West Ham United ended a disappointing season on a high at the London Stadium on Sunday, winning 3-1 against Everton.
The victory means the Hammers end the season in 13th position which, while far lower than fans would like, is at least well clear of the relegation that threatened them a couple of months ago.
With the future of manager David Moyes unclear, this summer could be another one of massive transition at the club and fans are hoping the decision makers at the London Stadium can show some ambition when the transfer window opens.
One player they definitely want to keep around is Manuel Lanzini, who was in stunning form against the Toffees this afternoon. He scored a double on the day, thrilling supporters with his impact in the final third.
Fans are now hoping that he will sign a new contract this summer and commit his long-term future, with plenty of clubs likely to be admirers in the transfer windows ahead.
According to Sky Sports, Southampton are interested in signing Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge this month after a previous report in The Telegraph on December 28 suggested they were keen to bring the England international to St Mary’s on loan.
What’s the word, then?
Well, Sky Sports says that while Saints are tracking Arsenal forward Theo Walcott, they understand that The Telegraph story that said they are keen on a loan move for Sturridge is wide of the mark.
The Telegraph had previously reported that the south coast outfit would be keen to bring the 28-year-old proven goalscorer in this month if he was available on loan, as they look to boost a team that is struggling for goals and only outside of the relegation zone on goal difference.
How has Sturridge done this season?
He has struggled to play regularly.
The form of the likes of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino have often meant that he has started matches on the substitutes’ bench, although he has scored three goals and provided a further three assists in 14 appearances in all competitions this term.
Injury issues have often overshadowed the 28-year-old’s time at Anfield, and after recovering from a hamstring problem at the beginning of the campaign he has now missed Liverpool’s last seven Premier League matches with a niggle and then through illness.
Should Southampton be in for him this month?
If he is available, they absolutely should be.
The fact is that unless Liverpool are to bring in a new striker this month then Jurgen Klopp will likely want to keep the centre-forward as cover, but if he is sent out on loan or sold permanently then Saints have to be interested.
They have struggled for goals since the start of last season and while his injury record would mean that signing him is a risk, the fact that 75 goals in 194 Premier League appearances and 64 in 133 outings for the Merseyside outfit show the ability he has to find the net.
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That quality in front of goal could be the difference between Southampton going down or staying up this term.
We hate diving in this country. It’s all those foreigners, allegedly, who have brought the evils of going to ground too easily to the Premier League. The same is true for tapping up; it’s a foreign thing that’s widely accepted abroad and we in England haven’t quite caught onto it yet. That doesn’t mean the rest of Europe has to apologise for it.
It was interesting that Pete Jenson of the Independent spoke about his conversation with Sandro Rosell and that the Barcelona president wasn’t too concerned with Manchester United’s persistent and very public pursuit of Cesc Fabregas. And what exactly is he supposed to say? There are absolutely no grounds for him to be angered or perturbed over the English club’s actions. The fact that he batted the question away as being just another part of the game suggests how far England are behind other nations.
And here’s the thing: this whole tapping up tactic is an underhand and mischievous act, but it’s pretty much accepted as the norm. What are UEFA supposed to do? What can they really do? Marca are supporters of Real Madrid, and Sport of Barcelona. Those papers are always going to write favourably of their clubs, and if UEFA steps in on that, it opens up a whole mess of a situation that is better left alone. Of course, the newspapers have direct links into each club and amplify the whispers that originate inside the walls of the Bernabeu and Camp Nou, but there is no way UEFA or any governing body can properly regulate the matter.
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We in England have rightly had enough of the media’s role in luring away the Premier League’s top talents; Cesc Fabregas, Gareth Bale, even Cristiano Ronaldo. So instead of complaining about an issue that will never be resolved, why not play a hand in these tactics ourselves? Where is the English press and its campaigns to keep hold of Arsenal or Tottenham’s best? Gareth Bale had his feathers ruffled at some stage this summer by the press in Madrid, but where is the counter offensive.
A point to be made: tapping up is slightly different to clubs directly and illegally talking to their transfer targets.
