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A big update has emerged on Newcastle United and their pursuit of Hugo Ekitike heading into the summer transfer window… 

What’s the talk?

Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that the Frenchman is poised to seal a transfer in the coming months as the Magpies and Borussia Dortmund battle it out for his signature.

The teen striker recently explained why he rejected the chance to sign for the Premier League outfit in January, saying: “I have a lot of respect for that big club. But it was all happening very quickly, the timing wasn’t right. It was better to stay here, to play a full season, to establish myself.”

Romano Tweeted: “Key days ahead for Hugo Ekitike’s future, he’s expected to leave Reims after great season. Newcastle are still working to sign him after January late negotiations, now hoping to beat Borussia Dortmund in the race. Ekitike will make his choice on the future soon.”

Supporters will be excited

Toon fans will be excited by this claim from the Italian reporter for multiple reasons.

Firstly, the claim that Ekitike is ‘expected’ to leave his current club is a boost to Newcastle as it suggests that Reims are open to doing a deal. This means that there is a realistic possibility that the club can strike an agreement for his services, although they will still need to beat off competition from Dortmund.

The supporters will also find this claim exciting because the Frenchman would be an excellent addition to Eddie Howe’s squad.

He ended the Ligue 1 campaign with ten goals and three assists in 15 starts as he averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.89 in the division. The forward ranks in the 92nd percentile in Europe’s top five leagues for non-penalty goals per 90 at 0.64 and this suggests that he has been one of the biggest goal threats from open play this season.

Meanwhile, Callum Wilson ranks in the 66th percentile and Chris Wood in the 5th percentile for non-penalty goals per 90. Ekitike can, therefore, be a huge upgrade on what Howe currently has to work with at the top end of the pitch, in terms of finding the back of the net without needing spot-kicks.

At the age of 19, he has plenty of time left ahead of him to develop and improve over the years. This means that he would be a signing for the future as well as the here and now and the fans would be able to look forward to watching him grow over the course of a number of seasons on Tyneside.

AND in other news,  Newcastle now “interested” in signing £42m star, he could be Howe’s next “hero”…

Mike McGrath has dropped an update on the future of Leeds United winger Raphinha.

What’s the talk?

In a recent post on Twitter, The Telegraph journalist revealed that, despite reports claiming that Barcelona were planning to hold off their negotiations for the 25-year-old until it became clear which league Leeds will be participating in next season, this is in fact not the case, with Xavi’s side now believed to have stepped up their interest in the Brazil international – with the LaLiga side planning on initiating transfer talks with the Whites imminently.

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In his tweet, McGrath said: “Barca have stepped up [their] bid to land Raphinha in the summer, planning on imminent talks over the deal for the LUFC [player] in the event of his club staying in Premier League or not.”

Supporters will be devastated

While the vast majority of Leeds supporters are more than likely resigned to the fact that Raphinha will be moving onto pastures new this summer – something that is evident from a recent poll ran on Football FanCast – the news that Barca are now hoping to secure a deal for the winger in the near future will nevertheless have left the Elland Road faithful devastated.

Indeed, the 25-year-old has arguably proven himself to be one of the club’s best signings over the past 20 years, with the £17m 2020 arrival having scored 16 goals and registered 12 assists over his 63 appearances for the Whites.

And, despite Leeds’ struggles this season, it has been over the winger’s 31 Premier League appearances in 2021/22 in which Raphinha has truly proven his ability at the highest level, with the £40.5m-rated forward bagging ten goals, providing three assists and creating nine big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 2.5 shots, making two key passes and completing two dribbles per game.

These returns have seen the £63k-per-week winger average a highly impressive SofaScore match rating of 6.95, ranking him as Jesse Marsch’s second-best outfielder in the top flight of English football.

As such, while Raphinha’s potential £60m exit from Elland Road would undoubtedly represent fantastic transfer business by Victor Orta, the prospect of losing a player of the Brazilian’s ability in the coming weeks will nevertheless be a devastating thought for supporters of the Whites.

