O Botafogo lutou até o fim e conseguiu voltar a vencer em uma estreia de Campeonato Brasileiro depois de 11 anos. Com dois gols de cabeça, de Tiquinho Soares e Eduardo, o Alvinegro bateu o São Paulo por 2 a 1, no Nilton Santos, para a festa da torcida. Na saída de campo, o camisa 33 falou sobre sua fase goleadora com seis gols em sete jogos.
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– Muito difícil contra um adversário muito forte e uma grande equipe. Feliz pelo gol, pela vitória e parabenizar também o torcedor que veio, aplaudiu o jogo todo. Esteve ao nosso lado nos 90 minutos. Isso é muito importante para a gente, começar com o pé direito e agradecer a todos – comemorou.
continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasBrasileirãoEm noite de Eduardo, Botafogo vence o São Paulo na primeira rodada do BrasileiroBrasileirão15/04/2023BotafogoATUAÇÕES: Tiquinho, Eduardo e Lucas Perri são destaques em vitória do BotafogoBotafogo15/04/2023BotafogoBotafogo se reúne com organizadas para alinhar interesses e discutir projetosBotafogo14/04/2023
– Não (sobre disputar a artilharia com Tiquinho Soares). Não sou atacante, sou volante, meia. Quero só ajudar o Botafogo mesmo. Se for fazendo gol ou dando assistência, marcando, correndo, o que mais importa é a vitória do time – acrescentou.
O meio-campista também teceu críticas ao árbitro Ramon Abatti Abel, que não expulsouJhegson Méndez, que deu um carrinho violento com a trava na canela O jogador do Botafogo saiu de campo com a região sangrando.
+ATUAÇÕES: Tiquinho e Eduardo marcam e Lucas Perri fecha o gol em triunfo do Botafogo pelo Brasileirão
– Esse lance, eu falei com o árbitro. Com o VAR, é inadmissível porque estou com um buraco na canela. Acho que vou ter que dar ponto. Foi uma entrada para expulsão. Estava 1 a 0 para a gente. Não sei o porquê dele não ter expulsado. Não vou esquentar a cabeça com isso. Agora é se recuperar para o próximo jogo – disse.
O Botafogo volta a campo na próxima quinta-feira para medir forças com oUniversidad César Vallejo, do Peru, às 21h (de Brasília), também no Nilton Santos, pela Copa Sul-Americana. No Brasileirão, os comandados de Luís Castro entrarão em campo na segunda-feira, dia 24, às 21h, para encarar o Bahia, na Arena Fonte Nova, pela 2ª rodada.
With lower-order support from Kotian and Thakur, he became the first Mumbai batter to score a double-hundred in the Irani Cup
ESPNcricinfo staff02-Oct-2024
File Photo: Sarfaraz Khan made his fourth first-class double-century in Lucknow•BCCI
Sarfaraz Khan ground down Rest of India (ROI) on day two, becoming the first-ever batter to make a double-century for Mumbai in the Irani Cup. He was part of a 131-run stand with Ajinkya Rahane (97) for the fifth wicket and a 183-run stand with Tanush Kotian (64) for the seventh wicket as ROI toiled away for 138 overs in Lucknow.The day started with Mumbai on 237 for 4. Sarfaraz and Rahane saw off the first 10 overs of the day before Rahane fell three short of a hundred to a bouncer from Yash Dayal, with the new ball under two overs away from being available.Related
Rahane and Sarfaraz fifties drive Mumbai on opening day
ROI took it a ball into the 81st over and were rewarded almost immediately as Mukesh Kumar castled Shams Mulani. Kotian joined Sarfaraz with Mumbai on 280 for 6 and started watchfully. Then boundaries began to trickle in as the duo put away loose balls.Prasidh Krishna, running in from mid-on, dropped a tough chance handed by Sarfaraz on 97*, off Manav Suthar’s bowling. Sarfaraz brought up his 15th first-class century and the fifty partnership in the following (92nd) over.Mumbai’s domination was cemented in the afternoon session where they scored 111 runs off 26 wicketless overs at a run rate of 4.27. Sarfaraz set the tone with a boundary each off Suthar and Prasidh in the first two overs of the session.Then, with the ball just under 25 overs old, Sarfaraz smashed Suthar for a six and a four in the 105th over before Kotian flicked Saransh Jain for another six two balls later. Sarfaraz brought up his 150 and Mumbai their 400 with relative ease. Kotian had four boundaries when he reached his fifty before Mumbai finished the session on 449 for 6.Prasidh struck twice in two balls in the third over after tea, knocking over Kotian with a slower ball and trapping Mohit Avasthi lbw with an inswinger next ball. But Shardul Thakur’s entry at No. 10 showed Mumbai’s batting depth and allowed Sarfaraz, on 186*, to bat without having to worry about farming the strike.Sarfaraz took down Suthar for a six and a four in successive overs before bringing up his double-ton off his 253rd ball in the 127th over. Wasim Jaffer, Ravi Shastri and Yashasvi Jaiswal – all from Mumbai – have previously made double-centuries in the Irani Cup, but while representing ROI.The physio was often out on the field in the evening, allowing only 18 overs of play in the final session while Mumbai cruised past 500. Sarfaraz overturned a caught-behind call off Mukesh on 211, denying him a five-for. Thakur fell against the run of play in what turned out to be the last over of the day, playing on off Saransh for 36.A first-innings lead will be enough for Mumbai to clinch the trophy if the match ends in a draw.
