Khadija Shaw, Vivianne Miedema and Yui Hasegawa all showed real attacking threat during Manchester City's narrow defeat by an impressive Chelsea.

Manchester City slumped to an opening day loss as Chelsea began the defence of their WSL title with a 2-1 victory at Stamford Bridge.

Goals from Aggie Beever-Jones and Maika Hamano gave the Blues the lead, before Niamh Charles headed into her own net to temporarily give City hope.

Chelsea held out on the night despite boss Sonia Bompastor having to field a patched-up side with a number of key players absent through injury. 

City trio Shaw, Miedema and Hasegawa were the shining lights for the visitors who created a number of chances, but failed to convert. 

But the night was soured for City by two late injuries to Alex Greenwood and Lily Murphy.

GOAL rates Man City's players from Stamford Bridge…

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  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Ayaka Yamashita (6/10):

  Not at fault for the goals, made a couple of good saves and was a steady presence at the back throughout. 

  Jade Rose (6/10):

  Impressed on debut with composed distribution from the back, will have impressed boss against strong opposition.

  Gracie Prior (6/10):

  Very fortunate to not concede a penalty in the first-half, and should have done better for the second Chelsea goal. 

  Alex Greenwood (7/10):

  Out-paced for Chelsea's opener, but rattled the crossbar with stunning free-kick in the first-half and delivered wicked cross for City's goal. Worrying injury right at the end.

  Kirstin Casparij (6/10):

  A busy evening and hardly put a foot wrong, but wasn't able to make an impact further up the pitch. 

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  Midfield

  Yui Hasegawa (8/10):

  Excellent shift in a congested midfield, showed superb technique with stunning volley just after the break. And very nearly scored with delightful flick. 

  Sydney Lohmann (6/10):

  Overloaded with defensive work and struggled to impose herself on the game. Substituted just before the hour mark. 

  Vivianne Miedema (7/10):

  Bogged down with extra defensive duties, but very unlucky to miss with long-range strike just before half-time. 

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  Attack

  Lauren Hemp (8/10):

  Worked tirelessly in a high position as Man City attempted the press, and created a number chances. Was solid throughout. 

  Lily Murphy (8/10):

  A constant source of energy on the left, but struggled to make a major impact against the outstanding Carpenter. Taken off on stretcher very near end of the match. 

  Khadija Shaw (8/10):

  A constant thorn in Chelsea's side. Showed excellent composure to create equaliser chance, but should have scored. 

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• Subs & Manager

  Andree Jeglertz (6/10):

  Failed to react to issues on the left side, but knows his side has the quality to be very competitive this season. Will be worried by two injuries at the end. 

  Laura Blindkilde Brown (5/10):

  Introduced in 78th minute and had too few touches to impact proceedings. 

  Iman Beney (N/A):

  Brought on in 85th minute to make debut, but not enough time to influence game.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Botafogo encerrou sua participação no Estadual depois da vitória diante do Audax por 5 a 2 e da conquista da Taça Rio. O time de Luís Castro não conseguiu se classificar para final do Campeonato Carioca, mas assegurou uma vaga para Copa do Brasil de 2024 depois do título do último domingo.

O começo de temporada do Glorioso não foi muito positivo para os torcedores. Luís Castro vem sendo muito cobradopor melhores atuações e deixou de conquistar pontos importantes neste Estadual.