It’s a part of the game, as much as we hate it. Italy and Spain have newspapers solely for the purpose of football, with radio also supplementing the myriad of blogs already in existence. In England, we’re a bit short on the offensive. We don’t have papers who are directly in support of certain clubs – at least not to the extent of Rome, Barcelona and Madrid. But then whose fault is that? Should other nations hold their hands up and say sorry for us not being totally prepared for the nuts and bolts that make up the modern day transfer machine? We’re playing the victim in all this.
No, I don’t believe UEFA need to step in and take out that unethical mob – and that’s said tongue in cheek. Maybe clubs need to evolve or find ways to circumvent the tactics used in concert by foreign clubs and their media. Release clauses serve a purpose well enough. Napoli wouldn’t budge until they got what they wanted for Edinson Cavani. Take a firm stand on contracts and give back a little credence to what was agreed between the player and his current club.
But then how about the media in England spend a little less time driving out its own star players and focus more on the playing side of the game. Luis Suarez can write his own headlines for as long as he sees fit, but what’s been done is done. Report on it, fill the column inches and then move on. The same can be said for Arsenal and Fabregas; instead of driving out a big-name player because you’ve got a personal agenda against his club, write about him and the game in England favourably. How easy must the media in Spain find this whole game?
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Should UEFA step in and take action against underhand tactics in the transfer market?
The most recent barometer of Tottenham’s readiness for the Premier League season, was last Thursday’s marquee friendly against Valencia. And whilst it was by no means a complete disaster, it spelt out emphatically the issues that Spurs have yet to address during the summer transfer period.
The way in which Andre Villas-Boas’ side went to the Mestalla and enjoyed such large spells of possession, offered real room for encouragement. Valencia are one of the more technically accomplished teams on the continent and their impressive third placed finish under ex-coach Unai Emery is testament to that. Considering the starting holding pair of Jake Livermore and Jermaine Jenas may not even make the XI on Saturday, it made the feat all the more impressive.
But there was a stark difference between the two sides last week and it wasn’t difficult to distinguish which side carried the greater threat. Valencia looked dangerous whenever they went forward, and although Spurs went down to a couple of fantastic goals, it’s difficult to argue with the final result. Tottenham looked toothless up front and it’s no surprise that Mauricio Pellegrino’s team were happy to let Tottenham see so much of the ball. They didn’t do an awful lot with it.
And the frustrating thing for supporters is that nothing that happened last week was of any real surprise. The situation that Spurs find themselves with up front, has been well publicised all summer. Jermain Defoe is the only recognised striker at the club and as great a goalscorer he may be, he simply does not suit AVB’s new set-up. Some fans may feel bored of the continuous assumption that the well-liked Defoe has no future in the starting line up, but those who watched events at the Mestalla cannot be under any doubts; that was only a sampler.
Tottenham need at least one more frontman and they’ve known that for what feels like a very long time. And it doesn’t matter how you want to frame it, if Spurs go to Newcastle without that striker, they have in some respects, failed themselves in the transfer window.
No one is under any doubts that Daniel Levy will pull a frontman out of the bag before the transfer window slams shut, but there is something macabre in the way in which it appears to be left to the last minute. Some have suggested that what the Spurs supremo is doing is a masterstroke and that there is no ‘value’ in the transfer market before August. However right that might be, the concept of it is deeply flawed.
If that was true, in essence, Daniel Levy is saying to Andre Villas-Boas that he won’t have his first choice XI for the first or arguably the second fixture of the season. Depending on how many changes hinge on the sale of Luka Modric, that could even be perceived as writing the first game off. Regardless of whether you think Spurs already have enough in the tank to get past Alan Pardew’s side on Saturday, it simply isn’t good enough. Nobody needs reminding of how many points Tottenham missed out on guaranteed Champions League football last season. You must be prepared for every game in this league. Fail to prepare, prepare to fail, is an apt little adage.
