Tag Futebol

The Australia pace bowler has made peace with the fact that she may never play another Test, but as far as other formats go, she still has plenty left in the tank

Andrew McGlashan26-Sep-2023Megan Schutt is realistic that her Test match days are over, but hopes to be able to extend her international career through to the 2025 ODI World Cup in India.Schutt played the last of her four Tests in 2019 against England and has since missed the day-night encounter with India in 2021 after the birth of her daughter and the most recent two Ashes matches due to being omitted.Australia have two Tests coming up this season – an away fixture against India, which is set to be a day-night game in December, then a home clash against South Africa in Perth starting February 15 – but Schutt does not expect to feature in either.It was the omission from the Canberra Test in early 2022, which was partly attributed to workloads ahead of the ODI World Cup, that stung the most but Schutt is now at ease with where she stands.”I think Test cricket’s gone, which I’m completely at peace with,” she told ESPNcricinfo. “I was probably disappointed to miss out at Manuka…I wasn’t bitter about it but was disappointed. Since then I’ve realised as a person, as a player, how my body’s tracking, it’s probably not my format anymore.Related

Swing in, speak out: the story of Megan Schutt

Wyatt withdraws from Perth Scorchers WBBL deal due to fatigue

The new 'Invincibles' add more glory to their extraordinary era

'My brain was hurting after that day of cricket'

The first WBBL draft: what will the teams want?

“I’m pretty realistic in knowing that when the ball stops swinging I’m not overly dangerous. Only being a new-ball bowler who is pretty easy to play out at 100-110 clicks [kph] if it’s not doing anything is probably not what you need in a Test side.”I’m obviously there to do the job if I ever get called up, I believe I’ll be on standby and those sorts of things…[but] I’m at peace with it if I never play another Test. I’ve got to be part of some pretty cool Test matches.”Schutt added that although Australia play more than most, the lack of Tests in the women’s game made it easier to accept.”It sounds weird, but if it was something we played once every series and I was missing out that would hurt more,” she said. “The way I see it, it’s team first. I completely understand that; I wouldn’t pick me in the XI, either, so I’m pretty realistic about it. I’ve never really had a sad moment. It’s a bit disappointing but I’ve got a baggy green, so I’ve done what I wanted to do.”That does not mean Schutt hasn’t got more she wants to achieve in an international career that began in 2012. Her main ambition is to reach the next ODI World Cup in India and sign off at a global event, with next year’s T20 edition in Bangladesh one of the markers along the way.Schutt has played in three ODI World Cups although the last two years have been relatively lean for her in the format with 15 wickets at 38.46 from 17 outings since the start of 2022 and just two in five matches since the previous World Cup in New Zealand.Megan Schutt played the last of her four Tests back in 2019•Getty Images”Ideally I’d love another couple of years in Australian colours. I would love to get to 2025 and finish on a World Cup,” she said. “That’s the goal, whether it’s achievable body-wise, whether CA will want me, those are the hurdles that you don’t know are coming.”Before that, and even if Test cricket is no longer on the agenda, Schutt embarks on a season that will be the most hectic players will have faced. The WNCL is already underway, and Australia start their international summer against West Indies in Sydney on Sunday.There is then the WBBL – where Schutt will be a key part of defending champions Adelaide Strikers – before the multi-format tour of India. Coming back from that, Australia will head almost straight into another multi-format home series against South Africa. If the WPL remains in the same position on the calendar, that will follow quickly for those involved.It’s not only Australian players part of an increasingly busy schedule, with some England and India stars now opting not to take part in certain tournaments. Smriti Mandhana, who Schutt revealed Strikers did have talks with ahead of the WBBL draft, will again be absent from the competition while Nat Sciver-Brunt did not put her name in.

