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A new T20 cup competition, featuring minor counties and premier league club sides could banish the dark clouds surrounding the county game

George Dobell28-Nov-2014Times may have changed, England’s season may now stretch around the calendar and we might now have an endless diet of summer sport on television, but for the many who suffer from Cricket Season Affective Disorder, the release of the county fixtures for the coming year offer as much hopes of better times ahead as the first glimpse of snowdrops, daffodils and a new council tax bill. They all mean one thing: the cricket season is just around the corner.And with that hope comes all the familiar debates: does the season start too early (the Championship begins on April 12); does it end too late (September 25); doesn’t playing a 100-over final at Lord’s on September 19 damage the integrity of the competition (a resounding ‘yes, yes, yes’); why does the T20 competition stop just as the school holidays start? And why on earth does it start so early?There will also be the familiar refrain about there being too much cricket. And it is true that, while many spectators can never have too much, the burden on players, on pitches, on coaches and on the wider public’s interest, is sometimes counterproductive. While the season starts with some shape – Championship matches regularly begin on Sundays – by mid-July it is chaos: Championship games begin on Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Wednesday, clubs play all three formats within the same week and it becomes impossible for all but the most diehard county cricket lovers to keep track of the season. By August it is worse.So it might sound counter-intuitive to suggest more cricket as the solution. But if Championship matches were played Monday to Thursday, T20 reserved for Friday nights and the 50-over competition returned to Sundays, it would free-up Saturdays for something different. And that something different could be a knockout T20 cup, incorporating the minor counties and club premier league teams.There is little peril in county cricket. Apart from the knockout stages of the 50-over or T20 competitions, sides can recover from a bad result. The campaigns are so long, that the importance of each result is diluted.But a knockout competition changes that. It provides pop drama in a schedule offering epics, it can inspire excitement and the prospect of “giant killing” – though whether any defeat of Leicestershire at present could be called as such is debatable – it can inspire new or lapsed spectators and more media interest. Not only that, but it provides a shop-window and incentive for club cricketers.To maximise the benefit of the competition, it would need to be played on free-to-air television to give it a chance to reach a new audience – Sky deserve and have the ability to deliver this – and the opening round of games that involve the first-class counties (the equivalent of the FA Cup third round), should be played at the home ground of the non-professional team.That is not just to increase the prospect of a giant killing – though the shorter boundaries and sometimes less manicured pitches might well do that – but to ensure the cricket is played at small grounds – not stadiums – where kids can get close to their heroes and a relatively small number of spectators can provide an atmosphere that might fall flat at a huge stadium such as Lord’s or Edgbaston. Besides, there is no point providing more cricket to those that already have plenty; the aim has to be to reach further and re-connect with a community that has stopped engaging with the game. It might even boost the coffers of hard-pressed clubs.The benefits of the competition extend far beyond the potential thrill of a giant killing. By including the minor counties, the ECB would ensure the competition’s relevance is spread across the country. So local media in Cornwall and Devon and Cambridge and Shropshire – media that might show little interest in professional cricket for the rest of the year – would cover the game, sponsors would be attracted by the extra reach and spectators who might not be inclined to travel to a first-class venue, might be attracted to Truro, or Wellington or Torquay.It would, in short, make county cricket relevant to people who, right now, find it irrelevant.It is not a new idea. For many years, such a competition – the Gillette Cup, the C&G or the NatWest as it was variously known – was a feature of the season. But the players and coaches didn’t like it and their views – oddly, bearing in mind that it is meant to be a spectator sport – seem to count more than those of spectators. There was a sense that, with the schedule bursting at the seams, something had to give. That something was the knockout cup.Some of us have been recommending its return for years, including to David Morgan as part of his review into domestic cricket. In recent days Michael Vaughan has thrown his support behind the idea and says he will present the notion to the ECB shortly.He will face the normal obstacles. He will be told that the current schedule is demanding on players and coaches. But he should point out that this is the reason counties retain squads of up to 30 players and how a rotation system would promote opportunities for young players. He might also point out that cricketers play a great deal less often than their counterparts in US sports such as baseball.It may also be, in time, that some county games are played overseas. The ECB mooted the thought a couple of years ago to very little support but there are those in positions of power who still favour further exploration of the idea. It could turn out to be relevant that this is the last year that the MCC has a deal to play the Champion County fixture in the UAE. It would be no surprise if the match was played in the Caribbean in future seasons and only a bit more of a surprise if, in time, it was followed by the first round of Championship games in the same venues.Either way, let us not pretend that a continuation of the status quo is adequate. We have seen a fall in participation numbers, a fall in average attendances at the re-launched T20, awful ticket sales at what might have once been considered big games (the Ageas Bowl Test is one example, but the semi-final of the Royal London One-Day Cup at Edgbaston was, in its own way, even more alarming), newspapers cutting their cricket reporters and an unhealthy reliance upon cricketers brought up at least in part overseas or at public schools to represent England.Eden is burning and we are doing our game a disservice if we look the other way. An FA Cup-style competition might help arrest the decline.

