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MatériaMais Notícias

da betsson： Para dar sustentação ao momento esportivo histórico que vive o Fortaleza nos últimos anos, a gestão que tem como principal figura o presidente Marcelo Paz vem conseguindo não apenas aumentar as receitas do Leão, mas também manter o equilíbrio financeiro, mesmo diante de todas as dificuldades recentes.

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da jogodeouro： >’Não venceu o BBB, mas ganhou meu coração’, diz Letícia Bufoni para PA

E uma prova do sucesso do atual conjunto de medidas ficou evidenciada na aprovação das contas referentes ao ano de 2021, por parte do Conselho Deliberativo do clube, algo que ocorreu na última terça-feira (26), em documentos onde constam um resultado de caráter histórico.

Ao ter como gastos totaisR$ 139.997.355,03 e uma receita de caráter líquido no valor de R$ 156.648.182,65, o clube do Pici terminou o ano passado tendo um superávit de exatosR$ 15.300.604,64, o maior em toda a história tanto do Leão como do futebol cearense de maneira geral.

A manutenção em partidas de grande visibilidade, bem como a volta consolidada do público aos estádios também trouxeram uma notória evolução de receita em relação a 2020. Isso porque enquanto a arrecadação de dois anos atrás havia sido de R$ 83 milhões, os mais de R$ 156 milhões obtidos no ano passado representaram um aumento de mais de 100%.

Em meio as boas notícias nos cofres e a recente conquista do tetracampeonato estadual, o Fortaleza busca a recuperação na Libertadores onde perdeu os dois primeiros jogos (Colo-Colo e River Plate) e recebe nesta quarta-feira (27) o Alianza Lima-PER. O confronto na Arena Castelão está marcado para às 19h (de Brasília).

Both teams have looked rickety in terms of their personnel, and must get their act together before the season goes away from them

Sreshth Shah08-Apr-20223:01

Ravi Shastri: Question of India spot might be affecting Ruturaj Gaikwad’s IPL form

Big pictureThe panic button has not yet been pressed, but for both Chennai Super Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad, that point may not be far away.Super Kings have had a 0-3 start to IPL 2022, with key personnel from IPL 2021 not yet firing, missing the dominant top-order runs. Faf du Plessis is gone. Ruturaj Gaikwad has been out to Kagiso Rabada and Umesh Yadav, and run-out once, for single-digit scores. But he did start IPL 2021 in similar fashion and ended up with the Orange Cap. So he could realistically still finish with a lot of runs. Moeen Ali is yet to make a mark. And Ravindra Jadeja is only still finding his feet as everything rolled into one. The bright side is that MS Dhoni and Shivam Dube have found some form with the bat.Bowling-wise, Deepak Chahar is being dearly missed at the top, with the inexperienced Indian pacers not penetrative enough so far. But Dwayne Bravo continues to take key wickets. The overseas seamers – Dwaine Pretorius and Chris Jordan – have enjoyed some success, and it might just be a matter of a few more runs from the top order for them.Live in the USA

You can watch the match live on ESPN+ in English and in Hindi.

Sunrisers Hyderabad, meanwhile, are one loss away from slipping to 0-3, too, and might just have bigger problems than their opponents. Openers Abhishek Sharma and Kane Williamson have the poorest combined strike rate (76) among all teams, and have not survived the powerplay yet. That’s just the beginning of a line-up where many players are batting out of position.Rahul Tripathi, most successful in the IPL as opener, comes at No. 3, and Aiden Markram, with a T20 average of 57 from No. 3, comes in lower. Williamson, the opener, himself might be batting too high, as his best IPL numbers are from No. 4. They might want to shuffle that batting order before the season goes away from them.The Sunrisers bowling has struggled after Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s powerplay stints too. Their economy rates for overs seven to 15 (9.6) and 16 to 20 (11.7) are among the poorest of all the teams, with Umran Malik, Washington Sundar and Romario Shepherd all proving expensive. T Natarajan, though, is back to talking death-overs wickets, with four in two games. Washington as the lone frontline spinner has not brought much success, and with Rashid Khan now gone, maybe Shreyas Gopal could be a useful addition to their XI because Super Kings have struggled most against right-arm legbreak this season, losing eight wickets and scoring at an average of 12.6 runs per wicket, with the bowlers conceding runs at 6.7.T Natarajan is back among the wickets, and that’s good news for Sunrisers•BCCI

Likely XIsSuper Kings usually don’t make major changes to their XI, with the lone call probably being who the Indian quick will be. Sunrisers, though, could tweak their XI – with Shreyas the frontrunner to make the team, and Marco Jansen, Kartik Tyagi and Priyam Garg among other options.Chennai Super Kings (possible): 1 Ruturaj Gaikwad, 2 Robin Uthappa, 3 Moeen Ali, 4 Ambati Rayudu, 5 Ravindra Jadeja (capt), 6 Shivam Dube, 7 MS Dhoni (wk), 8 Dwayne Bravo, 9 Dwaine Pretorius, 10 Chris Jordan, 11 Tushar DeshpandeSunrisers Hyderabad (possible): 1 Rahul Tripathi, 2 Abhishek Sharma, 3 Kane Williamson (capt), 4 Aiden Markram, 5 Nicholas Pooran (wk), 6 Washington Sundar, 7 Abdul Samad, 8 Romario Shepherd, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 Shreyas Gopal, 11 T NatarajanStrategy punt Super Kings’ game against Lucknow Super Giants showed that offspin continues to be a problem for left-hand batters – Washington dismissed both Quinton de Kock and Evin Lewis. Super Kings have three left-handers in their top six, so Washington could be more useful as a pure match-up bowler and not specifically as a powerplay bowler. Jadeja should avoid bowling to Nicholas Pooran. Even though Pooran has not been consistent in the IPL, he did post 34 (his highest score since IPL 2021) against Super Giants. Left-arm orthodox spin is his favourite in the IPL – he averages 70 against them at a strike rate of 212.Stats that matterIt will be Jadeja’s 150th T20 match for Super Kings. Only Suresh Raina (200) and Dhoni (217*) have played more for the franchise. Dhoni’s favourite team as a batter in the IPL is Sunrisers. He has a strike rate of 195 (his best among all teams) in the slog overs against them and has bludgeoned Bhuvneshwar for 97 runs in 49 balls with zero dismissals. Maybe Bhuvneshwar should bowl an extra powerplay over where his economy has been 4.80 in IPL 2022. Since IPL 2019, Williamson has struggled against Super Kings, averaging 26.50 in five innings, his second-poorest numbers among all IPL teams in that period.

