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Remarkably Tim Sherwood’s name has been mentioned as the next manager most likely to face the axe. The last time Aston Villa started a season so poorly they were relegated so it could be said the pressure on Sherwood should come as no surprise.

However, Chairman Randy Lerner said Sherwood’s appointment was part of a long term strategy. Has the former Tottenham boss accelerated the hands of time by overseeing such a fast decline?

At first glance it would appear so. The first sign a manager’s job is at genuine risk is when other names get linked with the post. Underlining the severity of Sherwood’s safety are the people being touted as replacements. There’s no talk of Carlo Ancelotti or former league winners, the likely candidates so far have been the much derided Brendan Rodgers and The Chosen One David Moyes.

It would be adding insult to injury if he is replaced with either of these. Brendan Rodgers now has a chequered CV. By releasing him Liverpool have declared to the world he lacks experience and cannot rebuild a side. Currently Aston Villa require a man that has the former and can do the latter.

In David Moyes they’d have an exiled Premier League flop. His Real Sociedad side currently sit sixteenth in La Liga, hardly a sign he’s back to form. What Moyes does have on his side is a solid, if uninspiring, record from his time at Everton. At least he’s been at a same sized club before working under similar budget constraints.

It comes down to whether or not the board believe Sherwood deserves more time or if a suitable replacement exists and is available. There is a strong case to give him longer at the helm. His win ratio at Tottenham was impressive and he guided them to a sixth place finish. This shows when he has a team operating under a system correctly he’ll collect points.

What he’s currently under is a reshaping phase. His tactics have come under scrutiny in recent times but that is natural when the form is so bad. Until he finds the winning formula he has to experiment. He can’t be held accountable for the summer transfer spend either. It’s unclear how much of the £52m of incoming talent he wanted. He’s been given pieces of an awkward puzzle without the instructions.

The Villa board can’t expect a manager to build for the future when he doesn’t have a loud voice with the personnel being brought in. If last season they saw him as the man to lead a new team forward they should stick by him for now. There aren’t many managers, like Sam Allardyce, that almost guarantee survival so any change presents a new risk.

The Villa fans that are getting twitchy bums should sit tight a little longer. Tim Sherwood exuberates enough confidence to suggest he can turn things around. Give him until Christmas before calling for the chop.

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The club took three months to release a statement on the claims made against the Brazilian winger – which is just not good enough

When Mason Greenwood left Manchester United to join Getafe on loan last week, minutes before the transfer deadline window closed, there must have been a huge sense of relief within the club.

In the words of one source, the situation had left United "on a knife edge all summer". And when it emerged that the club were planning to bring the striker back six months after charges of attempted rape, assault and coercive and controlling behaviour against Greenwood had been dropped, it caused huge damage to United's image and reputation, even though they eventually decided that the striker could not continue his career at Old Trafford.

Greenwood, who denies all the allegations against him, is Getafe's problem now and the Liga side's coach Jose Bordalas is the one who has to field questions about him – not Erik ten Hag.

But just when United thought they had put one extremely comfortable situation behind them and could just focus on football, another volcano has erupted after serious allegations of domestic violence were made against Antony by his ex-girlfriend Gabriela Cavallin.

The Brazilian's case is different to Greenwood's but it is no less shocking and it presents the club with another huge dilemma. Do they allow Antony to continue playing or do they remove him from the squad until the case against him is resolved?

United are struggling on the pitch after two defeats in four Premier League matches and while he has done little to justify his £85 million ($106m) price tag, Antony is a regular starter and key to Ten Hag's style of play. But after bungling the Greenwood situation, they must show leadership and act decisively. The spotlight is on them yet again and they must do the right thing.

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  Slower to act than with Greenwood

  Based on the precedent United set with Greenwood back in January 2022, Antony should already have been suspended from the team. Although United faced a huge backlash for wanting to reintegrate Greenwood last month, when the allegations against the striker first emerged on social media, they acted swiftly.

  The club released a statement on their website acknowledging the accusations shortly after they appeared. Later that day, after Greenwood had been questioned by police, they announced the striker would "not return to training or play matches until further notice".

  When the charges against Greenwood were dropped, they conducted a thorough, six-month internal investigation before eventually deciding he could not continue his career there following fan protests and a backlash from the general public.

