All posts by h716a5.icu

He picked up R Ashwin’s tricks from YouTube videos and went on to become his team-mate and trump card in the IPL. What can we expect from their first Test-match meeting?

Sidharth Monga12-Jun-20182:11

‘I’d to like to dismiss KL Rahul’ – Mujeeb

In many ways Mujeeb ur Rahman has broken the Afghan prototype. He is among the first few homegrown cricketers to make the international side. He was neither born in Pakistan nor did he learn his cricket there. He doesn’t speak Urdu. But he shares one trait with most Afghanistan cricketers. He has taught himself the game. Off YouTube, no less, bowling and bowling until his fingers hurt badly.Mujeeb does enjoy the privilege of being the nephew of one of the founding fathers of cricket in Afghanistan, Noor Ali Zadran. Noor was born in Pakistan and learnt his cricket there, but, a man of means, he made sure there were facilities at home for future generations. It is not uncommon for families in Khost to own 2000-square-meter farms that house the extended family and have space for guest houses, cattle, and their crop. Noor added his own cricket academy to his family farm.Mujeeb was nine when uncle Noor was representing Afghanistan in the 2010 World T20. “That’s when I picked up the ball,” Mujeeb says. He started bowling with the taped tennis ball in the streets, and did the natural thing to squeeze it out of the front of the hand, giving it a flick with the middle finger. Sometime around 2011 or 2012, Noor got the nets ready, and Mujeeb began to bowl with the cricket ball for the first time.When Mujeeb tried to bowl that carrom ball with the cricket ball, it came out as a slow floaty nothing. That is usually when most street cricketers realise what works on the soft tennis ball doesn’t on the hard cricket ball, and try something else. Not Mujeeb. He knew there were others who had made the transition, but he had no access R Ashwin, Ajantha Mendis or Sunil Narine. Nor did he have a coach who could help him.So Mujeeb began to download videos of the three bowlers on his phone, watch them on an app that would play them in slow motion, and go about trying to do what they did. Nobody told him what to do. He just began to copy what he saw, and bowled all day long. “Just bowl until the fingers couldn’t take it anymore,” he says. “I needed strength in my fingers to be able to do it with the hard ball.”Mujeeb was fortunate that apart from bowling alone in the nets he could bowl to a family full of batsmen. Another of Noor’s nephews, Ibrahim Zadran, plays first-class cricket now. Then there was always Noor batting in the nets when not on tour. He advised Mujeeb to lengthen his run-up. His first manager in domestic cricket, Dawlat Ahmadzai, began to use him as a new-ball bowler in local tournaments. He would tell him how to bowl, how to set batsmen up.One day at a family gathering – and he was about 15 then – Mujeeb batted against a legspinner who bowled a wrong’un. Yes, they play cricket at family unions in the Zadran household in Khost. And he went to the man and learned how to bowl the wrong’un. When uncle Noor saw it, he encouraged him to bowl it. “The carrom ball and the googly are my strong balls now,” Mujeeb says.BCCIWhen Mujeeb was playing the Under-19 World Cup, an India international – another cricket lunatic – watched him while on tour to South Africa. He was impressed with the wrong’un, and the unusual action. He began to ask around, and even procured some videos.When Kings XI Punjab picked him on the first day of the IPL auction, R Ashwin must have known they were looking at him as a potential captain, but couldn’t have been sure. By the second day he was in talks with the franchise and told them he wanted Andrew Tye and Mujeeb. They had the budget. They got Mujeeb for INR 4 crore (USD 630,000 approx).This could have been a movie plot. Mujeeb learns by watching Ashwin on YouTube, and Ashwin – not aware of this yet – picks him as his trump card. On their first meeting, Ashwin remembers, Mujeeb was shy. It didn’t help that he had run into KL Rahul in the nets and caught an early glimpse of his stupendous form.Mujeeb couldn’t speak the language but he understood Hindi/Urdu. Hindi, though, is not Ashwin’s first language. One man barely speaks a language, the other man barely understands it. They spoke a common language, though: bowling. Ashwin soon realised both of them “operated at the same frequency”. He saw similarities outside the carrom ball. Mujeeb was self-taught, which is why he was never averse to trying new things. Ashwin was all about new things.In his early days in the IPL, Ashwin was used mainly as the opening bowler because he bowled alongside Muttiah Muralitharan, who got the middle overs. Everybody told Ashwin Mujeeb was a new-ball bowler but he could see it was because he played alongside Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi for Afghanistan. Before IPL, he hardly used to bowl outside the Powerplay. ESPNcricinfo has ball-by-ball records for only three of Mujeeb’s T20 matches before the IPL; in those three games, he had bowled the maximum possible overs, nine, in the Powerplay.Using spinners in the Powerplay is not new but it is not an aggressive ploy, according to Ashwin. Quite early on Ashwin told Mujeeb he wanted to aggressively control games through him. And it was like there were no language barriers.”More often than not we generally spoke about bowling and not much other than that,” Ashwin says. “And when it came to bowling, he has that innate intelligence. He is quite smart. He is a self-made cricketer. Most of the Afghans are self-made and self-taught. It just becomes that much easier then. If you throw him a new option, he is up for it. He would lap it up.”In the IPL, Mujeeb bowled only 11.2 overs inside the Powerplay. “I wanted to give him the luxury of creating more pressure through the middle rather than at the top,” Ashwin says. “Because we had enough ammunition at the top. We had Ankit [Rajpoot] to swing, I could bowl a few overs, Axar [Patel] could give us a couple, Mohit [Sharma] was there.”I tried to use him in overs that were the impact overs of the game. It was more about trying to create control from him through the middle overs and create opportunities at the other end. It was going to be easier trying to take wickets with him at the other end because people are going to go after safer options. Predominantly use him, if I needed wickets, push the batsmen in the corner and then use him. That was the other strategy. And he has never really bowled beyond the new ball outside the IPL. I knew he was capable of doing it, and he did it really well.”BCCIThis freed Mujeeb up. Ashwin is most impressed with Mujeeb’s temperament despite his feeling a little intimidated by the big IPL crowds initially, which resulted in a few misfields early in the season. Mujeeb came back to provide one of the images of the tournament. In an IPL where great players of spin struggled to pick wrong’uns, his dismissal of Virat Kohli was perhaps the most comprehensive.”Dot, dot, and then play with the batsman,” Mujeeb says when asked how he learnt how to take wickets. “You bowl dots, make them feel restless, and then pack their strength and give them a ball to hit.”The key is in knowing what the strength is and when the batsman is going to play the big shot. In that match, Mujeeb bowled five balls to Kohli. The first two went for singles, the next two were dots. He had shown him the carrom ball and the offbreak.”I felt he felt he had sussed my action,” Mujeeb says. “I had him on two dots in a row. I packed the cover field because that is his strength, and then bowled the new ball. He must have thought it was a legbreak.”This was a generously flighted delivery, Kohli went for the drive, playing for a legbreak, and the ball spun back sharply to castle him.There is a great intuition in knowing when to bowl the sucker ball. “I can feel it when a batsman is not relaxed.”Ashwin was not done with Mujeeb, though. He could see Mujeeb was up to learn more, and has shared with him a new delivery: a slow floater that looks like an offbreak but doesn’t turn. If anything, it drifts away. The lack of pace means the batsman struggles to get under it. He has used it to good effect against MS Dhoni and Dinesh Karthik. “It is not really an attacking ball to be very honest,” Ashwin says. “It is a defensive ball. It requires a lot of practice.”Back in the nets in Dehradun after an injury affected the second half of his IPL, Mujeeb has been bowling that ball. Because his index finger is not as strong as his middle finger, his fingers are hurting. But, as Ashwin expected, he is working on it. “If someone is very keen to learn, as most self-taught cricketers are, he will adapt pretty well,” Ashwin says.If he plays on Thursday, which is likely, Mujeeb will make his first-class debut in his country’s inaugural Test match. He will come up against India and Ashwin. It will be a challenge, but Ashwin knows too much about Mujeeb’s skill and attitude to underestimate him. “I am not expecting any gifts”.

