‘Not a day you can play football!’ – USWNT captain Lindsey Horan welcomes return of ‘grit’ mentality after surviving Canada storm to book W Gold Cup final date with Brazil

USWNT captain Lindsey Horan hailed the “grit” mentality of her side after coming through a storm against Canada to make the W Gold Cup final.

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  • Crazy conditions in California
  • Tie settled by penalty shootout
  • Another trophy now up for grabs
  • WHAT HAPPENED?

    The United States were tested by their opponents and the weather conditions during a semi-final clash at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego. Torrential rain made the pitch almost unplayable, with both sides asking questions of the decision to let the game go ahead.

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    WHAT HORAN SAID ABOUT THE USWNT

    Horan told of having to contend with a playing surface that saw the ball get stuck in various puddles: “A little bit of frustration from me – it’s not a day that you can play football! It’s really unfortunate, but at the end of the day I think me and Jessie [Fleming] were like ‘ok, we’ve got to move forward and we’ve got to play’. It is what it is and we played on.”

  • THE BIGGER PICTURE

    A thrilling contest in California ended 2-2 after extra-time, with Canada snatching a 127th-minute equaliser after Jaedyn Shaw and Sophia Smith had netted for the States. The USWNT then held their nerve in a penalty shootout, with goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher saving three and scoring one herself.

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    DID YOU KNOW?

    Horan added on seeing the U.S. rediscover their spark following a frustrating showing at the 2023 Women’s World Cup: “That’s back to that U.S. mentality that we’ve been talking about that we needed, and it’s in us. I think that’s what you guys saw today. It’s not a game that you’re going to play football. I don’t think there are more than a few completed passes on the ground! But the grit of getting a goal, the tie, getting another goal and then the penalty kicks and Alyssa coming up massive.”

Losing close games because of 'mental block' – Shakib

Bangladesh’s short history has been full of near upsets and the one in Dehradun will be particularly difficult to swallow

Sidharth Monga in Dehradun08-Jun-2018This defeat will be a difficult pill for Bangladesh to swallow. They did so many things that were admirable. They showed the courage to end their bowling innings with two overs of spin, conceding just 10 runs. Their two senior batsmen batted with responsibility, taking the game deep, not playing loose shots under pressure of the rising asking rate. They targeted Afghanistan bowler, young paceman Karim Janat, got 21 off him and were within nine runs of a win that clearly would have meant so much to them that Mahmudullah animatedly applauded each of the five boundaries Mushfiqur Rahim hit in the 19th over.But yet again, Bangladesh failed to finish the job. Admittedly not favourites in T20I cricket, Bangladesh’s short history has been full of near upsets. They hadn’t prepared well for the World T20 in 2016 but they played the perfect game for 39.2 overs to push India to the brink of elimination. Then, heartbreak. It seemed there might be some redemption when they beat Sri Lanka in a close game in Colombo earlier this year but a familiar tale in a close finish repeated itself when Dinesh Karthik beat them again in the final of that tournament.Now, after having lost another series and under fire from the BCB bosses, the players were so close to salvaging something from this tour when Mushfiqur mistimed the last ball and Shafiqullah pulled of a sensational stop at long-on to deny them. Losing close matches again and again has got to take a mental toll on the side, and, the captain, Shakib Al Hasan, agreed.”It will be hard for me to answer,” he said. “I have never batted or bowled in those situations. I think the batsmen or bowlers will describe it better. I think it is a mental block, which we have not been able to overcome till now.”Bangladesh needed nine runs off the last over, bowled by the great Rashid Khan, but had two set batsmen at the wicket. Shakib agreed that you should pull games off when you have fought your way into such situations, but he also knew the last over was not where the game or the series was really lost. He was harsh on his side. “We haven’t played well in any of the three departments,” he said.When asked what they had to do to improve, Shakib said, “We need to bat, bowl and field better. I think we failed in all three departments. We didn’t bat to our potential. We could have bowled better except for today’s match. Body language and fielding, we were struggling. I have seen our team when we fielded really well, but that body language and effort wasn’t there.An addition to Bangladesh’s problems was two run-outs in one over when two different strikers failed to respect the non-striker’s call. On both occasions the ball was hit to short fine leg. First Liton Das sent back Soumya Sarkar, whose call it was, and then Mushfiqur gave the same treatment to Das.”One run-out is often enough to derail an innings so to have two in three balls was a huge setback,” Shakib said. “I think credit is due for Mushfiqur and [Mahmudullah] Riyad . We’d have felt better had we won this game. It is always harder to lose a close game. But we didn’t play well throughout the series as a team.”Bangladesh now need to find a way to close out these tight finishes or improve in other fields so that they don’t often find themselves in such tight spots.