AND in other news: Victor Orta could “pick up a real gem” with Leeds bid for “complete” 17 G/A sensation

In a hypothetical T20 spell, the sultan of swing faces up against the top batsmen of the modern era

Siddhartha Vaidyanathan02-Aug-2019Wasim Akram is sitting by a window on the 11th floor of a hotel room in Toronto, but he is imagining himself at the top of his bowling mark on a hot afternoon, with a belter of a pitch laid out for a T20 match. In this hypothetical game, Wasim has the new white ball in his hands and is up against two of the most dangerous batsmen in world cricket: Chris Gayle and David Warner.Up in the hotel room, Wasim is sporting all black: a Nike T-shirt, a pair of shorts, and a 2XU cap. On his left wrist is an Apple watch – also black – and one wonders if the manufacturer is aware of the magical wrist around which their gadget is wrapped. ) with his famous helicopter shot. With the awayswinger, I have a chance. Probably he would have top-edged… “

****

The imaginary game has lasted a mere ten minutes but Wasim has held the room in thrall. The two cameramen, a photographer, and the two interviewers – all rapt in attention. It has given us a glimpse into his thought process as a bowler, but also a hint of what a good captain he must have been: ever alert, adjusting his field depending on the batsman on strike and the game situation, signalling to his team-mates and inspiring them with his magnetic personality.There is one aspect of the game we haven’t touched on, though. Surely he would have fancied himself as a batsman in T20s? Making room, charging the bowlers, lofting and slapping the ball?Wasim chuckles and swats the questions aside. “I would have been handy in the last couple of overs,” he laughs. “Just go in there and whack it… whack it towards midwicket.” He laughs some more.And with that the game is done.

India’s Deepti Sharma has broken batting records, bowling records, partnership records – all while still being a teenager

Annesha Ghosh23-Jun-2017On May 15, the eve of the first qualifier of the 2017 IPL, the focus in cricket circles on social media briefly moved to two India women’s cricketers breaking batting records in South Africa. One of them, 19-year old Deepti Sharma, struck eight more fours than her age in scoring 188, the second-highest score in women’s ODIs.Leading the wave of congratulations on Twitter were former India opener Virender Sehwag, whose highest tally of fours in a one-day international (25) was two fewer than Deepti hit in Potchefstroom, and offspinner R Ashwin, with whom Deepti was to have shared the stage at the BCCI’s annual awards night in Bangalore on March 8. She missed the event to play a zonal game.Any disappointment she might have felt at not being present to collect her award after being named the best woman cricketer 2015-16 (junior) was offset by the opportunity to play alongside her idol and India ODI captain Mithali Raj, who won the equivalent award for the senior level. “Mithali would take Deepti to Delhi and Allahabad, where she would send down a few overs, bat in the nets or watch intra-squad matches at the Railways camps,” Sumit says.An increased familiarity with match-like situations brought more confidence. Deepti remembers making an impression at the 2010 trials – her third attempt in a row, and first successful one, to make it to the state’s U-19 side. “I scored 65 and picked up three wickets with medium pace in one of those games.”A 114 against Vidarbha in Kanpur helped her break into the state senior side in 2012. PN Singh Rana, former co-selector at the UPCA, insisted she be drafted into the senior ranks though she was only 15.Former India batsman Rita Dey, who was then the BCCI national selector (central) and the UPCA chairperson of the women’s selection committee, says that along with Deepti’s prolific returns with the bat and ball, “the young girl’s boundless enthusiasm for the game” strengthened her case for a spot in the senior team.Progress was swift, and in parallel, her bond with Dey grew stronger. Dey’s influence on the teenager, both Deepti and Sumit acknowledge, has been “life-changing, not just career-defining”.

