After a loan spell at fellow Scottish Premiership side St Johnstone, Rangers star Michael O’Halloran has returned to the club and is ready to fight for his first team place.
The attacking midfielder is in Florida with the Rangers squad for their winter training camp and has opened up on his desire to be involved in Graeme Murty’s plans.
As quoted by the official Rangers website, O’Halloran said:
Hopefully this time I can come and work hard and show the manager what I can do and get into the team and play as regularly as I can. For me it’s important that I come and show what I’ve done at St Johnstone and do that for Rangers as well as that’s the club I play for and I’m really glad to be back.
He got a chance to impress in the second half against Brazilian side Atletico Mineiro on Thursday evening, impressing some supporters eager to see his return to the first team.
A repeat of his 5 goals in 16 appearances for Saints this season in the second half of Rangers’ campaign would no doubt go a long way to proving his worth to supporters and it’ll be interesting to see the level of his involvement when the the Light Blues return to competitive action next weekend.
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Fans took to Twitter this week to discuss his return to the club…
The meteoric rise of West Brom and England’s Saido Berahino has provided the media with a considerable number of stories so far this season.
From relative obscurity, the 20-year-old has become one of the Premier League’s most talked about players; so much so that there is already speculation linking him with a move away from the Baggies, with Arsenal and Chelsea both said to be weighing up bids.
Yet a potential transfer is just one of a number of rumoured possibilities for the striker with talk of a place in Roy Hodgson’s World Cup squad also having been mentioned.
It says much for the value of Premier League goals then, to a player who’s only previous experience, prior to this term, came from loan spells at Northampton, Brentford and Peterborough respectively.
Now, having said to have opened talks with his current club over a new deal, it seems there could be some tough decisions on the horizon for the youngster.
Whilst the evolution of current club WBA under boss Steve Clarke has been impressive to say the least, it is evident that they are still some way off being a real force in the top-flight. Without a win in their opening four games, it took a 3-0 demolition of a struggling Sunderland to lift the Hawthorns outfit, a result that was promptly followed by an unexpected 1-1 draw away at Arsenal, in which Berahino bagged an equaliser.
Now lying in tenth, with 14 points from 11 matches, it is difficult to say what course the Baggies season is likely to run, but pragmatism aside, it’s clear that it is unlikely to be as fruitful as those of Berahino’s London based suitors.
Both the Gunners and the Blues are struggling for strikers this season, with Arsenal largely reliant on the in-form Olivier Giroud, whilst Chelsea’s misfiring trio of Torres, Eto’o and Ba have just three Premier League goals between them; a record that makes currently league placing of fourth a fairly remarkable feat.
Thus bids for Berahino could well be immanent, with both sides able to offer him a more lucrative contract than Albion.
Indeed, his current deal has arguably been the source of much of the speculation regarding his future, with reports alleging that his wage is just £850-a-week, making him one of the Premier League’s lowest paid players.
Last week the Daily Mirror reported that the striker had rejected West Brom’s offer of a new £7000-a-week deal and though it is thought that ongoing negotiations appear promising for the Midlands outfit, the lure of European football with a prospective move to the capital might prove difficult to resist.
This all seems a little impulsive though. Berahino has, after all, only scored six goals for his side this season, three of which came in the Capital One Cup win over League Two Side Newport County. And though goals against Arsenal and later Manchester United are impressive, his record hardly yet smacks of a proven goalscorer.
But it seems that the media hype surrounding the player has become something of a whirlwind; admittedly aided the man himself, who’s exploits for the England under-21’s has made for similarly impressive reading in recent weeks.
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Yet these feats alone still don’t really tally with a prospective move to a top club, at least not yet anyway.
A name that springs to mind in connection to this case, is that of Federico Macheda, who’s debut goal for Manchester United saw him heralded as some sort of footballing prodigy, an outcome that never really came to pass.
And so, as the speculation and lofty rumours build regarding the future of the young Berahino, albeit potentially justified, could there be something to be said for letting him mature at his own pace, without constant pressure from the press and expectations of a title-challenging club. West Brom, and indeed England, could well be on to a good thing here, so can we nurture it and avoid the pitfalls many young players have fallen victim to in the past?
Inverted wingers, false 9s and now trequartistas are dominating the modern make up of the game. The rotation of central players has become king to success, with few operating on the flanks as traditional wide attackers. It’s a pass and move game, with quick five yard passes and one or two touches. The creativity in a team can be stretched across a number of positions in the starting XI, but central players are the likely suitors to the role of puppet masters.