Australian was halfway through four-year contract, Marcus Trescothick will take over on interim basis
ESPNcricinfo staff30-Jul-20242:32
Miller: Mott was most dispensable of an uninspiring pairing
Matthew Mott has stepped down as England Men’s white-ball head coach with immediate effect.Mott was halfway through a four-year contract, during which time he presided over triumph at the 2022 T20 World Cup as well as the side’s failure to defend that title this year or the 50-over crown they won in 2019 at the 2023 edition, where they won just three of their nine games.He will be replaced by assistant coach Marcus Trescothick on an interim basis for the rest of the home summer, which includes three T20Is and five ODIs against Australia in September.Related
Who wants to be England's next white-ball coach? It's a very short list
Coaching? It's all about the vibes, man
Jos Buttler ruled out of the Hundred with calf injury
Mott's departure shifts focus to Buttler and need for a counterpoint
Key, Mott in spotlight as England white-ball team reaches crossroads
On Sunday, Mott met with Rob Key, ECB managing director of England men’s cricket, to gauge his view on the last nine months as part of a review into the drop in team’s limited-overs performances.”I am immensely proud to have coached the England Men’s team; it has been an honour,” Mott said. “We have put everything into trying to achieve success over the past two years, and I am incredibly proud of the character and passion that the team has displayed during that period, including a magnificent T20 World Cup victory in 2022.”I would like to thank the players, management, and everyone at the ECB for their commitment, support, and hard work during my time. I leave with many great friendships and incredible memories. Finally, I would like to thank the England fans, who have always backed us and given us fantastic support wherever we have travelled around the world.”Appointed in May 2022, Mott also led England to white-ball series victories against Australia, Bangladesh, Ireland, Netherlands, New Zealand and Pakistan. But it appears that England’s most recent campaign, where they were knocked out of the T20 World Cup in the semi-finals by eventual winners India, was pivotal to the decision.Matthew Mott was halfway through his contract•Getty Images
Key said the search for a full-time replacement would begin immediately. He believed the rapport between Trescothick and white-ball captain Jos Buttler “will help us maintain continuity and stability”.”On behalf of everyone connected to England cricket and me personally, I would like to thank Matthew for all he has done for the team since his appointment,” Key said. “He can be proud of his achievements as he leaves his post as one of only three coaches who have won a Men’s World Cup with England.”After three World Cup cycles in a short space of time, I now feel the team needs a new direction to prepare for the challenges ahead. This decision was not made lightly, but I believe it is the right time for the team’s future success. With our focus shifting towards the Champions Trophy early next year and the next cycle of white-ball competition, it is crucial that we ensure the team is focused and prepared.”Trescothick, added: “England cricket is in a strong position, and the potential is huge, given the quality we have available. It is about harnessing that potential and developing the work that has already been put in place by Matthew Mott and the rest of the set-up. I’m excited about the challenge and shaping how we want to play.”Eoin Morgan, England’s former World Cup-winning captain who now works as a commentator, recently dismissed reports that he could replace Mott as nothing more than “speculation”.Other names such as Andrew Flintoff, currently in his first coaching role with Northern Superchargers in the men’s Hundred, Mike Hussey, who was part of the coaching staff for the successful 2022 T20 World Cup campaign, and Kumar Sangakkara have also been touted for the role. However, it is understood no prospective successors to Mott have been sounded out at this juncture.
Tottenham Hotspur are set for a very intriguing first Premier League season under new manager Thomas Frank, but not everyone will be along for the ride.
Players who could leave Tottenham after Thomas Frank arrives
The Dane has officially taken over from Ange Postecoglou, with Frank agreeing terms on a move to Spurs earlier this week after the club triggered his £10 million release clause (Fabrizio Romano).
Tottenham to open talks for "role model" forward signing after Frank request
The Dane is about to become Spurs’ new manager.
ByEmilio Galantini Jun 11, 2025
Frank is seemingly braced for a completely different challenge away from the expectations of mid-table Brentford, as Spurs gear up for a 2025/2026 campaign back in the Champions League and fresh off winning their first major trophy in 17 years.
Son Heung-min
7.00
James Maddison
6.98
Pedro Porro
6.95
Dominic Solanke
6.84
Dejan Kulusevski
6.83
via WhoScored
The 51-year-old has big shoes to fill as well, with Postecoglou earning popularity among the Spurs squad and many speaking out publicly in defence of the now-unemployed tactician.
Frank is likely to have a major influence on the club’s transfer activity as Tottenham’s latest head coach, with some reports suggesting he has already urged Daniel Levy to keep Mathys Tel (TEAMtalk).
His stance on certain other squad members is yet to be made clear, but we’ll find out in due course, as a fair few of them face uncertain futures.
Manor Solomon and Bryan Gil are surely likely to be sold this summer, after spending 2024/2025 on loan at Leeds United and Girona respectively, while uncertainty also surrounds the long-term future of Richarlison amid interest from Everton (Sky Sports).
A lot of noise is centered around star defender Cristian Romero right now too.
Romero is a top target for Atlético Madrid, and some reports suggest that the 27-year-old is equally keen on joining Diego Simeone’s side, despite Tottenham’s qualification for the Champions League (Marca).
Alongside Romero, another big name in long-serving £190,000-per-week captain Son Heung-min could also make an emotional departure.
The Telegraph first broke news that this year could be Son’s last at Spurs, with clubs in Saudi Arabia said to be expressing an interest.
Son Heung-min exit from Tottenham on the cards as agents hold Saudi talks
According to journalist Graeme Bailey, speaking to The Boot Room, Saudi Pro League sides have held talks with the agents of Son, who may well leave Spurs 10 years after signing from Bayer Leverkusen.
Bailey goes on to say that Son may well have played his last game for Tottenham, even if his exit isn’t exactly nailed on just yet.
“Son could very well have played his last game for Tottenham, and well, if it was the Europa League final, it would be fitting,” said Bailey.