Levy cannot be panned for his running of the football club and the fact Tottenham Hotspur are looking to push on for another shot at Champions League football this season, is in no small part to the stance Levy has adopted since he became chairman. But that doesn’t mean he’s bulletproof. The Essex-born businessman has invested highly in disposing of Harry Redknapp and acquiring his favoured coaching set-up in Andre Villas-Boas and his team. The Portuguese needs the best possible start; leaving the team woefully short up front for the first game of the season seems a little bit counter-productive to say the least.
It is the responsibility of Levy and his team to acquire the transfer targets, not Andre Villas-Boas. And up front, the excuses are running out for why no one’s been brought in. Emmanuel Adebayor may be flailing around with wage demands but that isn’t an excuse. Spurs should have set a deadline and they should have enforced ultimatums to the Togolese international. Putting all their eggs in the bag of someone like Adebayor is a huge gamble and at the moment, it’s blowing up in their faces. If the ex-Arsenal man couldn’t agree terms with all parties earlier, it should have been a case of thank you and goodbye.
Similarly with another massively rumoured target, Leandro Damiao, Spurs seem to have postured for an eternity with the Brazilian. For near on 18 months now, Tottenham have tracked the Internacional starlet. They knew what the goalposts were going to be. If they are that keen on him, why was it decided to leave it till after the Olympics to table an offer? The odds on him having a good tournament were always high and consequently, his transfer fee would have risen. If efforts are being made to negotiate a lower fee, than they only have themselves to look at in the mirror.
You can never second-guess what has been going on behind the scenes and it would be foolish to suggest Levy hasn’t been working hard. One or two deals have been thought to have been brokered, only to fall apart and who knows who the board were working to acquire. But all of their rivals have done the bulk of their transfer work early and they head into the season more or less there. Gylfi Sigurdsson and Jan Vertonghen were excellent deals that were sorted out weeks ago. The problem is, that could only be the tip of the iceberg.
Tottenham need at least one striker, if not two. Arguably their most talented player has no future at the club and a replacement must be sought out. To top things off, the new manager supposedly craves a new goalkeeper to bring to the fore. The new season starts in a matter of days.
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Levy will sort the problems out at Spurs and things will start moving quicker when, with all fingers crossed, the Modric deal goes through. No one is criticising the chairman for refusing to be bent over by Real Madrid. But if the team struggle to make an impression upon the Newcastle United defence on Saturday, don’t look at Adebyaor, Damiao or Villas-Boas for criticism.
How do you feel about Spurs transfer brinkmanship this summer? The right thing to do or a gamble too far? Let me know how you feel about how the summer’s gone on Twitter: follow @samuel_antrobus and get involved with the Spurs talk.
“My role at the moment is to put the icing on the cake and help our guys in the top four”
ESPNcricinfo staff13-Oct-2020The disparity between Glenn Maxwell’s record for Australia in T20Is with his performances in the Indian Premier League is stark, but the right-hand batsman put it down to having a “clearer role” with Australia as against the frequent changes in his batting position and roles that the changing landscape of various franchises in the IPL demanded. Maxwell averages 33.52 at a strike rate of 158.36 in 64 matches for Australia. In the IPL, while his strike rate has remained up there at 156.78, his average after 76 matches is 22.38.”I probably would not (compare IPL and Australia career). The way I have played international cricket, it has been more of a clearer role. I know exactly how the guys will bat around me,” he said in a chat with PTI. “My role in IPL changes probably for most games. In IPL, a lot of teams change their sides a lot. In the Australian set-up we have the same eleven for most of the games, we all know our roles really well.”Maxwell came to IPL 2020 on the back of some good form, having hit 77 and 108 in two matches of the three-ODI series in England, where Australia won 2-1. But he has totalled just 58 runs in seven innings at a strike rate of 95.08 for Kings XI Punjab so far.ALSO READ: Maxwell ‘shattered’, Stoinis shines, and Warner vs Archer“When you are only together for two months in the year with IPL, there is going to be chopping and changing,” Maxwell said. “You are always looking for that right team balance. The team you pick at the start of the tournament might not have the balance you think as you progress.”We feel we are getting closer to that (team balance). I have had different experiences where I have not quite performed to the level people expect but there has been no lack of trying, (or) putting the effort in training.”Maxwell, who has also turned out for Delhi Daredevils and Mumbai Indians in the past, had his best season in the IPL in 2014, hitting 552 runs (strike rate of 187.75) in a man of the tournament performance that took the Kings XI to the final for the first, and so far only, time in their history.”Despite the fact I did well in 2014, I actually thought my performance in 2017 was my best season,” Maxwell said of the time he made 310 runs in 13 innings at a strike rate of 173.18 for the Kings XI, also