The trequartista operates in the advanced role up the pitch, ruling out players like Xavi and Xabi Alonso. Cesc Fabregas is an interesting one: does he fall into a deep-lying category like his earlier days at Arsenal, or is he now an established advanced player? If it’s the latter, then surely he takes up a role as a false 9, thus ruling him out of this list as well. Although, with Fabregas it’s definitely one for debate.
But importantly, the real emergence of these roles in a team has forced the need for a 4-2-3-1 system. Barcelona and Spain do not necessarily play strictly to that formation, but then Barcelona do not strictly adhere to any formation or tactics for a great length in any game. Alexis Sanchez may be found as the most advanced and central player on the pitch, while Lionel Messi is just as likely to take up that position in the next phase of play.
But it’s a formation and a desire to play in this manner that has been adopted by many across Europe and has played a part in the capturing of league titles for a few others. England, Spain, Germany and France all crowned champions who play with the trequartista behind the lone striker, and it’s a formation that looks to be a mainstay in the game.
It encourages a passing game in the centre of the pitch, while those who opt for a more traditional 4-4-2 are seen as living in an age that has no relevance to modern football.
Click on David Silva to unveil the 10
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Both teams have exciting cricketers, their head-to-head record is almost dead even, and with higher-ranked teams in their group, this is a game they can’t lose
Karthik Krishnaswamy03-Jun-2024
Match details
Netherlands vs Nepal
Dallas, 10.30am local
Big picture – Netherlands favourites, but only just
There are two obvious groups of death in this T20 World Cup, and Group D is one of them. Netherlands and Nepal are the two lowest-ranked sides in the group, but one of them comes into the tournament with serious pedigree in punching well above their weight at World Cups.Remember this? And this? And this? And more recently, over the last two years, this, and this?Before they can try and pull off results of that nature against South Africa, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, however, Netherlands will have to get past the one team they are favourites against. And it won’t be easy.Related
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Netherlands have a 6-5 T20I record against Nepal overall, and their six meetings in the pandemic and post-pandemic eras have been dead even. They met three times earlier this year, in a triangular tournament in Kirtipur, and won once apiece in the league stage before Netherlands won a closely fought final.Netherlands may have been here and done it before, while Nepal have only featured in one previous T20 World Cup, but the results they achieved in that tournament – in 2014, when they beat Afghanistan and fell short of a Super 10s spot only by virtue of net run-rate – should tell you that this could be a seriously tight contest.
Form guide
Netherlands LLLWW Nepal LLWWWDipendra Singh Airee, the man who can change – and finish off – a T20 game singlehandedly•Surjeet Yadav/Getty Images
In the spotlight – Michael Levitt and Dipendra Airee
Michael Levitt earned his first Netherlands call-up last year, at 19, and has gone on to become a key player at the top of the order since his debut this February. The South Africa-born Levitt has scored 349 runs in eight T20I innings so far, at an average of 43.62 and a strike rate of 156.50. He made Netherlands’ highest T20I score in only his second T20I, smashing 135 off just 62 balls against Namibia, and he comes into this tournament with form behind him too, scoring a 28-ball 55 in the warm-up victory over Sri Lanka.You probably remember him for scoring the fastest T20I fifty, off just nine balls, against Mongolia during last year’s Asian Games, but Dipendra Singh Airee, Nepal’s highest run-getter in T20Is, has shown his quality against higher-ranked teams too. Netherlands know what he’s capable of; earlier this year, Nepal were six down against them in Kirtipur, needing 57 off 24 balls, when Airee went ballistic. His 34-ball 63 took Nepal to the doorstep of victory, before Roelof van der Merwe bowled him with four runs needed off three balls and Netherlands sealed a two-run win.
