“We are as well prepared as we are ever going to be,” says Test coach ahead of the New Zealand series

Firdose Moonda31-Jan-2024

South Africa’s Test team will draw inspiration from the national women’s side, who beat Australia in a T20I for the first time this week, as they embark on a two-Test series against New Zealand with a makeshift side.”It’s the first time we beat Australia in Australia. That’s a massive thing for any Proteas side,” Shukri Conrad, South Africa’s Test coach said from Christchurch, where South Africa drew their warm-up match against New Zealand XI. “We are watching that with fervent interest. We watch our national teams and we take a lot of pride in that.”Conrad was also talking the morning after South Africa’s national men’s football team, known as Bafana Bafana, reached the quarter-finals of the African Cup of Nations for the first time since 2000. And they did it by beating 2022 World Cup semi-finalists Morocco in one of the shock results of the tournament. That, the women’s team and West Indies’ Test victory over Australia for the first time in 27 years, will all spur South Africa.Related

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“We obviously watched a little bit and thrilled for West Indies. But I think I spend a lot more time getting inspiration out of the women beating Australia for the first time. And then watching Bafana Bafana get through to the last 16. I find a lot more joy and inspiration in that than in West Indies beating Australia,” Conrad said. “And I think it’s great, not only for West Indies cricket but for world cricket. It gives us a little bit of confidence, knowing that the bulk of those guys that beat Australia were on that self same A tour when we played them a couple of months ago.”South Africa began their preparation for the New Zealand series with an A series against West Indies late last year which they won 2-1. The West Indies A squad included seven players from the squad that drew the series in Australia. Of those, five were in the starting XI for the Brisbane Test, including the match-winning hero Shamar Joseph. Given how South Africa A performed against the West Indies side, Conrad believes they’ve given themselves the best chance to compete against New Zealand.”You sit as a coach and sometimes you feel we still need to do this or that but I am really comfortable with where we are at,” he said. “We are as well prepared as we are ever going to be.”Condrad on West Indies’ win in Australia: “I think it’s great, not only for West Indies cricket but for world cricket”•Cricket Australia/Getty Images

South Africa arrived in New Zealand two weeks before the first Test and have also just completed a warm-up match in which five batters felt comfortable enough to retire out. Raynard van Tonder and Ruan der Swart scored half-centuries while Zubayr Hamza, Keegan Petersen and Khaya Zondo made scores in the 30s and 40s as part of what Conrad said was a plan for them to spend time at the crease.By agreement with their hosts, the South Africans then bowled on the second day, where experienced seamer Dane Paterson took 4 for 34. South Africa were given a few days off before they head to Mount Maunganui for the first Test. “We want guys to get on and experience the place, experience the culture and experience life in a foreign country,” Conrad said. “Some of the guys went to watch the Foo Fighters the other night. That’s not my scene but we want them to enjoy it.”There were no questions to Conrad about whether any of the current squad have an eye on the ongoing SA20, where the majority of the first-choice Test players are occupied, but perhaps there didn’t have to be. The handwringing in cricket circles over South Africa’s decision to send the side they have to New Zealand has extended far and wide and all the group can do is believe they have what it takes to cause an upset.

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Após ser um dos protagonistas do XV de Piracicaba na conquista do título da Copa Paulista de 2022 com cinco gols nos 16 compromissos disputados, o atacante Matheus Martins tem o seu futuro incerto para a próxima temporada.

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Entretanto, o Futebol Latino apurou que o jogador de 24 anos de idade recebeu sondagens de times da Série B do Campeonato Brasileiro e também de dois clubes que disputarão a próxima edição do Paulistão.

Para não interferir na possível evolução das sondagens para propostas concretas, o nome das equipes envolvidas tem sido mantido em sigilo. Porém, foi possível saber que um dos envolvidos que disputam a Série B é de Santa Catarina.

Além das sondagens mencionadas, Matheus Martins recebeu uma oferta oficial do Manaus-AM, time da Série C do Brasileirão, e uma proposta de renovação de empréstimo do XV por mais uma temporada, já que os direitos do atacante estão ligados ao Aruko Sports, clube da cidade de Maringá que vai disputar a elite do Campeonato Paranaense em 2023.

