Category Uncategorized

The Philippe Clement era at Rangers is over.

Last weekend’s 2-0 home defeat at the hands of St Mirren, the Buddies’ first victory at Ibrox since 1991, proved to be the Belgian’s 86th and final match in charge, enjoying 55 victories but unable to lead the Gers to a 56th title.

His sacking was announced a week ago before, the following morning, it was confirmed that Barry Ferguson, who made 410 appearances for the club, will be in interim charge until the end of the season, assisted by a trio of fellow-former Rangers players, namely Neil McCann, Billy Dodds and Allan McGregor.

Given that, as noted by Graham Ruthven of the Total Soccer Show, Ferguson has no pedigree as a top-level manager, previously taking charge of Clyde, Kelty Hearts and Alloa Athletic with mixed success, he’s unlikely to get the job permanently.

So, should Rangers’ potential new investors, namely Paraag Marathe of 49ers Enterprises, look to a manager from farther afield, with Pep Guardiola’s approval no less, as Clement’s long-term successor?

What went wrong for Philippe Clement at Ibrox

Ever since Rangers were knocked out of the Scottish Cup by Queen’s Park, beaten at Ibrox in that competition by a team from a lower division for the first time ever, it was only a matter of time until Clement lost his job.

With his team also currently 16 points adrift run-away Premiership leaders Celtic, speaking on Premier Sports’ Scottish Football Social Club, former Hibs and Hearts midfielder Michael Stewart said he could not see how Clement could survive such an historic cup shock.

Meantime, speaking on the Scottish Football Show, Findlay Marks believes Clement has been a ‘dead man walking’ ever since that cup exit, adding that while the Belgian is clearly a good manager, he ‘never figured out… how to play in Scotland’.

Clement failed to win any of his first six Glasgow derbies, two of which came in cup finals, another reason why Mark Atkinson of the Scotsman believed ‘most Rangers-minded individuals wanted him gone’ a while ago.

With Rangers marooned in second spot in the Premiership, not going to catch Celtic and equally unlikely to be overtaken by Aberdeen, they can start planning for next season, which they know will commence on 22 or 23 July with the first leg of a Champions League qualifier.

By then, the Light Blues could have new owners, given that 49ers Enterprises are attempting to purchase a ‘controlling stake’ in the club, as reported by Jordan Campbell of the Athletic, so should they look to the other side of the world for their first managerial hire?

Manager Focus

Who are the greatest coaches in the land? Football FanCast’s Manager Focus series aims to reveal all.

Rangers' ideal Clement successor

According to David Irvine of the National, Kevin Muscat is currently third-favourite to be the next Rangers manager, having been interviewed for the job back in October 2023, when Clement was appointed instead, a decision that left him ‘disappointed’.

As a player, Muscat made 26 appearances for Rangers in the 2002/03 season, also representing Crystal Palace, Wolves, Millwall as well as various clubs across Australia, infamously deemed to be too hot-headed by manager Alex McLeish to play in an Old Firm.

He’s since become something of a globe trotter in management, in charge of Melbourne Victory for six years, winning two A-League titles, before a brief stint as Ange Postecoglou’s assistant at the 2017 Confederations Cup in Russia.

After little over a dozen matches in charge of Sint-Truiden in Belgium, he then succeeded Postecoglou at Yokohama F. Marinos, after his compatriot became Celtic head coach, winning the J1 League in 2022.

Since December 2023, Muscat has been in charge of Shanghai Port in China, winning the Chinese Super League and Chinese FA Cup double last season, beating Shandong Taishan 3-1 in November’s final in Wenzhou, as he pointed out himself, achieving the club’s very first double.

“Guardiola has approved of Kevin Muscat’s high-tempo attacking football” as noted by digital producer Sacha Pisani, with the Manchester City boss saying of Muscat’s Yokohama side “wow… they are dynamic in their process, the build-up, everything they do. I like it.”

So, let’s see how he compares to Clement.

Matches

86

200

116

46

Wins

55

95

67

33

Wins %

63.95%

47.5%

57.76%

71.72%

League titles

Zero

2

1

1

Cups

1

2

0

1

As the table underlines, Muscat has won a league title in three different countries, not many can boast that, while his Shanghai Port side won last season’s Chinese Super League title with a record-breaking 78 points, dropping only 12 points all year.

Thus, the 51-year-old’s pedigree means he has to be a serious candidate to fill the current vacancy at Ibrox.

Philippe Clement sacked: 6 things the new Rangers manager must do at Ibrox

The next Rangers manager will have a big to-do list.

ByRoss Kilvington Feb 24, 2025

Real Madrid are keen to sign Huijsen in time for the Club World Cup having been dogged by defensive injuries this season.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Madrid agree £50m Huijsen dealSpaniard expected to play in Club World CupSpent just one season at BournemouthFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Real Madrid have reached an agreement in principle with Bournemouth to sign Spain defender Huijsen for £50m, according to ESPN. Los Blancos have made the 20-year-old a key target in recent months and the youngster is said to be extremely keen on the move after just one season in England with the Cherries.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Madrid have struggled with injuries in central defence throughout the campaign, with Antonio Rudiger, Eder Militao and David Alaba all missing significant portions of the season. Manager Carlo Ancelotti had to field Raul Asencio and Jacobo Ramon in central defence during the 2-1 win over Mallorca, while ostracised defender Jesus Vallejo made just his second league appearance this term as he set up the winning goal for Ramon.