“I’m pretty realistic in knowing that when the ball stops swinging I’m not overly dangerous. Only being a new-ball bowler who is pretty easy to play out at 100-110 clicks [kph] if it’s not doing anything is probably not what you need in a Test side”Megan Schutt is aware of her limitations

“Our schedule as a whole is pretty intimidating to be honest,” Schutt said. “It’s a bit of a different case for me, having a wife and child at home. That definitely affects my decisions and what I’ll choose to play in the future. But just having the choice is probably the ultimate opportunity in itself.”There’s so many leagues now that if someone does want to do the T20 circuit, that’s bloody awesome. If they have the body and desire to keep doing that then that’s cool. But it’s definitely daunting and something we’ve discussed with our coaches about how we are going to manage ourselves.”One particularly challenging period for Schutt this season will be the trip to India which is over Christmas and New Year, a rare occasion of Australian cricketers touring in that window. Schutt confirmed she would make herself available, but admitted it came with difficulties.”I’ll be available. It’s against a major nation in tough conditions, I’m not going to opt out, but it will be extremely sad,” she said. “I’m not going lie, I hate the fact it’s over Christmas. If there was some way around it where we could come earlier or later I’d try move around it, but we can’t do that. We’ve just got to suck it up and get over there.Schutt celebrates the 2022 World Cup win with her wife and daughter•Getty Images”It’s a little bit different when you have a two-year-old at home and Christmas is all about kids rather than yourself and that will be the hard part, being away from them. I truly don’t really care for Christmas other than my family. But it’s just a part of it, we understand that’s how the schedule has to go.”First up for Schutt, however, will be a landmark outing. Her next T20I will be the 100th of her career, making her the sixth Australian (behind Alyssa Healy, Ellyse Perry, Meg Lanning, Jess Jonassen and Aaron Finch) and first specialist pace bowler to reach that milestone. Schutt, who was unaware of her impending century, already sits top of the charts in T20I wicket-taking with 128 at 16.46 and an economy of 6.35.”It’s a really cool reflection in that when I first debuted for Australia I probably didn’t deserve it,” she said. “I didn’t have the work ethic, didn’t have the skill level, I just happened to be able to swing a ball and that’s what they needed at the time.”Had you told me then, or even a few years into it, that I would be a mainstay and play that many games, I’d have told you no chance. I didn’t know that was coming up so makes me feel extra old, but also really cool that T20 is the most fickle format and I’ve been able to play 99 games.”

It makes sense at many levels, but there are also plenty of unknowns and obstacles involved

Osman Samiuddin09-Jul-2021Rahul Dravid, head coach, India. That has some ring to it.Just feels right, right? In the same way you knew you’d brought the right boy home to meet the parents.Dravid has always had prospective-son-in-law vibes, though presently that quality stands doubly amplified because the actual India coach seems very much the boyfriend your parents warned you about.Dravid in Sri Lanka is not, publicly at least, an audition for the role, because he is thought to be reluctant. But of course, it can’t help but be seen as an audition. Ravi Shastri’s contract is up after the T20 World Cup and, well, people are allowed to put two and two together and dream.And why not? It makes sense at many levels. For one, Dravid wouldn’t be former great who became a coach because what else would he do? A potential reading of his playing career, in fact, is as a prelude to a career as India’s head coach. That’s not to dismiss what he achieved as a player but to recognise that the nature of his greatness as a player stood him apart from the greatness of those around him.Related

