Grace Scrivens will be given another chance to enhance her captaincy credentials as she leads England A’s red-ball team in their four-day match against Australia A in Sydney this week, at the conclusion of their multi-format series.Scrivens, 21, was handed the captaincy of the T20I leg of the seven-match tour, and succeeded at the first attempt where her senior counterparts had failed in their Women’s Ashes whitewash earlier this year.England A won that opening match of the series by three wickets at Hurstville Oval in Sydney, with Scrivens herself making 35 from 38 balls, before the remaining two matches were washed out.Hollie Armitage, Durham’s captain, then took over the reins for the three 50-over matches that followed, with England’s thrilling one-wicket win in Monday’s third ODI leaving the teams with two wins each in the four completed games so far.Although there are no official points at stake in the multi-format series, the series finale has an element of winner-takes-all to it, and will take place at Cricket Central from April 12-15.Scrivens, Essex’s captain, has yet to make her full England debut and so is unlikely to be considered as Heather Knight’s replacement, following the latter’s removal from the role after a nine-year tenure.However, Scrivens is widely considered as an England captain in the making, having led the Under-19 team to the T20 World Cup final in South Africa in 2023. Andy Tennant, her director of cricket at Essex, recently described her as “the English Graeme Smith”, in reference to the South Africa captain who led his side for 11 years after taking over at the age of 22 in 2003.With Charlotte Edwards now installed as England’s head coach, a new captain is due to be announced ahead of the team’s first series of the summer, against West Indies in May. Nat Sciver-Brunt, the current vice-captain, is currently on maternity leave following the recent birth of her son, Theodore.
“He’s bowling with full rhythm today, too. He’s also putting work in the gym and isn’t complaining of any pains”
Danyal Rasool18-Feb-20252:13
Rizwan hopes to see more ICC events in Pakistan soon
Pakistan have been handed a boost ahead of the Champions Trophy opener, with fast bowler Haris Rauf expected to be “fully fit” against New Zealand, according to their captain Mohammad Rizwan.”Haris bowled 6-8 overs a couple of days ago, and bowled a fair bit yesterday too,” Rizwan said at the captain’s press conference on the eve of the tournament. “He’s bowling with full rhythm today, too. He’s also putting work in the gym and isn’t complaining of any pains. We think he’s fully fit.”Rauf sustained a muscular sprain in his chest while bowling in the opening game of the tri-series against New Zealand on February 8, and was in a race against time to be fit for the start of the tournament. He did not play the remainder of the series, though ESPNcricinfo understands that was more out of an abundance of caution than an indicator of the injury’s severity.Related
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After the press conference, Rauf was seen bowling in the nets during Pakistan’s final practice session before the tournament at the National Stadium. It clears Pakistan up to play what they view as their first-choice bowling lineup, one that features Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah and Rauf. The three played together in an attack that ultimately ended up on the wrong side of a result against New Zealand in the opener of the tri-series. They play the same side tomorrow in the Champions Trophy curtain-raiser as Pakistan prepare to host their first ICC tournament since 1996.”We suffered for 10 years when no side came here,” Rizwan said. “But Pakistan still produced solid results. So we have no doubts about our ability.”However, it is hard to escape the idea that Pakistan go into their first game as relative underdogs. New Zealand beat them twice in the tri-series, going unbeaten across the tournament to lift the title. They went on to demonstrate their all-round ability, defending a total against Pakistan in one game before easing to two chases in games against South Africa and Pakistan. At the same time, they brushed aside injuries to fast bowlers Lockie Ferguson and Ben Sears, retaining their fast-bowling threat, while reigning Pakistan in through the middle overs with a varied array of spinners.”There are ups and downs and certain deficiencies in our side,” Rizwan said. “We are aware we need to bring about certain improvements in our professionalism and consistency.0:57
Urooj: Huge responsibility for Pakistan to defend the title at home
“We tried to learn from the tri-series, which is why we batted first in the final to work out where our weaknesses lie. We used that series as a training experience. We hope we’ve learned enough to cover for those weaknesses tomorrow.”But along with the usual cheery optimism, Rizwan’s statements were laced with a kind of naked hunger he has rarely let slip in the past. Wearing his religion on his sleeve, he tends to resign himself to “the will of Allah” as he often says. It can take the pressure off, a valuable skill for a Pakistan captain, but today, Rizwan seemed to teeter on the edge of fantasising how much he wanted to win an ICC event, and how good it would be to win this one at home.”We’ve come so close a few times,” he said. “We need to work out how to get that extra one per cent to win those big matches. No one can guarantee that success, and we’re still in search of that final step where we lose big games or tournaments.”Every player is desperate for this title. And we’re doing everything we can to work out how to win. I don’t think any country works as hard as we do.”It’s uncommon to hear Rizwan speak with that kind of edge. Soon enough, he was back to his usual gregarious self, talking about how “all 15 players were captains” and the value of team performances over individual brilliance. But then again, perhaps that is the “extra one per cent” Pakistan, and Rizwan, are so desperately hunting for.
