How did the visitors read the pitch so badly as to bowl first, especially since the numbers are traditionally stacked against them when they choose to do so

Mohammad Isam28-Sep-2017Bangladesh misread the Potchefstroom pitch, which led to their decision to bowl first, according to Sabbir Rahman.Only one wicket went to the visitors on the first day, and that was Aiden Markram running himself out after a mix-up involving Dean Elgar shortly before the tea break. This was only the third time in Bangladesh’s history that they have taken one or fewer wickets in a day’s play. On the first occasion, against India in 2007, Habibul Bashar had also put the opposition in to bat.Today, the bowling at Senwes Park was insipid; Mustafizur Rahman, Taskin Ahmed and Mehidy Hasan were unable to find their rhythm despite bowling long spells. Ninety overs without any success for the bowlers obviously begged the question: why did Mushfiqur Rahim decide to bowl first on a track where none of the batsmen on show had any issues in putting their front foot forward and driving with ease.Sabbir said the pitch had looked to them more like one from back home rather than a typical South African one. “Wicket wasn’t what he [Mushfiqur] thought it would be,” Sabbir said. “It was a totally flat wicket. We bowled decently at first but not the type that would give us wickets. We tried to bowl in the right areas, to contain the runs. That was our job. It looked like a Chittagong wicket, not an Africa wicket.”[Besides] you can’t say how the pitch will behave by just looking at it. You have to play on it to find out. We cannot [decide on] bowling by just looking at the clouds.”Sabbir said bowling first is a routine decision for captains winning the toss in South Africa. “Any captain would decide to bowl first in South Africa so there isn’t anything to add,” he said. In the last five years, 62.5% (15 out of 24) of the time captains have chosen to bat first in a Test in South Africa. Perhaps Sabbir was just defending his captain’s decision. Or maybe he is not the best judge of pitches; earlier this month during the Chittagong Test, he had said that had no clue about pitch while everyone else in the Bangladesh dressing room judged it quickly.But how did a decision-making group that includes captain Mushfiqur, senior players Tamim Iqbal and Mahmudullah, head coach Chandika Hathurusingha, bowling coach Courtney Walsh and spin bowling consultant Sunil Joshi arrive at such a skewed view on the nature of the pitch having arrived in Potchefstroom four days before the Test?The last time Mushfiqur bowled after winning the toss, in the second Test against Pakistan in Dhaka two years ago, the decision back-fired. In fact on the four previous occasions when he decided to bowl first, Bangladesh lost badly. The toss may not be the most vital aspect of a Test match, but the decision in Potchefstroom has already placed Bangladesh on the back foot. Even if they recover well, the decision and process by which it was arrived at must be revisited by their think tank.

تحدثت تقارير صحفية برتغالية حول أحد المدربين الذي انضم مؤخراً لقائمة المرشحين لتدريب النادي الأهلي لخلافة خوسيه ريبيرو.

وبحسب صحيفة “أبولا” البرتغالية فإن النادي الأهلي قد حاول التعاقد مع المدرب البرتغالي ريناتو بايفا والذي غادر فورتاليزا في البرازيل.

وقد تواصل النادي الأهلي المصري مؤخراً مع ريناتو بايفا لكنه رفض العرض في النهاية، ويرتبط القرار برحيله مؤخراً عن فورتاليزا في البرازيل وهو ما دفع المدرب لإدراك أن الوقت لم يحن بعد لبدء مشروع جديد.

ورغم الرفض فقد اعترف ريناتو بأنه يتشرف باهتمام النادي الأكثر تتويجاً في إفريقيا، ويملك الأهلي 45 لقبا في الدوري المصري و12 لقبا في دوري أبطال إفريقيا وهو ما يضعه في صدارة كرة القدم القارية.

أقرأ أيضاً.. رسميًا | الأهلي يعلن تمديد التعاقد مع أديداس

ويرتبط الأهلي بعلاقات وطيدة مع كرة القدم البرتغالية بعد أن سطر مانويل جوزيه بعضاً من أروع فصول تاريخ النادي محققاً أربع بطولات دوري أبطال إفريقيا قبل تولي جوزيه بيسيرو وريكاردو سواريس تدريب النادي أيضاً.

وكان الأهلي بطل الدوري المصري والذي يعد أكبر قوة كروية في مصر قد شهد بداية مخيبة للآمال هذا الموسم بعد فوز واحد وتعادلين وخسارة واحدة خلال مبارياته الأربع الأولى في الدوري.

