All posts by n8rngtd.top

Iyer's fire: the point of difference in India's middle order

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

He has frequently made it easier for others in India’s line-up to score big by reducing the need for them to take risks, in what has been a golden phase for him in ODI cricket

Sidharth Monga06-Mar-20251:42

Kumble lauds Iyer’s ‘proactive’ innings vs NZ

Those who followed Indian cricket in the 1990s will remember with great pain how Saleem Malik, often without a helmet, used to give up his stumps well before a spinner got in his delivery stride and then manipulate the bowling seemingly effortlessly. It was part mockery, part dare, but fully an attempt to mess with the mind of the spinner.During this Champions Trophy, Shreyas Iyer has batted with the same chutzpah against spinners on tracks that might not have turned square but have been slow and have generally aided spin. He has moved away from the stumps regularly, even as the spinner is running in, but has hardly ever been done in. An Indian middle-order batter controlling the game against Pakistani spinners is quite the turnaround from the 1990s.Iyer is marginally behind the leading run-getter against spin in the tournament, and easily the most prolific against spin in Dubai. He has done so despite not getting to start against pace; all his knocks have begun against spin with the field spread-out and the ball old.Related

  • Shubman Gill: 'This is the best batting line-up that I have been a part of'

  • Beating Pakistan not enough for Shreyas Iyer – 'Could have won earlier'

  • Agar: An in-form Kohli can leave bowlers massively frustrated

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  • Southee, Philander back Shami's call to end ban on use of saliva on ball

This tournament has brought out a new side to Iyer. He has scored his career’s slowest fifty during this tournament. This is overall his second-slowest series of all time. On pitches that have produced 1990s-style ODIs, Iyer has adapted to play an old-fashioned game, not unlike Malik. In the game against Pakistan, he and Virat Kohli stabilised the chase before he took the lead to push India ahead of the asking rate. Against New Zealand, he rescued India from 30 for 3 with his slowest half-century.Iyer might not have scored a century or claimed the Player-of-the-Match award so far, but this display of adaptability has put him among the premium middle-order batters in the world. He had already been among the most impactful since the 2019 World Cup. He is one of the six who have scored 2500 or more runs in this period, but all others bat in the top three and none of them is quicker.However, since February 2022, Iyer has entered a golden phase. He has frequently made it easier for others in the India line-up to score big by reducing the need for them to take risks. Rohit Sharma does that job in the top order with his ultra-aggressive approach, Iyer in the middle only with more consistency. Shubman Gill, Kohli and KL Rahul dovetail nicely with the responsibility of scoring big around these two impact players.Of the 43 batters that have batted 30 or more times in this period, Rohit has the best runs-to-non-striker-runs ratio. Iyer has the tenth-best. There are no Indians between them. It means Rohit and Iyer frequently score quicker than their partners, letting them play the accumulators’ role with ease. Among these ten high-impact batters, Iyer is the most consistent run-getter as well.ESPNcricinfo LtdIn this period, 69 batters from the Full-Member teams have batted post the powerplay 20 or more times. Only five among them average 50 or more and go at better than a-run-a-ball in non-powerplay overs. Four of them average better and score quicker than non-strikers: Heinrich Klaasen, Aiden Markram, Iyer and Gill. Only Iyer and Klaasen do so even when non-strikers are going at a strike rate of 100 or more.It’s wild that at the start of this ODI season, India were flirting with the idea of dropping Iyer. In fact, had Kohli not injured his knee on the eve of the first ODI against England, Iyer might have lost out on the one format he regularly plays, after a rather unsavoury exit from the Test plans. After playing a match-winning hand in what must have seemed like his only chance at that time, Iyer made it a point to let us know it was he who had replaced the injured Kohli, and not Yashasvi Jaiswal.It just speaks to the incredible amount of batting talent in the country and the constant need to keep improving. The team management was desperate to introduce a left-hand batter among the five specialist batters to make it an even more formidable unit. Rohit is the captain, Kohli is among the greatest ODI batters of all time, Gill is the most prolific in recent years, and Rahul keeps wicket. That made Iyer the only one dispensable if India wanted to experiment.That experiment was dropped in a hurry, and seven matches averaging 53.71 later, Iyer is not so dispensable anymore.

Freed from the burden of captaincy, Shanto could relaunch his career

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

His batting suffered after he became the all-format captain. But now he once again has the freedom to express himself as a batter

Mohammad Isam29-Jun-2025Najmul Hossain Shanto was asked to steer the Bangladesh team away from a high-profile feud. He ended up leading the cricket team amid a political upheaval, where he saw both sides of the coin. He tried to quit the captaincy once, but was talked out of it. Eight months later, when he finally stepped down as Test captain following the Sri Lanka series, Bangladesh lost out on a good leader on and off the field. Still, one can’t help but say that Shanto’s exit as captain is a blessing for him and the team. After a 19-month tumult, he can now focus solely on his batting and try to reprise his 2023 form.Bangladesh need arguably their best batter of this generation to get them runs regularly. Shanto spent much of his captaincy dealing with a lot of things out of his control. He is much better off playing drives down the ground and through covers.As captain, Shanto was caught up in an intriguing world, one that was thankless. The last straw was the BCB sacking him as the ODI captain when he had big plans about leading the team for the next few years. Shanto’s captaincy was a breath of fresh air but it is he who now needs to breathe freely as a batter.Related