+ATUAÇÕES: Gustavo Sauer e Lucas Fernandes são destaques do Botafogo na conquista da Taça Rio

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasBotafogoSampaio celebra gol pelo Botafogo na final da Taça Rio e relembra dos dias internado no hospitalBotafogo10/04/2023BotafogoBotafogo x São Paulo: clube inicia venda de ingressos para estreia do Brasileirão; confira os valoresBotafogo10/04/2023BotafogoBotafogo entra em momento decisivo da temporada sob aprovação de Luís Castro e insatisfação da torcidaBotafogo09/04/2023

+ANÁLISE: Versão 2023 do Botafogo de Luís Castro é precária, apesar do título da Taça Rio

RELEMBRE OS JOGOS DO GLORIOSO NESTE ESTADUAL

Taça Guanabara

Botafogo 0 x 1 Audax
Volta Redonda 1 x 2 Botafogo
Botafogo 2 x 0 Madureira
Fluminense 0 x 1 Botafogo
Botafogo 0 x 0 Nova Iguaçu
Boavista 0 x 4 Botafogo
Botafogo 2 x 0 Bangu
Vasco 2 x 0 Botafogo
Botafogo 0 x 1 Flamengo
Resende 0 x 2 Botafogo
Botafogo 0 x 1 Portuguesa

Semifinais da Taça Rio

Portuguesa 0 x 0 Botafogo
Botafogo 3 x 1 Portuguesa

Finais da Taça Rio

Audax 1 x 2 Botafogo
​Botafogo 5 x 2 Audax

VEJA OS NÚMEROS DO BOTAFOGO NO ESTADUAL

– 15 jogos (nove vitórias, dois empates e quatro derrotas)

– 23 gols feitos

– 10 gols feitos

CONFIRA OS ARTILHEIROS DO BOTAFOGO NO ESTADUAL

– Tiquinho Soares (4)

– Gustavo Sauer (3)

– Lucas Fernandes (2)

– Víctor Sá (2)

– Víctor Cuesta (2)

– Carlos Alberto (2)

– Eduardo (1)

– Patrick de Paula (1)

– Gabriel Pires (1)

– Marçal (1)

– Matheus Nascimento (1)

– Raí (1)

– Lucas Piazon (1)

– Philipe Sampaio (1)

India need to have the ambition to see this tour of South Africa as one of missed opportunities, and ensure they don’t miss them again

Sidharth Monga in Johannesburg29-Jan-20187:42

Cullinan: ‘India’s batsmen were neither back or forward’