  They made big mistakes during that investigation, such as not consulting domestic abuse charities, who they deemed would be "hostile" to bringing Greenwood back. But they took the matter very seriously.

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  No comment for three months

  Their initial reaction to the Greenwood story contrasts with how they responded to the accusations against Antony. When news that Cavallin had filed a police report in Sao Paulo against the winger emerged on June 6, United did not release any public statement, merely telling Brazilian media: "We will not make official comments until the facts are clear."

  United maintained their silence when Cavallin spoke out publicly for the first time about Antony's behaviour later in June, and when Antony denied the allegations in a post on Instragram later that month. The player went on United's pre-season tour of the United States and started the club's first four matches of the Premier League season. Ten Hag was never asked about Antony by the media.

  Even when United faced criticism about their attempt to bring back Greenwood, there was little discussion about Antony. Although the accusations against the Brazilian were in the public domain, the fact that the complaint had been filed in Sao Paulo and not Manchester seemed to shield the player from the scrutiny Greenwood had faced.

  And unlike with Greenwood, there was little publicly-available evidence of Antony's misdemeanours. Although fans were aware he was facing accusations, most did not know the details. That allowed United to avoid making any public comment on the player until they released a five-line statement on Wednesday, exactly three months after Cavallin filed her first complaint against Antony.

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  Shocking interview

  Cavallin's interview with Brazilian website – released on Monday and containing excruciating detail of three separate, abusive incidents between the DJ and Antony – blew the case wide open.

  Cavallin told she was first assaulted by Antony on June 1 2022, while she was pregnant and on holiday in Brazil. She claimed Antony, who was then at Ajax, put her in a car, attacked her and threatened to throw her from the moving vehicle at speed.

  "He said that if I didn't stay with him, I wouldn't stay with anyone. I told him that I was pregnant, that he was scaring me, making my heart race. I was shaking with fear," Cavallin said.

  The DJ also alleged that in January 2023 Antony headbutted her and dislocated one of her breast implants. She also claimed that in May 2023 he locked her in a house after throwing a glass at her, which led to cutting her finger down to the bone.

  Greater Manchester Police confirmed later on Monday it was making enquiries into the case. Still, there was no response from United. There was plenty of reaction from elsewhere, however.

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  'Culture of impunity'

  "The world is watching Manchester United to see how one of the biggest clubs responds to these latest reports of domestic abuse," said Andrea Simon, director of End Violence Against Women Coalition.

  "We once again call on the Premier League and FA to take meaningful action as it is clear that these are not incidents they can take in isolation, but part of a pattern of behaviour within a culture that enables footballers to perpetrate violence against women with impunity."

  Refuge, meanwhile, lamented the way clubs had dealt with previous cases of abuse.

  "Refuge is deeply concerned by the number of domestic abuse allegations involving high profile sports figures, such as footballers, that have been emerging in the media over the last few months, and the responses that clubs have had to these," said Tracy Blackwell, director of strategic insights and partnerships.

  "It is important that the FA, Premier League and clubs make it clear to their fans that they do not condone any forms of violence against women and girls. Domestic abuse is a crime and should be treated as such. Swift action needs to be taken to adopt a zero-tolerance policy to abuse and address this culture of violence against women and girls within football."

MatériaMais Notícias

Devido a pandemia do coronavírus, o Campeonato Catarinense foi interrompido justamente no mata-mata, hora que os técnicos colocam em prática o poder de decisão e colocam o seu time no topo da glória.

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Neste ano, os gigantes se saíram bem no geral. A única exceção foi a Chapecoense, que passou grande parte do torneio entre os últimos, mas garantiu a sua vaga no G-8.

Década

Se neste ano os grandes mostraram a sua força, na década passada a história não foi diferente. Sem dar chance aos pequenos, Avaí, Criciúma, Chape, Figueirense e Joinville travaram grandes batalhas pelos títulos e encheram as torcidas de orgulho.

Equilíbrio

Para entender melhor o equilíbrio entre eles é só olhar a lista de campeão, que tem Avaí, Chape e Figueira no topo, com três títulos. O intruso é o Criciúma, em 2013.

