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A classificação inédita para a Copa Libertadores do ano que vem e a campanha como semifinalista da Copa do Brasil tornaram a temporada de 2021 uma das mais importantes na história do Fortaleza. O caminho para o sucesso, porém, começou a ser trilhado há quatro anos quando o clube subiu da Série C depois de oito temporadas. Mesmo com uma derrota diante do Tupi-MG, fora de casa, em 2017, o Leão confirmou o acesso à Série B do Brasileiro.

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O ano seguinte, em 2018, também foi marcante. Sob o comando de Rogério Ceni, veio o acesso à Série A e o título da Série B. Em 2019, a vaga inédita na Sul-Americana resultou no confronto com o Independiente no ano seguinte em que, apesar da eliminação na Arena Castelão, o clube fez um jogo histórico em Buenos Aires. Durante esse período, o Fortaleza venceu três vezes o Campeonato Cearense e foi campeão da Copa do Nordeste pela primeira vez.

– É a realização de um sonho. Se você chegasse para um torcedor em 2016 e falasse que o Fortaleza estaria na Libertadores em cinco anos, seria chamado de lunático. São feitos inesquecíveis, eu tenho muito orgulho de ter feito parte dessa trajetória, que envolve muito trabalho, organização, disciplina, profissionalismo e o apoio incondicional da nossa torcida, que esteve presente em todos os momentos – declara Marcelo Paz, presidente do Leão.

A equipe cearense é a quarta da região a participar do principal torneio continental da América, mas a conquista através de um campeonato por pontos corridos é inédita. Antes do Fortaleza, Bahia, Sport e Náutico já disputaram a competição, porém nenhum deles se classificou no formato atual do Campeonato Brasileiro.

O sucesso na adaptação do técnico argentino Juan Pablo Vojvoda e a solidez apresentada no início do campeonato trouxeram tranquilidade: o Fortaleza foi o único time que ficou no G6 em todas as rodadas do Brasileirão.

Paz assumiu o cargo em 2017 e, após a contratação de Rogério Ceni como técnico, determinou a construção do Centro de Excelência Alcides Santos. A estrutura de treinamento teve o aval do ex-goleiro e técnico que participou da idealização das estruturas de treinamento com melhorias nos gramados, academia, hotéis e vestiários. Neste ano, mesmo com a pandemia, o clube se manteve equilibrado financeiramente, fez apenas contratações pontuais e não atrasou salários.

Faltando duas rodadas para o fim do Campeonato Brasileiro, o clube ainda pode bater mais um recorde. Caso conquiste quatro dos seis pontos em disputa, alcançará a melhor campanha de um clube nordestino no atual formato do Brasileirão. A marca pertence atualmente ao Vitória, que fez 59 pontos em 2013, mas ficou na quinta posição e não se classificou para a Libertadores.

Newcastle United were unable to adorn St. James’ Park with bells and whistles this summer but they did bolster their backline and they also avoided a detrimental sale of a key first-team star.

Heading into the transfer window, Eddie Howe’s outfit clearly needed reinforcements after turning up a day late and a dollar short in the race for European qualification, one year on from the victorious and unforeseen campaign toward the top four, earning a place in the Champions League.

But it was a season of misfortune for the Magpies, who were knocked by persistent injuries and ultimately finished seventh in the Premier League, losing their Conference League qualifying spot after Manchester United, who finished eighth, won the FA Cup.

It must be said that while Newcastle kept the essence of their project intact, they didn’t make any actual improvements to their frontline, missing out on top attacking target Anthony Elanga.

Why Newcastle wanted Anthony Elanga

There was plenty of talk about Miguel Almiron’s future on Tyneside this summer. The Paraguayan winger has been a stalwart over the years but is not prolific enough to warrant a regular starting spot on the flank. Jacob Murphy is another to play a present part in Howe’s plans, but he too could be displaced by a superior wideman.

24/25

2 (0)

0

0

23/24

23 (13)

3

1

22/23

29 (24)

11

5

21/22

19 (8)

1

0

20/21

28 (22)

4

1

19/20

35 (34)

4

2

18/19

9 (8)

0

0

The 30-year-old could still make an impact this season, but a player of Elanga’s quality could have made a positive impact on Howe’s unit, taking the starring role on the right and allowing his older peers to contribute when called upon.

