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Details of Cristiano Ronaldo's reported role in Joao Felix's move from Chelsea to Al-Nassr have been revealed.

Felix set to join Al-NassrWill link up with RonaldoForward's role in move revealedFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Felix, 25, is set to join Al-Nassr for an initial £26 million ($35m) transfer, where he will link up with fellow Portugal star Ronaldo. And according to Foot Mercato, the 40-year-old allayed any concerns the ex-Atletico Madrid man had about joining the Saudi Pro League side by using a 'powerful argument: the national team'.

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Ronaldo reportedly stressed that by playing together at Al-Nassr, the two compatriots will be able to develop a greater understanding on the pitch over the course of 40-50 games next season and that will stand them in good stead ahead of the 2026 World Cup. The report adds that this playing together factor could be 'decisive' in manager Roberto Martinez's final choice for the Portuguese national team.

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Felix, who spent the second half of last season on loan at AC Milan after struggling for game time at Chelsea following his £45m ($60.5m) move from Atletico in 2024, is said to have understood the importance of this deal and 'undoubtedly' played a key role in his decision to join Al-Nassr.

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Ex-Barcelona loanee Felix, who is set to sign a two-year deal with Ronaldo's side on an annual salary of €10m, is expected to join the Saudi team for pre-season training in Austria in the coming days.

Hampshire allrounder content to pursue trophies in franchise tournaments rather than chase England caps

Alan Gardner28-Mar-20242:10

Liam Dawson: Test cricket ‘completely off my radar’

Liam Dawson has conceded that his ambitions as a Test cricketer are at an end after missing England’s tour of India this winter, saying that he was happy with his decision to prioritise commitments in overseas T20 leagues rather than potentially wind up running the drinks again as an unused squad member.Dawson, who won the last of his three Test caps in 2017, was the leading English spinner in last year’s County Championship, taking 49 wickets at 20.00 – in addition to scoring 840 runs – but was not included in the group to take on India. He had previously indicated that he would have to weigh up whether to accept an England call, having agreed a lucrative contract to play for Sunrisers Eastern Cape in the SA20, a tournament that clashed directly with the start of the Test tour, and in which he ended up lifting the trophy.England instead selected the uncapped pair of Tom Hartley and Shoaib Bashir alongside Rehan Ahmed, with one Test appearance to his name, and the experienced Jack Leach. Hartley went on to be England’s leading wicket-taker on tour, with 22 at 36.13, while Bashir claimed the first two five-wicket hauls of his first-class career to finish with 17 at 33.35. Even with Leach ruled out due to injury after the first Test, there was no move to call up a replacement, with England eventually slumping to a 4-1 series defeat.Speaking at Hampshire’s media day ahead of the start of the County Championship season, Dawson said that there had been “a few conversations” with the selectors over the winter but that, at the age of 34, he felt his international career was likely behind him.Asked if he was still keen to play Test cricket, he told ESPNcricinfo: “Probably not now, no. Being honest, there’s a few things that have happened over the last year. For me, probably Test cricket now is completely off the radar. But it is what it is, I’m 34 and I want to enjoy my cricket and try to win trophies towards the end of my career.Dawson played a key role in Sunrisers’ success in the SA20•Sportzpics”Knowing that going to South Africa, knowing I was going to play there – obviously with the [Sunrisers] coach, Adi Birrell, here at Hampshire, I knew I was going to play, which was nice. It’s not something I want to be doing, running drinks at my age anymore. I was really happy with what I chose this winter and it went well.”Dawson has won 20 England caps across three formats going back to 2016, as well as an ODI World Cup winners’ medal in 2019. He was a travelling reserve for both the 2021 and 2022 T20 World Cups, but said he did not expect to be in the mix for this year’s tournament in the Caribbean and USA.”I think with my age, 34, realistically that’s probably gone to be honest. There’s been a few things happened over the last few months. Speaking to [England selector] Luke Wright, I know where I stand. I don’t expect to play. I’m looking forward to playing for Hampshire this season, and the Hundred with London Spirit.”That Dawson, a spin-bowling allrounder, had re-entered the frame for Test selection more than seven years on from making his debut in India was in part reflective of the challenge for young English spinners to come through the system – one summed up at Hampshire by the fact the club have allowed Mason Crane (one Test cap in 2018) to join Glamorgan on loan in search of game time.With the rain teeming down at the Utilita Bowl a week before the start of the county season, Dawson said there were no easy answers.Related

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The inside story of county cricket's most eye-catching transfers