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  • Shanto steps down as Test captain after series loss against SL

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  • Shakib absence 'unfortunate', but Shanto wants Bangladesh to focus on cricket

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Although the BCB bosses said Shanto’s decision caught them off guard, Shanto had followed the correct procedure. He informed the necessary personnel about his decision some time ago, before announcing at the end of the Test series. It was the natural endpoint for such an announcement.Shanto didn’t want to wait too long to tell the public after making up his mind about the captaincy. This was a rational decision with an ODI series, under new captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz, less than a week away. Shanto also could have waited till the end of the Sri Lanka tour but things change fast in Bangladesh cricket.Mehidy Hasan Miraz has replaced Shanto has ODI captain•BCBHad Shanto waited till then, his resignation could have had many more interpretations. Had he resigned after the first Test in Galle, his twin centuries could have been seen as a fitting reply to the BCB, given the way the board’s treatment regarding his ODI captaincy. But he waited till the end of the series.Shanto, like every Bangladeshi cricketer, is aware of the climate in which he operates. The BCB has a long history of sacking captains. On most occasions, it is done without informing the captain. It is preceded or followed by a media trial. It takes a mental toll on the cricketer, as many would vouch.Shanto experienced the sacking just a couple of weeks ago. The following day, when Mehidy was at his first press conference as the new ODI captain, there was a question about the BCB’s treatment of Shanto, and whether he is also prepared for such a fate.”We always work with that sort of thing at the back of our mind,” Mehidy said.

****

Shanto, though, showed that BCB’s mismanagement wasn’t going to be a distraction, with his twin centuries. Rain prevented Bangladesh’s push for victory on the final day, but Shanto walked away with his head held high. It was a display of his wide-ranging ability and overall quality.Mushfiqur Rahim and Najmul Hossain Shanto has a long partnership in the first innings in Galle•Getty ImagesShanto dominated the 264-run fourth-wicket stand with Mushfiqur Rahim in the first innings. It was a counterattack after Bangladesh had lost three early wickets. He drove the ball, at times uppishly early on, before switching to horizontal bat shots, particularly the sweep, against the Sri Lanka spinners.Shanto’s strike rotation was just as impressive as his ability to find boundaries, something he has done in many innings during the last 18 months. His partnership with Mushfiqur was an example for the dressing room of how senior batters should stand up in the hour of need. With his unbeaten 125 in the second innings, he became the second fastest from Bangladesh to reach seven Test hundreds, in 68 innings.

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Shortly before the 2023 ODI World Cup, with then-incumbent captain Shakib Al Hasan rested, Shanto captained Bangladesh in a one-off match against New Zealand. It was a volatile time in the Bangladesh team with Shakib and Tamim Iqbal at loggerheads. There was so much bitterness that the BCB decided it was time to start with a clean break in the leadership group.Coach Chandika Hathurusinghe had backed Shanto for full-time captaincy•BCBShakib’s finger injury in the World Cup made it easier for the board to pivot towards Shanto as the Test captain for the New Zealand series in November 2023. Shanto started with a century and led Bangladesh to their first home Test win against New Zealand. He also impressed in the following white-ball series in New Zealand, where Chandika Hathurusingha said he would back Shanto as the full-time captain.Bangladesh, though, had a bit of a nightmare when the USA beat them 2-1 in a T20I series before the 2024 T20 World Cup. They managed to reach the Super Eights, but performances were unconvincing. Their exit, when they dithered in a shortened chase against Afghanistan, left fans irate. Shanto scored 112 runs in seven games at a strike rate of 95.72, with many calling for his sacking.Bangladesh, however, bounced back in August last year when they beat Pakistan 2-0 in the Test series. Shanto made only 58 runs but was widely praised for the way he handled the team on and off the field, particularly in the immediate aftermath of a regime change back home. Shanto strived to keep the team’s focus on cricket.The prevailing volatility, though, caught up with the cricket team. Shanto was found himself in the middle of the Shakib selection dilemma shortly before the home Tests against South Africa in October. Shakib ultimately couldn’t reach Bangladesh to play the series, which left Shanto disappointed.Shanto led Bangladesh to a 2-0 Test series win in Pakistan•Associated PressShanto’s frustration reached a point when he mulled leaving the Bangladesh captaincy during the South Africa series. The BCB president Faruque Ahmed talked him out of it after a long meeting.When Shanto had a hamstring injury a couple of weeks later, there was a first glimpse of the new leaders in Mehidy (Tests and ODIs) and Litton Das (T20Is). Bangladesh won a Test in the West Indies under Mehidy, and Litton led them to a 3-0 win in the T20Is. The BCB duly noted the two captaincy candidates.

