John Terry claims Rio Ferdinand blanked him on a Dubai beach after the ex-Chelsea captain was accused of racially abusing his brother Anton.
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England bowler to lead side in county curtain-raiser in Dubai on March 24
ESPNcricinfo staff12-Feb-2019
Stuart Broad claimed a hat-trick•Getty Images
Stuart Broad has been named as MCC’s captain for the annual Champion County Match, which will take place against Surrey in Dubai next month.Broad, who is currently in St Lucia with England’s Test team but is no longer a part of the one-day set-up, will use the match as part of his long-term preparations for a delayed first-class leg of England’s home summer.With the build-up to the World Cup dominating the early part of the season, Broad’s next international action is likely to come in the one-off Test against Ireland at Lord’s on July 24, ahead of the first Ashes Test at Edgbaston, starting on August 1.John Stephenson, MCC’s assistant secretary, said: “We are thrilled that Stuart has agreed to captain the side for the Champion County match against Surrey. He is not only a player of the very highest class, but his experience of over 100 Test matches will be invaluable to the younger players in the squad, and I am sure that they will be eager to learn from one of England’s greatest ever bowlers.”Surrey were undoubtedly the best side in last season’s County Championship and have an extremely strong squad, so it will be a tough challenge for Stuart and his side but one I am sure they will relish.”The rest of the MCC squad will be named in due course, with the four-day game scheduled to begin on March 24.Broad, 32, is one of only two Englishmen to have taken over 400 Test wickets, and has a special place in MCC’s history, as one of only a handful of players to have earned a place on three dressing-room honours boards, with inclusions on the Honours Board five-wicket and ten-wicket hauls in Test matches, as well as his 169 with the bat against Pakistan in 2010.He has had previous captaincy experience, having led England on 27 occasions in T20Is between 2011 and 2014, including the World T20 in Bangladesh in 2014, and a further three ODIs on the tour of the Caribbean in 2014.Last year’s Champion County match took place in Barbados, where MCC beat the 2017 County Champions Essex by an innings and 34 runs, thanks to centuries from Sam Hain and Dom Bess, who also claimed six wickets.
The captain himself failed to deliver in Australia and could only pick out Sri Lanka’s slip catching as the single positive from two heavy defeats
Melinda Farrell in Canberra04-Feb-2019Dinesh Chandimal, the Sri Lanka captain, has urged his players to work harder during the next leg of their three-country tour in South Africa. He could only name a single positive – slip fielding – in their performances against Australia after losing the second Test by 366 runs.The two Test defeats in Australia follow a 1-0 loss to New Zealand in a two-Test series and defeats in all four limited-overs matches on that tour. While Sri Lanka have been plagued by an injury list that includes Angelo Mathews and four of their first choice fast bowlers, Chandimal admitted to concerns about the form of the batsmen.Sri Lanka must now regroup for their stint in South Africa, which comprises two Tests, five ODIs and three T20s.”We were outplayed as a team in all three departments,” said Chandimal. “Credit goes to Australia, they have played some outstanding cricket throughout the series. They deserved to win like this.”We just need to work harder than what we are doing. It’s always tough playing in Australia against a good bowling attack but we all know before we come here it’s always challenging. As a batting unit we have to step up. That’s the one area we have concern. I’m sure the boys will come good in South Africa.”The only positive is the slip catching for our fast bowlers and that’s one positive we can take from this series. I don’t want to talk about the negatives and sure the boys we can learn from it and come good in South Africa.”Chandimal has had a challenging tour personally with scores of 5, 0, 15 and 4. But he remains optimistic that hard work will pay off in South Africa, despite being disappointed by his own form in Australia.”Really disappointed,” said Chandimal. “But I work hard in the nets and I work hard on my game and I work hard on my game plans but I couldn’t get what we want. It is tough and I always putting my heart and soul when the practices come. I’m sure it will come in South Africa.”This is our transition period and now as a team and players we have to step up. In our young group [only] some of the players have played more than 30 Test matches so they are still young and in the international arena are really experienced. Now this is the time to face your game and play for your team. We couldn’t get the best combination because of the injuries.”While Sri Lanka have had to deal with a swag of injuries, including two of their batsmen – Kusal Perera and Dimuth Karunaratne – retiring hurt after being struck by bouncers in Canberra, there have also been off-field rumblings in the form of a public spat between ODI allrounder, Thisera Perera and the wife of ODI captain Lasith Malinga. In addition the coach, Chandika Hathurusingha, was dumped as an on-tour selector before the second Test. Chandimal backed the team management’s handling of the situations.”They put their heart and soul and they give good advice,” he said. “You can’t control what happens back home and just control what you can control. That’s one area we are focusing on as a team.”