“Without doubt, it’s very, very difficult. I’m lucky enough that I bat as well, so that’s made a huge difference over my career. I’ve always batted in the top seven so that balances teams out. If you’re just an out-and-out spinner it’s not easy to play in these conditions, the time of the year we play. There’s no ideal scenario, what gives, what doesn’t? When do you play Championship cricket? It’s a tough thing to do. If you’re an out-an-out spinner it can be difficult to get game time with the weather, but I’m not sure how you can change that.”I didn’t watch a huge amount [of the Tests in India]. I was in South Africa, so I watched bits and pieces. They [Hartley and Bashir] did very well. They’re good bowlers. I faced Bashir last year here, I thought he was a really good bowler, and the same with Tom Hartley when we played them in Southport, very consistent. Hopefully they can continue to do well.”Having spent several winters fulfilling 12th man duties on tour with England, Dawson on this occasion leapt at the chance to enhance his T20 CV, playing for Melbourne Stars in Australia’s Big Bash League, followed by a full season at the SA20 – where he helped Sunrisers to retain their title – and then two appearances in the knockout stages of the ILT20 with Gulf Giants, although on that occasion he was unable to add to what is an impressive, and growing, collection of silverware.”It was a really nice winter, nice to perform,” he said. “Nice to get the opportunity as well, to play for a few different teams. But it’s always nice to come back to your home county and get ready for a season.”I’m really excited, I love coming back here. It’s the same for everyone at this time of year. We’ve got a huge goal as a team, to try and win trophies here. It’s something we’ve done over the years, we’ve competed in all formats. It’s not different, hopefully we can compete in all formats and maybe win a trophy.””

KKR have been one of the form teams this season, while Punjab Kings, down in ninth place, have failed to bat at the speeds other teams have

S Sudarshanan25-Apr-20242:16

Moody: ‘KKR need to take a long-term view with Starc’

Match detailsKolkata Knight Riders (KKR; 2nd place) vs Punjab Kings (PBKS; 9th place)
Eden Gardens, Kolkata, 7:30pm IST (2pm GMT)Big picture – Best bowling side at batters’ paradisePunjab Kings (PBKS) have many issues to solve, but despite IPL 2024 being dominated by batters, bowling is not one of them.PBKS are the only side not to concede 200 or more in an innings yet – 199, twice, is the most scored against them. Their bowling average of 24.94 is the best among all the teams this season, with Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) 25.47 next in line. At the death (overs 17 to 20), PBKS have struck 23 times, the most by a team in IPL 2024, and their average in that phase (15.73) is again the best. They have been the third-most economical bowling team (8.98) this season too.Now they are at a venue – Eden Gardens – where 200 has been crossed in both innings in three of the four matches so far. It has been the venue with the third-highest scoring rate (10.43) this season, with Hyderabad (10.92) and Delhi (11.48) ahead.All of which brings the PBKS batters into sharp focus. They are the second-slowest scoring team (with a strike rate of 137.31) and also have the second-lowest batting average (23.84). None of their batters have totalled 200 yet, even though 24 batters have crossed the mark – Shashank Singh with 195 runs is their leading scorer.KKR have not been an easy side to either score against or bowl to this season. They are favourites here. So PBKS have to score bigger than they have so far and expect the bowlers to do what they have been doing, in KKR’s den. Not to forget, PBKS have only won three of their 12 games – only one in the last eight – at Eden Gardens.Form guideKKR WLWLW
PBKS LLLLW1:52

How can Jitesh Sharma find himself some form?

Team news and impact player strategyKolkata Knight Riders: KKR have subbed out a batter for a fast bowler or a spinner, depending on the conditions and the situation of the game, in each game. Usually, Rinku Singh has not been used in the fielding innings, with one of Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakravarthy and Suyash Sharma brought in. Expect them to continue with that.Probable XII: 1 Phil Salt (wk), 2 Sunil Narine, 3 Angkrish Raghuvanshi, 4 Venkatesh Iyer, 5 Shreyas Iyer (capt), , 7 Andre Russell, 8 Ramandeep Singh, 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Varun Chakravarthy, 11 Harshit Rana, Punjab Kings: Shikhar Dhawan will only be fit for PBKS’ next game, according to spin-bowling coach Sunil Joshi. Whether that means Sam Curran opens again or one of Rilee Rossouw and Jonny Bairstow partners Prabhsimran Singh is anybody’s guess.Probable XII: , 2 Rilee Rossouw/Jonny Bairstow, 3 Sam Curran (capt), 4 Jitesh Sharma (wk), 5 Liam Livingstone, 6 Shashank Singh, 7 Ashutosh Sharma, 8 Harpreet Brar, 9 Harshal Patel, 10 Kagiso Rabada, 11 Arshdeep Singh, In the spotlight – Mitchell Starc and Harshal PatelOf all the IPL grounds, the poorest economy rate (13.50) when fast bowlers bowl full under lights is at Eden Gardens. It’s the venue Mitchell Starc, who loves to swing the ball from fuller lengths, has to call home in IPL 2024, and his returns have mirrored those stats. His best performance this season – 3 for 28 against Lucknow Super Giants – came in Kolkata while bowling first in an afternoon game. Starc’s economy rate this season – 11.48 – is the poorest among bowlers who have bowled at least 25 overs, and is the poorest for any bowler to have bowled at least 20 overs in the first seven games of an IPL season. Most expensive in more ways than one, Starc has to live up to his reputation at some stage.Harshal Patel had a forgettable start to IPL 2024 – four wickets at an average of over 45 and an economy rate of 11.31 in the first four games. But since then, he has returned nine wickets – seven of those at the death – at an average of a shade under 11 and an economy of 7.46. He has been effective with his changes of pace as well as angles, and has bowled in each of the three phases in the last four matches. About 80% of his wickets are of right-hand batters, and KKR have plenty of them, including Andre Russell – Harshal has dismissed him twice in 26 balls in all T20s.Sunil Narine has been one of the star performers this IPL, with bat and with ball•BCCIPitch and conditionsThe KKR batters, especially the openers, have thrived on the high-scoring pitches in Kolkata. Expect a similar surface on Friday. Fast bowlers have had an economy of 10.74 in Kolkata as opposed to the spinners’ 9.31, and a lot of that has to do with the success of Sunil Narine (16 overs, six wickets, economy 6.25) and Varun Chakravarthy (16 overs, five wickets, economy 9.81).Stats that matter Narine’s 33 wickets against PBKS are the most for him against a single opponent in the IPL. He averages 19.90 against them and has an economy of 7.06 In the IPL, Shreyas Iyer has scored 12 off five balls against Kagiso Rabada, but in all T20s, it’s 19 off 21. However, Rabada has never dismissed Iyer Russell vs Curran is a proper cat-and-mouse game. Russell strikes at 221.4 against Curran for three dismissals in 28 balls in all T20s. Curran also gives it back: 39 runs in 21 balls for one dismissal against Russell in T20s.Quotes”I will get to bowl when the opportunity arises, I am working on my bowling. The Impact Player rule is such that the use of the allrounder is reduced. Every team wants to bowl with their main fast bowlers.”
“Jitesh is a quality batter, and we know that the time has come for him to fire. There are multiple players in the IPL, who are eager to be part of India’s T20 World Cup squad. For most of the players, making it to the Indian team will keep haunting them. So focus on the basics. You’ve got to perform and take it ball-by-ball, leave selection to the people who decide.”