****

Shanto didn’t bat particularly badly as the Bangladesh captain, but not having to think about the captaincy henceforth should allow him to fulfil his batting potential. His main reference point will be the 12 months prior to his first match as Bangladesh captain.He was averaging 40-plus in Tests and ODIs and had played several match-winning knocks in T20Is. It began with the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia, where he was Bangladesh’s top run-getter. It was followed by four match-winning knocks against England at home. Then came centuries against Ireland and Afghanistan, followed by a superb ton against Afghanistan in the 2023 Asia Cup.Neither Shanto nor Bangladesh had a great time at the 2024 T20 World Cup•ICC/Getty ImagesAfter he took over the captaincy in all three formats by early 2024, his batting also suffered. But now he once again has the freedom to express himself fully as a batter.Apart from looking at his own performances in the 2022-23 period, Shanto can also take advice from Mushfiqur, who has had a productive post-captaincy career. Since his Test captaincy, Mushfiqur has averaged 42.60 in 40 Tests, with five of his seven 150-plus scores coming in this period. He had similar success in ODIs as well after his captaincy period was over.This is Shanto’s chance to step up his game and join the likes of Aiden Markram, Rishabh Pant and Ben Duckett, who are all from the same Under-19 batch as Shanto. More importantly, an unburdened Shanto will be hugely beneficial to the Bangladesh team. They have lost some big names in the last 12 months, and don’t have any other young batter who has been consistent.Shanto could be the lynchpin of Bangladesh’s batting for the next ten years. Hope the BCB realises that and lets him do his job.

Memories and moments: Five of the best from the Women's World Cup

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

From Harmanpreet Kaur’s 171* to Anya Shrubsole breaking hearts, we look back fondly at the past three tournaments

Vishal Dikshit26-Sep-2025

Alyssa Healy bosses the 2022 knockouts

The Australians are known to step up on the big stage, against the best opponents, and in the knockouts. Alyssa Healy did it all at once and on her own in the 2022 edition to send Australia to their seventh ODI World Cup.Batting first in the semi-final against West Indies, Healy raced to a 91-ball century after being given a life early, but then sped from 50 to 100 in just 28 balls for her maiden World Cup hundred to finish on 129 off 107, studded with 17 fours and a six that set up their 157-run victory.Four days later, she hit new highs – again after being given a life – with a commanding 170 against England to take home the Player of the Match and Series awards along with the main trophy. Her magnificent knock helped her finish the tournament with 509 runs, the most in a World Cup edition.”It was an amazing 50-over World Cup for the Australian women’s team, but for me personally the innings in the final was pretty special,” Healy later told ESPNcricinfo. “To contribute and get them over the line in a big match was obviously pretty special for our group.”

The 171* Harmonster in the 2017 semi-final

0:45

Harmanpreet on her 171*: ‘A lot of things changed in women’s cricket’

If there was one recent World Cup that gave women’s cricket lift off, it was in 2017, and if one had to pick a knock from that tournament that did the same, it would be Harmanpreet Kaur’s epic 171* off 115, that too in a rain-curtailed match.Despite a strained shoulder, Harmanpreet knocked the daylights out of the Australia attack in unexpected and unprecedented fashion, relentlessly belting 20 fours and seven sixes. She raced from 50 to 100 in just 26 balls and then from 100 to 150 in just 17 balls. Her barely believable manner of eliminating Australia from the tournament was immediately chronicled in cricket history.”That knock was really special to me and for women’s cricket,” Harmanpreet said last month in Mumbai. “After that knock a lot of things changed personally in my life, and especially in women’s cricket also, because at that time I didn’t really know what had happened because I was totally off social media. But when we came back to India, and even though we lost the World Cup [final], the amount of people who were waiting for us, cheering for us, that was something very special. Still, when I remember that innings I get goosebumps.”

Jhulan Goswami’s peach to Meg Lanning in the 2017 semi-final

It’s highly likely that had it not been for Harmanpreet’s jaw-dropping 171*, the world would have celebrated this dismissal a lot more. Australia would have barely recovered from that knock when the experienced Jhulan Goswami bowled an absolute peach to one of the most feared batters in the world. It started on a short of length and angled in from Goswami’s tall release, and as Meg Lanning covered her off stump, the ball straightened and then seamed away just a hint to knock over the top of off stump. Lanning’s walk as soon as the bails went flying and Goswami’s lion-like roars were testament to the worth of the wicket and the magnitude of the occasion.Goswami later revealed she had asked the India coach to drop her from the XI after she went wicketless in the first two games. But Tushar Arothe asked her to lead the bowling attack, and she did it with aplomb.”Meg Lanning is among the best players in the world and she is very strong square of the wicket,” Goswami said later. “Two days before the match I told Mithali [Raj] to bat in a way that I can bowl square of the wicket and then she will give me the feedback. That’s how I prepared. Luckily everything went our way.”

