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Runs did not flow in the Ashes, but Jos Buttler has dazzled this season in his two T20 outings for Lancashire which have helped the county to another Finals Day

Tanya Aldred27-Aug-2015Standing behind a small table, just inside the foyer of the Central Manchester branch of NatWest, is a man in full-length Lancashire-red nylon pyjamas. He’s tall for a bank clerk, and his hair is immaculate; he has a certain, quiet, presence, yet, remarkably, a handful of people have approached to ask about mortgages.But Jos Buttler is too nice to scoff, even if less than a week ago he was standing at The Oval as Alastair Cook lifted the Ashes, a vital cog in the surprise sporting hit of the summer, and enjoying the most fun he has ever had on a cricket field.He’s back up north now, preparing for Lancashire’s trip to Edgbaston on Saturday for T20 finals day, where they will play Hampshire in the second semi-final. It is another big stage and a chance, perhaps, for his batting to click back, for although his performances behind the stumps were quietly excellent during the Ashes, his batting, so admired since he first walloped a tennis ball as a little boy in Somerset, faltered – he finished with 122 runs at an average of 15.25.”I didn’t score the runs I’d like to, but that can happen,” he says, seemingly sanguine.” I guess that’s the beauty of being an allrounder.”I still feel very confident with my batting, and I feel like I’ve learnt a lot, mentally. I’ve learnt about the intensity of an Ashes series, the media interest and not getting caught up in that and what it takes to score runs. I’ve really enjoyed watching Joe Root, who obviously had a fantastic year, 18 months, forever really!”The biggest thing is, hard as it is, is to worry less. I have to try and look at what can I do as opposed to what people perceive I can’t do.”Lancashire know very well what he can do, even though he has only played two T20 games for them all season. He made 71 off 35 balls as Lancashire beat Yorkshire off the last ball at a heaving Headingley in June and hit another half century off Kent in the quarter-final.Buttler is no stranger to Finals Day. This will be his fifth – he went three times with Somerset (and lost every time) before returning again with Lancashire last summer where Andrew Flintoff narrowly missed carrying them to the title. It was Lancashire’s fifth loss in five attempts. With that history, Buttler and Lancashire can hardly be regarded as a lucky combinationBut he can’t wait.”It’s a great day out. It has become the biggest day of the calendar for the domestic diary, in a way it has taken over from the Lord’s finals. It is such a big thing to get to. It’s pretty much an international environment, with a huge crowd and partisan support. At the start of the year it’s the one every county cricketer pencils in, in the hope that they’ll be there.”

Finals day attracts record sales

NatWest Blast Finals Day is set to be bigger than ever at Edgbaston with record ticket sales confirmed for the biggest day in domestic cricket.
For the third consecutive year, Edgbaston will set a record attendance for the tournament, with 24,300 spectators expected on Saturday with the temporary stand used at the third Investec Ashes Test Match in July swelling the numbers.

And then, in the always polite but slightly steely way of a man who knows his own mind, he hints at a frustration with England’s domestic format, strongly shared by other players, as Wednesday’s PCA survey revealed.”I think that there is such a big opportunity in England to create a T20 competition that really reaches out to kids and the wider audience who might not necessarily be massive cricket fans but can really get into Twenty20. It is such a great format and if we can have a product that works, especially on the back of this summer which has been so exciting, it could be really a good way of getting kids into the game.”You know what it’s like, when you’re that age and you go and watch something with loud music and fireworks and acrobats and cheerleaders and it’s a bit of a show and it’s not just about the cricket, they’ll go home and tell their parents all about it, which is how you get people really involved.”That innings at Headingley – playing for Lancashire against Yorkshire in a Roses match – gives you an idea of what you can have in English Twenty20, a bit of rivalry, a packed house and a really close game.”Joining Lancashire for the 2014 season was a gamble for Buttler who left his beloved Somerset behind to try and further his career hundreds of miles away in a northern city. The coach who recruited him, Peter Moores, left to join England a few weeks into Buttler’s first season, and it was a tough first year. He felt homesick at times, but things have settled down with his girlfriend moving to Manchester and his old England coach Ashley Giles getting the Lancashire job.”It was great that Ashley got the Lancashire job so I wasn’t having to build a new relationship with a new coach from afar. He knows my game from working with me before, which is almost a safety blanket, and makes it a lot easier.”There are a great group of guys at Lancashire who make you feel very welcome even though I’ve not been around much this summer. You feel like you want to do really well for the club and your team-mates because you feel like you’ve missed out and you want to be part of that side.”It really feels like home now. And now when I finish a match I come back to Manchester, which makes a huge difference, as does the passage of time. I took a leap into the unknown to try and get the rewards of what I really wanted from a cricket career and I guess winning an Ashes series means leaving Somerset has really been justified, which makes you feel a lot more at ease with the decision.”And so he returns to Edgbaston in the scarlet pyjamas on Saturday, more familiar, more confident, and determined to win that prize for Lancashire at last.