The 19 runs scored by Australia in the first Powerplay was their fewest in an ODI at home

Gaurav Sundararaman04-Nov-20187 – Consecutive losses for Australia in ODIs – their worst streak ever, beating their six successive losses between September 7 and November 3, 1996. The current streak started against England at the Perth Stadium earlier this year. Australia lost five games to England in England and now have one loss against South Africa.3 – Bowlers to have got to 150 ODI wickets in fewer matches than Imran Tahir. He equals the South Africa record of 87 matches to the milestone. Allan Donald and Morne Morkel also reached this mark in 87 matches. Saqlain Mushtaq (78 matches), Brett Lee (82) and Ajanta Mendis (84) are the bowlers who reached there quicker.8 – Wins for South Africa in Perth. This city has been a happy hunting ground for South Africa; they’ve lost just two games across formats here.124 – Balls remaining for South Africa when they achieved their target – their fourth-largest victory against Australia in terms of balls remaining. Incidentally, three of the top four games have taken place in Perth.1 – Number of totals smaller than the 152 that Australia scored here, while batting first. This is Australia’s fifth-lowest first-innings score at home.19 – Runs scored by Australia in the first Powerplay – the lowest at home and the second lowest since 2001 while batting first. The previous lowest was when they had scored 15 runs against England in 2012. This was also the first instance in which Australia did not score a boundary in the first 10 overs while batting first and third instance overall since 2001.Graphic: Australia got off to a dreadful start in the first ODI against South Africa•ESPNcricinfo Ltd5 – Matches in which Mitchell Starc has not taken the new ball for Australia. The previous such instance was in 2014 in Zimbabwe, and this is the first instance at home since 2012.10 – Losses for Australia in 2018 from 11 matches – the worst year for Australia in ODIs. Even if they win the next two matches, this will still be the worst year for them. In their last 21 ODIs, Australia have won only two matches.