Team news
Since Levitt’s emergence, Vikramjit Singh has dropped out of Netherlands’ first-choice opening combination. He may bat at No. 3 or 4 if he finds a place in their XI on Tuesday.Netherlands (probable): 1 Max O’Dowd, 2 Michael Levitt, 3 Vikramjit Singh, 4 Scott Edwards (capt & wk), 5 Teja Nidamanuru, 6 Bas de Leede, 7 Sybrand Engelbrecht, 8 Logan van Beek, 9 Aryan Dutt, 10 Paul van Meekeren, 11 Vivian KingmaWith a visa refusal ending Sandeep Lamichhane’s potential participation in the World Cup, the question of Lalit Rajbanshi’s spin partner becomes highly pertinent. Sagar Dhakal was one of only two Nepal bowlers to complete their four-over quota in their warm-up game against Canada. It suggests that Nepal may be mulling starting the 22-year-old against Netherlands, if they decide to go with two left-arm spinners.Nepal (probable): 1 Kushal Bhurtel, 2 Aasif Sheikh (wk), 3 Anil Sah, 4 Kushal Malla, 5 Rohit Paudel (capt), 6 Dipendra Singh Airee, 7 Gulsan Jha, 8 Sompal Kami, 9 Karan KC, 10 Lalit Rajbanshi, 11 Abinash Bohara/Sagar Dhakal0:50
Which team is the likeliest to be upset?
Pitch and conditions
Dallas was where this World Cup got underway, and it got underway with a bang, as USA chased down 195 with 14 balls remaining. Twenty-one sixes were hit in that game, ten coming off the blade of Aaron Jones, who smashed an unbeaten, match-winning 94 off 40 balls. Prepare for more big hitting if the conditions remain similar.The threat of rain hangs over the match, though, with Dallas experiencing stormy weather in the lead-up, and there’s a 20% chance of precipitation forecast for Tuesday.
Stats and trivia
Sompal Kami is the only survivor from Nepal’s last appearance at the T20 World Cup in 2014. The seam-bowling allrounder, who was 18 at the time, made his T20I debut in that tournament, picking up 2 for 13 in an 80-run win over Hong Kong
In the same match where Airee broke the record for fastest T20I fifty, Kushal Malla scored a 34-ball century, which at that time was a T20I record too. That record has since been broken, with Nepal at the receiving end as Namibia’s Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton tonked a 34-ball ton against them in February
Malla (167.24) has the fourth-highest T20I strike rate among all batters with at least 500 runs in the format. Of batters from teams featuring in this tournament, only Suryakumar Yadav (171.55) is ahead of him
Logan van Beek is playing his fifth T20 World Cup, having previously featured in 2014, 2016, 2021 and 2022.
Quotes
“We know the Nepal team quite well because we’ve played against them recently. But we’ve also played against South Africa, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka very recently as well … in the 50-over World Cup and in the qualifiers. So really looking forward to our group and I’m sure there’ll be a lot of jostling within the group.”
Both Rizwan and Afridi also praise Zaman Khan who defended 12 in the final over to give Qalandars’ their second successive PSL title
Umar Farooq19-Mar-2023After his side lost the 2023 PSL final to Lahore Qalandars by one run, Multan Sultans captain Mohammad Rizwan has tagged Shaheen Shah Afridi’s unbeaten 15-ball 44 the “turning point” of the match. Rizwan also gave credit to Zaman Khan who defended 12 in the final over to give Qalandars their second successive title.In a game where the momentum swung from one side to the other more than once, Rizwan’s dismissal too played a big part in the result. Chasing 201, Sultans were 122 for 2, in the 13th over, when an excellent catch by David Weise at the long-on boundary sent him back.”Turning point was Shaheen’s innings that took away the momentum,” Rizwan said in the post-match press conference. “We did manage to make things easy for us at one stage. Unfortunately, my bat turned in my hand and I couldn’t get enough power behind the shot. But he [Wiese] took a brilliant catch and that’s why the game was with them.Related
Shaheen and Zaman the heroes as Qalandars defend PSL title
“You should give credit to Zaman Khan for the way he bowled that over. I have seen very few bowlers who have saved 13 runs from six balls, but he has been doing this a lot since the last two seasons, 11 from six balls, 15 from six, 13 from six.”In the end, you can’t blame anyone or nitpick the mistakes when it went so close. The difference of one run is maybe because they have slightly more passion than our team, a bit more effort. There was obviously something different that the result went their way. When you lose or win by one run, you can’t complain because it means both sides played good cricket, so sometimes we can safely put that on fate.”This season, Afridi surprised everyone with his batting. He spent a lot of time in the nets working on his big-hitting. In the league stage, he promoted himself up the order on a few occasions and did the same in the final as well.Afridi wasn’t even padded up when