“They used to call him Bala. His bowling action resembled [Lakshmipathy] Balaji, and even his looks. I didn’t know who this India bowler was initially, but I kind of liked the name, always”Deepti on her brother Sumit’s nickname

Dey, along with Kala and Rana, felt that Deepti’s medium pace was probably not adequately complementing her strengths with the bat. “This could come in the way to her selection in the national side,” Dey recalls thinking. “She is not among the tallest girls around, and her natural action seemed more suited to spin.” Deepti thereafter switched to offspin.In 2014, an unbeaten 53 for India A earned her a maiden ODI call-up for the series decider against South Africa. On debut, at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, she was run out for 1, but with the ball, she raised hopes of a late fightback by India, breaking through a 109-run stand with a double strike in the 29th over of the chase. India, however, lost the match by four wickets, and so the series.”I never had any such thing as a ‘dream debut’ in my head. But those two wickets gave me confidence that if I may have an off day in one department, I could bank on my other skill to contribute to the team.”Deepti’s all-round skills make her an integral part of the current Indian set-up, according to Purnima Rau, former captain and coach. “As an offspinner, opening left-handed bat, and an agile fielder in any position – whether close-in or on the boundary – India have an unbeatable combination in her.”Rau recounts an incident from India’s home series against Sri Lanka in 2016. “Ahead of the third game, a few issues with her bowling called for some immediate fine-tuning. Just a day of work with her and Aarti [Nalge], the video analyst, and you could tell the bowler Deepti Sharma who took all those wickets was not the same as the one we had to sit with.”Deepti holds the record for the highest ODI score by an Indian woman, and is the youngest Indian to take a five-for in the format•Associated PressIn that third ODI, Deepti became the youngest Indian, male or female, to take a five-wicket haul, andher match-winning returns of 6 for 20 helped India complete a clean sweep over Sri Lanka.For Rau, watching Deepti pick up that six-for was “one of the highlights” of her coaching career with the Indian side. Deepti finished the series as the highest wicket-taker, with 12 at an average of 5.25, and two Player-of-the-Match awards in the three-match series.She would go on to pick up three more such awards in India’s 12 successive ODI wins thereafter, the joint second-longest winning streak in the women’s format.”She looks solid,” says fellow India allrounder Priyanka Roy. “Her temperament is something you respect as an opponent, and you know she’ll come back at you even if you may have subdued one of her skills.”Among the international opponents she has played against so far, Deepti admires the Australia captain Meg Lanning. “From the little I have seen of Lanning, I like the intensity she brings to her game. It is as if she acquires a different personality upon entering the field – you know, a powerful attitude.”

“Deepti is naturally right-handed, but she settled into a left-hander’s grip on her own, without any help from me”Sumit on not needing to train Deepti in some cricket basics

It’s the same type of switching on and off that Rau sees in Deepti’s body language. “When you meet her off the field, there’s something vulnerable about her. She is a teenager, a simple girl. You’d want to protect her. But when she’s out there in the middle, she’ll rarely show any nerves.”This steel shone through during Deepti’s 89-ball 71 in the final of the Women’s World Cup Qualifier, setting up India’s highest successful chase in ODIs and their title win.Deepti finished as the leading run-getter in the series with 253 runs in six innings, including three fifties, and she routinely applied the choke on the opposition during the 53 overs she sent down – the most by any of the nine bowlers used by India – in which she conceded 2.67 runs an over.”She showed good understanding of her responsibilities at the top. In general, she’s calm but knows what she is doing,” said team-mate and T20I captain Harmanpreet Kaur of her performance in the qualifiers.After making 188 during her world-record 320-run partnership with Punam Raut, Deepti said she wanted to dedicate her performance to her mother, Sushila, and personal coach Vipin Awasthi. A retired principal of a government school, Sushila says Deepti’s distractions as a teenager are few and her demands even fewer. A basic feature phone made way for a smartphone only last year, at 18, and that was because all the India squad members had to be on a common WhatsApp group.Former coach Purnima Rau on Deepti Sharma: “As an offspinner, opening left-handed bat, and an agile fielder in any position, India have an unbeatable combination in her”•Getty ImagesExplaining her limited social-media presence, Deepti says: ” [I don’t feel the need]. Cricket keeps me occupied. When I’m not playing, I like to watch video clips of matches, especially those featuring Suresh Raina. I am a big fan of his and I want to master his inside-out six.”She brings that focus to every aspect of her career, even when practising for interviews as part of World Cup media training, or filling out a team questionnaire.”I wanted to make sure I was mentally ready before the interview began, even though it was just a mock thing,” Deepti explains after the team’s sessions in Mumbai. “I took a deep breath to calm myself down. As for submitting [the questionnaire] last, it’s not that I wrote a lot. It’s just that I took some time to arrange my thoughts because it was the first such session I had attended. That extra minute helped me choose the right words. I was able to write exactly what I wanted to write.”Facing the new ball and providing valuable starts to her team against the world’s leading bowling attacks, breaking through partnerships by piling on dot balls, and interacting with non-Hindi-speaking media personnel, Deepti, two months short of 20, will face several challenges at the World Cup. But in keeping with her ethic that drives her pursuit of perfecting that inside-out Raina shot, Deepti will have practised hard enough to make sure she’s game for anything, on the field and beyond it.