CSK coach feels the only concern for the defending champions is player availability, with four overseas players set to leave during the IPL

Deivarayan Muthu in Chennai20-Mar-20194:02

Workload management has influenced our preparation – Fleming

Last season, MS Dhoni enjoyed his best IPL with the bat. He racked up 455 runs in 15 innings at an average of 75.83 and strike rate of over 150. Thirteen out of those 15 innings were at No. 4 or No. 5, but Chennai Super Kings coach Stephen Fleming has hinted that Dhoni might not bat as high in the line-up and would float in the middle order instead in IPL 2019.At the launch of CSK’s official merchandise in Chennai, Fleming also said that a fit-again Kedar Jadhav, who has slotted into the role of finisher for India, would ease the pressure on Dhoni. In IPL 2018, Jadhav played only the season opener – and won that for the team – before a hamstring injury sidelined him from the rest of the season.”Dhoni batted pretty much [at] No. 4 last year but we do use him in a little bit of flexible role, so that won’t change. His form has been outstanding in the last ten months, so, we won’t be getting tricky because we have a new player as well [Jadhav], which is great. So, we’re really happy with the [batting] order and the thoughts around that,” Fleming said.Suresh Raina gets some pointers from Stephen Fleming and Mike Hussey•PTI Four of CSK’s players – Jadhav, Dhoni, Ambati Rayudu and Ravindra Jadeja – are on India’s World Cup radar, and Fleming conceded that the franchise have to be wary of managing their workloads in the IPL.In addition to these four India players, several others such as South Africa’s Faf du Plessis, Imran Tahir and England’s David Willey are set to play the World Cup and are, therefore, going to leave the IPL early. But Fleming said that the side was mindful of the players’ availability and that managing the workloads of the bowlers would be a bigger challenge.Left-arm spin-bowling allrounder Mitchell Santner, too, just has returned to action from a knee injury, and was even rested for a few limited-overs games against India earlier this year.

When we sit and pick as a team, we were mindful of how many players will be leaving early and what the balance would be like. So, it has had an influenceSTEPHEN FLEMING

“Yes, this [workload management] is going to play a part,” Fleming said. “The reason I say that is England 18 months ago stipulated when their players will be leaving early; Australia are the same. It has had an impact. When we sit and pick as a team, we were mindful of how many players will be leaving early and what the balance would be like. So, it has had an influence.”Jadhav also touched upon the topic of workload management, hinting that he might limit his bowling for CSK.”My workload, I think, is about managing my bowling,” Jadhav said. “In CSK, I don’t think I need to bowl as much as I do in the Indian team. How you recover after every IPL game really matters during this two-month period. You can’t just improve in one training session.”Obviously, it’s up to the individuals and we are smart enough to handle the situation. We will work in tandem with trainers and physios of Indian team as well as the franchise. We have got some notes [from Indian trainers and physios] and we have to follow them.”MS Dhoni limbers up at a Chennai Super Kings training session•PTI Fleming was particularly pleased with the balance of the side and welcomed the addition of Santner, who had missed the entire IPL 2018 due to injury. More recently, Santner played a crucial role – both with ball and bat – in Northern Districts’ run to the final in the Super Smash and later proved his fitness in the four-day Plunket Shield. Santner’s inclusion, Fleming said, would bolster the spin attack of Tahir, Harbhajan Singh, Karn Sharma and Jadeja, on what is expected to be a sluggish Chepauk track.”Yeah, Mitch has a got a great record in the subcontinent and it’s good to have him,” he said. “We obviously missed him last year – so again it’s like a new signing. Just the quality and game plan. We have a strong top order and we have good variations [in the attack].”Fleming also talked up the seam attack that adapted to the quicker, bouncier pitches in Pune last year, and reckoned they might still have a role to play in Chennai.”We backed our pace bowlers last year and they made the adjustment to Pune last year,” Fleming said. “Chennai still has a role for the pace bowlers; we’re conscious of a good balance. Imran Tahir is in good form, Karn Sharma and Harbhajan with his experience – we’ve got most of the bases covered and it’s just about getting the guys to perform and sitting on our game plan, especially at home but when we play away as well. “So, with nearly all the bases covered, can CSK claim an unprecedented fourth IPL title? Fleming isn’t thinking about that just yet, and wants his players to absorb pressure and grab the crunch moments like they did last season.”We don’t talk about defending or retaining the Cup,” he said. “We’re humble enough to know how hard it is to win it. [It’s] not arrogance. Just a case of caring for others and playing along.”Last year we just won big moments. We’re just big on team culture and empowering the players to make decisions and win big moments. And last year was a snapshot of that. Even though the young man [Jadhav] was only with us for one game, he played a huge part in winning that game with Bravo. And Faf du Plessis and [Shane] Watson at the end. And the usual suspects of Dhoni and Raina.”

The 2011 World Cup semi-final, the six sixes off Broad, something else? Vote for your favourite memory

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Jun-2019

Kirsty Coventry wasn’t sure why the ICC had taken a harsher line with Zimbabwe as compared to other Full Members