Sarfaraz Ahmed is unhappy that his on-field remarks to Andile Phehlukwayo were turned into “a bigger deal than it was”. Addressing the press for the first time since returning to Pakistan after the ICC imposed a four-match ban on him, Sarfaraz claimed that Phehlukwayo had not considered his remarks racist, and was more offended at what he initially perceived as a comment about his mother.”When I went to say sorry to Andile for using the word [, meaning ‘black’], he was more offended by my reference to his mother, saying I had used inappropriate language about her,” Sarfaraz said in Karachi. “In the media, the word ‘black’ was highlighted to suggest that I had said a racist thing, but I explained the context to him.”I’m sitting here as Pakistan captain – and for that matter any player playing for Pakistan – thanks to the prayers of their mothers. So I explained I used the world black, which I apologise for, but I insisted I had not said anything offensive about his mother.ALSO READ: ‘Bureaucracy over common sense’ Mani lashes out at Sarfaraz’s ban“Then we gave him an example from our Islamic tradition, and their team manager [Mohammed] Moosajee [also a Muslim] agreed with what I was saying. So the whole controversy was created by the word, and if people had looked at the context, there was nothing in it. It was just that word, and as you know in our society, it sometimes gets inadvertently used. So yes, I made a mistake, and that was that.”I just want to make it clear that a huge issue was created out of one word. I never wanted to say something racist to him or taunt him in that way.”The incident in question took place during the 37th over of South Africa’s chase in the second ODI in Durban. Sarfaraz was clearly heard on the stump mic telling Phehlukwayo in Urdu: “?”Literally translated, that means: “Hey, black guy, where’s your mother sitting today? What [prayer] have you got her to say for you today?”Phehlukwayo had indeed enjoyed some good fortune after having arrived at the crease with South Africa in the mire at 80 for 5. He went on to remain unbeaten on 69, helping South Africa win the game and taking home the Man-of-the-Match award. Sarfaraz issued an apology on Twitter soon after, addressing no one in particular but “to any person who may have taken offence from my expression of frustration”.The ICC then launched an investigation into the remark, even as Sarfaraz met Phehlukwayo in person, posting a photograph of the pair shaking hands and thanking the South African for “graciously accepting” his apology.ALSO READ: How to apologise: a primer for cricketersHe was, however, banned for the last two ODIs of the series, which South Africa went on to win 3-2, and the first two matches of the subsequent T20I series.Shoaib Malik has since been installed as the stand-in captain, and with increasing speculation about Pakistan’s captain at the World Cup, the Pakistan Cricket Board has had to clarify that it would be appointing captains on a “series-by-series basis” – perhaps not the ringing endorsement the captain of two years expected.Sarfaraz, however, said there was no rift between him and Malik, and the players were happy with whoever the captain was.”There is no truth to the claim people who play under Shoaib bhai don’t want to play under me. All the boys are very good and support each other. I don’t think there’s anything about that,” he said.”I’m hopeful and expectant of a comeback. I came back because I had a four-match ban, and there was just one more match after that. So travelling with the team all that while and not playing, what with me having been away from home for five months, was very hectic. If I had come back with the team and got just three days here before going for the PSL [Pakistan Super League], that would have been very hectic. So getting the rest instead was much better.”Asked for his reaction on the PCB expressing disappointment at his ban and saying that it would pursue the matter with the ICC “with the objective to bring reforms to the code”, Sarfaraz chose not to be drawn into the discussion. “The PCB knows what stance to best take. I had made a mistake and so I admitted to it,” he said.
Lamar Jackson has made no secret of his interest in soccer, and the 2023 NFL MVP has now been showcasing his skills during a visit to Munich.