In the way that David Warner chipped away at the target as opposed to bursting through it, he was more Kohli than de Villiers. Now to take on both of them in the final

Sidharth Monga in Delhi 28-May-2016

David Warner grinded his way toward the target without much support in the batting order•BCCI

“When you see a total of 160, you can be in two minds as a batting unit. You can either get off to a good start and have positive intent or you can try to get through the first six and set a platform to the end.”David Warner, after having successfully defended 162 in the Eliminator. What he meant to say was that under high pressure, defending 160 wasn’t as difficult as it had been in the earlier parts of the tournament. Two nights later, on a harder pitch than the one they beat Kolkata Knight Riders on, Warner inserted Gujarat Lions and found himself chasing the same total that they had defended successfully. Unfortunately for Sunrisers Hyderabad they were neither able to show positive intent nor set a platform at the start, which is quite similar to what they themselves did to Knight Riders.A left-arm wrist spinner in the mix, a couple of others bowling shrewd cutters, Lions were giving Sunrisers a taste of their own medicine. With not much firepower left in the tank once Yuvraj Singh became the third wicket to fall in the ninth over, it was clear Warner would have to win this game by himself. Well he would need a little help – which he got from Bipul Sharma in the end – but Warner would have to conceptualise this win all by himself and execute most of it.Aaron Finch, Warner’s opening partner in T20 internationals and his opponent on the night, summed the feeling up for Lions. “It was an amazing knock, wasn’t it?” he said. “The way he controlled the innings, the whole way through, and then went right through and got them home. We have been at the receiving end of a couple of great knocks in this tournament. Just that one batsman. AB [de Villiers] last game, Davey tonight. We can hold our head up very high. We have played some great cricket throughout this tournament but unfortunately we couldn’t get them world-class players out.”There will be the obvious comparisons with de Villiers in that they single-handedly foiled what could have been great comeback stories for them, but arguably Warner’s effort was more difficult. Bangalore, for starters, is a six-hitting ground. Solo performances can work there. And de Villiers is a more versatile batsman; he can ruin yorker bowlers through sweeps and ramps and charges down the wicket. Warner, one of the best though he may be today, is not as complete as de Villiers. He had to be more workmanlike with this than de Villiers.Warner didn’t panic or pull the trigger too early. There was a calm to his innings although he did lose his cool during the second timeout, presumably at Naman Ojha for the shot he played to get out. Warner, with all his experience, knew if two specialist batsmen stayed there till the end this ground was going to be difficult to defend on. He blew off some steam with Tom Moody during the timeout, and once again you could tell he was confident that if he stayed there till the end, he was going to win this for his team.The one time that he did look to play the manufactured shot was in the 15th over. You could sense this was the over. Ravindra Jadeja hadn’t bowled all night. Finch said it was because they didn’t get the matchups right. If they had a right-hand batsman on strike at the start of the over, they didn’t have the end right. If they got the end right, a left-hand batsman would be on strike. So Suresh Raina and Dwayne Smith made up for Jadeja’s overs. With 66 runs required from the last six, and the last recognised pair in the middle, Raina thought now was the time to get Smith’s over out of the way.After singles off the first two balls, Smith bowled a slower ball, short of length. It was not driveable because of the length, not pullable because of the lack of pace. The other night Warner said these were the balls, bowled into the pitch, “sort of skidding on bail-high”, that were hard to play “release shots” off.Warner knew, though, that with Dwayne Bravo and Praveen Kumar to come, he needed release shots right then. So he took Smith on. And for once he muscled his way out in an otherwise subtle innings. And how he muscled out. He went back to punch this down the ground, taking on the long-off fielder, trusting his big bat, clearing the man. This, right here, was the reason Warner never panicked. He knew he could call upon this brute strength in the end.Warner was back to touch play next ball. Smith went back to trying a yorker, which turned out to be a low full toss. He opened the face of the bat at the last moment to beat the deep cover-point. Then he quietly knocked his glove on his thigh, and pumped himself up. The asking rate in control, Raina went to Bravo, who bowled a great 16th over. Ojha looked to hit out towards the end, and Warner was not happy with the outcome.Luckily for Warner, he found an able ally in Bipul. After facing two yorkers from Praveen, when Bipul hoisted the error ball, a half-volley, for a big six over long-off, Warner was relieved and was back to focusing on taking the game to its bitter end. One of the fittest cricketers in the world, just like Kohli, Warner ran as fast as he did in the 19th over as he did in the first few. Two couples, a scythed boundary, and Sunrisers had eliminated Praveen’s last over.In the way that Warner chipped away at the target as opposed to bursting through it, he was more Kohli than de Villiers. Now to take on both of them in two nights’ time.