taking seven wickets at an economy rate of 6.57. “Being captain, Man of the Match multiple times and I bowled a lot more. I thought that was my best season in the IPL. I was able to combine some match-winning knocks with some mature knocks.”The following season, he played for Delhi but didn’t have great success. He did not take part in IPL 2019. Maxwell has only faced 61 balls, though he has been dismissed four times in those.”This year has been a different role and I am trying to get used to it,” Maxwell said. “I would like to think that I have tried to do my role as well as I can. We have got Nicky (Pooran) batting unbelievably well at four. With his power-hitting, my job has been to get him on strike and be there to help finish off games.”I have been not out four times [thrice] in seven games which has probably never happened to me in the history of my career. So, it has been a strange transition for me batting at five and one that I feel, I have started to become more accustomed to.”With the way the team is set up, there is no position there (higher in the order) for me. As I said, my role at the moment is to put the icing on the cake and help our guys in the top four. There have been limited opportunities for me to bat. It has been a learning experience for sure… it is nice to be able to challenge myself with something different. I certainly have not been too hard on myself for my result in this tournament.”The Kings XI started the tournament with a Super Over loss to the Delhi Capitals and then beat the Royal Challengers Bangalore, but have since lost five games in a row.”The wickets have probably surprised me a little bit in terms of the way they have played. I have had a lot of success here in international cricket and even last IPL,” Maxwell said. “The wickets have been a little bit slower. The spin has not been as consistent. It has been probably easier for guys to bat at the top of the order than someone to come out and hit from ball one. It has not been easy and we have seen that consistently through the tournament.”It has been a tough campaign for us as a team. I would say we were ahead in a lot of those close games but unfortunately came short. It is the hardest to score the winning runs in T20 cricket.”
In a chat with Pommie Mbangwa, he also weighed in on Kohli vs Smith and Kohli vs Tendulkar
ESPNcricinfo staff11-May-2020AB de Villiers has opened up on his friendship with Virat Kohli, who he says is “much deeper than just a cricket player”. Speaking to Pommie Mbangwa, the former Zimbabwe fast bowler who’s now a commentator, de Villiers said his conversations with Kohli – a long-time team-mate at Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL – reach far beyond cricket.”Obviously when it comes to the IPL in India, it’s been more than friendship,” de Villiers said, when asked who his best friends in cricket are. “Virat obviously – not only during the IPL, we chat throughout the year, which means it’s different than just the IPL or cricketing friendship.”From a South Africa point of view, I’ve stayed in touch with Morne Morkel, Faf [du Plessis] and Dale [Steyn]. Dale and I have come a long way together as well, I mean we’ve known each other since we were school kids and in primary school. JP [Duminy] as well. There’s no real best friend when it comes to cricket, you just hang out a bit more with one or two.”De Villiers revealed that he has deep conversations not just with Kohli but with his wife, the Bollywood star Anushka Sharma, as well.”He’s much deeper than just a cricket player […] I think most people realise after a while that there’s more to life than just cricket,” de Villiers said. “I think we all fall into that bubble initially. But Virat’s always been a thinker, he experiments [with] a lot of things, he loves trying new things out – gym wise, what he puts in his mouth. He thinks a lot about life after life – what’s to come, the different religions, we talk about everything.”We go pretty deep and his missus as well, Anushka, we have very deep conversations, which is fantastic. We talk about children and family. We’re waiting for that first little Kohli to come. It’s a good friendship and we always find a way to talk about cricket as well, but 90% of the time we talk about other stuff. It’s refreshing and in the middle of a very intense IPL tournament.”Asked who the better batsman is between Kohli and Steven Smith, de Villiers sidestepped the question smartly, and compared the two to a pair of tennis legends.”It’s a difficult one, but Virat is definitely the more natural ball-striker, there’s no doubt about that,” de Villiers said. “In tennis terms, I’d say he’s more like a [Roger] Federer whereas Smith is like a [Rafael] Nadal. Smith is mentally very strong and figures out a way of scoring runs – he doesn’t look natural, but he ends up writing records and doing amazing things at the crease. I think mentally, Smith is one of the best I have ever seen. Virat has also scored runs all over the world and won games under pressure.”And asked to compare Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar, his predecessor as India’s superstar best batsman, de Villiers gave the younger man the edge in one department – chasing targets.”Sachin is a role model for both of us – the way he stood out in his era, the things he achieved and with the grace he did all that is a great example for everyone,” de Villiers said. “And I think Virat will also say that he set the standards for us to follow.”But personally, in a chase, I’d say Virat is the best I’ve seen in my life. Sachin was amazing in all formats and all situations, but Virat comes out on top while chasing.”