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Ravens quarterback is a soccer fanNFL heading back to Germany in 2024Jackson has got his shooting boots onWHAT HAPPENED?
The Baltimore Ravens quarterback recently posted on social media that he “could’ve been Lionel Messi” had he pursued a different form of football, with a mocked-up image seeing him transformed into a USMNT star.
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Jackson has now been trying to prove that he is as capable with his feet as he is with his hands. The American football superstar has been in Europe putting on a flag clinic in Germany – with it revealed that the NFL International Series will be heading to Munich in 2024.
Getty/XDID YOU KNOW?
Jackson has teamed up with Bayern Munich, when paying a visit to their training complex, and has rubbed shoulders with Canada international Alphonso Davies. He has also got his shooting boots on, with a couple of well-struck efforts fired into the back of an unguarded net.
The tour, comprising a three T20Is, five ODIs and one Test, was earlier set to conclude on March 23, but will now end on March 19, with the first ever Test between the two sides
ESPNcricinfo staff14-Jan-2019Ireland’s series against Afghanistan has been pulled forward so that it wouldn’t clash with the IPL. Originally set to end on March 23 – which is the start date of the IPL – both boards have agreed to a slight change in schedule and now the tour, which includes three T20Is, five ODIs and the first Test between the two countries, will start on February 21 and end on March 19.
T20Is: February 21, 23 and 24
ODIs: February 28, March 2, 5, 8 and 10
Only Test: March 15-19
Three of Afghanistan’s biggest match-winners are involved in the IPL – Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi and Mujeeb Ur Rahman. And the tournament was forced to start sooner this year so that there would be some breathing room for the players before the World Cup starts in May 2019. The Afghanistan Cricket Board – who are hosting the series in the North Indian city of Dehradun – made the request to draw the matches forward and Cricket Ireland agreed.”Initially, we planned to conclude the series on 23rd March,” ACB CEO Shafiqullah Stanikzai said, “But keeping in mind the dates of the Indian Premier League, in which three of Afghanistan’s main players will be participating, the dates were slightly adjusted and I would like to thank Cricket Ireland for honoring our request. The series will be important for Afghanistan as we are in the preparation stage of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 and we are certain that both sides will play competitive cricket.”Warren Deutrom, the CEO of Cricket Ireland, echoed similar views. “The importance of this series to both nations cannot be understated, so it was important that we could ensure the fans did not miss out on a clash that will see best v best in terms of players available. We hope this slight amendment to playing days does not impact too much on the travel bookings of any fans attending the series. We look forward to a great series – which will include Ireland’s first overseas Test match.”Ireland’s first and only foray in the longest format came at home, against Pakistan in May last year, while Afghanistan played their inaugural Test against India a month later in Bengaluru. For the forthcoming tour, the Irish side is scheduled to arrive in India on February 18. All matches will be played at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, where Afghanistan played hosts to Bangladesh for a three-match T20I series in June 2018.