وكانت النتائج السيئة قد أدت لإقالة خوسيه ريبيرو المدرب الإسباني من منصبه مما فتح الباب أمام البحث عن بدائل ومن بينها ريناتو بايفا.

Incoming Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta is now intent on signing a “world-class” duo in the summer transfer window, according to a report.

Berta drawing up plans for the summer

Although Berta is yet to be officially announced as the Gunners’ new sporting director, there have been suggestions the Italian has already started identifying a number of potential targets ahead of the summer transfer window.

The 53-year-old is believed to be a huge fan of Atletico Madrid midfielder Pablo Barrios, as a result of the time they spent working together at the La Liga club, while he will also try to sign Newcastle United star Bruno Guimaraes.

The north Londoners are now in talks over a deal for Guimaraes, with Berta ‘in love’ with the Brazilian after trying to sign him for Atlético Madrid on a number of occasions.

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As such, the 27-year-old has now emerged as a key target for Arsenal, which could perhaps indicate Martin Zubimendi is no longer as high up the list, but a new report from GiveMeSport suggests otherwise.

According to the report, Berta is still intent on signing Zubimendi this summer, with the former Atlético Madrid man particularly keen on the Spaniard, alongside Wolverhampton Wanderers star Matheus Cunha.

Cunha provides a goal threat and creativity in attack, which makes the Brazilian a necessary addition to Mikel Arteta’s frontline, but he will not come cheap, given that he has a £62m release clause included in his contract.

Previous reports have stated Zubimendi will be a little cheaper at £51m, meaning Arsenal may have to shell out the huge sum of £113m to get the two deals over the line.

However, it is also detailed that Arteta’s side could listen to offers for Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli this summer, which may boost their budget significantly.

Zubimendi and Cunha could be "world-class" additions

Cunha has shown signs of year-on-year development since signing for Wolves, having already beaten his Premier League goal tally from last season by netting 13 times in 26 appearances this term, while also providing four assists.

The Brazil international has thus been hailed as “world-class” by members of the media, and Kieran Tierney has stated Zubimendi is in the same category.

“You have world-class players like [Martín] Zubimendi, [Mikel] Merino, Brais [Méndez]. It’s not that people don’t think they’re good; it’s just that if you’re only watching the Premier League every week, it’s hard to know. They’re world class.”

As such, the duo could be fantastic signings for Arsenal this summer, but Cunha should be Arteta’s priority, given that the manager is light on out-and-out centre-forwards, and the 25-year-old has proven himself as a reliable goalscorer in the Premier League.

Rubel Hossain’s famous four-for in Adelaide in the last World Cup remains his most memorable performance. He will look to change that in England