De Grandhomme says New Zealand will back themselves to chase down such a score

Firdose Moonda27-Feb-2022South Africa will be looking for at least 60 more runs, but would be more comfortable with 90 more from their last five batting pairs as they seek to set New Zealand a target in excess of 300 to win the second Test.On a pitch that remains good for batting, Rassie van der Dussen, South Africa’s top-scorer in the second innings so far, said the visitors are “reasonably happy” with their progress, but want to continue to put pressure on New Zealand’s attack.”We’re looking at anything around 270 or 280 plus,” he said. “If we can emulate what we did in the first innings with our tailenders and get to the 300 mark, mentally that would be a good mark for us. Hopefully we can start well tomorrow (Monday) and get through their first spells. Their bodies will be sore. To bowl 40 overs in three days is a lot.”New Zealand’s frontline attack of Tim Southee, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson and Neil Wagner have sent down 46, 48, 38 and 43 overs respectively, but have not shown any signs of fatigue yet. In fact, it’s been quite the opposite. Wagner sent down a nine-over spell late on the third day laced with short balls and removed both van der Dussen and Temba Bavuma to leave South Africa at 114 for 5 at one stage.”When I made my first-class debut 14 years ago, we were in the same team,” van der Dussen said of Wagner. “I knew what his plans were, it’s quite straightforward. We know him, we know what he does. He has a big tank, he keeps running in. Sometimes you have to say to a guy well done.”Despite having a clear idea of the threat Wagner posed, van der Dussen explained of their plan to take him and the rest of the attack on to extend the lead quickly.”We went out looking to play on the front foot. We looked to put pressure on them,” he said. “But they’ve got world class bowlers in terms of discipline. They don’t give you much. I went out a bit more streaky than I usually play. I knew I had to try and put some pressure on them to build the lead and I ran out of luck.”Colin de Grandhomme made a career-best 120 not out•AFP/Getty Images

Van der Dussen was eventually caught on the pull and Bavuma was out driving. B both dismissals looked avoidable, but South Africa saw a positive in the way the pair got out.”What we saw in this last session is that the ball sat up a bit on the short length,” van der Dussen said. “If the wicket gets two paced, it becomes really tricky. Temba also went out in a way that he doesn’t often go out and the ball just stuck a bit in the wicket. That will be a good signs for us. If it goes sideways and then stops a little, it does get tricky to score runs. Not always that tricky to survive but tricky to score runs.”South Africa’s run-rate has remained below three an over throughout the match but New Zealand have not had the same issue. They batted at close to four runs an over, thanks largely to Colin de Grandhomme’s carefree career-best 120, which came off 158 balls.De Grandhomme’s approach is as obvious as they come – “see the ball, hit the ball,” he said – and he was confident about New Zealand’s ability to chase something in the upper 200s. “I think if they get 270 we will be back ourselves to get it,” de Grandhomme said. “It might get slower and lower but it’s still a good pitch.”South Africa are hoping for exactly that: a surface that will deteriorate enough to bring the only spinner across both teams, Keshav Maharaj, into the game. Maharaj was a surprise pick at a venue where specialist spinners are often benched and took 1 for 46 in the first innings but van der Dussen hopes he will have a bigger role to play on the final day.”The wicket is a lot drier than it was in the first Test. That’s why we need to get to that 300 mark and then hope it deteriorates late tomorrow and going into day five,” he said. “We’ve got to give Keshav a chance to get into the game, our seamers to run in with short bursts of energy and hopefully the wicket will deteriorate a little bit for us.”While van der Dussen’s focus was on the role Maharaj could play, South Africa will also lean heavily on their new-ball pair of Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen, who are the joint-leading wicket-takers in Tests this year. Rabada took his 11th career five-for in the first innings and van der Dussen believes if he has more success, South Africa can level the series.”He plays a huge role. He is a guy that doesn’t miss his lines and lengths a lot and he asks a lot of questions.” He said. “He knows what he can do and what he can’t do, and as a bowler there aren’t many things he can’t do. He swings the ball both ways, he has a good bouncer, a good yorker. The bowlers, the team look up to him.”I know it’s sometimes a big weight for him to carry on his shoulders, but he takes that responsibility. That’s what makes him so good. He knows when he bowls well, we play well; when he takes wickets, we win. It’s not nice to face him in the nets, so I can’t imagine it’s nice to face him in the middle. He’s going to be very important in the fourth innings. If he get’s it right, it will go a long way for us to win the Test.”

Manchester City are reportedly closing in on their second summer signing after Savinho, with personal terms agreed and a deal now close.

Savinho impresses as Man City cruise past Chelsea

Pep Guardiola's men made a winning start to their Premier League season on Sunday afternoon, picking up an impressive 2-0 victory away to Chelsea. The reigning champions were the better team for much of proceedings, and goals from Erling Haaland and Mateo Kovacic sealed the three points.

Perhaps the most intriguing figure on show for City at Stamford Bridge was Savinho, who made his first league appearance for the club. Initially starting on the left wing, the Brazilian quickly swapped sides with Jeremy Doku, and his influence became far greater.