Plays of the day from the qualifying game between Southern Express and Lahore Lions

Rachna Shetty16-Sep-2014The shot
Tillakaratne Sampath was a last-minute addition to the Southern Express squad, replacing his brother Tillakaratne Dilshan. Some of the familial similarities were on display during his innings of 18 in his first game of the tournament, especially a sweep in the fourth over that was reminiscent of Dilshan.The hat-trick
In the fourth over of the Express innings, Aizaz Cheema found himself in a familiar position – he had dismissed Kusal Perera and Danushka Gunathilaka off successive balls. It was the third time in the tournament that Cheema was on a hat-trick but there was no luck for him in this game, too, as Jehan Mubarak let the ball pass safely to the keeper.The surge
Three quick strikes in the middle of the innings had curbed the Lions scoring rate, but with the last five overs looming they needed a quick push. It came from their captain Mohammad Hafeez, who smacked 22 runs off the first four balls of the 16th over bowled by Seekkuge Prasanna. First, he hit a four through deep midwicket before dancing out of the crease to smack three sixes down the ground. By the end of the over, Hafeez had moved from 15 off 24 balls to 38 off 29.The dismissal
Ahmed Shehzad had hit some powerful shots in his brief innings of 29 but he would want to forget the shot that got him out. Ferveez Maharoof’s delivery was almost a wide outside off stump but Shehzad walked across and manoeuvred it to the fielder at short fine leg, ending what seemed to be a promising knock.

Famous Greek philosopher weighs in on the year ahead. Hypothetically

Andy Zaltzman25-Feb-2013Two thousand and thirteen promises to be one of the least diverse years in England’s recent cricketing history. In the next 13 months, they will play 15 Tests, 25 ODIs (one or two more if they qualify for the semi-finals of the Champions Trophy), and ten T20Is. After the impending five-match ODI series in India, all but two of their remaining currently scheduled total of 105 potential days of international cricket will be against New Zealand (up to 37 days: five Tests, seven ODIs, five T20Is) or Australia (up to 66 days: ten Tests, 11 ODIs, five T20Is).A group-stage Champions Trophy game against Sri Lanka, and a one-off ODI versus Ireland, offer the only non-antipodean variety in this oversized blancmange of cricketing homogeneity. As Aristotle once sagely said: “You can have too much of a good thing.” Admittedly, the former professional philosopher said that after waking up naked on top of the Parthenon after a few too many flagons of cheap ouzo and an unsuccessful wrestle with a man in a pantomime lion outfit claiming to be Hercules (The Complete and Incontrovertible Oxford History of Classical Philosophy). However, the famously wise old celeb had a point.All the indications suggest that, had Aristotle been born in a cricket-playing nation at some point in the mid-to-late 20th century, he would have been a big cricket fan, and quite probably a journalist and/or commentator (From Confucius to Wittgenstein: Dead Philosophers I Would Like To See Me Bowl).As such, Aristotle would undoubtedly have sat down on New Year’s day and thought: “Emotionally and logistically, I am going to have to prioritise. Even I, as a hardcore fan of the great game and, more importantly, as the senior cricket correspondent of the Harvard Journal of Ethical Philosophy and Bat Sports, I simply cannot care about all of those days of cricket. And whilst I love the Ashes and everything it stands for, its traditions and its ancient rivalry that has carved a compelling narrative through the last 136 years of history, even I might struggle to be overwhelmingly excited by watching the 38th Trott v Siddle duel of the year. Ah well, beats having a proper job.”Tell you what ‒ I’ll set myself a challenge,” the ace-class thinkster would continue. “I’ll try to write the words ‘Phil Hughes edged to third slip’ on fewer than 25 occasions this year. It’s going to be tough but I’ll give it a go. And I’ll try to enjoy the ODI series in India whilst I have the chance. Even if it is tagged on as a bit of an afterthought to last year’s Test series, and even if England are resting key players because they also have to prioritise what cricket they most care about ‒ because they have somehow scheduled themselves 103 days of cricket against just two countries from the other side of the planet in the next 13 months.”Aristotle would conclude: “I am going to make two predictions for this year. Prediction One: if on 31 December 2013 you ask 100 randomly selected cricket fans what the scoreline was in the five-match ODI series between England and Australia in September, a maximum of three will give you the correct answer. Two of them will have guessed it, and the other one will only remember because he landed a 12,000,000-1 accumulator bet because of it (the other three bets in which were: the British media to get overexcited at the birth of the magic royal baby; at least one six to be hit in this year’s IPL; and Chris Martin to score a Test hundred at Lord’s).”And Prediction Two: on current form, and with this schedule, effigies of Alastair Cook are going to be the biggest-selling Christmas gift of 2013 in 99% of all Australian shops.”When pressed for a prediction for the India-England series, Aristotle would stroke his outdated beard, say, “Well, that depends on whether India bat as badly as they did against Pakistan ‒which in turn depends in part on whether James Tredwell has borrowed Saeed Ajmal’s body ‒ and on whether England play as well as they did when they last played Test cricket in India, and not as well as they did when they last played ODI cricket in India. So, tough call. I’ll say 3-2 to India. Now leave me alone, I have to do some philosophy about how human beings should live, and stuff like that.”● England will have watched Pakistan’s superb series win with interest, and will have noted their key tactics – have a left-handed opening batsman who can score hundreds; and bowl relentlessly well. Part A they have the personnel in place for; Part B might be trickier to accomplish. Pakistan’s bowlers conceded just 3.77 per over during the series – the most economical performance by any bowling attack in an ODI series against India since New Zealand shipped 3.40 per over in a seven-match series in 2002-03, and the second lowest ever by a visiting attack in a one-day series in India (beaten only by the 1983-84 Pakistanis, who went for 3.57 per over in two games).It was the first time an away team in a bilateral ODI series between top-eight Test nations has conceded less than four per over since Pakistan’s trip to Sri Lanka in 2005-06 (3.60 per over – the only such performance more economical than the current Pakistan team’s recent effort since 1994-95).