• Dravid formally applies to become India's head coach

• Rahul Dravid in line to become India's head coach

• Bhuvneshwar: I'm not prioritising white-ball cricket over red-ball cricket

• How did India build their world-beating bench strength? They have a system

• Rahul Dravid: Winning series against Sri Lanka the priority

No greatness is ever unearned, but Dravid’s came across as sweatier and more worked for than his contemporaries in that revered batting order. This isn’t some reductive assessment, that he was a limited player; just that the clear impression was that he was more aware than most of what made him tick and why, and as importantly, what didn’t. Which, for coaching, is a priceless quality to have.He’s also been working as a coach for a while, though it isn’t simply about having the right qualifications or even practical experience so much. It is more that it makes him familiar with the game as it is now. So often, especially in the subcontinent (or maybe it’s just Pakistan) former players who become coaches remain stuck in the time they played in, unable to recognise that the game has evolved, let alone by what measure.Through his work with IPL franchises, and more seminally with India’s Under-19 and A sides and the National Cricket Academy, Dravid likely recognises the environment young cricketers are coming from, as well as the influences that are shaping them. He has bought into, for example, data analytics. But more importantly, you suspect he can sense which players are receptive to something like analytics, and to what degree, and which players tick slightly differently.Go through head coaches in international cricket right now and it’s clear Dravid hits a sweet spot unlike others. One tier is of those with celebrated international careers and a range of coaching experience: from limited, like Misbah-ul-Haq, Mark Boucher and Shastri, to extensive, like Phil Simmons, Lance Klusener and Justin Langer. There is a tier of hardy domestic cricketers who had limited international careers: Chris Silverwood, Gary Stead and Lalchand Rajput. Finally there are the career coaches: Graham Ford, Mickey Arthur and Russell Domingo.And then there is, or could be, Dravid, in a tier all by himself. A more celebrated playing career than many – perhaps any – on that list. More coaching experience than some on that list, but also the empathy and humility (though perhaps not as elite as Langer’s) that is the hallmark of the best coaches.He’s also set up better, of course, because he will have at his disposal arguably a better team than most anyone on that list, and unarguably greater depth and resources to play with. It can’t be said enough how much that impacts – and often distorts – assessments of coaching.(Don’t) shake things up: working with established stars is always trickier than mentoring younger players, and Anil Kumble’s tumultous tenure as India coach might potentially discourage Dravid from taking the job•Aijaz Rahi/Associated PressBut that also leads, in a straightish line, to the question of what India need now. And now that we’re asking, let’s be blunt with the answer: a title. India need a title.They’re already unbeatable at home and difficult to stop, let alone beat, in most other countries. They already enter all white-ball events among the favourites and are perennial semi-finalists – which comes off sounding like more of a slight than it is intended to be.But a title is the validation that teams and athletes live, and break themselves, for. It’s all very well being ranked No. 1, but how many people remember Marcelo Rios? It is one of the unavoidable – and slightly ludicrous – realities of sport that winning titles is what we judge players by.For a while now, India have been on the verge of becoming cricket’s dominant side without becoming it. It’s moot that they should have been here long ago. But what they would appear to need now are mostly infinitesimal advances. Greater attention to detail, smarter selection of playing XIs, more efficient management, and better deployment of that vast depth. These are the kind of things, you imagine, Dravid would be especially good at.You could argue that India’s issue with their white-ball batting is trickier, needing a more nuanced and sensitive handling. Learning to see wickets as expendable, and breaking away from those anchors, particularly in T20, is a cultural rewiring rather than a cricketing one. And soon there will be time for a transition – more pressingly with the Test side. Virat Kohli is 32, Ajinkya Rahane 33, Cheteshwar Pujara 33, Rohit Sharma 34, R Ashwin 34, Ravindra Jadeja 32, Ishant Sharma 32. It often goes overlooked just how much experience any India team brings to the field these days. Both matters will need careful management and careful management is kind of Dravid’s schtick.There will be to all this some element of the unknown, a tangible sense of risk. These are, after all, matters between humans, not algorithms. The dynamics of working with younger, fringe players are entirely different to those of working with established superstars in a national side. And Anil Kumble is a different man, but the circumstances of his exit can’t help but linger as a cautionary tale. It says something about the kind of coach this team, this captain, is comfortable with.Dravid’s resignation from the captaincy in 2007 lingers too – at the edges of memory but there. He stopped enjoying it because it had drained him, he once explained. It hardly needs spelling out that being the head coach of India, like being the captain, is no holiday; it can be a draining, overwhelming job, and the prospects of a life on the road for much of a year are hardly appealing at the moment.More than either Dravid or the team, the issue will weigh heaviest on the BCCI. It will be a critical rejig of an ecosystem that has only recently clicked into place. If the appointment is to happen, the BCCI will have to place the benefits of the work Dravid is undertaking now against the potential benefits he will bring to the national side. It’s a question to which the answer is usually another question and then another, until someone ends up asking whether the chicken came first or the egg.Not easy, no, but some perspective: it’s the kind of conundrum other countries would love to have.