Last summer, Nottingham Forest signed Elanga from Manchester United for a fee believed to be £15m. The winger, who completed a five-year move, had shown promise at Old Trafford but was not going to work his way into Erik ten Hag’s starting lineup.

Their loss. The Tricky Trees thoroughly enjoyed his performances last season, with Elanga wrapping up the campaign with five goals and nine assists across his 36 Premier League fixtures, proving to be instrumental in the (successful) fight to stay in the division.

He might be waiting for his first goal contribution of the current campaign but the Sweden international hasn’t exactly been slacking, with an average 91% pass completion rate and 2.7 key passes per game across his opening top-flight appearances, as per Sofascore.

It’s no surprise that Newcastle have a vested interest in his signature. The Toon had been hoping to sign him on a £45m deal in the summer but were batted away with each advance.

It’s a rueful one. He’d be deadly on the right wing, and the perfect partner for Anthony Gordon on the alternate – a player who is even more valuable than him.

Anthony Gordon is shaping into a superstar

Gordon is turning into quite the player. His voracious love for reading and determined personality are eloquent of his elite mindset, and his performances in Newcastle colours have been indicative of just that.

It hasn’t always been plain sailing for the England international on Tyneside, who forced his way out of Everton in January 2023 and signed for £45m. Across the latter half of the 2022/23 campaign, Gordon worked hard but to little avail, scoring his first goal on the final day, during a 1-1 draw with Chelsea.

Last season, however, he put any notion of being a ‘flop’ to bed, actually winning Newcastle’s Player of the Season award after scoring 12 goals and claiming 11 assists across all competitions, hailed by Bruno Guimaraes for his “unbelievable” performances.

Matches (starts)

35 (34)

36 (25)

Goals

11

5

Assists

10

9

Touches

44.9

30.5

Shots (on target)*

2.3 (0.9)

1.5 (0.6)

Big chances created

16

14

Pass completion

82%

75%

Key passes*

1.6

0.9

Tackles + interceptions*

1.8

1.1

Ball recoveries*

3.6

2.7

Dribbles*

1.5

0.8

Total duels won*

5.3

2.9

The 23-year-old is only going to get better and better, and while he has a distance to go before sitting alongside Europe’s very finest attacking midfielders, he carries the trappings of such a player, with the profile of a top, top superstar.

After all, he caught Liverpool’s attention during the off-season…

Anthony Gordon's market value in 2024/25

Liverpool were interested in signing Gordon this summer, with a £75m deal preliminarily in place that would see the winger return to Merseyside and Liverpool’s Joe Gomez head to St. James’ Park in return.

Newcastle circumvented their PSR problem without losing any of their most important players – namely, Gordon, Guimaraes and Alexander Isak.

It was fantastic that this was achieved, especially when considering the gravitas of Newcastle’s task: restoring its place among Europe’s elite and continuing to push for silverware.

Gordon will be instrumental in this regard. Signing Elanga would have been nice, but he’s not performing at the same level as Gordon, who is combative, cultured and creative – the full package, and he’s “fearless” besides, as has been said by Alan Shearer.

A player on the rise, the Englishman was only actually valued at £7m, as per Transfermarkt, at the time at which PIF took over Newcastle back in late 2021, although he has since soared to that £75m price tag – an increase of 971%.

When we look back at Newcastle’s summer activity, there might be an element of regret at having not bolstered as had been desired, but keeping a grip on a player of Gordon’s ilk might just prove to be more influential than the signing of Elanga would ever have been.

Newcastle struck gold on Sir Bobby signing who's now worth as much as Guehi

Bobby Robson struck gold on a former Newcastle star

1 ByRoss Kilvington Sep 10, 2024

Teams bracing for a “difficult but not impossible” time as temperatures expected to rise to 40 degrees Celsius during the day

Umar Farooq26-May-2021

With six double-headers scheduled, the day games in Abu Dhabi will start at 5 PM, when the mercury still hovers around 35 degrees Celsius•Abu Dhabi Cricket

Coconut water, ice collars and vests, and more breaks. Those are just some of the ways in which Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchises will combat the extreme weather conditions the players are set to face in Abu Dhabi in June.UAE has never hosted elite cricket at this time of year due to the summer heat, with nearly all high-level competitions played during the winter and spring months. But the lack of a more feasible window to play the remainder of the PSL’s games postponed from March meant there were few other choices.With the forecast expected to rise to about 40 degrees Celsius during the day, most of the games will be played at night, when the weather is cooler. However, six double-headers are scheduled, which will mean day games starting by 5PM at the latest, when the mercury still hovers around 35 degrees Celsius most days. The night games, while lower in temperatures, will see increased humidity, somewhere between 50% and 65%.Related