Shami, who is working his way back from an ankle injury, is not part of the squad

Deivarayan Muthu12-Jan-2024Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel are back in India’s spin-heavy squad for the first two home Tests against England. Mohammed Shami, who is working his way back from an ankle injury, is a notable absentee, though.Vice-captain Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Mukesh Kumar and Avesh Khan make up the seam attack while R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja make up the spin attack along with Kuldeep and Axar.While Shami was optimistic about making a return for the England Tests, the selectors and the BCCI medical staff might have wanted to give him further rest as a precautionary move. The 33-year-old fast bowler has not played any competitive cricket since the ODI World Cup final in November last year.Dhruv Jurel, the Uttar Pradesh player, earned his maiden call-up to the India side – in any format – as the back-up keeper to KL Rahul, who had kept wickets in the two Tests in South Africa, and KS Bharat.ESPNcricinfo LtdRelated

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Ishan Kishan, who had taken a break from the two-match Test series in South Africa and the ongoing T20I series at home against Afghanistan, wasn’t part of this squad as well. Avesh Khan, who was recently called up to the India Test squad in South Africa as a replacement for Shami, retained his spot. The 27-year-old has played eight ODIs and 19 T20Is so far, but he is uncapped in Test cricket.However, Prasidh Krishna, who made his Test debut in Centurion, was not named in the squad. The fast bowler had sustained a quadriceps injury on the first day of Karnataka’s second-round Ranji Trophy clash against Gujarat in Ahmedabad. The Karnataka team physio is currently taking care of Prasidh, but as a BCCI-contracted player, he can also link up with the India A support staff, who are also in Ahmedabad for the two-day match against the touring England Lions.3:48

Archive: The Dhruv Jurel story

Ruturaj Gaikwad, who is nursing a finger injury, also missed out along with Abhimanyu Easwaran, who had replaced Gaikwad as the reserve opener in South Africa. Shardul Thakur, who leaked 101 runs in 19 overs at SuperSport Park, was also left out of the squad.Jurel had recently scored a half-century for India A in a four-day first-class fixture against South Africa A in Benoni and is currently playing against Lions in Ahmedabad. In all, he has played 15 first-class games and averages nearly 47. His journey to the top has not been straightforward. He was vice-captain of the India Under-19s at the World Cup four years ago and more recently made heads turn at the IPL in 2023 scoring 152 runs at an average of 22 and strike rate of 173 for Rajasthan Royals.Ashwin is on the brink of two major landmarks in Test cricket. He is ten strikes away from 500 wickets in the format and five matches away from 100 Tests. The five-match series against England will begin in Hyderabad on January 25 and will be part of the World Test Championship (WTC). India are currently second on the WTC points table, behind defending champions Australia.India squad for first two Tests against EnglandRohit Sharma (capt), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), KS Bharat (wk), Dhruv Jurel (wk), R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah (vice-capt), Avesh Khan

Jason Gillespie will be stepping down from his role with South Australia Cricket Association (SACA) as the head coach of South Australia and Adelaide Strikers at the end of June, the association said in a statement on Thursday. The update comes just over a month after it was announced that Tim Nielsen, general manager – cricket, would be stepping down from his position at the end of the season.”I am incredibly proud of what we achieved together at the SACA, and I will always cherish those memories. I have no doubt that South Australian cricket has a bright future,” Gillespie said in a SACA statement. “I would like to thank everyone for their support during my time with the Strikers and Redbacks, it has been a true team effort. To be able to play and coach in my home State has been a wonderful experience, something I feel honoured to have achieved.”Looking forward, I am excited to explore new opportunities in the sport and pursue the next chapter in my career.”The update came at the end of a disappointing season for South Australia, who finished fifth on the six-team Sheffield Shield table. Strikers, though, made the playoffs of the BBL, won the Knockout against Perth Scorchers, before losing the Challenger to eventual champions Brisbane Heat.Gillespie took over as head coach at Strikers ahead of the 2015-16 BBL season, leading the team for nine seasons. They won the title in 2017-18 – their only win so far – and have made the playoffs four more times. He returned to South Australia full-time ahead of the 2020-21 summer, taking the reins of the Redbacks.”Both as a player and a coach, Jason has always represented South Australia with passion and positivity,” SACA president Will Rayner said. “We are extremely grateful for the dedication he has shown to South Australian cricket over a remarkably long period of time. He has been a genuine leader both on and off the field and we wish him every success in the future.”He will always be considered as one of the legends of South Australian cricket.”

نعى محلس إدارة النادي الأهلي، برئاسة محمود الخطيب، والد حارس الفريق الأول لكرة القدم، محمد الشناوي، الذي توفي اليوم الثلاثاء، في حادث سير.