Danyal Rasool and Liam Brickhill24-Jul-2019Just under two years ago, Twitter had increased its character limit from 140 to 280, opening up the potential for a little more verbosity and discursion. Zimbabwe’s current minister of youth, sport, art and recreation, however, had little use for that in the moments after the ICC announced it was suspending the country from cricket participation for alleged government interference in cricket governance.All Kirsty Coventry required was 52 characters – three of them taken up by indignant exclamation marks – to make her point. “There has been no Government Interference @ICC!!!” she tweeted.In an exclusive interview with ESPNcricinfo, Coventry, a former swimmer with seven Olympic medals – no female swimmer has ever been more prolific in terms of individual medals – stood by that terse exclamation. Also the chair of the Athletes’ Commission in the International Olympic Committee, Coventry drew a clear line between the Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC), and the government, insisting that while the SRC may be a public body, its running was wholly independent from the government, whom it took no dictation from when it decided to dissolve the entire Zimbabwe Cricket board.ALSO READ – An explainer of Zimbabwe’s suspension and its implications”There’s a very clear line in terms of the ICC constitution when they reference government interference,” she said. “There are some big differences between a public body and government. As minister I appoint the SRC board. Once they are appointed, they have to abide by their act. I cannot influence them. They are appointed to give me information and feedback. I am not supposed to interfere in the running of the SRC board. They are there to oversee the national associations in terms of governance.”In terms of what happened with Zimbabwe Cricket, the SRC felt they were not abiding by their own constitution, and hence asked them to postpone their general assembly and the elections. The ZC board decided at the time not to listen to that and hence the SRC moved to suspend them because they were going against their own constitution. The SRC Act that we legally have in our country allows for it to oversee national associations to prevent bad governance and get our sports back to where they should be. As far as the ICC ruling goes, from my point of view there’s a big difference between government interference and what actually happened. The difference is that I, as someone who is in government, was not involved in making the decision of the SRC board, and I did not issue any directive.”Coventry is still “very disappointed” by the ICC ruling, while acknowledging she knew the SRC’s decision ran the risk of sanction from the ICC. She believes the decision was taken for the good of cricket in Zimbabwe, and wasn’t sure why the ICC had taken a harsher line with Zimbabwe than they had with other Full Members where interference was suspected.Getty ImagesGovernment interference in some form or the other is hardly unique to Zimbabwe. In Pakistan, the prime minister is the patron-in-chief of the cricket board, and has the power to, for all practical purposes, appoint the PCB chairman. The SRC’s defence specifically quoted what they believed qualified as similar yet more striking examples of government interference in Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka’s cricketing affairs, alluding to the Lodha reforms, as well as the BCCI’s stance of not playing a bilateral series against Pakistan until they were cleared to do so by their government.In 2015, the ICC probed Sri Lanka Cricket for potential government interference in the dissolution of its board, but in none of these cases did a suspension ensue.Coventry hinted at a deeper sense of injustice when drawn upon those parallels. “I’d love to get an answer to [why we were treated differently]. But I don’t want to assume anything. I believe that the ICC at the end of the day try to make decisions based off what is best for the sport. I can’t really comment on anything to do with other countries and maybe the financial clout that they may or may not have.”ALSO READ: Sounds like ICC have had enough with Zimbabwe cricket – Grant FlowerThere’s little time, however, to nurture any grievance of that sort, and Coventry knows that best of all. This is, according to Grant Flower – and his view isn’t by any means in the minority – it’s the deepest crisis cricket in Zimbabwe has ever countenanced, “far worse” than the rebel boycott of 2004. The financial shortages are crippling enough to mean hosting bilateral series is out of the question. Zimbabwe announced their participation in the Bangladesh tri-series scheduled to take place in September was off, too. With apparently no money to pay players, let alone ground staff and the hundreds of other people ZC employs, there is little time to lose if Zimbabwe are to come to a deal with the ICC.The Zimbabwe women’s team was scheduled to take part in T20 qualifiers in August, with the men to follow suit in October and November. As things stand, they are both barred from doing so, with non-participation in the event, and the subsequent T20 World Cup, likely to be another torpefying blow to the cricket board’s already beleaguered financial state. Coventry said discussions were ongoing as to how players – whom she called “the highest priority” could continue to get paid while the suspension hung over the board, and was hopeful of a swift resolution with the ICC.”I’d like to think that people can come together and work together and figure out something. From my point of view the players are the most important right now and making sure that we keep to the schedule that they’ve been training for and working towards is very important.”When the ICC decides to suspend a country, they send formal communications with timelines and expectations. I’m interested at looking at what that paperwork entails and for them to make a little more clear the reason they took their decisions. But at the end of the day, I do not want to see my players suffering with our women’s and men’s team both having crucial games coming up. Time is of the essence.”AFPWhatever the next few months hold, the embattled cricket board’s struggles appear to only just have begun. The next challenge will be to hold onto their players in the face of yet another exodus, with Solomon Mire already having announced his retirement and Sikander Raza and Kyle Jarvis having hinted at the possibility. Others are unlikely to be far away, particularly if the suspension isn’t just the ICC “shaking the tree to give it a jolt”, as Coventry put it.For her, though, any contemplation of cricket dying out in Zimbabwe appears to be an unbearable thought.”I hope not,” Coventry says quietly. “I hope the ICC realises how big of a cricket nation we are. I grew up going and watching the Flowers and Henry Olonga and Heath Streak and even now, when we hosted the World Cup Qualifiers last year, cricket just brought people together. I would hope that the ICC wants to work with us and ensure everything gets back on track. Not just to take it back to where it used to be, but leapfrog it.””We have to restructure our different sports and take hard decisions. This decision wasn’t an easy one. I think they understood and knew what the repercussions could be. But sometimes we have to take two steps back to move forward. And I believe at the end of the day, the board that I’ve put in place are made up of very passionate, enthusiastic, and smart people who believe that Zimbabwe have talent.”We’ve been losing a lot of our talent to other countries and we have to be able to figure out how to better support our athletes. We do that by creating the correct structures with the right people in place.”Coventry doesn’t exactly want for sporting achievements in her career. But just as she’s begun to dip her toe into the difficult world of Zimbabwean politics and sports administration, she finds herself fighting currents you don’t get in an Olympic swimming pool. There may be no gold medal at the end of this, but righting the course of Zimbabwean cricket would still be an achievement to rank fairly high on one’s CV. Even if you’re Kirsty Coventry.

