All posts by h79snht.top

أكد عماد النحاس، المدرب العام للنادي الأهلي، أن العلاقة داخل الجهاز الفني بقيادة الإسباني خوسيه ريبيرو تتسم بالتناغم والاحترام، مُشيرًا إلى كواليس ما دار في لقاء إنتر ميامي بشأن بعض المواقف الفردية مثل ركلة الجزاء التي سددها تريزيجيه خلافًا للترتيب المحدد، وحقيقة غضب أشرف بن شرقي وسر خروج زيزو بعد الدفع به بديلًا لـ إمام عاشور.

وقال عماد النحاس في تصريحات عبر قناة الأهلي: “علاقتي بـ ريبيرو جيدة، هو رجل هادئ جدًا يُحب عمله، وهناك تنظيم بيننا، هناك فرق بين المدير الفني والمدرب العام، أنا مدرب عام، وعندما يسألني أجيب، والمدرب الإسباني درس الخصوم جيدًا”.

وعن الفرصة التي أهدرها حسين الشحات في نهاية اللقاء، علّق: “المهاجم عندما ينطلق نحو المدافعين يُفكر في أكثر من فكرة، وبالتأكيد حسين وهو يركض مرّ بكل هذه الأفكار، كل خطوتين تفكيره يتغير، هو كان عنده حلول في هذه الهجمة المرتدة والسريعة، وفي اللحظة التي قرر أن يتخذ فيها القرار، كانت الكرة قد استُخلصت منه، ولم تُوقَّع عليه عقوبة، لأنها كانت فرصة في المباراة”.

طالع أيضًا | كواليس غضب أشرف بن شرقي وعقوبة تريزيجيه “الضخمة” بعد مباراة الأهلي وإنتر ميامي

وعن مواجهة بالميراس المقبلة، قال: “واجهناهم قبل ذلك مرتين، مرة فزنا بركلات الجزاء، ومرة خسرنا 2-0، فرق البرازيل تلعب كرة هجومية أسرع، وبعد مباراة إنتر ميامي، في اليوم التالي مباشرة، تحدثنا عن مواجهة بالميراس وكيفية التعامل معها بشكل جيد”.

وتابع :”ريبيرو دائمًا يضع مفاتيح الفوز وطريقة اللعب، مثلًا إمام عاشور كان مفتاح المكسب في مباراة إنتر ميامي، وفي أول 10 دقائق قبل إصابته وصل لمرمى المنافس مرتين، ووجود وسام وتريزيجيه، واحد في القلب والآخر على الطرف، كان أمرًا مدروسًا”.

وتابع: “نحن مستعدون لمواجهة بالميراس ونعلم خطورتهم في الهجمات السريعة، لكن لا يوجد فريق في العالم بلا أخطاء، سيكون عندنا نفس الإصرار وأكثر، كل المباريات صعبة، لكن كل خصم له مدرسة”.

وعن الجدل حول دخول زيزو في الدقيقة 15 ثم خروجه في الدقيقة 81، قال النحاس: “زيزو، في اليوم الذي وصل فيه للمعسكر، كان يريد أن يشارك في التدريبات، ولكن المدرب طالبه بالراحة”.

واختتم: “في المباراة الودية أمام باتشوكا أعطى انطباعًا جيدًا جدًا للجهاز الفني، وأنه جاهز، ولكن جاهز للعب 60 دقيقة فقط، هو أخذ الوقت المسموح له، نحن نعرف قيمة زيزو، وانضمامه للأهلي إضافة كبيرة، وكل اللاعبين الذين تم التعاقد معهم يمثلون إضافة قوية للفريق”.