DID YOU KNOW?

Madrid were keen on signing Huijsen when he was a youngster on the books at Malaga, but his family opted to move to Juventus instead. He spent a season on loan with Roma before making a permanent transfer to Bournemouth, impressing under Andoni Iraola with his ease on the ball and tactical awareness.

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR HUIJSEN AND REAL MADRID?

Huijsen and Bournemouth have the weekend off before they face Manchester City on Tuesday ahead of their final game of the season against Leicester. Madrid's Club World Cup campaign kicks off on Wednesday 18 June when they take on Al-Hilal in Florida.

Newcastle United are reportedly in talks with Southampton goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale after missing out on Burnley's James Trafford.

• Newcastle target new goalkeeper
• Miss out on Trafford to Man City
• Howe eyes reunion with old charge

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to Sky Sports, Newcastle have turned to former Arsenal stopper Ramsdale after Manchester City pipped them to the signature of Trafford. Moreover, Fabrizio Romano adds that the 27-year-old has said 'yes' to the Magpies, and an official bid has been sent to Southampton.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Newcastle are enduring a difficult summer. Just when it looked like they would secure Trafford's services, City have swooped in and star striker Alexander Isak wants to leave the club, too. If signed, Ramsdale will compete with Nick Pope for the number one spot at Newcastle but the fact that he worked under manager Eddie Howe at Bournemouth may work to his advantage. He may just be a backup, though.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Romano adds that this Newcastle deal is likely to include a 'high' loan fee, with his salary covered, and there is a buy option as well. Southampton, who were relegated to the Championship earlier this year, are 'open' to accepting this but want a higher fee but a switch is 'expected' to happen.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT?

  After recruiting Nottingham Forest winger Anthony Elanga and Malaga wideman Antonito Cordero, Newcastle will hope to make Ramsdale their third signing of the summer. They are also chasing RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko and Brentford forward Yoane Wissa if Isak is sold.

Ghulam struck 63 off just 32 balls towards the end to help post series-sealing total

Danyal Rasool19-Dec-2024

Pakistan turned in their best all-round ODI performance across all three series over the past six weeks, dismantling South Africa by 81 runs and sealing a third straight ODI series win.Shaheen Afridi sizzled with the ball after half-centuries from Mohammad Rizwan, Babar Azam and Kamran Ghulam helped Pakistan amass 329 in the second ODI in Cape Town. South Africa never quite got partnerships going despite a heroic 74-ball 97 from Heinrich Klaasen. Afridi, however, got his mojo back, menacing at the top and lethal with the reverse swinging ball at the death, finishing with four wickets as South Africa were bowled out for 248.South Africa began the chase in much the same way as they started off in the first innings in Paarl – with conviction and purpose. From the moment the returning Temba Bavuma flicked Afridi off his pads for four off the first ball, South Africa were up and running, routinely piercing the thickset infield to find the boundaries they needed to keep the asking rate in check. When Naseem Shah drew a leading edge from the South Africa captain to draw first blood, Tony de Zorzi and Rassie van der Dussen carried on at the same brisk tempo, and South Africa had much the better of the opening powerplay.However, the hosts were beset by the clumps of wickets Pakistan have found a knack of taking to stymie opposition momentum. De Zorzi, van der Dussen and Aiden Markram all fell within 39 runs of each other, immediately placing all the pressure on Klaasen to pull off another Houdini act. Alongside David Miller, he appeared to have set South Africa back on course with a partnership that combined security with aggression, the run-a-ball 72 they added bringing the hosts right back into the contest.But Afridi picked his moment to deliver perhaps his most impressive spell since picking up the injury two years ago that has somewhat stalled his career. With the lights taking full effect and the contest balanced on a tightrope, he found it in himself to bowl closer to the 140kph mark, angling his wrist position to take advantage of the reverse swing that suddenly appeared to be on offer. He fizzed one past Miller, cutting him in half – or so we all thought; Afridi was sure it had kissed the inside edge, and when they went upstairs, the technology bore him out.But it was the dismissal of Marco Jansen that had the greatest technical purity to it. Coming around the wicket, it angled into middle stump before appearing to deviate away, with Jansen’s bat nowhere near it as it crashed into the base of middle and off. He was finding late swing at such pace even the umpire struggled to pick it up, and it required another review to establish Andile Phehlukwayo had been struck on the toe before the ball hit his bat, and that he was indeed plumb in front.Shaheen Afridi produced a three-wicket spell•AFP/Getty Images