Mick Newell comes out against Championship conferences idea

Mick Newell has urged the English game to resist the temptation to restructure the County Championship into conferences.

George Dobell26-Apr-2018Mick Newell has urged the English game to resist the temptation to restructure the County Championship into conferences.Newell, director of cricket at Nottinghamshire (and, for now at least, an England selector), has instead pleaded for the ECB to persist with promotion and relegation and suggested the reorganisation into conferences would only allow mediocre sides to “hide” in mid-table without the scrutiny that relegation can bring.His comments come just as the ECB announced a working party, chaired by Wasim Khan, charged with looking into the future structure of the domestic game. And while no conclusions have yet been reached, it is clear the popularity of the conference idea is growing among coaches at the first-class counties.They argue that it would lessen the urge to make short-term decisions – such as preferring Kolpak registrations over opportunities for young players – and reinvigorate the competition by providing all teams involved an opportunity to win the trophy at the start of the season.But Newell, at least, is not convinced. As a coach that twice led Nottinghamshire to the County Championship trophy (in 2005 and 2010) and also oversaw relegation (in 2006, 2016), he feels the meritocratic element of two divisions – and the drama the battle that promotion and relegation brings – is an integral part of the domestic structure.”I love two-divisional cricket,” Newell said. “We’ve been relegated and it hurts. I don’t know why it hurts so much as there’s no financial penalty, but it makes you look at what you do. People either lose their jobs, or they change jobs – as I did – and players have to look at themselves, too.”The popularity of the conference idea is definitely growing. But I’m not a fan. In a conference system, we can all just hide in the middle and be like, ‘oh, we were twelfth’. To me that’s not good enough.”Mick Newell takes fielding drills•Getty Images

Newell also revived the idea of playing a couple of rounds of Championship games overseas. With many counties spending their pre-season in the UAE, South Africa or the Caribbean, he believes there is an opportunity to play some games in March in conditions that might encourage spin or fast bowling. He accepted, however, that the idea had all but gone in terms of being implemented.”A few years ago there was talk of taking a couple of rounds overseas,” he said. “I think, for lots of reasons, that’s a bloomin’ good idea. If we’ve only got time and space for 14 rounds of Championship matches here, why don’t we play two abroad and go back to 16? That’s a method of getting more games in the space available. But that idea seems to have gone.”I’m all for playing abroad. I don’t know about this year, but generally 12 to 13 counties are going abroad in March anyway. Why don’t we play proper cricket instead of knockabouts against each-other?”We went to Barbados for six years in a row and one year there were six teams there. We’re all spending the money in one way or another already and there’s more money coming into the game. Let’s make sure we target some of that money in making sure four-day cricket so important.”But the idea has gone. We’re moving towards a conference system. I’ve made my thoughts known but I’m in a minority.”Newell also welcomed the ECB’s proposals for a new 100-ball competition in 2020. “It’s certainly grabbed people’s attention,” he said. “It’s an idea that will spark a lot of debate and I want people to talk about cricket.”My worry is that cricket isn’t relevant to people, isn’t interesting to people. We need to get more people interested in more types of cricket. So, from that perspective, I think it’s a good idea.”

'A bit of a kick up the backside' – Thorpe

Liam Livingstone and Joe Root were the only England batsmen to really shine against the pink ball and batting coach Graham Thorpe said it was a reminder of the performances needed

Andrew McGlashan at Seddon Park15-Mar-2018

Mark Stoneman was the first of the England batsmen to be dismissed twice in the day•Getty Images