Sri Lanka’s first big World Cup triumph

A last-ball six. A one-wicket victory. Their first against a big-four side. The most sixes in an innings by a Sri Lanka batter in women’s ODIs. Sri Lanka did the unthinkable in their first match of the 2013 edition, by bringing down the defending champions, England, in a see-saw affair for the ages.England put up a competitive 238 for 8 and saw a 23-year-old Chamari Athapaththu lead Sri Lanka past 100 in the 23rd over to set things up. But Sri Lanka slipped to 157 for 5 with 82 to get from 71. No. 6 Eshani Lokusuriyage then not only chaperoned the lower order and the tail but also struck at 136.58 with three sixes under immense pressure to stretch it to the final over with wickets tumbling. With nine to get from six, Lokusuriyage hammered a six on the second ball but was run-out two balls later with scores level before Dilani Manodara smashed a six to seal a historic win.”The first thing that comes to my mind when you mention the 2013 World Cup was how we rushed the field after the win. I can see it so clearly in my head,” then captain Shashikala Siriwardene recalls. “We were running towards her (Manodara) and she was running to us. It was incredible.”Our lives and our cricket changed with that match. It started with that game. We actually didn’t celebrate massively. We shouted a little bit in the dressing room, and the coach (Harsha de Silva) said a few words. And then we just went to our rooms. But I couldn’t sleep! I was up most of the night remembering all the little things in that match, and the big moments. I was overjoyed. It was only the next day that I got a little sleep. I think that happened to a lot of the others as well.”

Anya Shrubsole breaking hearts, again and again

First South Africa’s and then India’s. Anya Shrubsole broke millions of hearts two game days in a row when she sealed two knockout thrillers to help England lift their fourth World Cup title, in 2017.It came down to the last over in the semi-final against South Africa, when England needed three runs but with only three wickets in hand. After Shabnim Ismail conceded just one run on the first two balls and dismissed Laura Marsh, Shrubsole came down the pitch and hit the winning boundary to leave the South Africa players distraught and in tears.When a nail-biter loaded in the final too, it came down to Shrubsole again, this time with the ball when India were just 11 away from their maiden World Cup triumph, but with only two wickets and two overs left. Shrubsole started her last over with the wicket of Deepti Sharma, and three balls later rattled the stumps to remove Rajeshwari Gayakwad and stamp England’s name on the trophy with her historic six-for, to be named Player of the Match.”I’m a little bit lost for words, if I’m honest,” she said soon after the game. “Just an unbelievable game.”

Two years, one ball, and the wicket that brought Steven Finn back

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

In his recently published Ashes diaries, the fast bowler relives his rip-roaring comeback, when England won the Edgbaston Test in 2015

Steven Finn27-Nov-2025I stood at the top of my mark at Edgbaston and took a deep breath. After 745 days away, I was about to bowl my first ball back in Test cricket and could feel my body fizzing with nervous energy. I had gone through my routine, bowling three practice balls to the fielder at mid-off. Steve Smith, fresh from his double-hundred in Australia’s series-squaring win at Lord’s and No. 1 in the ICC’s batting rankings, stood waiting at the far end, surveying the field.I took a couple of seconds longer than I usually would to compose myself, and looked at the hard, new Dukes ball in my hand. I had a choice to make: should I bowl wobble-seam, so that I could control the line and ease my way back into Test cricket? Or should I commit to the work I had been doing on my outswinger, hold the ball seam up and try to swing it away from Smith’s outside edge? Mitchell Johnson’s words from the SCG changing rooms were in the back of my mind: trust that all of the work you’re doing is enough. I made my decision and ran in, feeling the snap of the seam off my fingertips as I committed to the outswinger.Related

