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Bharath Seervi01-Jan-201861 – Number of seasons it took for Vidarbha to win their maiden Ranji Trophy title. They appeared in Ranji Trophy for the first time in 1957-58, and played 260 matches before coming into this season. Only two teams have taken longer to win their first title – Gujarat (83 seasons) and Uttar Pradesh (72). Vidarbha are the 18th team to become Ranji Trophy champions.3 – Number of new Ranji champions in this decade. Rajasthan had got their maiden title win in 2010-11, and Gujarat got it last season. In the previous decade, two more teams had got their maiden title – Railways (2001-02) and Uttar Pradesh (2005-06).27 – Wickets taken by Rajneesh Gurbani in the knockout stage this season (at an average of 14.11), which is 12 more than any other bowler. All other Vidarbha bowlers together picked up 32 wickets in this period at 30.96. Gurbani picked up four five-wicket hauls in these games, all the other Vidarbha players managed one. Gurbani was also the Man of the Match in each of these three knockout matches. He also took a hat-trick in the final and thus becoming only the second bowler to do so in a Ranji final; the first was B Kalyanasundaram for Tamil Nadu in the 1972-73 final against Mumbai.

9 – Wasim Jaffer has played nine Ranji Trophy finals – eight for Mumbai and one for Vidarbha – and he has been on the winning side on each of these occasions. He played his first final in the 1996-97 season. He moved to Vidarbha in 2015-16 after 18 seasons for Mumbai. Last year Mumbai played their first final without Jaffer in 20 years, and they ended up as runners-up for the first time.4 – Number of Vidarbha batsmen who scored 500-plus runs at average of over 50 this season – the most for any side. Delhi and Karnataka had three such batsmen. For Vidarbha, Faiz Fazal (captain), Sanjay Ramaswamy, Ganesh Satish and Jaffer were those four batsmen. Fazal and Ramaswamy were also the second and third highest run-getters in the season.3 – Vidarbha bowlers who picked up 25-plus wickets at average of less than 25 in the season – the most for any team. Delhi, Karnataka and Gujarat had two such bowlers. Gurbani, Akshay Wakhare and Aditya Sarwate were those three bowlers for Vidarbha. Gurbani and Wakhare were among the top-five wicket-takers of the season.

England’s latest collapse was a new twist on a familiar problem – but the players insist they are not about to change course

Andrew McGlashan in Christchurch08-Mar-2018England’s one-day side is outstanding. Among the best in the world. But when they collapse, they do it in style. Without putting a damper on things, it could yet prove their undoing at the 2019 World Cup, the tournament that so much planning and investment has gone towards.Various parameters were drawn up for the batting implosion in Dunedin: it could have been 5 for 13, 6 for 21 or 8 for 46. However, it’s spun, it’s not great. It was the fewest runs scored in an ODI by England’s No. 4 to No. 8 – that’s not the sort of record this one-day side wants to be setting.The team have been at pains to say over the last 48 hours, firstly from Eoin Morgan and then Jonny Bairstow, that it was the first collapse of its type. Indeed, it came when England were 267 for 1 and the talk was whether they would push 400 again. It was not, as against South Africa at Lord’s (20 for 6) or Australia in Adelaide (8 for 5), against the new ball when it nipped around.But it cost them the match and a chance to wrap up the series. It required a great innings by Ross Taylor to marshal the chase, but New Zealand should have been needing somewhere around 370 and, as Taylor said, that would have been a fair different prospect, especially from 2 for 2.Morgan’s comment when asked whether England had aimed too high was reminiscent of his steadfast view after the ODI at the Ageas Bowl in 2015 between these teams, when England were bowled out for 302 with 4.4 overs remaining, losing their last five wickets for 14 runs.On that occasion, just three matches into England’s one-day revolution, and on the back of scores of 408 and 365, he said: “It’s not a huge thing for me that we have to bat 50 overs, it doesn’t disappoint me. We’re trying to change our process and mindset with the bat, which may take time.”This time he said: “I’m a big fan of over-ambition,” before adding “we were miles away from it today, our skill level wasn’t good enough to take risks that early”. Again, though, he defended the mindset. He has certainly earned the right to do that. The 2015 comment talked of wanting to change England’s approach, and change they have. In a magnificent way. It’s worth recalling, too, that the match after the Ageas Bowl loss England chased down 350 with six overs to spare.The fact they got scored 335 in Dunedin and it has prompted some criticism is just another reinforcement of where the team stands, but such are the standards they have set. Standards that demand a global trophy to show for it. They have so far missed out twice. The World T20 was a different format, but the performance in the Champions Trophy semi-final against Pakistan will linger.