England had gone into their four days of practice in Hamilton treating it as a Test match. Halfway through, after finishing the two days with the pink ball, they will be hoping things go better at Eden Park next week.In truth, it was always going to be difficult to replicate any sense of intensity in this mish-mash of a fixture, which is essentially glorified middle practice where teams just bat all day. Regardless of how England fare in the two Tests, the game as a whole really needs to address the lack of quality warm-up fixtures for touring sides.Still, and with those caveats in mind, it has not been an impressive two days for England. With the bat the New Zealand XI recovered from 30 for 5, then with the ball managed to take 14 England wickets on the second day, dismissing the likely Test top three of Alastair Cook, Mark Stoneman and James Vince twice.Liam Livingstone, who impressed with 88 on his first appearance in whites for the senior side, and captain Joe Root were the only two players to reach fifty (Root’s in his second knock of the day). Alastair Cook, though, looked in reasonably good order and Vince settled second time around.Livingstone, the Lancashire captain, remains unlikely to feature in the Test series and batting coach Graham Thorpe said the fact he was the standout performer was a reminder to the established top order that they don’t have much time to get into shape.”The first two sessions were indifferent for us but it was about getting the guys up to speed and making them aware they’ve got a Test next week,” Thorpe told . “A few of them will be disappointed they didn’t spend longer at the crease.”But Liam Livingstone played very well. He’s been given an opportunity here and has fitted in very well. He’s not in the potential starting XI but he’s shown the head coach what he’s capable of and that’s what you want. For a few of the guys it’s a reminder, a bit of a kick up the backside, that you’ve got to get up to speed pretty quickly.”Before the tour Livingstone, who played two T20Is against South Africa last year, told ESPNcricinfo he was more comfortable as a first-class player. He admitted the day hadn’t gone as planned for England, but was satisfied with his own performance in his first knock since rolling his ankle playing football on the Lions tour of the Caribbean.”It was a bit of a tough day really,” he said. “But a few of us have got what we wanted out of the day. Obviously a few boys have still got another two days to go – so I hope they can get what they need from those.”I was obviously pretty nervous coming on a first England Test tour but I settled in very quickly and felt really good going out to bat today. I felt really relaxed, which is a good thing. It’s been down to the lads who made it really easy for me to settle quickly.”It would probably take an injury for him to come into contention for either Test, so he is keen just to soak up as much experience as he can over the next few weeks.”It’s my job to come out and score as many runs as I can when I get the chance,” he said. “I’m just here with open ears and open eyes to learn off the best players in the world, which we have in our dressing room. It’s a great experience for me whether I play or not. It’s everyone’s dream to play Test cricket and it may not happen this trip, but it’s been great fun getting in and around the lads in this environment.”This match has also been a chance for players in the New Zealand XI to add to their credentials. On the opening day it was Tom Blundell and Kyle Jamieson, then, with the ball, the pace bowlers all impressed with 19-year-old Nathan Smith claiming the handy trio of Livingstone, Cook and Jonny Bairstow. Seth Rance, who has played two ODIs and four T20s for New Zealand, also took three, striking with the new ball at either end of the day.”You watch those guys on TV, then you go out and are bowling and batting against them, so it’s pretty special,” Rance said. “You have to pinch yourself and take time to enjoy the moment, but at the same you want to do well and push your case for higher honours.”The players involved in these first two days who are in the New Zealand Test squad – Tom Latham, Jeet Raval, Henry Nicholls and Colin de Grandhomme – now head to Mount Maunganui for a two-day training camp. Their replacements, and those that remain such as Rance, now have two days with the red ball to try and make life difficult for England again.

Aston Villa news: Monchi eyeing move for £150k-p/w Premier League winner

da betsul: Aston Villa have reached incredible heights since hiring former Arsenal manager Unai Emery. The Frenchman has taken the Midlands club from a relegation battle all the way to European qualification, with a place in this season's Europa Conference League. What makes that all the more impressive is the fact that he hasn't even completed a full season at the club yet.

da bet7k: The Villans have lost just two of their first eight games this time around, and sit as high as fifth, just four points adrift of Premier League leaders Tottenham Hotspur. Now, Villa owners NSWE and sporting director Monchi have reportedly turned their attention to a January transfer target.

What's the latest Aston Villa transfer news?

Villa proved that they're not afraid to splash the cash during the summer transfer window, welcoming the likes of Moussa Diaby, and Nicolo Zaniolo, with the former getting off to a particularly explosive start to life in England's top flight. Given their European ambitions, too, the January transfer window represents a chance for Emery to build a squad ready to cause the ultimate shock in the Premier League by competing for a place in the Champions League.

The latest Kalvin Phillips transfer news suggests that he could be part of that, too. According to 90min, Villa are monitoring the situation of the out-of-favour Manchester City midfielder, alongside West Ham United, Spurs, and Newcastle United, whilst Bayern Munich have reportedly contacted the Premier League champions about the England international.

