All posts by h716a5.icu

The Reds are interested in signing the England international this summer, and it's easy to see why

The chances are that Mason Mount will play for Chelsea against Liverpool at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night, and so the conspiracy theorists and body language experts could be in for a busy night.

The England midfielder, of course, has been heavily linked with a move to Anfield recently, as the likelihood of him leaving Chelsea increases with each passing week.

Mount will enter the final year of his contract in June, and talks over a new long-term deal have stalled. The feeling, from both camps, is that a parting of the ways at the end of this season is both likely and indeed necessary.

🏆 TOP STORY: Messi to leave PSG unless he accepts pay cut📣 HAVE YOUR SAY: Should Chelsea appoint Nagelsmann?🚨 MUST READ: Why Chelsea will regret firing Potter

Liverpool, GOAL understands, are keen to take advantage of the situation. They have admired the player for some time – they were close to signing him as an Under-16 player when Michael Beale, the current Rangers manager and former Chelsea academy coach, was with the club – and believe his age, experience and skillset make him an ideal fit for what is expected to be a significant summer rebuild under Jurgen Klopp.

Getty ImagesWhy do Liverpool want Mount?

At 24, Mount has firmly established himself as one of England’s best, if not its most celebrated midfield players. 

He is young and energetic, a hard-runner and a fine presser. He also scores and creates goals, and has been Chelsea’s Player of the Year in each of the last two seasons, the first man to achieve that feat since Eden Hazard. 

Perhaps just as importantly, from a Liverpool perspective at least, he gets himself onto the pitch regularly. In his six seasons as a professional, Mount has played 39, 44, 53, 54 and 53 games, and he reached 32 this term before picking up the groin issue which has kept him out of Chelsea’s last four matches.

Given the issues Liverpool have faced with the likes of Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Thiago Alcantara and Curtis Jones, that is a significant factor, as is the fact Mount can, if needed, play as part of the attacking line as well as the midfield one.

He has played wide on the left and as a No.10, both for Chelsea and England, and though Liverpool’s most pressing need is for smart, athletic No.8s in a 4-3-3 system, such versatility will always be welcome in a Klopp squad.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesAny concerns over Mount's form?

The downside, of course, is that Mount’s form this season has been patchy, but then the same could be said for many players at Stamford Bridge (or indeed Anfield).

Few at Chelsea are covering themselves in glory, a fact evidenced by the fact the Blues sit 11th in the Premier League table and are looking for their third manager of the campaign, with Graham Potter following Thomas Tuchel out of the exit door this week.

Mount’s struggles have been clear, having reached double figures for both goals (11) and assists (10) in the Premier League last season, he has managed only seven goal involvements this term, and only one since the turn of the year.

That has led, inevitably, to hefty criticism from Chelsea supporters, with Mount seen almost as a symbol of the club’s decline, much like England colleagues Jordan Henderson and Trent Alexander-Arnold are at Liverpool. 

Mount may have been with Chelsea since the age of six, and he may have played a key role in the Blues’ Champions League success of 2021, but it is fair to say that, for reasons unknown, he has never truly won over certain sections of the fanbase, and that plenty of fans would happily to see him leave this summer.

Their loss could well be Liverpool’s gain.

Getty ImagesA manager's dream

The flipside to that, of course, is that managers absolutely love him. 

Potter did, Tuchel certainly did and Frank Lampard most definitely did. Gareth Southgate has an array of talented attacking midfielders at his disposal, but he has selected Mount 36 times for England, using him in four out of five games at the World Cup in Qatar.

Klopp, too, is a fan, admiring his work rate, smartness and tactical flexibility, as well as his uncomplicated technical ability. To play for Klopp's team, you must understand the game, you must work hard against the ball and you must have the confidence and the capacity to play the final pass. Mount, at his best, does all of those things, and while he still has emotional ties with Chelsea, it is believed that a new challenge, a new manager and a change of scenery could see him return to that best level quickly.

Klopp, then, could offer the perfect solution. He has already promised that Liverpool will “definitely” spend in the transfer window, and in an ideal world he would love to team Mount with Jude Bellingham, his England colleague, in a new-look midfield at Anfield next season. 