Rasmus Hojlund has made it clear to Manchester United officials that he has no intention of leaving Old Trafford for RB Leipzig, according to reports from talkSPORT. Despite interest from the Bundesliga club, the Danish striker has informed the Red Devils that a move to Germany is not on his agenda.

Man Utd eager to offload HojlundWas tipped to join LeipzigThe Dane has no interest in the transfer  Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Leipzig had been exploring the possibility of signing Hojlund, potentially as part of a deal that would see United bring Benjamin Sesko to the Premier League. However, the 21-year-old Dane’s refusal to consider the switch could complicate United's efforts to land the Slovenian frontman.  

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A delegation from United was reportedly sent to Germany earlier this week to open discussions with RB Leipzig regarding Sesko. The striker had also attracted strong interest from Arsenal earlier in the window. However, the Gunners backed away after Leipzig stood firm on their valuation, which exceeded €80 million (£70m/$93m). 

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Newcastle United have also entered the chase for Sesko and have reportedly tabled an offer of €75 million (£65m/$87m), with an additional €5m (£4.3 million) in potential bonuses. Despite the significant bid, it is understood that Sesko would prefer a move to Old Trafford over a switch to St James' Park. This preference could tilt the negotiation in United's favour, especially if they can reach a compromise on Leipzig’s asking price. Sources suggest that both clubs are hopeful that a deal could be struck closer to the €70m (£61m/$81m) mark. 

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One of the proposals floated to facilitate the transfer was to offer Hojlund in exchange for Sesko, either as a direct swap or part of a package deal. This option was seen as a potential solution to help United manage their financial constraints under the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR).    

By offloading Hojlund and acquiring Sesko in return, United could theoretically balance the books and strengthen their squad at the same time. But with Hojlund now firmly opposing any move away from Manchester, the feasibility of that arrangement has been thrown into doubt.