It wasn’t guys rushing down and playing really rash shots, they were decent cricket shots poorly executed. Going forward, the execution has to be betterJonny Bairstow

That was a slow death on a slow pitch against an outstanding Pakistan attack. Conditions wise – if not the quality of the bowlers, although New Zealand’s are very good – it was why the win in Wellington was so significant. England had to play a different way, a way that goes against the grain for them these days.Was there a moment in Dunedin, before the collapse became a collapse, that they could have taken a few overs – maybe three – just to reassess? Jos Buttler’s promotion to No. 4 didn’t work, but the move was worth trying given the destructive impact such elevation achieved against Pakistan in Dubai and Nottingham, or South Africa at Bloemfontien.One batsman falling cheaply does not have to be a sign to rein it in, but when Morgan heaved into the leg side there were still 10 overs to go. Yet Ben Stokes found deep square leg four balls later, Moeen Ali lofted to long-off and Chris Woakes to long-on. If Tom Curran could get 18 off the final over, what would one of that trio – alongside Joe Root – have been able to achieve if they had just given themselves a chance?Following Morgan’s lead, Bairstow, who was the first man to fall in the collapse for 138 – it was not beyond the realms he could have scored 200 – said England played the right strokes, but poorly.”We were in a very good position, but the big thing to take forward is that it’s the first time that it’s happened. From that kind of position we have gone on and scored 370-380. The way in which we have gone about scoring huge totals previously, scoring huge totals and batting teams out of the game, it’s exactly that approach.”It wasn’t guys rushing down and playing really rash shots, they were decent cricket shots poorly executed. Going forward, the execution has to be better but the execution has been very good for a long period of time from that middle order. To get those massive scores, playing that no-fear cricket is what is going to keep us striving to take strides forward.”Jonny Bairstow brought up his third ODI hundred•Getty ImagesThat makes some sense from Bairstow and is exactly what has got England to the position of strength they are in, but there is that nagging thought that two types of collapses have now proved costly amid all the magnificent achievements of this side.The by-product, however, is to set-up a fantastic conclusion to another engrossing series between these teams. Hagley Oval will be sold out on Saturday and the forecast is good. In terms of World Cup preparation, it’s not a bad time to have a winner-takes-all match. New Zealand overcame their semi-final curse in 2015, but have since lost deciding matches against South Africa (at home) and India (away). England, meanwhile, will find it hard to escape that semi-final against Pakistan before they have the chance at another knockout match.The decider of a bilateral one-day series cannot replicate the significance of a global tournament, but it’s as close as the teams will come. In reality, the most important one-day internationals at the moment are going on in Zimbabwe. But from England’s point of view, Bairstow believes they have already shown the steel for such scenarios in the last two series by winning tight matches even though the series haven’t been on the line.”Absolutely. It’s huge,” Bairstow said. “The way the guys reacted to situations over the last two ODI series helps. You can look back at the way we closed it out in Sydney and in Wellington, when the guys have been asked to stand up whether chasing down a total or closing it out with the ball. If it’s not meant to be, we will learn from it and take it into the next series. The World Cup’s not tomorrow, or in two days, it’s in 16 months. This is part of the journey, it’s about getting it right for then.”Bairstow is right. In a year’s time the result of Saturday’s match will have receded from memory – some may say in a week’s time – but it’s a pressure situation in which the team will be tested. And the sort of match where a collapse could prove costly.

Another cheap dismissal pushing at Trent Boult extended Alastair Cook’s run of indifferent form – but it never pays to write off England’s leading Test run-scorer