Maroof criticised the ICC for splitting points for a bilateral series that India failed to obtain government permission for
Danyal Rasool29-Apr-2020Pakistan women’s captain Bismah Maroof was critical of the ICC’s decision to split points between India and Pakistan for a bilateral series that India failed to obtain governemt permission to play.Maroof called the decision “deeply disappointing”, remarking it was “good luck” for India to have effectively been awarded points for nothing. The ICC decision means Pakistan miss out on automatic qualification for the 2021 Women’s World Cup, while India go through directly. Had the ICC decided to award full points to Pakistan, as they did in a similar scenario in 2016, it would have been Pakistan who went through, while India would have had to try to go through the qualifying route.”The decision was very disappointing, because we had been waiting [for] a long time to play against India and the board was working towards it,” Maroof said in a video press conference. “But we weren’t getting any response from India. It’s good luck for India, who got points without agreeing to play any matches. I suppose if we look at it in a positive light, we’ll get a few extra competitive matches having to play the qualifying rounds.”There’s always hype when we’re due to play India and the fans want to see those matches because they’re usually very exciting. Pakistan showed a willingness to play against India, and Pakistan have kept sport away from politics. So it was very disappointing for us not to get these matches, and we were number four, in a position to qualify directly, before the matches were due to go ahead. If we had lost those matches and then had to qualify, that would have been easy to accept. But as things stand, those matches will have been missed by all cricket fans, not just Pakistan fans.”The ICC decision, which came a fortnight ago, has caused significant malcontent at the PCB. The chairman Ehsan Mani went public in expressing his own disappointment with the ICC, while the PCB was swift to get in touch with cricket’s governing body to explore what further steps it could take.The dissatisfaction, however, has not spilled over into any public censure of the ICC; Mani’s statement aside, there has been virtually total silence from within the PCB by way of any further official communication. ESPNcricinfo understands the reason for this is the PCB’s legal team considering bringing litigation to the ICC’s dispute resolution committee. Maroof confirmed that should the legal team believe there were grounds to proceed in this manner, she would get behind it.”The PCB’s legal team is reviewing the decision as things stand. If they think there are grounds for a legal case, we should definitely proceed with one. It was very disappointing, and politics and sport should be kept separate,” she said.The PCB had attempted to engage with their Indian counterparts about the series on the sidelines of the last couple of ICC meetings, a series they viewed as a bilateral issue rather than one that needed ICC engagement. It appears they did not receive a meaningful response from the BCCI, either in writing or verbally.In 2016, the ICC decided to give Pakistan full points when India failed to show up for a series, but there is one difference that looks to have secured a more desirable outcome for the BCCI. On that occasion, the BCCI offered no written explanation for the failure to proceed with the series, and the technical investigation committee found the BCCI had not been able to establish “acceptable reasons” for non-participation in the series.This time around, the BCCI engaged with the ICC early on, making its stand clear about why it could not play Pakistan in the ODI series scheduled in 2019. ESPNcricinfo understands the BCCI made extensive submissions as early as 2018, demonstrating that it could not get the relevant permission from the Indian government to play Pakistan. That helped the ICC’s technical committee to invoke the force majeure clause on this occasion.”With respect to the India v Pakistan series, the TC (technical committee) concluded that the series could not be played because of a Force Majeure event after the BCCI demonstrated that it was unable to obtain the necessary government clearances to allow India to participate in the bilateral series against Pakistan, which forms a part of the ICC Women’s Championship,” the ICC said in a media release on April 15.Meanwhile, Maroof paid a glowing tribute to her former teammate and former Pakistan captain Sana Mir, who announced her retirement earlier this week, saying women’s cricket’s reputation and profile in Pakistan owed plenty to Mir.”Sana Mir is a legend of the game and an ambassador of Pakistan cricket. She was one of the great minds we all played under. We all grew under her, and the credit goes to her. The name women’s cricket has here exists in a large part because of Sana’s involvement with it. She has achieved a huge amount for Pakistan cricket, and she deserves all the praise she has received over the last few days. She is a true ambassador for women’s cricket around the world and I wish her good luck in whatever she wants to do next.”