India’s batting stats are pretty impressive in most aspects, but the bowling has been a struggle

Bishen Jeswant04-Feb-201539 The number of World Cup matches India have won. Only Australia (55) and New Zealand (40) have won more, while England have also won 39 matches. India’s win-loss ratio of 1.50 is fifth-best, with Australia, South Africa, England and West Indies doing better.5-0 India’s win-loss record in World Cup games against Pakistan. Against South Africa they are down 0-3.6 Number of India batsmen who have scored 1000-plus runs since 2013, the most for any country. South Africa also have six such batsmen, while Sri Lanka and England have five each.2346 Runs scored by Virat Kohli since 2013, the most by an India batsman and the third-highest overall. Kohli averages 52.1 in this period. Among India batsmen, Rohit Sharma (54.6) and MS Dhoni (54) average more than Kohli, though they have scored fewer runs.

Most runs by India batsmen since 2013

PlayerMatRunsAveSR10050V Kohli59234652.1397.34812S Dhawan48202646.0491.42610RG Sharma41191254.6285.66411SK Raina55136234.9293.8019MS Dhoni42124153.9591.11110AM Rahane34102731.1277.3926RA Jadeja5383641.8091.3605AT Rayudu2774341.2775.50159 Number of 100-plus opening stands posted by India’s openers since 2013, the most for any team. India’s openers average 46.4 in this period, again the highest for any team.22 Number of ODIs India have won since 2013 when chasing, the most for any team. India and Australia are the only teams to have won twice as many matches as they have lost when chasing.10 Number of 50-plus partnerships posted by India’s last five wickets since 2013, the fewest by any top-eight team. Australia, with 19 such partnerships, have the most. India’s last five wickets average 22.3, while countries like New Zealand and Australia average close to 30.5.9 India’s run-rate in the middle overs of an innings (overs 21 to 40) since 2013, the highest for any team. Among the Test nations, only Zimbabwe and Bangladesh score at less than five runs per over during this period of an ODI innings.37 The average of India’s top order (Nos. 1 to 7) since 2013 when playing outside Asia. South Africa are the only team whose top-order batsmen average more in these conditions. India’s batsmen make a 50-plus score every 4.6 innings outside Asia, with batsmen from only Australia (4.5) and South Africa (3.6) doing better.40 Average runs posted by opposition opening pairs against India since 2013, the most against a top-eight nation. There have been 17 fifty-plus opening stands against India, also the most. Opening pairs average less than 30 against Sri Lanka, England and South Africa.1 Number of India bowlers who have taken 30 ODI wickets each in both 2013 and 2014; Mohammad Shami is the only one. He took 30 wickets in 2013, and was the leading wicket-taker of 2014, with 38 wickets.77 Wickets taken by Ravindra Jadeja since 2013, the most by any India bowler. India’s top-six wicket takers in this period are all going to be part of this World Cup.