Martin Williamson looks back on yet another wretched year for Zimbabwe

Martin Williamson28-Dec-2005

Tatenda Taibu – his retirement was the lowlight in a year of lows© Getty Images
So wretched was 2004 for Zimbabwe cricket that it was hard to envisage how 2005 could be any worse. That it was – and by some distance – underlined just how serious the problems had become. The year ended in virtual anarchy. The players were refusing to play while Peter Chingoka and Ozias Bvute, the unpopular Zimbabwe Cricket chairman and managing director, remained at the helm; allegations of widespread mismanagement and fraud were doing the rounds, and threats and intimidation appeared to have become the norm.Perhaps the saddest single event in a shameful 12 months was the resignation and retirement of Tatenda Taibu, Zimbabwe’s 22-year-old captain. Taibu represented the best hope for the future, and yet he and his family were threatened after he fronted the players’ opposition to Chingoka and Bvute. While the board claimed to have backed Taibu, it was noticeable that the source of the threats, an objectionable pro-Mugabe hardliner, was not censured. In fact, by the year end he had emerged as a new force in Zimbabwe cricket, heading up one of five new provinces created by ZC to keep the ruling faction in power. Other players gave up the struggle and sought to pursue their careers overseas, most noticeably Heath Streak, the man whose dismissal as captain in April 2004 triggered the whole crisis.On the field, Zimbabwe’s decline continued. They played eight Tests, and lost seven, all by massive margins. The one draw, against Bangladesh, owed much to Taibu, whose 85 and 153 dwarfed his colleagues’ contributions. The scale of their match-on-match humiliation can be judged by the fact that two of the losses came inside two days, and with the exception of the Bangladesh matches, the margin of the defeats would have been greater had opponents not declared early. The one-day performances were equally dire, although the year started with back-to-back wins in Bangladesh. But they went on to lose that series 3-2, and the remaining nine matches all ended in defeat, and again the margins were almost all large.In the autumn, the Under-23 side played in South Africa’s domestic competition and a President’s XI in India; both returned home without so much as a draw, and with few reputations enhanced. Perhaps the nadir came in October when Zimbabwe A were beaten three times at home by Kenya. So keen were Zimbabwe’s selectors to save face that they fielded a virtual full-strength side; it made no difference.The infrastructure had collapsed to such an extent that many who wanted to play the game had neither the equipment or the coaches. Money which should have gone to them was missing – stakeholders were asking where as much as $12 million had gone – while the board’s bloated administration grew by 800%.Throughout all this, the ICC remained on the sidelines, insisting that it could not involve itself in a “domestic matter”. But, as one senior administrator told me: “If you see someone drowning, do you stand and debate about whether to save them, or do you jump in?” The fear is that the damage done to Zimbabwe cricket might already be terminal.New man on the block Charles Coventry showed glimpses that he could be a useful batsman, but he needs to learn to build an innings; Colin de Grandhomme, who has been talked about as one of the best young batsmen, also impressed with the U-23 side in South Africa.Fading star None. The few stars there were have long since jumped ship, leaving enthusiastic but raw youngsters to face the music.High point Precious few. The two one-day wins against Bangladesh gave false hope, as did the opening session of the first Test against New Zealand when the visitors were reduced to 113 for 5; they still won by an innings inside two days.Low point Where do you start? On the field, the first day at Centurion when Zimbabwe were bowled out for 54 and South Africa closed on 340 for 3 (and went on to complete another two-day win); off the field, the circumstances which led to Taibu’s retirement.What does 2006 hold? Sadly, more of the same. With the ICC and its directors hiding behind their own rules, Zimbabwe’s decline is likely to continue. There is talent there, but it is hard to see how it can avoid being crushed by the weight of political indifference outside the country and mismanagement inside it. They are due to tour West Indies in April. If they do, then they face more humiliation; if they don’t, then they are likely to be kicked out of international cricket on a technicality, so sparing the ICC any less palatable decisions. A more cynical person might argue that would actually suit some people, easing the crush of the international merry-go-round and removing a constant thorn in the side.

Tests 8 0 71 ODIs 12 2 100

After another weekend of lurid tabloid revelations, Shane Warne was back doing what he does best today – spinning a cricket ball, inspiring a group of kids, and talking up Australia’s Ashes prospects