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

GettyWhere else could Mount end up?

Sources have told GOAL that the Reds have already held “productive” talks over a possible move for Mount, and that they would be willing and able to meet the player’s salary demands. 

But it is also understood that other clubs, notably Manchester United, are keen on signing him, while a reunion with Tuchel at Bayern Munich has also been suggested. 

And Chelsea, of course, will still have a huge say in what happens next. Potter is gone, but it remains to be seen what the next man in charge, say Julian Nagelsmann or Mauricio Pochettino, wants to do. Would they want to build around Mount, perhaps, and would that change Chelsea’s position with regards to his contract?

As it stands though, they are open to selling, wary of losing such a valuable asset on a free transfer next summer. Mind you, suggestions of a £70 million ($87m) asking price seem ambitious, to say the least. 

In the meantime, Mount is expected to line up against the side who would love to sign him on Tuesday night. And one imagines that, however the game unfolds, he can expect a bear hug from a certain German at the final whistle. 

Anfield bound? You wouldn’t bet against it.

A host of talented youngsters will be on show in Brazil over the next month as the tournament gets under way on Saturday

GettyEfrain Alvarez | Mexico

Already a mainstay of the LA Galaxy squad with 18 first-team appearances, midfielder Efrain Alvarez has been described by team-mate Zlatan Ibrahimovic as the "best talent in MLS".

The 17-year-old has previously represented the United States at youth level and has not ruled out switching allegiance again as he looks to make the most out of his international career.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesAdil Aouchiche | France

Already a household name in France, Adil Aouchiche equalled Michel Platini's goals record at a single UEFA tournament by netting nine times at the summer's European Championship in Ireland.

What made that achievement even greater was that he did it from central midfielder, underlining just why there is so much excitement surrounding his ability in attacking areas.

The 17-year-old has already made his first-team debut for Paris Saint-Germain but could soon be on the move as his contract is set to expire in June.

GettyNicolo Cudrig | Italy

With Sebastiano Esposito having been withdrawn from Italy's squad to help cover for the absence of Alexis Sanchez at Inter, the burden of carrying the team's attacking threat will fall on Nicolo Cudrig.

The teenager left Udinese for Monaco in the summer of 2018 before spending last season on loan in Belgium with Cercle Brugge.

He is now back with the Ligue 1 side and looking to establish himself in the principality.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

TwitterKaio Jorge | Brazil

With Reinier Jesus blocked from participating in the tournament by Flamengo, the hosts will be looking to Kaio Jorge to fire them to glory.

The teenager has already made six first-team appearances for Santos under Jorge Sampaoli and will likely partner Talles Magno up front.

Kaio's physical strength and pace have already resulted in some pundits comparing him to Manchester City and Selecao striker Gabriel Jesus.

With the Three Lions into the last four for the first time in 28 years, Goal compares Gareth Southgate's cubs to Bobby Robson's star-studded side

Getty Images1GK: Shilton vs Pickford

Peter Shilton is an England legend, one of the finest goalkeepers the country has ever produced. However, by Italia '90, he was 40 and no longer at his brilliant best, as underlined by his poor performances in the semi-final loss to West Germany and the third-place play-off with Italy.

By contrast, Jordan Pickford is a young goalkeeper on the rise.

The 24-year-old was considered a potential weak link in the current squad but has instead become one of England's World Cup heroes, after his crucial penalty save from Colombia's Carlos Bacca and man of the match-winning performance against Sweden. 

If we were evaluating their overall ability or respective careers, Shilton would be the obvious choice. But, given this is about their respective form at the World Cups in question…

Winner: Pickford

AdvertisementGetty Images2RWB: Parker vs Trippier

One of the hardest choices on the team.

Paul Parker was a fantastically reliable defender and excelled after being moved to right wing-back following England's World Cup opener against Republic of Ireland. 

However, Kieran Trippier has been a revelation in Russia, proving not only defensively sound but also a real asset going forward.

Indeed, no other defender has created more chances (13) than the Tottenham ace, whose dead-ball deliveries have played a pivotal role in the Three Lions' success.

Winner: Trippier

Getty Images3RCB: Des Walker vs Kyle Walker

The battle of the Walkers!