Most wickets by India bowlers since 2013

PlayerMatWktsAveEconSR4+RA Jadeja537728.574.6436.84Mohammed Shami407026.745.6728.24R Ashwin476433.985.0540.30B Kumar434338.254.6749.11I Sharma284129.685.7031.22UT Yadav233130.485.6132.51

A retelling of the Brian Lara story, with anecdotes that add texture to the tale

Vaneisa Baksh13-Jul-2013Three years ago, I was contacted by James Fuller, who identified himself as an English journalist currently living in Trinidad and working on a biography of Brian Lara. He wanted contact information for people he wished to interview. I did what I could, and that was that.So when I saw a press notice that the book had been published by Macmillan Caribbean as part of a series that has featured Learie Constantine, Bob Marley, Che Guevara, and Jimmy Cliff, I was curious.I wondered what Fuller would bring to the Brian Lara table. The last Lara book I had read had been a useful compilation of press reports but hardly more.This one, , is a thoughtful rendition of the world record-holder’s career.Fuller started off as an auditor and soon turned his hand to journalism. During the five years he was located in Trinidad, he traipsed around the islands, ferreting out anyone who could add anything to what was already recorded. It is these anecdotes, related by a diverse set of informants, that add texture to a competent record of the career. Fuller got neighbours, coaches, schoolmates, teachers – people from Lara’s childhood – to talk about the nature of the boy; trying to capture the essence of a creature whose character had been subjected to constant dissection. He also talked to team-mates, both in England and the Caribbean, and he doesn’t just present facts, he tries to analyse connections as well.The book follows Lara’s career; details of matches and scores, clashes with administrators, interspersed with comments from cricketers, journalists and others, who offer their takes on what was going on behind the scenes.Explaining Lara’s “late” entry to Test cricket, a local journalist thought captain Viv Richards felt he was not a team man. “He was a selfish player; he wanted to do well for himself first and foremost, that was Brian’s attitude and Richards didn’t want that.” Fuller seeks out Jimmy Adams, who denies that, saying Lara was kept outside because the team was winning.On his April 2007 retirement announcement, former West Indies Players’ Association president Dinanath Ramnarine says that Lara called him about it. “He was forced out, there’s no question about it.” Deryck Murray then comments that player jealousy had a part to play. “There were a group of players who weren’t too unhappy to see him go.”Fuller tries to get different sides of the story, but it is overall a sympathetic portrayal. There are tidbits – he was a good wicketkeeper; the sports coach at Fatima College thought he was “very ordinary” when he first saw him; his size was always an issue; his obsession with breaking records from very young; the prickly relationship with Lance Gibbs – but they run alongside a narrative that tells the still-fascinating story of a young man’s passion for the game and his complicated journey.For such a series, Fuller, now a writer at the Bay of Plenty Times in New Zealand, has done a thorough job. Even for those who have followed Lara’s journey, it is still an engaging read.Brian Lara: An unauthorised biography
James Fuller
Macmillan Caribbean
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ESPNcricinfo presents the Plays of the Day from the the fourth day of the second Test between Pakistan and England in Abu Dhabi