“I am told he still believes he is more than capable of recapturing his best form – but Spurs are ready to make moves this summer and Son leaving could materialise.”
The 32-year-old’s contract expires in 2026 after Levy took up the option to extend it by a further year, but it is now or never for them to make any money off Son’s sale.
That being said, a player of his experience and quality would be invaluable to have around for Frank’s first season at the club, so this comes as an extremely tough decision. Son’s also been called the most “underrated” player in England during his time in N17.
Liverpool are planning to strengthen after Arne Slot’s side won the Premier League, especially since Trent Alexander-Arnold is leaving to join Real Madrid and several fringe players have struggled to prove themselves reliable options in the coach’s eyes.
The transfer window hasn’t yet opened but the Reds have already moved to advance bids for a number of top targets, with sporting director Richard Hughes focusing on the full-backs to get the summer spending up and running.
It’s been reported Jeremie Frimpong has completed his medical as he closes in on a transfer as Trent’s direct replacement, set to challenge Conor Bradley for the top right-back berth. On the other flank, discussions with Bournemouth are ongoing for the signing of Milos Kerkez, who is valued at £45m.
Bayer Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz andJeremieFrimpongapplaud fans with teammates after the match
However, though Liverpool are enjoying a flurry of action right now, there’s bound to be more to come when the transfer window is in full swing.
The gates will be busy, both for arrivals and departures.
Liverpool's summer plans moving forward
Expect sales. Darwin Nunez celebrated winning the Premier League with the squad but has flattered to deceive as Slot’s number nine, and the plan is for him to leave this summer, with clubs from Saudi Arabia and Spain allegedly interested.
Though he’s well-liked by the fanbase, Federico Chiesa may also be on the move, his first top-flight start coming just over a week ago at Brighton & Hove Albion. The Italian has been linked with a return to Serie A.
Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez
However, with Everton reportedly lining up a brazen bid for Ben Doak, who has finished a promising loan spell with Middlesbrough in the Championship, this might leave Mohamed Salah’s right side somewhat exposed, thinning out the ranks, especially as Harvey Elliott’s future is up in the air too.
Of course, Frimpong adds a dimension, and Liverpool may yet move for another forward, though this is more likely to arrive at centre-forward, with Hugo Ekitike and Sporting Lisbon’s Viktor Gyokeres among the names touted to replace the departing Nunez.
Hugo Ekitike for Frankfurt.
The Anfield side may yet move for a centre-half too, having missed out on Dean Huijsen to Real Madrid. Lots to think about, but all this will wait until sporting director Richard Hughes finalises a deal for Florian Wirtz, for bagging his signature would mark an unstoppable marquee signing.
Liverpool closing on marquee signing
On Monday morning, Liverpool presented their first official proposal worth more than €100m (£85m) to Bayer Leverkusen as they look to get Wirtz over to Anfield.
Now, reports on the continent have confirmed the ensuing talks have been positive. Details pertaining to the structure of the package still need ironing, but all parties are unanimous in pushing the short-lived saga toward completion.
Wirtz was won over by Liverpool’s determination and conduct in fighting to beat Bayern Munich and Manchester City to his signing; make no mistake, this will be a stunning capture for Slot’s side.
Why Florian Wirtz is perfect for Liverpool
Wirtz is still in the early stage of his professional career but he’s already drawn plaudits for his staggering quality and tenacious pursuit of superstardom.
He leaves Bayer Leverkusen having played an instrumental role in their success over the past few years, hitting 122 goal contributions from 197 senior appearances after breaking from the academy, winning the Bundesliga Player of the Season for 2023/24 after helping Xabi Alonso toward an invincible title triumph, bagging the DFB-Pokal too.
The elite playmaker could even prove to be Slot’s own version of Philippe Coutinho, endowed with a flair and show-stopping quality that has been pursued by FSG to add a dimension to Liverpool’s title-winning squad.
24/25
31 (25)
10
13
23/24
32 (26)
11
12
22/23
17 (11)
1
6
21/22
24 (22)
7
10
20/21
29 (25)
5
6
Cast your mind back to those sparkling early days of Jurgen Klopp’s reign, when Coutinho sat in behind the iconic front three: Salah, Sadio Mane, Bobby Firmino.
It was a staggering stint for the club, lasting all of five months before Coutinho packed his bags and left for Barcelona in a deal worth £142m, leading to the transformative arrivals of Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker.
But Coutinho was in fine fettle indeed in the build-up, posting 12 goals and nine assists across just 19 matches in the Premier League and Champions League before taking his leave.
He supercharged Salah and co with so much battery that the Egyptian, 33 next month, is still performing at a world-renowned level to this day, and now could now retain his current standards across Slot’s second season, with the new Coutinho pulling strings.
Wirtz, hailed as a “generational talent” by sports media professional Cristian Nyari, has the blend of athleticism and potency to replicate that erstwhile iteration of Coutinho, perhaps the finest form the Brazilian has ever been in.
He’s maintained a similar level for the Werkself in Germany this term, and with Slot’s coaching and his inevitable growth as he continues his rise, only turning 22 three weeks ago, projecting his growth makes for an exciting thought.
Matches (starts)
14 (13)
31 (25)
Goals
7
10
Assists
6
12
Touches*
71.1
73.4
Shots (on target)*
3.9 (1.2)
2.5 (1.3)
Pass completion
79%
82%
Big chances created
7
17
Key passes*
2.9
1.8
Dribbles*
2.8
2.6
Tackles + interceptions*
1.9
1.3
Duels won*
5.6
5.2
Liverpool might be set to break their transfer record, but it’s going to prove a shrewd deal indeed. Wirtz is the real deal and he will provide this incredible football club with many memorable moments, just like Coutinho.
