit while in isolation. There is a very real fear of finances being hit, and the PCB admitted that it will start getting worse after a year or so.ALSO READ: PCB chairman Ehsan Mani warns of financial fallout if Covid-19 disrupts T20 World Cup“We have to redefine our priorities,” Mani said. “Pakistan is the only board in the world which runs stadiums and people think that this isn’t a big deal. The infrastructure, its maintenance, and keeping it upgraded with time – so this is a lot. We had neglected stadiums in the last nine-ten years when [international] cricket wasn’t happening and we spent up to 3 billion [$17,965,911 approx.] on the Karachi and Rawalpindi stadiums. We are not going to do this anymore. We now have to reassess where and how to invest. Our biggest problem going ahead is to protect players and for the sake of it, we have to discard many things, put few of our plans on back burner and move ahead until there is no clarity.”Technically, in next two years we are supposed to spend around Rs 4 to 5 billion [$23,954,548 to $29,943,185 approx.] on our stadiums which we won’t be doing. By not spending this money on infrastructure, we can run our cricket easily without external pressures. But if it goes on for more than the time we expect, then it is going to impact badly and it will be a collateral damage. We are in a way fortunate that our home season was coming to an end. In the short-term impact, we had our last few of the PSL games postponed, the final leg of Bangladesh series and one domestic tournament [affected].”Medium-term impact we might have on our tours to Europe [Ireland, Netherlands and England] and preparation for the tour might become an issue if it goes on like this. It also depends on a larger degree what are the circumstances in the host countries and if these series are disrupted, our players will [be] going to suffer with a lack of cricket. They will also will have a huge financial impact and rescheduling the series fitting in the FTP will become a big challenge. If cricket in Pakistan doesn’t start until March next year, then it’s a medium-term challenge we are going to face.”Going forward to the end of next year is going to be even a bigger challenge… because England and Australia are slotted to come and if they do not… there are a lot of threats for Pakistan. Managing the tours and their finances, taking care of our main stakeholders – players, staff – protecting their jobs and their well-being is foremost. So for the preparation ahead to deal with the challenges, I have told my finance department to prepare for the worst and hope for the best because preparation is in our control but events are not.”The idea of playing to empty stands hasn’t appealed to Pakistan as Mani said that it’s not just the empty seats, there were other elements that couldn’t be ignored. “Teams still have to travel in planes, and one risk starts there. Second: staying at hotels, taking local transport, so only empty stadium isn’t the answer. All the logistic arrangements involved are also to be looked in [as to] how this is manageable.”
HotSpot showed a mark as the ball passed the bat, but there was no spike on Snicko and as a result the batsman was ruled lbw
ESPNcricinfo staff08-Feb-2019A contentious DRS decision during the second T20I between New Zealand and India led to a controversial dismissal and sparked confusion over the entire process.Daryl Mitchell was given out lbw off Krunal Pandya despite HotSpot showing a clear mark as the ball passed the inside edge. And the replay of the entire incident shown on the stadium screen prompted open-mouthed surprise on both the batsman’s face and that of New Zealand captain Kane Williamson, who was at the non-striker’s end.Krunal was bowling the final ball of the sixth over, a skidder that went on with the arm and past Mitchell’s flick to hit him on the pads. The on-field decision from umpire Chris Brown was out but it was challenged almost immediately. The replays handed to the third umpire offered two differing perspectives. Snicko did not show a spike as the ball went past the bat, but HotSpot revealed a clear white mark on the inside edge. Ball-tracking also showed a deviation as ball passed bat.Left to make the final call, TV umpire Shaun Haig upheld the original decision once the ball was shown to be on track to hitting the stumps.Simon Doull, who was on commentary at the time, called it “absolutely ridiculous” and Mitchell, in fact, seemed to walk up to India captain Rohit Sharma, who was then seen speaking to the umpires.India pacer Khaleel Ahmed said after the game that the India players accepted the umpire’s decision on face value.”We were just waiting for the umpire’s call, because we can’t do anything in that decision,” Khaleel said at the press conference. “So we were just waiting for that decision. Whatever the umpire said, we accepted it.”New Zealand chief selector Gavin Larsen said: “From a personal perspective I thought the video evidence was quite damning, so I’ll leave it at that. If it was a mistake then that’s the way things go. In a very general sense, though, I’m not uncomfortable with the way DRS is operating and more often than not the guy in the box is getting it right and the communication between the third umpire and the guys on the field is very good.”The ICC rules indicate a fielding captain can withdraw an appeal if he gets the permission to do so from the umpire who made the decision, and the next ball of the game hasn’t been delivered yet.A similar incident took place in the Big Bash League earlier this season when Brisbane Heat’s James Pattinson was given run-out despite replays showing his bat had been grounded and well past the crease. The opposition captain, Adelaide Strikers’ Colin Ingram, however, decided to call the batsman back on that occasion.