Andy Zaltzman25-Feb-2013As promised, here is Paper 1 of the Official Confectionery Stall Multiple Choice 2009 Ashes Quiz/Exam. Answer the following four questions to the very best of your ability. No cheating. Read your answers aloud to your computer or a trusted household pet, then wait and see what happens.All those scoring above the Test batting average of their favourite player are entitled to draw themselves a certificate, and scribble their names onto a Test scorecard from an appropriate edition of Wisden.QUESTION 1:Where does the Lord’s victory rank amongst the great achievements in British history?(a) Not very high. It’s only a game. And Australia were, for the most part, garbage. When a solid but habitually unspectacular opening partnership such as Cook and Strauss put on 196 in 40-odd overs without having to think about taking even half a risk, you know you’ve bowled like a skip full of rotting potatoes.(b) Quite high. Below Shakespeare’s plays, but above Buck’s Fizz winning the Eurovision Song Contest in 1981. One of the great monkeys has been removed from the national sporting back, but that will be forgotten if England allow the monkey to then climb up a tree and urinate on their picnic by failing to win the Ashes.(c) Top of the list. Bar none. The Cardiff-Lord’s double was the finest escape-followed-by-victory combination since the Dunkerque-Battle-of-Britain one-two in 1940. However, bearing in mind that Britain had prevailed in a world war just over 20 years previously, the Lord’s win has even greater rarity value.QUESTION 2: Why did Australia play so astonishingly badly for large and decisive parts of the game?(a) Because they are a largely inexperienced team, and therefore prone to inconsistency, with some key players out of form. We don’t yet know how good they are. Their impressive series win in South Africa looked like a resurgence after back-to-back defeat in India and against the Proteas. But was the away victory over Graeme Smith’s team what economists would call a ‘dead cat bounce’ – the short-lived but misleading rise of a plummeting stock before it plonks back down onto the ground, lifeless and worthless, like a cat lobbed out of an office window? If so, can Ponting and Nielsen resuscitate the cat? Are the Australians willing and able to kneel down and give mouth-to-mouth to a cat? Or is the cat actually fine? Did the cat deliberately throw itself out of the window to pass the time on a dull afternoon, play dead for a while to attract some attention, whilst planning to leap back to its feet and miaow, “I’m fine, never felt better, what are you all fussing about? I suppose a bowl of milk’s out of the question?”(b) Because the entire Australian nation has completely lost its manhood. Where Merv Hughes sported a moustache that simply bellowed, “I mean business, and I’ve got half my lunch stuck on my upper lip to prove it,” now Peter Siddle has a small and unforgivable tuft of hair languishing apologetically below his mouth. And what about Haddin’s comments about Hauritz’s finger dislocation? “I don’t know if I can talk about it,” wept the wicketkeeper, wiping a tear from his eye with a trembling glove. “I don’t like seeing those things,” he continued, whilst calling for a little teddy bear to cuddle to help him through the ordeal. “My stomach can’t handle it,” he concluded, before running away and hiding under a desk until he was sure it was safe to emerge. Allan Border must be spinning in his still-empty grave.(c) They didn’t. No less an authority on the matter than Ricky Ponting said so, and he should know.(d) Because of Rudi Koertzen.