Even before the summer transfer window opened, Manchester United entered the off-season with one clear goal: improve the forward line ahead of 2025/26.
Such a task needed to be undertaken after the Red Devils only managed to score 44 times in their 38 Premier League outings during the most recent campaign.
Ruben Amorim has showcased his desire to improve the current situation, making multiple moves to land Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha from Brentford and Wolverhampton Wanderers, respectively.
Mbeumo
Whilst the pair notched 35 combined goals in the Premier League last season, other additions are still being pursued within the final third before the end of the summer window.
Given the climate of the current window, a new talisman would likely cost a pretty penny, but that hasn’t stopped the hierarchy from targeting numerous players over recent days.
The latest on United’s hunt for new additions
Moise Kean has been a player firmly on United’s radar throughout the current window, even making contact with Fiorentina over a deal to land the Italian striker.
However, if they are to land a deal for the 25-year-old during the current window, they will have to pay over the odds, after his £44m release clause expired on the 15th of July.
Fiorentina'sMoiseKean
He’s not the only player who’s currently in their sights at present, with Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins once again a player they’re interested in, according to journalist Ben Jacobs.
The journalist claimed that the Red Devils have held talks over a move for the 29-year-old star, after he scored 16 league goals last campaign.
He also claims that Unai Emery’s side see the England international as not for sale during the ongoing transfer window, potentially making any deal for his signature somewhat harder.
Why United’s latest target would be a better signing than Sesko
Alongside a deal for Watkins, the United hierarchy have been targeting a move for RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko in an attempt to complete their hunt for a new centre-forward.
Benjamin Sesko 2024-25 stats (timeless)
The Slovenian has been a key target for numerous sides this summer, but the Red Devils could be about to have a free run at his services after Arsenal and Liverpool opted for other targets.
He could prove to be a viable option for Amorim’s men, after he bagged 21 goals across all competitions for the Bundesliga outfit throughout 2024/25.
At just 22, he has bags of time to develop into an elite-level talisman, but any move could prove to be a huge risk given his current £67m asking price.
As a result, it would make Watkins a cheaper option for the hierarchy, whilst also providing a more experienced Premier League option in the club’s hunt to return to their former glory.
The Englishman did register more league goals last time around, subsequently offering a bigger goal threat, with his underlying stats also just as impressive.
Watkins, who’s been labelled “one of the best strikers in Europe” by boss Emery, also posted a higher shot-on-target accuracy rate, subsequently taking advantage of more chances that fall his way in front of goal.
How Watkins & Sesko compare throughout 2024/25
Statistics (per 90)
Watkins
Sesko
Games played
38
33
Goals scored
16
13
Shot on target accuracy
44%
43%
Goals per shot on target
0.4
0.3
Pass accuracy
72%
67%
Key passes made
0.8
0.7
Carries into opposition box
1.3
0.5
Progressive carries
1.9
1.7
Stats via FBref
He also completed more of the passes he attempted, whilst posting a higher key passes per 90 tally, able to provide fellow new additions Cunha and Mbeumo with chances in the final third.