Andrew Miller08-May-2006

Shane Warne has launched a new spin-bowling initiative © Getty Images
After another weekend of lurid tabloid revelations, Shane Warne was back doing what he does best today – spinning a cricket ball, inspiring a group of kids, and talking up Australia’s Ashes prospects. Speaking at the launch of a new spin-bowling initiative in Bethnal Green in East London, Warne stressed that the Aussies were ideally placed to regain the urn, and warned England not to muddle their priorities in their bid for further glory this winter.”You guys in particular are pretty obsessed with the Ashes,” he told reporters. “You’ve got this summer to get through first, so I wouldn’t get too far ahead of yourselves. The Ashes are at the back of everyone’s minds, but Australia are in a very good position. Beating South Africa 3-0 away was an excellent achievement, we’ve got blokes who’ve found form with bat and ball, and we couldn’t have done anything more since losing the Ashes.”Warne gave particularly short shrift to comments made by his former captain, Steve Waugh, who told The Daily Mail on Monday that Australia had been too friendly with the England players last summer, and as a consequence, lost their aura of invincibility. “I don’t think that had anything to do with it,” Warne retorted sharply. “If we’d batted better we might have been okay. The way we play is our style of play, and it’s been pretty successful except for one series. I wouldn’t get carried away about what Steve Waugh’s got to say, it’s easy to sit back when you’re not playing now and say you should be doing this and you should be doing that.”We missed out on one series and were beaten by a better side,” Warne added. “England outplayed us, and all credit to them, as we’ve said four million times! Hopefully they’ll be saying the same about us at the end of next summer.”Not only did Warne refuse to apologise for Australia’s attitude to the 2005 Ashes, he added that the spirit between the sides had been one of the single most important factors in raising the profile of the game to new heights – a fact not lost on the 25 or so pupils sat on the floor in front of him, who were about to be given a masterclass in the mysterious art of legspin.”We need to make sure that kids stay involved in the game of cricket,” Warne explained, “and that’s the duty of all the captains in international cricket, and of all the players who are playing in a positive manner. We’ve not seen many draws in Test cricket lately, while in the Ashes last summer, one of the things that really captured the imagination was the spirit in which it was played, those images of shaking hands and clapping guys off who made hundreds and took five wickets. That’s what really put cricket on the map again.”Warne’s current mission is to keep the game on the map – even if that means helping out his arch-rivals, England. In signing a new five-year deal with Mitre, he has given a further indication of his longevity and stressed he would “never say never” when it came to another tour of England in 2009, when he would be coming up for 40 years old.In the long term, however, Warne is beginning to think about his legacy, and to that end, his involvement with Capital Kids Cricket, a London-based charity that is supported by the Lord’s Taverners, could provide the role-model that English spinners so desperately need in order to come through the system.”I like to think there are young cricketers out there who want to be like me,” he said modestly. “It’s my duty to keep that spin-bowling brotherhood going all around the world, and if [this initiative] produces a wristie who plays for England, we’ll all have done our jobs well, and I’ll be pretty proud.”Warne cited various factors why spinners tend not to thrive in England. The weather was the most obvious reason, but so too was a tendency towards unsympathetic and negative leadership. “Too many captains in county cricket prefer to revert back to medium pacers with one slip and a ring of fielders, and defend,” he explained. “They might take 0 for 25 in ten overs, but I’d sooner see 1 for 50 in a spell that changes the course of a game.”As a young kid it can be very frustrating, embarrassing even, if you drop one halfway down the wicket, and it’s hit for six out of the ground and your mates take the mickey. Sometimes you’ve got to be pretty strong, because spinners need a lot of love, especially from their captains.”There are two things you like to see as a player and a spectator,” Warne continued. “One is a fast bowler running in and trying to knock people’s heads off, with Flintoff taking them on on the hook. And the other is a spinner bowling with Pietersen trying to slog them for six. I’ve been hit for more sixes than anyone in international cricket. You always get a ball back, and another chance to get them out the next time.”Of his untimely appearance in the weekend papers, Warne remained understandably tight-lipped. “Private life should be private life,” he stressed. “I’m here for cricket, and to talk about all the good things in the game.” And to watch him in the nets afterwards, demonstrating the full nuances of his art to his young audience, with his wrist appearing to rotate through 180 degrees as he mixed vast legbreaks with flippers, topspinners and googlies, was to be reminded of the real reason of why he is still the brightest star in the game.”Everyone needs heroes,” Warne emphasised. With due respect to Ashley Giles, English spinners have struggled without an idol for years. Now, however, the best in the business is offering his services to England. If anyone is going to capture the imagination of the 25 on show in Bethnal Green, or the 100 young spinners who are set to attend an exclusive coaching day in September, no-one will capture it better than Warne.

England thought they had a plan to master India’s spinners, but it didn’t work in the Under-19 quarter-final as Iqbal Abdulla and Ravindra Jadeja tied them in knots

George Binoy in Kuala Lumpur24-Feb-2008
Iqbal Abdulla is forming an impressive partnership with Ravindra Jadeja and making life tough for batsmen © Getty Images
England’s batsmen tried to bat to a plan in their quarter-final against India: they were cautious against the new-ball and concentrated on keeping wickets in tact with the aim of steadily building momentum as the innings progressed. It did not turn out that way because after the fast bowlers tied them down, India’s left-arm spin duo – Iqbal Abdulla and Ravindra Jadeja – bowled with such accuracy that, between them, they took 5 for 52 in 19 overs as the batsmen tried to raise the run-rate.Abdulla and Jadeja didn’t have much to do in India’s initial games and bowled a total of 17.1 overs in the first two matches against Papua New Guinea and South Africa. However, Jadeja sent down 20 overs against West Indies and England while Abdulla was needed to bowl 18.5. As a result both bowlers’ rhythm has grown stronger as India approached the business end of the tournament.Abdulla took 3 for 29 in the match. He trapped the England captain Alex Wakely lbw with one that drifted in, and had Steve Finn stumped. However, it was his second wicket Tom Westley, who was caught by Virat Kohli at cover, which he was happiest with.”I had planned it [Westley’s dismissal],” Abdulla said. “It was a ball bowled according to the field and it dipped a bit. It feels good to bowl your entire spell. Though it was one over less, it was better than the earlier games.”England were 56 for 1 after 19 overs when the first spinner, Jadeja, was brought on to bowl and Abdulla felt that the fast bowlers had created an ideal situation for them.”The batsmen had a tough task. They had to score runs and keep wickets intact so they slowed down. When the runs didn’t come, I think they planned to play out all 50 overs. Once I flighted it and got hit out of the ground. After that I thought it was better to bowl tight. It wasn’t a very helpful track; it was turning just a bit.”Though both are left-arm orthodox spinners, they have contrasting styles. Abdulla tends to give the ball a little more air while Jadeja fires them in fast with the primary aim of frustrating the batsmen into making mistakes because of the lack of scoring opportunities.”We work well in tandem because, if I create pressure at one end, he [Abdulla] can get wickets at the other and vice versa,” Jadeja said. “I was mixing it up today. I was bowling arm balls, yorkers and some that even dipped in the air. The turn wasn’t much so the batsmen had to keep thinking whether the ball would turn a bit or go straight.”Jadeja says that he’s been working on his yorker and has come close to mastering it. “It comes in from outside off stump, drifts in the air, and also moves towards the stumps after pitching. Initially the batsman isn’t ready to face such a ball so it’s a problem.”Jadeja has developed a reputation of being hard to score against in the domestic limited-overs matches in India. He has seven wickets in the World Cup so far at an economy-rate of 2.77. Add Abdulla’s nine scalps at 9.11 apiece and India have a potent spin attack to back up the disciplined performances of their fast bowlers.