PCB chairman Najam Sethi said the rest of the selection panel would be named later

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Jan-2023

Former Pakistan batter Haroon Rasheed has been named chief selector by PCB chairman Najam Sethi, who said that the rest of the selection panel would be named later.Rasheed, 69, had previously served as Pakistan’s chief selector between 2015 and 2016, and will take over from Shahid Afridi, who served as the interim chief selector after the Sethi administration removed Mohammad Wasim from the position soon after taking charge late last month.Rasheed played 23 Tests and 12 ODIs for Pakistan between 1977 and 1983 and apart from his previous role as a selector, has also served as PCB’s director of cricket operations and the Pakistan team manager. On December 22 last year, Rasheed had been appointed to a 14-member cricket management committee to run the PCB but he will now step down from that post.”Haroon has now resigned from the management committee as we don’t want a conflict of interest as he is now chief selector,” Sethi said.The cricket management committee had appointed Afridi as interim chief selector on December 24 and Sethi had wanted him to take on the responsibility for a longer duration. Afridi, however, wasn’t keen, citing his busy schedule with commitments to his foundation and charity work.The next series for the Pakistan men’s team is a three-match T20I contest against Afghanistan in March.New Pakistan coach to be announced soonDespite reports that the PCB’s attempts to bring former Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur back on board had fallen through, Sethi said negotiations were still ongoing. He said to expect an announcement on the new Pakistan coach soon.”I want to make it clear I am in direct negotiations with Mickey. We have covered many areas and very soon we may give you good news. If Mickey comes, he will be making his own team and we will only find how much we need to pay them and this matter will be resolved in 2-3 days.”Arthur had coached Pakistan between 2016 and 2019 and his contract was not extended after the ODI World Cup in England. He is presently coaching the English county Derbyshire.

da dobrowin： They might not be the best team in the country, but one thing is certain: Tottenham Hotspur are the most entertaining team in the Premier League.

da doce： Ange Postecoglou’s side reminded us of this fact in the League Cup last night, as they almost blew a 3-0 lead before eventually coming out 4-3 victors over Manchester United.

Now, there were a handful of worrying performances from the home side, especially from Fraser Forster in goal, but there were also several players who more than justified their inclusion in the starting lineup.

In fact, there’s now another player who, alongside Dejan Kulusevski, has made himself undroppable going forward.

Dejan Kulusevski's importance to Spurs

Unfortunately for the Spurs faithful and Postecoglou, this season has exposed a number of their players as not being of the level required to help them progress.

On the other hand, Kulusevski has been playing out of his skin from the word go, and now undoubtedly looks like one of the best players in the country.

For example, before last night, the “world-class” superstar, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, had a seriously impressive haul of five goals and seven assists in 24 appearances to his name.

Kulusevski’s 24/25

Appearances

25

Minutes

1694′

Goals

6

Assists

7

Goal Involvements per Match

0.52

Minutes per Goal Involvement

130.30

All Stats via Transfermarkt

The former Juventus ace then added another goal to his tally last night, which means he is currently averaging a goal involvement every 1.92 games, which is sensational for someone who’s spent most of the campaign in midfield thus far.

However, the 24-year-old contributed more than just a goal against United, as his all-round play was equally important and saw football.london’s Alasdair Gold award him an 8/10 match rating at full-time.

Overall, Kulusevski showed once again last night that he is utterly undroppable to this Spurs team, which could now be said about one of his teammates.

Spurs' newly undroppable star

So, while goalscorers Dominic Solanke and Son Heung-min have received plenty of plaudits since the final whistle, and rightly so, the player we are talking about is Djed Spence.

Yes, the talented defender whose Lillywhites career looked all but finished when excluded from the Europa League squad earlier this year made his first start of the campaign against Southampton on Sunday and was just as impressive against United last night.

The “unbelievable” talent, as dubbed by the iconic Ian Wright, picked up an assist and helped the team keep a clean sheet against the Saints over the weekend, and then grabbed another assist against the Red Devils while also looking solid in defence to boot.

It’s not hyperbole, either, as football.london’s Gold was just as impressed by the 24-year-old’s display, awarding him an 8/10 match rating at full-time and writing that he was a ‘constant option down the left.’

It’s that ability to play on either side of a defence that should also see the Englishman keep his place in the team for the foreseeable future, as with both Pedro Porro and Destiny Udogie leaving a lot to be desired this season, he looks like the best full-back at the club at present.