Who told India they could walk down the wicket to Kagiso Rabada on a pitch that at one time was considered dangerous for the safety of the batsmen? Who told Cheteshwar Pujara he could bat for 53 balls without scoring his first run and still not feel anxious on a pitch where any ball could have your name on it? What does Virat Kohli think of himself, batting first and then driving balls on the up and away from the body because on this pitch you can’t always wait for the bad ball? What about Ajinkya Rahane, getting hit on his bare elbow and waving away assistance, not wanting to show he is hurt, not least because this pitch could be rated unfit for play if batsmen keep getting hurt often?And how about the India bowlers hitting South African batsmen relentlessly and causing play to be suspended? Go away. Having last won a Test outside Asia and the West Indies in 2014, where do India get the confidence to not throw in the towel in the face of a 119-run stand in a chase of 241? India spinners do this day in and day out, but fast bowlers, waiting patiently and with discipline for that one breakthrough before they can swoop in again? They left South Africa unhappy with their own groundsmen for providing too much pace and bounce.The Johannesburg Test showed how much Test cricket means to this side when T20 franchise cricket is increasingly filling the calendar. India’s victory came on the day of the IPL auction back home, and the big breakthroughs at Wanderers were provided by a fast bowler, Ishant Sharma, who got no bids and went unsold.Virat Kohli is stoked upon clinching a win at the Wanderers•BCCIParthiv Patel might have broken his finger. M Vijay – the good old Vijay now leaving balls outside off and not bothering about being hit – took blows from his thighs to his chest. This pitch could have set careers back by months, but the adrenalin high might not have brought that possibility to mind. That hard ball hurled at 140kph or faster, with no telling how it would behave off the pitch, can cause any kind of damage. India either braved it, or didn’t think about it.All this in a dead rubber. But as Kohli said, it was about more than just one Test. It was about more than hanging on to the No. 1 Test ranking, because the rankings are not always a good indicator of a team’s prowess thanks to the lopsided scheduling. It was about the belief in this side ahead of two more big overseas tours this year, and ahead of nine limited-overs internationals in South Africa, in an environment where – perhaps exaggeratedly – they feel the world is against them.India’s courage and hard work, which this win is testament to, was never under doubt. The criticism – amid the euphoria let’s not forget it was a series defeat – was for India’s short preparation time in South Africa, the selections they made in the first two Tests, the slowness with which they reacted to uncharacteristic batting from their bedrocks, and the refusal to accept their slip-catching technique might be faulty.Let’s not forget all of that combined to cost India the series. It wasn’t down to just adrenalin, or giving “120%,” that Kohli was much better at leaving balls in the final Test. A big reason was that he had become used to these bouncy pitches. The first three dismissals on the first day of the series, which left India with a difficult catch-up job, were of batsmen unacclimatised to conditions. If this is the biggest series you are playing as a team, you can’t let silly scheduling get in the way of preparations. It doesn’t matter if the Test specialists have to come early to get acclimatised.BCCIIt is well and good to say that you back your decisions and don’t pay much heed to hindsight, but one must be practical. It was clearly a mistake to not pick Rahane for the first two Tests, as he proved in Johannesburg, and as he has proved in the past. India needed to identify early that Vijay was playing shots at balls he would previously leave with eyes closed. To be fair to Kohli, he never spoke about the strike rates of Vijay and Pujara, but there is nothing wrong in reinforcing to them that their natural game serves the team best in these conditions.It was no surprise that India’s best batting performance came when they reverted to their successful template: Vijay and Pujara defend and blunt the new ball, Kohli stamps his authority, and Rahane counterattacks when the pressure is on and also bats well with the tail.India’s slip catching has been average for the last four years, but their methods and the coach remain the same. There was no harm in giving a call to, say, Brian McMillan – an expert slip catcher for South Africa in the 1990s – for a training session when you are in Cape Town, even behind closed doors if you don’t want media attention.Jasprit Bumrah was the find of this series, a punt many reacted to with trepidation because of his lack of first-class experience in the last year. However, Bumrah has learnt so quickly that Kohli feels he bowled like someone with experience of 40 Tests and not two, but you wonder if he would have bowled the half-volleys he did on the first morning had he been picked for the Sri Lanka series at home, and had come to South Africa with a few days of first-class bowling in his legs and mind.Winning away series – for Australia, South Africa, England and New Zealand in India, and for India to win in those countries – needs almost everything to go right. Nothing can be left to fate or chance. You hope India will realise how close they could have come to winning in South Africa had they prepared and selected better. You hope they won’t be happy with: “we whitewashed you, but you couldn’t”. The aim must be higher.India have everything they need to dominate world cricket: richest board, best-paid cricketers, largest human-resource base to choose from, best training facilities, and endless financial and fanatical support. To compete everywhere should be an expectation, not an exception.Though the euphoria of Johannesburg is well deserved, India should no longer be satisfied with winning a Test overseas. India need to have the ambition to see this series as one of missed opportunities so that they don’t miss them again.

