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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.

The left-arm spinner opens up about what makes him tick and how he’s prepared for this India tour

Karthik Krishnaswamy in Visakhapatnam01-Oct-20193:15

Maharaj as good as any spinner in the world – du Plessis

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Your first Test wicket – did you think Aleem Dar would give it out, with Steven Smith so far down the track?
So, funny story. We were bowling in the nets the day before [the Test match], and I’m not sure who I was bowling to. Aleem came there, to get into his routine of seeing how the bowlers are, and the guy came down the wicket and exactly the same thing happened, and he was like, you know what, I’d give that out, it looked adjacent to me.I’m sure he must have been thinking about that when you appealed for the Smith wicket.
I’m not sure if he thought about that. I did, definitely. I didn’t expect him to give it out, but luckily he did.Do you know that, since your debut, 11 spinners have taken 50 or more Test wickets, and you have the second-best strike rate among them, behind Rangana Herath?
Yeah? To be honest, I didn’t know about that at all. I’m not very much a stats person. I’m trying to do the best I can, wherever I go in the world, whether it’s international, domestic, club cricket or just some local Sunday league that you go play. I’m very fortunate and blessed to be able to do something I love and see other parts of the world, so if I can do well, I’ll get many more opportunities to do that.Keshav Maharaj registered the best figures for an SA bowler outside home•AFPThe reason I brought up the strike rate was this tendency, maybe, to look at this South African attack and see all these fast bowlers and think they’re the strike bowlers, and see you as doing the holding role, but your strike rate says you’re an attacking bowler too.
Yeah, but let’s not forget, fact is that we have a wealth of fast bowlers and I’m fortunate enough to have such a world-class attack around me, and it allows me to settle in and things like that.

I’m blessed to be able to do something I love and see other parts of the world, so if I can do well, I’ll get many more opportunities to do that

Do you feel that batsmen feel under pressure to come after you, because there’s not really much they can do at the other end, sometimes?
Yeah, sometimes it works out that way. Conditions dictate how the batsmen also identify avenues to score, like you said, and I suppose when you have a world-class bowling attack, seam attack, you’re going to have to target someone, and that’s an opportunity for me to get wickets.When do you know that you’re bowling well? What are the signs you look for?
It’s just the feel for me, I think. If I’m not bowling a cut ball or anything, then I know I’m in my rhythm and things are going okay, but as a spinner, I know it’s just a feel thing. You’ll have days when you’re bowling well and it just doesn’t go your way in terms of outcomes, but I judge myself basically on the fact that I must not bowl a cut ball during my spell. If I do that, I know how well [I’ve bowled], regardless of what it says in terms of figures.No one matches up to South Africa’s quicks at home, but overseas their best bowler is left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj (third from right)•AFP/Getty ImagesIn your lifetime, South Africa hasn’t really had a spin-bowling culture. There have only been three other spinners since readmission who’ve got 100 Test wickets, and you’re on 94 now. How significant is that milestone?
Yeah, obviously it’s a big accolade. I mean, looking back three years ago, I wouldn’t be able to say that I thought about being in the position that I am today, in terms of how far I’ve come along. But yeah, coming from a country of fast bowlers, it is difficult, but I think when you persevere with something you love, you will go places. It’s not always the easiest road. You may only get it once, you may get it a hundred times, but you know, you’ve still got that chance to do something. I’d like to think that, if I can have a successful career in international cricket, it does pave the way for the younger spinners in terms of opportunity coming through.You’ve played two Tests in the subcontinent so far, in Sri Lanka. You went wicketless on the first day of that tour, but you came back after that, and picked up that nine-for in the second Test. What were the things you learned about bowling in the subcontinent, on that tour?
I fell sick, so I couldn’t play the warm-up game, so obviously I had to feel my way into subcontinent conditions, that’s why the first innings was… it felt weird for me, but, you know, people say [on the subcontinent, it’s about your] pace and things like that, but I also think it’s about your consistency, your lines and lengths. The best in the world, your Ashwins, your Jadejas, your Lyons – they’re all just consistent bowlers. Yes, they have subtle variations, some of them have more, but I think it’s just the consistency and ability to just sort of test the batsmen’s patience and things like that. They’re also very clever as to how they want to bowl, but if you’re consistent, you can bowl any way you want and know you’re going to get someone out.