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Group of PSL players and staff to leave for Abu Dhabi via Bahrain

“This will be difficult but not impossible,” Mohammad Akram, Peshawar Zalmi head coach, told ESPNcricinfo. “We all are working on making plans for how to cope with such conditions, especially fast bowlers. We have a strategy to use coconut water as much as we can to maintain body temperature. We need to keep the boys hydrated and avoid the risk of cramping. Since most of the games will be played at night, we are not worried about heat strokes.”It’s more about how we combat the humidity. Hence, the use of coconut water helps us against the risk of losing electrolytes from the body. I am not sure if more than two or three extra breaks are feasible in between the innings but we plan to supply coconut water at the boundary especially for the bowlers.”Aqib Javed has played in the UAE, as well as coached the national side from 2012-2016, to understand the effect this kind of heat can have on the body. He said that June, while not ideal, was manageable.”In June, the nights aren’t as hot as the days – the temperature drops and the sea breeze allows you to settle,” Javed told ESPNcricinfo. “The boys in Pakistan are used to coping with some challenging conditions. The only worry is the first innings in the first games that will start around 5PM, but once the sun goes down they will cope.”Javed did acknowledge the heat could pose extra challenges when it came to player performance.”Fitness is important as usual and players have attained the highest level of fitness these days. But still, the idea of having short breaks every seven overs can be handy. But we don’t know what to expect right now. But everyone is a professional and everyone will come prepared about every aspect of the game. Normally I would suggest teams should have come two weeks earlier to acclimate with the conditions but with the tight schedule that’s tricky.”Franchises are investing in ice vests for their players to wear on the field and there has been talk of using lighter material for team kits. When negotiations were on last week between the PCB and Abu Dhabi authorities and it looked as if the season may be postponed, talk had turned to moving the league at the last minute to Dubai instead. One of the advantages Dubai was citing was its stadium, built in such a way that it provides a fair degree of shade during the day; Abu Dhabi’s Sheikh Zayed stadium, by contrast, is open air.August is generally considered the hottest month of the year in Abu Dhabi though it has seen top-flight cricket during that period. Australia played three ODIs in the last week of August 2012, against Afghanistan and Pakistan in severely debilitating conditions; in the last of those three games Mitchell Starc had to leave the field mid-over suffering from the humidity. The ODI began at 6pm local time and finished at nearly 230am the next morning. Most famously, Australia and Pakistan played two Tests in Sharjah in October in 2002, when players said the temperatures reached 50 degrees during the day.The PSL is set to resume on June 5, with the final planned for June 20.

Liverpool enjoyed a brilliant start to life under new boss Arne Slot last weekend, picking up all three points in a 2-0 victory over newly promoted Ipswich Town at Portman Road.

Despite the departure of Jürgen Klopp at the end of last season, there are expectations of Slot to hit the ground running and be a success at Anfield during his debut campaign at the club.

However, his side remain the only team in the Premier League yet to make a first-team signing, with the Dutchman having to work with the crop of players already on Merseyside.

Their lack of business hasn’t been through their lack of effort, with a deal to sign Martin Zubumendi evaporating after the Spaniard decided to stay at Real Sociedad instead of a move to England.

With the transfer window shutting next Friday, the Reds are running out of time to make new additions to help Slot have the best chance of being a success, potentially relying on some current first-team players to step up in 2024/25.

Luis Diaz’s time at Liverpool so far

After joining Liverpool for a fee in the region of £37m during the January transfer window in January 2022, there was real hope that he could be the long-term replacement for Sadio Mané, who left the club just a couple of months later.

He’s since made 99 appearances for the Reds, scoring just 24 goals, an average of one strike every four appearances he’s made in all competitions.

Last season, the 27-year-old enjoyed a successful campaign, registering 13 goal contributions in the Premier League last term – helping the club qualify for the Champions League once again for the 2024/25 campaign.

However, despite his admirable record for the club in recent times, he could find himself as more of an impact player under Slot, especially if they land one player who’s recently been touted with a move to Merseyside.