He struck 11 over-boundaries in a thrilling display, and stopped one blow short of setting a new BBL record
Andrew McGlashan22-Dec-2019Chris Lynn kickstarted the Brisbane Heat’s BBL campaign with a ferocious display of hitting against the Sydney Sixers at the SCG, falling just short of setting a new record for the competition’s fastest century. His 94 off 35 balls, including 11 sixes, set the Heat up for a huge total, which they comfortably defended to get their points tally up and running.After defeats in their opening two matches, there were already mutterings about whether the Heat were too one-dimensional by putting all their eggs in the basket of the power-packed top three and the knowledge that AB de Villiers would be arriving next month. Lynn’s pyrotechnics were supplemented by a measured, mature innings from Matt Renshaw, which meant the platform for a total over 200 wasn’t wasted, although it needed a big final over to ensure the milestone was breached as the Sixers regained some composure after Lynn’s departure.The Sixers’ chase never got the momentum it needed to challenge a steep target of 210 with Zahir Khan proving especially difficult for them to pick. After their opening victory, it has now been two defeats on the bounce for them.Lynn tees offMissing Tom Banton because of illness, the Heat needed someone in the top order to stand up. It had been a bit of a false start to the tournament for Lynn with scores of 9 and 6 in the opening two games, but there were early signs he would put that right on the day. His first boundary was a thunderous straight six off Sean Abbott, and his second, a huge pull, landed in the second tier of the stand over deep square-leg. His partners were mere bystanders – Sam Heazlett contributed 7 to the second-wicket stand of 84 – as he put the Sixers attack to the sword with immense power, the crack of his bat reverberating around the stadium with the Heat making 1 for 73 in the powerplay.His half-century came off 20 balls and he continued to lay waste to the bowlers, taking Lloyd Pope for three sixes and then lifting his tally to 11 – the equal highest in a BBL innings – with consecutive lofted drives off Ben Manenti. However, attempting his third in a row, which would have given him the fastest BBL century, he picked out mid-on to bring the entertainment to an end. It meant that Craig Simmons’ record of a century in 39 balls for Perth Scorchers in 2014 still stood.”Not a bad nock by lynny thought I may have to come out if retirement if that last one cleared the rope,” Simmons tweeted moments after the dismissal.Lynn’s innings was over before the halfway mark, but given he twice came close to a century in the Abu Dhabi T10 last month, perhaps it shouldn’t be much of a surprise. “It would have been nice to get triple figures, but saying that, I’m just happy to get double figures,” Lynn told Channel Seven. “There was an opportunity to go really big.”Renshaw’s undercardAlmost anything after the display from Lynn would have felt like a comedown, and the second half of the Heat innings was workmanlike without being extraordinary. Jimmy Peirson made a slightly curious run-a-ball 25 – in a 56-run stand with Renshaw that took 46 balls – which meant Ben Cutting did not come in until very late. However, Renshaw produced an excellent hand to take the total over 200. He lifted himself from 21 off 21 balls to finish with 60 off 39 – his second T20 fifty – as he took 18 off the last over from Tom Curran, whose 0 for 52 were his second-most expensive T20 figures. Still, the pre-Lynn and post-Lynn innings split was 113 to 96.Sixers stutterChasing over 200, a side needs a lot of things to go their way or there to be one outstanding innings. The Sixers’ run chase could never get a foothold with Renshaw’s good evening continuing when he removed Daniel Hughes second ball, and Josh Philippe struggling to get his innings going. Philippe had 11 off 17 balls – including six dots against the left-arm wristspin of Zahir – at the end of the powerplay, by when the Sixers were 1 for 43 and leaning heavily on James Vince. Zahir went on to win the battle with Philippe comprehensively, having him stumped for 15 off 23 balls, an innings that will have been another learning experience. When Vince fell in the following over, swiping Mitchell Swepson to the deep, it required two new batsmen to get going and the asking rate was only going one way.