So, if Villa are to sign Phillips, they'll have to act fast, given the amount of reported interest in the former Leeds United man. If the midfielder wants to stay in England, then a move to Villa Park wouldn't exactly be a bad option, especially after their recent rise.

How many games has Kalvin Phillips played for Man City?

Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips.

When it comes to Phillips' games at Manchester City, it's clear to see why he has been linked with a move away. The 27-year-old has featured just 26 times for Pep Guardiola, starting just five times in all competitions, and twice in the Premier League.

Kalvin Phillips' starts at Manchester City

Competition

Bristol City 0-3 Manchester City

FA Cup

Manchester City 1-0 Chelsea

Premier League

Brentford 1-0 Manchester City

Premier League

Southampton 2-0 Manchester City

Carabao Cup

Newcastle United 1-0 Manchester City

Carabao Cup

It has quickly become apparent that Phillips, whose salary is £150k-p/w at City, is a player in need of a fresh start, as he continues to struggle at City. With the Euros coming up next summer, too, game-time is crucial.

At his best, the Englishman has earned incredible praise, including from Gareth Southgate, who told BBC Sport, via The Yorkshire Evening Post: "I think Kalvin is a player who is so understated and has had a fantastic start to his international career. I thought he was immense throughout the game."

When the January transfer window opens, Phillips will certainly be one to keep an eye on, as he desperately searches for game-time that looks increasingly unlikely to come at The Etihad.

The slowest of bouncers and a cruel quirk of fate

Plays of the day from the third day of the first Test between India and Australia in Bangalore

Sidharth Monga at the Chinnaswamy Stadium11-Oct-2010The miss
Australia might have shown characteristic grit on this tour, but they have been quite average in the field. After dropped catches and a missed stumping in Mohali, the fielding mishaps continued in Bangalore. The costly one was in the fourth over of the day when M Vijay was halfway down the pitch, and the ball with Nathan Hauritz at cover. Hauritz, though, didn’t realise that Tim Paine had made it to the stumps, and shied at them instead, unsuccessfully. Had he lobbed the ball back to Paine, Vjay would have been dismissed for 49.The overthrows
These were not as poignant as Steven Smith’s in the previous match. They did, however, involve not knowing the whereabouts of the keeper. Peter George fielded a straight hit to him at mid-off and must have presumed that Paine wouldn’t have made it to the stumps when he lobbed one towards him. Either that or he must have thought Paine would be as tall as himself, as the ball sailed well over the wicketkeeper’s head for four overthrows.The extreme slowness
You may have seen the slower bouncers, but this one was the real deal. George, all of two metres tall, dug one in short to Sachin Tendulkar, rolling his fingers on it, looking to get something out of the docile pitch. The problem was that it landed at his own shoe laces, and the result was a bouncer so slow, Inzamam-ul-Haq would have walked back faster than it. It came like a balloon that had been punctured midway, and Tendulkar had to be on his best defence to keep it out. Needless to say, there were laughs all around, even from the umpires.The temptation
In the dying moments of the day, with light fading fast, Ricky Ponting showed Suresh Raina the carrot. With Michael Clarke bowling gentle left-arm spin, he brought the long-on in, showing Raina an opportunity for an easy boundary. Raina latched onto it first ball, only to get too close to the pitch and perfectly find Hilfenhaus’ hands at mid-on. Moves rarely produce quicker results.The cruelty
So you have finally got the Test cap after a couple of seasons of heavy run-scoring in domestic cricket? You have cover-driven your second ball for four. So you feel at home? The pitch doesn’t think so. The third ball Cheteshwar Pujara faced stayed nastily low and was nastily accurate. And to think that he spent three days watching batsmen make merry on the same 22 yards. He may not get a chance in the second innings, and by the time India play another Test, VVS Laxman, whom he replaced, might be back.