Not just Trent: World-class Liverpool star must not play for the club again
Liverpool are ready to make a series of sales in the transfer market this summer.
Tottenham Hotspur could be on the verge of losing a “world-class” player this summer, with the man in question said to have verbally agreed personal terms on a move elsewhere as he green-lights a north London exit.
Tottenham face Bodo/Glimt in season-defining Europa League semi-final
On Thursday, Ange Postecoglou faces the most important match of his Lilywhites career to date.
Tottenham: £4m-per-year manager who Levy wants is tempted to replace Ange
He’s now open to joining Spurs.
ByEmilio Galantini May 6, 2025
Spurs take on Norwegian minnows Bodo/Glimt on enemy turf for the second leg of their Europa League semi-final, with 90 minutes separating Tottenham from a first European final since their Champions League defeat to Liverpool in 2019.
If they get the job done and ease past Bodo/Glimt, taking full advantage of their 3-1 lead from the first leg, then Tottenham have a major chance to make history, and Postecoglou has a chance to fulfill his pledge of always winning silverware during his second season in charge.
Tottenham’s final Premier League fixtures
Date
Crystal Palace (home)
May 10th
Aston Villa (away)
May 18th
Brighton (home)
May 25th
Tottenham have endured a tepid Premier League campaign, tasting a dismal 19 top flight defeats across 24/25, but Europe gives them a golden opportunity to take something memorable away from what has been a very disappointing season.
The north Londoners will need every key man to stand up and be counted, even against a side which boasts far less in terms of quality on paper.
Postecoglou completely rotated the back four in their last game against West Ham, perhaps to give star defenders like Cristian Romero a rest ahead of their crunch encounter on Thursday.
According to recent reports, these next few games could even be the Argentine’s last in a Spurs jersey, with Atletico Madrid expressing a serious interest in signing Romero this summer.
The World Cup-winning defender, like much of the squad, was unavailable for large portions of the campaign through injury, and therefore unable to replicate the kind of heroics which saw him form a stellar partnership with Micky van de Ven last season.
Romero has since come back into the fold with van de Ven after working his way back to full fitness, but it is believed by some that the former Atalanta star is keen to embark on a new chapter next season.
Cristian Romero agrees personal terms with Atlético Madrid
Now, as per journalist Ruben Aria on his Twitch channel, a seismic development has come to light on the £165,000-per-week defender and his potential switch to Atletico.
According to Aria, Romero has verbally agreed personal terms with Atletico on a five-year contract, with the option of a sixth. As the centre-back gives his green-light, Spurs and Atletico are still yet to come to a club-to-club agreement, so there remains plenty of work to do.
However, this step comes as a “significant” bit of progress in regard to Romero and his potential La Liga switch, but there is a major gap in valuation between Tottenham and Diego Simeone’s side.
Indeed, it is believed Spurs want around £50 million to sell, while Atletico are only willing to offer around £34 million. While there have been no formal talks between both sides, that is expected to change “in the coming days”, with Postecoglou or any new manager facing the looming threat of losing a truly excellent defender on his day.
“For me Romero is world class,” said van de Ven about Romero.
“He’s a leader, he always gives 100%, on the ball and off the ball he’s a top class player and I can promise you this guy is not scared of anyone.”
The wicketkeeper-batter has been adamant about “failing or succeeding on my own terms” and against Bangladesh his method paid off
Hemant Brar13-Oct-20243:31
Samson: I’ve been thinking I can hit six sixes in an over
It is not often that Suryakumar Yadav ends up playing second fiddle on a day he scores 75 off 35 balls. But such was Sanju Samson’s knock in the third T20I against Bangladesh. Opening the innings in Hyderabad, a city that has given India two of its most stylish batters, Samson scored 111 off 47 in an exhibition of sublime hitting.It was the second-fastest T20I hundred for India, off 40 balls, and paved the way for their highest total in the format, 297 for 6. An on-song Samson makes batting look effortless, and it was no different on Saturday. Apart from that, it was also a masterclass in using the crease.Facing Taskin Ahmed in the second over, Samson stepped towards the leg side, gave himself room and drove the full and straight delivery through covers for four. For the next ball, Taskin shortened his length and straightened his line even more. Samson once again backed away and punched him inside out for four.With two more boundaries off the next two deliveries, Samson took 16 from Taskin’s first over. In the previous game, the fast bowler needed to complete all his four overs to give away that many.After messing with Taskin’s line, Samson used his footwork to toy with Mustafizur Rahman’s length. Against a slower ball, he took a couple of short steps down the pitch and hit it for a straight six. In Mustafizur’s next over, Samson went deep in his crease and, off the back foot, lofted a length ball over extra cover for another six. Even though Suryakumar showed his 360-degree range from the other end, this was arguably the shot of the day.Samson did not have to use much footwork against Rishad Hossain; the legspinner himself erred in length. He started the tenth over of the innings with a dot, but his next four deliveries were too full and Samson nonchalantly launched them down the ground for four sixes. For the final ball, Rishad went around the wicket. It made little difference as Samson pulled it over deep midwicket to make it five in a row.0:56
Seven records India smashed against Bangladesh