WI captain Jason Holder felt he main cause of defeat was their inability to accept the numerous chances England’s batsmen offered in the chase
George Dobell in Bridgetown21-Feb-2019Jason Holder was left with a “bitter pill to swallow” as his side failed to defend their highest-ever ODI total against England.Despite making 360 for 8, their fourth-highest ODI total and highest in the Caribbean, West Indies subsided to a six-wicket defeat against an England team that cruised to their victory target.And while Holder accepted his side’s bowlers could “tighten up” in future games, he was adamant that the main cause of defeat was their inability to accept the numerous chances England’s batsmen offered.Jason Roy, who won the Man-of-the-Match award for his 65-ball century, was missed four times, while Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow also received lives.”We just didn’t hold our chances and the chances we put down were crucial,” Holder said. “Our bowlers did create opportunities, but we didn’t hold them.”Credit to Jason Roy: he played really well and put us under pressure up front. And also Joe Root kept the tempo going and played an outstanding innings for them. But when you miss two quality players like that, they make you pay.”We’ve got to be a little clearer with our bowling plans. We bowled quite a few loose deliveries and we can tighten up with that. But I thought our combination was right; we’ve just got to hold our chances. If you drop quality players like Roy and Root and Jonny Bairstow then they make you pay.”We’ve got to be a bit better in the field. I felt the energy and body language could have been a lot better. That would give the bowlers some momentum to work with.”Holder also dismissed any criticism of Chris Gayle, who made 135, defending the slow start to his innings.”Credit to our batters,” he said. “We had enough runs. I thought Chris played a really good innings. He took a bit of time upfront, got himself set and then put pressure back on the spinners in the middle and forced Eoin Morgan to bring back the seamers back a bit earlier. I felt he held the innings together and gave other batters a chance to express themselves.”Morgan, meanwhile, praised his side’s belief in chasing such a large total – it was England’s largest successful chase in their ODI history and the third-highest successful chase in all ODIs – and the “outstanding” contribution of the opening pair of Roy and Bairstow.”We spoke at the halfway stage about the fact we have been in this situation before and we do believe we can chase big totals,” Morgan said. “We bat very deep. The manner we started in set the tone of the innings. Jason and Jonny were outstanding. At no stage did we feel we were under pressure to up the rate.”We were going at a steady clip and to have guys like that continuously putting pressure on your opening bowlers is not only difficult to play against but difficult to captain against as well. The ability to put your best ball away for four or six is heart-breaking as a bowler.”For Jason to go on and play such a commanding innings really sets up a big run chase. It’s amazing the way he plays. It’s brilliant. People will forget Joe Root scored a hundred there, he made it look very easy, but we’re so fortunate to have a guy like that who can be our rock. And he’s no slouch.”The second ODI takes place in Barbados on Friday. England may well look to rest Chris Woakes, who has been struggling with a knee problem in recent weeks, though West Indies maintain they have no immediate plans to call-up a replacement bowler for the injured Kemar Roach.
Saurashtra stutter to 58 for 5 in their second innings, still 148 runs away from the target
The Report by Shamya Dasgupta06-Feb-2019Last ball of the ninth over of the Saurashtra second innings. Cheteshwar Pujara leans forward to defend a flighted delivery from Aditya Sarwate on off and middle. He plays for the turn from the left-arm spinner, but there isn’t any, and he is trapped plumb in front for a five-ball duck.Sarwate sets off, his team-mates in hot pursuit while also high-fiving each other, before he stops and lets out a roar. It is, after all, the big moment, and Sarwate has done it two times in two innings.He has done much more than that, actually. After picking up five wickets in the Saurashtra first innings, Sarwate winkled out three top Saurashtra batsmen inside nine overs, leaving them 22 for three in a chase of 206. First-innings centurion Snell Patel – check. Harvik Desai – check. And Pujara, the big fish – check. Not ideal from Saurashtra’s point of view as they looked to avoid making it three final losses in seven seasons, but perfect for Vidarbha, the defending champions.It got worse for Saurashtra as Arpit Vasavada was done in by Umesh Yadav’s pace, sending a regulation catch behind the stumps. Then Sheldon Jackson, very early in his innings, stepped out to Akshay Wakhare and attempted to send the ball out of Jamtha. The ball kept low, and snaked it to hit the stumps.Vishvaraj Jadeja, composed but not overly cautious so far in his innings, went to stumps unbeaten on 23, and had for company Kamlesh Makvana on two.Dharmendrasinh Jadeja completed a six-wicket haul•PTI Earlier, after they started on 55 for two, Vidarbha batted two sessions, added 145 runs, and lost their eight remaining wickets, four of them to Dharmendrasinh Jadeja, who completed a six-for in the process.Ganesh Satish and Wasim Jaffer were in the middle when proceedings began, but Dharmendrasinh found Jaffer’s edge in the eighth over of the morning with one that didn’t bounce much, and substitute wicketkeeper Avi Barot pouched the catch.The scoreboard read 71 for three at that stage, and it was 73 for five in almost no time as Dharmendrasinh trapped Satish in front for 35 and Jaydev Unadkat got a full-pitched delivery to straighten and go past Akshay Wadkar’s defensive prod and hit timber.Vidarbha needed a fightback, and they got a bit of it from Mohit Kale and Akshay Karnewar, the two adding 32 runs before Makvana caught Karnewar’s edge on the drive and Desai clung on at slip.Kale battled on to make a valuable 38 on a pitch that was turning big by that stage, but the big contribution came from Sarwate, who top-scored in the innings with 49 before becoming the last wicket to fall, having given himself and his bowling mates more to bowl at than looked likely at one stage.Umesh also chipped in with a 12-ball 15 as the last three Vidarbha wickets added 66 runs – it has been a trend in the game, the last three wickets had put up 116 in Vidarbha’s first dig and 123 in Saurashtra’s reply. Saurashtra will hope Vishvaraj and Makvana, and next-man Prerak Mankad, don’t leave the tail with too much to do, but it might well be the case if Sarwate & Co. have it their way on the fifth morning.
