Dhoni, du Plessis and the bowlers were exceptional, but lapses by the likes of Watson and Raina proved costly

Shashank Kishore13-May-2019Where did they finish?Ten playoffs in ten seasons, in the final on eight of those occasions, and they fell two runs short of their fourth IPL crown, a record their conquerors – Mumbai Indians – are now proud owners of.What went right?Their bowling were exceptional. Deepak Chahar was impressive with his Powerplay performances, and on the rare occasions that he was taken apart, like in the final, Shardul Thakur put his hand up.With 26 wickets, Imran Tahir proved he was far from finished at 40. He kept the middle overs quiet, and gave MS Dhoni the control he loves to have on the slow Chepauk tracks. Not far below him were Ravindra Jadeja and Harbhajan Singh, who proved he still has some gas left in the tank at 37.He may have lost the fizz in his delivery and the bounce that once made him as dangerous as Anil Kumble at home, but Harbhajan’s control and guile upfront with the new ball made him Dhoni’s go-to bowler at home.Shane Watson loses his off stump to Sam Curran•BCCIWhat went wrong?The middle order couldn’t deliver. As the tournament progressed, Ambati Rayudu was being reminded of his 3D jibe with every poor outing, Shane Watson kept eating up dot balls in the Powerplay, which reflected in an overall run rate of 6.29 during this passage, the poorest among all sides this season. Suresh Raina was a pale shadow of his former self in the yellow of Chennai, both with the bat and on the field. Because the middle order was misfiring, they had to try and slot in M Vijay and Dhruv Shorey, two top-order batsmen, lower down. This meant Mitchell Santner had to sit out, and this affected team balance.Key numbers The 60 wickets the Super Kings spinners picked up are the most by spinners in a single IPL season. Dhoni’s 245 runs were the third-most in the death overs, after Andre Russell and Hardik Pandya. He struck them at a strike rate of 185.Star performersMS Dhoni was back to being his destructive self with the bat, especially at the death. His wicketkeeping reflexes continued to be lightning and no opponent could relax while he was around. He brought dead games back into the realms of possibility, as Royal Challengers Bangalore found out, and was always one up on the opposition with his on-field tactics. There may be murmurs over his international retirement, but there was plenty to suggest Dhoni the Super King still had enough left in him even if he kept everyone guessing with his “hopefully, yes” quip when asked about his return in 2020.Faf du Plessis reinvented the wheel and was chiefly responsible for driving the batting, allowing Dhoni a hint of breathing space before teeing off. Earlier, du Plessis often had to fight for his position or had to miss out if team balance warranted that. This year, however, he was a constant for most parts and he delivered. On the field, he was among the fast movers that stood out amid a number of “safe fielders”, as Dhoni put it.What needs immediate fix?They need to start looking for Dhoni’s successor and slowly groom some youngsters. The team looked helpless on the two occasions Dhoni missed out because of illness. They may also consider looking for strong young Indian middle-order bats who can also bring in a new dimension to the side’s fielding. This article had earlier mentioned Super Kings were seven-time finalists. This has been corrected.

Crystal Palace are now keen on signing a “phenomenon” forward, and he could be seen as a potential replacement for Jean-Philippe Mateta, according to a recent report.

Parish looking to secure off-field appointments

The Eagles booked their place in the last four of the FA Cup over the weekend, and while matters on the pitch are going well for the South Londoners, Steve Parish is busy off it, looking to secure some key agreements.

What Steve Parish is doing to stop Oliver Glasner from joining RB Leipzig

Parish is hoping a key Crystal Palace figure will commit his future to the club.

1 ByBrett Worthington Mar 26, 2025

Palace are still continuing their search to find a replacement for Dougie Freedman, with Kieran Scott, Lee Dykes, and Iain Moody all being linked with the vacant role in recent weeks. Former West Ham sporting director Tim Steidten has also joined the race, with the German believed to be in pole position to join the Premier League side after Oliver Glasner gave his approval.

As well as looking for a new sporting director, Parish is also working hard behind the scenes to agree a new contract with Glasner. Football Insider reports that Palace are progressing in finding an agreement with the Austrian, but Glasner still wants some assurances around the future of some of his key players before committing to a new contract.

The 50-year-old will be in the final year of his deal this summer, and it is reported that he is happy at Selhurst Park despite interest from a Jurgen Klopp-led Red Bull project in Leipzig.

Crystal Palace looking to sign "phenomenon" ahead of West Ham

Another way Palace can confirm their desire to support Glasner is by backing him in the transfer market, and it looks as though they are willing to do just that. According to Caught Offside, Crystal Palace are interested in signing striker Georges Mikautadze from Lyon this summer.

The report states that the Eagles are looking at signing the 24-year-old, as he is believed to be open to a move to the Premier League. However, they are not the only team chasing the striker, as West Ham and Wolves are also keen on securing a deal, with the Hammers making Mikautadze a top target ahead of the summer transfer window.

Apps

38

Starts

17

Goals

14

Assists

8

Mikautadze, who has been dubbed a “phenomenon” by his former manager Emilio Ferrera, joined Lyon last summer and has scored eight goals in Ligue 1. The forward has also netted four times in the Europa League, and the French side will be turning to his aid next week when they come up against Manchester United in the quarter-finals of the competition.

Mikautadze may also be remembered for his Euro 2024 contribution, as he scored three goals in four games, one coming in the 2-0 win over Portugal in their final group match.