The PCB will honour former women’s Test batter Kiran Baluch and former captain Sana Mir by naming enclosures in the Bugti Stadium, Quetta, after them. Former men’s captains Misbah-ul-Haq, Shahid Afridi and Younis Khan are among the other players, from a list of 10, to have their names put on enclosures in the stadium. This will be the first time a stadium in Pakistan has had stands named after women’s cricketers.Mohammad Yousuf, Saeed Ajmal, Saqlain Mushtaq, Shoaib Khan (the only male international player to emerge from the Balochistan province) and Shoaib Malik complete the list of 10 players to be honoured in this way.The Bugti Stadium has hosted only one international game: an ODI between Pakistan and Zimbabwe back in 1996. But it will be hosting a PSL exhibition game on February 5 and is marked as a potential venue for next year’s PSL – which would allow Quetta Gladiators to play at home. Najam Sethi, head of the PCB’s new management committee, had touched on the topic earlier this month, saying that Quetta would be included in the list of PSL venues for the first time for 2023, but the city did not feature in final fixtures list. The PCB subsequently said logistical concerns had led to a change of plans but it would be added as a host next year along with Peshawar.Now, a PCB statement said the move to rename the enclosures was “in recognition of their contributions and services to Pakistan cricket, [and] also aligns with the PCB’s plans and drive to improve, uplift and enhance spectator and playing facilities at the Bugti Stadium in preparation of the venue being made to host future high-profile matches”.The stadium is the property of the local government, but was handed over to the PCB in 2001 following an agreement that the board would undertake improvements and maintenance of the ground. It has two major built-up stands and two pavilions, with open stands on the north and south side.The city of Quetta is the capital of Balochistan, Pakistan’s least populous province but its largest by area. Cricket has not been as popular in Balochistan as elsewhere in Pakistan. The Bugti Stadium has hosted domestic games since 1954, but not on a consistent basis; it did not host the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, Pakistan’s premier first-class competition, for 27 straight years between 1977 and 2004. After a further 12 years of absence from 2007 to 2019, it hosted four first-class games in 2019.A particular stumbling block to Quetta hosting cricket is the region’s weather. Pakistan’s domestic season runs from October to March, and winter temperatures in Quetta range around 4-6 degrees Celsius around then. A lack of infrastructure and the security situation in the region over the years have also been factors.Speaking on the naming of the stands, Sethi said the idea was to help further popularise cricket in the region and, by naming women cricketers, to attract girls in the region to the sport.”The contributions of these 10 cricketers are meritorious and it is important that we recognise their achievements and accomplishments by naming Bugti Stadium stands in their names,” Sethi said. “This will be PCB’s small token of appreciation to these players, which will also help in creating awareness about Pakistan stars and game development in the Balochistan province. These 10 cricketers are household names and, admired and followed by all generations of cricket lovers.”The inclusion of Kiran Baluch and Sana Mir reflects the PCB’s vision and endeavours for women’s empowerment and attracting young girls to take up this great game and represent their country at the international stage. I am sure we will get to see more girls taking up this sport in Balochistan and the PCB will leave no stone unturned to develop the women’s game in this region.”

Rachin Ravindra has replaced Bracewell in New Zealand’s squad for the upcoming ODIs against Sri Lanka

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Mar-2023

Michael Bracewell, the New Zealand spin-bowling allrounder, has been signed up by Royal Challengers Bangalore as replacement for Will Jacks, who has been forced to give IPL 2023 a miss after picking up an injury while on tour for England in Bangladesh.Jacks, one of Royal Challengers’ big buys at the last auction, had been acquired for a price of INR 3.2 crore (US$ 390,000 approx. at the time). Bracewell, though, will join Royal Challengers for his auction base price of INR 1 crore, the BCCI said in a press statement.Rachin Ravindra, meanwhile, has been called up as Bracewell’s replacement for New Zealand’s three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka, which will follow the ongoing Test series.Related