The Englishman’s talents are further reflected in his tally of carries into the final third per 90, able to create his own chances rather than being reliant upon others around him.
Given the difference in the stats and price tag, Watkins would evidently be the better addition for United during the current transfer window, subsequently bolstering their chances of success next season.
If he can replicate the levels he’s produced at Villa Park, it would be a phenomenal addition and one that would inject the added dimension Amorim is hunting for in his forward line.
Mbeumo 2.0: Man Utd make direct phone call to sign "sensational" £22m star
Manchester United appear to be making a move for a star just like Bryan Mbeumo.
Tottenham Hotspur could soon be forced to find a replacement for club legend Son Heung-min, as talks progress with Los Angeles FC.
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After a stunning 10-year stay at N17, and with just 12 months remaining on his contract, the South Korea star has a tough decision to make amid this serious interest from the USA.
According to GiveMeSport this week, LAFC are advancing in talks for Son and the winger is close to agreeing personal terms, but he’s yet to make a firm final call on whether he’s going to stay or go.
Tottenham’s best-performing regulars in the Premier League – 2024/2025
Average match rating
Son Heung-min
7.00
James Maddison
6.98
Pedro Porro
6.95
Dominic Solanke
6.84
Dejan Kulusevski
6.83
via WhoScored
Any exit before the conclusion of Tottenham’s Asia pre-season tour would also result in the club losing millions in revenue due to contractual obligations (GiveMeSport), with Son, for obvious reasons, standing out as a key centrepiece for Spurs when it comes to their Far East appeal.
This is backed up by The Telegraph, so it’s unlikely that we’ll see the 33-year-old leave north London until later in the window.
Son is also poised for crucial talks with Thomas Frank once they return to the English capital (GiveMeSport), where both men are set to discuss his future.
While Son’s potential goodbye isn’t exactly a foregone conclusion just yet, Spurs chairman Daniel Levy is forced to contemplate life without the talismanic club captain, who’s scored 173 goals and assisted 101 others since arriving from Bayer Leverkusen a decade ago.
Tottenham tipped to sign Alejandro Garnacho in late-window deal
Frank will need a replacement, and ex-Tottenham scout Mick Brown is convinced that Man United outcast Alejandro Garnacho could be that man.
Manchester United's AlejandroGarnachoreacts
The Argentine has displayed flashes of true brilliance during his time at Old Trafford, but he’s firmly on the ‘for sale’ list as United attempt to raise money. Their eagerness to offload is even forcing the Red Devils to slash their asking price from £70m to £40m (The Mirror), which presents Spurs with a real opportunity here.
Brown, who remains very well-connected in the beautiful game, has told Football Insider that Tottenham are “definitely” interested in Garnacho and tips Levy to make a late-window move for the 21-year-old.
“Alejandro Garnacho is certainly one of the names on Tottenham’s list,” he said.
“It looks like they might be losing Son, whether that’s to the MLS or the Saudi league, so they are already looking at options to replace him. Garnacho has been a very impressive player for Man United.
“He’s got loads of promise, and I’m surprised Amorim is so willing to let him go. I think he’d be an excellent addition for Tottenham, and he’s definitely one they are interested in.
“The only issue I have is what the price tag will be, because Man United publicly pushing him out has shown their hand, they need to get rid of him. They’re going to struggle to get big money for him, so they might have to drop the asking price.
“I think it’s one that will happen in the closing stages of the window, when United need to sell and Tottenham can take advantage of that situation. As I say, particularly if they lose Son, because he’s going to need replacing.”