Palace have their eye on the Georgia international as a possible replacement for Mateta, who has been linked with a move to United in recent weeks, with Palace believed to be looking to get £40 million for his services.

It has been reported that Glasner wants Palace to agree to new terms with the striker, but if that can’t happen then a sale could happen this summer, given his deal expires in 2026. Mikautadze could be someone the Eagles turn to, and he is likely to cost less than what Palace sell Mateta for.

Sheffield United will still believe they have what it takes to pip Leeds United to the Championship title as Daniel Farke’s Whites begin to show some visible chinks in their armour.

The well-oiled Leeds machine has come unstuck recently with a defeat to Portsmouth taking everyone in the second tier by surprise, but Farke’s men have since recovered to return to the top of the division with a slender two point advantage over the Blades.

Yet, nothing can be taken for granted in the unpredictable nature of the EFL’s elite league, as Chris Wilder and Co attempt to leapfrog their West Yorkshire foes between now and the close of May.

Whilst the Blades do boast a standout attack, Wilder will have been left equally impressed by his defence making the step back down to the second tier, especially after a disastrous relegation saw them leak a jaw-dropping 104 goals.

Sheffield United's standout defenders

The South Yorkshire outfit were way out of their depth last campaign, with the return of the much-loved 57-year-old to the Bramall Lane dug-out during the season not enough to stop an inevitable relegation from happening.

Now, any lingering pain from slipping down to the Championship has been forgotten about, with the Blades only shipping 28 goals from 37 league clashes.

The promotion chasers have been boosted by the addition of new shot-stopper Michael Cooper with the ex-Plymouth Argyle goalkeeper an inspired pick-up from Devon, considering he has kept a hefty 18 clean sheets across 35 league matches.

Moreover, away from new additions, faces such as experienced centre-back Jack Robinson have found a fresh lease of life, with the 31-year-old winning 5.3 duels on average when featuring.

United did have to sign Rob Holding on a loan deal to add to their somewhat threadbare options at the back, but there will be no real regrets that they didn’t take a punt on Ipswich Town man Luke Woolfenden instead, knowing they have a colossus already in South Yorkshire.

Indeed, the promotion hopefuls were reportedly keen on adding the Tractor Boys defender to their ranks in January, but no such deal would come to fruition.

It wasn’t just the Blades that Woolfenden was linked with, as some reports declared there was interest from Inter Miami, a team owned by David Beckham and featuring the likes of Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez.

The Ipswich centre-back spoke about those rumours in a recent interview.

Messi or Tom Cannon? Instead, he’s still in the Premier League playing alongside Liam Delap and Co.

That shouldn’t frustrate Wilder too much though. Here’s why…

Sheffield United's "elite" star is worth more than Woolfenden

This could have been a worthwhile purchase – considering Woolfenden is still fresh off entering into the top flight with Kieran McKenna’s men – but Wilder already has Anel Ahmedhodzic at his disposal and the 26-year-old is worth a great deal more than the Ipswich-born centre-back.

Moreover, away from the likes of Robinson and Cooper already being mentioned, the Bosnian has been an absolute rock at the back this campaign for his side, with a well-timed header in February one of three goals he’s contributed to in the Championship.

This isn’t a one-off standout season from the 25-year-old, however, with the “elite” defender – as he’s been labelled by football analyst Ben Mattinson – one figure who managed to cover himself in some glory during his team’s dire relegation, with two goals picked up alongside winning 4.5 duels per Premier League match.

Ahmedhodzic’s numbers this season
Stat (per 90 mins)	Ahmedhodzic
League games played	29
Goals scored	2
Assists	1
Touches*	58.6
Accurate passes*	42.5 (91%)
Ball recoveries*	3.6
Clearances*	4.8
Total duels won*	3.8
Clean sheets	13
Value when purchased	£5.15m
New value	£15m
Stats by Sofascore/Transfermarkt

Looking at the table above, it’s clear that United hit absolute gold purchasing Ahmedhodzic when they did, with the Bosnian once costing the Championship side just £5.15m.

Now, the 6 foot 5 brute is worth a bumper £15m – as per Transfermarkt – with the one-time target of Woolfenden worth just £1.6m on the contrary.

Therefore, there will be no agony on United’s end that a move for Woolfenden didn’t happen, with any defensive purchases moving forward having to accommodate around main man Ahmedhodzic.

Sheffield United must regret selling a star who's "like Ronaldo"

The former Sheffield United centre-forward has enjoyed a great career since moving on from the club.

By
Dan Emery

Mar 13, 2025

da pixbet： The campaign is still a month away from completion, although attention at Manchester United is swiftly turning toward the summer transfer window and the need to bolster Ruben Amorim’s ranks.

da realbet： While it would be foolish for anyone of a United persuasion to be too optimistic regarding the impact of potential new signings, amid the club’s wretched recruitment record over the last decade or so, it is difficult to argue that this side is in need of major surgery once again.

With departures expected to reach double figures, ahead of next season, there is likely to be something of an overhaul at Old Trafford, with drastic improvement needed amid the Red Devils’ place in the bottom half of the Premier League table.

Much could depend on whether or not Champions League qualification is secured, via Europa League glory, although regardless of what occurs on the continent, it looks as if the INEOS regime are already closing in on the signing of wantaway Wolverhampton Wanderers man, Matheus Cunha.