At least 40 percent of my wickets, probably, are dictated by the way Faf’s read the game, on the field

Before coming to India in 2016-17, Nathan Lyon and Steve O’Keefe did quite a bit of work on how they spun the ball on Indian pitches. Where they’d bowl with more overspin back home, here they were trying to mix it up with sidespin. Is that something you’ve worked on too?
Yeah, everyone who comes here says that you need to work on your sidespin and stuff, it’s a very, sort of unnatural thing for me to do because I’m more overspin, but I’ve been trying to play around with the SG ball to find where you can get some assistance off the wicket when it is not turning, you know, that sort of thing.Keshav Maharaj gets a hug from his captain Faf du Plessis after a wicket•Getty ImagesWhat’s it like, as a spin bowler, to have Faf du Plessis as your captain?
I think he’s very encouraging. He’s a captain who lets you dictate what you want, and then he comes in, rather than telling you what to do, and then you give your opinion. Also the way he reads the game, his ability to read the game, is phenomenal. At least 40 percent of my wickets, probably, are dictated by the way he’s read the game, on the field.Could you give some examples of that?
One that stands out is in England, we were playing the second Test in Nottingham. Moeen was batting, and he kept sort of trying to sweep me and sweep me, and then we kept moving, moving (the fielders), and Faf said, you know what? Have the guy at catching square leg, let him try and fine sweep, and literally we had the guy, not even the next ball, tried to fine sweep and it went straight to short square leg.Another one was at Colombo [the nine-for Test]. Dilruwan Perera was batting, and it wasn’t probably my best delivery, but Faf says, you know what, if he does sweep, it’s not going to go the whole way, and he sweeps up, so we put the man halfway [back], and Ngidi caught it at backward square leg.

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.”

How the Mumbai teenager beat the odds to turn his dreams into reality

Saurabh Somani16-Oct-20193:14

Yashasvi Jaiswal – the next big thing?

Among the many that are dotted around the city of Mumbai, one of the more famous is Azad Maidan. In 2013 one aspirant who wanted to make it big like countless others, would be at Azad Maidan literally every moment of the day and night.He was working hard, but not just at cricket. He practised, or played, in the day-time. Come evening, he would help sell [a popular Indian snack, often sold on streets] at the ground. In the night, he would sleep in one of the groundsmen’s tents.ALSO READ – Bumrah or Umesh would’ve injured batsmen on Vadodara pitches – Wasim JafferThat was a routine day for Yashasvi Jaiswal, then aged 11, who had come to Mumbai to pursue his cricketing dream. Six years later, the 17-year-old Jaiswal has become the youngest to smash a double-century in the 50-over Vijay Hazare Trophy, with 203 off 154 balls for Mumbai against Jharkhand. He is only the third player to hit a double-hundred in the competition, but Jaiswal’s age, his background and his evident talent mark him out.He is one of only four men in this year’s competition to have aggregated over 500 runs. Each of the three above him have had the benefit of eight innings. Jaiswal has played just five – and scored 44, 113, 22, 122 and 203 in those five. He is just 11 runs shy of topping the run charts.”Removing my helmet to acknowledge the landmark was a great feeling,” Jaiswal told ESPNcricinfo after his double-century. “I hope I can keep doing well. This is only the start, I need to work more and go further.”It was a very nice experience in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. I played with so many good players – Shreyas (Iyer) , Surya(kumar Yadav) . They have also taken really good care for me. I’m fortunate to have got such a nice atmosphere.”It’s rare for Jaiswal to be even this effusive. He’s taken the maxim ‘I’ll let my bat do the talking’ to heart. So much that during a chat with ESPNcricinfo earlier in the tournament, he stopped midway through to wonder, “But why am I talking to you?” when describing his early struggles.When the nonplussed reporter told him this was what generally happened during an interview, Jaiswal continued – but with the air of someone at the receiving end of a sales pitch for snake oil. He later explained that because this chat was happening mid-tournament, he was ‘in the zone’. He might have come back to the hotel, but his mind hadn’t left the ground.As it turned out – evidenced by three centuries in his next four innings – he wasn’t just being glib. He must have been ‘in the zone’ on Wednesday too, during his double? “Totally,” he smiled.Yashasvi Jaiswal is one of India’s most promising young batsmen•Yashaswi JaiswalJaiswal’s returns have also come on the back of great performances for age-group sides. In February this year, he made 173 against South Africa Under-19. In Under-19 one-dayers, he’s averaged 53.16 in 13 matches, having passed fifty seven times, including a century against Sri Lanka Under-19 on his first tour.The Jaiswal dream that has become reality happened because he came under the eyes of Jwala Singh, a coach in Mumbai, the city he moved to with his father at a young age. His father owns a small hardware shop and handles the cell-phone towers in the area, but his uncle lives in Mumbai.”My parents live in a small town in Utter Pradesh, Bhadohi. It’s near Varanasi,” he said. “I had come to Mumbai very early with my father, who had work here. Once I came, I wanted to play. I used to play cricket earlier also in UP. Once we were in Mumbai, I was playing casually in Azad Maidan, and I liked it. I was interested only in cricket from an early age. I had thought that I want to play for Mumbai, because Sachin [Tendulkar] sir has played from Mumbai.”My uncle’s house wasn’t so big that I could stay there long term, so I began living in a tent. This was the tent where the groundsmen who prepared the pitches in Azad Maidan stayed. I had to make food myself. I wouldn’t get that much money from home also then. There was a stove there (in the tent). I would buy the raw items, cook them and eat.”

