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Pakistan Test captain Misbah-ul-Haq has identified the paucity of fifty-over cricket at domestic level as the main cause of the team’s current ODI struggles

Umar Farooq18-Sep-2016Pakistan Test captain Misbah-ul-Haq has identified the paucity of 50-over cricket at domestic level as the main cause of the team’s current ODI struggles. Pakistan’s domestic structure has undergone several changes in recent years and Misbah said the one-day game has been getting the short shrift.”While a Pakistani domestic cricketer may play at least ten to twenty first-class matches a season, he doesn’t get the same match practice in the 50-over format,” Misbah told ESPNcricinfo. “I have long been saying that we need to lay greater emphasis on one-day cricket in our domestic system, and play more one-day games, because you can’t evolve by playing a maximum of five 50-over matches a year in the domestic circuit.”While Pakistan are the No. 1 Test team in the world, they languish at No. 9 in the ODI rankings. Misbah was clear the discrepancy in the team’s fortunes was due to lack of exposure, and not talent.”We have just one fifty-over tournament and the format is not even played at club level anymore,” he said. “Most of the cricket at grassroots level is 20 to 25 overs; this is one big reason that our ODI cricket has deteriorated and we are standing at No. 9. We needed and still need to develop our resources and we can only do so by increasing the number of games in our domestic tournament. The reason we are on top in Tests is because our players are getting enough games and exposure at domestic level. That is the only reason I see.”Otherwise, these players are talented and they have shown glimpses of their flair, though not consistently. So this talent needs to be nurtured by giving them more games at domestic level. Exposure to a lot of competitive cricket will enable them to polish their skills.”Misbah took over the ODI reins in May 2011 and led the side for almost four years, before stepping down after the 2015 World Cup. Having won 13 of their first 14 matches under Misbah, Pakistan’s results took a nosedive with 38 losses in the remaining 72 matches of his tenure. Azhar Ali has managed only nine wins in 25 matches. Misbah, however, insisted that the captain should not be the only one blamed for poor performance.”In Pakistan, there is a perception that the captain is the only one responsible for everything. Cricket is a team game and every player has to contribute,” he said. “We used every possible talent in the country but it didn’t work. Whenever you are forced to change, that is because team isn’t performing. Unfortunately, in one-day cricket, the boys haven’t performed well, like they have done in Test cricket. The bowling, after Saeed Ajmal, hasn’t done enough and the batting has never been consistent.”In the search for solutions to the team’s ODI slump, Pakistan’s selectors have tried well over 40 players since the start of Misbah’s captaincy, in a seemingly never-ending transition.”When the team doesn’t perform and keeps losing, then changes are necessary,” Misbah said. “But when you start winning then you can back the talent and just go into the future with that. But that wasn’t really the case for Pakistan. We tried a lot of players in a bid to find a good combination, but it didn’t give results and players were dropped because they never gave us a chance to retain them.”Nobody wants to carry on with failure and if a player is stuck with his weakness and not improving, regardless of his potential, you have to drop him and move on. This not only good for the team, but also for the player because you can’t allow him to play with consistent failure – it is really unfair as it can cost him his career, so you have to be think tactically as well.”Pakistan have 14 ODIs scheduled before the window for direct qualification into the 2019 World Cup in England closes and Misbah has backed coach Mickey Arthur’s efforts to make sure they are among the top eight teams by the September 2017 deadline.”The important thing is that he is trying to bring a structural change from top,” Misbah said. “There was connection missing in between and that is being connected. Players’ fitness, bowling actions, batting techniques are being taken into consideration before selecting a squad to represent the country. Fitness is a major component and players must realise that.”

ترتيب الدوري الإسباني بعد نهاية الجولة الـ 22

فاز ريال مدريد على مضيفه خيتافي بنتيجة 2/0، في إطار منافسات الجولة الـ22 من الدوري الإسباني لكرة القدم “لاليجا”.

وتغلب فريق برشلونة على نظيره أوساسونا بهدف دون مقابل في منافسات الدوري الإسباني مساء الأربعاء.

والتقى برشلونة وأوساسونا في مباراة مؤجلة من الجولة العشرين للدوري الإسباني “الليجا” موسم 2023-2024.

وتجاوز أتلتيكو مدريد نظيره رايو فاييكانو، بعد الفوز عليه بنتيجة 2/1. جدول ترتيب الدوري الإسباني

1. ريال مدريد، 57 نقطة.

2. جيرونا، 55 نقطة.

3. أتلتيكو مدريد، 47 نقطة.

4. برشلونة، 47 نقطة.