After the fifth six, Samson did a little fist pump. Later, he revealed the reason for it. “From the last two years, I have been thinking I can hit six sixes in an over,” he said. “Accordingly, I have been working with my mentor, Raiphi Gomez, and telling myself that four-five sixes in an over are possible and I should do something like that. So I have been practising and visualising it and I am very grateful it happened today.”In an innings that featured 11 fours and eight sixes, Samson’s most violent act was the celebration after his fifty: an air punch with full might to release the pent-up frustration of years.Samson’s has been a story of unfulfilled potential. In a T20I career that started in 2015 with a lot of promise, he had played only 32 matches before this one. In those, he scored 483 runs at an average of 19.32 and a strike rate of 132.69.There are two ways to look at it. First, he never got a proper run to settle in and perform at his best. Second, he did not make use of the chances he got. Even in the IPL, he had failed to do justice to his talent. He would start with a bang but fizzle out way too soon.Things, however, changed with IPL 2024, where he finished fifth on the batting charts, scoring 531 runs at an average of 48.27 and a strike rate of 153.46. As a result, he was picked in India’s squad for the 2024 T20 World Cup. But with Rishabh Pant being the first-choice wicketkeeper, he spent the whole tournament on the bench.After the World Cup, Samson toured Zimbabwe with a second-string Indian side and scored 58 off 45 balls in the fifth T20I. But when he fetched two ducks in his next two outings in Sri Lanka, he knew he was running out of chances.Sanju Samson: I wanted to perform. I wanted to show what I was capable of•BCCI”When you are playing for the country and you fail in a couple of games, you know pressure is there,” Samson said. “And I have to be honest, . I wanted to perform. I wanted to show what I was capable of.”The captain [Suryakumar] and the coach [Gautam Gambhir] kept telling me, ‘We know what type of talent you have, and we back you, no matter what.’ Not only in words but also in action. I was a bit doubtful after a couple of ducks in Sri Lanka if I would get a chance in the next series. But they backed me in this series.”Another thing the team management did was inform Samson well in advance about his new role.”The leadership group – Surya, Gautam and [assistant coach] Abhishek Nayar – told me three weeks before this series that I would be opening the innings. That gave me time for proper preparation. I went to the RR [Rajasthan Royals] academy and faced lots and lots of new-ball bowlers. So I was coming in this series 10% more ready than any other series.”Samson looked in good touch in the first T20I too but fell for 29 off 19 after miscuing one to deep midwicket. While walking back, he screamed in anger. Given India were chasing only 128, he could have knocked a few around and got to a fifty. But that would have been against the team’s ethos and his own character.”It can get very tricky – playing for India is not an easy thing,” he said. “When you have those failures, it’s easier to go back and say, okay, I should make some runs for myself in the next game. But I like to be myself. And I know what I am as a person, as a character.”For me, it’s all about people, it’s all about my friends, it’s all about my team. I like to go out and succeed or fail in my own way. That is what I have stuck to right from the time I started playing this game. It’s all about knowing your game, knowing your character. It’s all about being true to yourself.”His approach has finally brought success. With his hundred, he has at least turned the page, if not started a new chapter.
New Zealand series presents the latest challenge of Stokes’ tenure as captain
Vithushan Ehantharajah14-Feb-2023On Thursday at the Bay Oval, Ben Stokes will captain England in New Zealand. Which is quite a big deal – because it isn’t.The boy from Christchurch turned twenty-something renegade is now the 31-year-old figurehead of the prim and proper world of English cricket. Even if he’s no fan of suits, he’s wearing the blazer damn well.There will be family and childhood friends to watch him, both here in Mount Maunganui and next week in Wellington. It’s not so much of a homecoming as a scheduled return given how often he comes back to the country, and how often these two teams seem to come up against each other. It can’t be long before Stuart Broad, on his fifth tour of New Zealand, qualifies for dual citizenship.One of Brendon McCullum’s go-to phrases since taking the big job at the start of last summer is “be where your feet are”. Yet with Stokes it seems the case that he is wherever his feet have been. All the places he’s experienced, all the things he has done, inform the decisions he makes in the here and now. And unlike most others, he leans more on the good times than the mistakes.That, ultimately, forms the bedrock of his captaincy. A record of nine wins out of 10 Tests to date has been built upon learnings from success, and the associated graft put in to achieve it. Beyond the 89 caps in the longest format are leading-man roles in two limited-overs World Cups and a documentary. He is one of the most sought-after personalities in the world when it comes to lucrative franchise opportunities and simply time. Now he wants all that for others.Stokes’ full-time tenure started with a whitewash of New Zealand•Getty Images”I’m at a stage now where I would much prefer to leave a mark on other people’s careers than look to make mine more established,” he said, sat among the English press pack. “I’ve played a lot of cricket and done some great things with some great teams over the years. I think that, being captain now, I’ve got a real desire to make the best out of the team that I’ve got here and players who will come in in the future if that does happen.”So that’s one of my goals as England captain: to hopefully let some of these guys in the dressing room here just have an amazing career and if I can influence that in any way shape or form then I’ll be happy.”You can already see that in play, with old and new. Broad and James Anderson, having considered retirement in 2022, now seem to be having the most fun in decades. Ben Duckett, who returned to the fold for Pakistan after six years out, believes “there’s no better time to be playing Test cricket for England”. All that is down to Stokes stripping away the pressures of the format without diminishing any of the privilege. He has pulled off a rare trick, not for the first time in his career.His influences are few and not contained to cricket, or indeed real life. He cited Paul Collingwood, his skipper when he broke into the first team at Durham, as someone who was “very open to allowing the players that he had to go out and express themselves… He understood that he did have a group of players at the time who needed that and they wanted to go out and take the game on.”