Marshmallows can’t withstand. Trap them in a clenched fist and they’re soon squashed. Heat them up and they become gooey and pliable, a little like the South African middle-order

Firdose Moonda at Chennai06-Mar-2011A marshmallow has many redeeming qualities. It’s sweet and light and fluffy and tastes as good dipped in chocolate as it does chargrilled over a flame. That it can so easily get burnt is one of its shortcomings.Marshmallows can’t withstand. Trap them in a clenched fist and they’re soon squashed. Heat them up and they become gooey and pliable. In other words, place them in a situation of pressure and they’re likely to become unrecognisable, a little like the South African middle order.”It’s the first outing they’ve had for a long time,” Graeme Smith said at the post-match press conference. A forgetful outing it was, as seven wickets tumbled for 41 runs, and the flames of spin, swing and attacking bowling them burnt them beyond recognition. Once the top four were gone, they panicked, like Faf du Plessis, who called for a run that simply wasn’t there; they were outclassed, like JP Duminy, who has no answers for James Anderson’s accuracy, and they couldn’t settle like Robin Peterson, who looked like getting out from just about the first ball he faced.Morne van Wyk, a first-class campaigner of 16 seasons, showed a certain composure and maturity to combine with Dale Steyn and then also played a shot in anger – only to play it onto his own stumps. It left Steyn and Morne Morkel, both proficient with the bat, with a simple enough task to complete, but one that was made difficult because of the carnage they’d seen before them. If batsmen at positions five, six, seven and eight had been squashed, what chance did they have?This middle order, particularly from No. 6 downwards, has not spent any time at the crease in this World Cup, so it’s only natural that they would need a period of adjustment. Maybe that period would mean scoring slowly, trying to make sense of the conditions and work out to play on them. Maybe it meant one or two of them perishing in the cause. On a bowler-friendly Chennai surface, they had no such luxury.Conditions favoured the bowlers and even though patience would have been rewarded, the pace of the game at the stage when they entered it demanded a quick adjustment and an immediate plan to shut out the pressure. Such a plan can only be executed with confidence, and confidence will only come with time in the middle, time that they have not had. It’s too early to panic though, according to Smith. “We need to show a little bit more faith in them rather than to just give them one go.”No, it’s not fair to call them melting marshmallows after one collapse. There Smith is correct. Where he isn’t, however, is that it hasn’t been just one. In the last seven ODIs, there have been three collapses, two while chasing. One of them was today. The other two came against India, South Africa’s next opponents in this tournament. Munaf Patel was the man who made it happen both times. He took 4 for 29 in Johannesburg, when South Africa watched seven wickets fall for 29 runs and lost the match by one run. His 2 for 42 was part of a collapse in which South Africa lost 5 for 20 and crashed from 200 for 5 to 220 all out.It’s positions six, seven and eight that are most problematic. This time, they were the domain of Duminy and van Wyk, but Peterson, Johan Botha, Wayne Parnell and Colin Ingram have all been tried, in different combinations, to fill the slot, none with enough success to last. It presents South Africa with a puzzle they haven’t had to solve too many times in the past – with the likes of Mark Boucher and Lance Klusener lurking at No. 7 to steady or surge as needed.These days there is something less solid than the two mentioned above, and it doesn’t look like South Africa are anywhere closer to hardening it up. “I thought Faf and Ab hung in really well. If they could have hung in a few more overs, we could have got home. That was a crucial part of the game,” Smith said when asked about the middle order, not making any reference to the batsmen who come after du Plessis, who was pushed up to No. 5.Inexperience is what undid du Plessis, while Duminy has yet to find a sustained period of form that made him a superstar against Australia three seasons ago. An extended run for van Wyk may turn him into the dependable man South Africa need in that position and if Botha comes back into the starting XI, he may provide stability and security in the lower middle order. Until then, it’s going to remain a cluster of talented players, the kind that look good if their job is to build on what the top order has created but who can still get singed when the heat is really on.