5. أتلتيك بلباو، 42 نقطة. 

6. ريال سوسيداد، 36 نقطة.

7. ريال بيتيس، 34 نقطة.

8. فالنسيا، 32 نقطة.

9 لاس بالماس، 31 نقطة.

10 خيتافي، 29 نقطة.

11 ألافيس، 26 نقطة.

12 أوساسونا، 26 نقطة.

13 رايو فاييكانو، 24 نقطة.

14 فياريال، 23 نقطة.

15 مايوركا، 20 نقطة.

16 إشبيلية، 17 نقطة.

17 سيلتا فيجو، 17 نقطة.

18 قادش، 16 نقطة.

19 غرناطة، 11 نقطة.

20 ألميريا، 6 نقاط.

ويمكنكم متابعة ترتيب الدوري الإسباني، موسم 2023/24، محدث بشكل مستمر من هنا.

Newcastle United are currently third in the Premier League table with four matches left to play and are on course to secure their place in the Champions League next season.

The Magpies, who managed to avoid relegation from the top-flight last term, are set to make their return to the European stage and one of the secrets to their success has been their exceptional recruitment.

Dan Ashworth joined as the sporting director for the club last summer and enjoyed an excellent first window at the helm with a number of his signings turning out to be sublime pieces of business.

Newcastle transfer news – Magpies eye Elye Wahi

One player, in particular, who has caught the eye is centre-forward Alexander Isak. The 23-year-old joined the Toon from Real Sociedad and has enjoyed a terrific debut campaign with the club.

He has scored ten goals and provided one assist in 18 Premier League appearances, starting 13 times, and has shown his immense quality on the ball on a consistent basis in the final third when selected.

The signing of Isak has proven, so far, to be a masterclass from Ashworth as the English chief was able to identify a clinical, young, European forward who has been able to hit the ground running.

Newcastle's sporting director could repeat that feat this summer by swooping to sign Montpellier striker Elye Wahi, who is a reported target for the club.

Who is Eyle Wahi?

He is a 20-year-old French centre-forward who is valued at €40m (£35m) by his current club and has been thriving in Ligue 1 this season.

The 6 foot 1 dynamo has plundered 17 goals and four assists in 27 starts for Montpellier in the French top-flight and has proven himself to be a reliable goalscorer in spite of his young age.

Since making his debut during the 2020/21 campaign, Wahi has found the back of the net 30 times in 50 Ligue 1 starts and that is a phenomenal return for a player who only turned 20 in January of this year.

Talent scout Jacek Kulig hailed the France U21 international as "incredible" earlier this month and has tipped the forward to have a "huge future" in the game, which is backed up by his staggering statistics in the French top-flight.

Isak arrived at the age of 22 and was able to make an instant impact on the team with his goalscoring exploits and Wahi could follow in his footsteps next season.

The ex-Caen youngster has proven himself to be a phenomenal scorer in Ligue 1 and Ashworth must now take another gamble on a young European forward by signing the gem to bolster Eddie Howe's squad this summer.

يستمر الغموض بشأن مصير النجم الفرنسي كيليان مبابي، مهاجم باريس سان جيرمان، والذي أصبح حرًا في التفاوض مع أي نادٍ منذ بداية يناير الجاري.

ويلعب مبابي العام الأخير في عقده مع باريس سان جيرمان، حيث ينتهي عقده الحالي بنهاية الموسم في يونيو 2024 ولم يصل لاتفاق للتمديد.

وارتبط مبابي على مدار الأعوام الماضية بانتقال محتمل إلى ريال مدريد الإسباني، الذي رغب في ضمه منذ أن كان لاعبًا في موناكو، في عام 2017.

وتتجدد الأنباء حول مستقبل مبابي بحلول فترة الانتقالات، ويرتبط مجددًا بريال مدريد، لكن لا يعد النادي الإسباني هو المهتم الوحيد بضم البالغ من العمر 25 عامًا.

وبحسب صحيفة “ليكيب” الفرنسية، يرغب ليفربول في التعاقد مع مبابي ويبحث إمكانية ضم الفرنسي لصفوفه.

ويشير التقرير إلى أن ريال مدريد في مقعد القيادة لضم مبابي، لكن ليفربول ربما لم يعترف بالهزيمة حتى الآن.

ووفقًا لـ “ليكيب”، لم يقطع ليفربول الاتصال مطلقًا مع ممثلي مبابي فيما يتعلق بالانتقال إلى الفريق الإنجليزي.