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Smith left the ball alone outside off stump as it moved away from him, and I had done it: I was back playing Test cricket, back in the battle of an Ashes series, and back holding my own against the best players in the world. It was only one ball, but it reinforced that I could do this. I felt a weight lifted off my shoulders.Conditions at Edgbaston that morning were perfect for bowling: gloomy skies, slightly muggy, and plenty of life in the pitch for our seamers to exploit. Jimmy Anderson bowled brilliantly with the new ball, trapping David Warner lbw and beating the bat several times, and I was raring to go in the field. I could feel the nervous energy running through my body.It was good captaincy from Alastair Cook to bring me into the attack after only seven overs, recognising that I wanted to get into the battle as quickly as possible to settle those nerves. Smith defended my second ball into the off side, then punched my third towards mid-on. Three balls bowled, no runs conceded. Most importantly, I felt free. You’re acutely aware of the crowd when you’re out in the middle but you have tunnel vision. You’re solely focused on the 22 yards of the pitch, and your mind blanks out the noise around you. Finding this headspace is imperative for you to concentrate, and to stay calm – and I was there.The fourth ball swung away late, beating the outside edge as Smith shuffled across his stumps and looked to drive me through the off side. I was on top, and reinforced to myself that I had made the right choice in holding the ball seam up and trying to swing it away from Smith’s outside edge.We’d had endless discussions about how to bowl to Smith, which could easily have clouded my mind. He was a unique player, standing a long way across his stumps and whipping everything through midwicket with a strong bottom hand, which meant that people threw all sorts of unusual plans out there. Should we come wide on the crease, looking to bowl very wide outside his off stump? It was even suggested we could go around the wicket to him and angle every ball across him. But I resisted the temptation to get funky as it was the start of the innings and told myself to keep trying to bowl my best ball: rather than getting drawn into his potential weaknesses, I wanted to back my own strengths, and to be the best version of myself. I knew that my best ball would trouble the best players in the world, and my fourth ball only reinforced that.My fifth ball brought me back to earth: I bowled a floaty half-volley, which Smith leaned into and crunched through cover for four. S**t. Maybe I wasn’t in quite as much control as I thought I was. Doubts crept in. Was I still good enough? Did I deserve to be here? I turned and walked back to my mark and told myself, “You’ve got this.” I just had to trust my process, trust the work I had been doing, and believe that my best ball was good enough.I had bowled well in county cricket, and had dismissed top players like Virat Kohli in ODIs. I’d jumped through every hoop I had put there for myself to get back to this point. This was a different level, but the fundamentals were the same: if I could bowl my outswinger at decent pace and land it in a good area, around fourth stump, it was good enough to get anyone in the world out – even Smith. I just needed to drag my length back a touch.I ran in hard, solely focused on that. I angled the ball in towards Smith’s off stump, hit that perfect length and found just enough movement away for the ball to kiss his outside edge. Time seemed to slow down as the ball skewed off his bat, veering past Jos Buttler’s right glove and dropping down towards Cooky’s feet as he stood waiting at first slip. He crouched down to his left, keeping his hands low, and clung on to the ball. Smith, caught Cook bowled Finn, 7.Seven DialsI was back. I celebrated like I had never done before, jumping around with my fist clenched and roaring as my team-mates mobbed me. All the s**t I’d been through over the last two years, all the tears that I’d cried in Australia, and all the hard work that I’d put myself through came spilling out of me.I never planned my celebrations – I would usually wag my finger, or wheel away Alan Shearer-style with my arm in the air – but this was a pure release of the pent-up emotions that I’d left bubbling away inside of me. It was vindication for every hour of training I had done since getting home from Australia at the start of 2014, and a “f**k you” to everyone who had written me off. The fact it was Smith added to it. I hadn’t just knocked over a tailender: I had nicked off the best batsman in the world, who had scored 215 against us in the second Test, in my first over back. After being hit for four the previous ball, the sense of relief was overwhelming.

Chelsea's preferred price to sign Ter Stegen with Barcelona braced for imminent bid

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

The details of the proposal Chelsea are willing to offer for FC Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre Ter Stegen have now been revealed.

Robert Sanchez has received his fair share of criticism this season, with the goalkeeper being brandished an early red card in the 2-1 defeat against Manchester United, but he has since returned to form, keeping a clean sheet in the 1-0 victory against Tottenham Hotspur at the weekend.

Speaking after the match, Sanchez said: “I feel confident, I am fit and at my best. I have always felt settled because the club always told me I am No. 1.

“But on a personal level and my performance I have to say yes (this is the most settled he has been at Chelsea).”

However, the Blues continue to be linked with new goalkeepers, with it being revealed they were offered the opportunity to sign Barcelona’s Ter Stegen at the end of October, and there has now been a new update on their pursuit of the German.

Chelsea willing to submit proposal for Ter Stegen

According to a report from Spain, Chelsea are now willing to offer to pay 75% of the Barca shot-stopper’s salary to secure his signature in the coming days, although the loan move would have to wait until the January transfer window opens.

The La Liga club are willing to sanction a departure this winter, with the 33-year-old potentially set to join the Blues on an initial loan deal, before making a permanent move to Stamford Bridge for a fee of €10m (£9m) in the summer.

The veteran goalkeeper would welcome a move to a new club, given that he is keen to receive more game time ahead of the World Cup next summer, with the lack of opportunities at Barcelona jeopardising his chances of being Germany’s starting goalkeeper.

The 44-time Germany international has fallen down the pecking order at the Camp Nou and is yet to make an appearance this season, so it would be understandable if he decides to move on in January, ahead of what could be his final World Cup.

Having established himself at the top level, the £281k-a-week Barcelona man could also be an upgrade on Sanchez, with journalist Graeme Bailey saying: “Ter Stegen is world-class, and if there is a chance to bolster your ranks with a player of this calibre for the second half of the season, I think he is a fascinating option for a number of sides in January.”

The former Borussia Monchengladbach star is vastly experienced in Europe, having made 85 Champions League appearances, while he also knows what it takes to win major trophies, lifting 19 major honours with Barcelona.

As such, Ter Stegen could be a fantastic signing for Chelsea, who arguably need to bring in older players with experience of winning trophies if they are going to become title contenders.

Chelsea ready to bid for Vinicius Jr alongside Ter Stegen

Bid ready: What BlueCo think about bringing Vinícius Júnior to Chelsea

The Blues have identified the man they want to become the face of their Stamford Bridge project.

By
Sean Markus Clifford

Nov 1, 2025

Bangladesh pick three seamers, opt to bowl against Hong Kong

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Hong Kong field an unchanged side in Abu Dhabi

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Sep-20251:27

Can Bangladesh maintain their aggressive batting approach?