Harper gets hit, again

Plays of the Day for the second day of the second Test at the SSC

Sidharth Monga at the SSC27-Jul-2010Great partnership, part I
During the course of their 193-run stand, Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene overtook the combination of Matthew Hayden and Ricky Ponting to become the second-most prolific partnership between non-openers. By the time they were separated, they took their tally to 4798, behind only the 5993 that the Sachin Tendulkar-Rahul Dravid combination has added, in 42 more innings and at an average which is 12 runs lesser.Great partnership, part II
That great minds think alike was manifested when Sangakkara and Jayawardene thought of running on the same part of the pitch in the 111th over. They ran into each other, but a major collision was avoided. Not sure if the Indians had any energy left to laugh at it, though.Harper and his body parts
During Sri Lanka’s chase in the first Test, Daryl Harper copped one smack on the chest when he couldn’t get out of the way of a pull from Tillakaratne Dilshan. During the second Test, he was spotted showing his badly bruised chest to a Sri Lankan batsman. It wasn’t a pretty sight. Today, a throw from M Vijay got the umpire on the back side. Spare us the details this time, Daryl.Dhoni gets Jayawardene, finally
India needed something out of the ordinary to unsettle Jayawardene and get his wicket. That had not happened until MS Dhoni lobbed a throw back to the bowler, and managed to hit Jayawardene, softly, on his head. That did the trick, and soon Jayawardene lobbed one to midwicket. That also earned the Indian fielders a mercy declaration.Harbhajan gets a wicket
Stop the press. That Jayawardene wicket was also Harbhajan’s first of the series, in 449 deliveries spread over three innings.The SSC stats dossier
Jayawardene extended his own record for most runs at a venue, taking his tally at the SSC to 2641 runs at 82.53. He also broke Sir Don Bradman’s record of nine centuries at the MCG the most at a venue – with his 10th at the SSC. Sangakkara who made 219, took his tally to 1822 at 72.88, also scoring his seventh century here. Thilan Samaraweera was not to be left behind; by virtue of staying unbeaten, he took his average here to 81.93, and the runs-tally to 1229 in just 14 Tests.Welcome to Test cricket, son
If you are a spinner on debut, you don’t want to be bowling your first delivery to Virender Sehwag, who has scant respect for the breed. Suraj Randiv’s first act in Test cricket was to be cut away for a four, first ball, and then go for another four through the off side in the same over. As soon as he put a fielder deep on the off side, Sehwag dropped it into the off side and took another single.

Shadow-practise, dream, wait

The final nets are over, there are about 18 hours to the start of the Test. How do cricketers spend that time?

Aakash Chopra24-Sep-2009You may have wondered why Matthew Hayden sits on the pitch on the eve of a match. Does he meditate sitting there? Or why Rahul Dravid shadow-practises shots at both ends? Hasn’t he played enough in the nets? Chris Gayle also does the same thing, albeit in the middle of the pitch. What are these guys up to?All of them use an extremely important tool for preparation, visualisation. Hayden visualised everything, good and bad, that could happen in a match, so as not to be surprised during the match. All of us, knowing or unknowingly, do it.I had my formal introduction to this technique just before the first Test against Australia in Brisbane in 2003. John Bell, an Australian coach I had met in Holland, told me about its application and importance. He told me to walk out from the dressing room on the eve of the match assuming that I was walking out to bat on the first morning of the game.I had to psyche myself into seeing the packed stadium, the Australian team waiting in the middle along with the two umpires. I also had to imagine my partner, Virender Sehwag, was walking alongside me. Then I did my ritual, running a couple of mock runs, before settling in to take strike. To avoid looking completely insane, I skipped the part where I asked the imaginary umpire for a leg-stump guard. Apart from that, I did everything I would in the real match. I mentally drew a line just outside the off stump, to use as a marker for letting balls go. Anything pitched outside that line would be allowed to go through to the keeper and the rest were to be played. Then I’d stand in my stance and visualise all the Australian bowlers running in and bowling in different areas. It is a routine I’ve followed ever since.Ground reality

Every ground and track has a different feel and the earlier you get used to it the better. Batsmen identify certain shots for certain tracks. For example, on slow and low tracks you realise the need to get onto the front foot as much as possible and play with a straight bat. Similarly, on tracks with more bounce and pace, you prepare yourself to stay on the back foot and play horizontal bat shots. That’s exactly why players shadow-practise while standing in the middle. Bowlers also identify the areas they’ll be expected to bowl in, and do mock run-ups to get a feel of the approach to the stumps.Individual approach

Batting and bowling in the nets on the eve of the match is strictly according to each individual’s liking. No one tells you to bat in the nets if you aren’t comfortable, and the support staff does everything to help you get into the groove. Rohan Gavaskar wouldn’t play a single ball in the nets, while Viru likes a long hit. Similarly Gautam Gambhir needs his throw-downs before every match, while Sachin Tendulkar’s batting in the nets depends purely on how he’s feeling about his game at that point of time. While Sachin didn’t bat too often in the nets during the 2003-04 series, when he did, he made someone bowl at him from 15 yards most of the time.There was one extraordinary instance of Dravid and Viru missing the practice session and watching a movie instead. It was before the memorable Adelaide Test in 2003. Sometimes, simply unwinding is the need of the hour.

