سجل السلوفيني نيتس جراديشار، لاعب الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بالنادي الأهلي، هدف للقلعة الحمراء أمام بتروجيت في اللقاء الذي جمع بين الفريقين اليوم وانتهى 1-1.

والتقي الأهلي مع بتروجيت، ضمن منافسات الجولة الثانية عشر من مسابقة الدوري المصري الممتاز، على ملعب الكلية الحربية.

وجاء هدف جراديشار في الدقيقة 60 بعد عرضية من محمد هاني أرسلها داخل منطقة الجزاء ليمهدها بن رمضان إلى جراديشار ويسددها برأسه إلى داخل الشباك، ليصل رصيده إلى 3 أهداف.

طالع.. فيديو | بخطأ من الشناوي.. حامد حمدان يسجل هدف بتروجيت الأول أمام الأهلي

أما هدف بتروجيت جاء في الدقيقة 11 عن طريق اللاعب حامد حمدان بعد عرضية قابلها اللاعب برأسه مستغلًا تأخر محمد الشناوي في الخروج من المرمى. ترتيب هدافي الدوري المصري

– صلاح محسن – المصري – 5 أهداف.

– محمود حسن تريزيجيه – الأهلي –4 أهداف.

– عبد الرحيم دغموم – المصري – 4 أهداف.

– عمر الساعي – المصري – 4 أهداف.

– نيتس جراديشار – الأهلي – 3 أهداف.

– أحمد سيد زيزو – الأهلي – 3 أهداف

– عدي الدباغ – الزمالك – 3 أهداف.

– محمد السيد شيكا – كهرباء الاسماعيلية – 3 أهداف.

– أحمد فاروق – وادي دجلة – 3 أهداف.

– صديق أوجولا – سيراميكا كليوباترا – 3 أهداف.

– أشرف بن شرقي – الأهلي- هدفين

– محمد شريف – الأهلي – هدفين.

-فيستون مايلي- بيراميدز- هدفين

– ياسين مرعي – الأهلي – هدفين.

– محمد الشيبي – بيراميدز – هدفين.

– عمرو السولية – سيراميكا كليوباترا – هدفين.

– عبدالله السعيد- الزمالك- هدفين.

– شيكو بانزا – الزمالك – هدفين.

-ناصر ماهر- الزمالك- هدفين.

– وليد الكرتي – بيراميدز – هدفين.

South Africa, meanwhile, are quietly preparing for their first Test in Bangladesh in nine years

Mohammad Isam20-Oct-2024 Big picture: A new era for Bangladesh Instead of a legend’s goodbye, the Dhaka Test will now be Bangladesh’s first Test in the post-Shakib Al Hasan era, after the government advised Shakib not to come to the country, due to security reasons. Bangladesh are also dealing with a change of head coach, as the BCB has sacked Chandika Hathurusinghe and swiftly appointed Phil Simmons.South Africa, meanwhile, are quietly preparing for their first Test in Bangladesh in nine years. To counter their lack of experience in Bangladesh, the visitors are reportedly spending long hours in the nets at the Shere Bangla National Stadium.Temba Bavuma and Kagiso Rabada are the only survivors from their last tour of Bangladesh, when rain forced both Tests to be drawn. Bavuma will miss the first Test due to an elbow injury, which means Aiden Markram leads the side. South Africa are likely to have at least one debutant in their top four to replace Bavuma. The T20 star Dewald Brevis could be the one stepping up.Related