Bangladesh captain Litton Das elected to bowl in their Asia Cup opener against Hong Kong in Abu Dhabi.Litton said he decided to bowl since they were not aware of the pitch conditions at the venue. He confirmed that Bangladesh were playing three seamers, two spinners, and six batters.Hong Kong captain Yasim Murtaza was happy despite losing the toss because he wanted to bat first anyway. Murtaza said that the batters made some mistakes against Afghanistan and that they wouldn’t want to repeat them. There were no changes to the Hong Kong side, with Murtaza backing the same XI to come good tonight.The pitch report sugges a dry surface with some cracks opening up but remains run friendly. The shorter boundary on one side of the ground could interest the battersOne losing record promises to come to an end tonight. Bangladesh have never won a T20I in Abu Dhabi. Hong Kong are yet to win an Asia Cup match.Bangladesh XI: 1 Tanzid Hasan, 2 Parvez Hossain Emon, 3 Litton Das (capt & wk), 4 Towhid Hridoy, 5 Shamim Hossain, 6 Jaker Ali, 7 Mahedi Hasan, 8 Tanzim Hasan, 9 Rishad Hossain, 10 Taskin Ahmed, 11 Mustafizur Rahman.Hong Kong XI: 1 Zeeshan Ali (wk), 2 Anshy Rath, 3 Babar Hayat, 4 Nizakat Khan, 5 Kalhan Challu, 6 Kinchit Shah, 7 Yasim Murtaza (capt), 8 Aizaz Khan, 9 Ayush Shukla, 10 Ateeq Iqbal, 11 Ehsan Khan

'That would be a catastrophe' – England boss Thomas Tuchel sent strong Harry Kane warning ahead of World Cup 2026

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Former England striker Emile Heskey has urged Thomas Tuchel to carefully manage Harry Kane’s workload ahead of the 2026 World Cup, warning that “running him into the ground” could be disastrous for England’s chances. Despite Kane’s blistering form for Bayern Munich, Heskey fears fatigue could strike at the worst possible time if the England captain isn’t protected.

  • Kane in spectacular form for Bayern Munich

    Heskey believes that the Bayern Munich star’s heavy workload poses a real risk to his fitness heading into next summer’s World Cup. Kane has been in extraordinary form this season; however, according to the former England international, his relentless playing schedule must be managed carefully to avoid burnout.

    The concern stems from Kane’s well-documented history of playing almost every minute for both club and country, a pattern that has previously led to fatigue towards the second half of the season. Heskey highlighted the importance of ensuring England’s captain is in peak condition for the 2026 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. While the Bundesliga’s winter break may provide some respite, the former striker believes that both Bayern and England must resist the temptation to overuse their talisman.

    Kane’s current form underlines why such caution is essential. The 32-year-old has scored 22 goals in just 16 appearances across all competitions this season, including 12 in the Bundesliga alone. His consistency has made him indispensable for both club and country, but also worryingly irreplaceable, with England lacking a comparable backup should he become unavailable through injury or fatigue.

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    Heskey wants Kane's workload managed ahead of WC26

    In his interview with Dream Vegas, Heskey didn’t hold back in voicing his concerns: "Yeah. You’ve got to be careful. The problem with Harry Kane is that he’s been used to playing week in, week out, so he’s got to manage his body and manage his fitness. He plays a lot of games, but it’s just about managing that.

    "We’ve also got to remember, in the Premier League, they don’t get much of a break, but in the Bundesliga, they get a winter break, so that might help as well. We are getting to a point where we’ve got to be really careful as a footballing fraternity that we’re not just overloading players for entertainment. But then, when the entertainment isn’t there, we criticise them again," he explained.

    "There are a lot of games to be played, and I remember in the 2001 season, I think we played 60 games. I remember playing in the UEFA Cup final, and I can’t really remember it. That final was just a blur because we played so many games that season. We played replays too, and we played two legs in the League Cup, plus replays as well, so it’s very tough for players.

    "We’ve got to be careful that we’re not just running them into the ground and not giving them the best stage ever, not allowing them to be the best version of themselves. That would be a catastrophe, if I’m honest."

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    Kane undroppable for both Bayern and England

    Kane’s start to the 2025-26 campaign has been nothing short of sensational. The England captain has scored 22 goals in 16 appearances for Bayern Munich, including five in the Champions League and four in the DFB-Pokal. His 1.53 goals per 90 minutes in the Bundesliga has him on pace to break Robert Lewandowski’s single-season record of 41, with Kane displaying clinical finishing and world-class consistency.

    But it’s not just the numbers that make him indispensable; beyond scoring, Kane remains a creative focal point, dropping deep to dictate play and create space for Bayern’s wide forwards. That same tactical intelligence is what makes him so vital for England, where he functions as both finisher and playmaker, linking up with England's other forwards and attacking midfielders like Jude Bellingham.

    However, that dual responsibility comes at a cost. Kane’s importance to England has made him almost undroppable, and the national team’s attacking structure is built almost entirely around his unique skill set.