He was England’s inexhaustible colossus in the lean post-war years – both wicket-taker and stock bowler. A salute to Alec Bedser on his 90th birthday

Alan Hill04-Jul-2008
‘If his labours as a bowler could be collected and piled up around him in some visible shape he would be seen to be standing beside a mountain’ © Getty Images
The cricket challenges faced by Alec Bedser in the lean post-war years paled by comparison with the pressures confronting him on more forbidding battlegrounds. He was one of a host of emerging cricketers when war broke out in 1939. Six years of active service, latterly as an investigative military policeman, gave him a steel and maturity to counter all other trials. The returning warrior, then aged 28, was supremely equipped to engage in the tensions and intrigues of a Test match.Sir Alec, as he celebrates his 90th birthday, turns back the years to assess his enduring stamina as a cricketer. His fortitude is attributed to the countless hours of practice in the nets at The Oval. He and his twin brother Eric loved practising as boys. From their early years they set themselves the task of aiming to hit a piece of newspaper on a good length, and then bowling six balls each at a time, with one stump as a target. Alec offers this advice to erring bowlers. “Remember”, he says, “the stumps are only 28 inches high and if you don’t pitch it up enough you won’t hit the wicket and you won’t get anyone out lbw.”John Woodcock, the veteran cricket writer, has referred to Bedser as “loyal, kind and incorruptible”. He adroitly observed: “If his labours as a bowler could be collected and piled up around him in some visible shape he would be seen to be standing beside a mountain.” Bedser’s monumental endeavours were sorely needed by both Surrey and England. Testimony to his workload is indelibly contained in the statistical lists. Between April 1946 and September 1947 – two English summers and one overseas tour to Australia – he bowled 17,395 balls. In five summers of Test and county duties at home, he busily accumulated an aggregate of 5636 overs, well over 1000 each season. Throughout the long haul of post-war summers, Alec was unflaggingly both wicket-taker and stock bowler.The ascent to greatness was accomplished without a settled partner. Fast bowlers traditionally hunt in pairs. As England’s standard-bearer, Bedser had little respite from his labours until the arrival of Trevor Bailey, Fred Trueman and Brian Statham – all of them eagerly accepted as worthy companions. Juggling the meagre resources available, the England selectors discovered and discarded a variable contingent of new-ball allies, 17 in all, through Bedser’s Test career.Bedser would summon his powers of endurance, as he single-handedly held sway before Surrey’s years of plenty. Michael Barton, his captain from 1948 to 1951, conceded that Bedser was overbowled in his formative seasons. “Alec really carried us during that time. There is no question that he was the man who contributed most to our successes. He was a very hard worker, with great stamina, and he was a brilliant bowler, particularly on a bad wicket.”Bedser was nowhere more venerated as a bowler than in Australia, and he especially cherishes his exploits against his rivals from down under. He took 104 wickets, an average of almost five per match, in 21 Tests against Australia. He followed Wilfred Rhodes as only the second bowler since before the First World War to reach this milestone. Another 25 years would elapse after Bedser’s achievement before Derek Underwood added his name to this elite of bowling centurions against Australia.Events were to link Bedser with his good friend, Don Bradman, the greatest batsman to all who came within his sphere of command. From his first triumph at Adelaide in 1947, in the subsequent 15 innings of their rivalry, Bedser took Bradman’s wicket eight times. His feat in dismissing the Australian five times in consecutive Test innings is an unprecedented achievement. The delivery which produced a Bradman duck ten minutes before the close of play at Adelaide was the harbinger of things to come. The wonderful legcutter, deviating sharply and coaxed by enormous hands, was the weapon of confusion. It was “spun at speed” and the effect was a genuine legbreak. Bradman related: “It must have come three-quarters of the way straight on my off stump, then suddenly dipped to pitch on the leg stump, only to turn off the pitch and hit the middle and off stumps.”
Bedser dismisses Ron Archer, his 39th and final wicket in the 1953 Ashes series © The Cricketer
Remembrances of the newly installed nonagenarian pay attention to the economy of Bedser’s action – an unvarying run-up of ten paces, all designed to preserve maximum efficiency. It was estimated that each of his overs lasted two and a half minutes each. One former England colleague, Bob Appleyard, says that Bedser was so grooved in his action, which was rhythmical and economical, that he was able to continue for long periods. Staying at the wicket for two to three hours against Bedser constituted an achievement beyond the norm. Trevor Bailey still winces at the memory of his tussles. “The most significant feature was that Alec was responsible for bruising the inside of my right hand. He just kept on hitting the bat. Alec jarred my hand more than any other bowler I faced.”Bedser was called upon to dispense his wisdom and diplomacy in a record-breaking term as a Test selector at the start of the 1960s. The sequence included 12 seasons as chairman when his teams won ten, drew three and lost only five out of 18 series. His renown as a cricketer – and, perhaps more importantly, his integrity and status as a former professional – earned him acceptance as a trustee of the game. He never allowed popular clamour to cloud his judgment. Doug Insole, then chairman of the selectors, provided one telling story. Soon after Bedser’s elevation to the selection panel, he presided at a Test match dinner and was introduced to the assembled players. “If he says you’re fairly useful,” Insole explained, “you can be reasonably sure that he means you are among the best in the world.”Bedser was closely associated with the swiftly changing order in cricket. Usurping the old amateur supremacy was a surge in player power, which carried perils and impending conflict. He had to call heavily on his reserves of tenacity and patience in a succession of crises involving Geoffrey Boycott, Tony Greig and Ian Botham. Botham’s spectacular revival against Australia at Leeds in 1981 was a direct consequence of the unpalatable decision to sack him as captain.For Bedser, in his last season as chairman, the momentous events of that summer were the most pleasing of farewells. “All who know him and admire his sense of duty and enjoy his bluff humour will have been delighted he ended on a winning note,” observed Woodcock, then editor of Wisden. The happiness of the occasion ensnared another cricket correspondent. “That was a marvellous performance by Ian Botham,” enthused Christopher Martin-Jenkins. “Yes,” said Bedser. “Well, he’s a good cricketer.”