The Tigers had lost eight consecutive games entering Thursday night's matchup with the Guardians in Cleveland. Once up by 15.5 games in the American League Central, Detroit needed a win in order to get back even with the Guardians as the regular season enters its final weekend. A.J. Hinch turned to rookie Troy Melton to deliver in the biggest spot of the year and the young righthander rewarded that confidence by throwing 3 2/3 innings and surrendering a single run.

Upon getting relieved from the game, Melton savored the moment by singing along to Blink-182's "All The Small Things" as it blared throughout the stadium.

Here's that cool moment.

Detroit and Cleveland now have a three-game race to the division crown. The Guardians hold the tiebreaker so it would have been all but over had Melton not stepped in to stop the historic skid. It's a good sign for the Tigers that Melton can be this cool in such a huge moment.

And kudos to the Fan Duel Sports Detroit broadcast for catching on to what was happening.

In the MLB postseason, teams have to be ready to adjust on the fly. This is doubly true for do-or-die elimination games, such as Friday night’s decisive Game 5 between the Seattle Mariners and Detroit Tigers.

In a game where one run might decide the difference between your season ending and your quest for the World Series carrying on, a team might have to pinch run for a better player than you normally would, or bring in a starting pitcher out of the bullpen to keep the game going, or any number of other bold strategies we only see in the playoffs.

And sometimes, in extreme circumstances, you have to let the loser fish win the mascot race.

The Mariners have hosted the Salmon Run—a mascot race around the warning track—at every home game at T-Mobile Park since the start of the 2024 season. Like many mascot races, the Salmon Run includes a lovable loser, who earns their status as a crowd favorite despite never coming in first. In Seattle, that’s Humpy.

As Friday’s game carried into the 14th inning, someone high atop the production team made a call—there would be a second “Salmon Run.” And this time, Humpy would win.

With the initial Salmon Run taking place before the game went to extras, it was decided that a second race would be run in the middle of the 15th inning, at which point the game was still tied 2–2 with the Mariners up to bat.

Despite falling behind early, the other salmon contenders ran into each other late, and Humpy was able to sneak through for their first ever victory. The crowd was electric.

Less than 10 minutes later, the Mariners would finally score the walk-off run that sent them to the American League Championship Series for the first time since 2001.

Obviously, it’s the players on the field that deserve the most credit for the win, but I do think it’s worth shouting out Humpy and whatever production staff was behind the decision to run a second race.

Before Humpy’s victory, things at T-Mobile Park were . The Mariners had gotten runners in scoring position several times in extra innings, but never able to bring them home. The ballpark was still packed despite the game nearly entering its sixth hour.

When you have a loser in the mascot race and you want them to win, you can only fire that bullet once, but given the circumstances, there was simply no better time for the Mariners’ stadium ops team to pull the trigger. The result was an explosion of joy across the tens of thousands of fans at T-Mobile Park, which also served as a collective exhale after two hours of baseball that were as edge-of-your-seat as the sport can get.

The gambit worked. Humpy and the Mariners left Friday’s game as winners. Who doesn’t love an underdog story?

Arsenal star Noni Madueke scored a brilliant goal to open the scoring for the Gunners against Club Brugge in the Champions League on Wednesday night. The summer signing from Chelsea shrugged off challenges from two defenders before ending a slaloming run by crashing a shot past goalkeeper Dani van den Heuvel and into the top corner to break the deadlock in some style in Belgium.