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  • Tuchel facing challenge of managing Kane's minutes

    Tuchel and the England staff now face the challenge of balancing preparation with preservation. With the World Cup just seven months away, ensuring Kane’s fitness will be a top priority as England plan their friendlies and training camps. Tuchel, who has already spoken publicly about rotating his squad and promoting competition for places, may be forced to limit Kane’s minutes in upcoming matches to protect his long-term availability.

    The bigger issue, however, lies in England’s reliance on their captain. While Ollie Watkins, Ivan Toney, and Dominic Solanke are potential deputies, none offer Kane’s blend of elite finishing, vision, and leadership. Should the Bayern star suffer an injury or even minor fatigue, it could force Tuchel into a tactical rethink at the worst possible time.

Lesson from the Caribbean: Don't mess with timings

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

The 4pm starts, designed to better suit a UK TV audience, were a disaster, for the team batting first and the locals who can’t watch the match

Cameron Ponsonby18-Nov-2024Well, here we go again. It’s time to learn.I hate learning. In the wider educational sense, I understand it has its benefits. The pen being mightier than the sword and all that. But in a cricket context, it is code for low-stakes cricket.This was true for the ODI series, where a sub-strength England took on a West Indies side who hadn’t qualified for the Champions Trophy and duly took their beating. But it shouldn’t have been the case for the T20 series, where the West Indies are a cohesive, exciting cricket team taking on an England side boosted by the return of a white-ball genius in Jos Buttler and sporting young talents like Jacob Bethell. This was set to be a lot of fun.But forget Phil Salt and Akeal Hosein for a second. Because the fundamental takeaway from this series is an administrative one. Don’t mess with timings. The 4pm starts, designed to better suit a UK TV audience, were a disaster, creating a double disadvantage for the team batting first, with the wickets being at their worst under the afternoon sun, before dew settles in the evening making the pitch good for batting and the ball slippery for bowling. No team won a match on this tour after losing the toss.Related

  • Can West Indies get their maroon stars back in the red-ball set-up?

  • Bolter, wildcard, specialist No. 8: Jamie Overton's rapid rise

  • Washout in St Lucia after five overs as England take series 3-1

After the deciding ODI, Liam Livingstone said he’d never played a match where conditions had altered so much from one innings to the next. “It’s no excuse,” he said to remain professional. “But even if we’d got 350 I don’t think it’d have been enough,” he added to say what he really meant.West Indies T20I captain Rovman Powell was consistent on the issue throughout. After losing the first match of the series, he said, “the best case is for the games to start at 7pm. When we looked at the schedule and realised it would start at 4pm, we knew that would be a problem.”And then after the coin fell his way and his team won the fourth match: “It’s one of the first times I’ve seen in the Caribbean that once you win the toss, you win the game. It’s too skewed.”We all get it. Cricket bends to the will of the broadcaster. These are shows designed for those on the sofa at home, not for those in attendance at the ground – and that is true across sports and has been the case for a long time. The ultimate example of this is US car manufacturer Chevrolet’s sponsorship of Manchester United. From 2012 to 2019, they spent $559m for their logo to be on the front of United’s shirt. Chevrolet doesn’t sell cars in the UK.The argument goes that this is where the money comes from. Cricket needs cash and so it is better to have a few thousand fewer people in the ground with an inconvenient start time, but with more money gained as a result from the broadcast rights being of a greater value.

“The best case is for the games to start at 7pm. When we looked at the schedule and realised it would start at 4pm, we knew that would be a problem.”Rovman Powell, West Indies T20 captain

As a matter of opinion, that argument is short-sighted. Because the TV product you’re selling will lose value over time if every time people turn on the TV they see empty stands. Keep selling a crappy product and those TV rights will drop in value. And then eventually you’re left with no one watching in the crowd and no one watching at home either.But as a matter of fact, shifting times cannot impact the integrity of the result. That is ludicrous and devalues the sport.In every T20I match across the series, the stands started off empty and then gradually filled as the match ebbed into the times that they should have originally been starting. By the end of Saturday’s match at Kensington Oval, there was a superb atmosphere supporting what was a genuinely excellent sporting event and then even in the seemingly sparsely attended fourth T20I in St Lucia, when the West Indies chase got going later in the atmosphere was excellent.At risk of labouring the point. There is a genuine desire and enjoyment of cricket in the Caribbean. Put it at a time when locals can watch and stop playing Sweet Caroline. We’re not at Edgbaston. If then it fails. Fine. But give it a chance. Don’t, as happened here, put it at a time where the main event took place thirty minutes before a ball was bowled.For what it’s worth, we did have one match where the toss wasn’t set to be the be-all and end-all. Ahead of the fifth T20I, Sherfane Rutherford said he reckoned on this occasion, because of how good the pitch was after it had been baked by three days of sun, that the toss shouldn’t matter. And then it rained. Good stuff.The lopsided nature of the contest also framed how much the teams could really learn themselves. West Indies are searching for greater depth in bowling, but spent three matches having to defend inadequate totals because they’d lost the toss. That doesn’t help anyone. England, blessed with playing in favourable conditions, were excellent. You can’t blame a team for making the most of their opportunity. Saqib Mahmood, in particular, was superb, Bethell is worth the hype, Buttler is back with a smile on his face, Salt is superb against the West Indies and Jamie Overton could be anything. But in the one game England had to bowl second, West Indies were 136 for one in nine overs.At the end of it all, England posed with the T20 trophy in the pavilion at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground as the rain fell outside. Bethell is in the middle, holding the cup. And if you zoom in close enough, you can see it engraved with West Indies vs England T20 Series 2024: The Caveat Cup.