Des was an excellent defender, whose brain was as quick as his feet. An excellent man-marker (Nottingham Forest fans used to sing, "You'll never beat Des Walker!"), he was immaculate in almost each and every game at the 1990 World Cup.

After proving an excellent addition to Manchester City's title-winning squad last season, namesake Kyle has had a fine tournament in Russia, underlining his versatility and excellent footballing skills by switching seamlessly from right-back to centre-half to facilitate Southgate's use of a three-man defence.

However, Des gets the nod because this was his natural position.

Winner: Des Walker

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty Images4CB: Wright vs Stones

Mark Wright didn't play a minute of England's qualifying campaign for the 1990 World Cup yet he proved a key man in Italy, after Bobby Robson's crucial decision to switch to a three-man backline after an uninspired performance against Ireland in their tournament opener.

A tall, elegant defender with a wide range of passing, Wright revelled in the sweeper role and it was also his goal, against Egypt, that saw the Three Lions progress as group winners. 

John Stones is another classy ball-playing defender whose propensity for lapses in concentration has not been seen at all during an almost flawless campaign in Russia that has also featured two goals, against Panama.

However, when it comes to overall influence, there's only one possible victor…

Winner: Wright

A miserly stint of 4 for 37 by Kent allrounder Darren Stevens ensured that the hosts enjoyed an opening day in the sun against Essex in Tunbridge Wells

ECB/PA19-Jul-2015
ScorecardDarren Stevens helped dismiss Essex for 260 after they chose to bat•Getty ImagesA miserly stint of 4 for 37 by Kent allrounder Darren Stevens ensured that the hosts enjoyed an opening day in the sun against Essex in Tunbridge Wells. Stevens, who last week edged past the 300-wicket milestone in first-class cricket, sent down 12 maidens in his 23.5 overs spell to help dismiss the visitors soon after tea for 260 with wicketkeeper Sam Billings taking five catches behind the timbers.In the 12 overs through to the close, Kent reached 68 without loss with Rob Key on 19 not out and Daniel Bell-Drummond unbeaten with 46 off only 34 balls as the hosts go into day two trailing by 192.Despite heavy overnight rain play started on time with Essex batting first after winning the toss. Kent made two changes, welcoming back Rob Key and Mitch Claydon for Adam Ball and Matt Coles, while Essex named Ravi Patel, the on-loan Middlesex spinner.Despite seemingly ideal batting conditions, Kent winkled out two batsmen in the opening hour as Jaik Mickleburgh feathered one to the keeper and Nick Browne, after an attractive 30, played inside the line of a Calum Haggett offcutter to go leg before.Third-wicket partners Tom Westley and Ravi Bopara mounted a recovery operation either side of lunch but, after adding 110, top-scorer Westley aimed a back foot force against Hunn and sent back a sharp return catch to the bowler for 77.Bopara became Stevens’ first victim when he drove airily to snick to a diving Sam Northeast in the cordon then, just before tea, Essex dangerman Jessie Ryder was superbly caught at extra cover by Joe Denly, diving full-length to his left off the bowling of Mitch Claydon.Essex skipper James Foster, who has a superb batting record against Kent, was first to go in the final session when he nibbled at a Stevens outswinger to give Kent counterpart Billings another victim.Having posted a 77-ball fifty with seven fours, Ryan ten Doeschate then aimed a back-foot force against Stevens to edge to Billings, who was soon celebrating again when David Masters top-edged a heave across the line against Haggett. The same bowler then snaffled a sharp return one-handed catch by his right pocket to account for Graham Napier leaving Stevens to finish the innings by having Jamie Porter pouched by a tumbling Billings.”It was good at the Pavilion End with my wind at my back, at my age you need all the help you can, but at the Railway End it was that little bit tougher,” Stevens said. “It’s on the slow side, the pitch, but if you stand the seam up, bowl in the right areas and play the patience game you’ve a good chance of getting wickets.”They were two down at lunch and with Ravi and Westley looking comfortable, but we kept it tight and backed ourselves to bowl as many dot balls as we could and then await the rewards.”