The latest on Man Utd's move for Cunha

It’s fair to say that Cunha can’t have done much more to catch the eye of those at Old Trafford this season. Indeed, during Wolves’ 2-0 win over United on Boxing Day, the Brazilian was simply sensational for the hosts, having scored directly from a corner, while also teeing up Hwang Hee-chan for the second of the day.

That was followed by the 25-year-old’s impact in Sunday’s 1-0 win for the Old Gold, as it was actually his surging run which earned the free-kick that Pablo Sarabia duly converted.

Now onto 14 league goals for the season, Cunha appears all but certain for a Molineux exit this summer – following prior January interest – having already outlined his desire to “take the next step” in his career.

As widely reported, that ‘next step’ looks set to lead the former Atletico Madrid man to Manchester, with positive talks having been held regarding the forward’s potential contract at the Theatre of Dreams.

That move for the £62.5m sensation could represent the first piece of business in a potentially hectic summer for the Red Devils.

Man Utd readying offer for new midfielder

Alongside that interest in the Wolves ace, it would appear that United are also keeping a close eye on Ipswich Town starlet, Liam Delap, with the Englishman set to be available for £30m amid the Tractor Boys’ impending relegation.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

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Elsewhere, meanwhile, reports in Spain have suggested that Amorim and co could also go back in for a long-term target, in the form of Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong, with the Dutchman said to be ‘back on the Red Devils’ radar’.

As per the report, United are ‘willing to present a proposal’ in order to entice the LaLiga giants into a summer sale, with the Premier League said to be ready to ‘test the limits’ of Barca’s resolve.

The 27-year-old was famously linked with the Old Trafford side back in the summer of 2022, during Erik ten Hag’s first window in charge, albeit despite an agreement on a fee, a deal for the former Ajax midfielder couldn’t get over the line amid issues regarding personal terms.

There may be a feeling of De Jong’s chance having come and gone, although United should still jump at the opportunity to land such a statement signing.

How De Jong could fit in at Man Utd

There could well be a fresh look to Amorim’s 3-4-3 set-up next term, with a new goalkeeper and centre-forward seemingly set to be prioritised, while Cunha would likely line up in one of the two number ten berths.

The Wolves talisman has already thrived in a similar system under Amorim’s compatriot, Vitor Pereira, in recent months, with his overall record in England’s top-flight now standing at 39 goals and assists in just 77 games.

What the one-time RB Leipzig man will need, however, is quality service from those around him, hence why bringing De Jong into the fold could be a dream scenario.

Likely to operate as part of the midfield two – potentially alongside Bruno Fernandes or Manuel Ugarte – the Netherlands international is simply a master at progressing play, as emphasised by the fact that he ranks in the top 9% of European midfielders for progressive passes, and the top 16% for progressive carries per 90, as per FBref.

Also ranked in the top 1% for pass completion, the experienced metronome has rightly been lauded as “one of the best midfielders in the world” by former boss, Xavi Hernandez, ensuring he would be a worthy upgrade in Amorim’s ranks.

Frenkie de Jong – compared to European midfielders

Stat

Record (per 90)

Ranking

Non-penalty goals

0.12

Top 25%

Assists

0.12

Top 28%

Shot-creating actions

2.59

Top 36%

Passes attempted

82.09

Top 4%

Pass completion

93.8%

Top 1%

Progressive passes

7.17

Top 9%

Progressive carries

2.09

Top 16%

Passes into final third

9.20

Top 3%

Tackles (in attacking 3rd)

0.49

Top 10%

Stats via FBref

As stated, that forward-thinking ability that De Jong provides would ensure he is the ideal figure to pick out the likes of Cunha ahead of him, as indicated by the fact that he also ranks in the top 3% for passes into the final third, at an average of 9.21 per 90.

What also sets the 5 foot 11 maestro apart is just how effective he is at regaining possession too. As evidenced last season – considering he has only started seven league games this time around – De Jong averaged 2.2 tackles per game, having also recovered the ball 5.9 times per game in LaLiga.

For context, United’s ball-winning monster, Casemiro, has only recovered 3.9 balls per game in the Premier League this term – albeit while enjoying a far superior record with regard to tackles made (3.5).

For De Jong to then have such quality both in and out of possession would ensure he can comfortably cope in a midfield two, with United having the chance to acquire two players entering their peak years, in the form of him and Cunha.

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Man Utd could be set to land another sparkling forward this summer, alongside Matheus Cunha

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Arsenal are now very keen on signing a “fantastic” £39m striker, but there is set to be competition for his signature from a number of rival Premier League clubs, according to a report.

Injury problems hamper Gunners' title bid

Following Liverpool’s late 2-1 victory against West Ham United, the Gunners’ feint Premier League title hopes have dissipated, as the Reds are now 13 points clear at the top of the table with just six games left to play.

Mikel Arteta may feel aggrieved by the injury issues he’s been forced to endure this season, having been without an out-and-out striker since February, but his side are set for an exciting end to the campaign regardless, following the emphatic 3-0 win against Real Madrid.

The job is by no means done yet, but Arteta’s side have one foot in the Champions League semi-final, so there is still a huge opportunity to make a success out of the campaign, despite it looking likely the Gunners will finish second in the Premier League for the third season in a row.

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That said, Arteta will be keen to avoid a repeat next season, which means a new striker may be required this summer, and a report from Caught Offside has now revealed that Arsenal are very keen on signing Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic.