Liverpool could land £51m ace who’s an upgrade on Diaz

In recent days, Liverpool have been the latest club linked with a move to sign Atalanta winger Ademola Lookman before the transfer deadline.

The Nigerian forward, who scored a hat-trick in the Europa League final last season, enjoyed a fine campaign for the Italian side, registering 18 goal contributions in his 31 Serie A appearances. He's potentially available for €60m (£51m) as reported earlier this summer.

Such a record could see him be a hugely successful player at Anfield, potentially seeing him replace the Colombian should he make a move in the next couple of weeks.

Lookman, who’s noted as a similar player to Real Madrid star Vinícius Júnior as per FBref, blew Diaz out of the water in numerous key areas last season, showcasing what an excellent addition he would be to Slot’s side.

The “blistering” Nigerian, as described by scout Antonio Mango, not only managed more combined goal contributions, but registered a higher goal per shot-on-target rate than the current Liverpool ace – offering the club a more potent goal threat in the final third.

Games played

31

37

Goals + assists

18

13

Goals per shot-on-target

0.46

0.25

Progressive passes

4.6

3.9

Aerials won

46%

35%

Crosses completed

3.3

0.9

The Atalanta star also completed nearly three times the number of crosses per 90, whilst also winning more aerial battles – demonstrating his all-round ability in attacking areas.

Whilst it would be an extremely harsh call to replace Diaz after his recent campaign on Merseyside, football is a cut-throat industry, with the club needing to make the right call in order to get back towards the top of the Premier League.

Lookman would be a stellar addition for the Reds, taking the club’s forward line to the next level and giving Slot an increased opportunity of being a success during his first season at Anfield.

The aforementioned likeness to Vinicius Jr is a further reason to be excited, with the Brazilian arguably the "best player in the world" according to legendary compatriot, Ronaldo, having wreaked havoc off the left flank last season with 35 goals and assists in just 39 games for Madrid.

Lookman has a way to go to reach such heights, while the £51m price tag may seem an expensive fee for a player who’s never really cut it in England’s top flight, but he’s developed his game in Europe, with his pace and eye for goal making him an elite level talent.

Liverpool hit gold on "special" talent worth more than Branthwaite & Guehi

He’ll be hoping to explode under Slot’s leadership this season…

ByAngus Sinclair Aug 21, 2024

قرر مسؤولو النادي الأهلي إنهاء التعاقد مع أحد اللاعبين المحترفين ضمن صفوف الفريق الأول لكرة السلة، بعد فترة قضاها اللاعب داخل جدران القلعة الحمراء.

وأكد مصدر مطلع داخل النادي الأهلي لـ “بطولات” أن إدارة النادي توصلت إلى اتفاق ودي مع اللاعب الأمريكي جون روبيرسون يقضي بفسخ التعاقد بالتراضي بين الطرفين.

ويأتي هذا القرار في ضوء رغبة النادي في تدعيم صفوف الفريق بعناصر أكثر جاهزية وقادرة على تقديم الإضافة المرجوة.

وأوضح المصدر في تصريحاته الخاصة أن السبب الرئيسي وراء فسخ التعاقد مع روبيرسون يعود إلى معاناته من تكرار الإصابات، الأمر الذي أثر على مشاركته الفعّالة مع الفريق وقدرته على تقديم أفضل ما لديه بشكل منتظم.

طالع أيضًا | إسماعيل يوسف يكشف سر تألق إمام عاشور.. وشريف عبد الفضيل: الأفضل في مصر وإفريقيا وتخطى أرقامه مع الزمالك

ورأت إدارة النادي أن استمرار الوضع على ما هو عليه قد يُعيق مسيرة الفريق في المنافسات المقبلة، لذا اتخذت قرارًا بالبحث عن بديل أكثر جاهزية.

طالع أيضًا:

رابطة الدوري الأمريكي: متشوقون لمشاهدة مباراة الأهلي وإنتر ميامي

ترتيب مجموعة الأهلي في دوري أبطال إفريقيا

ومن المُقرر أن يُباشر مسؤولو النادي الأهلي خلال الأيام القليلة القادمة عملية البحث عن محترف جديد لتعويض رحيل روبيرسون.

وتهدف الإدارة من خلال هذه الخطوة إلى تعزيز صفوف الفريق بعنصر قوي يُساهم في تحقيق الأهداف والتطلعات خلال الموسم الحالي.