As long as he was there, giving India’s faltering chase direction, the allrounder put the New Zealanders on the back foot

Nagraj Gollapudi at Old Trafford10-Jul-20195:23

What’s the fuss about ‘Bits and Pieces’ cricketers?

Ravindra Jadeja stood still. Head down. Just for a tiny moment.He caught his breath. Gathered his thoughts. The Indian fans were dancing, chanting, shrieking, celebrating his half-century. He then twirled his bat in his familiar sword fashion in the direction of the dressing room. He then raised his hands high, and spread them wide, looking in the direction of the commentators’ box at the Brian Statham End, as if to say something to one particular gent sitting inside: Sanjay Manjrekar. Jadeja seemed to tell Manjrekar in Denesh Ramdin style : “Yea Sanj, talk nah.”

****

Last week, Manjrekar had said that he did not believe in “bits-and-pieces” cricketers like Jadeja in ODI cricket and preferred specialists in the Indian XI. Unusually for a quiet person, Jadeja retorted strongly, tweeting: “Still i have played twice the number of matches you have played and i m still playing. Learn to respect ppl who have achieved.i have heard enough of your verbal diarrhoea.@sanjaymanjrekar.”Watch on Hotstar (India only): Highlights of Ravindra Jadeja’s inningsThe tweet created more than a ripple. Jadeja had his team’s support all right. Vice-captain Rohit Sharma said it was not right for analysts – without naming Manjrekar – to keep “yapping”. However, perhaps unwittingly, Manjrekar seemed to have spurred Jadeja on. Jadeja was smart to understand that deeds speak louder than words. No one understands that better than athletes, with the possible exception of Nick Kyrgios.Are you not entertained?: Ravindra Jadeja answers his critics Gladiator style•IDI via Getty ImagesJadeja might not have the gift of touch that Kyrgios has, but unlike the Australian tennis player, the Indian allrounder is dogged. On Wednesday, the reserve day of the first World Cup 2019 semi-final, he had walked in to join MS Dhoni with India needing 148 runs from about 19 overs. This was only his second match of the World Cup, the first in India’s last match of the group phase, against Sri Lanka, where he was not needed to bat.WATCH on Hotstar (US only) – Highlights of India’s chaseThe pressure was immense. But Jadeja got into the act quickly. With Jimmy Neesham feeding him in the slot, Jadeja hit one over deep midwicket for a flat six, the first of the stuttering Indian innings. Indian fans, silenced by the early massacre of the top order at the hands of Matt Henry, in the main, sensed something. Jadeja kept the tempo up, and “O Ravi Jadeja” became the background score for nearly the next hour and a half as he hit 77 from 59 balls. From No. 8.While Dhoni quietly found the singles, Jadeja chose to attack the bowler. Even Mitchell Santner, who had dried India’s run rate in the middle overs by making use of the turn on the pitch, was hit for two sixes in successive overs. When Santner fired an arm ball, Jadeja was ready to flat bat it. Spin or pace, it did not matter to him.

Virat Kohli says Jadeja had something to prove, and in 10 years of playing with him, this was his best ever knock #INDvNZ | #CWC19 pic.twitter.com/k49kvtjKse

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) July 11, 2019

Neesham and Lockie Ferguson grimaced as Jadeja read their faster balls, their slow bouncers, their short-pitched stuff with ease and countered them with power and confidence. Ferguson set an attacking field with no long-off, and Jadeja hit a length ball high into the stands there for a six.New Zealand knew what Dhoni was capable of at the death, whatever the run-ball equation, but Jadeja might have surprised them. He had done it in the first half – or the first day – of the game too. He ran through his ten overs in next to no time, returning 1 for 34. He was India’s most economical bowler. The wicket came from a beauty, bursting through Henry Nicholls’ defence with one that pitched on length, drew the batsman out, and then turned into him before hitting the stumps.The Old Trafford pitch was two-paced and gripping, there was a bit of turn too. Perfect for Jadeja. There were Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor in front of him.In the 24 deliveries Williamson faced from Jadeja, he scored 17 runs. But the Indian’s grip over the New Zealand captain is easily gauged from the number of dot balls there – 14. However, it was Taylor who Jadeja tormented. In the 21 balls he faced off the left-arm spinner, Taylor played 17 dot balls, while picking four runs, all singles.Jadeja was accurate and disciplined. He pitched on a good length and varied his pace. On flat surfaces, Jadeja usually fires the ball in, but on a pitch like at Old Trafford, he slowed it down while also mixing his pace. According to Murali Kartik, former India left-arm spinner, Jadeja gave the batsmen barely any scoring opportunities. Not too full, not too short; almost everything was played to fielders.Oh, before we forget, there was that throw to send back Taylor too.Ross Taylor chanced Ravindra Jadeja’s arm and paid the price•IDI via Getty ImagesAlthough he failed to take India home, Jadeja did play a memorable innings.When at home, Jadeja rides his horses to relax. On Wednesday, despite Dhoni’s presence, Jadeja grabbed the whip and cracked it, for a while. For that period, 84 minutes, he dictated not just the run flow, but also the decision-making of the New Zealanders. He pushed Dhoni for twos, and Dhoni did not mind. The key was to keep building that partnership, keep taking forward that momentum. It nearly worked.Kohli said India’s dream was shattered in the first 45 minutes of the chase. While he was out there, Jadeja kept that dream alive, flickering. Bit by bit, piece by piece.Afterwards, Manjrekar responded: “Well played, Jadeja.” And later told the host broadcaster, “By bits and by pieces, he just ripped me apart today.”