When in New Zealand… pic.twitter.com/R62ggQ3kAx
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) February 13, 2023
Eoin Morgan, who announced his retirement from all cricket on Monday, and was captain for 103 of Stokes’ 137 caps across ODI and T20I cricket is another. “Obviously I don’t need to go too much into how he did it,” he mused, with a knowing grin. Pretty much all of Morgan’s principles established during England’s white-ball revolution have been instilled during this red-ball transformation.The third and most surprising is Don Collier, a character played by Brad Pitt in , a film set in 1945 about a tank commander who has to inspire his crew to fight their way across Germany during the final weeks of the European theatre of World War II. “[It’s about] just trying to set an example by the things that you do and say,” Stokes said, “and if you do say something then going out and actually doing it because that’s when you get a really good response.”Stokes went on to say that sometimes, failing can be better for the collective. That does not quite play out as well in war. But in a sport where mistakes weigh so heavily, the manner in which Stokes operates on the field – particularly with bat in hand – reflects demanding as much of himself as he does of them. Especially when it comes to parking individual fear for the good and ambition of the collective. Though even that credit given to him is handed over to McCullum.”I think he’s taken a lot of his experience of the amount of cricket he’s played and just tried to release all that and then tried to take it off the shoulders of other players,” Stokes said. “And that not only comes from what we speak about on the field and what we try and do but away from the game as well.”Just letting lads go out there and really express themselves in a way that doesn’t add any more pressures on their shoulders. The expectations come from the guys in the dressing room and trying to not let any of the external noises outside our dressing room get into their head because I feel like in the past that might have crept in every now and again.”ESPNcricinfo LtdWins, of course, are the true measure of a successful team. As much as those involved and around this England team say otherwise, the fact they are enjoying themselves is heavily linked to three series win – and a series squared against India carried over from the 2021 summer – in the space of nine months. Even with the focus on attitude, Stokes admits sometimes the numbers go some way to reinforcing the upsurge in form and process.”At the end of the first game in Pakistan, when Colly read out all the records we’d managed to set or rewrite names into the history books, it was very… well, something to look back on and realise how special that game was in particular.”I wouldn’t say we necessarily go out there and try and break these records. I think it’s just something that comes with the way we’ve gone about it, I guess? But no, we don’t sit down before any series and go, ‘these records need to be broken, let’s go out there and try and do it’ because I’ve never been one for setting myself benchmarks of runs and wickets and stuff like that because if you don’t get those then you might feel like you’ve not performed well.”I will look back on my career when I’m finished and look at how many times I’ve affected a game for England to win rather than setting out runs and wickets. It’s something I like to do. But I just think everyone tries to play in a free way which allows them to show the world how good they are.”Related
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Despite the subdued nature of this two-match tour, it could be one reflected on positively for a few reasons. England have not won a series or even a Test here since 2008, and success could enhance the positive vibes heading into a summer featuring a one-off match against Ireland before a bumper yet concentrated Ashes series.There is also the challenge of the pink ball under lights to consider, along with some unpredictable weather due to Cyclone Gabrielle. In many ways, the anomaly of this upcoming fixture compared to what lies ahead over the next year is a blessing. It provides another robust test of the now ingrained in-game values of this team, particularly when you consider England have lost five of their six day-night matches.And yet even with those previous missteps, it is hard to see past an England win over the next fortnight, partly because of weakened opposition, partly because of the belief and application of this group of players who have taken a vow to be spurred on rather than burdened by history. The latter is without question the driving force, one they are assuming from their selfless, everyman leader.
Mohammad Salahuddin and Nazmul Abedeen Fahim are the men the likes of Shakib Al Hasan turn to repeatedly when they need advice
Mohammad Isam30-Oct-2020It wasn’t a huge surprise that Shakib Al Hasan chose Bangladesh Krira Shikka Protishtan (BKSP) as the setting for his return to training last month. At the time Bangladesh were still scheduled to tour Sri Lanka and it looked certain that Shakib, who is coming back from a one-year suspension for failing to report a corrupt approach, would be available for the second Test, so he needed to bring his fitness and skills up to speed.BKSP, Shakib’s alma mater, is where he learned to play the game. There is no better place in Bangladesh than this renowned government-run sports institute for an all-round fitness and training experience for elite athletes. It has facilities for 17 sporting disciplines, including cricket, football, athletics and swimming, and also competent sports science and physiotherapy departments. It wasn’t just the facilities that Shakib needed, though.At a time when he needed to reacquaint himself with cricket, he needed Mohammad Salahuddin and Nazmul Abedeen Fahim, his lifelong mentors and two of the most admired coaches in Bangladesh, by his side.Fahim, who is now BKSP’s cricket advisor, was one of the pioneering coaches at the institution. Salahuddin, who went to school and college at BKSP, was the chief cricket coach there from 2000 to 2005. After a stint as Bangladesh’s assistant coach under Jamie Siddons, he became the first local coach to win two BPL titles. Currently he is the head coach of the Dhaka Premier League side Gazi Group Cricketers.ALSO READ: ‘Our boy is coming home’ – Bangladesh eager to welcome back ‘champion’ Shakib Al HasanThe two men have had a lasting influence on a generation of Bangladeshi cricketers who broke the mould