Ultimately, while he might not be the biggest name at Spurs, Spence has shown over the last week precisely why he can become a star and why, like Kulusevski, he is already undroppable.

Related Forster's saviour: Spurs' 9/10 "monster" showed he'd be perfect for Man Utd

The incredible talent won Spurs the game.

Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Dec 20, 2024

في وجه سيل من الانتقادات، خرج مهاجم برشلونة ومنتخب بولندا، روبرت ليفاندوفسكي ليدافع عن قراره بعدم الانضمام لمعسكر منتخب بلاده هذا الشهر.

وكان مهاجم برشلونة قد أعلن في 26 مايو عن انسحابه من وديتي بولندا أمام مولدوفا وفنلندا، مما أثار استياء البعض.

اقرأ أيضًا | بعد رافينها.. الدوري السعودي يستهدف لاعبًا جديدًا في برشلونة

ورد ليفاندوفسكي على الانتقادات في تصريحات نقلتها صحيفة “ماركا” الإسبانية: “لست مضطرًا لتبرير قراري، هل كان القرار صائبًا؟ نعم، في لحظة اتخاذه، كنت أراه كذلك، أعتقد أن اللاعبين قادرون على التعامل من دوني، فالمنتخب لا يعتمد علي”.

وأوضح ليفاندوفسكي أن قراره لم يكن مفاجئًا، بل جاء بعد محادثة صريحة مع المدرب، ميخال بروبيرز: “أخبرته أنني لا أشعر أنني بحالة جيدة بدنيًا أو نفسيًا، كنت أمر بمرحلة هبوط في المستوى، وشعرت أن الذهاب إلى المعسكر لن يساعدني على الوصول للمستوى الذي يريده مني”.

وفي لهجة حادة تجاه الإعلام، تابع قائلاً: “الناس لا يملكون كل المعلومات، ويفسرون الأمور بشكل خاطئ، مع كامل احترامي للإعلام والصحفيين، لم يفكر أحد منكم أن الإرهاق الذهني لا يقل خطورة عن البدني، من منكم يعرف كيف أشعر فعلًا وما هو الأفضل لي؟”.

وتابع ليفاندوفسكي: “أدرك أن الفرص المتبقية أمامي للعب على هذا المستوى باتت قليلة، أعلم أن قراري لن يلقى قبولًا لدى الجميع، لكن الاحترام يجب أن يكون حاضرًا دائمًا”.

واستمر: “بدأت إحدى المباريات على دكة البدلاء، فانهالت الأسئلة لماذا لا يلعب؟ ثم شاركت في مباراة أقل أهمية وتعرضت للإصابة، وجاءت الأسئلة بالعكس لماذا شارك؟”.

وأتم مهاجم بولندا: “أنا ألعب من أجل الجمهور، هؤلاء الذين دعموني طيلة السنوات الماضية، ألعب من أجلهم ومن أجل عائلتي، تحمل مسئولية بلد يتكون من 40 مليون نسمة ليس سهلًا، أحيانًا، أحتاج أيضًا إلى أن أرتاح”.

Malan makes century for England but aftermath of T20 World Cup victory hangs over contest

Tristan Lavalette17-Nov-2022

Australia 291 for 4 (Warner 86, Smith 80*, Head 69, Willey 2-51) beat England 287 for 9 (Malan 134, Willey 34*, Zampa 3-55, Cummins 3-62) by six wickets Australia’s top-order plundered an inexperienced England attack to celebrate Pat Cummins’ first match as ODI skipper with a comfortable six-wicket victory in the series opener in Adelaide.Chasing 288, after Dawid Malan played a lone hand with a formidable innings of 134, David Warner, Travis Head and Steven Smith struck half-centuries as Australia reached the target with 19 balls to spare.Australia penalized for slow over rate

Australia have been docked 40% of their match fee for maintaining a slow over rate in the first ODI. The match referee, David Boon, imposed the sanction after Australia were deemed to be two overs short of their mark after taking into consideration the required time allowances. Pat Cummins pleaded guilty to the offence and accepted the sanction.