ويتولى مسؤولي النادي الأهلي حاليًا دراسة وتقييم أكثر من سيرة ذاتية لمحترفين أجانب، وذلك لاختيار الأنسب من بينهم للانضمام إلى الفريق.

Aston Villa have reportedly submitted an offer to sign a new midfielder for Unai Emery, with Monchi seemingly driving a potential deal.

Aston Villa signings so far

NSWE have once again got the chequebook out at Villa Park, backing Emery in the transfer market with eight new arrivals ahead of the 2024/25 campaign which will include Champions League football.

Aston Villa summer signings

From

Fee (Transfermarkt)

Amadou Onana

Everton

€59.35m

Ian Maatsen

Chelsea

€44.5m

Cameron Archer

Sheffield United

€16.65m

Jaden Philogene

Hull City

€16m

Samuel Iling-Junior

Juventus

€14m

Lewis Dobbin

Everton

€11.8m

Enzo Barrenechea

Juventus

€8m

Ross Barkley

Luton Town

€5.9m

Monchi has been hard at work behind the scenes to get those deals over the line, but there could be more to come before the Premier League season kicks off next weekend.

For example, reports aboard in recent days suggested that Villa were looking to sign Romelu Lukaku from Chelsea and had even reached an agreement with the Blues, but as we know, that is yet to gather any major pace in England.

Elsewhere, Villa have been linked with a move to sign Joe Gomez from Liverpool, whereas a formal bid has been sent to Sunderland for forward Mason Cotcher, with the teenager actually training with Villa’s youth squad already.

Meanwhile, there could be more departures following the high-profile exits of Douglas Luiz and Moussa Diaby to Juventus and Al-Ittihad respectively. Jhon Duran is one player who has been heavily linked with a Villa Park exit.

It is shaping up to be a busy month both on and off the pitch for Villa, and a new report has stated that a new midfielder is wanted in the Midlands.

Aston Villa make offer to sign Bryan Cristante

According to reports in Italy, relayed by Sport Witness, Aston Villa have made an offer worth more than £17m plus bonuses to sign AS Roma midfielder Bryan Cristante.

The Serie A giants are said to be considering the bid from Villa Park, with Monchi signing Cristante during his time at Roma. He’s presented as key in any possible deal this time around, with the player potentially being allowed to leave by Roma boss Daniele De Rossi.

Cristante, an Italy international, is primarily a holding midfielder but can also play as a centre-back or further forward in midfield if required.

The 29-year-old began his career on the books at AC Milan and has gone on to play in Portugal with Benfica. He’s been with Roma since 2019, though, making an impressive 280 appearances for his current employers.

As can be seen, Crisante was hailed as “unbelievable” last season by journalist Josh Bunting for a goal he scored last season, and by the looks of it, he could be the next midfield addition made by Villa, making this one to watch.

Andre Onana has urged incoming Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim to keep "very good coach" Ruud van Nistelrooy in his backroom team.

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Amorim to become new head coachPortuguese to take over from November 11Ex-striker in charge on interim basisFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Red Devils have taken the decision to make another change in their dugout, with Erik ten Hag being relieved of his managerial duties at Old Trafford. With one Dutchman moved on, another has inherited the reins on an interim basis.

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Van Nistelrooy has overseen an unbeaten run across three competitions, with United picking up Carabao Cup and Europa League wins over Leicester and PAOK while taking a point from a Premier League draw with Chelsea.

WHAT ONANA SAID

Van Nistelrooy has called for "patience", with no decision made on his future as yet, but Onana wants to see the former Red Devils striker stay on under Amorim. When asked if he wants Van Nistelrooy to stay, the Cameroonian goalkeeper told : "100 per cent. He’s a very good guy, a very good coach. Since he’s here, he’s helping us a lot. He has so much experience and he advises us a lot. He’s doing amazing since he’s here, you know. Obviously, we have him a few days as a head coach. He’s different, but he’s doing amazing. It’s fantastic what he’s doing and the players are happy.

"But at the end of the day, it’s not something we can decide. The club made the decision and we have to accept it. But this has to be between him and the club because at the end of the day, they are the ones who have to sit at the table and decide what is best for the club."

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Getty WHAT NEXT FOR MAN UTD?

Van Nistelrooy has one more game to come at the United helm, as Leicester prepare to visit Manchester on Sunday, with Amorim set to officially take charge on November 11 – giving him the next international break in which to find his feet in the most demanding of roles.