Madueke at the double as Arsenal stay perfect

Madueke was the star for Arsenal as they maintained their perfect record in the 2025-26 Champions League by beating Club Brugge 3-0. The Arsenal star lit up the Jan Breydel Stadium with a fantastic opening goal and then scored again early in the second period to double the visitors' advantage. Gabriel Martinelli went on to add a third for Mikel Arteta's side as Arsenal made it six wins from six in the Champions League so far this season. The Premier League leaders remain the only team in the competition with a 100 per cent record. Meanwhile, Madueke becomes the first player in Arsenal's history to score each of his first three goals for the club in the Champions League or European Cup.

AdvertisementWatch the clip

Madueke enjoys 'sweet' strike

Madueke spoke about his goals after the game on : "The first goal was really nice, second a tap in but the first one was sweet. Delighted with the result. The bare minimum I need to give to my team is threat; they need to give the ball and feel that something can happen. Trying to score and be as decisive as possible is the next level I need to get to. I want to be consistently decisive for my club and my country. I think I can reach that level, so I'll keep working every day."

The forward also spoke about Arsenal's good form and their belief they can be crowned champions of Europe.

"We're tight, we want each other to do well. We have top players everywhere in the squad. It's about all of us a collective, not any individual. We know we all have a part to play, so that's a good thing about this team," he added.

"I feel like we can win this competition, I feel like we can win the league as well. That has to be our aim. We're in a good place at the moment, so we'll just keep going."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Arteta hails 'outstanding' Madueke

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta was also impressed by Madueke's strike. He told : "Madueke and Martinelli were outstanding today, the level of threat and two finishes spectacular. Jesus back after 11 months, to see him perform in the manner he did was really positive.

"We know how difficult the Champions League is, and to win away from home especially with that many players out, it makes it bigger. Christian Norgaard is someone who probably prepares the best out of all of them. He is someone who makes all of us better every single day. He can play in any position, whether he plays more or less minutes his attitude is immaculate, a really good example for all of us.

"Right now it is about managing the situations we have in the backline, some players were there but could not play more than 45 or 30 minutes. To manage that has been tough. But with the attitude that the players have, I know that if I ask anyone to play there then they could do it, and they have done a great job."

تعادل دومينيك سوبوسلاي لصالح ليفربول أمام آيندهوفن، في الجولة الخامسة بمرحلة الدوري لبطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا.

وتجري المباراة على ملعب “آنفيلد”، وكان آيندهوفن قد تقدم منذ دقائق عن طريق الكرواتي إيفان بيريسيتش من ركلة جزاء حصل عليها الفريق الهولندي بسبب وجود لمسة يد على فيرجيل فان دايك داخل منطقة الجزاء.

وفي الدقيقة 14 تعادل ليفربول عن طريق المجري دومينيك سوبوسلاي بعد متابعة تصدي حارس آيندهوفن لتسديدة كودي جاكبو.

اقرأ أيضاً.. خطأ فان دايك.. بيريسيتش يسجل هدف آيندهوفن الأول أمام ليفربول

ويحتل ليفربول المركز العاشر برصيد 9 نقاط في مرحلة الدوري بفارق 3 نقاط عن صاحب المركز الأول بايرن ميونخ.

ويحتل آيندهوفن المركز 24 برصيد 5 نقاط في مرحلة الدوري بدوري أبطال أوروبا أيضاً.

Tottenham Hotspur’s activity in the transfer market over the summer was largely successful, with numerous of their additions already making a huge impact in the Premier League.

Mohammed Kudus was the most expensive addition during the recent window, joining the Lilywhites in a £55m transfer from London rivals West Ham United.

The Ghanaian has already adhered himself to the supporters, with his tally of one goal and four assists the highest tally of any player in Thomas Frank’s first-team squad.

However, not all of their big-money additions have hit the ground running in North London, with Xavi Simons only able to register a single league assist after his £52m switch from RB Leipzig.

At just 22, he will have bags of time to adapt to life in England’s top-flight, but the same can’t be said for another first-team member who will likely be on borrowed time in the near future.