So what if England didn’t win too much last summer? The video chronicle makes for compelling viewing

Edward Craig24-Jan-2009

Any DVD called should be a seminal record of the game’s shifting sands: helicopters landing at Lord’s, players auctioned for millions of dollars, and bitter power struggles between governing bodies.The problem is it has to contain the cricket. It can be only as good as the material it has to chose from – and bore draws at Lord’s, an awful lot of rain and England losing do not help. There were good games and great moments. The trouble is that England were on the wrong end when it mattered.Despite this the DVD is compulsive viewing. And that is because it is put together by Sunset and Vine, the company that produced Channel 4’s coverage and still does Five’s daily highlights. This is essentially Five’s highlights of all the internationals edited and slung together.Mark Nicholas gushes his way through the summer, Geoff Boycott is brutal and accurate, and Simon Hughes is fantastic. As The Analyst on Channel 4, Hughes offered insight that Sky fails to match.Additional details knit it together well. The news-round before each Test explains what happened off the pitch: Stanford’s millions, Pattinson’s selection, Vaughan’s resignation. As a refresher it is priceless.How good was England’s comeback at Old Trafford against New Zealand? How poorly did Ryan Sidebottom bowl (the end-of-day summaries constantly refer to him as “off-colour”)? How good was Graeme Smith’s knock at Edgbaston? Who played the innings of the summer? (Answer: Ross Taylor, 154 at Old Trafford – the flair of Lara, the technique of Tendulkar.)You might not want to see Daniel Flynn’s tooth slowly dislodged from his mouth but then the same goes for much of England’s summer. England’s Summer of Cricket 2008
2 Entertain, 682 min, £29.99

The horrors of Sri Lanka behind him, the new, grown-up Matt Prior is back in contention for England