George Dobell in Abu Dhabi28-Jan-2012Moment of the day
Many great bowlers have represented Pakistan but with the wicket of Matt Prior, Saeed Ajmal became the fastest Pakistan bowler to 100 Test wickets. To make his achievement more remarkable, he has not played a single one of his 19 Tests at home. It was surely fitting that Prior was deceived by Ajmal’s doosra.Dismissal of the day
Abdur Rehman, gaining turn and wicked dip, kept convincing batsmen to play back when they should have been forward. Several England batsmen looked hapless against the spin but none more so than Eoin Morgan. Back when he should have been forward and with the bat at an angle when it should have been straight, Morgan left a gap so wide Inzamam-ul-Haq could have squeezed through.Puzzling decision of the day
Andrew Strauss was on 16 when he played back to a delivery from Abdur Rehman only to edge the ball onto to his thigh and then, seemingly, into the hands of Azhar Ali at short leg. It looked to most observers as if the catch was clean but the umpire, Bruce Oxenford, wanted to make sure and the third umpire, Billy Bowden, felt he could not be certain. Strauss, who later admitted that he hit the ball, survived. It seemed a remarkable escape for Strauss, though it was to make little difference in the grand scheme of things.England’s high-water mark of the day
It does not matter which side you support, it is hard not to warm to the unaffected joy of a man who is relishing every moment of his career. Monty Panesar’s leapt upon dismissing Saeed Ajmal, caught at slip to bring up his fifth wicket. It was understandable: he has spent nearly three years in the international wilderness and confessed during this match that he thought he may never win a recall. This was his ninth five-wicket haul in Tests but his first since May 2008. It clearly meant the world to him and was due reward for a skilful and persistent performance.Image of the day
There were stories – stories that were vehemently denied by the authorities – after the third day that England and Pakistan supporters had been segregated in the Sheikh Zayed Stadium. There was little evidence of such issues on the fourth day – or the third, if truth be told – as this picture of members of the Barmy Army and Pakistan supporters swapping caps shows. Cricket has many issues but tension between spectators, thankfully, is very rarely one of them.Quote of the day
“It is a struggle to think of a loss that has hurt more than this,” Andrew Strauss, the England captain.

A new year comes with the same problems despite all the resolutions and promises of change

Peter English at the SCG03-Jan-2009
Matthew Hayden’s self-belief is no longer enough when weighed down by slowing reflexes © PA Photos
A new year comes with the same problems despite all the resolutions and promises of change. Like giving up smoking on the first day of the year, the fresh start is often false. Australia’s opening hour was full of promise from Simon Katich and Matthew Hayden, but nothing was the same after the first stop for a drink.On a day when Cricket Australia’s chairman Jack Clarke defended his players by saying they “deserve and have earned our respect”, the most senior batsmen followed the pattern of the opening defeats to South Africa and left the side in increasingly familiar discomfort. A significant change in direction does not occur from talk, good intentions or a return to familiar patterns. So Matthew Hayden remains a selector’s headshake away from having his career ended and the first day of the team’s 2009 revival went the same way as the end of 2008, finishing at an insecure 6 for 267.Hayden has been great as an opener because he has refused to bow to opening bowlers and has stuck to his method when in form or out. At 37 altering the approach is impossible and he is suffering because of it. Old openers don’t do new tricks, especially against such a formidable opponent, and his self-belief is no longer enough when weighed down by slowing reflexes.If Hayden wants to play a shot he will. A couple of close fielders on the off side and a man at mid-off may put him off for a few overs, or a few moments, but he will still try to pierce the defence. It’s his will to beat the ball and the tactics. He drove at Makhaya Ntini before lunch and it fell short of mid-off. He was fortunate, as he hadn’t been in Perth and Melbourne, and continued attempting to hold on to his innings and his place.After lunch Hayden and Michael Hussey, another consistent performer suffering from a summer without spark, started more positively. Hayden stuck a firm boundary off the back foot in the first over back before Hussey followed with a sharp cover drive for four in the next. They were the shots of composed batsmen and the hope from the stands was that they had re-discovered their old selves. Then Hayden started attempting to play by leaning back without moving his feet, swinging through the off side without success. He tried it enough times to know he should stop, but didn’t.With Dale Steyn operating from around the wicket, a plan which has worked well against Hayden throughout the series, the batsman had another go at perfecting the shot. This time he hit it, but the inside edge went on to the stumps instead of in front of point. After almost three hours Hayden was gone for 31 and Australia were 3 for 109. Old players who waste their starts quickly become former players.Hussey, whose spot is not in danger even though the 30 was his highest score of the series, will be relieved that he was able to hit through cover and pull with confidence. However, his push at Paul Harris, leading to a catch at first slip, showed his tentativeness had not departed. It is a shame seeing Hussey in such confusion, but he is in a rut while Hayden is camped in a valley. What the dismissals could not hide was that Australia needed more from their most experienced batsmen after Ricky Ponting’s first-ball exit.Michael Clarke is in the processing of gaining the senior tag and the way he has varied his batting pace over the summer has shown a player who will soon average more than 50. Most of the time he knows when a flourish or a dead bat is needed and while it means the excitement of four years ago is reduced, the effectiveness has increased to the point where he can now save the side or speed it away.His unbeaten 73 took his summer collection to four fifties and a hundred, making him the side’s most consistent batsman. Clarke, Brad Haddin and Mitchell Johnson, two other men for the future, lifted Australia from the damage caused by their elders. It is still not a strong position and if something isn’t working it is either fixed or a new model is sought. The sooner the selectors realise this with Hayden the quicker they are likely to gain some respect.