All this while, Klaasen had been fighting a lone, and, as became increasingly obvious, losing battle. He was particularly ruthless taking down last game’s hero, Salman Agha, stepping onto the back foot for his trademark hook over cow corner, and using his range efficiently to carve the ball into the off side. If anything, he was guilty of not shielding the strike better as he approached his own hundred, and, in the end, ran out of partners when he whacked Naseem to deep midwicket in a doomed attempt at reaching a hundred he richly deserved.Babar scored his first half-century in 22 innings, combining with his old friend Rizwan in a 115-run third wicket partnership as Pakistan set South Africa an imposing 330 to chase. That number never looked as steep when those two were batting, though, and only ballooned thanks to a blistering late flurry from Ghulam, who bludgeoned 63 off 32 balls. They were helped by South Africa falling away sharply with their lines as well as in the fielding.Bavuma had opted to field first on a picture-perfect day at Newlands, and South Africa made a similarly dreamy start when Marco Jansen knocked over Abdullah Shafique for a second successive duck. But South Africa only truly perked up when Saim Ayub was removed at the tailend of the powerplay, slashing at a wide one off debutant Kwena Maphaka, and finding van der Dussen well placed at deep third.Pakistan’s level of urgency tailed away immediately, with Babar and Rizwan opting for the more classical pacing that comes so naturally to them. Both were trying to work their way back into the runs, and with South Africa happy to strangle the scoring than go after the wickets, it appeared for a while that the game entered a passage of play where each side was getting what they wanted.There were still moments of belligerence, such as when Rizwan smeared Markram over cow corner for six, and Babar milked the spinners for the occasional boundary. But the asking rate steadily hovered between 4.75 and 5.1, and it was evident Pakistan were backloading the innings.Babar had gone past 50 and seemed to be edging towards that elusive hundred, but then he slapped Phehlukwayo straight to Markram at short midwicket, who just about held on after it thudded into his chest. Maphaka got rid of Rizwan with a splendid diving return catch, and South Africa suddenly had the momentum.But Ghulam put paid to any such notions. Alongside Salman, who punished some errant bowling, Ghulam demonstrated his value as a lower-order power hitter, making splendid use of his bottom hand as he smashed five sixes in a whirlwind of a knock. The half-century came up in just 25 deliveries, with both pace and spin taken to task. Irfan Niazi, Shaheen and Haris Rauf were good value for the odd six from the other end, but until he holed out to Maphaka in the final over, and the late charge which saw Pakistan score 128 in the final 12 overs was largely down to Ghulam.That it was possible, though, was because Pakistan had done something which has eluded South Africa all series. They had paced their way through an ODI innings while keeping wickets in hand. Klaasen may well have been just as adept at playing the Ghulam role at the death, but, as he went down on his knees after Pakistan sealed victory, he simply had no one to play it with.

Leeds United will be doing plenty of deals in the next couple of months in an attempt to build a squad that can avoid an instant relegation from the Premier League.

The Whites have already made one new signing to bolster Daniel Farke’s options at the top end of the pitch, as Lukas Nmecha has agreed a deal to join the club on a free transfer from Wolfsburg at the start of next month.

He only scored three goals in 19 appearances in the Bundesliga during the 2024/25 campaign, and has only scored eight league goals in the last three seasons combined.

This does not suggest that Nmecha is likely to be the go-to centre-forward option from the start for the West Yorkshire outfit, but the former Germany international could provide experienced back-up to the other number nines in the squad.

The 26-year-old star will not be the last striker to arrive at Elland Road this summer, though, as reporter Graham Smyth claimed that the club are still looking for another addition in that position.

This could spell bad news for 21-year-old marksman Mateo Joseph’s future in West Yorkshire, amid speculation that he could move on ahead of next season.

Why Mateo Joseph could leave Leeds

The Spain U21 international is reportedly being eyed up by several clubs, as GIVEMESPORT recently claimed that Birmingham, Strasbourg, and Real Betis are all keen on securing his signature.

This suggests that there will be no shortage of suitors for the Whites academy graduate if Farke decides that he will not be a part of his plans for the Premier League season, which will kick off with a clash against Everton on the first Monday Night Football of the campaign.

Joseph has now had a taste of first-team football, with 61 Championship outings and four goals in the last two seasons, and should be wanting to play regular minutes next term to continue his development.

The Spanish youngster only scored three goals in 39 matches for Leeds in the second tier during the 2024/25 campaign, but did put up some promising underlying numbers.

As you can see in the table above, Joseph ranked highly among his positional peers when it came to getting into high-quality shooting positions and creating chances for others, but his finishing let him down.

A loan move away from Leeds to play regularly and hone his skills next term could be the ideal next step for him, whilst Leeds are eyeing up a striker who could be an upgrade on him in the short term.

Leeds plotting move for new striker

According to TEAMtalk, the Championship champions are eyeing up further forward additions after the signing of Nmecha, and Besiktas striker Semih Kilicsoy is one of the players they are plotting a move for.

The Turkish attacker and Fulham centre-forward Rodrigo Muniz are both said to be targets for the West Yorkshire outfit, as they look to improve Farke’s options in the final third.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

TEAMtalk adds that Leeds are moving forward in deals to sign Muniz, Kilicsoy, and USG’s Noah Sadiki, with the Besiktas whiz said to be available for a fee of £18m.

The outlet claims that the Whites have extensively scouted the Turkey U21 international and view him as a versatile star with potential who would come in as a long-term signing for Farke.

If Leeds can get an £18m deal over the line to sign the 19-year-old forward during the summer transfer window then they could have an immediate upgrade on both Nmecha and Joseph for next season.