وسبق وتحدث مبابي عن مستقبله مؤكدًا أنه لم يحسم قراره بعد، فيما أفاد ناصر الخليفي، رئيس باريس سان جيرمان بأنه لديه اتفاق مع مبابي لكنه لم يفصح عنه. 

وسجل مبابي حتى الآن 25 هدفًا في 24 مباراة مع باريس سان جيرمان هذا الموسم. 

Chelsea are reportedly interested in signing Barcelona winger Ousmane Dembele this summer and the Frenchman could form a dream duo with international teammate Christopher Nkunku at Stamford Bridge.

Could Chelsea sign Dembele?

Calcio Mercato reported last month that both Chelsea and Newcastle United could bid for the former Borussia Dortmund man in the summer transfer window after they were alerted to his £44m release clause at the Nou Camp.

Chelsea were heavily linked with signing the pacy winger in the summer of 2022 but were dealt a blow when he agreed to a two-year contract extension with the Catalan side.

Despite him producing some impressive performances in Xavi's side so far this campaign as they look destined to win the La Liga title, Barcelona's financial difficulties suggest that a summer move could still be on the cards a month after those initial reports.

How has Dembele performed at Barcelona this season?

Dembele has arguably never lived up to his price tag with Barcelona having joined the club in an eye-watering deal worth £96.8m back in 2017, as the Spanish giants sought a replacement for the outgoing Neymar.

It was easy to see why Barcelona wanted to sign the 20-year-old France international, given he had contributed ten goals and 22 assists in just 50 appearances for Dortmund, but injuries and poor form have plagued his six years at the Nou Camp.

Now 25, the electric wide man, who was tied as the fastest man in the Champions League earlier this season alongside January signing Mykhailo Mudryk, has notched 40 goals and 41 assists in 178 matches for Blaugrana, but his best performances have arguably come in the last two campaigns.

After re-establishing himself as a regular under Xavi, Dembele popped up with an impressive one goal and 13 assists in just 21 La Liga appearances last season, earning a superb 7.46 average rating from WhoScored.

This season has seen the ambidextrous winger hit five goals and five assists in just 18 league outings, with a 7.23 rating from WhoScored, which is better than anyone in Chelsea's squad, emphasising the quality and attacking output he could offer at Stamford Bridge.

Spanish football expert Terry Gibson lauded Dembele in an interview with the Daily Mail ahead of France's World Cup quarter-final tie against England in December, claiming that "Dembele can be just as effective as Mbappe. He can be unplayable at times."

Could Dembele form a partnership with Nkunku at Chelsea?

Chelsea have already confirmed the summer addition of RB Leipzig sensation Christopher Nkunku, and given the Frenchman's impressive speed and goalscoring record, the Blues could easily find themselves with two world-class wing options at Stamford Bridge next season.

The former PSG man can play anywhere in the attack and is as equally adept at creating chances as he is at putting them away, with 64 goals and 52 assists to his name in his time with the Bundesliga outfit.

This season alone, he has scored 17, suggesting that with Dembele's creativity, they could be quite the duo in west London.

The prospect of having two potentially world-class wingers in Nkunku and Dembele would surely help to solve Chelsea's woes in front of goal, so Todd Boehly should definitely be looking at signing the Barcelona star this summer.

West Ham United secured a crucial victory over Southampton yesterday to edge further away from the Premier League relegation zone, and it will hopefully inject some spark into David Moyes’ side.

This was the club’s first league win since the end of February, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. The Irons struggled to retain possession during the tie, but they managed more shots than the Saints with Nayef Aguerd ultimately scoring a header during the first half which proved to be more than enough to secure all three points.

Moyes will have been happy to see players such as Lucas Paqueta and Said Benerahma getting back into some sort of form, with the duo receiving ratings of 7/10 and 7.3/10 via Sofascore for their displays, although there were still a couple of bad performances.

Tomas Soucek endured a disappointing match, taking just 33 touches and completing only 11 of his 21 attempted passes. Indeed, he was somewhat of a passenger in the West Ham midfield that sought to establish a foothold in the match.

As Football.London's Jonty Colman noted, he was 'sloppy at times' in possession, a notion backed up by the fact that the Czech lost possession on 15 occasions throughout the clash. Also poor from a physical standpoint, he won just six of his 19 defensive duels.

That said, Moyes may well be disappointed at another one of his players for their abject display – Danny Ings.

How did Danny Ings perform against Southampton?

Ings’ 65 minutes on the pitch were extremely underwhelming, and it’s no wonder he was brought off for Michail Antonio.

The striker made just seven passes at a success rate of 47%, 15 fewer than goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski, as he failed to link up well with his teammates.