“They [team-mates] still tease me (good-naturedly) about it [selling ]. They would then too, but now that I’ve made it to the Mumbai team, they tease me even more.”Yashasvi Jaiswal

Luckily, the school Jaiswal was going to was very close to Azad Maidan, and it was more or less understood that children joined that school to play cricket more than study.”I kept playing in this fashion, and to earn more money I would sell in the evenings. My father had gone back, I would sell it with my uncle at Azad Maidan itself. I would earn some money from that, and eat. I would do odd jobs here and there too, wherever possible.”Jaiswal didn’t always enjoy selling the snack because he would have to sell to his team-mates often. “How would you feel, if you had to sell stuff to make ends meet and your friends and team-mates were the ones coming to buy, after the day’s play?” he asks rhetorically. “They still tease me (good-naturedly) about it. They would then too, but now that I’ve made it to the Mumbai team, they tease me even more.”What he describes as his life’s ‘biggest turning point’ happened then, with Jwala Singh’s arrival.”Someone told him about my financial difficulties. I was doing well in school cricket then, and sir took me under his wing,” Jaiswal said. “He had a similar story. He too had come to Mumbai without too much money, but he never got someone to support him and help him get ahead. He thought the same thing shouldn’t happen to me. He asked me what I wanted to do and about my current status. I told him everything, and he then said, ‘Okay [son], from now you stay here (in his house) and I will look after everything for you.’ He looked after everything. He is like a god for me and I will always consider him as such. He is the reason I have reached here. But this is just a platform. I have lots of hard work in front of me to rise higher.”Given how he’s done in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, the path ahead might have an IPL contract dangling, but Jaiswal insists his focus is “only on the next. The rest, I leave up to god.”Surely his parents must have some plans when his first big pay cheque comes?”My parents don’t have any extravagant needs, they just want me to play cricket well. There is nothing that will make them more proud than me representing my country. Other than that, apart from a place to stay and food to eat, they don’t want anything.”Except for runs? “Lots of them,” he smiled.

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.

Manchester United have received a huge offer to sell a player who Ruben Amorim recently had some stern words for, according to a new report.

Players who could leave Man Utd this summer ahead of Amorim’s first full season

It promises to be another busy summer at Old Trafford after what has been a disappointing campaign under both Erik ten Hag and now Amorim.

In the bottom half of the Premier League, out of the FA Cup but still in the Europa League, United’s season can be rescued if they lift the trophy in Bilbao.

However, once the campaign comes to an end, there could be plenty of movement in the transfer market, especially when it comes to moving players on.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe, INEOS and Amorim are ready to axe 10 Man Utd players on more than £1.8m a week at Old Trafford. Casemiro (£350,000-a-week), Marcus Rashford (£300,000-a-week), Mason Mount, (£250,000-a-week), Jadon Sancho, (£250,000-a-week), Antony (£200,000-a-week), Christian Eriksen (£150,000-a-week), Victor Lindelof (£120,000-a-week), Rasmus Hojlund (£85,000-a-week), Jonny Evans (£85,000-a-week) and Tom Heaton (£45,000-a-week) are all in line to leave Old Trafford.

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Meanwhile, Man Utd also regret signing both Andre Onana and Joshua Zirkzee, with the two recent additions also potentially on the way out of Manchester.

Another star linked with an exit in recent months has been Alejandro Garnacho. Chelsea were keen in January but couldn’t get a deal over the line, and now, a side abroad has made their move for the Argentine.