Siddhartha Vaidyanathan04-Jul-2006India

9

Rahul Dravid
No one would grudge him the Man of the Series award, especially after his never-to-be-forgotten twin fifties in the final Test at Kingston. With four half-centuries and one hundred, he was the talismanic presence in the Indian side and took some bold decisions throughout. His catching at slip was a bit suspect at times, and his field placements, on occasions caused a few heads to spin, but those were just small blips in a memorable summer. Purely on batting alone, he had no peer.Anil Kumble
Tireless as ever, Kumble showed his unquenchable thirst for a fight. In a series where no bowler managed more than 150 overs and on pitches that didn’t offer him much support, Kumble sent down 223.1 overs and always provided some solidity at one end. He was streets ahead in the wicket-takers’ lists (with 23 wickets he had eight more than Corey Collymore at second place) and it was only fitting that he finished it off at Kingston. His batting was crucial too – his partnership with VVS Laxman at St Kitts went a long way in thwarting West Indies while his 45 at Kingston proved vital in the final analysis.8

Munaf Patel
On his first foreign tour, bowling largely on shirt-fronts, Munaf took several strides forward. He cranked up the pace consistently and hit the splice of the bat even when the pitch didn’t offer any assistance. Barring a brief session at St Kitts, when Sarwan pelted him for six fours in an over, he managed a steady length and troubled all with reverse swing too.Virender Sehwag
For sheer impact, it would be tough to find an innings as glorious as Sehwag’s hundred at St Lucia. On the first morning of the Test, with speculation rife about a green pitch, he manhandled the bowling as only he can. His rapidfire fifty at St Kitts gave India a whiff of winning a contest where they had played catch up throughout. Sehwag’s bowling also developed wonderfully on this tour – the fact that India chose four bowlers reposing faith in his bowling ability must tell you something. He teased with his offbreaks and his nine wickets in the series at 23.22 were thoroughly deserved.Wasim Jaffer
India’s fightback in the first Test at Antigua revolved around Jaffer’s magnificent maiden Test double hundred, an innings where he produced some gorgeous strokes on a slow pitch. The value of his twin fifties at St Kitts, when India had their backs to the wall, should also not be underestimated. He fumbled a few chances at slip, surprising given how safe he is while fielding in that position for Mumbai.7
Sreesanth
Sreesanth showed why he was rated so highly by the team management with some inspired spells when they were needed. He gave India a wonderful start on the final day of the Antigua Test, only to be thwarted by the last-wicket partnership, and was outstanding in the decider at Kingston. His batting too showed some promise though his out-fielding, at times, left a lot to be desired.