Michael Clarke took his test after reaching his hundred. Be inspired© AFP
QUESTION 3:So did Michael Clarke really, honestly, mean it when he claimed before the first Test that “we’re as good as any team I have been part of for Australia”?a) Yes. Absolutely. He believes it to the very bottom of his baggy green soul. But he is also suffering from major amnaesia after headbutting a large, moving truck. He cannot remember anything from before June 2009.b) No. He’s not a total idiot. But, in the circumstances, he was unlikely to say: “Hauritz is a decent tweaker, but let’s be honest, he’s barely fit to play the same sport as Warney. Siddle gives it a go but if he’s Glenn McGrath then I’m Cyndi Lauper. And Mike Hussey is nowhere near as good as that guy Michael Hussey who played for us a couple of years ago.”c) Yes. But he didn’t finish the sentence. He was distracted by a low-flying buzzard before he could continue: “… that has contained five players whose name begins with H. No doubt about it.” Or, possibly: “… at motorcycle pyramids. Yeah, we’re great at the old team stunt riding. Managed to get all eleven of us balanced on a Kawasaki last week whilst Punter pulled a wheelie. Bradman’s so-called ‘Invincibles’ could barely even ride a bicycle by comparison.”QUESTION 4: Did Strauss really catch Hughes?a) Yes, sure did, went in clean as a nun’s whistle. Look in the scorebook if you’re still not sure. Or, more practically, look at a scorecard in a newspaper or on the internet, they’ll probably be easier to access than the actual Lord’s scorebook. But the point stands. He’s the England Cricket Captain. Not any old Cricket Captain. The England Cricket Captain. By definition, he is the most honourable man in the known world.b) Possibly. He probably caught it on the end of his fingers, but it might have brushed the grass on its way in, which he would not necessarily have felt. This explains why he celebrated spontaneously, and without the evil glint in his eye or demonic cackle that surely would have been present had he been pulling a fast one.c) No. Clearly not. The ball almost bounced over his head before he caught it. The fact that he even thought about claiming the catch proves that the entire English nation has not only gone to the dogs, but it has dressed up in a cat outfit and is waiting for those dogs to eat it. This ‘catch’, if such a word is applicable to such an act of nefarious naughtiness, proves that the public school system is nothing more than a factory of cheats, liars and hoodwinkers.The remaining questions will be unleashed on Monday, including (in case any of you wish to do some revision before sitting Part 2): How much will England miss Kevin Pietersen? What is the solution to disputed catches? Who will win at Edgbaston? And, in retrospect, could the 12th-man glove-trundling incident in Cardiff have been the most important single moment in English cricket history?

ESPNcricinfo presents the Plays of the Day from the IPL qualifier between Bangalore and Chennai in Mumbai

Sidharth Monga24-May-2011The six-and-out moment
The IPL nerds know it already. The batsmen are just about coming to terms with it. When you hit R Ashwin for a six, you stay careful for a while. For Ashwin has this habit of striking back immediately. He did the same to Chris Gayle today after being asked to bowl in the fourth over. Second ball six over midwicket, third ball caught in front by a slower offbreak. Virat Kohli showed better understanding of the intricacies of playing Ashwin, and hit him for a six only off the last ball of his third over. It gave that vengeful mind of Ashwin’s some time to cool down.The send-off
After getting Gayle out, Ashwin proceeded to make the cut-throat gesture with his right thumb. Now some might evoke the Undertaker here, but the true aficionados will tell you Ashwin wasn’t quite the Dead Man. For starters, the Undertaker is so sure he makes that gesture before he goes for the kill. And then there is – or used to be – a certain chill to the Undertaker. To be fair to Ashwin, although the IPL will love to call itself sport-entertainment, it is not quite scripted. Unless somebody wants to prove otherwise.The blow
This was bad enough to kill a man. Saurabh Tiwary – all his brutal power – drilled one back at Ashwin in the 18th over. Ashwin shaped up for a return catch, but was not ready for the pace the ball came to him at. It hit him smack in the head. So hard that the deflection flew to long-off. Ashwin came down like a sack of potatoes, and had a dazed look on his face. Bravely, though, he walked back on his own two feet, went for a scan, put a bandage on and sat in the dugout. He had also declared himself available to bat if Chennai needed him to.The lbw/run-out
Finally a non-Ashwin moment. M Vijay seemed to be at the wrong end of a rare rough call from Simon Taufel when he was ruled out lbw to a delivery that pitched outside leg stump. Lest you felt bad for Vijay, the man had charged halfway down the pitch – was that a guilty reflex? – while the ball had gone straight to Gayle at first slip. Had Taufel not given Vijay out, Gayle’s direct hit would have had him.The blow, part II
Overall not a good day for the physical well-being of the players. Amid various hits straight back at the bowler, Luke Pomersbach and Kohli, who had earlier put together a potentially match-winning 48-run stand, found time to collide with each other at the boundary. It was a pull from Suresh Raina that made the two – stationed at deep backward square leg and deep midwicket – collide. Both kept their eyes on the ball. Pomersbach slid, and Kohli charged. The result? Pomersbach’s nose banged straight into Kohli’s knee. Thankfully it wasn’t as bad as the Steve Waugh-Jason Gillespie incident. Thankfully Ashwin got away with that hit on the head. This day could have been so much worse.