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South Africa’s batting will largely depend on Markram and his opening partner Tony de Zorzi, while David Briedingham and Tristan Stubbs have to handle the middle order. The experienced Keshav Maharaj leads the bowling attack, while Rabada could be required to do mostly holding jobs if the Dhaka pitch’s last rating is anything to go by.New Zealand captain Tim Southee called it “probably the worst pitch” he had ever seen, after the spinners completely dominated proceedings last December.Bangladesh already have three frontline spinners, before adding left-arm spinner Hasan Murad in place of Shakib. At least three are likely to feature in Dhaka, which could leave them with the dilemma whether to play four or five bowlers. There is no obvious replacement for Shakib of course, but Bangladesh will be hoping they can settle on a balanced XI soon. Form guide Bangladesh LLWWL (last five Tests, most recent first)South Africa WDLLL In the spotlight: Hasan Mahmud and David Bedingham Hasan Mahmud has made a promising start to his Test career. The slim medium-pacer bowls a mean line and length on a dime outside offstump. Debuting earlier this year, Mahmud has already taken five-wicket hauls in Pakistan and India. His 20 wickets in five Tests is easily the best start by a Bangladesh fast bowler. A home Test is always a challenge, particularly at the Shere Bangla National Stadium, but Mahmud’s discipline will come in handy.Fresh off a strong county season for Durham, David Bedingham has a new challenge in front of him: playing in the sub-continent for the first time. That means the stylish middle-order batter will be up against skillful spinners. It could be an important tour for the 30-year-old who has only six Tests under his belt.A lot of South Africa’s batting will depend on Aiden Markram and his opening partner Tony de Zorzi•AFP/Getty Images Team news: Brevis could debut; Bangladesh mull five bowlersPlaying five specialist bowlers would mean Bangladesh promoting Mehidy Hasan Miraz to No 5. The other option would be to leave out one of the pacers, and bringing in Jaker Ali to debut in the middle-order.Bangladesh XI (probable): 1 Zakir Hasan, 2 Shadman Islam, 3 Mominul Haque, 4 Najmul Hossain Shanto (capt), 5 Mushfiqur Rahim, 6 Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 7 Litton Das (wk), 8 Nayeem Hasan, 9 Taijul Islam, 10 Taskin Ahmed, 11 Hasan MahmudTemba Bavuma’s injury could mean that Dewald Brevis debuts at No 4. South Africa have pace options, but the left-arm spinner Senuran Muthusamy could replace the injured Nandre Burger.South Africa (probable): 1 Aiden Markram (capt), 2 Tony de Zorzi, 3 Tristan Stubbs, 4 Dewald Brevis, 5 David Bedingham, 6 Kyle Verreynne (wk), 7 Wiaan Mulder, 8 Senuran Muthusamy, 9 Keshav Maharaj, 10 Kagiso Rabada, 11 Dane PiedtPitch and conditions: Has the Dhaka pitch improved? The ICC rated the Dhaka pitch unsatisfactory in its previous Test in December last year, and it remains to be seen if the curator Gamini Silva has put in the work in the last ten months. There’s some rain in the forecast from the third day. Stats and trivia Bangladesh are yet to beat South Africa and India in Tests. South Africa have lost 10 of their last 13 Tests in the sub-continent, drawing the other three. Temba Bavuma and Kagiso Rabada are the only survivors from South Africa’s last tour of Bangladesh. Quotes “We are not thinking of the outside noise. We are focused on the match. We haven’t won against South Africa before so this is a great opportunity given our team and that the fact that we playing at home.””We have been here now for a few days and, nice and hot and sweaty for us. That’s been nice to get used to that again. conditions-wise, it’s pretty much what we’ve expected and the facilities have been really good. the hotel’s been great. People have been really accommodating towards us. So, we enjoyed our, first few days here and from the cricket side of things.”

The USMNT Transfer Notebook tracks American player movements, with latest developments for those in the U.S. national team pool

The clock is ticking on transfers in both MLS and Europe, with the end of August marking a crucial period for the U.S. men’s national team. Several players face uncertain club futures, or need significant moves, to cement their place in Mauricio Pochettino’s World Cup plans.

In Italy, Yunus Musah's status continues to swing like a pendulum. Last week, it was reported he would stay at Milan, but now it appears both Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace are aggressively moving to acquire the talented midfielder, who has struggled for consistency in Serie A. 

Josh Sargent is off to a torrid start, scoring in his first two games of the season. Yet, Norwich manager Liam Manning stressed that the striker could still be on the move. In MLS, Max Arfsten has been linked with a move all summer and it appears Real Salt Lake's talented youngster, Zavier Gozo, is drawing interest from a Belgian giant. 

GOAL tracks all of the American player movements in the USMNT Transfer Notebook, a recurring feature covering the latest developments for those in the U.S. national team pool.

Get the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games nowGetty ImagesPremier League clubs face off for Musah?