City's newest signing showed some lovely Riyad Mahrez-esque footwork on the right, cutting inside and using the ball in classy fashion, as well as completing three out of three dribbles. The 20-year-old also made three key passes, outlining his creativity, as well as winning five out of seven ground duels.

Sadly, Savinho's afternoon was cut short after he picked up an injury just before half-time, being replaced by Phil Foden, but it was still an extremely encouraging performance from the wide man. It is a surprise that he has been the only addition for Guardiola so far this summer, but a new update suggests that that is about to change.

Man City agree personal terms with 19-year-old

According to a new update from Football Insider, Manchester City have agreed personal terms with Divin Mubama, as they close in on his signing. The 19-year-old is without a club currently, having most recently left West Ham, but it looks as though he will join Savinho through the Etihad entrance door with a £1.5m compensation fee heading the Hammers' way.

Mubama may not be the world-renowned signing that plenty of City supporters are desperate for after the exit of Julian Alvarez, such as Rodrygo, but he is an exciting young player who is wanted by the Premier League champions for a reason.

He made 18 appearances for West Ham at senior level, managing to chip in with one goal and assist apiece, while a tally of 58 strikes in just 91 matches for the Hammers' Under-18s and Under-21s combined says a huge amount about his ability.

Meanwhile, David Moyes had plenty of time for the young Englishman during his time as West Ham manager, saying of him: "Every time Divin has come on, I tell you what he does, he runs and he does the work and he doesn’t think twice about his effort or anything he does. Because of that, we’re growing to him all of the time. He’s done really well and I’m pleased."

Man City could sign "one of the best in the world" to replace Alvarez

He was crucial for his side last season

ByJoe Nuttall Aug 18, 2024

It could be that Mubama is loaned out immediately upon his arrival, in order to be a regular elsewhere this season, but either way, he should be viewed as an eye-catching addition who could grow so much from working under Guardiola and alongside some world-class footballers.

MatériaMais Notícias

da dobrowin： Estádio com dinheiro público, salários atrasados, contratação e venda de atletas… todos os dias esses temas são levantados pelo menos uma vez no Corinthians. Desmenti-los cotidianamente é reforçar inverdades. Mas se há um dia para esclarecer esses pontos é o 1º de abril.

Na tradicional data em que se comemora o Dia da Mentira, a reportagem do L! esclarece alguns fatos mentirosos que de tanto repetiram se tornaram verdades para alguns torcedores corintianos.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasCorinthiansApós ser ‘furado’ pelo Shakhtar, Corinthians anuncia retorno do meia MayconCorinthians31/03/2022CorinthiansCorinthians empresta volante Mandaca ao LondrinaCorinthians31/03/2022CorinthiansFagner segue no departamento médico e pode desfalcar o Corinthians na LibertadoresCorinthians31/03/2022

da bet sport： SALÁRIOS ATRASADOS

O Corinthians está longe de viver o seu melhor momento financeiro, o que dá margem para que mensalmente pipoquem informações falsas sobre dívidas salariais com o elenco, o que está longe de verdade.

Mesmo tendo herdado uma dívida próxima a R$ 1 bilhão, e em um ano à frente do clube alvinegro não ter conseguido reduzir o valor, a atual diretoria corintiana tem arcado o compromisso com os atletas sem atrasos desde agosto do ano passado.

No fim da gestão anterior, comandada pelo ex-presidente André Sánchez, o Timão chegou a dever quatro meses de salários aos seus jogadores. Já na administração atual, a única vez que atrasos foram registrados foi em agosto do ano passado, quando os salários de julho foram pagos somente no fim do mês seguinte.

A equipe corintiana chegou a dever por mais tempo os jogadores das categorias de base, que ganham uma ajuda de custo. As pendências tiveram problemas no fluxo durante três meses e foram acertadas em setembro, parte no dia 15 e o restante cinco dias depois.

> GALERIA – Veja todos os técnicos estrangeiros na história do Timão
> TABELA – O Brasileirão vem aí! Confira a tabela e simule os jogos

DÍVIDA COM PAULINHO

E quando falamos que o todo o elenco do Corinthians está com os salários em dia, estão inclusos nomes como Paulinho e Willian, que tiveram as suas contratações condicionadas a parceiros que pagariam os salários dos atletas.

Se o Timão até aqui não teve problemas com a Socios.com, plataforma de votação e recompensas para torcedores, que está no projeto do Fan Tolken do Timão e arca com os vencimentos de Willian, o clube alvinegro está tendo dores de cabeça com o Grupo Taunsa, empresa de agronegócios que se responsabilizou a viabilizar financeiramente os salários do meia Paulinho, mas tem atrasado o repasse, já no primeiro trimestre da parceria.

O Corinthians mantém o acordo com a empresa e aceitou a justificativa dada pelos representantes da Taunsa de que o pagamento não foi feito por problemas no fluxo de caixa, mas que o valor seria depositado nos próximos dias. No entanto, o clube está de olhos abertos para a instituição, principalmente após matéria divulgada pela ESPN que aponta abandono no local informado como sede da empresa, na cidade de Araçatuba, interior de São Paulo, e diversas outras divergências burocráticas e ausências financeiras em que o grupo está envolvido.

Publicamente, o presidente Duílio afirmou que mantém relações com a Taunsa, e que vê os atrasos com naturalidade no mundo corporativo, mas já há uma atenção interna, através dos Departamentos Financeiro e Jurídico do Timão, para buscar uma compensação da empresa em caso de novos calotes ou ruptura de contrato unilateral no futuro.

Sendo assim, se pode haver alguma parte que mentiu nesse tramite é a própria Taunsa.