The total cost of Spurs’ deal to land Richarlison

Back in the summer of 2022, Spurs paid a reported £60m for the signature of striker Richarlison, with the Brazilian moving to North London from fellow Premier League side Everton.

Many supporters were excited upon his arrival, no doubt due to the size of the fee, but it’s safe to say the 28-year-old’s spell at the club has been nothing be plain sailing.

During his three years with the Lilywhites, he’s racked up a total of 108 appearances across all competitions, but has only scored a total of 24 goals in such a period.

However, he’s also taken home a small fortune in wages, with his £90k-per-week wages seeing him earn a total of £18.72m in wages alone since his transfer.

When combining his transfer fee with his wages, Richarlison has cost the hierarchy a total of £78.72m – a simply staggering amount of money given his lack of impact.

Given his tally of 24 goals, he’s cost around £3.28m per effort – further highlighting how much money the board have wasted on his signature over the last few seasons.

Games played

108

Cost per appearance

£728k

Goals scored

24

Cost per goal

£3.28m

Assists

11

Cost per assist

£7.15m

The player who could end Richarlison’s Spurs career

The numbers behind Richarlison’s deal at Spurs are nothing short of mind-boggling, but his underlying stats from the current campaign further indicate his lack of positive impact.

The Brazilian has only scored four times in the Premier League to date, but he has missed six big chances in the process, which has no doubt hindered his ability to provide the goods.

He’s also registered the least amount of touches of any player on the pitch in four of his 11 league appearances, often being unable to make a real impact on proceedings.

When in possession, the 28-year-old has struggled to find a teammate, only completing 63% of his passes – a tally which ranks him in the bottom 12% of all players in the division.

His lack of quality, coupled with his staggering cost, should see the club look to move him on in the near future, with Frank desperately needing to drop him from his starting eleven.

However, that may be a tricky task given the recent injuries to Dominic Solanke and Randal Kolo Muani, but the Dane does have an excellent option in the form of Mathys Tel.

The Frenchman originally joined on a season-long loan from Bayern Munich last campaign, but he made such a move permanent in the summer – costing a fee in the region of £27m.

However, he’s found minutes hard to come by under Frank, with the 20-year-old only starting three matches out of a possible 11 in England’s top-flight to date.

Tel, who’s been labelled “one of the best finishers in Europe” by Ben Mattinson, has managed to impress despite his limited minutes, as seen by his tally of two goals.

Such a tally is all the more impressive when delving into his minute per goal ratio, with his 124-minute goalscoring record the best in the current squad in North London.

Games played

8

Goals scored

2

Minutes per goal

124

Pass accuracy

83%

Dribble success

50%

Touches in opposition box

3.9

Possession won in final third

1.1

Shots taken

2.2

The youngster has also caught the eye with his dribble success, often taking the ball past the opposition and handing the side a more nimble and off-the-shoulder type of centre-forward.

Despite his small frame, Tel has managed to make a nuisance of numerous backlines, even impressing out of possession and winning the ball back 1.1 times per 90 in the final third – which places him in the 95th percentile.

There’s no disputing that Tel is still a young and raw talent, but he’s already demonstrated glimpses of his quality, which should see Frank hand the Frenchman a consistent run of starts.

As for Richarlison, he could find himself on the fringes in the coming months, with the hierarchy needing to cash in as soon as possible to avoid losing a small fortune on their investment.

Forget Simons: Spurs have an academy sensation who could be Dele 2.0

Tottenham Hotspur already have a sensation who could replace Xavi Simons in North London.

ByEthan Lamb Nov 13, 2025

أعلن حلمي طولان، المدير الفني لـ منتخب مصر الثاني، التشكيل الرسمي لمواجهة الجزائر، في المباراة الودية التي تقام بينهما اليوم الجمعة.

ويلتقي منتخب مصر مع الجزائر، على ملعب استاد القاهرة الدولي، في إطار الاستعدادات لبطولة كأس العرب المنتظر إقامتها في قطر، خلال شهر ديسمبر المقبل.