Colin Munro has rejoined the squad and could resume his place at the top of the order alongside Henry Nicholls
The Preview by Sreshth Shah02-Feb-20196:10
Dasgupta: Shubman Gill a great talent, but too late to consider him for World Cup
Are India simply too reliant on Virat Kohli? That’s the big question as they head to Wellington for the final ODI of the series. After tumbling to their biggest defeat (in terms of balls remaining) in ODIs, it’s time for Rohit Sharma’s men to prove the defeat was a one-off.
Readers from the US can watch the fifth ODI between New Zealand and India on ESPN+, by clicking here.
It’s the last time before the World Cup that India will be playing in conditions that roughly simulate what can be expected in England, and for a batting order with a few spots still up for grabs, a solid show against the moving ball will be just what the selectors will want from the likes of Shubman Gill, Dinesh Karthik and Ambati Rayudu.For New Zealand, Trent Boult, who took 5 for 21 in Hamilton, and Colin de Grandhomme gave a reminder of how devastating they can be if they manage to extract swing. To bookend the domination with the moving ball, Ross Taylor and Henry Nicholls showed glimpses of how India’s wristspinners can be tackled – Yuzvendra Chahal went for 32 off 16 balls – and that may finally give the hosts a slight psychological edge.New Zealand’s plans, however, took a blow on the eve of the ODI, with Martin Guptill tweaking his back at practice. His potential absence could give Colin Munro – who was dropped from the fourth ODI – a golden opportunity to impress coach Gary Stead, who recently said the team management has zeroed in on Nicholls as the short-term opening choice, while Munro remains in their plans.The Westpac Stadium, though, isn’t New Zealand’s favourite ground. They have lost each of their last three ODIs here.
New Zealand (last five completed matches, most recent first) WLLLW
India LWWWW
Khaleel Ahmed and Shubman Gill are two players with an outside chance of earning a ticket to England. India were defending only 93 in Hamilton, but Khaleel’s lengths seemed unsuitable for a surface where bowling full had earned New Zealand such reward.The fourth seam option remains vacant in India’s prospective World Cup squad, and Khaleel will look to end his tour of the Southern Hemisphere – he was expensive and wicketless in Australia too – with a solid spell of left-arm bowling.Kohli’s departure and MS Dhoni’s niggle opened the back door into the ODI line-up for Gill in Hamilton. For 20 balls, he looked the part on debut – fearless and compact – and he would have learned from his caught-and-bowled dismissal to a Boult inswinger. Importantly, with KL Rahul not finding form even in India against England Lions, a half-century or more in Wellington could secure Gill’s place for the ODIs against Australia at home, and keep him in the picture for the reserve opener’s role at the World Cup.It’s time for Kane Williamson to step up against a bowling attack that’s been without Jasprit Bumrah, and could be without Mohammed Shami, for the final ODI. After scoring 64 in the series opener, he hasn’t gone past 28 in the next three games. He’s edged one to the keeper, chopped one onto his stumps, and flicked one right into midwicket’s hands. A concrete contribution from him would be just the impetus New Zealand need for a big total, given their hard-hitting lower middle order.Shubman Gill reacts after being hit on the helmet•Getty Images
Guptill’s injury means Munro could return after missing one game. New Zealand may be tempted to give Doug Bracewell another shot, in place of James Neesham or Mitchell Santner. Matt Henry and Todd Astle would be favourites to keep their places having played just the one ODI each in the series.New Zealand 1 Henry Nicholls, 2 Colin Munro, 3 Kane Willamson (capt), 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Tom Latham (wk), 6 Colin de Grandhomme, 7 James Neesham, 8 Doug Bracewell/Mitchell Santner, 9 Todd Astle 10 Matt Henry/Tim Southee, 11 Trent BoultIndia have little reason to change their XI, given their goals and motives for the six ODIs that remain before the World Cup. But MS Dhoni is fit to play after missing the third and fourth ODIs with a hamstring injury, so expect a direct swap between him and Karthik, unless India decide to play Rayudu, Dhoni and Karthik at Nos. 3-5.India (possible): 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Shubman Gill, 4 Ambati Rayudu, 5 MS Dhoni, 6 Kedar Jadhav, 7 Hardik Pandya, 8 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 9 Yuzvendra Chahal, 10 Kuldeep Yadav, 11 Khaleel Ahmed
Sunny, summer conditions and a breezy evening are expected at the Westpac. New Zealand have an average total of 207 at this ground over the last three years, and there could be assistance in the form of swing.