Ihsanullah Janat, the Afghanistan top-order batter, has been banned from “all forms of cricket activities” for five years for corruption, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) said on Wednesday. The ban is effective immediately. The board said that the breaches of the ACB’s and ICC’s anti-corruption code had been committed during the second edition of the Kabul Premier League earlier this year.”Janat was found guilty of violating Article 2.1.1 of the ICC Anti-Corruption Code, which involves improper influence or efforts to fix the result, progress, conduct, or any other aspect of a match,” the ACB said in a statement. “In light of this violation, he has been handed a five-year ban from all cricket-related activities. Janat has admitted to the charges and confessed to his involvement in corrupt activities.”The statement added that the ACB’s anti-corruption unit has been investigating “three other players” for possible involvement in corrupt activities. “Decisions regarding their involvement will be made upon confirmation of their guilt,” the ACB said.Related
Ihsanullah, another jewel in the Mangal family
Ihsanullah, 26, was in action for Shamshad Eagles at the Kabul Premier League 2024, and scored 72 runs in four innings at an average of 18 and strike rate of 150. The team finished last on the six-team league table with just one win from five games.Internationally, Ihsanullah has appeared in 20 games for Afghanistan across the three formats. Following his debut in an ODI against Zimbabwe in Harare in February 2017, Ihsanullah has played 15 more times in the format, scoring 307 runs (average 21.92) and has also turned out in three Tests (110 runs at 22.00) and one T20I, where he scored a 14-ball 20. That T20I, in June 2022 against Zimbabwe in Harare, was his last appearance for his national team.Ihsanullah comes from a family with close ties to the game, with his brother Nawroz Mangal one of the country’s stalwarts in their early years of international cricket. Nawroz was the captain of the national team when they became the first Affiliate nation to gain ODI status at the 2009 World Cup qualifiers, and again when they qualified for the 2010 T20 World Cup.
It seems like one of West Ham United’s most loyal servants in recent years, Tomas Soucek, is going to leave the club this summer.
If reports from Football Insider are to be believed, the Hammers will lose the Czech Republic international to Everton, where former manager David Moyes is in charge.
The midfielder, who has been a key player for the Hammers for a number of years now, has certainly played an important role this season under Julen Lopetegui and, more recently, Graham Potter. Soucek has featured in 32 Premier League games, scoring and assisting ten goals in total.
West Ham's Tomas Soucek
If he does depart the London Stadium this summer, the Hammers will need a new midfielder. Already, they seem to have identified an early target.
West Ham’s midfield target
The Championship has always been a league from which many Premier League clubs make smart signings, with the Irons perhaps benefiting the best in recent memory, luring Jarrod Bowen away from Hull City.
Well, West Ham might well be set to acquire a similar signing this summer, if rumours of them signing Burnley midfielder Josh Brownhill are to be believed.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
According to a report from Footballer Insider, the Hammers ‘have now been alerted to the opportunity to sign’ Brownhill from the Clarets this summer. Potter’s side are ‘keen to strengthen’ in the centre of the park, and the Burnley star could be the perfect option.
What makes this deal even more beneficial is the fact that he could be available on a free transfer.
The 29-year-old’s contract at Turf Moor expires this summer, and whilst Burnley want to agree a new deal, he could well leave for nothing. West Ham’s Premier League rivals Everton, as well as Scottish giants Celtic, are also in the race.
Why Brownhill would be a good signing
What a season it has been for Bronwhill in the Championship. He was pivotal in Burnley’s promotion back to the Premier League, helping them to second place in the league despite reaching a century of points.
Well, Clarets matchday commentator Phil Bird certainly believed the Manchester-born midfielder was a standout at Turf Moor this season. He described his performances as “out of this world”, which is high praise indeed.
The stats are certainly there to back up such a claim. Brownhill managed an outrageous 18 goals and six assists. Bearing in mind the fact that he most often played as a number 6 for Scott Parker’s side, those are astounding numbers.
Josh Brownhill
In the final five games of the season, Brownhill was a key contributor, helping the Clarets get over the line and seal automatic promotion.
The 29-year-old scored and assisted seven goals in those matches, including two strikes against Sheffield United in the third-last game of the campaign, which sealed a 2-1 win and confirmed their place in the Premier League next term.
Should the Hammers be able to bring Brownhill into the club this summer, he could finally be a long-term replacement for Declan Rice.
In many ways, their side has felt like it has a void in midfield since his move to Arsenal two seasons ago. After all, he is “one of the best midfielders in the world”, according to Daniel Sturridge.