Andrew McGlashan15-Oct-2008
His time has come… again: Prior expected to be back during the winter, but was recalled to the one-day side before that © Getty Images
The earring has gone, the verbals have been toned down, and the hard work has paid off. In short, Matt Prior has grown up and got his England place back – it’s been one heck of a 12 months for him. “The most important year of my career,” he admits.This time last year Prior was still England’s Test wicketkeeper, and had only lost his one-day place because he had broken his thumb during the World Twenty20 in South Africa. Then he went to Sri Lanka and averaged 40 against Muttiah Muralitharan and Co. For an England wicketkeeper, that is the magic number. But for Prior there was a problem: he was missing catches. He was dropped for the tour of New Zealand and had to go away and do plenty of soul-searching.”It’s been a year of ups and downs, highs and lows, and a massive year for learning,” Prior tells Cricinfo at the launch of Slazenger’s 2009 kit range. “The experiences I’ve had will stand me in good stead for the future. I’ve matured as a player and a person.”His path back to international colours began on the south coast with Sussex. He was the leading batsman in the country during the first two months of the season and finished with 931 runs and 51.72 in the Championship. Meanwhile, England’s wicketkeeping position looked as undecided as ever.Tim Ambrose, Prior’s former team-mate at Sussex, made a bright start to his Test career with a century in only his second Test, in Wellington. But Ambrose’s challenges became harder, and while he caught most of what came his way, the runs dried up. His brief taste of one-day cricket was a struggle too. England were back to the drawing board. Prior’s time had come again, and it exceeded his expectations.”My goal when I got left out was to get a winter tour,” Prior says. “I thought that was a realistic goal. Breaking back into the team during the summer might be a bit much, I thought. So when I found out I was involved with the India tour, that was the major tick for me. At no stage during the summer did I change those goals. I said to myself, ‘That’s where I want to be in the winter, and if anything happens before then it’s a bonus.’ During the South Africa series my aim was still a winter tour.”That ambition has been achieved, and Prior starts the winter as England’s one-day keeper and on the verge of a Test recall. Predictably he plays down his hopes of replacing Ambrose – “I’m not thinking that far ahead” – but it would be a huge surprise if he isn’t back in Tests, come December. After a year of challenges, Prior will face one of his toughest – keeping on the dusty, low pitches England are likely to encounter.”I think if you ask many experienced international wicketkeepers, India and Sri Lanka are the two toughest places to keep wicket,” he says, with a clear relish for the task. “Not just because of the climate and heat, but also the wickets. You are normally standing very close. It is hard work, it’s an unforgiving place, but you can get a huge amount from it and get so much confidence from keeping well in the subcontinent.”How is he preparing himself for the pressure of those energy-sapping conditions, where every chance is a priceless commodity? After all, it was in similar circumstances that he lost his place, after he dropped vital catches off an increasingly furious Ryan Sidebottom in Colombo and Galle.”When I walk out there all I want to do is score a hundred and catch everything, but as you know we aren’t robots. Mistakes happen. They will happen. I hate to say it, but I will make another mistake””It’s about putting things into perspective, being able to get excited by things, but also realising that it may or may not be your day,” Prior says, giving an insight into his more mature mindset, before using the example of his blinding catch to remove Herschelle Gibbs in the one-day series to illustrate the stresses. “In a lot ways it’s in the hands of the gods. You can take a flying catch in front of first slip, but if I’d dropped it that would have been a different story. That’s the fine lines you work between in international cricket, especially as a wicketkeeper.”As international cricketers, as sportsmen, all you can do is work as hard as you can to prepare yourself to perform. When I walk out there all I want to do is score a hundred and catch everything, but as you know we aren’t robots and mistakes happen. They will happen. I hate to say it, but I will make another mistake. I’ll be trying my level best not to, but I’m human. Then it’s dealing with that mistake, otherwise it can ruin your whole day.”Prior’s battle for the wicketkeeping position with Ambrose has brought both their careers full circle. They went head to head at Hove, and the challenge persuaded Ambrose to search for pastures new, and he headed to Warwickshire to ensure himself regular first-team action. The two are still close friends and Prior sees it as a huge advantage that they are touring together.”It’s like an old-school keepers union. It will be good to have a guy I consider a mate to bounce the ideas and vice versa. We are still massively close and when we saw each other for the first time in a while recently it was just like being back at Sussex.”Timmy is a great lad. We have always got on – or at least I think we have – and I am really looking forward to the tour. We said years ago that we’d love to be in an England squad competing for a place. We’ll work hard and push each other like we did at Sussex.”At the moment the one-day role is a no-contest after Prior’s successful return against South Africa, where he caught all his catches and helped launch England’s innings with Ian Bell. “I hate being called a pinch-hitter,” Prior says with a hint of annoyance, “I’m a batsman.
Prior’s performances in the NatWest Series against South Africa brought him back into the frame © Getty Images
“There’s been a lot written that Belly is the one that sits in and I go on the attack. But the game at The Oval [where the pair added 101 in 15 overs], Belly was having his day and I had to stay at the other getting singles. Making a successful partnership is all about realising whose day it is.”Prior has certainly picked the right time to get back in the England side, with the small matter of $1 million on offer on November 1 in Antigua. “I was waiting for this,” he says when asked how he’ll spend the money. “There’ll be no flash cars, Swanny is in a world of his own,” he adds in reference to team-mate Graeme Swann’s call that he’ll buy a pink Ferrari if he wins.”I honestly haven’t thought about it. Over the last few weeks I’ve been trying to forget cricket and work on my gold handicap. I’m just looking at it as a fantastic opportunity.”And as is becoming a common theme among the England squad, Prior says the thought of a mega payday pales in comparison with the thought of regaining the Ashes next year. “To be part of an Ashes-winning team or a Stanford team – it’s a no-contest. I think that runs the side. We had to jot it down, the challenges over the next year, and from a cricketing point of view Stanford was the lowest on the list. India is a massive challenge, a hard, tough tour, then of course the Ashes, but that’s a long way off.”There’s so much happening; it’s a very exciting winter. I don’t want to look too far ahead.” Prior may believe the last 12 months have been the most important of his career, but the prizes on offer over the next year could change his life forever.