Red Sox Finalizing Deal With Nathaniel Lowe After DFA by Nationals

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

The Red Sox may have found a solution to their need at first base.

Following the Nationals' decision to designate Nathaniel Lowe for assignment, the veteran first baseman is reportedly finalizing a deal to join the Red Sox, according to MLB insider Jeff Passan.

Lowe, 30, signed with the Nationals this offseason and played in 119 games this year. He has a .665 OPS with 16 home runs and 68 RBIs, but a -0.4 WAR.

Boston has had a hole at first base since Triston Casas suffered a season-ending injury in a base running accident. Rafael Devers was approached about taking over at the position, but refused and was eventually traded. Surprisingly, the Red Sox didn't make a move at the trade deadline to address the position, either.

They'll bring Lowe aboard in hopes that he can provide some stability at first base, though he could find himself in a platoon with Romy Gonzalez and Abraham Toro.

Lowe is in his seventh MLB season and has 105 home runs and 397 RBIs in 805 career games.

'The wrong decision has been made' – Liverpool boss Arne Slot fumes over Virgil van Dijk's disallowed goal against Manchester City

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Liverpool boss Arne Slot says it was wrong to rule out Virgil Van Dijk’s equaliser against Manchester City in their 3-0 loss on Sunday. The Reds’ captain thought he had found the back of the net after beating Gianluigi Donnarumma with a powerful header. But the celebrations were cut short quickly, with Andy Robertson judged to have interfered with play from an offside position.

  • Van Dijk's header ruled out by VAR

    Liverpool fell behind to an Erling Haaland opener after the Norwegian had earlier had his penalty saved by Giorgi Mamardashvili. The striker’s looped header lofted over the Georgian in the Reds’ net and handed the hosts a deserved lead.

    Liverpool did respond to going behind, with Van Dijk appearing to level proceedings in the 38th minute. Mohamed Salah drilled across a corner towards the back of the City box and the ball was met by a thunderous header by the centre-half, which flew into the bottom right corner. The Liverpool captain wheeled away in celebration to the corner flag, believing he had equalised.

    VAR would soon intervene and spoil the Liverpool fans' cheers, though. Andy Robertson, standing three yards offside, ducked under the flight of the ball, but the officials judged him to be interfering with play. It was a contentious decision, given Donnarumma had seen the direction the ball was travelling in, and Robertson was not obscuring his vision.

    The Liverpool fans and Slot were justifiably a little miffed.

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    Slot slams the decision

    Speaking to Sky Sports after the game, Slot said: “I think it's obvious and clear that the wrong decision has been made, at least in my opinion. Because he [Robertson] didn't interfere at all with what the goalkeeper could do.

    “Immediately after the game someone showed me the goal that the same referee allowed City against Wolves last season [John Stones’ last minute winner]. So, it took the linesman 13 seconds to raise his flag to say it's offside. So, there was clearly communication.

    “That could have influenced the game in a positive way for us because in the first half we were so poor.

    “We would have been lucky going 1-0 down at half-time, let alone if it was 1-1 or 2-1 down. So it has been an influential decision, which is not to say that we then would have had a result over here because you cannot predict how the second half would have gone.”

  • City run out deserved winners

    Regardless of the decision, Liverpool were not good enough and clearly deserved to lose the clash against their title rivals. Jeremy Doku was the standout performer for the hosts and the Reds struggled to contain the lively Belgian who put the game beyond doubt when he scored City’s third.

    Earlier, Haaland and Nico Gonzalez had made it 2-0 to the hosts and prompted furious criticism of the Reds by Sky Sports’ pundits. Gary Neville claimed that Liverpool had been “asking to be beaten” by Pep Guardiola’s team and Roy Keane had labelled the Reds’ performance a “disgrace”.

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    City announce their intentions

    City were the standout side, and their performance demonstrated why they are still one of Europe’s best sides. With Haaland in some of the best form of his career so far, it would be daft to write off City for any of the major honours.

    Speaking after the game, Ruben Dias sent a warning shot towards league leaders Arsenal and claimed that his team were performing at the highest level. The defender added that “there are new faces because of the ones that left, but that quality stays the same, and we keep on pushing,” in a potential sly dig at the Reds.

    Guardiola’s team have now moved within just four points of Arsenal, after the Gunners dropped two costly points late against Sunderland on Saturday. The victory also confined Liverpool to eighth spot in the Premier League, behind rivals Manchester United and eight points behind the Gunners at the top of the table.

    There is a long way to go in the Premier League campaign, but Liverpool must start turning their fortunes around sooner rather than later.

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