Mohammad Isam02-Jun-20192:25

Rubel sends England packing

Rubel Hossain was all the rage four years ago. His head-spinning move from Dhaka’s central jail to the cauldron of a World Cup match occurred in a matter of weeks, and he became the hero of Bangladesh’s historic win over England, which took them to their maiden World Cup quarter-final.While the entire country danced to the tune of Rubel’s last two wickets against England that day in Adelaide, and his real-life turnaround caught the imagination of an already excitable cricket nation, the performance didn’t quite transform his life.His 4 for 53 lives on in highlights montages, but despite having over ten years’ experience in international cricket, Rubel will play a much smaller role for Bangladesh in this World Cup. In all likelihood, 22-year-old fast-bowling allrounder Mohammad Saifuddin will be preferred over Rubel in their opening game, against South Africa. Saifuddin is a more accomplished batsman and has also carved out a spot as a death bowler.ALSO READ: Bangladesh’s selection issues: Rubel or Saifuddin, or both?Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza considers Rubel a dependable bowler, mainly due to his ability with the old ball mid-innings and for being reliable in the death overs, but it’s a fact that he hasn’t lived up to his potential in international cricket. His Test bowling average is the worst among those who have bowled at least 3000 deliveries. And in ODIs, since the end of the 2015 World Cup, he has taken 46 wickets at an average of 33.23 from 36 innings.Rubel has never appeared as confident as many of his other more celebrated and successful team-mates even though he has starred in some of Bangladesh’s iconic wins – against Sri Lanka on debut in 2009, New Zealand in 2010 and 2013 (where he took a career-best six-for), and of course, the 2015 World Cup win in Adelaide.After his 6 for 26 against New Zealand, which contained a hat-trick, his captain at the time, Mushfiqur Rahim, said that it was the first time Rubel had used his head. What Mushfiqur meant was that Rubel had finally shouldered the responsibility of being a leader of the attack after four years of international cricket. Bangladesh fans will be quick to point to the lows too – when Muttiah Muralitharan smashed him in a tri-series final ten years ago; and the Nidahas T20 Trophy final, when Rubel, having bowled so well earlier in the game, and through the tournament, ran into a rampant Dinesh Karthik.”It is important to keep cool while bowling. One or two boundaries can rattle bowlers but it is necessary to think clearly and finish the over properly”•Getty Images”I consider myself a positive person, so I don’t let bad thoughts take control,” Rubel says. “After I have bowled a couple of deliveries to my liking – where the ball has pitched where I intended it to, and it goes through quickly – then I try to build a rhythm.”The Adelaide spell was a great moment in my career. In English conditions, I will keep that performance in mind. We usually go through footage before every tournament, but I will definitely review my good performances. My preparation will reflect the positivity I gain from remembering some of my best performances.”While great spells from him have been sporadic, Rubel’s main role, of bowling in the death overs, has been a constant in the Bangladesh bowling set-up. He is among the top three-wicket takers in the last five overs for Bangladesh. Rubel and Mustafizur Rahman have formed a partnership since 2018 and have done well at home against Sri Lanka as well as in the West Indies, where Bangladesh won the ODI series in July last year.”Bowling in the slog overs is getting harder,” Rubel says. “Batsmen are targeting boundaries every ball. It is important to keep my cool, read the batsman and bowl. Right execution brings success, and I am working on it in training.ALSO READ: Mohammad Isam picks Bangladesh’s all-time World Cup XI”We know that conditions in England now allow teams to reach 400 runs at times. It is important to keep cool while bowling. One or two boundaries can rattle bowlers but it is necessary to think clearly and finish the over properly. It is a batsmen’s game, so the bowlers have a battle in their hands.”Rubel won’t be a front-line option for Bangladesh in the World Cup. Over the last four years he just hasn’t bowled as well as the team’s second-most experienced pace bowler ought to have done. He will need to tap into his big-match temperament and remember that one great spell isn’t going to give him a regular place in the Bangladesh team.

Andre Onana did not rule out leaving Manchester United when asked about his future this summer.

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Onana asked while on holiday if he will leave this summerAwkward interaction followed as goalkeeper repliedFuture at Man Utd remains uncertainFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

While on holiday, Cameroon international Andre Onana was stopped by reporter Stephane Bassalia Ouattara for a chat. In an awkward interaction which was uploaded on X, Ouattara asked Onana if he will leave Manchester United, to which he smiled sheepishly and didn't appear to know how to answer. But he did not rule out the possibility of departing Old Trafford this summer.

AdvertisementWATCH THE CLIPWHAT ONANA SAID

Onana said: “Will I leave? I don’t know, we’ll see!”

The shot-stopper smiled and chuckled awkwardly as he answered a question which he has likely been asked multiple times in recent months, though he evidently doesn't yet know the answer as his future at Old Trafford remains undecided.

Getty WHAT NEXT FOR ONANA AND MAN UNITED?

Onana has come under criticism during his two seasons at United, and may have a decision to make about whether he stays to fight for his number one shirt or opts for a move away. The Red Devils have been linked with other goalkeepers such as Lille's Lucas Chevalier, meaning it is possible that Ruben Amorim doesn't see 29-year-old Onana as the long-term solution after an inconsistent time in Manchester.

When Ipswich Town last suffered relegation from the Premier League, it’s unlikely they were expecting such a long exile from England’s top flight.

Indeed, the last time the Tractor Boys slipped back down to the English Football League, it took them nearly two decades to return to the big-time, having found themselves marooned in the second tier and League One season after season after dropping out of the top division back in 2002.

Despite sinking back down and struggling to get back up, Ipswich did uncover a gem around this time in Darren Bent, who would later leave the building in 2005 for Charlton Athletic to forge a very successful Premier League career.

Darren Bent's heroics at Ipswich

Before going on to play for the likes of Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa, on top of an England call-up or two, Bent’s humble beginnings originated in Suffolk.

In total, the now retired centre-forward picked up 56 of his 218 career strikes at Portman Road, with the-then wide-eyed Bent very much garnering a reputation for being a deadly finisher with his boyhood club.

A move up to the Premier League with the Addicks happened at the close of his most impactful season in Suffolk, with Bent accumulating a blistering 35 combined goals and assists during the 2003/04 campaign, which then resulted in a big £3m move to the Valley occurring.

The well-travelled striker is still held in high regard at Ipswich to this day, but there is another forward in McKenna’s current ranks who possesses the same clinical edge Bent was known for and he could well make the relegation-threatened club a sizeable profit soon.