وتوفي والد محمد الشناوي، منذ قليل، بعدما تعرض بسيارته إلي حادث سير على طريق الواحات بمدينة السادس من أكتوبر. نعي الأهلي لـ محمد الشناوي في وفاة والده

الكابتن محمود الخطيب رئيس النادي، والسادة أعضاء مجلس الإدارة، والإدارة التنفيذية، والقطاعات الرياضية، ينعون ببالغ الحزن والأسى والد الكابتن محمد الشناوي، قائد الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بالنادي، والذي وافته المنية اليوم إثر حادث أليم، داعين المولى عز وجل أن يتغمد الفقيد بواسع رحمته ويدخله فسيح جناته، وأن يلهم الأسرة الكريمة الصبر والسلوان.

وغاب محمد الشناوي عن حراسة مرمى النادي الأهلي، خلال أول مباراتين للفريق في بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز، حيث يشارك الحارس مصطفى شوبير أمام مودرن سبورت وفاركو.

ويستعد الأهلي في الوقت الحالي، لمواجهة غزل المحلة، بالجولة الرابعة من عمر منافسات بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز، يوم الإثنين 25 أغسطس.

Club Brugge have received offers from many top clubs for Ardon Jashari and will engage in talks this week regarding his future amid AC Milan interest.

Club Brugge representatives to meet JashariBelgians received significant offers for midfielderAC Milan's second bid reportedly rejectedFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Brugge representatives and Jashari's camp are set to meet this week to discuss the future of the Swiss midfielder. According to , the Belgian Pro League club have been contacted by Saudi Arabian side Neom, who are willing to splash €42 million (£36m/$48m) on Jashari. Bayer Leverkusen and Chelsea are also interested in the youngster and are said to have contacted the player personally to know his interest. 

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The Brugge camp want an end to the Jashari transfer fiasco and have agreed to meet the player's representatives to present him with the offers they have received for him. However, Jashari has always prioritised Milan from day one, and this has led to him being dropped from all the recent matches for the club. The player was further called out by club captain Hans Vanaken and was also dropped from the official squad photo. Brugge have reportedly decided to reject Milan's improved bid and will convey this to Jashari in the upcoming talks. Instead, the Neom and Leverkusen bids are the ones he is expected to be presented with this week.

DID YOU KNOW?

The stand off between Milan and Brugge over Jashari is a similar saga to that of Charles De Ketelaere. After a long, drawn-out transfer saga with Brugge, Milan were eventually able to sign him after the player forced a move. Milan signed the Belgian midfielder for €32m (£27m/$37m) plus €3m in bonuses and also inserted a 12.5 per cent sell-on clause to get the Brugge camp on board.

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GETTYWHAT NEXT FOR JASHARI?

Milan are set to have internal meetings to discuss their next move for Jashari. Milan's sporting director Igli Tare has reiterated his stance not to launch a third bid for Jashari. Milan are confident they will get the deal done, but with offers from top European clubs knocking on the door for Jashari, the Serie A club's hopes could be dented.

Real Madrid are delaying a decision over whether Endrick will get their famous No.9 shirt for the new season, with a deadline approaching.

• Real Madrid delaying giving Endrick No.9
• Doubts over his future at club
• The shirt must be taken for new season

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  As per reports by AS in Spain, Real Madrid must make a decision within the next two weeks. New signing Franco Mastantuono will be presented at the Bernabeu on August 14 or 15 according to the report and must have been assigned a shirt number by then. If Endrick is not given the 9, Mastantuono is expected to take it instead.

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  The decision surrounds Endrick's future at the club, which is not yet secure due to a lack of playing time last season and with the World Cup approaching next summer – though the player wants to stay.

  Real Madrid customs dictate that numbers 1 through to 24 must be taken before larger numbers are given out, meaning that leaving the No.9 unassigned for this season is not an option. Kylian Mbappe wore it last year but has since chosen to take the departed Luka Modric's No.10, meaning the option for Endrick to switch from No.16 to his preferred No.9 has opened up. All other numbers are currently assigned.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Endrick arrived at Los Blancos with a huge reputation but struggled to make his mark on the side, scoring just seven goals in all competitions with just three La Liga starts to his name. But the potential the 19-year-old has is undeniable, hence why a big decision about his future awaits.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR ENDRICK AND REAL MADRID?