Mas o Corinthians, mesmo tendo sido lesado com o não pagamento até agora, se viu precavido em bancar os salários de todos os atletas do elenco, inclusive Paulinho, prevendo o orçamento com esses jogadores incluso. O clube, portanto, prevê os salários mensalmente com o elenco inteiro na folha e trata o valor acordado como entradas a parte, correndo o risco de ter que arcar com os vencimentos em casos de ausências de pagamentos, como é o caso da Taunsa atualmente.

CHEGADA DE CAVANI, SUÁREZ E PEDRINHO

A contratação de Maycon tem tudo para ser a última do Corinthians neste primeiro semestre. Através de uma promessa de viabilização financeira do próprio Grupo Taunsa, o Timão chegou a sonhar com nomes de peso, como os centroavantes uruguaios Edinson Cavani, do Manchester United, da Inglaterra, e Luís Suázrez, do Atlético do Madrid, da Espanha.

Ambos estão na reta final dos seus contratos, que se encerram no meio deste ano, e já possuem uma idade mais avançada. Ainda assim, Suárez nem quis escutar o contato corintiano, pois não se sentiu atraído pelo mercado Sul-Americano, diferentemente de Cavani, que chegou a considerar jogar no Brasil, para ficar mais próximo do seu país natal, mas a opção por cumprir o contato com o United atrapalhou os planos corintianos.

Hoje, a proximidade da estreia na Libertadores, que acontece nesta terça-feira (5), contra o Always Ready, na Bolívia, e que tem o prazo para inscrições encerrado no sábado (2), além da chegada de Júnior Moraes, faz com que a diretoria corintiana não sonhe mais com a dupla de uruguaios badalados.

Outro nome que chegou a ficar próximo do Corinthians é do atacante Pedrinho, que está refugiado do conflito entre Rússia e Ucrânia, no leste europeu. Os representantes do atacante chegaram a conversar com os do Timão, mas preferiram priorizar a Europa, principalmente após uma investida do Wolverhampton, que disputa a Premier League, na Inglaterra.

Pedrinho permanecerá no Brasil até abrir a janela de transferências no meio do ano e buscar uma nova equipe para jogar, que dificilmente será o Corinthians.

SAÍDA DE LUAN

continua após a publicidade

Contratado em 2020 com status de estrela, mesmo já não vivendo boa fase, o atacante Luan é o típico caso de expectativas que não foram atingidas.

Como o atleta era torcedor corintiano na infância, o Timão comprou a ideia de recuperar o camisa 7 mantendo o padrão do atleta o mesmo de 2016 e 2017, quando ele foi um dos destaques no inédito ouro olímpico do Brasil, conquistou Copa do Brasil e Libertadores pelo Grêmio e foi considerado o Rei da América.

Dois anos depois, Luan se tornou um abacaxi duro de se descascar para o Corinthians, e geralmente o nome do atleta está envolvido em situações de possíveis negociações, trocas ou até empréstimos.

Com contrato até o fim do ano que vem, o Corinthians sabe que terá prejuízo no jogador, principalmente porque não encontra interessados.

Luan é um ativo altamente negociável do Timão, e os burburinhos de clubes interessados não passam de factoides.

Caso apareça uma proposta vantajosa para o clube alvinegro, até mesmo de empréstimo, para desonerar a folha salarial, a equipe dificilmente irá se opor. No entanto, enquanto isso não há nada e o Luan segue no elenco corintiano.

ESTÁDIO COM DINHEIRO PÚBLICO

A construção da Neo Química Arena com dinheiro público pode ser considerada a maior fake news envolvendo o Corinthians nos últimos anos.

O Timão recebeu um aporto de R$ 400 milhões do Banco Nacional de Desenvolvimento Econômico e Social (BNDES) e a Caixa Econômica Federal, por conta do programa ProCopa Arenas, que contou com taxas diferenciadas para viabilizar a Copa do Mundo de 2014 no Brasil.

O Corinthians paga nutre até hoje uma dívida com a Caixa, que chegou a levar o CNPJ da Arena Itaquera, cadastro que aparece como sociedade do Corinthians pelo estádio, até ao cadastro de inadimplente do Serasa, em 2019.

De lá para cá alguns acordos foram feitos entre o Timão e o banco Federal, e a dívida se encontra R$ 569 milhões. Desses, R$ 300 correspondem ao pagamento parcelado que a Hypera Pharma paga pelo naming rights da arena.

O último acordo, costurado em 2020, prevê que as parcelas comecem a ser pagas pelo Corinthians no fim deste ano, mas o clube negocia um novo período de carência, para iniciar o pagamento no ano que vem.

As parcelas serão pagas até 2040, quando também se encerrará o pagamento pelo nome do estádio. Inicialmente o acordo era de financiamento até 2028, mas o parcelamento foi estendido pela Caixa.

Ainda assim, o Timão pagará um valor superior à dívida, por conta das correções monetárias e do reajuste anual de 3,4%.

O Corinthians também chegou a ter uma dívida com a Odebrecht, construtora do estádio, mas foi paga com os R$ 420 milhões recebidos referentes ao Certificado de Incentivo ao Desenvolvimento, que são incentivos fiscais que a prefeitura da cidade de São Paulo dá para fomentar o investimento em infraestrutura nos bairros da Zona Leste paulistana, região onde fica localizada a Neo Química Arena.