The north Londoners hold a serious interest in Vlahovic, and they could be willing to submit a €45m (£39m) bid for his services, although Juventus are ideally looking to hold out for around €55m (£48m).

The Italian club are willing to sanction the Serbian’s departure, given the financial burden of his huge wages, and there is widespread interest from the Premier League, with Manchester United, Chelsea and Newcastle United also in the picture.

"Fantastic" Vlahovic back in form for Juventus

The Belgrade-born striker hasn’t been overly prolific for Juventus this season, scoring nine goals in the Serie A, but he returned to form against Lecce at the weekend, assisting both of his side’s goals in a 2-1 triumph.

The 25-year-old has been impressing in Italy for quite some time, with manager Igor Tudor previously stating he is the “best” striker in the Serie A, ahead of Victor Osimhen, who has also been outlined as a potential target for the Gunners.

Not only that, but the Juventus marksman has been lauded as “fantastic” by members of the media in the past, so there are clear signs he could be a success at the Emirates Stadium.

However, Vlahovic’s patchy goal record this season indicates Arsenal should probably bring in a different striker this summer, and there is no shortage of exciting options on the shortlist, with Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyokeres and RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko also of interest.

Unfortunately for the Tottenham Hotspur faithful, last night was a return to what has become their new normal this season.

Ange Postecoglou’s side played host to Champions League-chasing Nottingham Forest in the Premier League and found themselves two goals down within 20 minutes.

Now, Richarlison did manage to pull one back late on and, in all honesty, they created enough chances to turn the game around, but in the end, they fell to their 18th league defeat of the campaign and their eighth at home.

In all, it was just another disappointing night for the North Londoners, one in which most of the starters let themselves down, including one ace who should probably be dropped after yet another shocking showing.

Spurs' poor performers

So, before we get to the player in question, it seems only fair to go over some of the other Spurs players who let the manager and fans down last night, starting with Cristian Romero.

Player ratings via Sofascore

After his sensational showing against Eintracht Frankfurt last week, there was some hope that he’d carry that into the rest of his appearances this season, but it was very quickly evident that wasn’t going to be the case against Forest.

Not only did the World Cup winner look determined to get himself sent off, but he also lost track of Chris Wood for the striker’s headed goal, making the 4/10 match rating he received from Alasdair Gold more than fair, and his substitution at half-time the correct call.

However, the Argentine wasn’t the only dire defender, as it was also a first 45 to forget for the usually impressive Micky van de Ven.

Like his defensive partner, the Flying Dutchman came off second best for the Tricky Trees’ second goal as he lost the aerial duel with the free-scoring Kiwi and certainly warranted the 5/10 rating he received from Gold.

Minutes

45′

Expected Assists

0.01

Blocks

0

Tackles

0

Interceptions

1

Duels (Won)

4 (2)

Long Balls (Accurate)

2 (0)

However, as poor as the two centre-backs were, another member of the back five was even worse and should, therefore, probably be dropped ahead of the game against Liverpool on Sunday.

The Spurs star who should be axed

So, even though there were a number of other starters who also endured a torrid time last night, such as Richarlison, Dejan Kulusevski and Pape Matar Sarr, when it came down to it, the worst performer for the hosts was Guglielmo Vicario.

It really was a night to forget for the Italian shot-stopper, as he probably could have done better for Elliot Anderson’s opening strike and then definitely should have done far better for Wood’s header.

In fact, had the former Empoli star not come rushing off his line to fly into thin air, there is a real chance that he would have been able to either parry the ball out of danger or perhaps even hold onto it. Instead, he gave the in-form forward practically an open net at which to aim.

Unsurprisingly, Gold was left unimpressed and awarded the 28-year-old a 3/10 match rating, which was more than justified by his stats, as in 95 minutes of action he made a single save, prevented -0.60 goals, made one error leading to a goal, made just 18 passes and failed in 100% of his long balls.

Now, if this display was a one-off, then suggesting he be dropped ahead of the game on Sunday would be unjust, but it’s not the only time he’s failed to perform in recent weeks, as he put on yet another horror show away to Wolverhampton Wanderers earlier this month.

Minutes

95′

Saves

1

Goals Conceded

2

Goals Prevented

-0.60

Errors Leading to a Goal

1

Passes

18

Duels won

0

Long Balls (Accurate)

1 (0)

In fact, that match saw Gold justifiably award him a 2/10 match rating, as he also made an error that led directly to a shot and, on top of that, managed to prevent -1.05 goals.

Ultimately, Vicario might be a better keeper than Antonín Kinský, but at the moment, he is a liability, so Postecoglou should be bold and drop him from the starting lineup for the next game.

Otherwise, it could be a third shambolic league performance on the bounce for the “unbelievable” Italian ace, as the legendary Gianluigi Buffon once described him.