Will he stay or go? That's seemingly been the question for months with Musah, a player with plenty of potential who has struggled to find a fit in AC Milan. Though Musah appeared to be set to stay after a strong preseason, Nottingham Forest emerged as a strong contender to sign the American, with the Athletic reporting the two clubs opened talks over a move. 

Things took another turn on Tuesday. Forest reportedly wasn't willing to reach Milan's $40 million valuation, offering $35.1 million. That could open the door for another club to emerge in Crystal Palace, according to journalist Ciro Venerato. Musah's is Forest's No. 1 target, but they are already looking at alternatives if Milan aren't willing to accept their bid.  

There are positives and negatives with both reported bids, as Forest clearly values Musah but had struggles integrating another American, Gio Reyna, two years ago. Palace features another USMNT star in Chris Richards, but already has a strong midfield with Adam Wharton and Daichi Kamada.

Will it be London or Nottingham or potentially Naples? Time will tell.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportNorwich preparing for Sargent's exit?

Sargent is arguably the hottest striker in the U.S. national team pool, scoring in both of Norwich's opening games. Despite Sargent wearing the captain's armband in the opener, Canaries boss Manning admitted the 25-year-old could still be on the move. 

"I think the best practice is to be proactive with the work you do… With the interest, you’d be mad to not do anything behind the scenes to be prepared. So, of course, we want him to stay, but we have to be prepared if it doesn’t happen," the manager said. 

While Sargent turned down a move to Wolfsburg earlier, he continues to be linked with other moves – including to Burnley and Leeds earlier this summer.

Getty Images SportAnother American to Belgium?

In June, it was reported that Belgian side Genk were monitoring RSL teenager Zavier Gozo. Yet speculation suggests that they aren't the only club who are watching the U.S. youth international, who scored at the weekend for Real Salt Lake against the New York Red Bulls.

Gozo, 18, has been a breakout star alongside Diego Luna in the first team, and is expected to compete for a spot at the U20 World Cup this September. 

“I don't really think about that," he said of a possible transfer. "I'm just focused on the season right now and getting as many wins as we can, making the playoffs. And then, you know, the offseason, we'll see."

Getty Images SportArfsten gives green light to Middlesbrough

The emerging wingback has been the subject of a transfer tug of war between Toulouse and Middlesbrough, but if reports out of England are to be believed, the Crew star has given a clear indication of his preference. 

The Northern Echo is reporting Arfsten wants to go with Boro and has asked for a transfer from Columbus. 

The sticking point remains price, as the English club's bid of $3 million was rejected by the MLS side – who insist they want to keep the 24-year-old until the end of the season.

If the deal goes through, it could be a promising for Arfsten, as manager Rob Edwards likes playing a system with attacking wingbacks, and currently features fellow USMNT midfielder Aidan Morris.

Pakistan will field an unchanged starting eleven from the one that beat England by 152 runs in the second Test for the final game in Rawalpindi. The PCB announced the side one day after England confirmed a change in their bowling combination to match the triple-spin attack that proved successful for Pakistan in Multan.It is the first time in Shan Masood’s stint as captain that Pakistan have named an unchanged eleven. The decision is not a surprise, though there was a chance Pakistan may switch up their combination to replace Zahid Mahmood, who bowled just six ineffective overs in Multan, with a seamer. But an injury to Mir Hamza, their preferred choice, scuppered any chance of that happening.The decision is a leap of faith in the curators’ attempts to force the Rawalpindi surface to behave more like the one for the second Test in Multan. Historically, Pindi has never taken much spin, even late into Test matches; just two Tests ago on this surface, Pakistan went in with an all-pace attack against Bangladesh in August.Related

• Shakeel: Pakistan should prepare pitches 'according to opposition'