Stats review of the CB Series, where India’s batsmen made the difference in a bowler-dominated tournament

S Rajesh05-Mar-2008
Sachin Tendulkar was quiet through the early part of the tournament, but roared back to form when it mattered the most © Getty Images
Australia won as many matches as India did in the CB Series – five for each team – but for the second time in two years, they were blanked in the finals, as India took home the final edition of the tri-series. It was a tournament dominated by bowlers – 11 of them averaged less than 30 – but what ultimately made the difference was the performances of the batsmen. India was the only team with three from their regular line-up averaging more than 40 – Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Gautam Gambhir and Sachin Tendulkar; Australia and Sri Lanka had only one each (Michael Hussey and Kumar Sangakkara). (Click on the teams for the batting and bowling averages of India, Australia and Sri Lanka in the tournament.)That it was a dismal series for batsmen can be gleaned from the fact that only eight of them – from all three teams – finished with a 35-plus average. It was a particularly forgettable series for two champion batsmen. Sanath Jayasuriya finished with 103 runs from seven innings at an average of 14.71, only marginally better than the 14.20 he managed in his debut ODI series, again in Australia, 19 years ago. Ricky Ponting wasn’t much better: take away the 124 he scored against India in Sydney, and he aggregated a paltry 67 from nine innings. In ODI series of more than three games, only once has he fared worse. Australia’s key allrounder Andrew Symonds went missing with the bat too: it was among his poorest returns in a series as a batsman.The batting averages for the three teams in the tournament clearly shows India had a significant advantage on that front. Even though Australia’s bowlers returned better numbers, the difference between batting and bowling averages was highest for India. Sri Lanka, meanwhile, struggled with both bat and ball.

Batting and bowling for each team in the CB Series

Team ODIs Bat ave Run rate Bowl ave Econ rate Bat ave-bowl ave

India 10 32.16 4.87 27.52 4.744.64 Australia 10 26.23 4.58 23.19 4.273.04 Sri Lanka 7 22.44 4.18 33.24 4.84-10.80The partnership stats further illustrates the difference between the two sides. The Indians were the only ones to average more than 30 for each of the first six wickets. The poor form of Ponting and Symonds severely handicapped Australia, while Sri Lanka were almost entirely dependent on the third wicket partnership between Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene.

Partnerships for each wicket during the CB Series

Wicket India Australia Sri Lanka

1st 33.00 29.80 17.57 2nd 30.90 28.20 16.00 3rd 31.00 26.80 61.16 4th 34.22 40.44 11.50 5th 64.42 22.66 42.00 6th 48.20 31.88 21.20 7th 21.80 29.25 8.25 8th 20.00 10.83 15.25 9th 3.00 7.40 16.50 10th 5.66 15.00 5.00 In a tournament where run-scoring wasn’t easy, it isn’t surprising to see a relatively high dot-ball percentage for all three teams. Australia and India played almost exactly the same percentage of runless deliveries, but while Australia relied more on singles, twos and threes, India had a marginally higher boundary percent. Sri Lanka lacked both the enterprise in running between the wickets and the firepower to strike boundaries.

Dot-ball and boundary percentage for each team

Team Dot ball % 1s, 2s, 3s % Boundary %

India 56.00 36.91 7.09 Australia 55.84 38.05 6.11 Sri Lanka 61.31 32.78 5.91 Going into the finals, India’s openers had only given them an average partnership of 23.25. In the two finals, though, Tendulkar and Robin Uthappa gave them two confident starts which went a long way towards India overhauling a competitive target in the first game, and setting a challenging total in the second. Overall, India’s performance in the first 20 overs stood out for the ability to keep wickets in hand, and manage bigger partnerships in the early stages of their innings. India’s average total after 20 overs was 89 for 2, compared to Australia’s 90 for 3 and Sri Lanka’s 79 for 3.Despite messing it up a bit in the last ten overs at the Gabba on Tuesday, India were also the best of the three sides in the last ten overs, averaging more than a run a ball at a fairly healthy average.

Over-wise progress for each team (batting) in the CB Series

Overs India – ave Run rate Aus ave Run rate SL ave Run rate

0-20 36.84 4.47 28.83 4.48 23.54 3.96 21-40 33.57 4.72 36.04 4.13 26.31 4.07 41-50 23.11 6.77 16.44 5.81 15.08 5.45As a bowling unit, though, Australia were the best of the three teams: they took more wickets with the new ball, gave away fewer runs during the Powerplays, were more incisive during the middle overs, and more economical at the end than India and Sri Lanka.

Overs-wise progress for each team (bowling) in the CB Series

Overs India – ave Run rate Aus ave Run rate SL ave Run rate

0-20 28.82 4.64 25.51 3.84 37.65 4.63 21-40 37.93 4.24 27.55 4.30 35.83 4.51 41-50 17.85 6.19 14.18 5.77 24.26 6.20One of the big differences for Australia between the league games and the finals was the ineffectiveness of Brett Lee in the finals. In the earlier games against India, Lee was deadly, taking 11 wickets in three games. In the two finals, though, he only managed one.

Lee against India, in league games and in finals

ODIs Wickets Average Econ rate

League games 3 11 11.54 4.67 Finals 2 1 91.00 4.78 India also handled Nathan Bracken, the Man of the Series, much better than Sri Lanka did.