Ipswich's brand-new Bent

There are parallels to be made between the disappointing relegation suffered by Ipswich in 2002 and the Tractor Boys’ current unfolding campaign, with George Burley taking Ipswich down in 18th spot, the same position they currently occupy under McKenna’s rule.

That’s hopefully where the parallels end in terms of league positions and fates come the end of the 38-game marathon.

That said, Liam Delap in the here and now has become Ipswich’s second iteration of Bent; he’s direct, can score goals and he’s quick. What’s not to like?

Delap has definitely lived up to his bumper £20m price-tag this season with a hefty haul of ten goals and two assists next to his name in Premier League action, leading to Bent actually praising the ex-Manchester City man as a more than capable top-flight calibre attacker.

Described as a “one-man battering ram,” by Opta Analyst, his double digits in front of goal have even seen Chelsea reportedly emerge as frontrunners for his signature, with Ipswich very much facing a losing battle to keep the young forward around even if they do secure survival.

It’s safe to say that the Tractor Boys really did strike gold securing the lethal marksman’s services for a modest £20m, considering reports now suggest he’s worth an increased fee around the £40m ballpark, representing an increase in value of 100% over the course of a whirlwind few months.

Delap will hope he can further emulate Bent in solidifying himself as a reliable source of Premier League goals moving forward, whether that be with Ipswich or – as Bent had to do – having to spread his wings for opportunities elsewhere.

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The Wellington batted admitted he was still coming to terms with his first international call-up

Andrew McGlashan03-Apr-2024Tim Robinson, the newest member of New Zealand’s T20I squad, has a pretty simple outlook when it comes to the format. “I love hitting sixes,” he said, something that started in the backyard as a kid and has now carried him to the brink of an international debut against Pakistan.Robinson only has 20 domestic T20 matches under his belt but, until injury struck, was putting together an impressive Super Smash earlier this year. In the opening match of the season against Otago he plundered 139 off 64 balls with 10 sixes, the second-highest score in the tournament’s history, and later on struck 86 off 56 against Canterbury before his tournament was cut short.Still, it was enough to leave him on the radar of the selectors and, with nine players unavailable for the Pakistan trip due to the IPL, along with Will Young (county) and Tim Latham (paternity) not considered, Robinson was one of those to benefit. But the call from selector Sam Wells was still a lot to take in.”I was actually stuttering away trying to hold a conversation, but I was struggling a little bit,” he told reporters. “I couldn’t believe it and to be honest it hasn’t quite sunk in yet. It’s hard to put those kinds of things into words. Something I’ve dreamed off since I was a kid, trying to hit sixes in the back yard but for it to all come to fruition is pretty amazing and just really excited.”I love hitting sixes and trying to entertain people and to be honest it’s addictive when you get one out of the middle and it goes a mile. I took a lot of confidence out of that [century] but this is a completely different challenge and I’m excited to get over there and have a real crack.”Robinson added he would be going into the tour “with an open mind” and was thrilled that the trip would be led by his Wellington team-mate Michael Bracewell.”He’s been a fantastic role model for me,” he said. “We help each other on and see who can hit the ball furthest. He’s a fantastic guy and fills me with comfort that I’m going over with him.”Bracewell himself reflected on a lengthy journey back from injury after suffering a ruptured achilles playing in the T20 Blast for Worcestershire last year. He returned to action in January during the Super Smash and last month claimed a career-best 8 for 41 in the Plunket Shield, two days before being told he would captain New Zealand.”It’s been a slow grind, a lot of days here at the Basin working hard on all the little things,” he said. “It probably feels fast for people who haven’t lived that journey but for me it’s been a bit of a slow grind.”It’s huge to firstly be picked again the another huge honour to be selected as captain. I had a golden sort of three days: got that eight-for at the Basin, a hole-in-one the next day and third thing was the call from Steady about the captaincy. Three days I’ll never forget.”It’s a little bit sweeter when you’ve had a bit of time on the sidelines to reflect and grow that hunger even more to be back out there.”The five matches in Pakistan will play a key part in firming up the small number of uncertain spots in New Zealand’s T20 World Cup squad and Bracewell, who offers middle-order power with the bat and his offspin, will be a strong contender but he wasn’t looking too far ahead.”There’s obviously some exciting things coming up throughout the rest of the year but the job at hand is taking on Pakistan in their own conditions,” he said. “That’s certainly what we’ll be focusing on. Obviously you have those thoughts of where you’d like to be but the only way you get to where you want to go is focusing on what’s in front of you.”