Vice-Campeão

O time que mais saiu da final com gosto amargo na boca é o Joinville, que foi superado por quatro vezes. A Chapecoense, com os vices das últimas duas edições, fica na segunda liderança do ranking com três derrotas.

Veja a lista dos campeões e vices:
2010: Campeão: Avaí – Vice: Joinville
2011: Campeão: Chapecoense – Vice: Criciúma
2012: Campeão: Avaí – Vice: Figueirense
2013: Campeão: Criciúma – Vice: Chapecoense
2014: Campeão: Figueirense – Vice: Joinville
2015: Campeão: Figueirense – Vice: Joinville
2016: Campeão: Chapecoense – Vice: Joinville
2017: Campeão: Chapecoense – Vice: Avaí
2018: Campeão: Figueirense – Vice: Chapecoense
2019: Campeão: Avaí – Vice: Chapecoense

Títulos
1º Avaí, Chapecoense e Figueirense – 3 títulos
2º Criciúma – 1 título

Vices
1º Joinville – 4 vezes
2º Chapecoense – 3 vezes
3º Avaí, Criciúma e Figueirense – 1 vez

MatériaMais Notícias

Avassalador em 2019, o Flamengo iniciou 2020 com a rotina de títulos do ano anterior e com uma equipe ainda mais reforçada. Aliás, de todos os seis reforços para esta temporada, apenas Pedro Rocha, justamente o primeiro a ser anunciado pelo clube, ainda não teve a oportunidade de mostrar serviço.

Contra o Boavista, no último sábado, Thiago Maia iniciou entre os titulares pela final da Taça Guanabara, deixando Rocha sozinho na fila de espera. E Jorge Jesus, após o título do turno estadual, explicou o atual cenário para o atacante.

– Ele (Pedro Rocha) faze qualquer posição no ataque. É um jogador muito rápido a pensar e a executar. Veio com um problema de lesão que o estamos recuperando de pouco em pouco. Joga numa posição onde têm jogado Bruno Henrique e Gabigol – explicou o Mister, emendando:

– Tenho dificuldade de lhe dar algum tempo de jogo. Mas vão haver muitos jogos, vamos continuar com o Carioca, onde ele vai atuar. A posição dos nossos atacantes requer conhecimento tático com bola e sem bola. Ele anda à procura disso – completou.

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Pouco depois da entrevista coletiva do português, a assessoria de imprensa do Fla explicou que Pedro Rocha havia iniciado a pré-temporadacom desequilíbrio físico e, atualmente, está fazendo trabalhos específicos para compensá-la (o principal motivo até aqui).

Jesus deu a entender que Pedro Rocha briga por vaga entre os “avançados” no esquema com dois homens de frente – Bruno Henrique e Gabigol. É provável que a Taça Rio sirva de apronto para o camisa 32 brilhar na temporada.

Em tempo: com opção de compra por parte rubro-negra, Pedro Rocha, de 25 anos, está emprestado pelo Spartak Moscou até dezembro deste ano.

James Vince has a final battle with England’s leading wicket-taker James Anderson to surmount before England’s selectors discuss a potential Test debut at Headingley