Graham Ford knows his players won’t have enough preparation time on the tour of Australia, but he is confident of the talent and determination they will bring to the field

Interview by Andrew Fernando26-Nov-2012You came on board after a period of tumult for the team. What was the mood like in the dressing room when you came in?
We went off to Australia [for the 2012 CB Series] as soon as I got started, and possibly there was a bit of uncertainty and instability, but that was hard for me to really gauge. I can only say good things about the group of players I had with me, as to how they applied themselves and stuck together as a group. If anyone had brought in any problems from the past, it might have had a detrimental effect, but no one did.Maybe it was a good thing that we were touring away from Sri Lanka and the group had to stick together. I was very fortunate in that the senior group of players were highly knowledgeable, and knowledgeable of Australian conditions. They passed on lots of advice and they all took it on themselves to contribute.The assistant coaches helped a great deal as well, in making my sudden arrival to a very important tour a smooth one.Has your coaching style changed over the years?
When you first start coaching, you’ve kind of got your own one style. As you get involved with more and more teams and coach at different levels, you adapt your style to the group that you’re working with. A group with a lot of older players requires a different approach to a young team.It’s the first time that I’ve ever coached with a full support staff – batting coach, bowling coach, fielding coach, etc. That’s made the role a bit different but it’s allowed us to give the players the ideal back-up that they require. The language barrier comes up from time to time. Some of the guys understand English better than others, and that’s where the assistant coaches are valuable.I don’t think there has been a huge change to my style of coaching. I’ve always shown huge respect to the players and their ability. I’ve not only passed on knowledge but I’ve learnt a great deal from the players along the way.When you coached South Africa, you had a few older players in the team and you were bringing in younger players with an eye to the future. Has that experience helped you coach Sri Lanka, who are in a similar place?
It’s a good situation to be in, to have that senior core and to have the younger guys learn off them. As coaches we can use those senior guys to help pass on certain messages and reinforce certain messages. And the senior guys are also able to make us aware of the difficulties in a certain situation. For any young guy in a pressure-cooker situation, to have an experienced guy batting with him or next to him when he’s bowling, makes a huge difference. The learning happens that much quicker.Have you found that Sri Lankan cricketers require a different approach?
Not really. It’s just a group of cricketers coming together to perform as well as they can, and that’s what you’ll find anywhere around the world. What I do find with Sri Lankan cricketers is that they have an incredible amount of fight on the playing field. No matter how tough the situation gets, or how badly the chips are down, they are always in for the fight. I’ve seen some magnificent fights out there, when the game has been really hard and they’ve fought and showed character and turned the match. That comes through to me as a special feature of Sri Lankan cricket.What have you made of the cricket philosophy in Sri Lanka, where uniqueness is encouraged and over-coaching is strongly avoided?
I’d like to see a bit more of that. I just think that is one of the great strengths of Sri Lankan cricket. Players have found slightly unorthodox and slightly different ways to do things and they’ve proved to be huge weapons. There’s a wonderful amount of talent within the country, and we’ve got to make sure that those natural players are developed and they use whatever it is that’s slightly different to give us the edge.The team is going through a shift in leadership at the moment and Angelo Mathews is at the centre of that. What would you like to see from him in the immediate future?
He’s a very natural leader, and we saw that in the Sri Lankan Premier League. He’ll gradually get the chance to take over the leadership reins. Mahela [Jayawardene] is brilliant at passing on captaincy advice to him. [Mathews] is already quite a way down the line to being a captain because he is a natural leader.

“I’m told that a lot of the pitches in the domestic competition are still pretty much the traditional Sri Lankan wickets. I don’t think at the moment it’s going to assist the development of slightly different players that we would like to have”

He has quite often shown himself to be a very mature cricketer and has a very cool head. He seems to be the guy for the big pressure situations, which is a huge asset. You’re looking for a captain to be a guy who leads from the front all the time. He does that with bat and ball. He has huge respect from the younger guys, which is also a crucial element to leadership.He’s quite young for a Sri Lankan captain. Is he being phased in at the right time? Are there concerns the captaincy could hinder his development?
I think there has been a lot of consideration of that. Yes, he is young, which, on one hand, is quite exciting. But on the other hand, if you look at the amount of cricket he has played, not just international cricket but with IPLs and the other things going on, he’s played a lot, swapped thoughts and ideas with a lot of huge international stars, so he’s well down the line in terms of acquiring knowledge and experience and probably has a much wiser and more experienced head than his age suggests. I don’t think that’s a problem, and I certainly don’t think he’s the kind of guy that will let captaincy affect his own performances.Dinesh Chandimal has played very well in England, South Africa and Australia, but not so well at home. Is there a reason for that?
He has performed superbly, and some of the good performances away have maybe raised expectations back home. He is a young guy developing his game. Marvan Atapattu works very closely with him in developing his game. It is a tough world out there and he’s not always going to be successful. Sometimes the 20-over cricket and the 50-over cricket does depend on the kind of opportunity you get, and you can’t get everyone a perfect opportunity. He’s maybe missed out once or twice in getting a decent go where he might have been able to build an innings. But he understands and the coaching staff believes he has the credentials to become a batsman who can play in all formats of the game and play for Sri Lanka for a long time.Sri Lanka have now lost four World Cup and World Twenty20 finals. Do you see a common theme in those losses?
The one thing that’s going to be hard for Sri Lankan cricket is that the passion for cricket and the passion for winning is so great and what comes with that is massive disappointment when success is not achieved. The whole nation felt those losses very heavily. With that happening, the pressure does mount up. If I think back to when Sri Lanka won the World Cup for the first time, the expectations weren’t nearly as high. Just getting to the final was seen as a major achievement. Now the expectation is very real. If we get into a final again, that’s going to be something that is addressed.Other teams have sports psychologists. Is there any merit to Sri Lanka following suit?
I don’t know whether it’s required for a long-term involvement, but I think for specific little projects, such as a final, where we know now that there is this real pressure, and major drama when the success doesn’t come, it might be worth addressing some of those issues and talking about them.Sri Lanka hurts more than most other countries in the world do when success doesn’t come. Going down this road isn’t necessarily going to win you the game. You’ve still got to go out onto the field and play. If you look at what did happen – Marlon Samuels had an absolute blinder [in the World Twenty20 final] and turned the match on its head. You can prepare and have someone working with the emotions of the team, etc. but that’s not going to guarantee victory. But it should clear some of the pressure from the minds of players.”You’re looking for a captain to be a guy who leads from the front all the time. Angelo does that with bat and ball”•ICC/GettyThe international pitches in Sri Lanka have changed over the last 18 months, and there are a few tracks around now with a bit of pace and bounce. Do you see this helping produce different kinds of cricketers than those Sri Lanka have had in the past?
I think the concern at the moment is that we need those sorts of pitches at the first-class level. I haven’t been around the domestic situation to assess it, but I’m told that a lot of the pitches in the domestic competition are still pretty much the traditional Sri Lankan wicket. I don’t think at the moment it’s going to assist the development of slightly different players that we would like to have. I do know that the board is very aware of the importance of quality pitches at first-class level and I think they’re putting plans in place to try and improve those pitches to help bring on players of various disciplines.With a tour of Australia on the horizon, fast bowling becomes important. Sri Lanka’s pace attack has been in some flux. What are they missing at the moment?
Unfortunately what we’ve had are injury problems, and we haven’t had a settled unit. We’ll go into these Tests hoping to try and develop a settled unit – one that can bowl with good discipline. We’re probably not going to blow sides away with express pace. If we bowl with good discipline and with the tactical awareness provided by Mahela’s captaincy, we can surprise sides, and it doesn’t have to be in home conditions.What does Sri Lanka need to do in the longer term to develop fast bowlers who are a threat in the faster, bouncier conditions?
I think the importance of developing good fast bowlers has become even more crucial now in limited-overs cricket, with the two new balls and the two bouncers coming in. The tighter fielding restrictions will make it more difficult for spinners as well. It gets back to getting some decent surfaces in our first-class cricket to ensure fast bowlers get a decent workload in first-class cricket and are of real value there. If they perform well, that’s also going to sharpen up our batsmen travelling abroad.The fast-bowling coaches and the board are very aware of the challenges of bringing on fast bowlers and there are a few plans in place to start trying to set up some emerging player programmes which would focus on the types of skills we need.Sri Lanka only play one warm-up match in Australia after having played at home for a while. How difficult will it be to adjust to the conditions?
Ideally, if you’re going to Australia, you’d like to have a month or so – perhaps even longer – of preparation, set up some camps and some conditions that are going to be similar, and really work on what’s going to be required. Unfortunately modern itineraries don’t allow for that. Once we get there we’re going to have to work very, very hard. The coaches have been keeping an eye on certain skills and techniques that are going to be important in Australia, and we’re touching up on those as we go along. But the schedule that we’ve got is not ideal, and we’re well aware of that.