Andrew McGlashan in Christchurch01-Apr-2018With a push outside off stump, Alastair Cook’s series with the bat was done. His tally of 23 runs in four innings was the leanest series of his career.Before this series he spoke about coming through dark times in Australia with the double-century in Melbourne. It was his second double in 12 innings which is impressive. The problem has been what has come either side of those huge innings: outside of those doubles, he has made 216 runs in 16 innings. Shortly before his 243 against West Indies, his 88 against South Africa at The Oval was an innings of absolute class in demanding conditions. But is one major innings per series enough?”It is an easy story to write when a slightly older player isn’t scoring runs,” Cook said a couple of weeks ago. “Is he going to give up? Is he thinking about it? Phil Mickelson is to me a prime example… I’m not saying I’m anywhere near Phil Mickelson’s league, but he hadn’t won for five years [when he won the Mexico Championship in March]. But people weren’t doubting his hunger or desire to play, just because he wasn’t quite getting the results.”So it’s amazing how a little period in a cricketer’s life can get transformed into a lot bigger than it is. If you hang about in Test cricket long enough, there are going to be little periods when you play really well and little periods or slightly longer periods when you don’t play well.”This is not a time to write him off. He has proved doubters wrong at numerous times in his stellar career. But neither should the issue be ignored. The start of the English season, and a spell with defending County Champions Essex, is shaping as important with runs needed to stop a debate igniting.The opening bowlers took all 20 wickets in the first two innings of the Test•ESPNcricinfo LtdIn this series he has been outdone by Trent Boult bowling at his best, so there is no disgrace in that, but he has looked out of nick in New Zealand. Perhaps that was caused by the far-from-ideal lead-in period which consisted of a muddled four days in Hamilton and nets. The early signs at Seddon Park were that he was actually hitting the ball nicely, but Boult has proved a demanding prospect.The second-innings flick down the leg side in Auckland can be put a little down to bad luck, but in the other three innings he has been unpicked by classy swing: edging to the keeper/cordon twice and losing off stump to a beauty in Christchurch.There were hints when he began his innings on Sunday that there was positive intent. There was a good stride into a delivery from Tim Southee as he drove through the covers and after lunch he pulled the same bowler strongly through square leg, then in the same over flashed over the slips.A curious aside in Cook’s career against New Zealand has been the difference in facing Southee and Boult. Southee has never dismissed him 11 matches; when Boult found the outside edge it was the ninth time he had removed the left hander in nine Tests.The challenge of a left-armer will follow Cook in the first part of the English season with Mohammad Amir set to lead Pakistan’s attack in the two-Test series. Amir has spoken of managing his Test workload, but surely the England series won’t be one to make way. He has removed Cook five times in eight matches. India will also bring an impressive seam attack with them – arguably their best ever – and both touring sides also likely to be among the better-prepared visitors.At the start of the English summer it will be 18 months since Cook gave up the captaincy. He has spoken about how he is now finding his place in Joe Root’s team, knowing when to offer advice without compromising the current captain, but for a player who invested so much in leading his country it will have been a significant change. There is the carrot of another crack at Australia on home soil in 2019, but after 153 Tests only Cook will really know how much more he has to give.

All you need to know about the 24-year-old middle-order batsman with the best first-class average among all contemporary cricketers

Shashank Kishore22-Aug-2018Did you know?Vihari is at the summit of a very elite list. Among all contemporary cricketers, Vihari has the world’s best ‘s first-class average of 59.45. Steven Smith, the next best, is at 57.27.What has he done to merit selection?The first sign of Vihari being on the selection radar came in June, when he was one of just four players to be picked in both the 50-overs and four-day squads for India A’s tour of England. He made the opportunity count by finishing as the third-highest run-getter in the one-day tri-series (253 runs in three innings with a best of 147 against West Indies A). In his most recent first-class game against South Africa A in Bengaluru, he struck a match-winning 148. He now has two fifties and a century in his last five first-class innings.Has he played overseas outside of his stints with India A?Vihari isn’t an IPL regular; he last featured in 2015. He has spent his recent summers either in England or Bangladesh playing league cricket. In England, he played two seasons (2014 and 2015) for Hutton CC in the Shephered Neame Essex First Division League, where he’s made six centuries. That aside, he’s been part of preparatory tours to Sri Lanka with Andhra, the state he now plays for after shifting from Hyderabad in 2016.What are his strengths?Sanath Kumar, now part of the India Under-19 and India A set-ups as bowling coach, has had a ringside view of Vihari the batsman in a two-year term as Andhra coach. “He is very strong square of the wicket on both sides, and that is a direct sign of good back-foot play,” Sanath told ESPNcricinfo. “His picking of lengths is a great strength; it gives him more time to play his shots.”In the 2017-18 red-ball season, he worked a lot on his bat-swing, playing straight and close to the body, in tough conditions. His discipline to leave and eliminate those extravagant drives got him the runs. If you purely go by the numbers, many others may have outscored him, but in terms of quality, he was right up there. In the shorter versions, there was some reluctance to bat higher initially, but his strike rates have improved tremendously without making a compromise on his methods.”What did the “good qualities” fetch him during the 2017-18 domestic season?He finished the Ranji Trophy season with 752 runs in six matches at 94.00, including a career-best 302 not out, his maiden triple-century, against Odisha. The highlight, though, came in the Irani Cup in March against Ranji Trophy champions Vidarbha. He top scored for Rest of India with a 327-ball 183, a stonewalling effort against a pace attack consisting Umesh Yadav and Rajneesh Gurbani, the leading wicket-taker in the 2017-18 Ranji Trophy season. He battled his way through with the lower order for company, and shared a 216-run seventh-wicket partnership with Jayant Yadav.What has he done in junior cricket?Vihari was an Under-19 World Cup winner in 2012. He wasn’t initially part of the squad, but was picked after Manan Vohra, the opening batsman, fractured his thumb a day before the team’s departure to Australia. In the subsequent year, he played for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL and even dismissed Chris Gayle, after being asked to bowl his fastish offbreaks with the new ball.