On a flat Adelaide Oval pitch under lights, Australia were never threatened in their chase after a 147-run opening stand from Warner and Head, who made an impressive return to the role vacated by retired Aaron Finch.Warner and Head pounced on wide deliveries and took a liking to the short square boundaries on a ground where they posted Australia’s ODI record opening stand of 284 against Pakistan in January 2017. In front of his home faithful, Head further enhanced his growing reputation against the new ball having entered the match averaging 50.07 from 15 previous ODI innings as an opener.He eyed a third ODI ton but fell for 69 off 57 balls when he holed out in the 20th over. Smith, who was on the fringes for most of the T20 World Cup, then issued a reminder of his prowess in the 50-over format with sweetly-timed strokes coming in at No.3.Warner seemed headed for his 19th century before his 84-ball knock ended when he was caught on the boundary off David Willey, who in his 61st ODI was England’s most experienced bowler.Willey then picked up Marnus Labuschagne cheaply to revive England’s faint hopes, but Smith, who recently refined his technique by abandoning shuffling across the crease, slammed the door shut as Australia drew first blood in the three-match series.Fast bowler Olly Stone, playing his first ODI in four years, started well with his first 10 deliveries all producing dots marked by sharp pace around 145kmh/90mph. But he couldn’t break through as Warner and Head took control.Left-armer Luke Wood, making his ODI debut, struggled to find the right line with an imperious Smith stroking him for three boundaries in the 26th over.Dawid Malan constructed a brilliant century•Getty Images

Just four days after their T20 World Cup triumph, a new-look England had the tough task of refocusing and perhaps inevitably played sluggishly, even though only skipper Jos Buttler, Phil Salt and Chris Jordan had been part of the XI against Pakistan in the final at the MCG.After being sent in, England slumped to 66 for 4 before Malan’s second ODI century lifted England to what appeared a competitive total. He made a compelling case for a permanent spot in the 50-over team, and gave his own spirits a timely lift too after missing out on England’s T20 World Cup title-winning team following a groin injury.Malan was particularly aggressive in the middle overs as Malan reverted to T20 mode against Cummins with two brutal sixes on the leg side, while he countered legspinner Adam Zampa with belligerent slog sweeps.But Malan received little support with Willey the next highest scorer with an unbeaten 34, while Buttler made 29 and unleashed several lusty blows reminiscent of his heroics just a week ago at the same ground against India.In front of a sparse Adelaide Oval crowd, Cummins enjoyed a strong start to his ODI captaincy with the wickets of Salt and James Vince in a probing new ball spell.He combined superbly with Mitchell Starc, who bowled sharply to get through opener Jason Roy with a cracker of a delivery in his return with the new ball, after being controversially dropped against Afghanistan in the T20 World Cup.Australia’s fielding was energetic, highlighted by several superb efforts from Ashton Agar, to start Cummins’ ODI captaincy on a strong note even though their opponents could be forgiven for going through the motions.

MatériaMais Notícias

da aviator aposta： O time sub-17 do São Paulo está classificado para a Terceira Fase do Campeonato Paulista. De virada, a equipe comandada pelo técnico Menta derrotou o Comercial por 3 a 1, no estádio Doutor Francisco de Palma Travassos, em Ribeirão Preto, e assegurou a liderança e a classificação no estadual. Os gols do Tricolor foram marcados por Guilherme Amaral e Boer, além de um gol contra do adversário.

RelacionadasSão PauloComandado por Alex, sub-20 do São Paulo vence Bahia e se classifica para as quartas do Brasileiro da categoriaSão Paulo07/08/2022São PauloSão Paulo vence em despedida da fase de grupos e conhece adversárias das quartas do Brasileirão femininoSão Paulo07/08/2022Humor EsportivoSão Paulo é alvo de zoações após derrota para o Flamengo; veja os memesHumor Esportivo07/08/2022

da premier bet：
Com o resultado, o São Paulo chegou aos 13 pontos e não pode mais ser alcançado no primeiro lugar do Grupo 15. O time Sub-17 volta a campo na próxima quarta-feira, para enfrentar o Santos, às 10h (de Brasília), no CT Rei Pelé, pela segunda rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro. Pelo Paulista, o próximo jogo será no sábado, em Cotia, contra o São-Carlense, às 11h (de Brasília).