“The World Cup is going to be a long tournament, nine games to play. So you’re going to get some injuries, players are going to miss out. So it also gave us a reflection as to how players will cope up in their absence. We were found wanting in that sort of a situation in the last game, but again, all these players are quality players.”
“It’s a bit like Groundhog Day from four years ago, having that experience of desperately wanting to make a team for a big tournament and missing out, sort of puts me in good stead for this time around.”
Dipendra Singh Airee spared Nepal’s blushes with an unbeaten 47 as Nepal snuck past UAE by four wickets in a low-scoring thriller at ICC Academy in Dubai.Dipendra helped rescue the side after a top-order collapse left Nepal at 46 for 5 in the 11th over chasing a target of 108. But a crucial 55-run stand with Pawan Sarraf took the game into the final over. Sarraf fell off the first ball of the 20th, caught at long-on, but Dipendra crossed with the ball in the air to be on strike for the following delivery. He promptly drove the bowler Zahoor Khan for six down the ground to level the scores before a slash over backward point clinched victory with three balls to spare in front of 1000 roaring Nepalese supporters.Victory seemed assured for Nepal at the innings break but they nearly threw away the opportunity to level the series with several loose shots. Captain Paras Khadka miscued a drive to cover point off the second ball of the chase to fall for a golden duck to Mohammad Naveed. Pradeep Airee then cut Amir Hayat to the same region in the following over to make it 9 for 2.Vice-captain Gyanendra Malla fell defending down the wrong line to left-arm spinner Sultan Ahmed before two more sloppy dismissals put Nepal in a further hole. Karan KC, promoted to No. 3 as a pinch-hitter, did a reasonable job clubbing two fours and a six to reach 20 before he was bowled slogging Imran Haider’s legspin. Sundeep Jora, who had scored his maiden half-century on T20I debut a day earlier, drove Sultan to long-on for 1 on the first ball of the 11th to put half of Nepal’s line-up back in the dugout.But Dipendra held firm and found a willing ally in Sarraf. UAE had an opportunity to break the stand at 59 for 5 in the 14th when Sarraf turned down a single to backward point, but a rushed throw missed the stumps at the non-striker’s end by a long way with Dipendra still five yards short. On 15 at the time, UAE paid dearly as Dipendra saw Nepal home.The low target for Nepal was set up after another exceptional bowling effort spearheaded by Sompal Kami. The fast bowler struck twice in the space of four balls in his opening two overs, getting Ashfaq Ahmed to sky a catch to Malla running in from mid-off before Ghulam Shabber’s attempted cut resulted in a caught behind.Sandeep Lamichhane was on a hat-trick after striking on the final two balls of the Powerplay, getting Shaiman Anwar driving to point before Muhammad Usman edged his first ball to slip to make it 35 for 4. Seamer Abinash Bohara also produced a solid spell with his whippy action to take three wickets in the middle overs to keep UAE pinned back. Opener CP Rizwan battled until the 19th over to make 44 off 43 balls, but only two others reached double-figures for UAE.The two sides play the third and final match of the series at ICC Academy on Sunday.