David Hopps07-May-2016James Vince has one final task awaiting him – to withstand a going-over from England’s record Test wicket-taker – as he seeks to satisfy expectations that he is ready for a Test debut against Sri Lanka at Headingley.There is a growing sense in the higher echelons of English cricket that Vince’s time is nigh and a commanding performance for Hampshire at Old Trafford against James Anderson, 433 Test wickets to his name and no thoughts whatsoever of retirement, and the rest of Lancashire’s attack, would add the final touches to a CV that England are of a mind to accept.It has been a good early season for batsmen wishing to pronounce themselves of England quality. Pitches are flatter in the Specsavers Championship because of the new toss regulations which allow the visiting side the bat first if they wish (11 of 13 matches have been drawn), and demand an approach from batsmen and bowlers alike which have more in common with Test cricket.Now a mini-heatwave has arrived across England with the promise of more batting rewards. Batsmen are expected to bat long; bowlers know that wins will be hard earned on pitches that no longer nibble around all day.What 25-year-old would not want to grasp the opportunity which has presented itself as respected judges sing his praises?A full programme of matches, beginning on Sunday, is the final chance for England contenders to enhance their claims with all attention on the composition of an England top six that is awash with uncertainty.Alex Hales will probably be retained as opener, but Nick Compton only averaged 30.6 during his Test return in South Africa and appears vulnerable at No 3 and the sad end to James Taylor’s career because of a heart ailment leaves England with a vacancy at No 5. Vince’s admirers spend most time debating which slot he should fill.Trevor Bayliss, England’s coach, returned to the country on Wednesday after a short holiday in his native Australia following World Twenty20 and he is expected to hot foot it to Manchester to draw his own conclusions about Vince’s readiness for Test cricket as well as take in Ian Bell’s form down the M6 at Edgbaston.Vince’s flawless 119 against the defending champions Yorkshire at Headingley last month has been presented as a defining innings in his first-class career. Jason Gillespie, Yorkshire’s director of cricket, said afterwards: “He’s a proper player, no doubt about that.” James Whitaker, England’s national selector, was another admirer looking on.Andy Flower, coach to England Lions and the England Performance Programme, is often guarded with his assessment of up-and-coming players, but he has made little secret of his admiration for Vince. “He made a great start this season with Hampshire up at Yorkshire making a hundred in a tough situation against a good attack, one that’s used to winning,” he told the “That bodes well for him and he’s learnt a lot about himself over the last few years. I’d be surprised if he’s not pushing hard for selection for that first Test.”One of Flower’s responsibilities is to develop leadership potential among young England players and, although England’s most pressing need from Vince is for runs – whether at No 3 or No 5 with Joe Root bound to be retained at four – Flower is always predisposed to players of discipline and team ethic as Kevin Pietersen became keenly aware.Andy Flower has turned his attentions to England Lions•Getty ImagesIt is two-and-a-half years Flower was sacked as England’s team director in the wake of an acriminious Ashes whitewash and his rehabilitation as coach of the Lions has had Vince, as captain, at its heart.”Tactically he’s very astute and very calm,” Flower said. “His players like playing for him and he communicated very well with his bowlers. I think he’s really started to enjoy the responsibility of captaincy and that’s been great to see. That’s very much part of our job, to give them these experiences.”Vince’s England debut was a non-event – a rained off ODI against Ireland in Dublin when all attention surrounded Flower’s replacement as team director, Peter Moores, who learned of his sacking immediately after the match. Four Twenty20 internationals have followed, including a level-headed contribution in World T20 against Afghanistan in Delhi, in which he has integrated smoothly into the squad.Vince’s first-class average of 41 is hardly irresistible, but Michael Vaughan, the former England captain and a batsman much in the same mould, believes that he is capable of addressing the rise in quality in Test cricket better than most. That was certainly true for Vaughan, who averaged 37 in first-class cricket but 42 in Tests.”You have to try to move the team on with better players and I think Vince is the better player,” Vaughan said. “He’s played well for Hampshire for many years. He’s got the right style of game that might even go to another level when he plays Test cricket.”Vaughan would bat Vince at No 3 where Compton has done little to appease his critics since his return. He made 85 as England beat South Africa in the first Test in Durban, followed that with solid returns of 49 and 45, but as the tour progressed did not pass 26 in five innings. His form for Middlesex has also been unspectacular – he averages 24 without a half-century – and if he was omitted he might view a third coming as highly improbable.Gary Ballance’s tortuous form for Yorkshire has also stilled talk of his potential return in the middle order.Bell, by contrast, has been in bountiful form in his new role of Warwickshire captain, averaging more than 80. It remains to be seen whether the selectors will wish to back-track and return to him so soon, especially at 34, but unless they drop Alex Hales to No 3 to find a place for Sam Robson at the top of the order, they might have to.As for Vince, in a summer where Sri Lanka and Pakistan are the visitors, it seems a good time to discover in Test cricket whether he has the substance to go with his style.