  If it is announced that Endrick will be Madrid's new No.9, that will surely act as both club and player committing his future to the Spanish capital. For the club's new recipient of such a significant number to depart shortly after would be a PR nightmare and so the expectation would be for Endrick to fight for his place in the side next season, with other stars such as Gonzalo Garcia, Mastantuono and Premier League-linked Rodrygo competing for minutes in Los Blancos' forward line.

Bangladesh captain Shanto meanwhile said his batters weren’t used to playing bowlers with a slingy action like Thushara’s

Mohammad Isam10-Mar-2024Kusal Mendis was reminded of Lasith Malinga when he watched Nuwan Thushara bowl a match-winning spell of 5 for 20, which included a hat-trick, in the third T20I against Bangladesh.”I’m very happy for him,” Mendis said. “With the World Cup around the corner, it’s great to have many of our bowlers in such form. He’s been playing in franchise leagues for some time – he played well in South Africa [SA20] as well – I think that’s also why he was able to give his best for the team when we needed him.”It was those three wickets [in his hat-trick] that the match turned in our favour. It reminded me of how [Lasith Malinga] bowled.”Related

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Coming in to bowl in the fourth over of Bangladesh’s chase of 175, Thushara, who has a slingy, low-arm action similar to Malinga, removed the Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto off the second ball and then dismissed Towhid Hridoy and Mahmudullah to complete his hat-trick. All three were full, swinging deliveries as he deceived the batters with his pace, swing and low bounce. He later removed Soumya Sarkar and Shoriful Islam to complete the five-for, his best figures in T20Is.”I agree that the whole match pivoted in that one over,” Shanto said. “He bowled a very good over. I think we have to credit the bowler. We were held back by that over. I felt that if we could have handled that over better, or generally held our own against the new ball, we could have had a different result.”He got a bit of swing. He has that action. He wasn’t getting a lot of bounce due to his side-arm action. It was keeping low. This won’t happen all the time, but we have to tackle these things better in the future.”We don’t usually get to play a bowling action like his. We played well against [Matheesha] Pathirana in the first two matches. I think the new ball swung a lot. We have to plan better, and accept such things in international cricket.”Kusal Mendis was in top form in the series•AFP/Getty ImagesBangladesh also had to contend with a familiar threat in the form of Mendis, who made 86 off 55 to single-handedly take Sri Lanka to a competitive 174 for 7. He now has six fifties against Bangladesh, the the most by any batter in T20Is against this opposition. He also finished the T20I series as the highest run-scorer with 181 from three games.”In the previous couple of T20s before this series I wasn’t really in the runs, so in the first game I was focusing on providing the team with what it needs,” Mendis said. “More than me scoring runs, I wanted to do what was best for the team, and I’m glad I was able to do that consistently over the series.”It gets a little easier to bat here [in Sylhet] once you’re at the crease for a while, especially under lights. The boundaries are also close in, so you can score boundaries in any way that you’re comfortable. I’m happy with the way I performed in these conditions.”Shanto meanwhile said there were a few positives in Bangladesh’s defeat, picking out legspinner Rishad Hossain for his all-round abilities. “He [Rishad] bowled very well according to the conditions,” Shanto said. “We needed his batting because we now play with six specialist batters and an allrounder. I think his batting is one to look out for the future.”There were positives in this series. The way we fought back even after losing early wickets, in the first match and the third match. The way the bowlers made a comeback in this game.”

Babar, who hasn’t accepted the offer yet, has asked the PCB to be appointed captain across all three formats if he is to consider a return

Danyal Rasool29-Mar-2024

Shaheen Shah Afridi’s one-series stint as Pakistan T20I captain is set to come to an end, with Babar Azam offered the white-ball captaincy once more. The PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi met Babar earlier this week to make the offer.Babar, for his part, has not yet accepted the offer. The decision to strip him of the armband in all three formats following Pakistan’s poor 2023 ODI World Cup campaign rankled him, and he has asked the PCB to be appointed captain across all three formats if he is to consider a return. While no ODI captain was ever officially appointed when Babar reluctantly stepped down, Shan Masood is the current Test captain, having led the side in a three-match series in Australia.Related