Nathan Bracken in the CB Series

Versus ODIs Wickets Average Econ rate

India 6 8 29.62 4.44 Sri Lanka 4 13 8.46 3.38 Head-to-headsLee won his fair share of the battles against Tendulkar, but in the two games that mattered the most, the Indian came out on top. Ishant Sharma’s most interesting battles were against Matthew Hayden and Andrew Symonds – one averaged 69 against him, but the other fell three times to him in 29 balls. Sri Lanka were banking on Muttiah Muralitharan, but he failed to turn it on, averaging more than 39 per wicket at an economy rate of 4.81. The two batsmen who handled him the best were both left-handers: Gautam Gambhir and Adam Gilchrist scored at more than a run a ball against him without being dismissed.

Some interesting head-to-head stats from the CB Series

Bowler Batsman Runs/ balls Dismissals Average Run rate

Brett Lee Sachin Tendulkar 55/ 74 2 27.50 4.45 Ishant Sharma Matthew Hayden 69/90 1 69.00 4.60 Ishant Sharma Andrew Symonds 20/ 29 3 6.67 4.13 Muttiah Muralitharan Gautam Gambhir 69/ 66 0 – 6.27 Muttiah Muralitharan Adam Gilchrist 62/ 60 0 – 6.20

Barcelona have held talks with Thomas Partey over a possible transfer despite Arsenal's desire to tie him down to a new deal.

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Barcelona show interest in ParteyMidfielder's contract expires this summerArsenal want to retain ParteyFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

According to , Barcelona have shown interest in signing Partey, whose contract at Arsenal expires this summer. Hansi Flick is known to be an admirer of the Ghanaian midfielder and is considering signing him for free.

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The Telegraph had earlier reported that Partey is considering signing a new Gunners contract as he expressed his desire to stay back in North London. However, after holding transfer talks with the Blaugrana bosses, the player could change his mind. Other than the Catalan giants, Atletico Madrid are keen on re-signing the 31-year-old.

DID YOU KNOW?

A source close to told the publication: "Thomas respects Arsenal massively and loves living in London, but he also knows his worth and wants a deal that reflects his standing at the club."

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AFPWHAT NEXT FOR ARSENAL?

Mikel Arteta's side will reassemble in late July and are scheduled to travel to Singapore and Hong Kong for their pre-season training.

Manchester United Women were forced to pay for their own flights home following their historic Champions League victory over Hammarby in Sweden on Saturday.

Man Utd Women paid for own flightsSkinner's side beat Hammarby 1-0Red Devils one step from UWCL league phaseFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Red Devils squad had to dip into their own pockets after the club failed to book a direct return flight from Stockholm to Manchester, according to The Telegraph. The report states that while direct flights were available, they would not have accommodated all players and staff and so the United hierarchy opted to book a flight which included a stopover instead.

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However with the stopover meaning the squad would not return to Manchester until 10pm on Sunday, players were told they could book their own flights if they wished to return home sooner, which did not go down well in the dressing room, the report claims.

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The United players had been on cloud nine after booking their place in the Champions League third qualifying stage for the first time in their history following the win over Hammarby. A second-half goal from Elisabeth Terland was enough to set up a two-legged clash against Norwegian side Brann in the next round, with Marc Skinner's side now just one step away from reaching the league phase of the 2025-26 Women's Champions League.

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR MAN UTD WOMEN?

United are next in action when they take on Leicester City in their opening game of the 2025-26 Women's Super League season. They will then take on Brann in the first leg of their Champions League third qualifying round tie on September 11, with the reverse leg taking place a week later on September 18.

اعترف ألكسندر تشيفرين، رئيس الاتحاد الأوروبي لكرة القدم، أن ما يحدث في غزة تجاه الشعب الفلسطيني يؤلمه كثيرًا، في حين تطرق إلى لافتة نهائي كأس السوبر الأوروبي والذي كان بين نادي باريس سان جيرمان وتوتنهام هوتسبير.

وأشار تشيفرين في تصريحات اليوم الأربعاء، أن ما حدث في نهائي السوبر الأوروبي من لافتة تدعم الشعب الفلسطيني، ليس لها علاقة بتغريدة نجم ليفربول، محمد صلاح تجاه حرب غزة.

محمد صلاح كان قد انفجر غضبًا تجاه وفاة لاعب منتخب فلسطين الساق، سليمان العبيد، عبر حسابه الرسمي في تويتر وانتقد طريقة الإعلان عن وفاته، في اعتراض واضح على سياسة جيش الاحتلال الإسرائيلي تجاه الشعب الفلسطين في غزة (لمطالعة التفاصيل من هنا).

اقرأ.. محمد صلاح مدافعًا عن زميليه السابقين في ليفربول: احترموا أبطال الدوري الإنجليزي!