ScorecardJack Shantry picked up in-form man Michael Carberry late in the day•Getty Images

Bowlers Joe Leach and Jack Shantry took three late wickets to swing the first day in Worcestershire’s favour at the Ageas Bowl. Hampshire looked in control on 88 for 1, having batted slowly on a rain affected day, but evening scalps dragged the game back into the visitors’ grasp.Shantry found the edge of Hampshire’s most dangerous batsman this season, Michael Carberry, before Leach had Jimmy Adams and nightwatchman James Tomlinson leg before. The day will also stick in the mind of another Worcestershire fast bowler – Ed Barnard – who took his maiden first class wicket on his debut – the scalp of Hampshire opener Liam Dawson.After a washed out morning, play finally got underway for the day at 3pm after Worcestershire had won the toss and decided to field on a green-tinged wicket with rarely-seen blue skies overhead. Before play got under way, Hampshire awarded former Durham batsman Will Smith a county cap, while Worcestershire gave first-class debuts to Barnard and England Under-19 colleague Joe Clarke – and a Championship debut to New Zealander Colin Munro.The two counties were promoted together from Division Two last season but have found life in the top flight more difficult – with just one win between the sides – with both viewing this encounter as a must win.In that spirit, Adams and Dawson carefully watched a dangerous opening spell by Leach and Charlie Morris go by without too many issues. Dawson beautifully timed a drive on the back foot to collect the first boundary of the match as both openers looked to play straight. The first stand went past 50 for the second game in a row but again Adams and Dawson couldn’t reach three figures together – Dawson poking a Barnard delivery to Daryl Mitchell for 39.Carberry joined his captain at the crease and survived a vocal shout for caught behind off Leach – the slip cordon and bowler staring at an unmoved umpire Michael Gough in disbelief. The former Test opener smeared a drive through the covers and pulled heftily in front of square – as the home side moved past 100 in the 44th over.Carberry departed with 4.4 overs left of the day, as he ended his run of three straight half centuries in first-class matches, edging behind to Ben Cox off a lively Shantry delivery. And in the next over Adams departed two short of a fourth half century of the season and Tomlinson went in the same way to the final delivery of the day off of Leach as Hampshire toiled in the late evening sunshine.”There were a few nerves jangling around when I got the nod but at the end of the day it’s just another game,” Worcestershire fast bowler Barnard said. “Jack, Joe and Charlie were giving me advice and they are three experienced bowlers and have done very well this season. To have them next to me was good for me. It was a great last 45 minutes but I think we deserved it after the way we bowled throughout the day.”We were consistent and kept the pressure on them without letting them get away. Joe getting that last one at the end was an extra bonus. I think 250 will be a decent score but own aim will be to keep them under 200. We will want to get a big lead and not have to bat again but we have to see how it goes tomorrow and take the battle from there.”Hampshire first-team coach Dale Benkenstein admitted it was not the best finish to the day, saying: “It wasn’t a good end to the day but we had a good couple of hours before that. We would have had a bowl as well and knowing that if you don’t bowl well you only have 50 overs on the park. I thought our guys did well upfront to the new ball but we have the same problem every game where no batsman takes the game by the scruff of the neck.”It’s not easy when the wicket is giving a bit of assistance to the seamers but we are not helping ourselves. There were times when they weren’t looking threatening but were still not giving us many runs. Credit to them, they made every run we did get hard to get. We should have been good enough to have got through today with maybe just one down, not four down.”

As Karnataka dispersed from the Chinnaswamy Stadium, the Mumbai players sat down at Adigas, the famous south Indian eatery in the stadium premises. They were not at all in a mood to celebrate Shardul Thakur becoming the leading wicket-taker of the season. They just wanted to put a shambolic day with the bat behind them. They had been bundled out for 44, Mumbai’s second-lowest total in first-class cricket.As has been the case throughout the season, Mumbai’s batting crumbled under pressure, leaving themselves with too much to do while batting fourth on a difficult wicket. This was, in fact, the seventh batting collapse of the season for Mumbai. And it was the worst of them all. The captain Aditya Tare had no qualms admitting it.”We have had a bad day as you can see. Getting all out in 15 overs is not acceptable by any means, especially at this stage of the tournament. But yeah, we have had off days in the entire season. The best thing is how we come out of it. We have to look up to that first,” Tare said.Tare, however, was also quick to point out the umpiring howlers which he and his team-mates were at the end of. While Robin Uthappa was adjudged not out early in the day by umpire Vineet Kulkarni when he was plumb in front, the same umpire ruled Tare caught behind when the ball didn’t hit anything on the way to wicketkeeper CM Gautam.