طالع | موعد مباراة مصر والجزائر اليوم وديًا

منتخب مصر أوقعته قرعة كأس العرب في المجموعة الثالثة بجانب منتخبات الأردن والإمارات والفائز من المباراة التأهيلية بين الكويت وموريتانيا.

ويشهد تشكيل منتخب مصر الثاني، تواجد محمد النني أساسيًا بجوار أكرم توفيق وأفشة، ويقود هجوم الفراعنة الثلاثي محمد شريف ومصطفي سعد ميسي وإسلام عيسي. تشكيل منتخب مصر الثاني اليوم أمام الجزائر

حراسة المرمي: علي لطفي.

خط الدفاع: أحمد هاني، محمود حمدي الونش، عمر فايد ويحيي زكريا.

خط الوسط: محمد النني، أكرم توفيق ومحمد مجدي أفشة.

خط الهجوم: محمد شريف، مصطفي سعد ميسي وإسلام عيسي.

وكان اتحاد الكرة المصري، اتفق على إقامة مباراتين وديتن لـ منتخب مصر ضد الجزائر، خلال معسكر شهر نوفمبر الحالي، قبل المشاركة في كأس العرب، الأولى اليوم، والمباراة الثانية يوم الإثنين المقبل 17 نوفمبر.

India’s bowling coach Morne Morkel was full of praise for Mohammed Siraj and Akash Deep, who have taken 13 wickets between them to give India a great chance to level the five-match series 1-1.India need seven wickets on the final day after setting England 608 and taking three wickets in the 16 overs possible on the fourth evening. That India have done so in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah has pleased Morkel even more.”Very, very happy so far,” Morkel said. “We had a deep or good discussion after the last Test in terms of areas we want to improve on, and I think we’ve done that. So that’s a pleasing sign from a growing bowling attack, missing one of their most experienced players so they can react to those sort of things.”Related

• No Bumrah, no problem for India as Siraj steps up

• India sight victory after Gill buries England with runs

• Soft balls and hard times – Test cricket is facing a midlife crisis

• Trescothick: Draw is a good result for England

Siraj went the whole Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 on green surfaces without a five-for, but picked his first five-wicket haul in England on perhaps the flattest pitch India have encountered in the country this century. Morkel said it was just rewards for all the good bowling in the intervening matches between five-fors.”Siraj is a guy that I’ve got a lot of respect for,” Morkel said. “He’s a guy that always will push his body to the limits. I think sometimes the guilty part of him is trying too hard so for us. It’s about managing that sort of aggression and managing that intensity because he really bowls with his heart on his sleeve. I think sometimes those sort of things can give you that inconsistency.”In a match that he’s now the leader of the attack, he got the wickets, but for me in terms of effort and energy and with a sore body, he’s always done and will put his hand up, and he wants to bowl that over. I don’t think sometimes we give him enough credit for that.”Akash Deep’s line of attack, Morkel said, gave India the potency in brief windows of the new ball doing something. “He is an attacking bowler that asks questions, bowling at the stumps a lot,” Morkel said. “I think that’s one of the golden rules here in England: asking questions on the stumps. So for these sort of conditions in the UK, it suits his style. And coming back from injury and seeing him running in with high pace, it’s a nice sign for us.”That was a dream delivery… top quality player Joe Root and to dismiss him in that fashion just shows the quality of Akash, what he can do. I think he is also a guy like all of us. The more confidence you give him, almost like there’s a little bit more energy behind the ball and hopefully that delivery he will play over in his phone tonight, and then bring a couple more of those tomorrow.”Akash Deep left Ben Duckett’s stumps in a mess•Getty Images