وقال تشيفرين: ”انظروا، أولًا وقبل كل شيء، ما يحدث للمدنيين هناك أمر يؤلمني ويقتلني بشكل شخصي، لم أعد أرى هذه الأمور، من وجهة نظر أخرى، لست مؤيدًا لحظر الرياضيين، فماذا يمكن للرياضي أن يفعل لحكومته من أجل إيقاف الحرب؟ الأمر صعب للغاية، لقد تم حظر الفرق الروسية ويمتد الحظر لثلاث سنوات ونصف، الآن هل توقفت الحرب؟ لم تتوقف، لذا لا أعرف حتى الآن”.

وأضاف: ”علي أن أقول إنه في ظل الوضع في روسيا وأوكرانيا، كان هناك ضغط سياسي قوي للغاية، أصبح الضغط الآن من المجتمع المدني أكثر منه من السياسيين، لأن السياسيين، بطبيعة الحال، عمليون للغاية عندما يتعلق الأمر بالحروب والضحايا، لا أستطيع التنبؤ بما سيحدث، هناك نقاشات حول كل شيء، لكنني شخصيًا أعارض طرد الرياضيين”.

وأوضح: ”على سبيل المثال، قال اللاعب السابق ليوغوسلافيا، ديجان سافيتشيفيتش (الذي يشغل الآن منصب رئيس اتحاد كرة القدم في الجبل الأسود) إنه في عام 1992 عندما مُنعت يوغوسلافيا من المشاركة في بطولة أوروبا كان جميع اللاعبين ضد سلوبودان ميلوسيفيتش، كانوا جميعًا ضد النظام، وكان النظام غير ديمقراطي، ولكن تم طردهم، وبسبب العقوبات السياسية كانت النتيجة هي الكراهية ضد الغرب التي لا تزال قائمة”.

وأردف تشيفرين: ”في صربيا، على سبيل المثال، إذا ذهبت إلى استفتاء حول حلف شمال الأطلسي، فسيكون 80 % ضد ما يحدث، لذلك بالنسبة لي يجب أن تحاول الرياضة إظهار الطريق ولكن ليس بمنع الرياضيين من المنافسة ولكن لأكون صادقًا مرة أخرى، على سبيل المثال فيما يخص حرب روسيا وأوكرانيا كان لدينا رد فعل سياسي هستيري تقريبًا، كنا من بين الأوائل الذين تحركوا معتقدين حقًا أن الرياضة يمكن أن تساعد في وضع حد لهذه المأساة”.

واعترف: “للأسف، أظهرت لنا الحياة عكس ذلك، والآن لا أرى الكثير من رد الفعل من السياسة، من المجتمع المدني، الأمر هائل”.

وتابع: ”لا أفهم كيف يمكن لسياسي، قادر على فعل الكثير لوقف المذبحة في أي مكان، أن ينام ويرى كل هؤلاء الأطفال والمدنيين القتلى، هل الفكرة أن كرة القدم يجب أن تحل هذه المشاكل؟ مستحيل”.

وواصل: ”لدينا مؤسسة تابعة للاتحاد الأوروبي لكرة القدم للأطفال، لسنا نعيش على كوكب آخر، نحن نعيش في هذا العالم، وعندما ترى أطفالًا يموتون في جميع أنحاء العالم بسبب سياسيين متهورين، فإن هذه عبارة دبلوماسية إن جاز التعبير، من يعتقد أن عبارة أوقفوا قتل الأطفال والمدنيين هي رسالة سياسية فهو أحمق، في رأيي”.

واستطرد: ”إنه لأمر فظيع أن يموت الأطفال بسبب مصلحة سياسية، يموتون جوعًا، مثلًا محمد الذي كان يسلم الميداليات معي في كأس السوبر، فقد والدته ووالده وأصيب بجروح بالغة، لم أرى طفلاً يعانقني بمثل هذا الحماس، إنه بحاجة إلى الحب ولا يحتاج إلى قنبلة أخرى على رأسه بسبب مصلحة سياسية لذا فالأمر بعيد كل البعد عن السياسة”.

واستكمل: ”ولكن من وجهة نظر أخرى كما تعلمون، السياسة في كل مكان، عندما تظهرون علمكم تجاه دعم القضية الفلسطينية فهذه سياسة، لكننا لا نتدخل في السياسة، ولن نقول إن قتل الأطفال أو المدنيين في أي مكان أمر جيد، علينا أن نقول إننا نحتقره وسنقوله دائمًا”.