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Fewer Tests but more context, fewer ODIs and more T20Is, and an increase in Bangladesh’s Test workload are some of the takeaways from the ICC’s proposed FTP for the 2019-2023 cycle

Osman Samiuddin and Nagraj Gollapudi12-Dec-201715:20

Bal: New FTP step in the right direction for Test cricket

Cricket is close to getting a long-awaited new calendar, one that will be based around a nine-team Test and 13-team ODI league. Full Members have been working on the details of this new Future Tours Programme (FTP) over the last year or so; earlier this month representatives from various member boards met in Singapore to ink in the virtually final details, barring some minor tweaks, in a scheduling workshop that chalks out the calendar from May 2019 to May 2023.This schedule will now be looked at during the next chief executives’ meeting of the ICC in February, which will finalise the plan before it is refined further and presented to the ICC board for ratification at the annual conference in June.ESPNcricinfo has obtained a copy of the FTP that emerged from Singapore workshop and brings you ten takeaways from the new calendar (suggested reading alongside it is this explainer for the league structure). It is important to note that this is not yet the final, approved FTP but is close to the one that will be signed off on eventually in February.ESPNcricinfo LtdFewer Tests, more qualityTalks all through the negotiations to get to this point have centred on reducing the quantity of Tests played and have banked on the context – the Test league system – adding quality. At first glance, the quantity doesn’t seem to have been greatly reduced.In the current FTP (from May 2014 – May 2019) 238 Tests will be played in total. In the new one (May 2019- May 2023) 175 Tests will be played. As an average figure of Tests per year, the new calendar represents a reduction of approximately four Tests (47.6 to 43.75). But the new FTP has two new teams playing Tests: Afghanistan and Ireland.Together with Zimbabwe, who are also not part of the Test league, the three teams will play 33 Tests. This means there will be 35.5 Tests per year on average that are part of the Test league.The majority of Full Members (barring Bangladesh and Zimbabwe) will play, on average, fewer Tests per year than before: India, Pakistan, New Zealand, South Africa and West Indies will play approximately two fewer Tests per year. Australia and England’s figures will also drop (11.2 Tests per year in the current FTP for Australia to 10 in the new one; 13 Tests per year for England to 11.5 in the new FTP).The difference in number of Tests each side will play means that devising a points system to feed into the Test Championship final – in June 2021 – will be especially tricky.The other AshesThe India-England Test rivalry is cricket’s current marquee contest, standing alongside the Ashes in quantity if not quite the heft of cricket tradition. Over the four years the two sides will play two five-Test series against each other, in India and England. It is the only contest other than the Ashes that will be played across five Tests.Additionally, there are only three four-Test series, two between India and Australia and one between England and South Africa.Bangladesh step upAt a time when most Test sides are playing fewer Tests, Bangladesh will be playing approximately two Tests more per year in the new FTP, compared to the current one. In the current FTP they will play 33 Tests over five years, whereas in the new one they play 35 over four.In fact, after the Big Three – England, Australia and India – Bangladesh will be playing the most Tests in the next FTP.Missing contestsIndia versus Pakistan, naturally, is not part of this new FTP, it’s not in either of the leagues or outside of them, in the bilateral window towards the end of the four-year cycle. The PCB is in an official dispute with the BCCI, which has said it can manoeuvre a series into the schedule the political situation get better.The other contest we will not see in Tests is England versus Bangladesh. The structure of the Test league requires each side to play six opponents over two years, so it is not incumbent upon sides to play every opponent. Nevertheless it is curious that this is the only other contest entirely missing from the four-year calendar and, given the engrossing series they played out in Bangladesh last year, a bit of a shame.The Trans-Tasman rivalry, more surprisingly, seems to have petered out. There is only a solitary two-Test series between Australia and New Zealand in the four-year calendar.One contest fans will not mind less of is between India and Sri Lanka: the two sides are scheduled to play just one Test series in the new calendar.ESPNcricinfo LtdThe Big Three…or Four?The Big Three will play 28 Tests between themselves over four years; throw South Africa into the mix and the quartet will play 47 Tests between themselves over this period.India will play 24 out of 37 Tests – or nearly 65% – against England, Australia or South Africa. Australia will play 24 out of 40 Tests – or 60% – against the other three, while England play 27 out of their 46 – around 59% – against the three. South Africa do not play many Tests in this next cycle, but 59% (19 out of 32) are against the Big Three.The full tour is goneThe days of a full, long tour, comprising all three formats, are over. In the new calendar only a handful of tours between the nine teams in the Test league will include all three formats. Indeed, a number of tours will be Tests only, or Tests combined with one of the two limited-overs formats, or limited-overs only.The ODI league takes shapeEach side in the 13-team ODI league will play eight series over two years, between May 2020 and May 2022, which will decide qualification for the 2023 World Cup. Each series will consist of three matches, meaning that unlike the Test league, every side in the ODI league will play 24 matches.Because one side has to play only eight opponents out of a possible 12, a number of bilateral contests are missing: England v West Indies, New Zealand v England, India v Pakistan, India v Bangladesh, Pakistan v Sri Lanka, South Africa v New Zealand, Australia v Sri Lanka, and more.The result is a noticeable drop in the number of ODIs. The current (five-year) FTP will see 414 bilateral ODIs played by the end of its cycle, whereas the new calendar will see 291 in four years. That is nearly ten fewer ODIs per year (82.8 to 72.75).Almost all sides will see a fairly drastic reduction in the number of bilateral ODIs they will play every year. England will nearly halve their average yearly ODI schedule (from 103 in five years to 43 in four; Sri Lanka go from 113 in five years to 48 in four.The only side that will play more ODIs in the new, shorter FTP is West Indies – 62 compared to 55 in the previous FTP. They are scheduled to play the most ODIs in the new calendar, in fact, ahead of India who play 61.The (near) death of the five-match ODI seriesRejoice if you’ve ever wondered why somewhere at the edge of your consciousness two sides are playing a five-match ODI series. In the new FTP there are only five such series, and all of them are outside the league structure. Don’t celebrate too hard, though, because one of those is between India and Sri Lanka (not until December 2022).The bilateral windowA window between May 2022 and January 2023 is available in which members have inked in bilateral engagements that are not part of the ODI league. In all, there are over 70 ODIs scheduled in that period, including a few five-match ODI series, allowing for contests such as Pakistan v Sri Lanka, and Australia v Sri Lanka (neither in the ODI league) to take place. There is also one tri-series in Sri Lanka involving South Africa and Ireland at the end of the cycle: the days of the pointless tri-series are also nearly over.Meet the new ODI: the T20IIn the current FTP, a total of 162 T20Is will be played (outside the World T20s). In the new one a whopping 260 T20Is will be played in four years (doubling to 65 per year from roughly 32).Between January and August 2021, there will be a regional qualification event in each of the five ICC regions, from which sides will eventually qualify through to the World T20. But we will be seeing more five-match T20 bilateral series in the new calendar.