Nayar cleared of serious injury

Abhishek Nayar will spend a night in the hospital after falling awkwardly on his head while chasing a ball in his follow-through. Though the bowler is cleared of any special damage, he will be monitored for 24 hours before being released.
During the 52nd over of the innings, Vinay Kumar dabbed Nayar on the off-side and took off for a single. Nayar ran towards the ball and fell on his head while trying to flick it towards the stump. Though he completed the over after receiving medical attention, he was getting blackouts soon after exiting the field. He was then rushed to the hospital for scans.
“The player was admitted to our hospital this afternoon after complaining of headache and vomiting. He has a concussive head injury. The brain and cervical scans are normal, so there is nothing to worry. He is in the ICU for a 24-hour observation,” Ajit Benedict Ryan, the vice president of Hosmat Hospital, said.

“Things haven’t gone in our favour as well. Robin [Uthappa] was plumb in front, they would have been 30 for 3 and probably [we would have bowled them out for] 100-150, you never know. I wasn’t out and from there, it completely changed. The momentum completely swung,” Tare said. “And Mumbai have been suffering from bad decisions throughout the last two-three years. But it’s part of the game, we have to accept it. But we still have four more days.”Tare’s Karnataka counterpart, Vinay Kumar, was, as expected, thrilled with the effort of his boys. Vinay, who lead from the front with a six-wicket haul, admitted they hadn’t expected to run through the Mumbai side.”The cracks were a bit open in the morning itself, which is why elected to bat first. Batting fourth would be very difficult on this wicket. [After getting bowled out for 202] we tried to bowl in the right areas, we were planning to get five-six wickets, we were lucky enough to get them all out,” Vinay said.Despite being dejected, Tare stressed on the excellent work of Karnataka’s pace triumvirate of Vinay, Abhimanyu Mithun and S Aravind.”We just wanted play normally, as if we were batting in the first innings. We had no target in our mind. We knew that there are lots of cracks on the pith and obviously, it will do a bit,” he said. “You can’t take away credit from them. They have got three bowlers with 30-plus wickets in the season, so they have a bowling unit which is in tremendous form. You can’t take away credit from them.”While Vinay was thrilled to have bowled Mumbai out for their lowest total against Karnataka, Tare found it difficult to deal with the fact that Mumbai had been bundled out for only their third sub-50 total. “That’s a record I can’t be proud of for sure but obviously we will look to bounce back for sure.”

The University of Pretoria has been accredited by the ICC as the latest testing center for suspected illegal bowling actions

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Dec-2014

The University of Pretoria has been accredited by the ICC as the latest testing center for suspected illegal bowling actions. The center is the fifth in the list that includes Cricket Australia’s National Cricket Center in Brisbane, Cardiff Metropolitan University*, the Loughborough University in Leicestershire, and the Sri Ramachandra University in Chennai as testing facilities for players reported in international cricket under the ICC regulations.The facility was assessed against a range of criteria, including having an indoor area large enough to allow a player to bowl off his or her normal full run-up, a motion analysis system with a minimum of 12 high-speed cameras capable of producing three-dimensional data, and suitably qualified personnel experienced in using such systems and implementing the ICC testing protocol.An ICC release stated that the accreditation of the University of Pretoria was part of an effort to “tackle the issue of illegal bowling actions in a number of ways, including the location of accredited testing facilities in each region.”In order to allow for a consistent assessment of bowlers across different facilities and countries, the ICC has provided the same testing equipment and software to all four centers. * December 12, 16.50 GMT – The article had previously mentioned University of Pretoria as the fourth testing center. This has been corrected

Former South African allrounder Jacques Kallis has said that his decision to retire from international cricket was well considered and not taken at the spur of the moment