Em Ribeirão Preto, o Comercial partiu com tudo para o ataque e abriu o placar logo aos 5 minutos de jogo. O Tricolor soube manter o equilíbrio e buscar o resultado com inteligência. Aos 39, a equipe conseguiu empatar, com um gol contra do adversário.

Na segunda etapa, Menta mexeu no time e São Paulo evoluiu ainda mais. Logo aos 10 minutos, Guilherme Amaral marcou o segundo gol são-paulino. Mesmo com a vantagem, o Tricolor não diminuiu o ritmo e conseguiu chegar ao terceiro gol aos 38, com Boer.

da cassino online： It’s fair to say Wolverhampton Wanderers games this season in the Premier League haven’t exactly been short of talking points, with a hefty 54 strikes tallied up in terms of goals scored and goals conceded across their 13-game stretch.

da marjack bet： To add more context, the likes of Everton and Crystal Palace only have 31 and 29 in contrast, but both those sides certainly have meaner defences, as Gary O’Neil’s men have leaked a worrying 32 strikes when examining their bumper total.

O’Neil will know that the likes of Matheus Cunha will need to continue to put in top-drawer displays in attack for his side to stand a fighting chance at survival, away from obviously shoring up at the back more effectively.

Matheus Cunha's performances this season

Alongside Jorgen Strand Larsen, who has a healthy goal return of six in Premier League action, Cunha has also been a reliable source of entertainment for supporters at Molineux with the Brazilian managing seven of his own goals alongside three assists.

Cunha was a man-possessed away at Craven Cottage before a sobering 4-2 defeat to AFC Bournemouth jolted his team back to reality, with two goals and one assist coming his way from an exceptional 89 minutes versus Marco Silva’s Fulham in a comprehensive 4-1 win.

The South American ace did have a quiet game by his standards in that aforementioned defeat to the Cherries, with possession squandered a costly 21 times not helping his side’s cause, but there’s no doubt in his mind that he can bounce back when O’Neil’s team travel to Everton on Wednesday evening.

The Premier League strugglers will just hope they don’t over-rely on the 25-year-old’s magic, especially if he falls foul of a prolonged drop in form down the line, with one former Wolves ace arguably more tricky and influential for his current employers than Cunha is right now back in England.

Wolves flop who is now even better than Cunha

Of course, the electric Old Gold number ten is currently basking in his superb form, and rightly so, but it’s not always been plain sailing for the 6-foot ace at Molineux.

Cunha only managed to fire home two strikes from 17 Premier League games during his debut season at the club, before developing into the stunning performer he is today for the West Midlands outfit.

Sadly, the same patience wasn’t shown to Pedro Goncalves when he was on the books at Molineux.

Now, the Portuguese attacker has become a “superstar” at Sporting CP according to journalist Jack Collins, despite making just one meagre senior appearance for his ex-employers.

Where Are They Now

Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast's Where Are They Now series.

Expand Collapse

The Old Gold were somewhat powerless to Goncalves returning back to his native country in 2019, with a move away credited to the winger wanting more senior game time, but Wolves will wish they had put up more of a lasting fight when you consider his numbers for Sporting this campaign alone.

Goncalves’ numbers at Sporting by season

Season

Games played

Goals scored

Assists

24/25

12

5

6

23/24

49

18

17

22/23

51

20

15

21/22

41

15

14

20/21

37

23

5

Sourced by Transfermarkt

This campaign, the scintillating winger has managed to better Cunha’s numbers by one, with Goncalves picking up one of those assists in the Champions League when Sporting toppled Manchester City 4-1 under the expertise of former manager Ruben Amorim.