Colin Munro and Oshane Thomas continued their good form with bat and ball respectively as all four playoff spots were decided with four league games still to play

Sreshth Shah06-Sep-2018Home advantage? What’s that?After Jamaica Tallawahs lost all their designated ‘home games’ in Florida earlier this season, it was Barbados Tridents’ turn to suffer the same fate – in their proper backyard too. They were assigned five games at Bridgetown’s Kensington Oval, but five straight losses – including three last week – sunk their chances of qualification.That, together with St Lucia Stars’ six-wicket win against Tridents on Sunday, ensured we already know the four playoff teams, despite four league games remaining to be played. Trinbago Knight Riders and Guyana Amazon Warriors – with two games in hand – are best placed to secure a top-two finish, while St Kitts and Nevis Patriots and Tallawahs are set to round off the top four.Pollard’s unfulfilled return to BarbadosStars’ Kieron Pollard is never too far away from a controversy, and he was in the middle of one last week when Tridents’ Jason Holder had him lbw off a full toss.Pollard, captain of the Tridents franchise for the past four years, had left the team before this edition and was clearly looking for a big innings against them when he walked in at 80 for 3 in the tenth over, but Holder’s inswinging full-toss rapped him on the pads and appeared to be missing the leg stump, when the umpire raised his finger.The Stars captain looked flummoxed and was visibly upset as he ended his season with a first-ball duck against his former team. However, when the decision was not reversed despite replays showing Holder overstepping, Pollard wore a bemused look in the dugout, sarcastically clapping the umpires’ decision and forcing coach Brad Hodge to visit the third umpire’s office to fully understand why the lbw decision was not overturned. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the first poor umpiring decision of the season, and Pollard’s men won the game by six wickets anyway.Batsman of the weekColin Munro has struck five half-centuries in his last eight CPL innings, none better than his 56-ball 90 against Warriors on Wednesday. The innings took Munro to within 23 runs of the CPL record of 458 runs in a season – set by Chadwick Walton last year – with two league-stage games still in hand.Munro plundered ten fours and four sixes in his innings, smacking both Imran Tahir’s legbreaks as well as Rayad Emrit’s medium-pace to all corners of the Queen’s Park Oval. He reached his half-century in 39 balls before going into overdrive, taking Guyana captain Emrit to the cleaners. He was eventually out in the 17th over, looking to slog Romario Shepherd, falling ten short of a fifth T20 hundred. But by the time he was dismissed, Trinbago were set for a big first-innings total.Randy Brooks – CPL T20 / GettyBowler of the weekTwenty-one-year-old fast bowler Oshane Thomas of the Tallawahs was the best bowler of the week. He’s taken at least one wicket in every game so far, and his performances with the new as well as the older ball have been impressive. Over the past three weeks, Thomas has shone for Tallawahs every time his captain Andre Russell has thrown him the ball. Barring his first match – where he took three important wickets – Thomas has not conceded more than eight per over in any game. Some are deeming his toe-crushing yorker to dismiss Tridents’ Shai Hope last week the ball of the CPL.Smith, Warner watchThe season ended early for Tridents’ Steven Smith, as he flew back to Australia with an abdominal strain. The injury was revealed by Tridents captain Holder ahead of their game against the Stars. Smith fared modestly through the season, scoring 185 runs in seven innings at an average of 26.42 and a strike rate of 127.58, while also taking three wickets and winning Player of the Match in one of Tridents’ two league-stage victories.David Warner, on the other hand, finally produced a match-winning innings, after some good scores earlier in the season that just didn’t translate into wins. With Stars chasing 136 against Tridents, Warner – in at No. 4 – anchored the innings after an early wobble, grinding out an unbeaten 45-ball 42 to secure a Stars victory in their final game of the season. Warner finished with 220 runs in nine innings, at an average of 31.42 and a strike-rate of 111.67. He hit only four sixes and 19 fours in the whole season.