He was expected to step up to the next level after his epic fourth-innings hundred in Brisbane three years ago, but things haven’t gone to plan

Danyal Rasool20-Nov-2019Perhaps he could have ducked out of the way. Maybe, with a fresher mind and quicker footwork, he could have got on top of it and fended it into the leg side; there was no short leg after all. Or possibly, that delivery from Mitchell Starc to Asad Shafiq was so ruddy unplayable that every possible universe had him edging it into the air, with a gleeful David Warner positioned directly underneath it.That was Brisbane 2016. Australia like to call the ground the Gabbatoir, as they well might; the home side has not lost a Test match here in 31 years, a streak that stretches to 30 games. But for a while at the end of the fourth day and that fateful fifth morning, Shafiq had Australian necks on the line. Coming in at number six and batting with the lower order, each tail-ender improbably giving him better company than the previous, Shafiq inched towards his hundred, and then surged well beyond it. Pakistan sneaked up on 400 – just 90 short of their target, and what would have been the biggest-ever fourth-innings Test chase – and then surged well beyond it.They were 41 runs away when Starc produced that magical ball to end the most extraordinary resistance. Four balls later, the game was won. The Gabbatoir was intact.It is tempting to wander down an alternate history where Shafiq took Pakistan over the line, just to see what would have happened to his personal career. This intensely private man would have likely seen his face staring back at him from billboards and cheesy television ads across the country, opportunistic politicians garlanding him with awards and cash prizes. It is possible he would have been appointed Pakistan captain at some point. It is possible he would have been called back into the limited-overs side for no reason whatsoever. But what would it have done for, and to, Shafiq the cricketer? In all probability, absolutely nothing.It feels odd to even be discussing Shafiq. He is one of the first names on the team sheet – and yet arguably the least talked about among all of them. Naseem Shah has probably received more attention this past fortnight than Shafiq has in his entire career, the buzz around Brisbane 2016 excepted.He has played 64 consecutive Tests and counting – well over any sustained run any Pakistani player has ever made, and yet decent money can be wagered over the idea that more people in Pakistan recognise Shaheen Afridi by face than do Shafiq. In a single-sport country where the media obsessively scrutinises what every player does on the field or off it, the mention of Shafiq’s name provokes only half-hearted chatter before everyone moves on. For most of his career, he was shunted down to No. 6 like an afterthought. He only earned a promotion from No. 6 after that innings in Brisbane, by which time he had broken Sir Garry Sobers’ record of scoring the most hundreds from that position.There’s every possibility the lack of attention has been beneficial to Shafiq’s career. When players are built up excitedly in Pakistan, they get torn down with even more frenzy, and in a country where what the press says has always had a not insignificant effect on selection decisions, it is better to fly under the radar, a technique Shafiq has perfected in the eight unbroken years he has been with the Test side.Tim Paine looks on as Asad Shafiq lunges forward to defend•AFPBut while the unassuming, private nature of the man could be spoken of as virtues, there’s also the fairly irrefutable point that he isn’t talked about because he hasn’t done much worth speaking of. Shafiq’s technique is stronger than most Pakistan batsmen’s, though his footwork while facing the moving ball still never feels quite certain. He has the tendency to take a half step either back or forward, without ever really committing to either footwork or shot. But there’s more to it than that, a sense of something elemental missing, something the best batsmen have. He should be in that category, but he has never taken that step up.If anything, his career since Brisbane has gone in the other direction. After that innings, his Test average stood a shade under 42. In 18 Tests since, he averages 32.09.Brisbane was been the perfect time for Shafiq to push his average closer to 50, with the promotion up the order imminent, and the retirements of Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq only a few months away. It was when we were supposed to see him realise the potential that had been in gestation for six years. It hasn’t happened, and it makes you wonder if winning that Test, or being made captain, would have made any difference after all.There are mitigating circumstances still. Shafiq is a Test specialist in a side that plays that format far too infrequently for any player to be able to build up any sort of momentum or rhythm. The gulf in quality between Pakistan’s first-class competition and Test cricket is vast, and he has to make that step up before every series he plays. It is perhaps what has driven Yasir Shah’s recent inconsistency too. Pakistan last played a Test in January this year, away in South Africa. Shafiq scored 186 runs in that series at 31.00, with no centuries and two fifties. In a series dominated by seam bowling, they were decent numbers, good enough to ensure there was no pressure on his place, and yet nothing really remarkable. Just standard, Asad Shafiq numbers.And as Brisbane beckons to him once more, he strides into another series against Australia doing what he does best: looking good, and showing promise. It feels depressing to talk of a 33-year old in language reserved for someone of Naseem Shah’s age, but that is what you get with Shafiq. He comes in on the back of two exquisite centuries in warm-up games against Australia A and a CA XI in Perth, and, alongside Babar Azam, he is arguably Pakistan’s best hope of ensuring this isn’t going to be yet another Australian tour of misery, recriminations and inevitable, hopeless defeat.The introvert who shone on the most extrovert stage in world cricket, Asad Shafiq’s story threatens to take flight once more. The appetiser in Perth, as ever, has been salivating; you just have to hope that, at the Gabbatoir, there’s enough meat in the main course too.