The England international was exceptional for West Ham during his time at the club. He made 245 appearances, scoring and assisting 28 times.
However, he has since added goals and assists to his game, just like Brownhill has and already has 15 goals and 20 assists in an Arsenal shirt.
Interestingly, the pair are actually statistically similar when looking at the 2020/21 Premier League campaign on FBref. For example, Brownhill averaged 6.23 ball recoveries per game, compared to 7.28 ball recoveries per game for Rice that season.
Passes into penalty area
0.51
0.56
Shot-creating actions
1.89
1.84
Tackles and interceptions
3.64
3.69
Blocks
1.05
1.22
Ball recoveries
6.23
7.28
The similarities between the two are clear to see. On top of all those factors, when you consider both are leaders, with Brownhill captaining Burnley this season, he really does seem like an excellent replacement.
For a free transfer, this does not seem like a deal West Ham can miss out on. They can replace Rice’s quality in the middle of the park and his leadership skills, and sign someone with proven Premier League experience.
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Former Premier League referee Peter Walton has revealed to no one’s surprise that Manchester United legend Sir Alex Ferguson was the hardest manager to deal with as a referee.
Peter was a Premier League referee from 2003 until 2012, when he retired from his on-pitch duties to take up the role of general manager of the Professional Referee Organization in North America, which he performed until 2018.
Since then, he has returned to British shores to feature regularly as a pundit and officiating expert on TNT Sport’s football coverage, and you can read our exclusive chat with him below, in partnership with talkSPORT BET.
Who was the toughest manager you had to referee?
“Sir Alex Ferguson. He didn’t win what he wanted by being a shrinking violet. He didn’t keep United at the top of the tree for so many years by being nice to everybody. I’ve received the hairdryer treatment for sure.
“The manager’s office at Old Trafford is next to the referee’s room at Old Trafford and at the end of a game I’d go in there, I’d pop the door open and say cheerio. Normally that would be met with ‘thanks very much, see you next time’ but they played Portsmouth one night and Man United lost two full-backs through injury.
“One was when one of the Neville lads kicked through and caught the studs of an opponent. He got hurt – it was not a foul – the other one was a foul, I gave the foul. After the game, I tapped on the door as I normally do and I went to say ‘cheers, all the best’ and he went absolutely ballistic at me. Apparently, I’d caused the loss of two full-backs and there were a few Anglo-Saxon words in there. Of course, he always had a very short fuse.”
What was the hardest ground to officiate at?
“Thinking of grounds, the hardest one to referee at was Goodison Park. It’s a shame Everton are leaving there but Goodison Park always evoked an atmosphere for me.
“It was quite a feral place for me at times. The whole place would erupt and they would always encourage me if I was having a bad game. It was always a tough one to referee – when I looked at the fixtures and saw I had Everton I thought ‘here we go’.”
What's the toughest refereeing decision you ever made?
“I made a decision that was right but I didn’t agree with it. That was at Goodison. Everton were playing West Ham and West Ham were fighting for their Premier League survival. There was a striker called Freddie Piquionne and I cautioned him earlier in the game for a centre-forward’s challenge, he got nowhere near the ball. He was on a caution and we put that to bed.
“In the second half Everton were winning 1-0 but West Ham made it 1-1. And when Piquionne scored what would be a winning goal for West Ham to make it 2-1, he peeled away and went into the away support that was at Goodison over at the far side and the away support surged forward. In doing so there was a group of young lads at the front of the seating area who weren’t crushed but they nearly were.
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“Freddie raced over to them but unfortunately, it was a safety issue. Referees had been briefed only a month before about clamping down on players creating safety issues for fans and you had to caution them for doing that.
“Freddie came back onto the field with the security and police sorting out the young lads at the front of the crowd and I shook my shoulders and said ‘Freddie you’ve got to go’. He shook my hand and actually said ‘thank you’. It was the right decision in law but it didn’t sit greatly with me.”