PCB chief hints Pakistan could get a new T20I captain

The writing was on the wall for Afridi since Naqvi refused to back him at a press conference in Lahore on Sunday, saying at the time a final decision would be made after Pakistan’s training camp with the military ended. But it appears there has been a rapid loss of faith in Afridi’s leadership abilities when he led Pakistan in one series and his PSL franchise Lahore Qalandars. Pakistan lost the T20I series against New Zealand 4-1, and Qalandars won just one game out of ten and finished bottom of the PSL table.However, Afridi will feel hard done by, given Naqvi’s comments that Pakistan wanted a long-term captain they could back, rather than knee-jerk appointments after a handful of games, given that is effectively precisely what has happened to him. Part of the appeal of appointing Afridi, still only 23, as captain was he could learn on the job and continue in the role for an extended period of time, and he was considered the favourite to take on the ODI leadership as well.And while Babar’s demand to be anointed Test captain is not understood to be a deal-breaker for the former captain, it does place significant pressure on Masood’s position as red-ball skipper. He, too, has led the side for just one series, with Pakistan losing all three games in Australia. However, a more aggressive approach as captain was widely seen as a contributing factor to Pakistan running the hosts close in two of the three Tests despite injuries rendering the bowling attack weakened.Shan Masood has led Pakistan in only one Test series, in Australia in December-January•Cricket Australia/Getty Images

The flip-flopping surrounding the captaincy question strikes at the heart of the PCB’s state of proceedings over the past 18 months. They have been through multiple chief selectors, as well as selection committees with varying degrees of power, since the start of 2023. Zaka Ashraf’s decision to sack Mickey Arthur and Grant Bradburn, and twist Babar’s arm into resigning just before a key tour of Australia was the highest profile one, but in truth, the chaos has been bubbling for longer than that.The current selection committee’s arrangement is also fairly distinct. There are four selectors – Wahab Riaz, Asad Shafiq, Abdul Razzaq and Mohammad Yousuf – with no chief selector. They will be joined by the Pakistan captain and coach – both yet to be appointed – and a data analyst. Selection decisions will be made by vote, with 4-3 majorities carrying the day.As things stand, Pakistan have been through negotiations with several candidates for the role of head coach without being able to reach a deal. Shane Watson, Mike Hesson and Adam Voges are among those who eventually turned them down, while initially promising discussions with Luke Ronchi have also meted away. The PCB is currently understood to be in talks with Jason Gillespie and Gary Kirsten, with no sign of a breakthrough yet.Pakistan’s next series, which Babar is expected to lead his side out for once more, comes against New Zealand in April, with the two sides playing five T20Is.

MatériaMais Notícias

Depois de Loco Abreu e Ricardo Oliveira nos últimos anos, o Athletic-MG anunciou, nesta quarta-feira, a contratação de mais um jogador conhecido no futebol brasileiro. Trata-se do atacante Sassá, de 28 anos, que disputará o próximo Campeonato Mineiro pela equipe deSão João del-Rei, cidade do interior de Minas Gerais.

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SASSÁ FECHADO COM O ATHLETIC ✍️

O atacante Sassá é o mais novo reforço do Esquadrão para 2023.

Revelado pelo Botafogo, Sassá passou pelo Cruzeiro onde disputou 92 partidas e fez 20 gols. Conquistou duas vezes a Copa do Brasil (2017 e 18) e duas vezes o Mineiro (2018 e 19). pic.twitter.com/IQBE8esykJ

— Athletic Club SAF (@athleticclubmg) November 30, 2022

O centroavante, que foi revelado pelo Botafogo e teve passagens em equipes como Coritiba, Marítimo, de Portugal e estava no CSA, de Alagoas, teve mais destaque no Cruzeiro, entre os anos de 2017 e 2021. Na Toca da Raposa, Sassá disputou 92 partidas, marcou 20 gols e conquistou duas Copas do Brasil e dois Campeonatos Mineiro.

A parte ruim da carreira do icônico atacante são os problemas de indisciplina. Ao longo de sua trajetória no futebol, o jogador teve problemas desse tipo quando defendeu o Botafogo, em 2017 e o Coritiba, em 2020, por exemplo.

Além dele, o Athletic-MG também busca a contratação de outro atacante histórico no futebol mineiro. De acordo com uma informação confirmada pela equipe L!/Valinor Conteúdo, para a próxima temporada, a equipe mineira está interessada em contar com Diego Tardelli, campeão da Libertadores e da Copa do Brasil pelo Atlético-MG.

A estreia do Esquadrão de Aço em 2023 será contra o Tombense, na Arena Unimed, em São João del-Rei, pela rodada de abertura do Campeonato Mineiro. A partida ainda não tem data confirmada, mas será disputada nos dias 21 ou 22 de janeiro.