Tottenham Hotspur chiefs are now considering the possibility of poaching a star from Stamford Bridge, with Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca now prepared to let him go.

Ange Postecoglou faces crucial Europa League quarter-final

Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou is currently preparing for his most important match since taking over as manager.

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The Lilywhites take on Eintracht Frankfurt in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final on Thursday, and many see the tie as pivotal in determining Postecoglou’s long-term future at N17.

Wolves (away)

April 13th

Nottingham Forest (home)

April 21st

Liverpool (away)

April 27th

West Ham (away)

May 3rd

Crystal Palace (home)

May 10th

It is truly Europa League or bust for the Australian, who is relying on a good run in Europe to have anything to shout about from this campaign. Sitting 14th in the table after 16 defeats in the league alone, Postecoglou is statistically on course to become Spurs’ worst ever Premier League manager.

He’ll be desperate to make history in the Europa and restore some of his reputation, amid protests surrounding the club’s unpopular ownership by supporters. Large sections of the Spurs fanbase rallied against Daniel Levy and ENIC again on Sunday, so there is continuous pressure on the board to start delivering on-field success.

They warmed up for their clash with Frankfurt in solid fashion, relegating bottom side Southampton, with goals from Brennan Johnson (2) and a late Mathys Tel penalty handing Spurs all three points.

As Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola is repeatedly linked with becoming the new Tottenham manager to replace Postecoglou, major uncertainty surrounds the 59-year-old’s future, but the Spurs recruitment team are also planning for new players ahead of next term.

Tottenham planning "surprise" move for Chelsea star Noni Madueke

According to Football Insider and journalist Pete O’Rourke, Chelsea winger and England international Noni Madueke is on their radar.

Tottenham are planning a “surprise” move for Madueke this summer, while it is also believed that Maresca will sanction his exit, which would free up a move for the north Londoners to strike a deal for PSV Eindhoven’s ex-starlet.

At his best, Madueke has really shone as part of Chelsea’s front three this term, especially during the first half of 2024/2025, but Maresca apparently has doubts whether the 23-year-old can fit into his system long-term.

As a result, Tottenham could look to re-sign Madueke seven years after he departed their youth set-up for PSV.

“He is top,” said personal technical coach Saul Isaksson-Hurst to Sky Sports.

“For me, he is one of the best young forward players in Europe, easily. A lot of focus has been on Cody Gakpo at PSV, because of the World Cup, but Noni is up there.

“He is one of the best, if not the best, because he is so dynamic, so strong in one-v-ones, so technically gifted, so athletic.”

According to GiveMeSport, Chelsea would sell for a “marginal profit” on the £29 million they paid to initially sign Madueke, so Levy wouldn’t have to break the bank. However, they also report that Aston Villa and Newcastle are in the race.

Arsenal’s 1-0 victory over Real Madrid in February 2006 remains one of the Gunners’ finest nights in their history.

In the clubs’ first-ever meeting, a sole Thierry Henry goal was enough to give the north Londoners a slim advantage going into the second leg at Highbury.

Arsene Wenger’s side would pull off a big Champions League upset by holding the likes of David Beckham, Zinedine Zidane and Ronaldo to a goalless draw to make the quarter-finals.

19 years on, Arsenal are once again heading to the Santiago Bernabeu, this time hoping to secure a semi-final berth after a spellbinding 3-0 victory at the Emirates Stadium.

But what has come of the side that beat Real Madrid nearly two decades on? Here, we look back and reminisce over the players who started on that special night.

1 Jens Lehmann Goalkeeper

German goalkeeper Jens Lehmann made history in the 2005/06 Champions League, helping the Gunners produce a record 10 consecutive clean sheets in the competition.

The shutout in Madrid was clean sheet number 5, and Lehmann miraculously repeated the feat in the second leg, partly thanks to a sensational save to deny Raul.

Since retiring, the Invincible has been in coaching roles at Arsenal and Augsburg, and can currently be seen as one of the managers in Baller League UK.

2 Emmanuel Eboue Right-back

The 2005/06 campaign saw Emmanuel Eboue’s breakthrough at Arsenal, with the full-back standing in for Lauren in the Cameroonian’s final season at the club.

Eboue managed to keep Robinho quiet at the Bernabeu, with the Brazilian taken off after an hour for Spain legend Raul.

The Ivorian has kept a low profile since retiring and has previously opened up on his mental health struggles following the end of his playing career, while he remains a cult hero in N5.

3 Philippe Senderos Centre-back

Philippe Senderos was called upon to deputise for Sol Campbell while the England ace was out.

Senderos had not long turned 21 at the time of the first leg and kept Ronaldo at bay for 180 minutes, during which he was faultless, perhaps bar a fluffed clearance in the second leg that could have cost Arsenal dear.

Another former player to step away from the limelight since retiring, Senderos retired in 2019 after playing for second-tier Swiss side Chiasso.

4 Kolo Toure Centre-back

Kolo Toure was a part of the Invincibles squad before moving to Manchester City in 2009.

He marshalled the back four alongside Senderos and was one of the heroes of the 2006 Champions League run, scoring the eventual winner in the semi-final against Villarreal.