Virat Kohli said India don’t have the luxury of a slow start in the Champions Trophy, their biggest challenge in a short tournament
Arun Venugopal24-May-20172:12
‘Champions Trophy more competitive than World Cup’ – Kohli
A dismal IPL 2017 for Royal Challengers Bangalore immediately after the high of a Test season that saw India reach the top of the ICC rankings has helped Virat Kohli grow as a player. Kohli was thankful for the learning curve, but admitted the circumstances leading to Royal Challengers’ last-place finish were bizarre. Even as Kohli’s own form wasn’t bad – 308 runs in 10 games – Royal Challengers managed only three wins in the season.”After the kind of season we (India) have had, when you have a tournament like that it teaches you about yourself as a person at a few levels,” Kohli said in Mumbai ahead of India’s departure for the Champions Trophy. “From the mindset point of view, it made me realise that you can’t possibly do everything in every game. Sometimes people might start looking at you like that, but as a human being you need to understand your limitations and you need to take a backward step.”It was so bizarre, everything we tried was just going against us. I have never experienced that in a side, you know, not eleven but all the fifteen guys in the squad were in the mindset. Maybe it was to teach me that you need to balance things out and take a backward step in how much you can do on the field and how much intensity you can play with, maybe choose your phases.”As I keep getting older, I think those things need to be a learning as well because you don’t want to burn out too quickly. I was pretty fortunate that I got to experience that kind of a time. It teaches you a lot as a captain, it teaches you a lot composure-wise. You take away a lot from failures, and that’s something I have always cherished.”Kohli, however, dismissed talk of the Champions Trophy being a redemptive opportunity after he managed only 134 runs in 10 innings during India’s Test tour of England in 2014.”The atmosphere around us is built in a way that that becomes like a life or death kind of series, especially for sub-continent cricketers which I don’t understand why,” he said. “If players [of other countries] don’t do well in India and they go back, there is no real hype around it. But, if we don’t do well away from India, then it’s a knife hanging on your neck.”I would never play for redemption. My only motivation is to keep winning games for my country, and it doesn’t matter the conditions I am playing at. It might be in the subcontinent, might be England, Australia and South Africa. The aim is always to win games, and I am willing to do whatever I can in my abilities to be able to achieve that for the team.”From the team’s perspective, Kohli felt India couldn’t afford a slow start given the short and intensive structure of the Champions Trophy. In that respect, he said, the degree of competitiveness in the Champions Trophy was higher than in the World Cup. “In a World Cup, you can still have league games and you have yourself to get into the World Cup and maybe dominate in the later half. But in the Champions Trophy, you need to be on top of your game from game one,” he said.’The atmosphere around us is built in a way that that becomes like a life or death kind of series, which I don’t understand why’ – Virat Kohli•AFP
“If you are not, then your chances go down pretty soon. I think that’s the biggest challenge in Champions Trophy and something that all the players love playing for sure.”The first challenge is not to think about the fact that we are defending the title. When we went there the last time, we just wanted to enjoy ourselves as a young unit and we ended up winning the tournament, and we ended up creating a team that has done so well so far.”India head into the tournament as defending champions, having won in 2013. Kohli felt three factors played a major role in India’s successful campaign in 2013: the opening partnership, R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja’s spin bowling, and the robust fast bowling and fielding.”I felt these three were our strongest factors in the last championship. And, we believe these are the three factors that determine how you play in conditions such as England and how far we can go in a tournament like the Champions Trophy,” Kohli said. “The revelation of Rohit (Sharma) and Shikhar (Dhawan) as an opening pair was a great thing to see for all Indian fans and for the Indian team as