There is a change in the Sheffield Shield final and players are very supportive of it

Alex Malcolm27-Mar-2019On September 13 last year, two days after Australia’s first Test squad in the wake of the ball-tampering scandal was announced, Cricket Australia quietly announced changes to the Sheffield Shield final. Given all that had gone on in the preceding six months, and all that was about to unfold with the Longstaff review, it was barely noticed.But it meant that after 36 Sheffield Shield finals, where only four visiting teams had beaten the hosts, a draw was no longer a guarantor of victory for the home side.Instead, in the instance of a draw occurring after five days between Victoria and New South Wales at the Junction Oval starting Thursday, the team with the most bonus points accrued from the first 100 overs of the match, where 0.01 points are awarded for every run made over 200, and 0.10 points for every wicket taken, will be awarded the Shield.It is a one-year trial and on the eve of the final players are very supportive of it.”I think it’s a really positive thing for the game, it creates a much better contest,” New South Wales captain Peter Nevill said. “The results speak for themselves for what’s happened in Shield finals for a number of years now. I know the Shield we won in 2013-14 was a draw. Most of them have been. This is a really positive step. I think you’ll see pitches prepared that will be really good cricket wickets.”The last thing you want really is a wicket offering nothing to the bowlers and it’s five days of just watching people smack it around the park, so I think it will make for a great contest.”While Victoria would prefer the ability to draw the game and win, they have issues with the new rules.”I know I’ve played in finals before and it’s been a draw and you end up on the losing end,” Victoria opener Marcus Harris said. “I suppose it will make a bit more interesting. But I dare say with a five-day final, more often than not you’d probably get a result.”So, with the new rules in vogue, what is the Shield final’s place in Australian cricket?It’s been 11 years since Victoria and New South Wales have met in a final.That 2007-08 edition featured both current coaches Phil Jaques and Andrew McDonald and NSW assistant Beau Casson, as well as a bevy of modern Australian Test greats including Michael Clarke, Brett Lee, Simon Katich, Brad Haddin and Stuart MacGill, as well as a host of other Australian representatives including Brad Hodge, Stuart Clarke, Nathan Bracken, Cameron White and David Hussey.For all the mature age talent on show, it helped launch the careers of two up and coming stars. Peter Siddle, playing in just his seventh Shield match for Victoria aged 23, went through a virtual Test batting line-up taking nine wickets on a slow, low surface at the SCG. He would debut against India months later and now has 214 Test wickets and is still going.Getty ImagesPhillip Hughes, also in just his seventh game aged 19, made his first first-class century in the second innings. He would make four more Shield centuries the following season before making his Test debut less than 12 months later.Katich was the Player of the Match in that final with scores of 86 and 92 to cap a staggering season where he made 1506 runs including five centuries in just 11 matches. After three years out of the Test side, he was reinstated in the first Test following that Shield final, against West Indies. He would make eight Test hundreds and average 50.48 at the top level in the next three years.Ahead of the last Ashes tour in 2015, Adam Voges made a hundred in a Shield final, his sixth of the season, and at 35 was selected for his Test debut on the subsequent tour of the West Indies and played in the Ashes. He would make five Test hundreds in 20 Tests and average 61.87.Harris made a hundred in the same Shield final for WA in a draw against Victoria. He would make another hundred in a drawn final two years later in Alice Springs for Victoria. Travis Head made a century in the same game while Chadd Sayers and Jon Holland both took seven-wicket hauls.There is a litany of examples of Australia Test players performing great deeds in Shield finals over the last 35 years. Why the Shield final’s relevance is ever questioned in this context remains a mystery.Its value is in its participants. It is the opportunity for the two best domestic teams to go head to head in a high-pressure match, and more often than not the cream of those teams has risen to the top, regardless of the result.The value of this final is obvious. It is a chance for Harris and Kurtis Patterson to make their cases for the Ashes squad indestructible. It is a chance for Scott Boland, Chris Tremain, James Patterson, Sean Abbott or Harry Conway to do what Siddle did in 2008 and vault into Test contention. It is a chance for Siddle and Trent Copeland to remind everyone of their incredible skill and experience in big games with Dukes balls.It is a chance for youngsters like Will Pucovski, Jason Sangha or Jack Edwards to do what Hughes did, and make their name.And it’s a chance for former Test players like Jon Holland, Steve O’Keefe, Moises Henriques and Nevill to remind the national selectors of their worth.”I know as a domestic player when you start training around June/July this is what we work for so we’re really looking forward to the opportunity,” Harris said. “As a cricketer and as a professional you want to perform in big games. It’s not really different to any other game but obviously you get yourself up a bit more for a final.”The Shield final doesn’t need gimmicks or rule changes to have value in Australian cricket. It simply needs to be played.