Manchester City are reportedly willing to sell a "very popular" player in the summer transfer window, as Pep Guardiola makes a big decision over his future.

Man City transfer news

Guardiola is a manager who is forever looking for perfection, and for that reason, he will want new players this summer despite his side's continued domestic dominance, in order to mount another genuine quadruple bid next season.

According to one new update, City have made their first move to sign Newcastle United winger Anthony Gordon, as they look to pip Premier League rivals Liverpool to his signature. The 23-year-old is believed to be valued at a whopping £70m, however, with the Magpies desperate to keep hold of one of their most important players.

Highly-rated young Benfica and Portugal midfielder Joao Neves is also a rumoued target for Guardiola's reigning Premier League champions, as they look to snap up a long-term replacement for the legendary Kevin De Bruyne. The 19-year-old is arguably considered one of Europe's most exciting young players in his position, appearing twice for his country at Euro 2024.

This could also be a summer that sees City lose some influential figures, with goalkeeper Ederson recently linked with a move away. He is far from alone in that respect, and Bernardo Silva has continually been backed to join Barcelona, too.

Pep Guardiola could sell "very popular" Man City ace

Now, a new update from Football Insider says that Manchester City are "willing to sell" Jack Grealish before the start of next season, feeling that now is the right time to let him go.

The Englishman's "partying" nature is seen as a big reason for this decision, with Guardiola potentially feeling that the 28-year-old lacks professionalism. While the winger is described in the report as "very popular" in the dressing room, that may not be enough to see him stay on beyond the summer.

Grealish's City career has been a curious one overall, with endless trophy success coming his way, but his performances rarely standing out as anything close to world-class.

While Guardiola has arguably taken some of the flair out of the £300,000-a-week England international's game, certainly compared to his more flamboyant, maverick style at Aston Villa, a lack of end product has been a constant issue. A tally of 14 goals and 18 assists in 125 appearances is a poor return, considering he has been playing an attacking role for possibly Europe's best club side since he arrived.

Grealish personality is undoubtedly likeable, so it is understandable why he is such a popular presence at the Etihad, but there are question marks about both his ceiling and dedication as a player, which means cashing in on him this summer could make sense.

Guardiola is not someone who will put up with a player who isn't as focused as possible, and following a disappointing season on a personal level – one that saw him miss out on the Euros with England – it would not be a surprise to see Grealish dispatched.

Manchester United have been handed a positive boost in their chase of Ruud van Nistelrooy this summer as Sir Jim Ratcliffe aims to secure his backroom staff target ahead of the new Premier League season.

Ten Hag set to be offered new Man Utd deal

An FA Cup win followed by two weeks of Manchester United interviewing multiple other candidates for the role eventually culminated in the Red Devils deciding to keep the faith with Erik ten Hag heading into the 2024/25 season.

The Dutchman oversaw one of the worst seasons in Manchester United's Premier League history, finishing eighth and conceding as many goals as 16th-placed Brentford, while his side faced the second most shots per game of any side in Europe's top five leagues, behind only Sheffield United and behind relegated Luton Town.

However, there were mitigating circumstances, most significantly a lengthy injury list which led to defenders being played out of position and Casemiro ending the season at centre-back, making up the 14th different Red Devils centre-back pairing of the season.

According to Opta, the Dutchman was only able to call upon his first-choice pairing of Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane for 11% of his side's Premier League games, while his most used pairing of Jonny Evans and Raphael Varane started just six games together.