Why Leeds should sign Semih Kilicsoy

There are many reasons why signing the teenage marksman from Besiktas makes a lot of sense for Leeds, including his age profile. At 19, he has many years left ahead of him to develop and improve as a player, which means that the striker could grow in value over time.

It also means that he may not demand to be the first-choice number nine week-in-week-out in the Premier League straight away, and be happy to be a versatile bench option at first, which would allow the Whites to also sign a more experienced striker, such as Muniz.

Kilicsoy’s performances for Besiktas in the last two seasons also suggest that he would offer more quality in front of goal than both Nmecha and Joseph in the top-flight.

The Turkish attacker, who was once hailed as “incredible” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, scored 15 goals and provided nine assists in the 2023/24 and 2024/25 seasons combined for his club side.

Joseph managed seven goals and four assists for Leeds in all competitions, and Nmecha racked up five goals and zero assists in that same time, which immediately suggests that the teenage star has more to offer the team at the top end of the pitch.

As you can see in the table above, Kilicsoy offered more quality at the top end of the pitch than Joseph this season, with more goals and xA combined per 90, along with far more success in dribbling past opposition players.

Impressively, the teenage attacker managed 0.59 goals and 0.21 assists per 90 in the Super Lig in the previous campaign, when he managed 11 goals and four assists in the division, whilst Joseph scored one goal in 22 league games for Leeds that term.

Therefore, Kilicsoy could be a very exciting signing for Leeds as a young forward who has shown that he has the potential to make a big impact as both a scorer and a creator of goals, even more so than Joseph and Nmecha have in recent years.

Better than Aaronson: Leeds submit bid to sign £21m Sadiki alternative

Leeds are looking at signing a new midfielder this summer

By
Joe Nuttall

Jun 17, 2025

This is why Leeds must press ahead with a deal to sign the £18m-rated centre-forward before the start of the Premier League season to bolster their attacking options.

Sunderland were always going to face challenges venturing up to the Premier League, but the Black Cats will find their journey up to the big time to be even more unnerving now that Jobe Bellingham has left the club.

Bellingham has followed in his esteemed brother’s footsteps and joined German behemoth Borussia Dortmund, leaving Regis Le Bris with a lot of work to do this summer to plug his noticeable gap.

The Wearside underdogs could look to bring in an entertaining EFL star as a replacement for the skilful 19-year-old.

Sunderland eyeing up move for EFL star

As per a new report by the Daily Mail, Sunderland are eyeing up a potential swoop for Leeds United outcast Sam Greenwood to enhance their attacking options.

Whilst he has struggled for large patches of his Elland Road career, Greenwood has shone away from West Yorkshire on loan with Preston North End and Middlesbrough in the Championship, with Sunderland now keen on winning his services.

Leicester City are also in the race to land the 23-year-old ahead of the Foxes heading back to the second tier, but the Black Cats’ newly obtained Premier League status – on top of the fact Greenwood actually hails from Sunderland – should surely give them a favourable advantage.

Before heading to Leeds, he was actually on the books of the Sunderland and Arsenal academies.

How Greenwood could replace Bellingham

There would be a lot of pressure on Greenwood’s shoulders to come in and fill the void left behind by Bellingham, but it’s clear from his flashes of excellence in the EFL’s elite league that he’s deserving of some more game time in the top-flight, away from being a reserve face at Daniel Farke’s outfit.

After all, much like Bellingham caught the eye with classy displays galore at the Stadium of Light, Greenwood has consistently entertained fans in the EFL when moved out on loan from Leeds.

Amazingly, the 23-year-old even amassed more goals last season in the Championship than Bellingham, with five goals collected come the end of his stay at Deepdale, compared to his now Dortmund counterpart’s four.

By the end of his loan stint in Lancashire, Greenwood scored seven strikes in total from 45 clashes, with this tally just beating his overall Boro count, which stood at five. Alongside that, he also has six Championship assists next to his name, with a chance for him to shine in the level above perhaps coming soon with Le Bris and Co.

Away from offering the same firepower as Bellingham, the “unbelievable” attacker – as Farke once described him – is also similar to the Bundesliga-bound midfielder in offering lots of versatility, with the ex-Arsenal youth starlet capable of playing in a whole host of positions like Bellingham, away from simply lining up as a number ten.

Greenwood actually boasts more career goals and assists lining up as a centre-forward with the 23-year-old potentially offering Le Bris another striker presence, therefore, away from the Frenchman solely depending on Wilson Isidor.

But, he can also line up as a winger and as a central figure, much like Bellingham, with everything pointing in the direction that this could be a smart move for Sunderland to make to try and patch over their star man’s exit.

Greenwood even has a goal and four assists next to his name when utilised sparingly in the Premier League by the Whites, meaning he could really kick on under Le Bris’ guidance if given plenty of action in the wake of Bellingham’s sad departure.

He'd be better than Tanganga: Sunderland interested in signing £8m defender

Sunderland could now swoop in for this defensive target over solely pursuing a move for Japhet Tanganga.