Waqar Younis, in a strongly worded and revealing report, has criticised the PCB’s decision of not giving him a say in the selection process and has also lambasted the leadership style of Shahid Afridi

Umar Farooq30-Mar-2016Pakistan coach Waqar Younis, in a strongly worded and revealing report, has criticised the PCB’s decision of not giving him a say in the selection process during his tenure and has also lambasted the leadership style of Shahid Afridi, which he felt left the players confused. He also recommended that players like Ahmed Shehzad and Umar Akmal be made to re-earn their place in the national squad with performances in domestic cricket.A six-page report, a copy of which is available with ESPNcricinfo, covers an overview of his two-year term as coach and comprises 13 recommendations to help take Pakistan cricket forward. The report, which also touched on selection irregularities based on which Waqar reportedly resigned before the 2015 World Cup, was presented to PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan and later to PCB’s fact-finding committee.The recommendations

Head coach should be the part of selection committee

Chief selector should be someone who has played modern-era cricket and has a positive vision

The selection criteria should include and emphasize fitness and fielding as the first priority

Dietitians to be involved during all camps and junior tours

NCA and other academies around the country need to become functional

Domestic cricket needs to be restructured. Fewer teams to play first-class cricket to improve the standard

The high performance manager’s post needs to developed to oversee all performances of coaches, selectors, trainers and physio at both international and domestic level

Ex-players to be involved at the domestic level to help youngsters

Emphasis on fielding and fitness at junior level

Pakistan A tours need to be organised on a regular basis to groom youngsters and give them overseas exposure

Selected players should be sent to various international academies to gain experience and exposure

Players should be educated regarding maintaining confidentiality. “What is said in the dressing room, stays in the dressing room.”

Bring in players who are proud of playing for Pakistan, not for themselves or for their own stature.

“My tenure has had mixed results with some good ones and others not so,” the report stated. “My aim for this report is not to shift the blame to any personal individual but to identify where things did not go right, where we could have improved, hindrances and recommendations which I hope are implemented for the betterment of Pakistan and its future.”I had made a lot of recommendations after the 2015 World Cup, including sending some boys back to first-class cricket for at least a season so they can regain their hunger for the game and rethink their approach and attitude to play for Pakistan but no recommendation was implemented. I had also recommended a certain selector who I believed had a vision for modernised cricket and changes in the domestic set-up but it was all overlooked.”Haroon Rasheed was made chief selector after the World Cup and since then there have been so many changes on every tour, at times I feel they were stop-gap decisions, but to develop a team, you need to believe in your decisions and give them time.”The report emphasised Umar Akmal’s troublesome attitude, recalling his move to abandon a focus on fitness and instead chose to catch a flight to the Caribbean without informing anyone, for his stint with the Guyana Amazon Warriors. “All the time he (Akmal) managed to retain his place back in the team. Is this the criteria we are setting for the selection of a new player? Andrew Symonds was a very talented player for Australia or Kevin Pietersen for England but due to their behavior they were dropped and never picked again irrespective of their talent.”Are we bold enough to take this step or do we fear the media or pressure from different people to play certain players? I can assure you that sacrificing one Umar Akmal will allow us to develop other players who can truly and proudly wear the star on their chest and represent Pakistan.”Reporting on Pakistan’s performance in the last five months, he wrote: “We lost to New Zealand, Asia Cup and the World T20 due to poor captaincy. Over several occasions, I had made it clear that Shahid Afridi was not performing with the bat, ball or as a captain but I was not listened to. Poor tactics, really cost us matches. A meeting was held after the New Zealand T20 series, where the boys emphasised that they felt confused with what the captain was telling them to do.”