In total, the 5 foot 8 star has a ridiculous 81 goals and 57 assists next to his name since joining the Lisbon-based giants, with Wolves left to ponder what could have been if Goncalves had decided to stay put.

He could have filled the void perfectly when Pedro Neto departed this summer, but O’Neil will be content that he has Cunha to call upon as a similar style maverick in attack, even if Goncalves has surpassed the Brazilian this campaign when fit.

Related Wolves could already have a ready-made Cunha replacement out on loan

The Wolves academy player has impressed on loan

Posts ByJoe Nuttall Nov 29, 2024

يستعد منتخب العراق لخوض مباراة صعبة أمام كوريا الجنوبية، اليوم الخميس، في مواجهة قوية ومرتقبة بين المنتخبين، ضمن مواجهات تصفيات كأس العالم 2026.

وتقام مباراة العراق وكوريا الجنوبية، في إطار الجولة التاسعة من عمر منافسات المجموعة الثانية لتصفيات كأس العالم 2026.

ويتواجد منتخبا فلسطين والعراق، في المجموعة الثانية، في المرحلة النهائية من تصفيات كأس العالم، بجانب منتخبات الأردن وكوريا الجنوبية والكويت وعمان.

ويحتل منتخب العراق المركز الثالث في المجموعة الثانية من تصفيات كأس العالم، برصيد 12 نقطة، من الفوز في 3 مباريات والتعادل في مثلهما وخسر مواجهتين.

بينما منتخب كوريا الجنوبية، يحتل المركز الأول في المجموعة، برصيد 16 نقاط، إذ فاز بـ4 لقاءات والتعادل في 4 مباريات وتلقى 4 هزائم. موعد مباراة العراق وكوريا الجنوبية اليوم في تصفيات كأس العالم

تقام المباراة في تمام الساعة 09:15 مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة وفلسطين، 9:15 بتوقيت السعودية والعراق. القنوات الناقلة لمباراة العراق وكوريا الجنوبية اليوم في تصفيات كأس العالم

– قناة BEIN SPORTS 1

– قناة الكأس HD6. معلق مباراة العراق وكوريا الجنوبية اليوم في تصفيات كأس العالم

– قناة BEIN SPORTS 1، عامر الخوذيري.

– قناة الكأس HD6، أحمد الطيب.

ويُمكنكم متابعة أحداث مباريات اليوم لحظة بلحظة من مركز المباريات من هنــــا

MatériaMais Notícias

da aviator aposta： O América-MG retorna aos gramados pelo Campeonato Brasileiro na próxima quinta-feira, às 20h, quando recebe o Palmeiras, no Independência. O atacante Pedrinho, que ficou fora da última rodada da competição por questão de contrato, fala sobre esse desafio.

RelacionadasFutebol NacionalWellington ‘convoca’ torcida do CSA para duelo com o CruzeiroFutebol Nacional19/07/2022Futebol NacionalRildo é negociado pelo Grêmio com o Santa Clara-PORFutebol Nacional19/07/2022CruzeiroLíder da Série B, Cruzeiro encara o CSA por recorde de pontos no primeiro turnoCruzeiro19/07/2022

da pinup bet： – Estamos treinando muito aqui, trabalhando forte nessa semana boa, queremos melhorar no Campeonato Brasileiro e aproveitar bem esse momento que estamos bem na Copa do Brasil, para espelhar no nacional – declarou o jogador do Coelho.

A tarefa do América-MG não será fácil, pois enfrentará logo o líder do Brasileirão. No entanto, Pedrinho vê o fator casa como essencial para encarar esse desafio e somar pontos na tabela do campeonato.

– Sabemos que o Palmeiras é uma equipe muito forte, mas iremos com tudo para vencer diante de nossa torcida e porque precisamos desses três pontos – finalizou.

Na tabela de classificação, o América-MG está em 17º lugar, dentro da zona de rebaixamento, com 18 pontos na competição.

“I understand the need to try and play in slightly inclement weather to try and get a result. But we overstepped that mark in this game.”