By
Kelan Sarson

Jun 16, 2025

Pujara’s philosophy is to spend more time in the middle to create more chances of scoring runs

Sidharth Monga09-Jan-20212:11

Chopra: Pujara’s back leg movement a ‘flaw’ causing dismissals against Cummins

“I don’t think it was the right approach, I think he needed to be a bit more proactive with his scoring rate because I felt it was putting too much pressure on his batting partners.”That was Ricky Ponting’s assessment, posted on Twitter in response to a question posed to him about Cheteshwar Pujara’s approach in India’s first innings of the Sydney Test. Pujara had scored his slowest half-century, facing 176 balls, but despite facing only five overs fewer than Australia, India ended 94 runs behind. There was a run-out and a played-on dismissal while Pujara was at the wicket, which were indirectly linked to his rate of scoring.This is not opportunistic criticism in hindsight. The questioning of Pujara’s approach began well before his, or Ajinkya Rahane’s or Hanuma Vihari’s, dismissal. The import of it is that if you bat with that approach, you put others around you under pressure and, thus, don’t leave yourself and your team an option but to score a big one yourself. And on difficult pitches against good attacks, you are bound to get a good ball before you score a hundred going at that pace.There is merit to this criticism, but “approach” can soon start to give way to “intent” and it can begin to sound like the batsman is not even thinking of runs. In reality, the approach is not decided by a batsman based on which side of the bed he wakes up. It is a reaction to the quality of the bowling, the nature of the pitch, the match situation, the strength of his own batting line-up, and, perhaps most importantly, his own ability.It isn’t as though Pujara doesn’t know the pitfalls of not scoring at a certain rate. This is a method – let’s not call it approach because it leads to the awful word intent, which suggests the player doesn’t intend to do what is best for the team – that has worked the best for Pujara and India. This was the method that worked on the last tour of Australia when he won India the series by facing more balls than any visiting batsman in a series in Australia in which he played four Tests or fewer. This was the method that worked in Johannesburg where he took 50 balls to get off the mark. This is a method that works for him at home.This method relies on the philosophy that the more time you spend at the wicket, the better your reactions get and the less accurate and intense the bowling gets. Pujara has shown more than enough times that he can make up for these starts once he has bowlers where he wants them. And it is not always accurate that if he gets out for 20 off 80, he has done his side no favours. The last Test was a good example of Shubman Gill and Pujara tiring Pat Cummins out, forcing him to bowl an eight-over spell in the morning session. The centurion Rahane was well into his 20s, having faced 70-plus balls when he first faced a proper spell from Cummins. It is not always apparent, and it is not always extremely significant, but it has some benefit for those who follow him.Of course, Pujara can show more “intent” and try to play quicker, but his judgement tells him that involves an undue amount of risk. He was up against stronger, quicker, taller and more accurate fast bowlers than Australia’s batsmen were on a pitch that called for accurate banging of the ball into the pitch. The bounce available meant Nathan Lyon was in the game too.There was no release available for Pujara unlike for Australia’s batsmen who had Navdeep Saini, Ravindra Jadeja – his four wickets perhaps flatter his effort – and even R Ashwin, who was now getting hit off the back foot into the off side. All told, Pujara faced 20 full balls and duly scored 14 runs off them. It was the good balls that he didn’t go after.Look at how Rahane got out: that late-cut over the cordon would perhaps work on another pitch, but the uneven bounce meant he played on. Look at how Rishabh Pant got hurt: trying to pull. Pujara knew this wasn’t a pitch for the horizontal-bat shots.Cheteshwar Pujara drops his hands and sways out of the way of a snorter•Getty ImagesThe combination of the pitch and the quality of the Australian bowling meant that the slight closing of the face or opening of it for even those singles was deemed to be too risky by the batsmen in the middle. Pujara has faced more than 31,000 balls in first-class cricket in varied conditions and match situations, close to 13,000 of them in Tests. Perhaps it is wise to trust his judgement of what is risky.Of course, you can try to play the shots regardless, and they can come off on your day, but elite batsmen don’t like to take that much risk. Not leaving things to chance is what makes them elite. Especially when they are playing just five pure batsmen.The risk involved here is of another nature. Pujara concentrated hard for 176 balls, helped take India to 195 for 4, but then an injured Rishabh Pant and he fell on the same score and the tail stood no chance of getting India close to Australia’s score. The ball Pujara got was, according to him, the ball of the series, a ball that he said would have got him had he been batting even on 100 or 200. While Pujara can take solace in that he made Australia throw the best punch they possibly could, Cummins, the bowler of the monster ball that kicked off just short of a length, rubbed it in that Pujara’s scoring rate helped him and the other bowlers.”At one stage he had been out there for 200 balls or 150 balls and I looked up there thinking they are still 200 away from our first-innings total,” Cummins said after the day’s play. “So if things go that way and we can keep bowling well, you’re not overly bothered. He is someone you know you are going have to bowl a lot at. I think we got our head around that this series, for him to score runs we are going to make it as hard as possible. Whether he bats 200 or 300 balls, just try and bowl good ball after good ball, and challenge both sides of his bat.”Related

• R Ashwin on Pujara: 'Mirugam will never lose an argument; his game is an extension of that'

• Cheteshwar Pujara: 'My passion became my profession'

• What's wrong with Pujara? The answer might lie in his feet

• Cheteshwar Pujara: 'The most important thing is to score runs. How you score hardly matters'

• Cheteshwar Pujara: 'You can punch me as long as you can. Then I'll punch back'