Harbhajan Singh
Shrouded by intrigue for the first half of the series, Harbhajan delivered fine spells in the final two games. His two five-wicket hauls were a study in contrast – the first, at St Kitts, came when West Indies were looking for quick runs, the second came in just 4.3 overs on the second day of the final Test. His unbeaten 38 at St Kitts also proved crucial in frustrating West Indies.VVS Laxman
Laxman’s workman-like hundred at St Kitts helped India claw their way back into the game, one in which they were heavily up against the odds. He showed glimpses of his vintage best but mostly preferred to grind it out on a pitch that was slow from the outset. He followed it up with a fifty in the second innings ensuring that they left unscathed.Mohammad Kaif
Kaif’s maiden hundred at St Lucia put India on course for a big first-innings total. After nearly seven years in international cricket, he finally seemed to have cemented his place in the middle order. However, he looked out of place in the next two games and needs to show more consistency if he harbours hopes of a permanent slot. He was an energetic presence while fielding in the covers but his close-in catching wasn’t upto the mark.6
VRV Singh
VRV Singh showed tremendous promise in the two Tests he played, turning in some fiery spells. He even impressed Brian Lara, who didn’t hesitate to complement him at the end of the series. One thought he was under-bowled in the second innings at St Lucia, despite having a good outing in the first innings. His batting though, an aspect where he has shown some ability at domestic level, produced more humour than results.Mahendra Singh Dhoni
It was unfortunate that the Caribbean public didn’t get to see Dhoni in his full splendour. He carted the bowling around in the second innings at Antigua, when India were pushing for a declaration, but managed only 99 runs in the other six innings. His wicketkeeping, though, improved as the tour went along and he gave a good account of himself against both spin and pace.5
Yuvraj Singh
An average of 17.33 in four Tests, with a highest score of 39, tells you what a poor series it was for Yuvraj. He gave glimpses of overcoming the lean run, especially in Kingston when he began with some confident drives, but invariably got out owing to poor shot selection. His fielding, though, remained sharp.4
Irfan Pathan
It was a harsh learning curve for Pathan, going from India’s golden boy to fifth-choice bowler in a span of a few months. After a poor showing in the one-dayers, he only played in one Test and, though he showed signs of improvement, was nowhere close to his best.

Arsenal star Bukayo Saka admits he had self-doubts about his return to fitness after suffering a hamstring injury earlier in the season.

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Saka back from hamstring injuryFeatured in England loss to SenegalAdmits self-doubts over return to formFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Arsenal's brightest talent has returned to the pitch in recent weeks following a serious hamstring injury and even made a cameo during England's 3-1 loss to Senegal on Tuesday night. But the forward has opened up on self-doubts he has had on finding his form again, having been such a crucial player for club and country.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportWHAT SAKA SAID

Speaking to the press, Saka said: "It’s about not thinking about the past, not thinking about the future. Just being in the moment and always asking yourself – what’s necessary right now?

"Sometimes I can think: 'Oh, am I going to come back in the best shape?' Or, in the past: ‘What could I have done to prevent injury?

"But all that is not necessary. It’s only going to bring bad energy, negativity to your body. One of the best things I took from the book is always ask yourself: 'What’s necessary in this moment right now?' And try to live that way.

"I was not happy with last season, how it went, how it ended. But the only thing I can do now is look forward and try and be the best version of myself and help my team-mates be the same."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Saka bagged 16 goal contributions in 25 games during Arsenal's 2024-25 Premier League campaign and with Tuchel already coming under pressure as England boss, the German head coach will need his talented winger to hit the ground running next term ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR SAKA?

Saka revealed that he will be jetting off for a nice holiday while many of his colleagues head Stateside for the Club World Cup this month. Some extra rest and recovery could be exactly what the Gunner needs if Arsenal are to mount a title challenge again next term.

Troubled West Ham have reportedly agreed a deal upwards of £40 million for Southampton star Mateus Fernandes as they try to kickstart their season.

• West Ham winless so far this season
• Out of Carabao Cup as well
• Agree deal for £40m transfer

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to BBC Sport, West Ham have agreed a deal in excess of £40m ($54m) for the 21-year-old, who has been granted permission to travel for a medical in London. The midfielder joined Saints from Sporting CP last year for £15m ($20m) when they were in the Premier League, and since then, he has scored four goals and added seven assists in 46 games.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  West Ham have had the worst possible start to the season, losing heavily to Sunderland and Chelsea, and then being dumped out of the Carabao Cup by Wolves in midweek. Pressure is mounting on head coach Graham Potter, fans have criticised the club for a perceived lack of signings, and some players have been slammed for being old and slow. But signing Fernandes, among others, could be the boost that they need.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  The Portugal Under-21 international, whose current contract with the Championship side runs until 2029, would become West Ham's third-biggest signing, behind Sebastien Haller and Lucas Paqueta – who cost £45m ($60.8m) and £51m ($69m) respectively. 

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  WHAT NEXT?

  In addition to trying to sign Fernandes before the September 1 transfer deadline, the BBC adds that West Ham are hoping to recruit Monaco midfielder Soungoutou Magassi, 21, for around £17m ($23m). The France Under-21 international is expected to have a medical on Thursday. 

You may not have predicted them to be the last two teams standing, but they are fitting finalists

George Binoy25-May-20243:46

Talking tactics: How do SRH deal with KKR’s big-hitters?