to become top-level performers, among them Mushfiqur Rahim, Mominul Haque, Soumya Sarkar and Liton Das.Salahuddin became something of an overnight sensation after he took a diploma in sports coaching from the Sports Authority of India and then, while being chief coach at BKSP, led the unheralded Victoria Sporting Club to consecutive Dhaka Premier League titles in the 2001-02 and 2002-03 seasons. He also took Araf Apparels to the Corporate League title in 2004.”Daulat [former Bangladesh cricketer Daulat Uz Zaman] had passed away midway through the season. They appointed me quickly and then we went on to win the title,” Salahuddin says about his appointment as Victoria coach. “It gave me a bit more say in matters of team building and XI selection in the next season. These three titles were my big breakthrough. My confidence changed and I had acceptability. It opened many doors for me.”Among those doors was the one into the national team set-up. Salahuddin impressed Dav Whatmore, Bangladesh’s head coach at the time, with his fielding drills when the team was training at BKSP, and in 2005 he became the team’s fielding coach.When Siddons took over from Whatmore in 2007, it was a delicate time for Bangladesh, who were under constant pressure to win at home and abroad, and to also prepare their mostly raw players for the highest stage. Siddons saw how the young players communicated with Salahuddin and their respect for him.Champaka Ramanayake, Jamie Siddons and Mohammad Salahuddin (from left) chat during a practice session•Getty Images”Salahuddin was one of the guys I looked up to,” Siddons says. “He had such a great relationship with all the players – they all have great respect for him because of their association with BKSP. He was really close friends with Shakib, Tamim [Iqbal] and Mushfiq. He is also one of the better coaches that I saw in Bangladesh, if not the best one.”Most foreign coaches who have worked in Bangladesh have noted the players’ high regard for Salahuddin and often brought him in to work with them at training camps. When Gary Kirsten made a high-profile audit of Bangladesh cricket couple of years ago, Salahuddin was one of the people he called for a one-on-one meeting.Salahuddin quickly stepped into the role of Siddons’ assistant and helped the likes of Shakib, Iqbal and Rahim grasp the coach’s batting philosophy, which among other things required batsmen to have a high backlift and to produce runs consistently.”He was the go-between for myself and the players,” Siddons says. “He got the best out of them and was a real driving force behind the team’s improvement.”Notably, Salahuddin helped Abdur Razzak overcome a suspension for an illegal bowling action within four months, and also helped him become a better spinner.”When he was first reported [four years previously], Razzak didn’t really fix his action, which is why he was reported a second time,” Salahuddin says. “Everyone had given up on him, and many believed he would never play again. He was told that if he failed the action test a second time, he would have to pay for the next test. But Jamie supported him and gave me time to work with him.”Razzak’s desire and the support from everyone helped him come back. Normally a bowler struggles to find the same level of performance with a new action. Razzak bowled better after he was allowed back into international cricket a second time. I tried to build an action where questions cannot be cast against it again. He had better understanding of spin, and developed in many ways, including his flight.”
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Shakib’s association with Salahuddin has run long and their relationship goes deep. He was Salahuddin’s student at BKSP, and shortly after he emerged into the age-group structure, he played under Salahuddin for Victoria. When he broke through into the Bangladesh team in 2006, Salahuddin was on the coaching staff.Shakib has always called upon either Salahuddin or Fahim for advice whenever he has felt low on confidence. He flew back to Dhaka from the 2018 IPL for a couple of batting sessions with Salahuddin when he found himself in a form slump. Last year he summoned Salahuddin to India when he wasn’t getting matches for the Sunsrisers Hyderabad. Later Shakib said it was this particular period of hard work that prepared him for the 2019 World Cup – in which he became the first player in the history of the tournament to score 600-plus runs and take 11 wickets in a single edition.Abdur Razzak was suspended in 2008 for a suspect bowling action, which Salahuddin helped him correct in four months•Associated Press”As a student, Shakib was unrivalled in his understanding of the game,” Salahuddin says. “I never had to mention anything twice to him. He has developed an understanding of his limitations, which many don’t comprehend about themselves. You will never see Shakib backing down from a challenge.”I can spot anything different with Shakib’s bowling action, which allows me to just nudge him in a certain direction. We don’t talk a lot about technique. It’s more about confidence and comfort. It has a lot to do with his mentality. At a personal level, we share a lot. We can say that we are friends, but it is also a little like a father-son relationship. We have leaned on each other when taking big decisions in our lives.”He speaks about a conversation they had shortly after it had been announced Shakib was the No. 1 ODI allrounder in the ICC’s rankings, in 2009. “That day he stood next to me in the stadium and asked if I had anything to say to him. We had this way of conversing which was actually like banter. I said to him, ‘What should I tell you? The day you become the No. 1 Test allrounder, I will have something to say.’ It was banter, but I also wanted to give him a bigger goal. I think a player must dream big.”Salahuddin was unceremoniously removed from his assistant coach’s role in November 2009 by the BCB, no reason given, and reassigned to the National Cricket Academy. He quit the academy role a couple of years later to go work at a university in Malaysia, but whenever he came home for a holiday during that period, the likes of Shakib, Iqbal, Haque and Nasir Hossain would seek him out for sessions.When he returned permanently, Salahuddin found himself in demand among domestic teams, eventually winning the BPL in 2015 with Comilla Victorians – a feat he repeated in 2019. In between those two wins, the BCB very nearly hired him as a batting consultant ahead of the home series against Australia in 2017, before backing out.