What was even more damning is that the ex-England international took no shots at all during the match.

West Ham correspondent for the Athletic, Roshane Thomas believes Ings doesn’t quite fit into Moyes’ tactical plan, saying: “I don't think this system works for Danny Ings. He's often too isolated up front. Hasn't quite clicked barring his two goals against Nottingham Forest. Antonio has great work rate so he has no issues playing as a lone striker. But Ings has struggled in that role.”

Taking just 25 touches in a game – 18 fewer than Fabianski – is often a sign that a player is isolated and Ings didn’t quite receive the service he required to make a meaningful difference.

Moyes signed the Englishman to score goals and a tie against his former employers in Southampton should have been the perfect opportunity for him to add another couple to his tally for the club.

If it wasn’t for Ageurd’s winner, the Hammers may well have dropped more vital points and with Ings responsible for scoring the goals to maintain the club’s league status, he has only heaped further pressure on Moyes.

Manchester United are one of the many European clubs who are following the Benfica striker Goncalo Ramos ahead of the summer transfer window.

What is Goncalo Ramos’ release clause?

The Red Devils are in need of a new striker in the summer with Wout Weghorst currently Erik ten Hag’s main option in the middle of his forward line.

Fabrizio Romano has claimed United have sent their scouts to monitor Ramos ahead of the summer as they look to bring in their next number nine.

However, they may face some competition if they are to pursue Ramos who will not come cheap with Romano suggesting he has a €120m (£106m) release clause in his contract.

Indeed, speaking on his YouTube channel, the Italian journalist has shone some light on the interest coming from Old Trafford in the 21-year-old:

“Manchester United scouts have been following the player for a really long time. They really appreciate Goncalo Ramos, he’s one of many players they are tracking. But it’s important to say the Benfica position – Benfica love the player, they want to keep him.

“But there is a release clause. The release clause is there. It’s going to be valid in the summer 100% and it’s €120m release clause for Goncalo Ramos – the same as Enzo Fernandez – so let’s see what happens.”

Would Goncalo Ramos be a good fit for Man United?

One thing which has been apparent this season is the Red Devils’ reliance on Marcus Rahford in front of goal with the Englishman by far their highest goalscorer this season.

So bringing in a player in the summer who is able to take some of the pressure off Rashford’s shoulders is critical but without hindering the 25-year-old’s output.

The Portuguese striker is enjoying a fantastic campaign in front of goal for Benfica having already netted 15 goals in his 19 league appearances as well as another eight in other competitions (via Transfermarkt).

However, what is interesting to see is Benfica play in a similar style to Ten Hag’s United with three behind the lone striker.

And despite Ramos having scored 15 goals in the league alone, the players around him have not suffered with winger Joao Mario also 14 in the league and a further six in other competitions.

In addition, David Neres has netted 10 in all competitions and Rafa has also returned Benfica with 12 goals across all competitions.

With this in mind, the 21-year-old could not only provide United with a long-term option in attack but it does seem as if his success does not limit the output of the players around him.

In comparison to reported target Harry Kane, Ramos has offered fewer shot-creating actions per 90 minutes, however, the Portuguese star is eight years younger than the England captain.

However, if the pair are both expected to cost in the region of £100m, it will be interesting to see whether United would be open to taking a risk with a player who could offer them more years in return compared to Kane.

West Bromwich Albion have endured a tumultuous past few years, which has seen them relegated from the Premier League, mid-table in the Championship, early-season relegation candidates and now promotion chasers.

Their emergence into the latter category can be attributed to the impressive work of Carlos Corberan, who took over from a beleaguered Steve Bruce to rescue the Baggies.

A progressive coach, the young Spaniard inherited a squad that had been constructed by various managers across several seasons.

Even during the January window, he was hardly able to stamp his mark on the team given the financial restrictions faced, as the club could only muster a loan signing and a free transfer.

Despite this, the 39-year-old has thrived with what was handed to him and most recently earned an impressive victory over the relentless Middlesborough to cement their place around the playoff spots.

One figure who has impressed throughout his tenure is Conor Townsend, who continues to occupy the left-back spot with a steely resolve and a dynamic play style.

How much is Conor Townsend worth?

Having been signed in 2018 by ex-manager Darren Moore, the 29-year-old has become something of a stalwart in the Hawthorns changing room. He has featured in every game this season for the Midlands outfit, proving himself a dependable asset for both regimes.

The former Scunthorpe United ace has come a long way from the unknown commodity that was acquired for just £750k.