Over several occasions, I had made it clear that Shahid Afridi was not performing with the bat, ball or as a captain but I was not listened to. There was no training by the boys during the PSL, it was more a holiday for them. They came to the Asia Cup tired and unfitWaqar Younis

“There was no training by the boys during the PSL (in Febuary), it was more a holiday for them. They came to the Asia Cup tired and unfit. Shahid Afridi didn’t attend few meetings, practice – and this is not how a captain leads from the front. It was unfair how he played Mohammad Nawaz during the game which destroyed the youngster’s confidence. He was so fixated on his own performance that he did not execute any game plan or use the right player at the right time. His sudden decision on changing the batting order or field placement did not help the team. He appeared to be under so much pressure and playing poorly as well, it really reflected poorly on the team.”The whole team morale was down because they all felt the pressure from the captain. No matter how many times I talk to the players, it is the captain who has to lead the boys on the field and execute the plan.”Waqar also discussed the sudden recall of Shehzad after his prior exclusion from the squad, instead of Khurram Manzoor. “This was a complete knee-jerking reaction, how can you consider a player in one tour when you have dropped him in a previous tour? What is the criteria to be selected? To gain support from the media and then bring back into the team, this is bullying and not a good example for others to follow.”Waqar also mentioned how Moin Khan, despite being a selector, was appointed by Najam Sethi as a manager to travel with the team during the 2015 World Cup. He said having Moin on the tour had undermined his role as head coach. “During 2015 World Cup and on the previous tour as well, Moin Khan use to take specific boys out till late night and also take them places to get free gifts which at times, undermined my authority. Umar Akmal continuously used to get Moin to request me for him, not to participate in training practice, similar to the incidents that took place with Imran Khan and also his ongoing whinging and complains with a number of other ex-players.”Moin and his wife were eventually caught at a casino in the early hours of a morning which eventually led to him being sacked and sent home in the middle or the tour. We cannot continue to allow incidents to occur to tarnish our image.”

Celtic have reportedly registered their interest in signing Manchester City teenager Freddie Anderson and are plotting an offer, according to Football Insider.

What’s the latest on Celtic and Anderson?

The Hoops appear to be in for a busy summer, with Ange Postecoglou hoping to make three headline signings. The Celtic manager is thought to be plotting moves for a new centre-back, central midfielder and striker, whereas the club are understood to be readying a new ‘huge’ contract to keep Postecoglou at Parkhead following speculation of interest from several Premier League sides.

However, there could also be further additions when it comes to the academy, with Anderson seemingly a target. Football Insider reporter Pete O’Rourke shared a story regarding Anderson and Celtic in the last 48 hours. He revealed that the teenage defender is set to leave the Premier League champions this summer, with Scotland a potential destination.

The Hoops, and by extension head of recruitment Mark Lawwell, have registered their interest in the 16-year-old and are plotting a move for his services alongside Championship clubs Stoke City and Watford.

Could Celtic find another Frimpong in Anderson?

Anderson is the son of former England international Viv Anderson and is primarily a centre-back who can also feature as a right-back if required.

He appears to be a potential future star and is in demand heading into the summer, so Celtic could be looking to repeat their success of bringing a teenage Manchester City defender to Scotland.

The Hoops signed Jeremie Frimpong from Manchester City’s U23s when the right-back was just 19, with the player making an impact in Glasgow before being sold to Bayer Leverkusen in an €11m deal 2021.

You’d expect that Anderson would initially ply his trade in Celtic’s B team due to his age, should he make the move north, looking to impress and earn a professional contract.

Celtic also haven’t had much joy when it comes to keeping hold of their academy players, with Aidan Borland potentially the next to leave for Aston Villa in a transfer that could be worth £1.2m, so it would be nice if the Hoops were able to add to their ranks by signing Anderson.

The occasion of international cricket’s return to Pakistan was made merrier by the opening pair of Mukhtar Ahmed and Ahmed Shehzad as they tore into and broke down Zimbabwe’s challenging 172 for 6, to ensure the side, playing at home after six years, won