• Leach comes back stronger for England after feeling the love

• Stokes and England braced for Pindi spin-quisition

• Rehan Ahmed recalled as England brace for 'raked' pitch in Pakistan decider

• Pakistan deploy fans, heaters in bid to produce Rawalpindi turner

Since the gamble in Multan paid off last week, though, preparations for a repeat have gone into overdrive. The curators were in Pindi before the second Test ended, with Aleem Dar and Aqib Javed, part of the selection committee, making the trip on the day the game ended.Over the weekend, industrial sized fans and wedding-style heaters were brought in, with windbreakers surrounding the surface. The heaters were gone by Monday, though the giant fans were working. Some footmarks are visible on the strip, notably outside the left-hander’s off-stump at the media end. Each side have a left-arm spinner, a finger spinner and a legspinner in their bowling ranks.”It’s an interesting pitch,” Jason Gillespie, Pakistan’s head coach, said. “Since I’ve been here, there’ve been fans on which we’ve all seen. So obviously it’s very dry and not a lot of grass on it. We probably expect it to favour the slower balls here.”The series is level at 1-1. Pakistan are looking for their first series win since a 2-0 victory in Sri Lanka in July, and a first at home since they beat South Africa in February 2021 by a similar scoreline.Pakistan: 1 Saim Ayub, 2 Abdullah Shafique, 3 Shan Masood (capt), 4 Kamran Ghulam, 5 Saud Shakeel, 6 Mohammad Rizwan (wk), 7 Salman Agha, 8 Aamer Jamal, 9 Sajid Khan, 10 Noman Ali, 11 Zahid Mahmood

A £2.5m Rangers player has agreed terms with a new club to leave Ibrox as he doesn’t feature in Russell Martin’s plans.

Rangers announce Martin as new manager

The Gers finally brought their long-running search for a new permanent manager to an end on Thursday, with Martin unveiled to the media as Philippe Clement’s successor.

Martin, who had a brief spell on loan at Rangers during his playing days back in 2018, has signed a three-year deal in Glasgow and is confident he can silence the critics.

Looking to win just Rangers’ second Scottish Premiership title in 15 years in 2025/26, Martin has plenty of work to do in a short space of time, with the Gers’ first Champions League qualifier scheduled for July 22/23.

With the transfer window now temporarily open, Rangers will be looking to make their mark in the window, having recently been linked with a move to sign South American midfielder Vicente Pizarro as the first signing of the Martin era.

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However, there could also be a number of Ibrox departures ahead of the new season, and an update has emerged on Robin Propper amid claims he is looking to leave the club.

Propper agrees three-year deal to leave Rangers for FC Twente return

According to reports in the Netherlands, relayed by Sport Witness, Propper, who joined Rangers last summer from FC Twente, could be about to make his return to the Eredivisie side.

The Gers paid £2.5m to sign Propper, however, they are now ready to sell the centre-back for half of that figure, with the player himself already agreeing a three-year deal to return to Twente.

An agreement between Twente and Rangers is expected to be finalised quickly, with Propper not in Martin’s Ibrox plans.

As can be seen, Propper featured regularly under Clement and interim boss Barry Ferguson, but his days in Scotland look numbered.

A move will be one to keep an eye on, especially as the transfer window is set to shut on June 10 and re-open again on June 16.

da poker： Despite missing the deadline to trigger their buy-back option, Daniel Levy and Tottenham Hotspur are now reportedly preparing an offer to re-sign a Premier League defender.

Daniel Levy: "Failure is not an option"

da bwin： The biggest decision of Tottenham’s summer so far has undoubtedly been the appointment of Thomas Frank after showing Ange Postecoglou the door. The decision to sack Australian is one that split opinion just weeks after the Lilywhites ended their trophy drought by winning the Europa League against Manchester United.

Levy has since spoken for the first time since sacking Postecoglou, revealing that it was a difficult decision emotionally. He told reporters: “I don’t regret appointing Ange, I’m very grateful to Ange. In his first season we finished fifth and in his second we were over the moon to win a trophy.

“But we need to compete in all competitions, and we felt that we needed a change. Emotionally it was difficult but we feel that we’ve made the right decision for the club. “I’ve got very broad shoulders. Failure is not an option, the desire [is] to succeed. And because it’s so difficult, I want to succeed even more.”

Related Frank green-lights move for "decisive" star to replace Tottenham forward

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Whether those in North London agree with the decision or not, Postecoglou’s departure has since opened the door for Frank to step into the hot seat for the biggest job of his career.

It has been a long time coming for the Dane, who took Brentford to new heights despite often lacking in resources. Now at Tottenham, he has the chance to prove that he belongs at the very top by turning things around in North London.