Since then, however, he has unsurprisingly seen a meteoric rise in value, as he cemented himself as a regular starter for a side that enjoyed a season in the top-flight.

FootballTransfers actually have the apex of his expected Transfer Value at an impressive €7.9m (£6.9m), truly outlining this growth. That suggests that in just five years since his move his value has increased by a whopping 819%.

Boasting a 6.95 average rating for the campaign so far, Townsend has become an imperative player for his club both offensively and defensively.

The English machine manages to record 0.9 key passes alongside 2.0 clearances and 1.5 tackles per game, via Sofascore, thus truly supporting podcaster and writer Chris Lepkowski’s suggestion that he is “a really productive and industrious player”.

Although his time at the club was short-lived, Moore struck gold with this particular deal which has aided the club for many years following his dismissal.

Journalist Charles Watts has been left confused as to why Reiss Nelson was not back in contention for the Arsenal matchday squad despite being back in full training.

 What’s the word?

The 23-year-old attacker has not played for the Gunners since the break for the winter World Cup after picking up a thigh injury.

However, the winger has been training with the team since the start of February. Since then, though, he hasn’t been passed as fit enough to be involved in games against either Everton or Brentford.

Before that game against the Bees, manager Mikel Arteta explained that while he has “started to do some work outside”, Nelson is “not ready” to play any part just yet.

While speaking about the situation on YouTube, Watts seems confused by it all, saying: “I’m surprised he’s ruled Reiss Nelson out because Reiss has been training, in full training, for the last two weeks now.”He trained ahead of the Everton game last week and he trained all week this week, so I’m surprised he’s ruled him out. He says he’s still not ready to contribute, which is a bit surprising.”New man needed?Seeing as Nelson has been back training for a couple of weeks now, you would think he’d be ready to make the matchday squad, but evidently, Arteta doesn’t want to rush him back too early.Of course, in the winter, Arsenal went out and pulled off the signing of Leandro Trossard, so they do have at least some extra depth on the flanks now.Perhaps that’s why Arteta feels as though he can take his time reintroducing Nelson back into the picture. The Englishman, however, may be desperate to get back and impress with his contract set to expire in the summer.The 23-year-old has shown glimpses of his quality this term. Indeed, he came off the bench for an injured Bukayo Saka in October to score a brace and provide an assist in a 5-0 win over Nottingham Forest.Since then, Nelson has played just one minute of football in the league and so it’ll be a nice boost for the player and club when he’s truly back – which surely can’t be far away.

Tottenham Hotspur are notoriously hesitant when it comes to transfer negotiations, with Daniel Levy often drawing criticism for his frugality getting in the way of a deal.

This occurred all throughout January, as their pursuit of Pedro Porro was drawn out until he eventually signed towards the end of deadline day.

Their interest in the Spaniard was well-documented, so to see them struggle to complete the move must have been hard for fans to watch. Had another club been interested, it might not have ended as well as it did for the north Londoners.

However, this painstaking process often leads to the Lilywhites avoiding high-profile transfer missteps, with a few outstanding examples aside.

Whilst other clubs in their position might have jumped when an asset like Nicolo Zaniolo became available, Levy and Fabio Paratici’s hesitancy actually proved fruitful on this occasion.

It was suggested that they might make a deadline day move for the Italian, for whom Bournemouth saw a €35m (£31m) bid accepted before contract talks broke down, before Spurs seemingly opted against reuniting him with compatriots Antonio Conte and Fabio Paratici.

Signing a 23-year-old European talent with a glowing reputation may seem an attractive proposition on paper, but just one goal in Serie A this season tells a different story, his campaign instead standing out for being ostracised by his manager Jose Mourinho and the subject of defamatory banners from some Roma supporters.

Even last term, which was comfortably his best year personally, his return of eight goals and nine assists in all competitions papered over another league campaign with just two goals.

He may be a skilful asset who can be exciting to watch, but without any tangible impact, he has little to offer Spurs. The fact that he ranks in the top 4% for total shots when compared to attacking midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues over the past 12 months outlines him as a goal threat, but could also highlight a lack of proficiency.

Nonetheless, his rise through the ranks has been impressive to watch and is deserving of the “insane” description from journalist Siavoush Fallahi in 2018. Another media figure in Zach Lowy was even more glowing with his praise of the Italian, who he dubbed a “lethal playmaker” in 2019.

Zaniolo may well have continued that upwards trajectory had he moved to north London, but for the fee which was being touted and his current lack of goal output, along with a horrendous injury record, he would have represented poor value.

For once, Levy’s parsimony could have paid off for Tottenham.