South Africa players to join IPL after Netherlands ODIs

Punjab Kings sweat on Bairstow's availability

Jhye Richardson out of IPL 2023

Warner to lead Delhi Capitals in IPL 2023

“Michael’s been a key contributor to our white-ball teams since making his debut last year. It’s exciting he’ll get a chance to take up the learning opportunities the IPL provides – particularly as a spin bowling all-rounder,” Gary Stead, the New Zealand head coach, said in a statement. “With a World Cup in India this year it’s great to have players getting more experience in those conditions.”Bracewell, 32, is equally handy with bat and ball, and has played seven Tests, 19 ODIs and 16 T20Is for New Zealand. In a T20 career of 117 matches, he has 2284 runs at a strike rate of 133.48, and 40 wickets with an economy rate of 6.52. He joins captain Faf du Plessis, Wanindu Hasaranga, Josh Hazlewood, Glenn Maxwell, Reece Topley, David Willey and countrymate Finn Allen as the overseas players at Royal Challengers.Jacks, who, like Bracewell, has never played in the IPL, sustained a muscle injury while fielding in England’s victory in their second ODI against Bangladesh in Dhaka. After scans earlier this week and consultation with a specialist, he had to opt out of the IPL.The injury came as a significant blow for Jacks, who had hoped to use the IPL as an opportunity to familiarise himself with Indian conditions and push his case for selection in England’s squad for the 50-over World Cup later this year. He had tweeted “Gutted. I’ll be back,” after news of his exit from the IPL came out on March 15.Royal Challengers play their first game of the season against Mumbai Indians on April 2. It will be their first fixture at their home ground, Bengaluru’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium, since May 2019, after which Covid-19 had forced IPL matches to be held in limited centres, even in the UAE.

Victoria comfortable at 2 for 71 in reply, with Harris unbeaten on 48

Tristan Lavalette14-Mar-2023Stumps Test quick Scott Boland tore through league leaders Western Australia with four wickets on his Sheffield Shield return as a desperate Victoria dominated the opening day of their must-win match at the WACA.With their final’s hopes on the line, Victoria routed WA for 122 before reaching stumps at 2 for 71.Former Test opener Marcus Harris was in sparkling touch to thwart a weakened WA attack missing quicks Joel Paris and Matt Kelly. He hit several sweet drives and counterattacked short bowling with cavalier cut shots over the slips.Veteran Travis Dean and emerging batter Ashley Chandrasinghe fell cheaply, but Harris was unperturbed to finish unbeaten on 48 and consolidate Victoria’s early grip on the contest.Released from his touring duties in India, having only played in the first Test, Boland made an instant impact with 4 for 29 from 15 overs in a typically miserly performance.He was well supported in Victoria’s strong attack by skipper Will Sutherland and left-arm spinner Jon Holland, who both finished with three wickets.Having already secured a home final starting on March 23, and just six days after their triumph in the 50-over Marsh Cup, WA were relatively subdued in what is effectively a dead rubber for them.But third-placed Victoria are locked in a fierce battle with Queensland, who they narrowly trail on the ladder, as the Bushrangers eye redemption having fallen short against WA in last season’s final.In sunny conditions, Sutherland elected to bowl and it proved a masterstroke with Boland showing no signs of fatigue having scrambled back from India with Victoria’s season in the balance.He conceded just nine runs in his first six-over spell to tie down WA’s prolific openers Cameron Bancroft and Sam Whiteman.It was a stalemate of a start amid a smattering of fans in a contrast to the festive atmosphere of last week’s Marsh Cup final.But Sutherland sparked the contest with his towering frame conjuring awkward bounce to remove Whiteman for a painstaking nine off 63 deliveries.Victoria’s terrific first session was capped by Boland having Bancroft, the Shield’s leading run scorer, caught behind for 24 on the stroke of lunch.WA staggered into the long break at 3 for 45 from 28 overs and spiralled further after the resumption when allrounder Aaron Hardie was brilliantly caught by a diving Mitchell Perry at forward square-leg.Playing his first Shield match since October 2020, Ashton Turner attempted to perform a rescue job like he has done countless times as skipper for BBL champions Perth Scorchers.Turner mixed firm defence with the occasional flourish to combine with Hilton Cartwright in a steadying 41-run partnership.But they both fell for 27 as WA fell away and were bowled out in 61 overs to record their second lowest total of the season.

Son Heung-min hailed his "best mate" Harry Kane and confirmed the Bayern Munich star will be the "biggest Spurs fan" during the Europa League final.