Gaurav Kalra28-Sep-2014Former South Africa allrounder Jacques Kallis has said that his decision to retire from international cricket was well considered and not taken at the spur of the moment. Speaking exclusively to ESPNcricinfo, Kallis revealed he felt “the time was right” to walk away from the game despite making his ambitions of playing the 2015 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand public earlier.”I have always said the day I wake up and I don’t have that feeling of wanting to play international cricket, I’ll call it quits and that’s exactly what happened,” he said. “I was always going to be honest with myself about that. It would have been nice to get through to the 2015 World Cup but I’m certainly not going to play if I am even 1% off from where I should be for international cricket.”Kallis announced his decision to retire after scores of 0,1 and 4 in the three-ODI series against Sri Lanka in July. He had announced his Test retirement in December 2013 after the final Test against India in Durban. “I know I have made the right choice. I sleep comfortably at night,” he said. “I felt I had spent enough time away from home, other things were more important than international cricket to me.”Over the course of his career, Kallis was part of five World Cup campaigns that ended in defeat. He insists the tag of chokers is “overused” and is regarded as a “joke” within the side. According to Kallis “little things have gone wrong at the wrong time” in previous World Cups for South Africa. “Somewhere along the line I can guarantee you South Africa will win a World Cup and the way the team is playing at the moment, there’s no reason it can’t be the one coming up.”While Kallis’ international career might be over after 166 Tests and 328 ODIs, he intends to continue playing T20 cricket around the world for a few more years. Currently in India for the Champions League T20 as a member of Kolkata Knight Riders, Kallis said he enjoyed the role of mentoring younger players. “When I grew up, seniors did that for me. I have 20 years of knowledge and I can pass that on to some of the youngsters and help them become cricketers they want to become.”Knight Riders, who won their second IPL title in three years in June, are currently on a hot streak of 12 consecutive victories. Kallis credited the success to the players getting on well both “on and off the field”. “The side was very cleverly and well chosen. Sometimes being a good cricketer doesn’t mean you are going to become a good team man,” he said. “The side has very much been selected on guys getting on well off the field which sometimes plays a massive role on the field.”They were the first team to qualify for the semi-finals of the CLT20, racking up three successive wins, but Kallis insists there is no talk about the title in the dressing room. “Not a word has been spoken about that yet. We take it one game at a time. That’s been a strength of this side; it’s the reason why we’ve won 12 in a row because we haven’t looked ahead.”Despite the growing popularity of T20 Kallis, who is the second-highest century maker and third-highest run-getter in Test cricket, believes the longest format of the game is “healthy”. “I believe there’s no need to change anything about Test cricket,” he said. “Cricketers still want to be judged at how good they are in Tests. I think T20 has been magnificent for the game, it has speeded up Test cricket, made it more exciting, brought new audiences to Test cricket.”

يفتتح فريق الكرة بالنادي الأهلي مشواره في الموسم الجديد من الدوري، بمواجهة قوية أمام المصري البورسعيدي، في إطار منافسات الجولة الأولى.

ومن المقرر أن يلتقي فريقا الأهلي والمصري على أرضية استاد برج العرب في مدينة الإسكندرية.

ويسعى لاعبو الأهلي للفوز في المباراة ومصالحة الجماهير، خاصة بعد خسارة لقب السوبر الإفريقي أمام اتحاد العاصمة الجزائري، بهدف دون رد، في المباراة التي أقيمت الجمعة الماضية.

طالع | حكم مباراة الأهلي والمصري في الدوري

كما يرغب كولر ولاعبوه في الفوز وبدء مشوار إيجابي نحو تحقيق لقب الدوري في الموسم الجديد بجانب كونه حامل اللقب في الموسم الماضي.

وكانت مباراتا الأهلي والمصري في الموسم الماضي قد انتهيا بالتعادل السلبي بين الفريقين.

ويغيب عن صفوف الأهلي عدد من اللاعبين على رأسهم الثلاثي عمرو ‏السولية وكريم نيدفيد ومحمود متولي بسبب معاناتهم من الإصابة، وذلك بجانب صلاح محسن لتراكم الإنذارات.

ومن المتوقع أن تشهد مباراة الأهلي والمصري الظهور الأول للفرنسي موديست مهاجم القلعة الحمراء الجديد بعد انضمامه للفريق في الموسم الجاري.

واستطاع الأهلي التتويج ببطولة الدوري المصري الموسم الماضي للمرة 43 في تاريخه، بعدما أنهى المسابقة متصدراً للترتيب برصيد 83 نقطة.

بينما المصري أنهى الموسم الماضي محتلاً المركز الخامس في جدول ترتيب الدوري برصيد 48 نقطة.