Match detailsIPL final: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Sunrisers Hyderabad
Chennai, May 26Big picture: Did you think it would be KKR vs SRH?No one gets to the IPL final without earning it. The league, contested over two months of play-sleep-travel-repeat in the sweltering Indian summer, tests every aspect of a franchise and individual. It examines a team’s culture, bench strength, and ability to plan for diverse conditions and opponents. It tests a player’s skill, fitness and versatility. Sure, luck may have a say every now and then, but it tends to average out over the course of a grueling season. To be the last two standing from a field of ten is quite the achievement already.So, did you predict this final at the start of IPL 2024?No child’s play getting to the IPL final•BCCISunrisers Hyderabad had finished last in 2021, eighth in 2022, and last again in 2023. KKR placed seventh in the previous two seasons. SRH broke auction records to buy an overseas fast bowler unproven in the IPL and made him their captain. KKR in turn broke SRH’s record bid for a fast bowler who hadn’t played in the league since 2015. Both moves, which left the teams with little wriggle room to make other big moves, were met with widespread skepticism. And neither were considered favourites to be playing in Chennai on May 26.They’ve got here by playing astonishing cricket: KKR and SRH have scored faster than any team ever has in an IPL season. After four other sides began with regulation totals in the first two games of the season, KKR and SRH went crashbangwallop against each other at Eden Gardens, and never stopped swinging. They forced the rest to level up too and the ones that couldn’t had no chance of competing.KKR won their two trophies in 2012 and 2014. SRH in 2016. After their struggles in recent seasons, these two teams have been at the forefront of the batting revolution in IPL 2024, and it is fitting that one of them will add to their tally of titles on Sunday.Form guideKKR WWWWW (last five matches, most recent first)
SRH WLWWLPrevious meetings: KKR 2, SRH 0Their first match was the third game of the season, at Eden Gardens, where Andre Russell powered KKR to 208 and SRH, propelled by Heinrich Klaasen, finished on 204. They then met in Qualifier 1 in Ahmedabad, after finishing No. 1 and 2 in the league, and KKR won by eight wickets and 38 balls to spare once Mitchell Starc bowled Travis Head second ball.Only once before has a team won the IPL final after losing all their previous matches that season against their fellow finalists – when Mumbai Indians beat Rising Pune Supergiant in the 2017 final, after losing both league matches and Qualifier 1 to them. In six other seasons, the team that went into the final 0-2 or 0-3 against their opponents, ended up losing.Mitchell Starc was a gamechanger in Qualifier 1 between KKR and SRH•AFP/Getty ImagesTeam news and Impact Player strategyKolkata Knight Riders
Unless there are any niggles, KKR are likely to play the same combination that beat SRH in Qualifier 1. Nitish Rana and Vaibhav Arora are likely to swap in and out as Impact Players depending on whether they bat or bowl first.Likely XII: 1 Sunil Narine, 2 Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), 3 Venkatesh Iyer, 4 Shreyas Iyer (capt), 5 , 6 Rinku Singh, 7 Andre Russell, 8 Ramandeep Singh, 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Harshit Rana, 11 Varun Chakravarthy, 12 Sunrisers Hyderabad
SRH’s combination may not be as clear cut. They may not have brought Shahbaz Ahmed in as Impact Player in Qualifier 2 against Rajasthan Royals had they not lost wickets in a hurry. He went on to score 18 and bowl a match-winning spell of 3 for 23 with his left-arm spin. But with as many as four left-hand batters in the KKR line-up – Narine, Venkatesh, Rana and Rinku – SRH might have to come up with an alternative bowling strategy than two left-arm spinners for the final.There’s also a question around their fourth overseas player. Aiden Markram played Qualifier 2 after missing five games but got out for 1 off 2 balls to continue a poor run of form. When he was on the bench, SRH tried allrounder Marco Jansen and legspinner Vijayakanth Viyaskanth without much success. Is it too late for Glenn Phillips to make an entrance this season?Likely XII 1 2 Abhishek Sharma 3 Rahul Tripathi 4 Aiden Markram 5 Heinrich Klaasen, 6 Nitish Kumar Reddy, 7 Abdul Samad, 8 Shahbaz Ahmed/Mayank Markande, 9 Pat Cummins, 10 Jaydev Unadkat, 11 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 12 In the spotlight: Shreyas Iyer and Pat CumminsShreyas Iyer is the only captain to lead two different franchises to the IPL final: Delhi Capitals in 2020 and KKR this year. The last few months have been turbulent for Shreyas. He struggled with a back injury after the 2023 ODI World Cup, was dropped from India’s Test side, lost his BCCI contract, and wasn’t in the running for a place in the squad for the T20 World Cup. And though he’s scoring faster than he ever has this IPL (345 runs at a strike rate of 146.19), he’s had a fairly non-descript season as a batter. Most of his runs have come after the top order has done the heavy lifting. His most impactful innings, however, came against SRH in Qualifier 1 – 58 not out off 24 balls in the chase – and in the absence of the prolific Phil Salt at the top, he could be called upon once again to play an innings of substance.As captain of Australia, Pat Cummins has won a World Test Championship, retained the Ashes in England and won the ODI World Cup in India, all in the last 12 months. But if he leads SRH to the IPL title as an overseas captain in his first ever leadership gig in T20 cricket, that could be his most impressive achievement yet. He’s their second highest wicket-taker this season (17 with an economy of 9.29) but he too has had an understated season with no headlining performance. If he delivers when it matters most – like he did in Ahmedabad in November – don’t be surprised.Stats that matter KKR’s bowlers are in red-hot form. They have taken 47 wickets in their last five completed matches – the most by any team in a five-match stretch in the history of the IPL. Their bowlers have a collective average of 16 and economy of 7.95 in this period, a huge improvement from the average of 31.38 and economy of 10 in their first eight games. With both KKR and SRH having line-ups full of explosive batters, the bowling could make the difference. Qualifier 1 was the first time Head faced Starc in a T20 and he was bowled for a duck second ball. If he gets past Starc in Chennai, we will be entering new match-up territory. Head has faced only 14 balls from Narine and Russell, and none from Varun. Abhishek Sharma has a poor match-up against Russell (two dismissals in 12 balls) but if he gets to face KKR’s spinners, he strikes at more than 175 against both Varun and Narine. Klaasen was the danger man for KKR in their first match against SRH this season. He has a T20 strike rate of more than 200 against Varun and Starc, and 166.67 against Narine, with only one dismissal in 42 balls. Russell, however, has kept Klaasen quiet – conceding only 12 runs off ten balls.Pitch and conditionsA sudden shower from around 5.45 pm on the eve of the final forced KKR to cancel their training session. It lasted for more than an hour but the forecast for Sunday is fair: temperature in the 30-35 Celsius with high humidity, and less than 5% chance of rain, according to Accuweather.The pitch for the final is a red-soil strip and could be more batting friendly, unlike the black-soil surface on which RR were spun out by SRH in Qualifier 2. It is also more centrally located on the square, which means the boundary dimensions will be more even. The big question, however, is whether there will be dew. There usually is, but there wasn’t during RR’s chase against SRH on Friday.”I feel the pitch is completely different from what they played yesterday,” Shreyas said on the eve of the match. “It’s a red-soil [pitch] and yesterday, if I’m not wrong, it was a black-soil wicket. We don’t know how the wicket is going to play tomorrow and also looking at the match from the TV, we felt the dew factor would play a great role, but it didn’t and the ball started spinning”Quotes”I think data and analytics is there as a tool to use, but it’s just, you know, it’s one factor in a decision-making process. So, you know, data only takes you so far. So, I think there’s still a strong place for kind of gut feel and intuition.”
“I feel that he has got immense knowledge about how the game is played. He has won two titles previously with KKR and his strategies have been spot-on in terms of what execution we have to make against the opponents.”