The fast bowler has fronted up to bowl the difficult overs and emerged as the leader of the current NZ pace pack
Deivarayan Muthu08-Nov-2025Fast bowler Jacob Duffy had figures of 8-1-40-3 across the first two T20Is against West Indies in Auckland – a big plus for New Zealand on the small straight boundaries at Eden Park.Opener Brandon King tried to access the small boundary over mid-off in the first over of West Indies’ chase of 208 in the second T20I, but Duffy denied him with an outswinger that wasn’t full enough and found his outside edge. When Shai Hope, the half-centurion from the first T20I, attempted the same, Duffy got the ball to move away further and beat the outside edge.Duffy’s first nine balls in the powerplay were all dots after which a fumble in the infield allowed a single. In his third over in the powerplay, Duffy almost had Alick Athanaze chop an inswinger pitched on an in-between length back onto his stumps.Nothing full. Nothing wide. Swing both ways. And the deliveries that went straight on were so tight that batters couldn’t take liberties against them.On most days, Duffy’s new-ball spell might have been enough for New Zealand to defend 207. But on Thursday, West Indies’ power-hitters mounted a late charge. Duffy was needed again at the death.When West Indies required 30 off 12 balls, Duffy conceded back-to-back boundaries to Rovman Powell in dewy conditions at the start of the 19th over. But he managed to regroup and conceded just four runs off the last four balls. A bumper flew past Matthew Forde’s head while a yorker was squirted to short fine leg for a single.Related
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While operating with the new ball is Duffy’s stronger suit, he can also do a job at the death. With a number of New Zealand’s first-choice fast bowlers on the sidelines, including Matt Henry and Lockie Ferguson, Duffy displayed skill and composure to spearhead a young and inexperienced attack. Since April 2024, Duffy has been New Zealand highest wicket-taker, with 36 strikes, and second-most economical bowler for a minimum of 200 balls bowled in the format. Mitchell Santner, the most economical New Zealand bowler during this period and the captain, was impressed.”Duff has been excellent in the last two years,” Santner said after the first T20I against West Indies. “He has taken every opportunity that has gone his way and he’s probably the leader of the pack at the moment, especially in T20 and even in white-ball with Matt Henry as well. I mean three in the powerplay is never a tough gig but he made it look easy. You come up against very strong power-hitters – Rovman Powell, [Romario] Shepherd and [Jason] Holder…”Mitchell Santner: “Duff has been excellent in the last two years”•AFP/Getty ImagesDuffy, 31, made his international debut in December 2020 in a T20I against Pakistan, also at Eden Park, eight years after his maiden T20 appearance for Otago under Brendon McCullum. More recently in August this year, he made his Test debut in Zimbabwe, more than 13 years after his first first-class match for Otago. Duffy reckons his long and hard toil in domestic cricket has steeled him for the challenges of international cricket.”I’ve played a lot of cricket, albeit not at international level but domestically,” Duffy said. “So, that definitely helps. It’s the same game but just that you’re playing against better players, so that is good. I think we all get along very well as a bowling unit and at the same time, we’ve got very different skillsets.”Whenever you look at me, KJ [Kyle Jamieson], Foulkesy [Zak Foulkes] and Smudge [Nathan Smith] on the sidelines, we all do quite different things and we help each other out in our own way. But, at the end of the day, the boys are going to put their own game plan into place but, no, we are all feeding off each other and we’re all helping each other out.”The collective effort from New Zealand’s bowlers helped defend 207, despite West Indies scoring 87 in the last five overs. Duffy stood out, fronting up to bowl the difficult overs in the powerplay and death. It’s not for nothing he was the No.1-ranked T20I bowler until recently. He is strengthening his case for next year’s T20 World Cup – with or without some of the senior quicks.