In what can be a bit of a mind game lies an admission too. That Pujara makes you bowl at your best for longer periods of time than other batsmen. Against the same attack, it worked on the last tour. It came close to working on this tour too. At least it gave Pujara a chance.On this pitch, against this bowling, to force the pace and drive on the up, while not taking an undue amount of risk, you have to be as good as Virat Kohli at that kind of batting. Pujara probably knows he isn’t. That is not his skill. His skill is to absorb the blows before taking down tired bowlers. Since about late 2018, even Kohli has started buying into the Pujara philosophy. The best innings of this series in terms of method, Kohli’s 74 in Adelaide, took 180 balls. For the first 80 balls of that innings, he went at a strike rate under 30. It was exactly like a Pujara innings, except that Kohli’s higher skill at shot-making meant he opened up sooner than Pujara could have.There is another, more nuanced criticism of Pujara’s batting, something he probably needs to work harder on. You don’t see too many driveable balls when he is at the wicket because he gets stuck on the crease. So what might be a half-volley for other batsmen is a length ball that Pujara is forced to show respect to. It gives the bowlers a wider margin of error, which means they feel no pressure and thus make less errors.There is merit to that but Pujara will turn around and tell you that this is what allows him to keep out balls that take other batsmen’s edges. Instead of pushing at the ball, he either lets them seam past his edge or play them late and under his eye if they are straight. That by facing more balls the way he does, he actually makes some unplayable balls look negotiable. That by facing more balls, he gives himself a better chance at scoring runs.With bowlers getting fitter and stronger, with bowling attacks now carrying fewer weak links, it is true that Pujara’s method will become less and less prevalent with the future batsmen. This is why probably India made a reasonable call when they dropped him for lack of intent in the past, but Pujara came back and showed with his immense powers of concentration that his method can work. That the criticism of method is not necessarily on the mark. That he shouldn’t be praised for the same method in 2018-19 and be criticised for it in 2020-21.The biggest problem with the criticism perhaps is that Pujara’s method was not a significant difference between the two sides. Or any batsman’s method for that matter. Australia’s bowling in the absence of Ishant Sharma and Mohammed Shami is far superior to India’s. It is high credit to the visitors that they pulled off the Melbourne miracle but the longer a series goes in Australia, an attack with stronger, quicker, more accurate fast bowlers will prevail over one whose seam attack has a combined experience of 17 Tests, one of them a debutant who has shown the tendency to not be accurate. That is exactly what has happened in Sydney so far.

Batsman expects the side to make up for the absence of Ravi Bopara, last season’s hero

Matt Roller26-Aug-2020It’s easy to glamourise the life of a T20 freelancer, jumping from team to team in idyllic locations and picking up a hefty paycheque – some of the time, at least. But for five months, the short-form economy ground to a halt: the PSL was called off on the day of the semi-finals, and until the CPL started last week, players who rely on leagues have been struggling.But things are slowly beginning to fall back in place. Nobody has represented as many T20 teams (11) as Cameron Delport since the start of 2018, and after he raced back to South Africa just in time to beat border closures following the PSL, he is back in Chelmsford ready to help Essex defend their Vitality Blast title.”I was back home after the PSL got called off on semi-final day,” he told ESPNcricinfo. “South Africa was on quite a strict lockdown, so I was just trying to keep myself busy. It gave me a bit of an opportunity to work on my fitness and shed some kilos: I managed to lose about 12kg, mainly from running up and down a 400m driveway.”Delport was based in Natal, living on the same estate as Hampshire seamer and his “running partner” Kyle Abbott. He found himself running charity half-marathons to keep in shape, but once the ECB had confirmed that the Blast would take place from the end of August, it was all hands on deck to get him back to the UK.”I’m lucky that my ancestral visa [which allows him to play as a local player] has a few more years on it, so unlike some other guys I would be able to get back,” he said. “But looking for flights was a real mission – I had a fair few people trying to help me find one. Airlines would put out an itinerary, and then cancel it at the last minute.”Delport ran a half-marathon for CHOC Childhood Cancer Foundation during lockdown, and lost 12kg•Cameron DelportHe eventually made it back, with a lightning-fast turnaround time for his connecting flight in Doha, and after spending two weeks quarantining at a school friend’s house in London, hopped up to his flat in Chelmsford with his partner. Since then, he has been training at the County Ground and playing for Buckhurst Hill CC: “I’ve got a few runs [221 runs in four innings] but I must admit I’ve found it tricky on club wickets.”ALSO READ: Essex ride their luck to make off with T20 spoilsNow, attention turns to the Blast. Essex won their maiden title last year, going on a five-game winning streak after starting the tournament with two wins from their first ten. They are without the star of that triumph this year after Ravi Bopara’s departure to Sussex: he scored 219 runs for once out in their final five games, vindicating captain Simon Harmer’s decision to use him as a finisher.”We had to win our game against Hampshire, which ended up as a tie,” Delport recalled. “We beat Kent at home, and the Glamorgan result had to go our way. I remember the guy on the intercom saying we’d qualified, and there was this massive roar where nobody knew what had been going on. In the quarter, Lancs were banking on a pitch to suit their spinners, but we were clicking so well – there wasn’t a team that could have beaten us. It was a cold night up at Durham, but the toss went our way which was crucial and Ravi and Tendo [Ryan ten Doeschate] finished it for us.”We had a good win against Derbyshire first up on Finals Day – it suited us playing the second game to get the feeling of the day. We knew Worcestershire were champions and had a few world-class players, but things went our way and the rest is history.”Essex lift the Vitality Blast trophy•Getty ImagesEssex were one of several sides in 2019 to win a T20 league after starting poorly, alongside Melbourne Renegades and Barbados Tridents. In all three cases, there were early defeats while teams worked out their best combinations, followed by winning streaks at the back end as teams got onto a roll.”When you play so many group games, you want to play your best cricket towards the end, and then peak during the knockouts,” said Delport. “In most T20 leagues, guys only have a few days to get together, and there’s no guarantee the squad will mix well. You don’t want to panic too early: you want to play your best cricket towards the back end.”ALSO READ: I needed to prove Bopara wrong – HarmerDelport was Essex’s top-scorer last year with 409 runs at a strike rate of 167.62, and in Bopara’s absence, there will be an additional burden on him this year. He insists he is not feeling any added responsibility, and is confident that the squad will cope without last season’s key man.”There were tough decisions last year, but it was about Essex winning, not individuals,” he said. “Harmy is a flipping great leader, and he’s a very strong character. The boys really backed him last year. Ravi eventually did buy into it, and you saw the dividends on Finals Day.”It gives another youngster an opportunity this year. We’ve got great depth with a lot of local boys, and there will be a few guys who are given the chance to showcase their skills: Ravi is a world-class player, but someone else gets a go to fill his role.”