That turnaround must start away from the pitch and in the transfer window, however, with names such as Antoine Semenyo alongside a name that Spurs fans know well already among the headlines on that front.

Tottenham preparing offer to re-sign Cirkin

According to reports relayed by The Northern Echo, Tottenham are now preparing a formal offer to re-sign Dennis Cirkin despite missing the deadline to trigger their buy-back clause from Sunderland.

The left-back has blossomed into an impressive talent since swapping Spurs for Wearside and now finds himself back in the Premier League with the Black Cats. That return has not gone under the radar, however, and Levy now has his sights set on a reunion.

Cirkin would not only hand Frank an instant boost in his backline but also help Spurs to fill their homegrown quota in the Champions League next season. On all fronts, it is a deal that may make sense for the Lilywhites.

Sunderland are reportedly eager to keep hold of Cirkin and tie their defender down to a new contract. Whether they are able to convince their defender to ignore the interest of his former club remains to be seen, though.

Alas, having already lost Jobe Bellingham for big money, the Black Cats have proved their ability to drive a hard bargain and with no buy-back clause to fall back on, Spurs could yet face some tough negotiations.

Manchester United need a huge transfer window if they are to be a success in the Premier League once again in the near future, with the responsibility falling into the hands of Ruben Amorim.

The 40-year-old took the reins back in November last year, but has so far struggled to transform the side as he would’ve wished, only achieving a win percentage of 40%.

However, he is yet to have a full pre-season with the first team squad, with the current period pivotal in his stint as manager, needing to try and get his ideas across to the squad.

He also has the opportunity to add to his squad this window, with the hierarchy set to hand him the funds he requires to allow him to be a success during his tenure at Old Trafford.

Numerous players remain on their shortlist during the current window, potentially helping the manager in his quest to rise up the Premier League in 2025/26.

The latest on United’s hunt for new additions this summer

A new striker has been the priority for United over the last couple of days, especially after it was reported that Rasmus Hojlund had agreed personal terms with Inter Milan over a move to the San Siro.

The likes of Ollie Watkins, Victor Osimhen and Dušan Vlahović have all been touted with moves to join the Red Devils, but no deals have yet been completed for any of the trio.

However, the same can’t be said about Bryan Mbeumo, with the latest update around his future from journalist Graeme Bailey providing a positive outlook on the move.

He confirmed that talks are ongoing between the two clubs and, despite a fee not yet being agreed, a move could be finalised for his signature by the end of Monday.

Bailey also states that the 25-year-old has made it clear that he wants to depart Brentford this window, wanting to make the next step in his career after scoring 20 league goals in 2024/25.

Why United’s latest move would be bad news for Amad & Bruno

Amad Diallo has been a player who has enjoyed a huge rise under Amorim since his appointment, cementing his place as a regular starter before his ankle injury that ruled him out for three months.

The Ivorian managed to register 11 goals and eight assists across all competitions this campaign, most notably with his last-minute winner against Manchester City at the Etihad.

He’s mainly operated in a number ten role for the Red Devils, with captain Bruno Fernandes the player usually featuring next to him in the position behind the striker.

As for the Portuguese international, he enjoyed one of the best seasons of his career, notching 37 combined goals and assists across all competitions – the highest of any player in the squad.

He single-handedly helped the club get to the Europa League final, with it unthinkable to imagine where the side would’ve been had he not been as impressive throughout 2024/25.

The 30-year-old and Amad may be about to take a hit, though, despite their impressive numbers under Amorim, subsequently having to drop into deeper roles after the arrival of Matheus Cunha and pending deal for Mbeumo.

Bailey’s latest report claims that the Brentford star would likely play in a number ten role should he complete his deal, alongside Cunha, which would lock those positions out for the current Red Devil stars.

Games played

36

Goals & assists

18

Shots on target per 90

0.7

Progressive carries

2.3

Pass accuracy

76%

% of tackles won

40%

Take-on success

41%

Fouls won

1.1

As a result, Bruno would likely operate in a central midfield position, with Amad having to revert to a wing-back role – undoubtedly restricting the pair as a result, given they aren’t operating in their natural roles.