Perhaps with this in mind, the Dutchman was granted a stay of execution and is set to be offered a new deal, with ESPN reporting that the Red Devils are hoping that they can reach an agreement over a new contract "before their pre-season tour of the US", which begins on July 27th when they face Arsenal.

Though it is claimed negotiations are "complicated", it is added that talks have "progressed well" and a deal is now thought to be close. There could also be another new face in the dugout by then too, if all goes to plan.

Romano provides positive Van Nistelrooy to Man Utd update

That comes as transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Van Nistelrooy is "tempted by Man United" as they look to make him a part of the club's coaching staff.

The ex-Manchester United striker was understood to be the subject of interest from Championship side Burnley, who were looking at the Dutchman to potentially replace Vincent Kompany in the Turf Moor hot seat.

Man Utd willing to bid for £50m+ winger alongside Zirkzee

The Red Devils have been linked with a mega-money move.

By
Ben Browning

Jun 25, 2024

However, any hope of that seems to have gone up in smoke, with Romano explaining that a move to Old Trafford is "advancing fast", which could see him turn down the change to manage his own side and instead join compatriot Ten Hag at Old Trafford.

Van Nistelrooy scored 150 times in 219 appearances for the Red Devils, and United fans will be hoping that his arrival will allow them to get the most out of young talent Rasmus Hojlund, who blew hot and cold last season.

Top-quality fast bowling always helps when you’re trying to win a series in Australia, and the history of the Ashes bears that out

Greg Chappell04-Oct-2025It was Douglas Jardine who said in , “Cricket is a game of skill, but it is also a game of war. You must find a way to win or you are lost.”As the shadows lengthen over the Australian summer, the 2025-26 Ashes series looms in Perth on 21 November, a mere six weeks away. For England, under the audacious stewardship of Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes, the mantra is clear: speed thrills.Their squad, boasting a “cartel” of express pacemen led by the enigmatic Jofra Archer and the thunderous Mark Wood, offers echoes of history’s lessons. To understand this bold gambit, we must rewind to the summer of 1932-33, when Jardine faced a Hobson’s Choice – take the only option on offer or face certain defeat. Bodyline, that infamous tactic, was not born of malice but necessity, a desperate counter to Donald Bradman’s otherworldly batting. It reminds us that cricket, for all its genteel veneer, can ignite passions that spill beyond civil norms, turning gentlemen into gladiators and crowds into cauldrons of fury.Related