Afghanistan are one of the greatest things to happen to the game, yes, but they are also professional cricketers who want to win matches

Jarrod Kimber04-Jun-2019Hazratullah Zazai is on a constant audition to be your favourite cricketer. He plays cricket with garage punk rock hitting. When he faces his first ball from Suranga Lakmal, it’s full and swinging in at the base of off stump. Zazai tries to force to square leg; it’s the wrong length, wrong line, and his bat face is nearly the wrong way around. The ball whistles past off stump.The next ball is short outside off stump, Zazai gets quickly into position and pulls high over midwicket, where it just about carries for six.Sri Lanka have a series of discussions that end with the man placed at deep midwicket within inches of where the last ball flew. Some batsmen would look at that and decide that the next ball should go somewhere else. Zazai looks at that, and he plays the exact shot he wants to play, which is a lofted one to the newly moved fielder. It drops short because of a slight mis-hit.There is a madness in what he does, but also joy.WATCH – Nabi’s four-wicket haul on Hotstar (India only)There’s a feeling among some that this Afghanistan team is a magical mystery pink flying unicorn that spreads love throughout the universe. Of course fans feel this way. How is it even possible there is a team from Afghanistan in cricket, let alone one this full of wonders? They shouldn’t exist, and yet there they are, swinging to leg and bowling magic tricks right in front of our eyes. But they are also professional cricketers, some of whom have been playing internationals for more than a decade. In their ranks are some of the most exciting franchise cricketers in the world. They have been funded by the German, US and Indian governments, and have much support from the ICC.Hazratullah Zazai pulls one away•Getty ImagesIn the nets before this match, Hamid Hassan was bowling with a catapult vest on to track his workload. Unicorns don’t wear state-of-the-art sport science devices.It is a disservice to think of them only as this good-news story. Afghanistan playing cricket is one of the greatest things that has ever happened to this sport, but these players are not just something to make us feel better. They are cricketers who want to win matches, and they qualified for this tournament by winning games of cricket. On their journey they have beaten Test nations, they are a Test nation.They earned the right to be here, and on Tuesday they had their best chance of beating a Test nation at a World Cup.Last game, Afghanistan batted first and used their trusty opening bowler Mujeeb Ur Rahman. They could have batted first here and then had Mujeeb bowling to two left-handed opening batsmen in a good match-up. But they wanted to attack. They sent Sri Lanka in, unleashed their quicks on the helpful pitch, and all they had to do was put the ball in the right area.They did not. Dawlat Zadran’s first over was okay; it included a wide and one on the hip that tickled away to the rope. But returning warrior Hassan’s over was disastrous. It started with a warm-up ball boundary, and for the rest of the over he was everywhere – it was like he was not only searching for line and length, but had forgotten what the concept meant. Last game he started with two maidens to David Warner – delivered to a seven-two field. Today he would have needed 72 fielders to stem the flow.His next over started with five wides, there were two boundaries, and after two overs he had given up 31 runs. Dawlat had only let six from his first two overs, but he joined the Jackson Pollock-painted pitch map for the next over. One four, a five-wides bouncer, a standard leg-side wide, and then another wayward four leg-byes. When Zadran and Hassan came back, they bowled eight more overs, taking 3 for 40 combined. As if their previous spells never existed. As if there were different men on the field before.After five overs Sri Lanka were 52 for 0. Kusal Perera on 24 from 12, Dimuth Karunaratne 11 from 18 and extras had scored 17. Sri Lanka scored 25.8% of their runs in the first five overs. Extras would end up as second-top scorer with 35; Afghanistan have never allowed more.When people think of how Afghanistan play, it is this combination of mystery spin, slogging and fast bowlers – an unhinged energy orb buzzing around. But their most capped player is Mohammad Nabi. And he can slog, but his skill as a bowler is about as ordinary as you can get. Offspin, without an “other” one, which doesn’t rip, is cricket at its most basic.Not that Nabi is not a good bowler, it’s just that the skills he has are so subtle that you need a microscope to see them. He doesn’t spin the ball much and his action looks part-time. When he doesn’t turn it, he drifts it; he was once not that accurate, that’s no longer the case; he used to be an economy hawk, now he takes wickets too. Since the start of 2016, he’s averaging 26 with an economy of 4.17. In the years before 2016, he averaged 38.Mohammad Nabi celebrates a wicket•Getty ImagesHe may be cricket’s best winkler; his smart cricket brain winkles each batsman to his own demise. The ball to Lahiru Thirimanne was slow, drifted possibly in on the angle, spun little. Then Kusal Mendis edged two straight deliveries, neither drifted or spun much, but one took his wicket. The ball to Angelo Mathews was quicker, catching the batsman unaware.All of this looked so plain, but what Nabi does is change his arm angle, his pace, and all the things that make it look like he bowled three straight balls like a bloke in a club side who sells car parts for his day job. When in fact he’s pretty much an evil genius whose main power is subtlety.It was a completely crazy Afghanistan-style comeback with perhaps the most benign looking offspin you’d ever see. When Nabi was taking wickets, it felt like a universe made of rainbows. Afghanistan looked caught up in their own brilliance. There was almost a run-out every ball, such was Sri Lanka’s panic, and wickets fell at the other end too. It was a collapse so immense that 144 for 1 became 201 all out.They could not have started worse, or finished better. You cannot enjoy the magnificence without understanding their entire cricket is a balance between angels and demons. They can be brilliant, they can be terrible, and both at once.They were only chasing 201, and rain had shortened their innings.Before the game, captain Gulbadin Naib was asked if a rain-affected match would play into his hands, he said: “So if we can reduce the overs it will be much better for us. We have potential now so like limited overs, so like everyone knows about Afghanistan batting line-up, so it will be good.”They had made a comeback, they had the short game, this was their game.The first ball from Lasith Malinga swung in a boomerang arc. Mohammad Shahzad immediately took another guard; from the start it looked like a different Afghanistan. It looked like a statement of intent, this would be tough, the ball would move, but they would try bat it out, not blast it out.Hashmatullah Shahidi made 4 off 17, which even for him is slow. Najibullah Zadran was playing within himself and waiting for the bad ball. Gulbadin was playing a captain’s knock despite the question over his captaincy. Even Zazai dug in, after being 20 off 14 balls, played shots that resembled regular cricket. They were doing their best against a disciplined Sri Lankan bowling performance.From the five-over mark of Sri Lanka’s innings, it was perhaps Afghanistan’s most sensible cricket. They fought back, dug in and stretched the game as far as they could. It was a great effort, but not enough.Afghanistan need not audition to be your favourite team; they have won the cricket world’s hearts by merely existing, and been loved many times over by being so incredible to watch. But what they want to do is win games, that is why they are here. There is brilliance, angels, and demons in how they play. They had a chance to beat a Test nation at the World Cup; the madness beat the joy.