The additions will certainly bolster Amorim’s side at Old Trafford, but it may have a knock-on effect for the aforementioned talents, subsequently having to change their game to accommodate their arrivals.

Both players certainly still have the talent to thrive out of position, as seen by their respective outputs in the final third, potentially able to star in such positions by aiding the players ahead of them.

However, if the new additions can hit the ground running and point the club in the right direction, the supporters and manager wouldn’t have any complaints, with fresh blood and new ideas needed if the side are to be a force in the Premier League during 2025/26.

Amorim's own Van Persie: Man Utd preparing £60m bid for "phenomenal" CF

Manchester United look set to pursue a move to land one star who could follow in Robin van Persie’s footsteps.

ByEthan Lamb Jul 4, 2025

MatériaMais Notícias

da luck： O confronto entre Grêmio e Botafogo, válido pela nona rodada do Brasileirão, já tem estádio definido. Na manhã desta sexta-feira (7), o governador do Espírito Santo anunciou, por meio do “X”, que a partida acontecerá no dia 16/06, às 18h30, no Estádio Kleber Andrade, em Cariacica.

continua após a publicidade

da bet nacional： ➡️ Tudo sobre o Fogão agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso canal Lance! Botafogo

Anteriormente, a partida iria acontecer no Alfredo Jaconi, em Caxias do Sul, mas já tem mudança confirmada. No segundo turno, o jogo também será em campo neutro, já que as duas equipes fecharam um acordo.

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His skills aren’t in question, but his fitness is, and the mystery spinner must prove he is finally good to go

Deivarayan Muthu24-Jul-2021Varun Chakravarthy – here we go again! After missing out on selection for the T20I leg of the Australia tour and the home series against England because of fitness issues, the mystery spinner is braced for his international debut, one more time. With the T20I series in Sri Lanka being India’s last before the T20 World Cup, this will be Chakravarthy’s first – and probably last – chance to stake a claim for the tournament, to be held in the UAE and Oman from October 17 to November 14.The last time Chakravarthy was in the UAE, he married his variations with control to emerge as the Kolkata Knight Riders’ highest wicket-taker, with 17 strikes in 13 matches at an economy rate of 6.84. The national selectors were so impressed that they immediately rewarded him with a place in the T20I side.Chakravarthy has had a roller-coaster ride since.Related

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He watched his Tamil Nadu mate T Natarajan take his place in the T20I side and make a big splash in Australia. He met his idol, actor Vijay, and got married to his girlfriend Neha during his time away from the game. He then underwent rehab at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru, but wasn’t deemed fit enough for selection for the T20Is against England. It was then time to prove he was no one-season IPL wonder, fronting up to bowl in the powerplay, middle overs, as well as at the death earlier this year – with or without Sunil Narine. IPL 2021 was later postponed after he was among the people to test positive for Covid-19.While Chakravarthy has recovered and continues to upgrade his skills – he is working on adding to his seven variations, according to the Knight Riders’ spin-bowling coach Carl Crowe, who is now with the Manchester Originals for the Hundred – there might still be question marks over his fitness.Reacting to Chakravarthy failing a fitness test ahead of the England T20Is, Virat Kohli had stressed that fitness could not be “compromised” in this Indian set-up. There is a school of thought – that Crowe subscribes to – that players like Chakravarthy, who come from a non-professional background, could be given some leeway.

“If you have a cricketer who comes from a low-base background and when he does not have support for fitness growing up in his formative years, I think you give a little bit of leeway as long as you see the fitness level improve as he goes along”Carl Crowe