After a disappointing seventh-placed finish in the Premier League last season, Newcastle United could now sacrifice one of their top stars in order to bring new players through the door at St James' Park.

Magpies eye up defensive reinforcements this summer

After struggling to settle on a nailed on back four last season, Eddie Howe appears to be in the market for players to reinforce his backline. One defender has already made the move to Tyneside with free agent Lloyd Kelly set to join the club at the start of July after leaving Bournemouth at the end of his contract.

Related Top target: Newcastle want to sign "unbelievable" PL star who's like Gordon

Newcastle looking to add more firepower in attack

Posts ByConnor Holden Jun 26, 2024

With one already through the door, the latest rumours out of St James' Park have linked Newcastle with a number of further defensive signings. AC Milan's Fikayo Tomori is one name linked with a move to the Magpies with the English defender potentially available for £42million this summer.

Another defender on PIF's shopping list is Juventus' Federico Gatti. The 26-year-old central defender is linked with a £25 million move away from the Turin outfit and Newcastle are reported to be ready to launch a formal bid for the player.

With fresh faces in defence clearly high on Newcastle's list of priorities, the club could now use the transfer window to sell one of their most reliable players in this area of the pitch.

European club target Toon star

As first reported by Sport Witness, the Turkish press are claiming that Trabzonspor are interested in signing Newcastle United defender Fabian Schar. The Swiss centre back has just one year left on his current deal at St James' Park meaning that he is likely to be moved on this summer.

The report goes on to state that Schar is now Trabzonspor's top target in their search for a new central defender after the 2022 Süper Lig winners failed to convince Marseille’s Samuel Gigot to join, and they have already reached out to the Magpies star.

Current Toon boss Howe spoke on Schar's unique abilities back in March, telling the press: “There won’t be many centre-halves like Fabby (Schar). He is a total one-off, he is a very good defender when he is absolutely concentrated and really well-trained.

"He is as good a defender as I’ve seen. But he would probably tell you that his biggest strengths are on the ball, and he can see things and execute things that I don’t see many other centre-halves capable of doing. That’s why he’s so important to us."

Schar made 36 league appearances for the Magpies last season, scoring four goals in the process. The 32-year-old's goal scoring prowess is well known with the player synonymous with well struck efforts that end up rippling the back of the net.

As he is currently away representing Switzerland at Euro 2024, Sport Witness states that any negotiations will not take place until the tournament has concluded.

With Newcastle eyeing up moves for a number of high profile defenders, shifting Schar's £45,000 per week wages off the books could be what allows the Magpies to go after some of their top targets.

Coach says defeat is part of bigger picture as South Africa strive to close the gap