The old merry-go-round continues with the start of the ODIs against West Indies in Guyana

Aishwarya Kumar at Providence07-Aug-20198:22

Dasgupta: Iyer could solve monster No. 4 problem

The middle order is a jigsaw puzzle the Indian team is yet to figure out. Leading up, during and now – after – the World Cup, with the focus back on the ODIs, it’s the one big question that Virat Kohli and co. are trying to piece out.The good news is that the top order looks to be in solid form with Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Shikhar Dhawan filling the top three slots.Dhawan is coming back from a thumb injury that ruled him out a little way into the World Cup – and he’s yet to get back in peak form (with scores of 23, 1, 3 in the three T20Is) – but Kohli is okay with that.”50-over cricket gives you a little bit more time to get into your innings and I am not worried about Shikhar’s form, not really,” he said at the press conference after the third T20I.It’s safe to say that the top three slots have been taken care of.Now, who is team India’s No. 4 batsman?It’s got to be Rishabh Pant. His performance in the World Cup, when he replaced the injured Dhawan and took the No. 4 spot was promising – he scored 32, 48, 4 and 32 in the four matches he played, including the semi-final. Plus, he has two Test centuries to his name – two away Test centuries – to be specific in England and Australia, and 488 runs in 16 matches in this year’s IPL with a strike rate of 162.66.KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant have a go in the nets•Getty ImagesAdd this to the 42-ball 65 – including the match-winning six – on Tuesday, in the same ground where they will take on the West Indies in the first ODI, he’s definitely a contender for the No. 4 spot. Kohli talked at length about Pant’s skills during the T20Is and said all he needs to become a consistent performer is time.Another batsman who’d vie for the No. 4 spot is KL Rahul. He made it his own with a century in a World Cup warm-up game against Bangladesh but had to move up the order when Dhawan was injured, allowing Pant to showcase his skills.Rahul has said in the past that he’d like to open the innings for India, but with Dhawan back and Rohit being the other obvious choice, he’s taken to the role of middle order batsman quite well. It’s a short series, but if the team decides to switch up the order, he could also be considered for the opening slot, giving him an edge over the other middle order batsmen as a floater for the team.Either of them could work well for the No. 4 spot, with focus on long-term plans to solve the middle order crisis India have found themselves in.Ravindra Jadeja is solid at No. 7, so this leaves three players to fill two spots.Shreyas Iyer scored a 34-ball half-century•BCCIWill this series help India decide their first-choice middle order?This series is Shreyas Iyer’s chance to seal the No. 5 spot for himself. Sure, he has only played six ODIs for India, but his IPL record as the captain of the Delhi Capitals is noteworthy, scoring 463 runs in 16 matches. The middle order could definitely use a player capable of assessing situations and adapting to them quickly and Iyer has shown himself capable in that regard.And for the No. 6 spot we have our eyes on Manish Pandey. His numbers at the spot are impressive – 137 ODI runs at an average of 45.66. Pandey has shown his ability to keep the runs coming during the death overs, and seeing as India didn’t always have that in the World Cup, he could be something of a missing piece.Oh and there’s Kedar Jadhav as well, who unlike any of the other specialist batsmen in the squad, bowls.Jadeja’s double threatWith the middle order taken care of, Jadeja is the obvious choice for No. 7, but apart from the heroic World Cup semifinal knock of 77 against New Zealand, he has not always scored big runs in ODIs. It’d be interesting to see if the dynamic allrounder is able to keep his double threat with the bat and the ball going this series.

Australia A captain balances life as a new dad with his rise as a cricketer and a potential future leader of the national teams

Daniel Brettig09-Nov-2019Run your eye down the list of Australian cricketers going out to play in the tour game against the Pakistanis at Perth Stadium from Monday, and Alex Carey’s name stands out for a couple of reasons: one, most obviously, is that he is the only wicketkeeper, and two, more intriguingly, he is the only father among the group.Referring to Carey’s parental responsibilities, along with his partner Eloise, towards 14-month-old Louis as part of his CV for captaincy may be something of a stretch. But there is little doubt that the maturity he has developed over a life that has featured an attempted AFL career, a spell working in a “real job” in the financial services industry and, latterly, the joys and trials of fatherhood have all contributed to Carey’s rise as a leader in Australian cricket.Cricket Australia, its board, management and selectors, have been on the lookout for moral and ethical as well as tactical and strategic leadership since the Newlands scandal, and the rise of Carey as a potential successor to Tim Paine and Aaron Finch cannot simply be attributed to cricketing factors. Paine, of course, brought plenty of his own perspective to the role of Test captain, after having also become a father while coming within a phone call or two of retiring from the game in 2017.But for Carey, a sporting life in which he has already seen and done so much by the age of 28 puts him not only in rare company in Australian cricket but in society in general. Parenting is increasingly becoming a part of life for those in their 30s rather than 20s, and so Carey’s range of experience is not something to be commonly seen. The Australia A team to play in Perth can and will benefit from a captain who has seen much more of life than the inside of a dressing room.