However, Morkel did say it was not going to be easy as the pitch has responded only to the new ball, and the older ball has gone dramatically soft. “Your skill really gets tested on a surface like that,” Morkel said. “The margin for error is a lot smaller. Obviously, that’s nipping around a little bit now, but it’s going to be a challenge for us tomorrow.”In the first innings, India – having taken five wickets already – tried to buy a wicket with the short ball telegraphed, but Morkel felt this pitch was more about testing the stumps and going short only as a surprise.”For me personally on this sort of surface, you want to set a field where you can still have both options: using the short ball and try and nick a guy off,” Morkel said. “I think at times when you get too predictable, it can be a little bit easier to score because the surface is slow. But remember both those batters are attacking batters. They were going to take it on, and credit to Shubman, he took a gamble there for a couple of overs to potentially get a wicket. England at the time was 80 for 5. So to chase another wicket there, there’s no harm in that.”I thought we moved slightly away from our plans in the first innings, and in a way also with runs on the board you want to go take a couple of more risks but tomorrow for us it’s just going to be asking those questions on a good length because we know as the ball gets a little bit softer it is harder to strike.”The ease with which India were batting in the third innings and still scoring at five an over led India to what many might think is a conservative declaration. Morkel said it was more about how much time they wanted to bowl for rather than being spooked by England’s approach of late.

وضعت قرعة دور المجموعات من بطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا 2025/2026 النادي الأهلي في مواجهات صعبة خاصة مع فرق شمال إفريقيا من المغرب والجزائر.

وجاء الأهلي في المجموعة الثانية مع الجيش الملكي المغربي، شبيبة القبائل الجزائري وأخيرًا يانج أفريكانز التنزاني.

اقرأ أيضًا.. مواعيد مباريات الأهلي في دوري أبطال إفريقيا 2025-2026

المدرب البرتغالي ألكسندر سانتوس، المدير الفني لنادي الجيش الملكي، تحدث في تصريحات خاصة لـ”بطولات” عن قرعة دوري أبطال إفريقيا، مؤكدًا صعوبة المجموعة التي وقع فيها فريقه، لكنه أبدى تفاؤله بقدرة الجيش الملكي على المنافسة والتأهل إلى ربع النهائي.

وقال سانتوس: “القرعة دائمًا ما تكون صعبة، لأن كل الفرق التي يمكن أن تواجهنا قوية وتنتمي لأفضل أندية القارة، مجموعتنا تحديدًا صعبة جدًا ومليئة بالتحدي، لكنها في الوقت نفسه تنافسية للغاية”.

وأضاف المدرب البرتغالي: “أعتقد أن كل الفرق لديها فرصة لتقديم أداء كبير في دوري أبطال إفريقيا، والجميع يريد التأهل، لذلك ستكون المجموعة بمثابة عرض كروي قوي لجماهيرنا، لأننا نعلم أننا أمام تحدٍ ضخم”.

وتابع: “سنواجه فرقًا قوية مثل الأهلي، ويانج أفريكانز، وشبيبة القبائل، وهي مباريات من مستوى عالٍ جدًا، وسنعمل على تقديم أفضل ما لدينا في كل مواجهة”.

وأوضح سانتوس أن التحضير للبطولة سيكون على أعلى مستوى، قائلًا: “نحتاج إلى استعداد قوي لأننا سنخوض أول جولتين قريبًا، وسنعتبر دور المجموعات بمثابة بطولة مصغرة من ست مباريات، وكل مباراة ستكون الأهم بالنسبة لنا”.

وأكد المدير الفني أن الهدف واضح منذ البداية: “نريد أن نحقق بداية قوية في تنزانيا، وأن نحاول الفوز بكل مباراة لأن طموحنا هو التأهل، يجب أن نكون أفضل من خصومنا في كل مواجهة”.

واختتم سانتوس حديثه قائلًا: “هدفنا الأساسي هو الوصول إلى الدور ربع النهائي من البطولة بعد مرحلة مجموعات ناجحة، كل الفرق تملك فرصًا متساوية، لكننا في الجيش الملكي نؤمن بقدرتنا على المنافسة وسنقاتل من أجل الفوز في كل مباراة”.