وقال: ”ولكن هل تعلمون ماذا حدث في النهاية؟ تلقيت رسائل من المنظمة الشعبوية المتطرفة من إسرائيل مفادها أننا معادون للسامية لهذا السبب، في حين تلقيت من جماعات اليسار المتطرف والجماعات الداعمة للفلسطينيين رسائل أننا نتجاهل الأمر، لذلك كما تعلمون في كثير من الأحيان من الأفضل عدم القيام بأي شيء”.

وأكد: “ولكن إذا كان هناك أمر بهذا الحجم، أمر فظيع ومريع يؤرقني، لا أنا فقط، بل جميع زملائي، فلم يقل أحد في هذه المنظمة إنه لا ينبغي لنا القيام بذلك، لذا علينا أن نفعل الصواب”.

وعما إذا كانت تغريدة محمد صلاح لها تأثير في اللافتة التي ظهرت في نهائي السوبر الأوروبي، اختتم تشيفرين: ”لا، كانت فكرتنا، أستطيع أن أقول إنها كانت فكرتنا، كنا نفكر في ذلك لفترة طويلة”.

It is still not confirmed if he will be fit for Sunday’s match, against Delhi Capitals at the Wankhede

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Apr-2024

Suryakumar Yadav has finally joined the Mumbai Indians squad•Mumbai Indians

Suryakumar Yadav has linked up with Mumbai Indians in what is sure to come as a boost to Hardik Pandya’s misfiring team at IPL 2024.Suryakumar, one of the pillars of the Mumbai side over the years, has not featured in IPL 2024 so far as he was at the BCCI’s National Cricket Academy recovering from the ankle surgery he had earlier this year. It is still unknown if he will be fit for Mumbai’s next match, against Delhi Capitals at the Wankhede Stadium, though he did bat in the nets and train with the others on Friday*.”Surya came in earlier than the team and spent close to an hour batting in the nets,” a Mumbai statement said. “Following his long batting session, Surya did some training and mobility drills followed by catching up with his teammates and speaking with Mark Boucher, head coach, and Kieron Pollard, batting coach, during the course of the practise.”Related

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Suryakumar last played a competitive match in December, scoring a 56-ball 100 in the third T20I against South Africa in Johannesburg. He picked up the ankle injury during that match.Apart from the ankle surgery, he also underwent surgery for a sports hernia in this period. As a result, he was ruled out of India’s three-match T20I series against Afghanistan at home, their last T20I assignment before the World Cup in June.Mumbai have lost their all three matches so far and are at the bottom of the IPL 2024 points table.

The ten franchises have a total of 77 slots to fill at the auction on December 19 in Dubai

Nagraj Gollapudi01-Dec-20231:07

Moody: Langer will want to retain stability around Lucknow Super Giants

Seven of Australia’s ODI World Cup winning squad – Pat Cummins, Travis Head, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Steven Smith, Josh Inglis and Sean Abbott – are among 25 players to enter the 2024 IPL player auction with a base price of INR 2 crore (USD 240,000 approximately).The auction will take place on December 19 in Dubai, the first time it has been held outside India.New Zealand batting allrounder Rachin Ravindra, who scored 578 runs at a strike rate of 106 and took five wickets at the World Cup, has listed his base price at INR 50 lakhs (USD 60,000 approximately).Some of the other significant players in the highest base price band are fast bowler Gerald Coetzee, who was South Africa’s highest wicket-taker at the World Cup, and England batter Harry Brook, who was released by Sunrisers Hyderabad, along with Harshal Patel, Shardul Thakur, Umesh Yadav and Kedar Jadhav.Related