Toure moved into coaching following retirement and was most recently the manager of Wigan Athletic, though he failed to win any of his games in charge.

5 Mathieu Flamini Left-back

Mathieu Flamini was Arsenal’s makeshift left-back throughout their Champions League run with Ashley Cole and Gael Clichy both unavailable.

The Frenchman played every minute from matchday 2 until the quarter-final second leg against Juventus, securing 9 clean sheets in 10 games.

Now a successful entrepreneur, Flamini is a partner at GF Biochemicals, which looks to provide sustainable solutions for oil-based products that harm the environment.

6 Freddie Ljungberg Right-midfield

Freddie Ljungberg is an Arsenal hero, and another of the Invincibles squad who stuck around long enough to beat Madrid on their own backyard.

The Swede had chances to score himself before Henry’s opener as Arsenal made a threatening start in Spain, coming closest but for a last-ditch challenge from Roberto Carlos.

Ljungberg was an Arsenal youth team coach and briefly the Gunners’ interim manager following Unai Emery’s sacking, and can also be seen alongside Jens Lehmann in the Baller League, where they manage N5 FC.

7 Alexander Hleb Centre-midfield

Alexander Hleb was a January signing from VfB Stuttgart, and had seemed a shrewd addition to the side based on his first impressions.

His link-up play set up several chances on that night in the Bernabeu, and was a key player for the Gunners until his departure to Barcelona in 2008.

Now 43, the Belarussian has seemingly stepped away from football altogether since retiring in 2019.

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ByStephan Georgiou Apr 9, 2025 8 Gilberto Silva Centre-midfield

Gilberto Silva was Arsenal’s primary midfield general post-Patrick Vieira, and the experienced head in the middle of the park before leaving north London in 2008.

Another Invincibles star, Gilberto won the league and FA Cup during his time at Arsenal.

Having retired in 2015, the Brazilian is an athlete mentor and public speaker, as per his X account. He is also a club ambassador for the Gunners.

9 Cesc Fabregas Centre-midfield

Cesc Fabregas was in something of a breakthrough campaign at Arsenal as he emerged from the shadow of the departed Patrick Vieira, whose Juventus side he helped knock out of the Champions League with a goal in the quarter-final.

In the round of 16 against Madrid, Fabregas played the all-important assist for Thierry Henry to give Arsenal the lead in the Spanish capital.

A former Gunners captain, Fabregas is now the manager of Italian side Como, who are set to secure safety in Serie A following their promotion last year.

10 Jose Antonio Reyes Left-midfield

Jose Antonio Reyes became an instant hero following his arrival at Arsenal in January 2004, and was an integral part of the team in his first 18 months at the club.

His Gunners career petered out after that, but Reyes did play in all bar one of Arsenal’s matches in the Champions League, starting both legs against Madrid.

Reyes sadly passed away in 2019, though he is still fondly remembered by the Arsenal faithful as one of their Invincibles heroes.

Despite missing out on automatic promotion, Sheffield United have reportedly joined the race to sign an experienced midfielder who knows all about Premier League football.

Wilder issues rally cry as Sheffield United prepare for play-offs

For the majority of the campaign, Sheffield United found themselves in a three-way battle to earn automatic promotion and had plenty of hope that they wouldn’t be the side to miss out in the Championship. One slip too many quickly allowed Burnley and Leeds United to end the race, however – leaving the Blades to fight for a place in the Premier League through the play-offs.

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Speaking about his side’s disappointment, manager Chris Wilder rallied his troops, telling reporters: “We can’t start feeling sorry for ourselves, I don’t think people expect me to and the coaches and players.

“We’ve got to raise ourselves, dust ourselves down and go again. We haven’t disgraced ourselves, we haven’t let ourselves down. Hopefully the majority of the supporters will see that and back us in the play-off games and if we get the better of four 45-minute halves, we have a trip to Wembley.”

Just who the Blades square off against in the play-offs is the big unanswered question. As things stand, they will be joined by Sunderland – who have their place confirmed – Bristol City and Coventry City, who must both win on the final day to secure their spot once and for all. Should they fail to do so, then Millwall, Blackburn Rovers and even Middlesbrough could all take advantage.

Given how strong Wilder’s side have been this season, to now miss out on promotion entirely would be a major blow on and off the pitch, especially as they look to sign one particular midfielder.

Sheffield United join Wilfred Ndidi race

According to The Boot Room, Sheffield United have now joined the race to sign Wilfred Ndidi from Leicester City this summer in a deal that will cost just £9m thanks to the Nigerian’s relegation release clause. The Blades aren’t alone in their interest though, with Everton and Burnley also among the clubs chasing the midfielder’s signature this summer.

A veteran in the Premier League these days, Ndidi would be an important arrival for the likes of Burnley and quite possibly Sheffield United if they earn promotion through the playoffs. Without victory at Wembley, however, it seems unlikely that they’ll be able to attract the Leicester star.

Earning plenty of praise throughout his time with the Foxes, former Leicester boss Mike Stowell took time to speak about Ndidi’s qualities on the BBC Radio Leicester’s ‘When You’re Smiling’ podcast earlier this season, saying: “I have always known (Wilfred Ndidi) as a number six because of his defensive attributes.

“But he is also dogged and will go all day long and put his body on the line. He is very clever with his challenges and those long legs of his just give him range.”