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Salahuddin looks up to Fahim as his lifelong mentor, philosopher and guide.”We have known each other for three decades,” Salahuddin says. “I owe him a lot for what I have become today. He brought me into coaching and gave me my first part-time job in BKSP. His one or two sentences have had major influences in my life. Even now, if I feel demotivated I call sir and it fixes everything.”Fahim is the Bobby Robson to Salahuddin’s Pep Guardiola, and takes pride in mentoring Salahuddin.”We may have similarities in our coaching philosophies, in the way we communicate with players,” Fahim says. “[As a BKSP student] he saw [Sarwar] Imran [BKSP head coach in the 1990s] and me from up close, and I sometimes see some traits of our personalities in him. I know that he respects me a lot.Shahriar Nafees (right) credits his second coming as a batsman to Fahim’s guidance•Mohammad Isam”I think Salahuddin has become a coaching brand in Bangladesh. He is one of our best coaches, which is why the best players and organisers come to him. He has proved his quality.”Fahim himself has had a tremendous influence in Bangladesh cricket. He was one of the first coaches to join BKSP in the late 1980s, a time when coaching wasn’t remotely glamorous. Born and raised in Dhaka, he is the son of a respected banker. Fahim played in the Dhaka league in the 1970s and 1980s before taking up a managerial post in a tea garden in Sylhet.”When I left my job as a tea-estate manager in 1988, I was contemplating going abroad,” he says. “One day Imran invited me to see the newly built BKSP campus and asked if I would be interested in working there.”I started to enjoy the work, and after I stood first [in class] during my [Sports Authority of India] diploma in Patiala in 1989-90, I believed I could do a full-time job in BKSP. I had an offer from Patiala, but I believed that since I was going to take up a passion as a job, I better do it in my motherland.”It was an unusual choice at the time for a person from my family and educational background. Coaching as a job didn’t have social acceptance. It wasn’t an easy decision, but I think I took the right decision.”On my first evening there, I was pleasantly surprised seeing how nicely the likes of [Naimur Rahman] Durjoy and others, who were 14- or 15-year-olds, were batting in the nets. The whole atmosphere of the place with the well-organised sessions and kids dressed properly, which was new in Bangladesh, really struck me.”In the wake of Bangladesh’s seminal win in the 1997 ICC Trophy, BKSP found itself enjoying the government’s backing, and in the forefront of the development of a generation of talented young cricketers.Fahim left the BKSP in 2005 after a 17-year association to become Bangladesh’s Under-19 coach for the 2006 and 2008 World Cups. When he was moved into an administrative role in the BCB’s game-development department, he took charge of building a pathway that ensured cricketers from small towns and villages found their way through the age-group system. That pathway was instrumental in helping Bangladesh build their 2020 Under-19 World Cup-winning team.Fahim, like Salahuddin, has continued to keep working with Bangladesh’s top cricketers at an individual level, informally. He too goes back a long way with Shakib, having overseen his development at BKSP and in age-group teams. Although Fahim hasn’t directly coached Shakib since the 2006 Under-19 World Cup, Shakib has turned to him time and again, including during the 2015 Bangladesh-India Test in Fatullah, when he video-called Fahim to fix something in his bowling action.”I give him my suggestions, which could be about cricket or his personal life,” says Fahim. “He doesn’t need technical knowledge all the time. At times he needs a bit of mental support. Maybe there are things that he can’t view from close range. It is not always that he asks, but there are times when I go ahead and tell him.”Shakib Al Hasan at a training session. “We can say that we are friends, but it is also a little like a father-son relationship,” Salahuddin says of their relationship•Getty ImagesShahriar Nafees, who has had a second coming as a batsman in the last five years of domestic cricket, praises Fahim’s guidance highly. “He has been my batting coach since 2015. He is the most knowledgeable among coaches in Bangladesh. He is the best ever batting coach I have come across, and I have worked with many coaches. Fahim sir picks things up very quickly.”His delivery of knowledge is succinct. One or two words. Initially I used to wonder what these one or two words meant, but when I followed what he said, I saw it fixed everything,” he says.Nafees tells the story of how he scored 342 runs across two innings in a first-class match, which remains a record in Bangladesh cricket. Fahim asked Nafees to think differently on the last day of that four-day game against Chittagong, in which he had already made 168 in the first innings.”They were eight wickets down going into the last day, and the match was headed for a draw. He asked me what my plan would be for the second innings. I told him that since the game was going to be drawn, I would just bat normally, get 60 or 70 not out, because there may be 75 overs left in the day after they were bowled out.”Sir told me that my plan should be to take the team to a position from which we wouldn’t lose the game. Once you have ensured that, then bat according to the situation. He said that I shouldn’t think about my individual score.”Nafees went on to make an unbeaten 174 at a strike rate of 83.25, much to his surprise. “I called sir after the game, and he told me that I should never go into an innings with a predetermined mindset of making seventies or eighties. You should never limit yourself, he said. I thought it was an amazing piece of coaching.”He always tells me to get the enjoyment of batting. I think this is why I became hungrier and hungrier, despite not being in the national team,” Nafees says.
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Fahim and Salahuddin have spent tireless hours not only giving Bangladesh’s best batsmen throwdowns but shaping their minds to make them world-beaters.Siddons believes Salahuddin is the man for the Bangladesh head coach’s job. “He has everything that it takes. He has communication skills, his ability to coach the skills of the game is probably as good as anyone in Bangladesh. He also has a really good record as a coach in the BPL,” he says.Time has far from run out for Salahuddin and Fahim. If Shakib’s call for help last month is evidence, Salahuddin is in the prime of his coaching years. If the BCB is to make the best use of these two minds, they are just a phone call away.
Dono da SAF do Botafogo, John Textor prometeu o famoso “bicho” ao elenco alvinegro após a classificação da equipe à fase de grupos da Libertadores. Depois do empate com o Bragantino no Estádio Nabi Abi Chedid, o empresário comunicou que pagará R$ 1 milhão ao grupo como bonificação.
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Por chamada de vídeo e com o elenco ainda no vestiário, Textor celebrou a conquista da vaga com o time e falou sobre o “bicho”, o que fez a comemoração ser ainda mais efuziva. O valor será dividido entre os jogadores; a maneira a qual a quantia será repartida não foi divulgada.
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Baseado ao que foi pago em 2023 na competição, Botafogo vai receber da Conmebol pelo menos R$ 20,7 milhões em premiações por chegar na fase de grupos da Libertadores. Esse total soma as premiações pelas classificações nos playoffs e participação na próxima etapa do torneio.
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➡️ Maior artilheiro do Botafogo na Libertadores, Júnior Santos pode alcançar marca de Pelé: ‘Pés no chão’
A tendência é que o presidente da Conmebol, Alejandro Domínguez, anuncie os valores das premiações da Libertadores de 2024 no sorteio dos grupos. O evento acontecerá na segunda-feira (18), na sede da entidade, no Paraguai.