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Son & Kane remain the best of friends Kane won the first trophy of his career with Bayern Son can follow in his footsteps by lifting the UEL trophy Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Kane and Son formed one of the Premier League’s most iconic attacking partnerships during their time together at Tottenham from 2015 to 2023. Though now separated by leagues and countries, the bond between the two remains as strong as ever.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Earlier this month, Bayern Munich secured the Bundesliga title — the first major honour of Kane’s career. Son was quick to congratulate his friend and acknowledged how significant the achievement was for the England captain. As Kane savours his Bundesliga medal, Son is hoping he too can celebrate silverware, with Tottenham on the verge of clinching the Europa League title.

WHAT SON SAID

Ahead of the Europa League final, Son said: "Everyone knows Harry is my best mate and it was a huge honour of playing alongside him. After he won his first title, we had a chat about his trophy. He is already on holiday, so he doesn't have to text me. I am just concentrating on myself with the boys and I'm sure Harry will be the biggest Spurs fan tomorrow and supporting us from his holidays."

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR SON?

The final, which sees Spurs face Manchester United on Wednesday night, is being seen as a defining moment for a squad that has faced immense pressure and mixed fortunes throughout the season. Victory would mark Tottenham’s first major trophy since 2008 and would also be a personal milestone for Son, who is yet to lift silverware during his long and committed service to the North London club.

The youngster has kept Carlo Ancelotti's side alive – although Barcelona can still become champions by beating Espanyol on Thursday night

Academy centre-back Jacobo Ramon played hero for Real Madrid on Wednesday night, keeping Los Blancos in the title race for at least another 24 hours with a 95th-minute winner to snatch a 2-1 victory over Mallorca. Madrid would hand the title to Barcelona if they failed to win, and after 94 minutes it seemed they would kiss their La Liga crown goodbye. But Ramon had other ideas, bagging the winner in his first league start.

Mallorca took a deserved lead after 10 minutes, winning the ball in the Madrid defensive third before marauding centre-back Martin Valjent smashed the ball into the bottom corner. Madrid spent the rest of the half peppering the Mallorca goal. Federico Valverde and Luka Modric both had efforts well denied, and Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham also forced saves out of the keeper.

Los Blancos got a deserved equaliser in the second period, when Mbappe smashed home – his 40th goal of the season. Madrid continued to have chances throughout the half, but the Mallorca defence held firm. Mbappe thought he had won it after 86 minutes, but Valjent nodded his shot off the line with the goal gaping. Academy striker Gonzalo Garcia came even closer, missing from four yards out after Fran Garcia's cross.

Eventually, it was a centre-back who got things done. A speculative ball fell to 20-year-old Ramon in the box, and the defender volleyed over the keeper from close range to grab a 95th-minute winner. It will likely mean little in the scope of the season, as Madrid will all-but-certainly cede the title to Barcelona. But for a brief moment, it's something to hold onto.

GOAL rates Real Madrid's players from the Santiago Bernabeu..

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  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Thibaut Courtois (7/10):

  Made a vital save at 1-1. Had pretty much nothing else on his hands.

  Federico Valverde (6/10):

  A solid showing at right-back, even if he had very little to do defensively. Put eight shots on goal.

  Jacobo Ramon (8/10):

  Played hero in his first La Liga start, bagging the late, late winner.

  Raul Asencio (5/10):

  Didn't put any pressure on the ball when Mallorca took the lead, and was removed with an apparent injury after 64 minutes.

  Fran Garcia (5/10):

  Scampered up and down the left without really creating much.

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  Midfield

  Dani Ceballos (6/10):

  Ran around, kept the ball moving, completed the most passes in the match – but was pretty miserable defensively.

  Jude Bellingham (4/10):

  Seemed intent on fouling pretty much everyone in the first half. Then refused to pass in the second, and didn't track back either. Very poor.

  Luka Modric (7/10):

  Created three chances, grabbed an assist, and got stuck in. Classy, as ever.

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  Attack

  Arda Guler (7/10):

  Looked to make things happen and forced a couple of nice saves out of the keeper. Always improving.

  Endrick (5/10):

  Lively in the first half when there was space to run into. Poor in the second period when there wasn't.