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The ten franchises have a total of 77 slots to fill, of which 30 can be overseas players. Based on skillset and performance at the recent ODI World Cup, Starc, Head and Ravindra are being tipped to spark fierce bidding among the franchises. If Starc gets bought, he will be returning to the IPL after eight years, having last played the 2015 season for RCB. He did enter the 2018 auction, where he was bought for INR 9.4 crore by KKR, but missed the season because of injury. This time, however, Starc is keen to utilise the IPL as preparation for the 2024 T20 World Cup in June.Head was the Player of the Match in the semis and finals of the 2023 ODI World Cup last month. He hasn’t played the IPL since 2017, when he was part of RCB and played ten games across two seasons, scoring 205 runs at a strike rate of 138.51.Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc: will they go for big bucks at the 2024 IPL player auction?•ICC/Getty ImagesOn Friday, the IPL shared with the franchises a long list of 1166 players who had registered for the auction. The final pool, however, will be much smaller after the teams submit the names of players they are interested in to the IPL. The long list includes 45 players from Associate nations, 909 uncapped players of which 812 are Indian, and 18 capped Indian players.The likes of Harshal, Wanindu Hasaranga, Brook, Thakur along with uncapped Indian batter Shahrukh Khan will once again remain confident of attracting strong interest from more than one franchise. Both Harshal and Hasaranga, who were bought for the same price – 10.75 crore – were released by Royal Challengers, mainly because of their weak numbers at M Chinnaswamy stadium, the franchise’s home base.Brook was bought by Sunrisers for INR 13.25 crore, making him the most expensive overseas buy at a mini auction by the franchise. Brook, though, failed to make any impact barring a century early on last IPL, forcing Sunrisers to re-think their investment.Thakur, too, was bought for 10.75 cr in a trade before the 2023 auction from Delhi Capitals. However, Thakur managed just seven wickets in 10 matches at an economy of nearly 11 and an average of 31.42. Thakur failed to make any impact with the bat, too, scoring 113 runs in 10 innings.Shahrukh, who plays for Tamil Nadu, made his IPL debut in 2021 when Punjab bought him for 5.25 cr. A year later he was released ahead of the mega auction but bought back for 9 crore. However, just one Player-of-the-Match award proved disappointing for the player and franchise, who finally released him. Shahrukh has put his base price at 40 lakhs and would be keen to see his hometown franchise, Chennai Super Kings, interested in bagging him.Base Price INR 2 crore (USD 240,000 approximately): Harshal Patel, Shardul Thakur, Umesh Yadav, Kedar Jadhav, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Sean Abbott, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Mitchell Starc, Steve Smith, Mustafizur Rahman, Tom Banton, Harry Brook, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Adil Rashid, David Willey, Chris Woakes, Lockie Ferguson, Gerald Coetzee, Rilee Rossouw, Rassie van der Dussen, Angelo MathewsBase price INR 1.5 CR (USD 180,000 approximately): Mohammad Nabi, Moises Henriques, Chris Lynn, Kane Richardson, Daniel Sams, Daniel Worrall, Tom Curran, Marchant de Lange, Chris Jordan, Dawid Malan, Tymal Mills, Phil Salt, Corey Anderson, Colin Munro, Jimmy Neesham, Tim Southee, Colin Ingram, Wanindu Hasaranga, Jason Holder, Sherfane RutherfordBase price INR 1 CR (USD 120,000 approximately): Ashton Agar, Riley Meredith, D’Arcy Short, Ashton Turner, Gus Atkinson, Sam Billings, Michael Bracewell, Martin Guptill, Kyle Jamieson, Adam Milne, Daryl Mitchell, Wayne Parnell, Dwaine Pretorius, Alzarri Joseph, Rovman Powell, David WieseESPNcricinfo Ltd

The Herons face the Champions League winners in Sunday’s Club World Cup Round of 16 showdown.

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• Match will be held at Mercedes‑Benz Stadium
• Messi comes up against his former club
• Mascherano spoke at the pre-game press conference

Watch every FIFA Club World Cup game free on DAZNStream now

• AFP
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Ahead of what could be one of the most significant games in Inter Miami's history, head coach Javier Mascherano spoke about the importance of facing Europe's top club and reuniting with a familiar name from his playing days – Luis Enrique, his former Barcelona boss.

  Marrying the roles of leader and disciple, Mascherano shared how meaningful the encounter is, considering Enrique's pivotal influence on his career.

  “Luis is one of the most influential coaches I’ve ever had. We share a personal connection, and I hold him in high regard. He convinced me to join Barcelona, and he’s consistently proven himself across different clubs. It will be special to see him again,” said Mascherano.

  The Inter Miami coach also acknowledged the challenge ahead, emphasizing that though PSG are heavy favorites, his team is prepared to give them a fight in the Club World Cup Round of 16.

  “On paper, respectfully – I think we’re the underdog, but that doesn’t mean we’re already out. Reaching this stage was difficult, and the team has earned it. We’re up against one of the world’s best, and hopefully, we’ll get our chance to advance," he said.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT JAVIER MASCHERANO SAID

  The Argentinian coach also stressed that while this may not be the defining match of his career, it is certainly a key test for his vision and leadership.

  “I don’t view this as the most important game of my managerial career – that’s not the point. We’ve earned this opportunity. Now it’s about delivering our best performance against a top-tier opponent. We know they’re not invincible," he said.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  DID YOU KNOW?

  Notably, Mascherano now stands as the only Argentine coach still in the tournament, following the exit of five fellow countrymen in the group stage – a testament to his resilience and progress with Inter Miami.

  In total, five Argentine managers participated in the group stage: Marcelo Gallardo (River Plate), Miguel Ángel Russo (Boca Juniors), Martín Anselmi (Porto), and Diego Simeone (Atlético de Madrid), all of whom were eliminated before the knockout rounds.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR INTER MIAMI?

  face the Champions League winners in Sunday’s Club World Cup Round of 16 showdown, in what could be the most important match in the club’s history.