The Report by Mohammad Isam22-May-2015
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsThe occasion of international cricket’s return to Pakistan was made merrier by the opening pair of Mukhtar Ahmed and Ahmed Shehzad as they tore into and broke down Zimbabwe’s challenging 172 for 6, to ensure the side, playing at home after six years, won by five wickets.Their 142-run stand equalled the opening partnership between Salman Butt and Kamran Akmal against Bangladesh in the 2010 World T20 but the one at the Gaddafi Stadium will be counted as more special. The March 2009 attack on the Sri Lanka team bus, outside this very cricket stadium, had taken international cricket away from them.The full house was fully entertained by the newcomer Mukhtar, who made 83 off 45 balls. His dozen boundaries were hit off a bowling attack which lacked a leader and a strong attacker but Mukhtar did what he had to do. He was severe on everything straight and on his legs, nine of his 12 fours coming through fine-leg, midwicket and long-on. He reached 50 off 34 balls and left the more recognised Shehzad far behind.Shehzad didn’t miss out though, getting to his fifty in the 12th over. He struck some brutal hits down the ground but was generous enough to let Mukhtar do all the hitting. The pair fell in consecutive overs – Shehzad gave a catch to point, while Mukhtar hit straight to long-on – but the crowd was fully entertained for one hour by the pair.After the Mukhtar-Shehzad partnership, Pakistan lost three more wickets before captain Shahid Afridi struck a straight boundary to complete the win with three balls to spare.The start of the evening, too, will remain memorable. The crowd started to enter the stadium more than two hours before the first ball and it was a full house when Shahid Afridi and Elton Chigumbura strode out to the toss, held seven minutes earlier as the Pakistan president Mamnoon Hussain met with both squads. Afridi gave one last pep talk before the hosts raced to the turf.The first ball was a fuller length delivery from Anwar Ali that crashed into Hamilton Masakadza’s pad. The pace bowler didn’t appeal, but an appeal wouldn’t have been out of place given the drama of the occasion. Masakadza then got to work with a string of boundaries but he failed to keep the crowd’s noise down. A gap of six years for an international game kept them animated even as they fanned themselves with the four and six placards.Masakadza got seven fours and a six in his 27-ball 43, cutting, lap-sweeping and forcing fours through point, midwicket, fine-leg and mid-off. His only six was a high pull off Bilawal Bhatti over square-leg in the third over. Vusi Sibanda was nondescript at the other end with 13 off 15 balls.Their 58-run stand ended in the seventh over when Sibanda top-edged Mohammad Sami for 13 and next ball, Pakistan’s comeback man – playing his first international match since July 2012 – got Masakadza to inside-edge on to the stumps. The noise was at a maximum but despite that, and the regular wickets, their fielding errors slightly blotted the occasion. A few outfielders dived over the ball, Sarfraz missed two stumpings, including that of Chigumbura when he was on eight, and Riaz dropping a skier off his own bowling.Charles Coventry, another comeback story of the day, was given caught-behind though TV replays showed the ball appeared to hit his bicep on the way to the wicketkeeper. Chigumbura, meanwhile, kept the pace set by Masakadza with timely boundaries. Zimbabwe’s tally of 58 in the last five overs was mostly his doing.Chigumbura’s late onslaught began with a top-edged four off Bhatti before fours were squeezed past point and inside-edged. He added blasts over point, midwicket and extra cover off Riaz’s third over before flicking Sami’s full-toss to reach his second T20 fifty, making 54 off 35 balls.Sikandar Raza struck a high six over midwicket before falling in the 17th over but he helped Chigumbura add 42 for the fifth wicket in just 4.2 overs.Malik was the most economical bowler with 1 for 12 from three overs while Sami took 3 for 36. Riaz finished with two wickets but he was too wayward for a bowler leading the attack.Zimbabwe’s bowlers too were poor for most of the Pakistan innings, though Cremer looked happy with his two wickets while Williams and Brian Vitori took one wicket apiece.For the fans and the team, it was a joyous occasion, a chance to cherish a match played in their home. International cricket in Pakistan came to a halt in Lahore and it is here that Zimbabwe’s tour got underway, with a win for the home team.

Despite losing heavily to New Zealand, JP Duminy said South Africa were not worried by their performance