Man Utd receive €80m offer to sell Garnacho

According to a report from Spain, Napoli have made an €80m (£66.9m) bid to sign Garnacho from Man Utd. The Serie A side are on the search for Khvicha Kvaratshkelia’s replacement and have moved for Garnacho, and their bid could make Man Utd think.

The Red Devils are yet to respond to the offer, the report adds, with Garnacho recently being called out by Amorim after he was replaced against Ipswich Town following Patrick Dorgu’s red card.

“I am going to talk with Garnacho about that. You are making a connection with Rashford. It was cold and wet. The thinking was that we would play 5-3-1. That is a risk because he [Garnacho] is the one who can play one-v-one in pace. We had to choose someone to go out. It was my choice.”

Garnacho’s Man Utd stats

Games

131

Goals

24

Assists

17

Yellow cards

9

Minutes played

7,456

Amorim then said that Garnacho’s punishment was to pay for dinner for the whole team with the situation resolved.

“He watched the game in a different [place], not on the bench, and at the end of the game he went home so there’s not an issue there. But I told him that in Manchester United, everything is important and perception in every club is really important. So, he is going to pay a dinner to all the team and that is it.”

Now, it looks as if an Old Trafford exit for the winger could be one to watch once again.

Glasgow Rangers gave their supporters a moment to remember last time out in the Scottish Premiership when they beat Dundee 4-3 away from home.

A last-gasp winner from Cyriel Dessers to complete a comeback from 3-1 down to win 4-3 last weekend was a joyous moment for the travelling support, but it was still a game that illustrated the team’s flaws.

The club’s city rivals are inching closer to a fourth successive Premiership title, as they sit 13 points clear of the Light Blues as it stands, and the Gers have to do something to change the tide next season.

Sky Sports reported last month that a takeover including US investors Andrew Cavenagh and San Francisco 49ers Paraag Marathe has been agreed in principle, which suggests that the dawn of a new era at Ibrox is a matter of months away.

This could mean that there is a longer-term replacement for Philippe Clement than Barry Ferguson, but it is not just the management side of the team that should be looked at.

If Rangers want to get back on top in Scottish football then they may need to kickstart their new era by moving on from some of their experienced players who have become used to finishing second, including Jack Butland and James Tavernier.

Why Rangers should move on from Jack Butland and James Tavernier

The Gers captain has been a terrific servant for the club over the years, scoring 130 goals in 504 appearances in all competitions, but he has only won one Premiership title in his career.

Tavernier has also lost a whopping 25 of his 40 appearances against Celtic, winning just ten of those games, and Rangers may need new leadership if they are to progress and move past the Hoops, as he has become used to being behind the club’s rivals on the pitch.

Therefore, it could be time to move on from the 33-year-old veteran, who has lost possession 20.8 times per match in the league this term, to make room for new leaders to step up and lead the team forward.

Butland, meanwhile, has been error-prone in the Premiership this season and it could be time for Rangers to find a new number one to provide more stability between the sticks, after two years of the Englishman at Ibrox.

Appearances

25

Save success rate

69%

Goals prevented

-0.37

Error led to shot

2

Error led to goal

2

Penalties committed

1

As you can see in the table above, the former Stoke City star has underperformed as a shot-stopper and made too many unforced errors to gift shots and goals to the opposition in the league, which is why Rangers should consider moving him on this summer.

The issue for the Light Blues, however, may be finding suitors to buy Tavernier and Butland, as the veteran stars are no longer among the most valuable talents at Ibrox.

The top ten most valuable Rangers players

As per Transfermarkt, both English players are worth £2.5m at this moment in time, and that does not earn either of them a place in the top ten most valuable stars at the club.

Wolfsburg loanee Vaclav Cerny is currently the most valuable player at the club, at a whopping £7.6m, and it remains to be seen whether or not the Gers will be able to keep hold of him beyond the end of his current loan spell.

The Czechia international has provided a regular threat at the top end of the pitch, racking up 17 goals and four assists, in the Premiership and the Europa League to earn his valuation.

Vaclav Cerny

£7.6m

Mohamed Diomande

£5.9m

Nicolas Raskin

£5.5m

John Souttar

£3.8m

Cyriel Dessers

£3.4m

Dujon Sterling

£3.4m

Danilo

£3.4m

Nedim Bajrami

£3.4m

Jefte

£3.4m

Hamza Igamane

£3.4m

As you can see in the table above, Rangers have many players on a market value of £3.4m, which is still £900k more than Tavernier and Butland are currently valued at.

Market Movers

Football FanCast’s Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club’s star player or biggest flop worth today?