  Kylian Mbappe (7/10):

  Deployed in his preferred left-wing position with Vinicius Jr out. Really dangerous, got his deserved goal, but could have fed open team-mates on a few occasions.

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  Subs & Manager

  Jesus Vallejo (6/10):

  A strange cameo from Madrid's forgotten man.

  Gonzalo Garcia (N/A):

  Missed a big chance late in his only real involvement.

  Carlo Ancelotti (6/10):

  Went with pretty much his strongest XI given the injury situation. Got a late winner out of his side, somehow – even if he is just delaying the inevitable.

The Pakistan batter believes Agha, Shadab and Nawaz should be allowed to settle in their roles with the World Cup imminent

Umar Farooq04-May-2023

With only a few ODIs left to play ahead of the 50-over World Cup, Imam-ul-Haq has advised against experimenting with Pakistan’s underperforming middle order, even though the team has taken an unassailable 3-0 lead in their five-match series against New Zealand. Imam, the player of the match in the third ODI, was especially not convinced by the option of playing Iftikhar Ahmed or Mohammad Haris as power-hitters in the middle overs.”To be honest I don’t think so because we don’t have time to do experiments,” he said. “With Agha [Salman], Shadab [Khan], and [Mohammad] Nawaz, we have enough power-hitting to improvise. It’s just a matter of giving them confidence. Their stats aren’t as big as we have in the top three and it’s tough for them because they get five to six overs but their chip-in is impactful and useful.”Pakistan have largely relied on their top three, consisting of Imam, Fakhar Zaman and Babar Azam, who have scored 62.6% of the team’s runs – the highest among all nations – since the 2019 ODI World Cup. They average 19 runs per dismissal more than the rest of their batting – which is also the highest for any team. The Imam-Babar partnership reaped an average of 89.83 including six hundred-run stands; Fakhar-Babar and Fakhar-Imam, meanwhile, have put on 817 and 812 runs respectively.Related

Sethi offers Babar Azam conditional backing as all-format captain

Imam, Babar and bowlers help Pakistan wrap up series

On the other hand, Pakistan’s middle order has failed to consistently build on the platform set by the top order. The batters between No. 4 and No. 7 have averaged 26.9, marginally lower than West Indies, whose middle-order batters average 26.2. While Imam said he preferred to have a settled line-up with the bat given there’s an ODI World Cup around the corner, he noted that their bowlers needed to strike more often in the middle overs.”Both Nawaz and Shadab are outstanding allrounders so we have to give them the confidence,” Imam said. “Babar might be thinking differently but that is what I feel. We have only two games left and it’s really very important to go into a bigger tournament, you have to be settled as much as you can with your main players. We have very less cricket and I don’t think we have enough time to find a workaround.Fakhar Zaman and Babar Azam, along with Imam, tend to score a high percentage of Pakistan’s runs in ODIs•AFP/Getty Images

“But I feel within 11 to 35 overs we need to take wickets in them and we aren’t able to fetch enough. Sometimes, I feel this is missing and if our spinners in the middle start taking wickets then the match will be a lot more in our control. Today [last night], we took wickets in middle overs hence we managed to reduce them to under 270. So going forward I think fielding and fitness is another department we should make a difference. Catches on crucial stages become very important.”Pakistan’s squad for the New Zealand series features many players with strong ODI records in recent years, thus increasing their chances of securing a spot in the World Cup roster. Their team combination, however, has forced a lot of top-order players – including Abdullah Shafique, Shan Masood, Mohammad Rizwan and Mohammad Haris – to drop down to the middle order. When asked if the competition threatens his place, Imam said his ability to handle pressure has helped him remain relevant.”When you play for Pakistan, you find yourself under pressure in every situation and coming out of it is something that defines you,” he said. “It’s important to handle pressure and that is where you create a difference. Everyone is very talented and all the new openers making their way into the side are good and it automatically creates a sense of competition within. You always remain on your toes, you have to notch up the level of your performance and keep up your fitness, and with everyone around, it creates healthy competition which is good for the team.”Imam said that of late, his role has evolved to include more aggression. But he tempered it to better suit conditions that weren’t exactly batter-friendly in Rawalpindi.”I am no more playing an anchor role because one-day cricket is fast now and if you look at my last eight or nine games, my strike rate is over 100. So now when we get a ball [that’s in the slot] we will have a boundary but today (last night) especially the wicket was playing differently and we were in the Pindi phase of mind.”The ball wasn’t coming on the up but Fakhar and I do not think a lot as we [have been] playing together for a long time now. The plan is [that it is] always good to have 50-60 runs in the first ten without losing a wicket and then if the wicket is good we try and settle it [total] around 330 to 350. But the wicket was on the slower side and the ball wasn’t coming on the bat well, so we knew 270-280 [would be par] but if our top four went with runs it could have gone to 300-plus.”