Firdose Moonda at Hagley Oval11-Feb-2015On a wet and windy Monday afternoon, with pressure mounting on a batting line-up that has been known to open up when prised, South Africa should have wanted to be anywhere but a cricket field. But they hunted down 72 runs in 10 overs against Sri Lanka despite a familiar wobble, and admitted the tense situation had got them into a competitive mood.Instead, it was a on a balmy, breezy Wednesday that South Africa really played like they did not want to be on the park, and they did not mind admitting that the defeat to New Zealand did not matter. “We are not too fazed about the result. It’s about time in the middle, overs under the belt,” JP Duminy, the top-scorer in the loss said. “Everybody got a bit out of it. Obviously it’s nice to take wins away but we are happy with where we are.”Does that also mean other teams need not to be “too fazed” with the way South Africa wormed themselves out of trouble two days’ ago? Of course not, according to Duminy.The batting line-up’s show of resilience against Sri Lanka and defiance in the latter stages against New Zealand are signs of progress that South Africa promise will still be there when the tournament begins. “We’ve identified that No.7, 8, 9 and 10 are going to be crucial so it was good for us to get some time out in the middle and build a partnership,” Duminy said of his 121-run, seventh-wicket stand with Vernon Philander. “We gathered together and said, ‘Let’s build it 10 runs at a time. It worked out nicely.”With the match all but lost, Duminy and Philander could concentrate on scoring at their own pace, something they may not be able to do in a real crunch situation. Philander was also there when South Africa scored at the required run rate of more than seven run an over to beat Sri Lanka, so he understands the dynamics of a lower-order partnership.A player who does not have the same first-hand experience is Farhaan Behardien, but he was unable to get it because a back niggle kept him out of action. Behardien hurt himself at Tuesday’s optional training session but Duminy said he “should be available for selection on Sunday.” If he is, Behardien will also add variety to an attack that suffered against an aggressive New Zealand. South Africa “aren’t too fazed about” about the co-hosts’ form at the moment either because they won’t have to meet them until the knockouts.They also “aren’t too fazed” about the upward curve Zimbabwe, their opponents in the first group game, are on. After putting New Zealand in an awkward position on Monday, Zimbabwe beat Sri Lanka by seven wickets in Lincoln to complete a short but intense period of preparation that also included three matches against New Zealand domestic side Northern Districts.”It will be a big confidence booster for Zimbabwe but I wouldn’t read too much in,” Duminy said. “The match intensity (in warm-ups compared to actual games) makes a big difference. Come Sunday, we will be ready to go and what has happened won’t really faze us.”Duminy, himself, is ready, with runs to his name and overs under his belt, but while he acknowledged there were some areas to tighten, he believed the team was ready. “Personally, I am in a good space. And as a group we were pretty good at the back end,” he said. “In terms of bowling skills, we need to sharpen up a bit in the first Powerplay, and batting wise we don’t want to lose as many wickets as we did upfront. But come Sunday we will be ready.”

Kings XI Punjab have not been the dominant team they’ve been over the past season, which might be helpful for Chennai Super Kings, who’ve not had the best luck against them

The Preview by Alagappan Muthu24-Apr-2015Match factsSaturday, April 25, 2015
Start time 2000 local (14:30 GMT)Big pictureKings XI have a batting line-up that’s a revolving door of big hitters. Only, it appears someone has forgotten to oil it properly. It had almost seemed too easy for them last season when Glenn Maxwell or David Miller would mistake a cricket match for a golf range. Big scores backed the opposition into a corner for the asking rate to induce claustrophobia. They’ve tried to recreate that method, but only pretty cameos have resulted.So they veered away from the new formula to an old recipe. And Shaun Marsh is spicy as ever in the IPL. His single-handed Super-Over victory against Rajasthan Royals might spark Kings XI to their dominant ways. It also means he has locked up one of the four overseas spots. If George Bailey is still unfit, the selectors will have to take a call between Miller and Thisara Perera again. Maxwell and Mitchell Johnson, although flying cold at the moment, can’t be risked on the bench.Chennai Super Kings, meanwhile, haven’t had to tinker with their XI nor their strategy. However, they were overwhelmed by the Kings in the North three out of three times last season, including in the crucial qualifier. MS Dhoni’s men will fancy themselves on current form, though, especially with a bowling attack that is performing better in containing oppositions. Home conditions may not amount for much considering the MA Chidambaram Stadium discriminates equally against the bowlers. Prepare for a batting slugfest.Form guideChennai Super Kings WLWWW
Kings XI Punjab WLLWLWatch out for…Faf du Plessis is learning there is no Super Kings line-up without a floater. The top-three are fixed and the No. 4 position seems to rely on the match situation and MS Dhoni’s mood. Du Plessis displayed excellent presence of mind coming in at the 15th over against Royal Challengers last Sunday. He is also part of a core group of leaders in the side and a match-turning asset on the field.A stellar international season. First choice opener for the Indian Test side. But M Vijay, who rose to prominence in the IPL with Super Kings, has not found his footing yet with Kings XI. His innings have fizzled away before they have had a positive impact on the match. There will be an itch to set that right, and doing it against his former team might taste.Stats and trivia Glenn Maxwell has scored 65 percent of his runs in boundaries this season. The problem though is he has got only 62 of them. R Ashwin has conceded 8.16 per over and has only bowled his full quota in two out of five matchesQuotes “To be perfectly honest, I don’t think in any of the three disciplines we have done as well as we would like consistently”