“In the modern era of sport, particularly cricket, it is very fitness-driven. You could argue that it’s over the line on fitness and I might be in that camp,” Crowe tells ESPNcricinfo. “Cricket is a skill sport, but fitness is crucial for maximising performance, longevity and resisting injuries and so many reasons. When you have someone with the high skill level that Varun brings – different shades that he has – it’s not made up by extra fitness. If you look at how he’s bowled in the last two IPLs…. I think it was a game in Sharjah where he played the previous IPL on a small ground and flat wicket, he went for 24-25 runs in his four overs. Even this time, he got Virat out very quickly against RCB.”My view is – I’m not in charge of BCCI to tell them to do things at all – if you have a cricketer who comes from a low-base background and when he does not have support for fitness growing up in his formative years, I think you give a little bit of leeway as long as you see the fitness level improve as he goes along.”I don’t think Varun gave much away in the field ever. You don’t want too many fielders in the hot spots who can’t field out there, he wasn’t there; he often fields at 45 to maybe spinners and fine leg to seamers. There was no error that you could put down to fitness. You’re bowling four overs, fielding 16 overs and he can hold a bat down the order, so there’s nothing to me that suggests that he’s probably below the level of acceptability for fitness. At the same time, if the team is trying to drive a culture of fitness, it’s difficult to bring in a player who doesn’t meet the standards. But for me as long as the player works incredibly hard at fitness and keeps improving and has that skill level, I’d like to see a bit more leniency.”Among Chakravarthy’s unique skills is the carrom ball, which he flicks out with his ring finger as opposed to others who bowl the variation with the middle finger. He also has the ability to gather pace off pitches that aren’t as quick, something that puts him in the company of the best T20 spinners, according to Crowe.He has a knack of picking up the big wickets•BCCI”I can’t certainly say what is more difficult to pick than a standard carrom ball delivered from the middle finger, but what, I think, it does do is it makes the batters around the world looking and guessing what’s coming next,” Crowe says. “I think I know he’s working on at least one more delivery. Once the batter gets better at facing the carrom ball from the middle finger, they now have to be prepared and adapt to face the carrom ball off the ring finger. What matters ultimately is the ball spinning to the left, right, or over the top or underspin and there are obviously different degrees of that. How you go about doing that is up to you as an individual.”Gathering pace off the pitch for me is what separates the very best spinners from the rest. There’s less time for [batters] to adapt and then it spins past the bat quicker. It might look nice on TV – that ball breaking off the pitch – but if it doesn’t gather pace, good players will be able to adapt and play with the spin. If you look at the pace that the best T20 spinners bowl at – Rashid [Khan], Narine and like Varun – they are pushing close to 100ks and turning the ball both ways.”Crowe, who has overseen the progress of spinners in various leagues around the world, also believes that the presence of a mystery spinner in a global tournament, like the World Cup, could potentially give India a distinct advantage over the other teams.”In my experience at the IPL, the Indian players – they play mystery spin and any kind of spin the best and the overseas players not quite so much. Some of them like Jos Buttler play them well individually, but not across the board; the overseas players aren’t quite as skilled against mystery spin,” he says. “You think about a World Cup, where non-Indian players play against a mystery spinner… there might be a few sleepless nights for the batters, trying to see which way the ball is spinning . I’m really excited to see him play and it [playing for India] means a lot to him.”I get so many youngsters who contact me via my social media saying: ‘Sir, I want to be given a go or have an opportunity by only playing here’ and I always come back to Varun. I say this is the man you got to follow and dreams can come true. You play gully cricket, do some net bowling somewhere and be seen – it’s a story for all of us to learn and be inspired by.”India’s spin attack is already well-stocked with Yuzvendra Chahal, Rahul Chahar, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar and Krunal Pandya, but they don’t quite have X-factor, which Chakravarthy could bring to the table. If he can pass the test in Sri Lanka, and add another chapter to his fascinating story, who knows what might happen.

“Everyone thinks Sri Lanka has average players and are an average side, so if we lose, that’s no problem for us,” Athapaththu says

Firdose Moonda11-Feb-2023They did not play a match between March 2020 and January 2022. They had only won three of the 13 T20Is they had played against South Africa before Friday. Their World Cup record is poor and the FICA Women’s Employment Report said they had “no professional structures” in place. Despite all of that, Sri Lanka silenced the biggest home crowd South Africa’s women’s team has ever played in front of – 8402 – at Newlands with a stunning, though error-ridden, three-run win.It was the stuff of dreams for Chamari Athapaththu, who has carried the Sri Lankan team almost single-handedly over her 13-year career. She had scored her first T20I fifty against South Africa in 2016, and on the day, she scored another one to give the tournament a rousing start.Two days ahead of the match, she had told ESPNcricinfo that she wanted to hit the longest six of the tournament with a lofted off drive. She couldn’t do that, but struck five crisp cover drives, three powerful pulls, and one slog sweep in an innings she owned, but also one in which she passed a baton.Related