Chief executive Andrew Cornish says “there is no hiding away” from Middlesex’s financial difficulties, after acknowledging that the club may require an ECB bail-out after racking up a loss of £952,000 in their most recently published accounts.In an open letter to Middlesex’s members, Cornish acknowledged that a recent report in the Daily Telegraph had been an “accurate depiction” of the club’s financial status, following a hit to their revenue from the Covid pandemic in 2020-21, plus a historic pensions miscalculation that has cost the club a further £500,000 to rectify.However, Cornish also insisted that none of this was “new news”, and that with Middlesex forecast to return a profit in 2023, any involvement of the ECB in the club’s management was merely a case of putting contingency plans in place, in the event of a “rainy day”. At present the club’s reserves have been reduced to £179,000, from more than £2 million prior to the pandemic.”Losses have been significant, the accounts are filed publicly for all to see, as well as being sent to all members and discussed at the AGM, so there is no hiding away from the fact that the last two years have been an extremely challenging time for Middlesex Cricket,” Cornish wrote.”As I have said, none of this is news to Middlesex members … we have made every effort to ensure that this has been conveyed to you in as transparent and open manner as possible.”Unlike the other 17 first-class counties, Middlesex is in the unique position of renting its home ground, Lord’s, from MCC – a situation that has both exacerbated their current exposure, given that their sole revenue stream is from county cricket activities, but also ensures that they are debt-free, with their landlords for example footing the bill for last year’s £53 million redevelopment of the Compton and Edrich Stands.For that reason, however, the income that Middlesex receives from the ECB makes up more than 70 percent of their overall figure – £4.733 million out of £6.589 million, according to their latest accounts, including their long-standing county partnership agreement, plus a further £1.3 million in return for agreeing to the staging of the Hundred.”We are much more reliant on the revenue that the ECB provides through its broadcast deals than our counterparts at other venues,” Cornish added. “This difference comes about due to us not owning our own ground and therefore being unable to stage profitable non-cricket events, which some might view as a blessing.Related

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“With such a vested interest in protecting the future wellbeing of the English game, and the counties that are the stakeholders in it, it is only right that open and honest discussions are being had between both organisations to ensure that there is an understanding of our position.”In 2016, Durham was punished for receiving a £3.8 million ECB bail-out, with relegation from Division One, a 48-point deduction for the following season, and a loss of Test status. However, the new ECB leadership of Richard Gould and Richard Thompson, formerly of Surrey, are unlikely to take such a hard line as they seek to make the case that their regime is more supportive of the counties than their forebears.”We are grateful for the assistance and help the ECB are providing to the Club throughout this process and will continue to liaise with them closely on this matter moving forwards,” Cornish added. “They are assured and encouraged that the financial position of the Club at this point is far more encouraging than previously.”However, whilst unlike many other counties we have no debt, we also have minimal assets and that leaves our cashflow potentially exposed to the seasonality of cricket, hence our need as responsible Directors to ensure the Club has contingency plans in the event of a ‘rainy day’ – if you’ll forgive the pun.”