Danyal Rasool24-Oct-20222:47

Houghton: ‘I don’t think we should have bowled even one ball’

Zimbabwe coach Dave Houghton was fiercely critical of the decision to carry on with his side’s game against South Africa even as the rain in Hobart grew heavier, saying he didn’t believe the “conditions were right to play”, and that Zimbabwe “shouldn’t have bowled a ball”.Related

Zimbabwe looking to give as good as they get against Haris Rauf's fire

Wounded Pakistan still 'feeling the pain and hurting', but morale remains intact

Pakistan aim to bounce back from MCG heartbreak

Boucher: South Africa have 'no regrets' about Zimbabwe washout

As it happened – South Africa vs Zimbabwe in Hobart

Rain halted Monday’s game in Hobart on multiple occasions, before it was finally called off with South Africa on the verge of victory. South Africa needed a further 13 runs to win with all ten wickets in hand and 24 balls to go, but the innings hadn’t yet reached the five-over mark, the mandatory cut-off for a game to produce a result. During the chase, Zimbabwe’s bowlers and fielders complained several times about the wet outfield as the rain grew steadily heavier. Even when fast bowler Richard Ngarava slipped and had to be taken off injured, the umpires kept the players on.It was a decision that left Houghton furious. “He’s lying in the changing room with a bunch of ice strapped to his ankle,” Houghton said. “Obviously we’re not too happy about the fact he’s not in a great space for bowling at the moment. We’ll have to assess it in the next day or so.”I thought the rain had got so heavy it was ridiculous. Most of the evening or nighttime, it was misty. But it got to the stage where we could actually hear it thumping on the rooftop in the dugout. To me, that’s no longer drizzle; that’s time to get off the field. The field was wet when we started and when South Africa fielded. They were difficult conditions for both sides but it just got more and more wet as we bowled. When your keeper’s sliding trying to move down the leg side standing up to the spinners, it’s too wet. I don’t think the conditions were right to carry on playing.”Richard Ngarava had to leave the field after taking a tumble•AFP/Getty Images

ESPNcricinfo understands the entire Zimbabwe unit were unhappy at what they considered were dangerous conditions, and believed higher-profile teams wouldn’t have been put in that position. While Houghton declined to comment publicly on whether he thought the umpires would have made the same decision if the roles had been reversed, he was emphatic in his disagreement with the call.”I understand the need to try and get these games on for the public and for TV.” he said. “I understand the need to try and play in slightly inclement weather to try and get a result. But we overstepped that mark in this game. The umpires are the guys making those decisions in the middle and they seemed to think it was fit to play. I disagree with them. But there’s not much I can do off the field.”After Ngarava’s injury, Zimbabwe turned to spin rather than risk their premier pace bowlers, with Sikandar Raza bowling the third over. But when Sean Williams was handed the ball for the fourth over, Houghton revealed Williams thought enough was enough.”Craig [Ervine, Zimbabwe’s captain] and Raza had had a word with the umpires and asked “what do you constitute as rain because we’re getting quite wet here?” Eventually Sean Williams said just as he was about to start bowling he didn’t think he could bowl. It was too wet. And then they brought us off.”South Africa coach Mark Boucher, meanwhile, suggested that the situation of the game may have played a part in Zimbabwe’s reluctance to carry on. “If Zimbabwe were in our position they would have wanted to carry on playing,” he said. “We bowled with a ball that was quite wet as well. We were in a very good position. You walk away from this game thinking we were hard done by. We are not there to make the calls, that’s what officials do and officials made the call and we’ve got to live with their decisions.”The abandonment leaves South Africa and Zimbabwe with one point each, putting South Africa under early pressure in a group where, on paper, they’re expected to compete for two available semi-finals slots with India and Pakistan. On a frigid night in Hobart, there was plenty of heat from both coaches as an incensed Zimbabwe fumed at an injury to a key fast bowler while South Africa seethed at a win that, not for the first time at a World Cup, was denied to them by rain.