Firdose Moonda01-Dec-2020South Africa have a considerable amount of catching-up to do to reach the same white-ball standards as a team like England, according to their coach Mark Boucher.Speaking after South Africa failed to win a match in a home T20 series for the first time in the format’s history, Boucher acknowledged that England are in a different class when compared with other teams.”England are step ahead of, not only us, but quite a few different teams in world cricket,” Boucher said, after the team’s defeat in the third T20 at Newlands. “We’ve got a way to go. If you look at this England team, when they got together probably in around 2017, they were also asking a lot of questions of themselves trying to find a balance that was going to suit their style of play. These guys have won a World Cup and are oozing with confidence. Their players are a lot more developed than what our players are. Our job is to get our guys in our team feeling what these guys are.”Boucher and his support staff’s work has been made many times more difficult by the almost nine-month period of inaction forced upon the national team by the coronavirus pandemic, and its effects on team selection, both of which left South Africa “exposed” in certain areas.”We didn’t have allrounders due to various reasons so we lacked a sixth bowler. You can’t hide behind that. Sometimes in T20 cricket, you’ve got a bowler who goes. And most teams, especially a team like England, tend to fancy a particular bowler on one night and you need a bit of cover for that individual, and we haven’t been able to do that,” Boucher said.Dwaine Pretorius and Andile Phehlukwayo have both been unavailable for selection for this series which forced South Africa to field XIs made up of specialists. They opted for a six batsmen-five bowler split, which meant they had no alternative but for each bowler to deliver a full quota of four overs. In the first match, they tried to use Heinrich Klaasen for an over of part-time spin, which backfired, while in the second, Lungi Ngidi was costly and in the third, Lutho Sipamla and Tabraiz Shamsi leaked runs, but South Africa had no-one else to attempt to apply the brakes.While Boucher was mostly satisfied with the team’s batting efforts, he lamented the lack of a left-hander, with David Miller also unavailable for this series. “Maybe (we could also have had) a left-hander in the middle-order, especially to a legspinner like Adil Rashid who turns the ball in to the left-hander. It showed in the England batting line-up how valuable that can be,” he said.Despite the forced absence of some first-choice players, Boucher insists South Africa are beyond the trial phase of their T20 World Cup preparation and want to fine-tune rather than figure out their overall squad. “We haven’t been experimenting. We’ve been using the resources that we’ve had,” he said. “We’ve had a couple of unfortunate circumstances that caused us to play combinations that we knew were not correct but we had to do it. We want to get into a situation where we are solid on a T20 squad.”He also defended the team’s demonstration of their new aggressive, but smart, style of play, which has yet to be fully explained. It seems to suggest a more proactive approach to shorter formats than is usual for South Africa, who tend to err on the side of caution. Boucher said he felt the team showed signs of clever thinking, even though it didn’t always work in their favour.ALSO READ: CSA will apply affirmative action in hiring coaching consultants”I do think they were smart. We were thrown a couple of curveballs,” he said. “A smart decision would be to play six bowlers but the balance of the side wouldn’t have worked out. On the field, I like the core group of guys to make decisions, and they made those decisions. We continuously talk about smart decisions and what we felt we did right and what we felt we could do better. We want to keep growing.”In the first two games, we were smart, we just didn’t play the big moments that well. If you look at the games, it came down to one or two overs that cost us. That’s just big moments that we didn’t play as well as England did and hence the results. The first two games were a lot tighter than people may think. This game not so much. I thought we had enough runs. We just didn’t execute with the ball and England are a powerhouse side and they are going to punish you.”Balking at the big moments has often been a criticism levelled against South Africa, but that’s not something they can dwell on right now. Rather than a close scrutiny of what they didn’t do in this series, Boucher hopes his squad can apply a wide lens to this series and see it in the context of their rebuilding process and the summer ahead, as they look to close the gap between themselves and teams like England.”Days like today are tough because we haven’t won,” he said. “We will try and encourage the guys that they need to trust the bigger picture. There are a couple of hard lessons being learnt at the moment but we are not going to quit. We are here for the long haul.”

“This time around the competition will be good; they have brought in experienced players and you will see different cricket”

Umar Farooq29-Oct-2020Babar Azam vowed not to overcomplicate things as ODI captain, saying he would try to apply the same mindset which fetched him positive results in T20s. Pakistan start as firm favourites against Zimbabwe, and Azam said they would test their bench strength during the series, but at the same time, he asked his players not to take the opponents lightly.This is Azam’s first ODI series as captain despite being given the role over a year ago. Pakistan have not played an ODI since a three-match series against Sri Lanka in October 2019, and in that time, he has led his side in eight T20Is, with three wins and as many losses. His form as a batsman shows no sign of waning, but Azam is yet to truly stamp his mark as a captain.”I have learned a lot in the last year and it is a continuous process,” Azam said on the eve of the first ODI. “It didn’t affect my batting much because with the bat I only focus on what I am doing in the middle. But as a captain, there are a lot of things going on my mind so I try to cover every aspect as captain while enjoying the game. The ODI cricket is played with a different mindset but whatever made me successful in T20 cricket, I’ll try and replicate that to get good results.”Zimbabwe’s 20-man squad has a mix of youth and experience. While new faces like Faraz Akram, Wesley Madhevere and Milton Shumba are part of the side, there are also seven players who visited Pakistan in 2015. Pakistan, meanwhile, are playing with a full-strength squad and go into the series as firm favourites, having won each of their last six ODIs against Zimbabwe.”This time around the competition will be good; they have brought in experienced players and you will see different cricket,” Azam said. “We will try to dominate and play according to our strengths and try and get a clean sweep. You can’t take them lightly and we will try to play with a combination of seniors and juniors and give chances to players like Khushdil [Shah], Usman Qadir and Zafar Gohar. We will try to shuffle during the whole series and test our bench strength.”Whatever the team you are up against you can’t afford to take it easy,” he said. “We plan to have the same level of focus and planning. We have to give Zimbabwe respect and play at our full potential. I have given the same message to the boys in the dressing room not to be relaxed and play your natural game.”