You often find cricketers sitting together till very late on the eve of a match. That’s to ensure that the moment they walk into their rooms they fall asleep. There’s also the tendency to get up a few times during the night to check if you have slept through the alarm, only to find that dawn is still a few hours away

At the end of the practice session, most batsmen take their match bats with them to the hotel. Some batsmen shadow-practise religiously in their rooms. Others just want the bat handy in case they feel like doing so.Sleepless nights
Sachin didn’t sleep well for 15 days leading up to the match against Pakistan in the 2003 World Cup. He would stay awake planning how to handle each bowler. He admits that he played the entire innings in his head way before it happened on the field. Gautam couldn’t sleep the night before the 2007 Twenty20 World Cup final.You often find cricketers sitting together till very late on the eve of a match. That’s to ensure that the moment they walk into their rooms they fall asleep. The anxiety doesn’t let your mind rest, and that makes it very difficult to sleep. There’s also the tendency to get up a few times during the night to check if you have slept through the alarm, only to find that dawn is still a few hours away.A common dream for batsmen is that a wicket has fallen and you’re slated to go in next. But you haven’t put on the leg-guards and panic sets in. You try your best to get ready but something or the other always goes wrong. In reality, gearing up is a two-minute exercise that has been done a million times, but dreams seldom follow a logical pattern.The morning of the match
Every player has his own routine on the morning of a game. Some, like Dravid, wake up well in advance, read newspapers and have breakfast before boarding the bus. Others sleep till the last possible minute and rush to the bus, grabbing a muffin on the way. Then there are those who indulge in incessant chatter all the way to the ground – and often occupy the last rows of the bus. Still others, like Sachin, listen to music. These routines depend a lot on temperament: some can’t handle the anxiety and hence rush through everything, while others want everything in peace.After reaching the ground
Almost everyone rushes to the square immediately after getting to the field. Although nothing dramatic can happen, since you’ve seen the track the previous day, you need to be certain. It’s like going through your notes one last time before an exam. You want to be 100% certain that you didn’t misread the pitch.Then there’s the eternal wait for the toss. While one part of you wants it to be delayed for another couple of hours so you can hit a few more balls against throw-downs, the other part wants to be done with the suspense. Openers and fast bowlers watch the toss with great interest, and depending on the result of the toss, either prepare or relax.Instead of warming up with cricket, most teams prefer playing a different, non-contact sport, like volleyball, just before the game. It lightens the atmosphere and helps you ease into the match day. Contact sports like football and touch rugby are generally avoided because the chances of getting injured are higher.Gary Kirsten gives Sachin Tendulkar throw-downs after a net session•Getty ImagesBatting first
The environment in the dressing room becomes a lot quieter if your team is batting. Even though the bowlers slip into a relaxing mode, they avoid making unnecessary noise. Both the openers and the batsman at No. 3 are left alone. Everyone wishes the openers luck as they go through their last little routines before stepping onto the field. But there are some batsmen who don’t like to be wished before walking out to bat. One such was Sunil Gavaskar.Some batsmen will watch every single ball being bowled, as they wait their turn, either on TV or from the balcony, and then there are others who’d read newspapers and magazines (Mohammad Azharuddin) or sleep (Sir Vivian Richards) while waiting for their turn to bat. VVS Laxman likes to listen to music, while Yuvraj Singh prefers chatting.I can’t stop myself from watching. Thank god I’m an opener.Bowling first
While batsmen relax, the bowlers are required to be on the field 10 minutes before the start of the game to warm up. But bowlers have the luxury of easing into the match, as they’re not absolutely required to be at their very best right from the beginning. One mistake doesn’t mean the end of the innings for them; an advantage that gets evened out with the heavy workload they have to bear. Their planning and plotting happens more on the field and during the match.The opening batsmen start their preparation again when the opposition loses its eighth or ninth wicket. You see them standing in their stance and looking down the pitch every now and then. They also tend to go quieter in the field after the loss of the ninth wicket.My endeavour through this three-part mini-series on preparation was to tell my readers what goes into the making of a good ball, a marvellous catch, an unsparing shot, a great cricketer. I hope that from now on every time you see a batsman fail or a bowler bowl a half volley, you remember that lack of performance is not necessarily because of lack of preparation. It’s just that, in the game of cricket, like in any other walk of life, it’s only human to err.