Some of those players could play key roles moving forward, into the dawn of a new era at Ibrox, and one of those the club have hit the jackpot with in recent years is versatile defender Dujon Sterling.

Dujon Sterling's soaring market value

The Scottish giants swooped to sign the English talent in the summer of 2023 on a free transfer after he had been released by Premier League side Chelsea.

It was an opportunistic signing by the Gers, as they took advantage of his contract situation, because he was valued at £2.4m by Transfermarkt at the time, which shows that the club landed a £2.4m-rated talent for £0.

His first season at Ibrox, in the 2023/24 campaign, was a struggle because Michael Beale and Clement utilised him in a multitude of positions, with his appearances stretched between right-back, left-back, right midfield, defensive midfield, left midfield, and right wing.

This meant that Sterling did not have a chance to build any consistency in his performances because he was constantly being moved around the pitch to fill different holes in the team.

The 25-year-old star has had slightly more clarity in his game this term, however, as the vast majority of his starts have come as a centre-back or a defensive midfielder, which has allowed him to build a rhythm in the middle of the pitch.

Starts

7

Centre-back starts

7

Clearances

37

Blocks

5

Tackles

12

Duels won

31/44 (70% success rate)

As you can see in the table above, Sterling has started at centre-back in seven of his last eight league appearances and provided a dominant presence at the back for the Gers, winning 70% of his duels in those matches.

His overall form for the club and his success in finally nailing down a consistent position on the pitch has led to his market value soaring up to £3.5m, which shows that Rangers hit the jackpot when they signed the defensive ace.

The Light Blues snapped him up for £0 and he has turned out to be an incredibly valuable player, with his quality at centre-back and versatility to play in other roles, as well as being an asset that continues to grow in value.

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He is now among the top ten most valuable players at the club, making him worth even more than the likes of Tavernier and Butland, and the defender could have a big future as a centre-back at Ibrox if he can continue his current, dominant, form.

As concerns over Alexander Isak’s future continue to rumble on, Newcastle United are reportedly poised to join the race in pursuit of signing a forward who has matched their star man for goals this season.

Newcastle braced to stand strong in Isak saga

As much as they’ll be desperate to avoid it, the Isak rumours aren’t going away anytime soon. Instead, Newcastle are likely to face a summer-long saga which will end one of two ways. The Swedish star is one of the most wanted strikers in European football and with Liverpool and Arsenal reportedly on his list of suitors, there is no doubt that he’ll have a decision to make in the coming months.

That said, his price tag certainly reflects the amount of interest in his signature. Reportedly pricing their star man at as much as £160m this summer, Newcastle are keen to at least get bang for their buck if Isak departs or preferably simply scare away the suitors.

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When asked about his future and a potential new deal at St James’ Park, Isak told reporters in the build-up to Newcasle’s Carabao Cup final success: “That will probably be a talking point once the season finishes, but we will really see because no talks have been held yet.

“Really, about my future, it is not really something I think about. During a season I just focus on the job and it’s probably the worst time to think about anything else. All of our focus is just on Sunday, doing good and hopefully bringing the trophy back to Newcastle.“

Until he puts pen to paper on a new deal, then the anxiety around Isak’s Newcastle future is likely to remain in Tyneside. It does at least look like the club are preparing for the worst, however, having identified a potential replacement who’s arguably as good as the former Real Sociedad man.

Newcastle poised to battle for Vangelis Pavlidis

According to reports in Portugal, as relayed by Sports Witness, Newcastle are now poised to battle Chelsea to sign Vangelis Pavlidis from Benfica this summer, who has a release clause worth as much as €100m (£87m).

The forward has stepped into Darwin Nunez’s role ever since he left Benfica for Liverpool in 2022 and has exceeded the struggling Anfield star ever since. Now, he may have done enough to earn himself a Premier League move of his own, especially if Isak calls it quits at Newcastle this summer.

24/25 stats

Vangelis Pavlidis

Alexander Isak

Appearances

46

35

Goals

24

24

Assists

10

5

Involved in more goals than the 29 that Isak has managed, Pavlidis has also matched the Swede’s total of strikes in all competitions and looks like a player destined for great things this summer.

Dubbed “decisive” by analyst Data Foot on X, the 26-year-old is at the peak of his powers and could yet become Benfica’s most successful recent export by doing what Nunez has failed to do in the Premier League.

Newcastle, meanwhile, could splash the cash to welcome a potential replacement for Isak should he depart this summer.

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.