Matt Short named for New Zealand but will miss West Indies series due to a hamstring injury with Aaron Hardie replacing him

Alex Malcolm05-Feb-2024Steven Smith, Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc have been named in Australia’s full-strength T20I squad for the upcoming three-match tour of New Zealand which Mitchell Marsh will captain as the selectors declare their hand in what will be the team’s final series before the T20 World Cup in June.Chair of selectors George Bailey had mooted last month that Smith would return to the squad after being rested from the upcoming T20I home series against West Indies which begins in Hobart on Friday. Cummins and Starc will also return in New Zealand after missing the West Indies series. Travis Head has also been named. He was originally selected to play in the West Indies series but has been withdrawn to rest ahead of the New Zealand series.Marsh will lead the full-strength squad but the selectors have yet to confirm if he will captain at the World Cup. That will likely be done after the New Zealand series as it will be the first time Marsh will captain when Andrew McDonald is coaching. McDonald rested from the South Africa T20I series that Marsh captained last year and is also resting from the West Indies series later this week.Related

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Matthew Short has been named in the squad to tour New Zealand but was withdrawn from the West Indies series on Tuesday due to the low-grade hamstring injury he suffered in Sunday’s second ODI in Sydney. Aaron Hardie will replace Short in the squad for the West Indies’ T20I series but has not been included in the New Zealand squad.Nathan Ellis has been named as the fourth fast bowler behind Cummins, Starc and Josh Hazlewood for the New Zealand series although he is still recovering from a rib injury. He has edged ahead of Jason Behrendorff and Sean Abbott in the pecking order with the latter two named as standby players for the New Zealand tour despite playing in the West Indies series while Cummins and Starc rest.Spencer Johnson is on standby for the West Indies T20I series in case Ellis needs more time ahead of the New Zealand tour.”Travis, Pat, Mitchell and Steve rejoin the squad following the series against the West Indies with Jason Behrendorff and Sean Abbott amongst the standby players from those playing the upcoming T20s,” Bailey said. “The next six games will provide us the opportunity to start shaping what we think our World Cup squad will look like and potential roles within that.”We will also fully utilise the opportunity to monitor and watch the performances of the Australian players in the IPL immediately preceding the World Cup.”There is no room for Cameron Green in the T20I squad with Bailey stating last month that the selectors wanted him to focus on his red-ball preparation for the New Zealand Test series that follows the T20Is. The selectors are confident Green will get enough T20 cricket at the IPL with Royal Challengers Bangalore.Australia squad for New Zealand T20I seriesMitchell Marsh (capt), Pat Cummins, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Glenn Maxwell, Matt Short, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa

Lucknow Super Giants beat the Chennai Super Kings for the second time in the space of five days