Wayanad’s star has walked a difficult path to get to the big stage, and she made it count
Shashank Kishore24-Feb-20242:32
Yastika Bhatia: ‘Sajana is the Kieron Pollard of MI women’s team’
She has a degree in Political Science. She’s featured in a Tamil film as a support artist. She was football captain of Wayanad district in Kerala in her teenage years, and a track-and-field champion in college. And on Friday night, S Sajana announced herself on the cricket field with a sensational first-ball act in the 2024 WPL season opener at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.As Sajana swung powerfully and cleared the long-on boundary with Mumbai Indians needing five runs off the final delivery, Biju George sat in the Delhi Capitals dugout soaking in an emotional moment that may have been bittersweet.Biju, a renowned state coach in Kerala, has seen Sajana travel an arduous path from Wayanad where she once was also a cricket-throws champion. Modelled on shot-put, the competition at her school rewarded those who threw a cricket ball farthest. Sajana impressed local cricket coaches with her athleticism and, in 2013, she was invited to train at Wayanad’s residential women’s academy run by the Kerala Cricket Association, with Biju overseeing the camps. More than a decade later Biju, now the Capitals’ fielding coach, watched Sajana beat his team.Related
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Sajana’s career had been on the upswing until disaster struck in 2018. Only three weeks before the floods in Kerala washed away her home, Sajana had scored the fastest hundred in age-group women’s cricket in India, which earned her a call-up to a women’s NCA camp.The year before, she had led Kerala Under-23 to the inter-state T20 title, leading to a call-up to the senior Kerala team when she trained once again under Biju. She was named KCA’s women’s player of the year two years in a tow.S Sajana roars in delight after slamming her first ball – the last of the innings – for six to take Mumbai Indians home•BCCIBut when the Covid-19 pandemic struck in 2020, it set Sajana – like it did many others – back.Sajana’s father, Sanjeevan, an autorickshaw driver in the scenic Wayanad hills didn’t have much of an income due to pandemic restrictions, especially with tourism in the region coming to a standstill. Her mother, Sarada, worked at the municipality in Mananthavady. The lack of a regular income was tough on the family.At this time, Sajana received assistance from Nazir Machan, secretary of the Wayanad District Cricket Association, who let her stay at KCA’s residential facility free of cost so that her cricket training would be unaffected by the pandemic.”Sajana was a natural athlete, so there was never a question of her having to put in more hours on her fitness,” Nazir told ESPNcricinfo. “She only needed guidance, which she got when she joined the KCA academy. She made use of the opportunities to excel even though there were numerous hardships like losing her home.”Ahead of WPL 2024, Sajana trialled with three franchises. Biju had even recommended her to Capitals, who couldn’t bid at the auction because they had exhausted their purse. Sajana had also been to trials with Mumbai and Gujarat Giants, and eventually got bought by Mumbai for INR 15 lakh.Sajana’s first act on the field on Friday night was the stuff of nightmares: she dropped a sitter at point with Alice Capsey on 72. Shabnim Ismail, the bowler, vented her frustration.Her shot at redemption came in the final act of the game. Sajana had no time for sighters. With five to get off the last ball, she swung, and smacked it straight out of the middle.”She’s like the Kieron Pollard of our women’s team,” Yastika Bhatia said after the match. “She has that role [of a finisher]. Credit to her. She has got an inspiring story. She has come from a humble background and we’re very happy and proud. Her family would be really proud she hit that six.”Sajana’s six showcased what the WPL can offer in India. In one ball, Sajana went from being an unknown woman cricketer who’d toiled for a decade to the person who ensured the WPL’s champions began their title defence with a thrilling victory on an evening of high drama and glamour.