The fast bowler has tweaked a problematic action with inputs from coach Ottis Gibson and is ‘champing’ to work his way back
Firdose Moonda08-Nov-2017Chris Morris’ search for speed caused the back injury that has sidelined him for the last four months. As a result, he has had to modify his action.Morris suffered a lower-back problem in England in August, which ruled him out of the fourth Test in Manchester and all action since. He expects to make a return midway through the Ram Slam, for the Titans, and when he does, it will not be at the expense of pace but with a smoother, better approach which the new coach Ottis Gibson has helped him with.”I’ve had a few tweaks in my action that Ottis has changed. I had to iron it out because it wasn’t good enough – simple as that,” Morris said at the Ram Slam launch in Johannesburg. “I think in striving for a bit of extra pace, there was some twisting in my action. I’ve got quite a bad kick-out with my left foot before I land. I was getting lazy and doing quite a lot of twisting, which caused a lot of pressure on my lower back and inevitably caused the injury.”A hallmark of Morris’ performances in England was his pace, particularly when Faf du Plessis gave him freedom to “be aggressive and bowl fast.” The directive paid off in the short term as Morris dismissed Joe Root and Alastair Cook in an impressive spell at Trent Bridge but caused a long-term concern.Though Morris did not break or tear anything, he suffered inflammation and strain in the muscles of the lower back. If left untreated, it could have caused a stress fracture. Part of the treatment was making the changes to his action that should keep Morris symptom-free, though he knows he may respond adversely at any time.”If I didn’t get injured I still would have had to change my action. In bowling, you like to work in straight lines, and I was working along the wrong lines. That’s where the injury came along,” he explained. “We can’t re-scan the same injury because we’d see the same thing the whole time. So we work on symptoms – if there is pain you stop, otherwise you play. I’ve got to trust the gym and rehab, all the things I’ve been doing behind the scenes since my injury happened.”Like Morris, Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, Vernon Philander and Wayne Parnell have also been doing undergoing intensive rehabilitation. Philander also had a lower back problem and returned to action in the first-class competition, with good results – he took five wickets and scored 80 for the Cobras. Steyn, Morkel and Parnell will all be back at some stage of the Ram Slam, which means that when the time comes for choosing a Test squad – first to face Zimbabwe in the inaugural four-day Test on Boxing Day and then to play India – there will be competition.Gibson has already flung the door open for Steyn, saying as long as the premier pacer thinks he can make it through a match, he will play. Morris cannot expect the same hospitality, given his relative inexperience especially at Test level. But he was encouraged by Gibson’s approach and is confident he can work his way back.”It’s always good to know that the coach is backing the guys who aren’t playing, especially with injuries because that’s part of the game,” Morris said. “If a youngster is better than me he must play, it’s as simple as that, but I’m always going to be fighting for my spot because playing for South Africa is what I want to do. If I never play for South Africa again it’s cool, but I’m going to give it my best shot. I’m obviously champing at the bit. It hurt me quite a lot to see the guys running around this morning and playing soccer, so I’ve got quite a lot of motivation.”Morris is particularly looking forward to working more with Gibson, whose experience with England he is hoping to draw on.”I’ve only had a week and a half with him and he’s been excellent. In England, he had the fortune of working with the best new-ball attack in the world in my opinion. If they’ve rubbed off on him, as a South African bowling attack we’re going to be richer for it,” Morris said. “He’s been doing this for a long time and has a lot of experience. It’s quite clear what our plans are going forward as a team. We’re in a happy space, and it’s quite exciting.”