It will be the first time that a West Indies side will tour Nepal

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Apr-2024

West Indies and Nepal have faced each other just once in international cricket•ICC via Getty Images

A West Indies ‘A’ side will tour Nepal for five T20 games as part of an A team tour in April-May to help both sides prepare for the upcoming T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and the USA in June. It will be the first time that a West Indies side will tour Nepal.All five games will be played at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur starting at 1pm local time, on April 27, 28, May 1, 2 and 4.”This A-team tour is another indication of the importance we are placing on A-team cricket and a significant phase in our preparations for the T20 World Cup,” Miles Bascombe, CWI director of cricket, said in a release. “It gives us a final opportunity to see many of the contenders for a place in the squad who are not participating in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Even for those players who do not make the final World Cup squad they will be a part of the reserve pool. A hallmark of the 2016 T20 World Cup campaign was the ability of reserve players to come in and have an immediate impact, so we must be ready for all eventualities. We also relish the opportunity to take the West Indies brand to Nepal for the first time, as cricket continues to grow in popularity there.”The only time West Indies and Nepal have played each other on the international stage was in an ODI during the World Cup Qualifiers in Harare in June last year. West Indies won that match by 101 runs after posting 339 for 7 with the help of centuries from Shai Hope and Nicholas Pooran.”We are humbled and excited with the prospect of the West Indies ‘A’ team touring Nepal,” CAN secretary Paras Khadka said. “This marks a significant moment in our cricketing history as we embrace this wonderful opportunity bestowed upon us, which will help us prepare significantly for the T20 World Cup and beyond. This historic tour to Nepal, a young cricketing nation slowly finding its pathway in the world of cricket, will excite our passionate fans. Our heartfelt gratitude towards CWI for their support and belief in Nepal cricket and for continuing to help grow the game all over the world. We hope this will ignite more future tours and bilateral cricketing tie-ups between us and other top cricketing nations, as we march forward with great enthusiasm and appreciation”.West Indies are slotted in Group C in the T20 World Cup, along with Afghanistan, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Uganda. There are four groups with five teams each which will play the round-robin stage before the top two teams from each group will advance to the Super Eights, where the teams will be split into two groups of four. The semi-finals and final will end the tournament in June end.Estwick named Nepal’s bowling consultantIn other news, Roddy Estwick has been appointed the bowling consultant of Nepal. Estwick, a former Barbados fast bowler, had worked as assistant coach with the West Indies’ senior men’s and the Under-19 side previously.