He’s batting as well as ever, but teams are packing the leg side and making him work much harder than ever before
Alex Malcolm21-Mar-2022Something is not quite right with Steven Smith, and yet he’s not playing badly by any stretch.There are a number of players in this series who would gladly sign up for scores of 78, 72, and 59 in three innings. David Warner is chief among them. Marnus Labuschagne, with two inexplicable ducks in four innings, is another, while Travis Head is the only Australia batter on tour who hasn’t passed 30.Related
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Maybe we expect too much of Smith. But it seems he’s no longer Superman, piling up centuries at will, and no one can quite work out why.Smith himself looked bewildered as he trudged off after being trapped lbw in Lahore. He was so plumb he walked before Ahsan Raza had a chance to raise his finger. It was his 7th 50-plus score in his last 14 Test innings without a century. Since the 2019 Ashes, Smith’s opus, he has passed 50 on 10 occasions in 26 innings but has only registered one three-figure score. In total, he has just one century in his last 29 Test innings dating back to his epic 211 in Manchester in 2019.Lahore looked the venue where his 14-innings drought would end. Smith has long been Australia’s man for a crisis, but he has not often entered in a crisis since the emergence of Labuschagne.Here he entered at 8 for 2 after Shaheen Shah Afridi burst through Warner and Labuschagne in the same over to leave Australia reeling after winning the toss. Smith looked like a man on a mission. He caressed three glorious boundaries in his first 15 balls, including two sumptuous off-side drives. The mannerisms were back. The senses were heightened. He even spotted the roving camera moving at deep midwicket while playing a defensive stroke off Hasan Ali.When Smith stroked his third dazzling drive, off Hasan, to move to 19 from 27 balls the headlines were being readied.Smith was lbw off Naseem Shah, with his bat getting stuck behind his back pad•AFP/Getty ImagesBut what happened next was indicative of what has plagued Smith for two-and-a-half years. He stopped scoring. He went 22 balls without a run. That included a dropped catch when he attacked Nauman Ali’s first ball to him. Smith crushed a drive at a catchable height back to the bowler, but it was too hot to handle.Smith broke the shackles by lofting Nauman straight down the ground in the 18th over for his fifth boundary. But that would be the last boundary he would score until the 51st over. He scored just 30 runs from 106 balls in that period. Usman Khawaja, on his way to another outstanding 91, struck seven fours and a six during that time.Run-scoring has become a grind for Smith, even accounting for surfaces as slow as these in Pakistan. Where once he cruised through the middle overs of an opening day, rotating the strike at will and finding the boundary with ease, he has now been made to earn every run and it is taking a toll.Since the 2019 Ashes, Smith has a strike-rate in Test cricket of just 40.80. Up until the end of the 2019 Ashes, his career strike-rate was 56.38. For Smith to score a century at a strike-rate of 40.80, he needs to face 246 deliveries, approximately, whereas previously it took, on average, just 177.Since the 2019 Ashes, he has faced 177 balls or more in six innings, including in the first two Tests of this series, and has just one Test century to show for it. On the previous 27 occasions when he faced 177 balls or more in Tests, he posted 24 centuries, and he added two more hundreds in innings where he faced fewer than 177 deliveries.Teams have become better at containing Smith. They have been smarter with their leg-side fields to cut off his scoring zones. His main batting coaches, Trent Woodhill and Michael Di Venuto, had set him up technically to score heavily from good length balls in the fourth-stump channel. His back-and-across movement and unique grip set him up to pick opponents apart through the leg side as they tried to hit his pads.Teams have become smarter at blocking the leg side, which was previously Smith’s most productive area•AFP/Getty ImagesBut the slowness of the surfaces in this series and the canny field settings have caused Smith’s scoring to grind to a halt. The challenge of facing an extra 69 balls to score the centuries he so desperately craves is taking a mental toll.It’s forcing mistakes Smith would not previously make. In Rawalpindi, he tried to sweep a length ball from outside leg and gloved a catch down the leg side. In Karachi, he tried to force off the back foot through cover point with only minutes remaining in the day, and edged to slip. And today, he got his bat tangled against his back pad while trying to work a ball off middle stump from Naseem Shah and was plumb lbw, having ground his way to 59 from 169 deliveries.”I thought he batted really well today,” Khawaja said. “He was stiff. His bat got stuck in his pad.”You bowl that ball against Steve Smith he’s hitting it 99 out of 100 times.”I’m sure it’s frustrating in some respects. He is in my opinion the greatest batter I’ve seen in my era, averaging 60 throughout pretty much his whole Test career.”It’s so funny. We’re talking about Steve Smith probably not scoring hundreds but he seems to be getting 70, 80 every game and doing it very easily. That’s just the class that Steve Smith has. I’m sure there’s a big score coming and then once he gets a big score there will be more big scores.”The odds say that he’s going to get a big one very soon.”