وجه الإعلامي أحمد شوبير نصيحة لأحد لاعبي الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي الزمالك، مؤكداً على ضرورة الالتزام والسلوكيات الإيجابية داخل الملعب وخارجه، مُشددًا على أن هذه آخر فرصة له.

وقال شوبير في تصريحاته عبر برنامجه الإذاعي صباح اليوم الثلاثاء: “أمس انتظم أحمد فتوح ومحمد السيد وشيكو بنزا في التدريبات الجماعية لنادي الزمالك، محمد السيد لم تكن عنده مشكلة، لأنه كان مع منتخب الشباب وخاض مباراتين في المغرب، انتهت الأولى بالتعادل 1-1 والثانية 0-0، ثم عاد فانتظم في المران، وهذا اللاعب يُعجبني، لاعب جيد، وأرى أن له مستقبل”.

وتابع شوبير: “أما فتوح، فأتمنى يا فتوح، أتمنى من الله أن تكون هذه آخر غلطة لك، لأنك تعرف ماذا أقصد (الناس جابت آخرها معاك)، فأنا سأكون قاسيًا عليك نوعًا ما”.

طالع أيضًا | أيمن يونس عن اعتذار أحمد فتوح لجماهير الزمالك: غير مقبول.. وهناك طريقة واحدة!

وأضاف: “الخطأ الفني أن تحرز هدفًا في مرماك أو كرة تمررها بشكل خاطئ، كل هذه أخطاء واردة وليست مشكلة، لكن الأمور السلوكية المتكررة دومًا لا تصح”.

وشدد: “يجب عليك يا فتوح أن تستفيد من الدرس، حتى هذه اللحظة أنت لم تستفد من أي درس مررت به، وتأخذ الأمور ببساطة شديدة جدًا”.