I love going to games and playing, but I think it’s also great to come home to a smiling little one-year-old. It takes your mind off – if it was a good day or a bad day, it keeps you pretty level

“I’ve got a family now, a little 14-month-old, and having to be away from them, Eloise and Louie quite a bit, is something I’m still managing to get right,” Carey told ESPNcricinfo. “Eloise has been fantastic with the past 14 months of Louie’s life to carry the absolute load. I was lucky enough to have them come over for part of the World Cup. So keeping it as natural as possible, to have them come on tour when possible and making sure that I’m still trying to be a good dad when I’m away, getting on Facetime and doing that.”But I also think it’s great for my cricket to have a family. I love going to training and trying to improve, I love going to games and playing, but I think it’s also great to come home to a smiling little one-year-old. It takes your mind off – if it was a good day or a bad day, it keeps you pretty level. So it’s something away from cricket rather than cricket 24/7. When things are going well you naturally feel pretty good about yourself, and when you have a few tough days, that’s when it can get quite tough to manage.”But I think through my learnings over professional sport, having some setbacks early on in my career with some football and also with cricket, it’s made me realise that this game’s pretty tough – when you have good days, make them really good days. When you have bad days, don’t dwell on them too long and learn pretty quickly from those mistakes.”In a season where the matter of mental health of Australian cricketers has become an even greater issue than before by the high-profile withdrawals of Glenn Maxwell and then Nic Maddinson from the international set-up, Carey has a decent wellspring of memories and life chapters that keep him remembering that this is all just a game in the end. At the nascent Greater Western Sydney Giants, Carey was deemed the best man to be the club’s inaugural captain, but then not good enough to make the senior list when the club graduated to the AFL proper.Tim Paine and Alex Carey in the nets•Getty ImagesAnd, in addition to the advice of Adam Gilchrist, who has grown very much into a mentor for Carey, he also carries with him the words of Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara about exactly how often even the best of cricketers are going to fail. “Kumar Sangakkara said it to Jake Weatherald, and he shared this with me – he was one of the best batters in the world and 66% of his innings he failed,” Carey said. “So naturally you’re going to have some pretty bad days, but it’s about staying up, learning and keep rocking up with a big smile on your face.”Working in finance for two or three years before I got my opportunity with the SACAs has made me realise it’s a pretty privileged job to be a part of if you can call it a job. It’s more a dream come true, really. You want to play well every game, you want to win every game of cricket, and it doesn’t always happen that way. But for me it’s having a really good balance between on-field and off-field, staying level as much as possible, and I think that comes with maturity too.”Starting to play some more games of cricket, I still think I’ve got a lot of learning ahead in my career, but just through the World Cup, through the last 24 months of playing in the green and gold, it makes me realise what’s important. Training the right way, rocking up game day, making sure I’ve got the team’s interest in mind every time I go out to play, how can I help the team win. I’m starting to develop that really healthy balance.”Balance arrives, too, in how Carey weighs up his best fit as a cricketer in any team he is a part of. With Paine ensconced as Test captain, he ponders the possibility of squeezing into the national team as a batsman alone but remains strong in his belief that it is in the all-round skill of wicketkeeping and batting in the middle order that his chance will finally arrive. “For me it is wicketkeeping, it’s my No. 1 craft,” he said. “But there’s such a big role now to play with the batting, I’ve moved up to No. 6 for South Australia with the red ball, which is great.”I’m loving my batting at the moment and I feel really confident every time I go out to bat. I think there’s a lot of great batters around this country that are suited specifically for that role, and for me, it’s to keep improving with the gloves and keep improving with the bat. Hopefully one day the dream of playing Test cricket comes true, but at the moment I think through that World Cup [in England this year] I’ve learned a lot about my batting and my keeping.”Leadership as well, I’m really enjoying that role through the middle order. Big role to play with the bat definitely, but first and foremost, it’s catch ’em.”

Whilst they may have fallen out of the automatic promotion places over the weekend, Leeds United’s attackers have caught the eye throughout 2024/25.

Joel Piroe still sits as the Whites’ top scorer, registering 15 goals in the Championship, playing a key role in Daniel Farke’s ambitions of securing a return to the Premier League.

Daniel James is another talent who’s thrived over the last couple of months, notching 20 combined goals and assists throughout the league campaign – the joint-best season of his professional career.

The pair have contributed to their impressive tally of 79 league goals in their 40 outings, currently boasting the best-attacking record of any side in the division.

Regardless of which division they find themselves in next season, they could be about to land a star who’d add to their already impressive record in attacking areas.

Leeds targeting move for EFL attacking star

According to Alan Nixon, Leeds are one of a number of clubs interested in a move to land West Brom’s forward Grady Diangana ahead of the summer window.