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Vishmi Gunaratne, just 17 years old, took 13 balls to score her first five runs but then lap swept Nonkululeko Mlaba and plundered three fours off Shabnim Ismail in a strong supporting role. In her, Athapaththu saw someone who could take cricket forward in a country without an extensive player pool.”No one expects Sri Lanka will win,” Athapaththu said. “Everyone thinks Sri Lanka has average players and are an average side so if we lose, that’s no problem for us. We don’t have any pressure. I told my players to play fearlessly and trust and back your skill.”Vishmi Gunaratne ‘a young superstar’ – Chamari AthapaththuShe said those words especially to Gunaratne, who Athapaththu described as a “young superstar with a bright future” – not many 17-year-olds take Ismail on and come out on top, after all.”I just told her to focus on the ball and don’t think about who is bowling. She knows Shabnim is the No. 1 bowler so the first boundary she hit, I said, ‘you hit that off the world’s No. 1 bowler and you can hit another boundary in this over’. She hit the second boundary and I said to her, ‘you are really good, better than the No. 1 bowler, so you can hit another boundary’.”She’s really young and she thinks when Shabnim is bowling, she’s No. 1. but I just want to relieve that pressure from her, that’s why I always talked to her.”Athapaththu also admitted she needed to improve on the field, though, in the end, it was Athapaththu, at long-on, who saved what could have been a boundary in the final over when Ismail hit the ball down the ground. Asked about it afterwards, she repeated what she had said a few days before: “I love pressure. We have only a few experienced players so I always try to lead from the front. We didn’t have any pressure in these conditions, especially with South Africa playing in their home conditions.”On the other hand, the expectation on South Africa was enormous. As the hosts that are considered genuine contenders for the semi-finals, they were not supposed to slip up here. Especially not 20 years to the day after West Indies humbled the South African men’s team in the 50-over World Cup at this same venue.Dane van Niekerk – South Africa’s missing link?In their defence, South Africa may have been eclipsed by the emotion of having their regular captain, Dane van Niekerk, who was left out of the squad after failing to meet the two-kilometre time trial requirement of 9:30, at the ground. The last time South Africa played a match at this venue, also against Sri Lanka, it was van Niekerk who took centre stage. She struck an unbeaten 71 off 55 balls to almost single-handedly give South Africa a stunning seven-wicket win. This time, her presence only served to remind them what they were missing, in runs, as a person, and maybe even in passion.Ayabonga Khaka can scarcely believe the result•ICC via Getty ImagesVan Niekerk met her wife, Marizanne Kapp, as the South Africans arrived at the ground and the pair shared a long embrace, which ended with Kapp sobbing. A few minutes later, van Niekerk was pulled away from her new role as a television commentator for “wife duties” to help Kapp mark her run-up at the Kelvin Grove End. Van Niekerk then sang the national anthem from the broadcast box, standing next to Mignon du Preez – who retired late last year and is also in the commentators’ panel – and wiped away tears of her own. When Mlaba finished the innings with a boundary that came too late, she slumped to her haunches and covered her eyes. Sune Luus, the current captain, spoke through puffy eyes and a shaking voice at the post-match presentation and was spared having to address the media afterwards.Instead, that task fell to Sinalo Jafta, who was run-out at a crucial stage in the penultimate over – with 13 runs needed off eight balls – and owned her mistake. “The pressure moment got to me,” she said.And this is not even a knockout game. The tournament has only just begun but South Africa are on the verge of a premature exit. Their next match against New Zealand, which was also going to be decisive in this group because of the presence of near-certain semi-finalists Australia, is a must-win. “We can’t run away from the fact that we are going to be in pressure situations,” Jafta said. “What we are focusing on most is just being present. This time, we were focused more on the outcome.”South Africa also can’t run away from their selection decisions, which has seen them send Lizelle Lee and du Preez into retirement (Lee because she could not meet the weight benchmark and du Preez because there are no T20I-only contracts and she wanted to retire from ODIs) and van Niekerk benched. The trio are among their most successful batters and as opening night concluded with a botched chase, South Africa may be wondering whether they have invented challenges they could have done without.