واستمر شوبير: “يعني أنت يا ابني تعرضت لمحنة صعبة جدًا، وهي الحادث الذي راح ضحيته أحد رجال الداخلية (أمين الشرطة)، الذي انتقل إلى رحمة الله، ومع ذلك الناس كانوا أكثر كرمًا وتقبلوا الدية، وهناك آخرون قد لا يقبلوها ويُطالبون بتنفيذ الحكم”.

واختتم شوبير: “حافظ يا ابني على مستقبلك، تصالح مع نفسك، لأن أولاً لا يوجد وقت، ثانيًا الناس لن تُسامحك، ثالثًا مهما كانت مهاراتك ومهما كانت إمكانياتك لا يوجد نادٍ سيطلبك، ببساطة سيقولون لن نضم لاعبا يُحدث شغبًا باستمرار”.

England vice-captain says the team has been “overthinking” during this World Cup, instead of playing the “entertaining” brand of cricket they’re known for

Matt Roller25-Oct-20231:40

What’s gone wrong for England?

England have lost their spark and sense of enjoyment at the World Cup, and would rather go out of the tournament “with a bang” than with a whimper. That is the view of their vice-captain, Moeen Ali, who looks set to make his second appearance of the tournament against Sri Lanka in Bangalore on Thursday.Moeen played in England’s nine-wicket defeat to New Zealand in Ahmedabad on the opening night of the tournament but has not featured since. Being dropped has given him perspective on where his team-mates have fallen short, particularly in defeats to Afghanistan and South Africa which mean they probably need to win all five of their remaining group games in order to reach the semi-finals.”Our intent hasn’t been there,” Moeen said. “When you see it from the outside, it’s just like that spark is missing; that thing is missing where they’re enjoying taking bowlers down and enjoying going out to bat. The situations haven’t always been easy but still: I feel like it’s a game of cricket, at the end of the day, and I think we’re probably taking it too seriously in certain ways.Related

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“It’s almost having that carefree kind of attitude: who cares? It’s a game of cricket. If you’re going to make mistakes, you might as well make them doing what you’re good at doing. And we’re making mistakes anyway, so do it with a smile on your face… I think we as a group have been overthinking too much.”In both the 2019 World Cup and the 2022 T20 World Cup, early group-stage defeats left England with no margin for error in their last four games. On both occasions, they rediscovered their attacking batting style after being confronted with the prospect of elimination. “We’ve been in this position before – probably not to this degree – but we know everything is a must-win,” Moeen said.”There’s no point playing the way we’re playing and then [we will] go out and go home and have regrets. I’ve always believed – and I believe still – that if we play how we play and we know we can play, most teams, we’ll beat… let’s at least go out with a bang, if we’re going to go out. And be entertaining. That’s really important, because that’s something we haven’t been at all.”2:33

Moeen: ”Batting deep makes a big difference at the Chinnaswamy’

England made three changes for their most recent game, a 229-run drubbing at the hands of South Africa on Saturday. Seemingly based on data from the IPL, Jos Buttler opted to bowl first on the third-hottest October day Mumbai had seen in a decade and England’s bowlers fried in the heat; South Africa’s 399 for 7 was the highest-ever score England had conceded in an ODI.In selection, at the toss, and in their general approach, Moeen suggested that England have been guilty of overthinking. “For us, it’s just about playing how we play and not worrying too much about what the trend is at the moment,” he said. “A lot of the time, I feel England have set the trend for the last few years, and we’ve probably moved away from that.”Moeen echoed the views of Rob Key, England’s managing director. “This is a unique place to come and play: it’s bloody tricky to work out what the best thing to do is,” Key said. “But what you can do is focus on what you actually do best – and regardless of any decisions that get made, you need your players to be playing at their very best in this competition. And we haven’t had that.”Buttler is yet to fire at the World Cup, with 87 runs in four innings, and has a heavy workload as a keeper-captain. In Mumbai, he found himself running from behind the stumps to pass on advice to his bowlers and then back again while England were hammered at the death. “It’s not always that easy for a keeper to communicate,” Moeen said, adding that players have told him they “miss having me at mid-off”.Among Moeen’s biggest challenges as vice-captain has been giving his inputs on selection and weighing up whether or not he believes he should play. “When Jos asks me what I think for the side and I don’t put myself in, or if I put myself in, that’s the hardest bit,” he said. “You try and do what’s best for the team as much as you can.”That same mantra will underpin Moeen’s approach on Thursday: “I’m going to use all the intent that I have and take it on. That doesn’t mean slogging… it just means being brave and taking a risk if I need to – just being me, really. I’m going to take the situation out [of it] a lot of the time and just enjoy it as much as I can.”