In the wake of India’s 2-0 series defeat in Australia and their slide to No. 7 in the Test rankings, Rahul Dravid has urged a long-term approach to improving their overseas performances

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Jan-20155:50

‘Four difficult years for Indian Test cricket’

In the wake of India’s 2-0 series defeat in Australia and their slide to No. 7 in the Test rankings, Rahul Dravid has urged a long-term approach to improving their overseas performances.”I’m not a big one for rankings,” Dravid told ESPNcricinfo. “Whether we’re seventh or fifth, for me that doesn’t really make a huge difference. We are not going to be playing overseas for a long time, so our rankings will definitely improve.”We will perform well in India. We’ve got the batting line-up now, we’ve got some very good spinners who can bowl well in these conditions, so if we were having this conversation in 24 months and we haven’t played a lot overseas, then I might be talking about ‘oh, great, we’re up there in numbers one and two’.”So that’s not the point. The point for me is, how well we do when we go overseas from now, and what are the steps that we’re taking to address some of the issues that have become pretty evident over the last 12-14 months.”India, Dravid said, were close to building a batting line-up that would be competitive in all conditions, but they would need a big improvement in the bowling to be able to win abroad consistently.”The bowling has been a big let-down, and I think if you are not consistently bowling well, if you don’t have world-class bowlers in both pace and spin, then you’re going to slide down the rankings because you’re not going to produce results.”The current crop of bowlers have failed on several overseas tours, but Dravid hinted that they may still be the best options India have at the moment, with no standout performers in domestic cricket.”It’s a tough one. I follow Ranji Trophy cricket and cricket in India, and there’s not a lot of talent. The cupboard, unfortunately in the bowling department, is not as well stocked as we would like it to be.”Hopefully it can change and things like this can change in six months, eight months, sometimes you can find a young, exciting fast bowler somewhere or a super spinner somewhere, that happens. But the reality is that we were all excited, before the Australia tour. We had got 2-3 guys, Umesh Yadav, Varun Aaron, all bowling 140-plus; there’s always Ishant Sharma; Bhuvi [Bhuvneshwar Kumar] has come along a long way.”So I’m not saying that these guys are finished. There are clearly lessons that they need to learn, areas that they need to work on. You could have the same set of bowlers, but if they improve and get better, I think that’s the ideal situation, because when I look around the place, I don’t necessarily see many bowlers shouting out or banging the door open at the moment to say, look, pick me, I will do the job for you in Test cricket.”Virat Kohli, Dravid said, was the ideal captain for India to plan their Test future around.”I think it’s early days for Virat. But he’s shown that he can lead. One of the biggest pluses for me was his own performance in this series. The worst thing would have been, for someone like Virat, who was the obvious successor to Mahendra Singh Dhoni, to have not performed and not been sure of his own place, which was one of the concerns after the tour of England.”But that’s not the case, now we know that Virat’s a shoo-in candidate for the captaincy, he’s someone whom Indian cricket can plan long-term with, and that’s what they should do. Results will take care of themselves, with the right plans you’re making, right noises you’re making to go out and find bowlers and plan long-term, and sit down and think about how are we playing these tours, are we preparing well enough, are we going there well in advance, playing the practice games, what are the kind of skills required.”These are the kind of things that need to be done behind the scenes. If Virat can do that process, he’ll find that the results will follow, because in a country like India, with the number of people playing, talent’s got to be there. It’s just a question of finding it.”