Hemant Brar23-Apr-20242:43

Why No. 3 is the best position for Stoinis at LSG

“Fortress Chepauk,” proclaimed a huge banner in CSK colours in the stands. By the end of the contest, though, Lucknow Super Giants had breached it to hand Chennai Super Kings their first defeat at home this season. It was their second loss against LSG in five days.The star of the night was Marcus Stoinis, whose unbeaten 124 off 63 balls helped LSG pull off the highest successful chase at Chepauk in T20 cricket. He was batting at No. 3 for the first time this season and achieved the target of 211 with three balls and six wickets to spare.Stoinis’ century came off 56 balls, just like Ruturaj Gaikwad’s did earlier in the night after the CSK captain lost his seventh toss in eight games. Gaikwad’s unbeaten 108 off 60 balls and Shivam Dube’s 66 off 27 powered the Super Kings to 210 for 4.CSK had looked in control for the majority of the defence. LSG needed 74 from the last five overs but Stoinis, with help from Nicholas Pooran and Deepak Hooda, silenced the Chennai crowd. The result took LSG to fourth place with ten points from eight games; CSK are fifth with eight points after eight games.

Gaikwad powers CSK

After LSG opted to bowl, Matt Henry struck in the first over. He bowled four balls on a good length, one slightly short of it, and then pitched the last one full. Ajinkya Rahane edged the drive, and with first slip wider than usual, KL Rahul dived full length to his right and completed a stunning, one-handed catch.Rahul’s athleticism, though, was followed by some shoddy fielding from LSG. In the second over, Yash Thakur dropped Daryl Mitchell off Mohsin Khan at short third. A little later, at the same position, Henry could not get his hand to a tougher chance from Gaikwad off Ravi Bishnoi.Mitchell could not take advantage of the reprieve and fell for 11 off 10 but Gaikwad did not miss out. He was on 20 when he was dropped and hit two fours off Henry in the next over. CSK ended the powerplay on 49 for 2, with Gaikwad scoring 37 off 19 balls. While the other CSK batters struggled for timing, he looked sublime and brought up his fifty off 28 balls, with seven fours.

Gaikwad, Dube take CSK past 200

Ravindra Jadeja, sent in at No. 4, got out in the 12th over for 16 off 19 balls. By that time, Gaikwad had scored 71 off 39; the other CSK batters 29 off 32.Gaikwad found an ideal partner in Dube, who also hit the first six of the innings in the 13th over. After that, there was no respite for the LSG bowlers. Given Dube’s reputation of being a spin-hitter, Rahul did not risk bringing on either Bishnoi or Krunal Pandya – both turn the ball in to Dube – for the rest of the innings.Dube showed he had improved his game against pace as well. He hit Yash for three successive sixes in the 16th over and Mohsin for two sixes and a four in the 19th.Gaikwad, too, was severe on Yash, hitting him for 6, 4, 4 off successive balls – a sequence during which he also brought up his hundred.Marcus Stoinis is mobbed by his team-mates after his match-winning century•Getty Images

LSG’s stuttering start

Deepak Chahar got the new ball to swing in both directions and had Quinton de Kock chopping one onto his stumps in the opening over. Rahul and Stoinis kept LSG on track with a flurry of boundaries before CSK struck again.Having hit a boundary earlier in the over, Rahul tried to go aerial against Mustafizur Rahman but failed to clear Gaikwad at extra cover. LSG finished the powerplay on 45 for 2.

Stoinis keeps LSG in contest

Devdutt Padikkal came in as Impact Player but struggled with timing. Meanwhile, Stoinis singlehandedly kept LSG in the contest by hitting boundaries at regular intervals. He brought up his fifty off 26 balls, with six fours and two sixes.Still, it was an uphill task. LSG needed 128 from the last ten overs, of which Matheesha Pathirana was to bowl four and Mustafizur three. Pathirana ended Padikkal’s struggle on 13 off 19 balls with a 151.4kph length ball that uprooted leg stump.

The dew effect

Dew in the second half of the game was the only reason LSG had opted to chase. They have otherwise preferred to set the target this season. The first obvious sign of dew having an impact came in the 13th over, when Tushar Deshpande bowled a beamer. Stoinis hit it for four. And when Mustafizur dug a cutter into the pitch, the ball came onto the bat nicely, and Stoinis launched it to the straight boundary off the back foot.When Shardul Thakur got the 16th over, Stoinis and Pooran knew they had to cash in, with the remaining four shared by Mustafizur and Pathirana. Pooran hit the first three balls for 6, 4, 6 and LSG eventually took 20 runs off Shardul.

Stoinis silences Chepauk

Pooran holed out to long-off against Pathirana when LSG needed 53 from 22 balls. Once again, it was all up to Stoinis. He hit Pathirana for a four before pulling Mustafizur for a six in the 18th over. Two balls later, he brought up his hundred.With 32 required from two overs, Stoinis and Hooda picked up three boundaries in the first four balls from Pathirana. It left them needing 17 from six balls.Stoinis launched the first delivery from Mustafizur over long-on before drilling the next straight back for four. Luck, too, favoured him as the next one raced past short third for another boundary. It turned out, Mustafizur had overstepped as well, which reduced the equation to two needed from four balls. Stoinis then moved across and pulled a short-of-length ball over backward square leg to complete the job.At the toss, Rahul had said that it was not easy to silence Chepauk. By the end of the day, LSG had done that too.