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Jardine’s predicament was the stuff of captaincy nightmares. Bradman had just dismantled England in their own backyard during the 1930 Ashes, amassing 974 runs at an average of 139.14 – a record that still beggars belief. His triple-century at Headingley was a symphony of dominance, reducing England’s attack to rubble. Jardine, a steely Oxford-educated amateur with a disdain for defeat, knew that accepting Bradman’s supremacy fatalistically was tantamount to surrender. As England’s captain, his remit was unequivocal: find a way, within the laws, to curb this prolific scoring machine. But what options did he have? Conventional bowling had proved futile; spin was neutralised on Australia’s true pitches; and seamers like Hedley Verity offered control but not terror.Herein lies the essence of Jardine’s Hobson’s Choice – the illusion of alternatives masking a singular path. He turned to “fast leg theory”, a tactic not invented by him but refined to lethal precision. Precedents abounded in the 1920s. Australian fast bowlers like Jack Gregory and Ted McDonald had employed similar short-pitched barrages with packed leg-side fields during the 1920-21 Ashes, unsettling English batters on lively surfaces. Jardine, ever the tactician, drew from this example, consulting Nottinghamshire’s Arthur Carr and Percy Fender, who had trialled it domestically. He came upon the idea observing Bradman flinch against Harold Larwood’s bouncer at The Oval in 1930. “I’ve got it! He’s vulnerable!” Jardine exclaimed. Secret sessions in London honed the plan: short balls at the body, a ring of leg-side fielders to snare deflections. It was legal, innovative, and crucially, the only sensible option against a batter averaging over 100.Critics vilified Jardine as unsportsmanlike, but as a former captain, I see his dilemma plainly. Every leader, amateur or professional, bears the responsibility of solving the game’s riddles. To let Bradman score at will would betray Jardine’s team, his nation, and the competitive spirit of cricket. Bradman averaged 56.57 in the Bodyline series – still formidable, but mortal. The series’ flashpoints, like the Adelaide riot after Bert Oldfield’s skull fracture, evoked raw emotions: Australian crowds baying for blood, diplomatic cables flying between boards, threats of trade boycotts (and this during the Great Depression). Sport, in such moments, transcends civility, tapping into tribal loyalties that can fracture empires. Jardine became the scapegoat, retiring from Tests thereafter, but his choice delivered a 4-1 victory. Without it, England would have been lambs to Bradman’s slaughter.This theme – pace as the great equaliser in Australia – threads through every English Ashes win down under since Bodyline. History is unequivocal: to win in these vast, sun-baked arenas, you need express bowlers who can intimidate, extract bounce, and shatter partnerships on pitches that reward raw speed over subtle swing.Top bowling, old boy: Chris Tremlett is mobbed by his team-mates after England make it 3-1 in Sydney early in 2011•Associated PressConsider the 1954-55 series, which England won 3-1 win under Len Hutton. Frank Tyson, called “Typhoon” for his 95mph thunderbolts, claimed 28 wickets at 20.82, terrorising batters with sheer velocity on firm tracks. Brian Statham’s accurate outswing complemented him, but it was Tyson’s pace that broke Australia’s spirit, reducing legends like Neil Harvey to caution. Emotions ran high; Tyson’s ferocity evoked Bodyline, with crowds murmuring about “intimidation”, but in the end it was the key to victory.Fast-forward to 1970-71, Ray Illingworth’s 2-0 triumph. John Snow, lanky and lethal at 90mph, snared 31 wickets, his bounce and skid exploiting Australian frailties. Bob Willis, on debut, added fire. The series boiled over in the last Test, in Sydney, where a Snow bouncer felled Terry Jenner, sparking a bottle-throwing melee and Illingworth leading his team off the field in protest. Again, pace stirred primal reactions, but it secured the urn.Mike Brearley’s 5-1 rout in 1978-79 leaned on Willis’ speed and bounce (20 wickets) and Ian Botham’s deceptive pace and all-round skill (23 wickets). Willis’ hostility on Perth’s bouncy deck set the tone, evoking crowd hostility that bordered on the uncivil – boos, jeers, even objects hurled. Again, without this pace edge, England’s win would have evaporated.England’s 2-1 upset in the 1986-87 series under Mike Gatting, saw Graham Dilley take 16 wickets with his sharp pace. Botham chipped in again with nine wickets, his medium-fast swing and bounce augmented by Gladstone Small’s (12 wickets) awkward speed. Emotions peaked in Melbourne, where Botham’s heroics fused triumph with controversy, his off-field antics amplifying the drama.Most recently, the 3-1 masterclass under Andrew Strauss in 2010-11 rested on James Anderson’s 24 wickets (late swing at 88-92mph), Chris Tremlett and Steven Finn’s towering bounce (31 wickets between them). Their cartel overwhelmed Australia, with Mitchell Johnson’s waywardness contrasting with England’s precision. The Gabba draw turned on pace pressure, and the series’ intensity – verbal sledging, crowd taunts – underscored how speed ignites passions that push boundaries.In each case England’s victories hinged on one or more express bowlers. Spin played cameos but pace was the protagonist, exploiting Australia’s pace-friendly conditions: Perth’s steepling bounce; Brisbane’s humidity, which aids swing; Melbourne’s variable decks. Without it, touring sides wilt under home dominance – think Australia’s Lillee-Thomson terror in the 1970s or McGrath-Gillespie’s relentlessness in the 2000s.England’s 1932-33 series was indubitably secured by fast bowling•JA Hampton/Getty ImagesNow to the present. McCullum and Stokes have done their homework. They have prioritised the fitness of Archer and Wood, assembling a sextet of quicks – including Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Matthew Potts, and Josh Tongue – apart from Stokes himself, to launch an assault. “We need that cartel fit and firing,” McCullum declared, echoing Jardine’s resolve. Archer’s X-factor swing and Wood’s 95mph heat are statements of intent; the two have been managed meticulously after injuries to peak in Perth. With only Shoaib Bashir as spinner, they’ve put nearly all eggs in the speed basket, betting on rotation to sustain pressure across five Tests.Australia lack a Bradman, but curbing Steve Smith, Travis Head, and Cameron Green to mortal outputs will be pivotal. The openers will be important to Australia’s success, but it is the middle order that will need to make big runs if Australia are to win the series. If England’s attack delivers and dismantles Australia’s middle order, McCullum and Stokes will join the list of successful England leaders in Australia.Batting-wise, England appear settled, with Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett’s aggressiveness as openers, Ollie Pope’s flair, Joe Root’s mastery, Jamie Smith’s precociousness, and Harry Brook’s prodigious talent – the latter averages 57.55 in Tests, a comet streaking across world cricket. Australia’s line-up will look more settled before the first Test on the back of early-season form, but vulnerabilities persist in the wake of David Warner’s retirement.Yet, batters will be critical only insofar as they withstand the barrage. This series, like its forebears, will be decided by the superior bowling side. England’s pace gamble could evoke Bodyline’s emotions – imagine a bouncer from Archer felling a key bat, crowds erupting, words flying. Sport’s power lies here: it distils human drama, where triumph and controversy collide, pushing participants and spectators beyond civil norms into realms of raw passion.Jardine took the only sensible option. History affirms pace’s primacy in Australia, and in 2025-26 too, bowling will crown the victor. As the urn beckons, let the need for speed reignite cricket’s eternal fire.

Top three secure qualification for 2022 WC in New Zealand, while fourth and fifth make it to next edition of ICC Women’s Championship

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Aug-2021The Women’s ODI World Cup Qualifier 2021, that will decide the final three spots for the 2022 World Cup, will be held in Zimbabwe later this year. The ICC announced that the ten-team tournament will be played between November 21 and December 5 in Harare.The qualifiers were originally meant to be hosted by Sri Lanka in July 2020, but the Covid-19 pandemic forced the postponement of the tournament, as well as the main event in New Zealand.The ten teams, vying for the three World Cup spots, will include Pakistan, West Indies, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Ireland – and the five regional qualifiers who won their respective competitions in 2019.Hosts Zimbabwe are the Africa regional qualifiers, Thailand are from Asia, Papua New Guinea represent Asia East-Pacific, Netherlands are the European winners and United States of America will play as Americas champions.While the top three make it to the eight-team ODI World Cup in March-April 2022, the next two teams from the competition will also secure their places in the next ICC Women’s Championship.The next cycle of the ICC Women’s Championship will expand from eight teams to ten, thus freeing up five places. The other five spots will be taken by the automatic qualifiers of the ODI World Cup – Australia, England, India, South Africa and New Zealand – on the back of their top-five finish in the previous ICC Women’s Championship.”I wish to express our heartfelt thanks to the ICC board for their magnanimous gesture in allowing us the privilege of hosting the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2021,” Zimbabwe Cricket’s Tavengwa Mukuhlani said.”On our part, we will leave no stone unturned to ensure this prestigious global event stands out as a unique event that celebrates Zimbabwe in all its magnificent splendour, richness, vibrancy, diversity and glory. I believe being granted the right to host this tournament is a vote of confidence in what we as ZC are doing and what we are hoping to do.”You can rest assured we will not disappoint. We will not disappoint the nation of Zimbabwe and we will not disappoint the game of cricket.”