Wolves have also been credited with a keen interest in landing the 26-year-old talent, who’s registered four goals and two assists in the Championship throughout 2024/25.

The Democratic Republic of Congo international joined the Baggies for £18m back in the summer of 2022 but could be available as a free agent this summer with his deal set to expire in June.

The report from Nixon states that the former West Ham youngster is hoping Farke’s side show concrete interest this summer, potentially favouring a move to Elland Road.

Whilst it’s unclear if a deal will be completed this summer, he would be a superb addition – potentially allowing the hierarchy to forget about a permanent move for one player.

Why Diangana would be a superb Solomon alternative

Manor Solomon joined Leeds on loan from Tottenham Hotspur last summer, looking to kickstart his career after a stop-start period with injuries and lack of first-team action.

The Israeli international made an immediate impact in Yorkshire, notching 14 combined goals and assists up until the start of February – including a goal and two assists in the 4-0 win over Oxford United.

However, he’s now gone eight games with a single contribution, leading to doubts among the fanbase over a permanent transfer for the 25-year-old this summer.

Such concerns could see the hierarchy target a move for Diangana as a result, with the West Brom star a safe option given his potential move on a free transfer.

When comparing the pair’s respective stats from the Championship this campaign, the West Brom winger has managed to match or better Solomon in numerous key areas, highlighting how impressive a deal to land him this summer would be.

Diangana, who’s previously been labelled “unbelievable” by teammate Jed Wallace, may have registered fewer combined goals and assists, but has registered a higher pass accuracy and completed more through balls – showcasing his talent in attacking areas.

He’s also won more aerials and been fouled more per 90, highlighting his all-round nature with and without the ball, making him a threat at either end of the pitch if required.

Solomon could still be a viable option for the club this summer regardless of promotion, but after his recent lack of form, it’s understandable that there are doubts over his future.

As for transfer target Diangana, he’s proved that he’s an impressive talent, with any deal to land him this summer incredible business, especially considering the fee paid for his signature a couple of years ago.

Meslier included: Leeds must axe £150k-p/w quartet if they go up

Daniel Farke will tempted by a slight clear-out at Leeds United if Premier League football returns to Elland Road.

By
Kelan Sarson

Apr 8, 2025

Everton are believed to be interested in signing a player who is a “massive favourite” of David Moyes in the summer transfer window, a new update has claimed.

Moyes plans summer signings at Everton

The Blues’ Premier League season is starting to peter out a little in terms of important matches, with survival all but secured for another season. Saturday’s 1-1 draw at home to Arsenal was another good result under Moyes, though, with the Scot continuing to do an excellent job during his second stint at Goodison Park.

There will now be lots of focus on possible new signings for Everton this summer, with contact reportedly made with the representatives of SC Freiburg midfielder Merlin Rohl over a move to Merseyside. The 22-year-old has been affected by injuries in 2024/25, but he is a versatile player who could be a long-term signing.

Feyenoord defender David Hancko has also been mentioned as an option for the Blues once the current season reaches its conclusion, following another impressive campaign for the Eredivisie giants.

Lorenzo Lucca has been linked with a move to Everton as well, with the Udinese striker a towering 6 foot 7 inches tall, which is the same height as Peter Crouch. The Italian has scored 10 goals in 25 starts in Serie A this season, also picking up nine yellow cards, highlighting a tenacious side to his game.

Everton fighting West Ham for "very clever" Sunderland star Neil

According to a fresh report from Football Insider, Everton are in the race to sign Sunderland midfielder Dan Neil at the end of the season.

West Ham are thought to be providing competition for the signature of the Black Cats skipper, but the 23-year-old is a “massive favourite” of Moyes.

Sunderland are “bracing themselves for ample bids” from Premier League clubs, assuming the Championship side fail to earn promotion.

Neil may not be a top-flight player currently, which could naturally put some Everton fans off, but he could be a shrewd addition to Moyes’ squad. At 23, the Englishman has already become one of Sunderland’s most important players, captaining them at a young age, and Black Cats manager Regis Le Bris lauded him back in January.

“I think he did well during the first part of the season, but it wasn’t so obvious for the observers maybe, because he was really important in adjusting all the behaviour of his teammates. He’s very clever, very important to adjust the formation and balance the team.”

This season, Neil has started 39 of Sunderland’s 40 Championship matches, outlining his availability, and his quality and energy in midfield could be a real asset for Everton.

Everton struck gold on “constant threat” who’s worth more than Longstaff

Everton made a good investment with the signing

By
Joe Nuttall

Apr 7, 2025

He could be seen as a long-term replacement for Idrissa Gueye, who is now 35 years of age and whose contract expires at the end of this season.