After scoring just 127, Zimbabwe had a chance with Afghanistan at 45 for 4, but they let the advantage slip

Himanshu Agrawal14-Dec-2024

Afghanistan were down at 45 for 4 after seven overs in their pursuit of 128 to beat Zimbabwe in the third T20I, and with that, win the series. That could have been the point at which the game went Zimbabwe’s way. But Faraz Akram then bowled an 11-ball over with five wides to give Afghanistan the breathing space they needed, and the fifth-wicket pair of Azmatullah Omarzai and Gulbadin Naib eased into the repair job.Later, Akram’s bowling colleagues worked hard enough to dismiss Omarzai, Naib and Rashid Khan, and leave Afghanistan needing seven runs in the final over to win the game. But the first ball of the 20th, bowled again by Akram, went for four, and Mohammad Nabi wrapped the chase up with three balls remaining.A sloppy Zimbabwe eventually ended up giving away 17 extras, and have now lost all six of their bilateral T20I series against Afghanistan.[File photo] Brian Bennett has been Zimbabwe’s best batter of late•AFP/Getty Images

Bennett continues to scoreAfter contributing in the T20Is against Pakistan prior to this series, Brian Bennett ended as the highest run-getter across the two sides against Afghanistan with 107 runs. He slapped and sliced Naveen-ul-Haq for fours in the third over, as Zimbabwe went on to put up 31 in four overs despite losing Tadiwanashe Marumani early after being asked to bat.Bennett was the third to fall when he swung Omarzai to Naveen at deep midwicket, having hit four boundaries in his 24-ball 31. Zimbabwe were 57 for 3 one ball into the ninth over, and the slowdown had begun.Rashid runs through lower-middle orderFrom being 78 for 3 in the 11th over, Zimbabwe found themselves at 106 for 9 after 17. Rashid bagged four of those six wickets.But the slide had started with Sikandar Raza running out of luck. After a leading edge went over point and a top edge fell short of fine leg in the 11th over, Raza holed out to long leg off Mujeeb Ur Rahman.Mujeeb then had Wessly Madhevere caught for 21, after which Rashid weaved his magic. He trapped Akram in front, had Tashinga Musekiwa pulling to midwicket, saw Richard Ngarava chip to cover off a googly, and pinned Blessingh Muzarabani in front. The last three of those wickets all fell in the 17th over, as Rashid finished with 4 for 27. Although Wellington Masakadza scored 17 not out and added 21 with Trevor Gwandu for the last wicket, Zimbabwe’s 127 was below par.[File photo] Rashid Khan picked up four wickets, including three in one over•Getty Images

Bowlers give Zimbabwe a chanceNgarava and Muzarabani got some extra bounce with the new ball, leaving Afghanistan at 9 for 2 three overs into the chase. Muzarabani struck first, when he had Sediqullah Atal tickling behind to Marumani. Ngarava then had Zubaid Akbari slashing behind to Marumani, as the ball kicked up from outside off.Rahmanullah Gurbaz then cut and clipped Muzarabani for fours in the fourth over, and he and Darwish Rasooli picked 11 runs off the fifth. But Muzarabani, bowling his third over in a row, found Rasooli’s leading edge, as the ball looped up to point.Raza then brought Gwandu into the attack, and some luck went Zimbabwe’s way immediately. A short ball skidded through without bouncing, and got Gurbaz out lbw. Afghanistan were 44 for 4, but Zimbabwe couldn’t capitalise.Omarzai, Naib and Nabi take Afghanistan homeThe over in which Akram bowled five wides went for ten runs, and Afghanistan hardly looked in trouble after that. Omarzai cut and pulled for boundaries during his stand with Naib, as they otherwise ticked along steadily – they added 48 for the fifth wicket, with the required rate below six runs an over.That is when Raza turned one into Naib, and had him lbw for a run-a-ball 22. Omarzai and new batter Nabi kept going mostly with ones and twos – although Nabi drove Ngarava for four on one occasion – but Raza got a simple return catch from Omarzai, who scored 34 from 37 balls.Afghanistan were left needing another 12 runs from nine balls as things got tight, but Nabi dabbed Gwandu for four behind point to settle the nerves. When he got the boundary to start the final over, bowled by Akram, victory was all but sealed.