well. Plus, Ash and Jadeja were on top of their game anyway, but the way the fast bowlers bowled and the way we fielded – I think we were the best fielding side in the tournament.”Ruthlessness is something that we definitely speak about all the time. Even if we close the series off we want to win it without losing a game or maybe drawing a game as well, if possible. We go in with that kind of mindset, and I think that goes a long way in a tournament like this. If you can think about the games in that manner, I think you will get the results you want more often than you want.”When asked about the roles of Yuvraj Singh and MS Dhoni in the middle order, Kohli said their styles freed up the rest of the batting unit. “In the team, they are the ones that know best how to build a match, how to win games and how to take the team out of difficult situations. It was good to see both of them express themselves in the last series and enjoy batting alongside each other,” he said. “It’s something they have done in the past without any burden.”Even the players at the top are more confident, and overall it was very good for the team. It boosted the team environment in the change room as well. If two such players are in good mindset, then it changes the outlook of the team. I believe they are our two strongest pillars, and the team benefits when they are in a good mindset.”
Chadd Sayers, the medium pacer who was picked for Australia’s tour of New Zealand next month, believes he was chosen because of the seamer-friendly conditions in the country
Brydon Coverdale20-Jan-2016Australia’s selectors have made no secret of their desire to pick fast bowlers for the national team. Fast, not medium-fast. That is one of the reasons Jackson Bird’s Test career stalled after three appearances, despite the fact that he was Man of the Match in one of those. It is also one of the factors that has gone against Chadd Sayers in his bid for national selection. Until now.Sayers is a classic swing bowler whose weapons are all based on moving the ball sideways, not on how quickly it reaches the batsman. His style has been good enough to bring him 145 first-class wickets at 24.82, but at the age of 28, it was starting to look like he would never get a chance at the higher level. But Sayers and Bird are both in Australia’s Test squad for the tour of New Zealand.It is all about the conditions, the selectors argue. In New Zealand speed is less important than movement. There is no point being fast if you’re doing nothing with the ball, and serving up half-volleys at 150kph does not help the team. Whether either Sayers or Bird get the chance to wear the baggy green on the two-Test tour remains to be seen, but they are encouraged by their selections.”I’m never going to bowl 140, so if that was their criteria, I wasn’t going to fit that,” Sayers told reporters in Adelaide on Wednesday. “But they’ve picked for conditions, with Jackson Bird getting picked as well, same sort of bowler as me. They’ve picked for the New Zealand conditions … I think a good ball to any batsman is a good ball.”I watched the last series [of Tests in New Zealand] on TV and it looked like it swung around and nipped around a bit, which will suit my bowling for sure.”The selectors were forced to look beyond the usual suspects due to injuries – Mitchell Starc is recovering from ankle surgery, Pat Cummins has yet another stress fracture of the back, and Nathan Coulter-Nile – a previous Test squad member though yet to win a baggy green – has a shoulder problem. Sayers knows about unfortunate injury timing, having been unavailable for consideration for the 2015 Ashes due to an ankle injury.”All the hard work in the gym … has paid off in the pre-season,” Sayers said. “To come back from that was one big step and then to perform in the four Shield games I’ve played this year was another big step. Really excited and can’t wait to get over there.”This summer Sayers has collected 16 Sheffield Shield wickets at 25.81, still a solid tally at the halfway point of the season, though down on his remarkable 2012-13, a season in which he topped the Shield wicket list with 48 at 18.52. Another strong season followed in 2013-14, when he picked up 36 wickets and was South Australia’s leading pace bowler.”When you’re in form and don’t get picked, then you think maybe the time has passed,” Sayers said. “But obviously if you keep taking wickets and knocking the door down then a chance could come eventually – and luckily enough for me it has come.”