سيد عبد الحفيظ: الأهلي سيواجه مشكلة حال التعاقد مع بغداد بونجاح

أكد سيد عبد الحفيظ، مدير الكرة السابق بالنادي الأهلي، على أهمية إبرام صفقات جديدة للمارد الأحمر، خاصةً فيما يتعلق باللاعبين الأجانب، رغم المسيرة الجيدة للفريق في الدوري المصري الممتاز.

وقال عبد الحفيظ، في تصريحات عبر قناة “إم بي سي مصر 2”: “الأهلي يسير في الدوري بشكل جيد بعد الفوز على المصري، لكن موضوع الصفقات مهم جدًا وشائك جدًا ولا بد أن يكون هناك تطوير خصوصًا بشأن الأجانب”.

وتابع: “هذا الموضوع مهم جدًا بدون مزاح ولا كلام ولا ليونة، الأهلي يحتاج مهاجم مع وسام أبو علي، وإذا كان هذا المهاجم هو بغداد بونجاح، والذي رغم أن عمره 33 سنة، إلا أن مردوده في آخر سنوات جيد جدًا وأرقامه جيدة، لكن هل يلعب مكان وسام أبو علي وهو في أفضل حالاته؟”.

طالع أيضًا | الشمال القطري يرد عبر “بطولات” على اهتمام الأهلي بضم بغداد بونجاح

وأضاف: “يُمكن الاستفادة من الثنائي على فترة بعيدة، وهل سينضم للأهلي في فترة كأس العالم للأندية فقط؟ أنا أرى أن ينضم في يناير، لأن انضمامه في فترة كأس العالم فقط ممكن يكون له مردود نفسي على وسام، كيف لمهاجم بعد كل الأرقام الجيدة التي صنعها وفي النهاية إمام هو يشارك أو بغداد يُشارك”.

واختتم: “مردود وسام أبو علي فوق كل التوقعات، لاعب انضم منذ سنة وقدم أرقام ومجهود وأهداف وتفاعل وشخصية، ولاعب رائع، لكن مع ذلك الأهلي يحتاج لصفقات بلا جدال”.

Clube interessado em zagueiro do Corinthians vive problemas com o fair play financeiro em seu país

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da stake casino: Interessado no zagueiro Raul Gustavo, do Corinthians, o Bordeaux, da França, possui problemas financeiros.

Na última sexta-feira (27), o time francês recuou na investida pelo meia Vitinho, do Athletico-PR, mesmo após trocar minutas contratuais com o jogador, que já tinha até mesmo traçado planejamento mara morar na França.

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continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasAthletico ParanaenseBordeaux recua por Vitinho, do Athletico-PR, mas Dínamo de Kiev mantém investidaAthletico Paranaense27/08/2021CorinthiansCorinthians encerra a sua preparação para enfrentar o Grêmio; confira os relacionados e a provável escalaçãoCorinthians27/08/2021CorinthiansCorinthians aguarda chegada de documentos para liberar Léo Natel a clube do ChipreCorinthians27/08/2021

da mrbet: O Bordeaux está pressionado pelo fair play financeiro no futebol francês que, obriga o clube a vender um atleta para equilibrar as contas, o que não aconteceu em tempo hábil para o acerto com Vitinho.

No caso de Raul Gustavo, no entanto, há um otimismo dos franceses por conta do valor inferior na negociação, que não deve ser afetado pelo fair play financeiro. A oferta por Vitinho feita pelo Bordeaux girava entre 6 e 10 milhões de euros (R$ 36,8 a 61,3 mi), enquanto a por Raul é de 2 milhões de euros (R$ 12,2 mi).

Ainda que esteja envolvido na negociação, Raul Gustavo foi relacionado para o duelo entre Grêmio e Corinthians, neste sábado (28), às 21h, na Arena do Grêmio, pela 18º rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro.

A janela de transferências para o futebol francês se encerra nesta terça-feira (31).

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