The opener has worked out a method to make his starts count, and it seems to be working at Test level too

Varun Shetty in Indore15-Nov-20194:07

Agarwal: When I was let off, I had to make them pay

In a recent chat with ESPNcricinfo, Mayank Agarwal said that, at some point a couple of years ago, he had grown tired of getting 20s and 30s. To get better at converting starts, he worked with his coach to break innings down into phases – the start, for instance, or the period once he’s settled – and developed patterns for each of them. The transformation into a game suited for huge runs stemmed from that simplistic-sounding solution. But perhaps not even he could have imagined he could, once again, come close to batting as dominantly in Tests as he had during the 2017-18 Ranji Trophy season, in which he famously made 1000 runs in a month.After just his fifth Test innings at home, Agarwal has three hundreds, two of them double-hundreds, and 583 runs at 116.60. After three fifties overseas without going past the 70s, he’s made centuries each time he’s reached 50 in this home season. The hardwired ability to convert starts has resurfaced.”I think it goes down for me at least, to understanding that there have been times where I’ve not got runs,” Agarwal said at his press conference at the end of the second day’s play in Indore. “So I must respect the game, that I am batting well. When I am doing that I need to make sure that I make it big and put the team in the driver’s seat or put it in such a position that we cannot lose from there.”So I think that becomes key. Knowing that you are batting well, and you’ve got your hundred, you’ve got to make sure – it’s on you to take the team ahead.”Since the start of October, Mayank Agarwal has made 847 runs across formats at an average of 121.00•ESPNcricinfo LtdAcross formats, Agarwal has made 847 runs in nine innings since the start of October, at an average of 121.00, and through that period he’s looked like he’s done exactly as he wants in the middle. His 243 in Indore was scored with a control percentage of 96 – he was in control of 317 balls out of the 330 he faced. At the very least, that indicates an excellent grasp of shot selection.But Agarwal had a moment on the second day that could have left him bitter. In his short career in Tests, he has twice been trapped in an awkward, much-too-upright position while trying to sweep offspinners. On both occasions, he’s been given out lbw. On both occasions, tracking suggested that the ball would have spun past leg stump.On Friday, he reviewed and had the decision overturned. But not before a visible expression of shock, brought on by the memory of the previous dismissal, in Antigua, where he had failed to review.”Initially when I got hit on the pad, I thought I wasn’t out,” he said. “But then when I was given out, I had a quick flashback because I got out the same way to Roston Chase in West Indies. So I said I can’t make that mistake again. I was glad that it was missing. At some point I thought, maybe it might just be umpire’s call and I was doomed.”Doomed seems an apt depiction of what Agarwal thought had happened. When the decision did go in his favour, he knelt down, took a moment to compose himself, got back up, and looked gratefully at the skies before having a long chat with partner Ajinkya Rahane. He was on 82 at the time. In total, he played only five sweeps of any kind in his innings, including the slog-sweep that eventually dismissed him. Even that, he later said, had been an error.Five sweeps in a 330-ball innings in the subcontinent paints a picture of restraint, which is one of the defining factors of Agarwal’s transformation, and possibly one of the reasons he’s been able to take the run-scoring habit from domestic cricket to Test cricket with relative ease.Mayank Agarwal lifts the ball for a six•BCCIIt also tells us Agarwal is a damn good player of spin. Offspinners feature often in the list of bowlers who have dismissed him so far, but until he’s looking to create a boundary opportunity against them – Nathan Lyon at the MCG, Chase, and Mehidy Hasan Miraz today – he is usually dominating them. It’s almost a principle of Agarwal’s batting.After surviving the lbw against Mehidy, he reverted to a more solid approach, with the full face offered, reliant on quick wrists to get him his runs. The next time he looked to manufacture a boundary opportunity off Mehidy, he was in full control, guiding a length ball past slip. Against the left-arm spin of Taijul Islam, he produced one of the shots of the day, getting down to the pitch of the ball and lifting it over extra-cover. It was part of a demonstration of flawless batting every time he stepped down the wicket – 44 runs off nine balls, including the six that brought up his double century. Around those nine balls, it was all finesse.In a nutshell, that has been Agarwal’s career as a Test player so far. Against pace, his technique can sometimes get him in a tangle when he looks to pull. So you barely see the shot; even against Bangladesh’s seamers. And yet, three of his best shots of the day were pulls, all against Ebadot Hussain, and all in front of square.Agarwal’s batting at the moment is a dilution of all that he likes to do with restraint that he built through, in his words, creating monotony by doing laps of the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. It has brought him a mountain of runs at domestic level, and the volume certainly hasn’t changed so far after he’s made the step up.