Sikandar Raza got out in the 15th over, leaving the side at 112 for 5. Weise was about to walk in next when Afridi emerged from behind and stopped him. The move paid off as Afridi’s knock helped Qalandars post 200.”Obviously we know Weise and Rashid [Khan] are someone who can score quickly even when there are only a few balls left. But in some games, I felt if I go in before them, it would be better for the team,” Afridi said. “And whenever I try something, I have the complete backing of [head caoch] Aaqib [Javed] and [COO] Sameen [Rana] .”In fact, I had only one pad on. But I stopped him [Weise] because since Khushdil [Shah] was bowling, I didn’t want to give away an extra wicket. I thought if I could connect a couple, we could put them under pressure. And that’s exactly what happened.”In the last two overs of the match, Sultans needed 35 runs. Haris Rauf went for 22 in the 19th but Zaman kept his nerve.”Haris is not just Pakistan’s best bowler, he is the world’s best bowler,” Afridi said. “He has always won the games for his team, be it for Pakistan, Lahore Qalandars, or in any other league or even county cricket. I have always had blind trust in him, he always does well in such situations. Going for 22 in one over doesn’t change that.”We were also lagging behind the over rate. But the way Zaman has improved, and the way he delivered in that last over, full credit goes to him because we only had four fielders outside the circle.”All that meant, Afridi became the first captain to win back-to-back PSL titles. For his growth as captain, he thanked Aaqib and Rana.”Aaqib and Sameen have played a big role,” Afridi said. “They guided me as a player, groomed me as vice-captain for two years, and then handed me the captaincy. At times, there were bigger names in the team, like [Mohammad] Hafeez , and I shouldn’t have been leading the side. So when you get it, you should grab it, and if the team has trust in you, then you should lead them to the best [of your abilities].”
Uncapped opener Kaitano and wicketkeeper Madande are part of the 15-man squad
ESPNcricinfo staff07-Jan-2022Craig Ervine will captain Zimbabwe for their three-match ODI series in Sri Lanka. The series is part of the World Cup Super League, with these three ODIs Zimbabwe’s first 50-over matches since a three-match series against Ireland in September.Ervine has been entrusted with the responsibility to lead Zimbabwe once again after he captained the team for the limited-overs tour to Ireland and Scotland in August-September last year.The squad sees opening batter Takudzwanashe Kaitano and wicketkeeper Clive Madande included for the first time, while allrounder Tino Mutombodzi has returned to the national side. Experienced middle-order batters Sikandar Raza and Sean Williams are also part of the side, while Zimbabwe resume life without Brendan Taylor, who retired from international cricket in August.The three games will take place on January 16, 18 and 21. The last time the two sides played an ODI series, Zimbabwe stunned the hosts, famously winning the five-match series 3-2. It remains the only multi-game ODI series Zimbabwe have won in Sri Lanka.Sri Lanka’s last ODI series came against South Africa at home, with the hosts winning 2-1.According to Zimbabwe Cricket, the side will leave for Sri Lanka on Saturday.Squad: Craig Ervine (capt), Ryan Burl, Regis Chakabva, Tendai Chatara, Luke Jongwe, Takudzwanashe Kaitano, Clive Madande, Wesly Madhevere, Wellington Masakadza, Tinotenda Mutombodzi, Blessing Muzarabani, Richard Ngarava, Sikandar Raza, Milton Shumba, Sean Williams
Kings XI’s twin legspinners Ravi Bishnoi and M Ashwin exploited a right-hander heavy Royal Challengers line-up to take three wickets apiece
Deivarayan Muthu24-Sep-20201:49
Gambhir: Rahul can be groomed to be the next India captain
An expertly paced 132 not out of 69 balls from KL Rahul – the highest score by an Indian in the IPL and fourth highest overall – formed the centerpiece of the Kings XI Punjab’s 206 for 3, as they flattened the Royal Challengers Bangalore in Dubai.After raising his first fifty off 36 balls, Rahul zipped away to his second off a mere 26 balls. Along the way, he was reprieved twice in the outfield by Virat Kohli in the 17th and 18th overs. After that second drop, Rahul tore into Dale Steyn and Shivam Dube at the death, cracking 42 off nine balls.
Kohli fined INR 12 lakh for slow over-rate
Virat Kohli became the first captain in IPL 2020 to be fined for slow over-rate. He was fined INR 12 lakh as it was his team’s first offence of the season under the IPL’s code of conduct relating to minimum over-rate offences.
Facing a steep target, the Royal Challengers rejigged their batting line-up by bumping rookie Josh Phillipe to No. 3, but they crashed to 4 for 3 and then 57 for 5. After left-arm seamer Sheldon Cottrell bounced out Devdutt Padikkal and Kohli for 1 each, Kings XI’s twin legspinners Ravi Bishnoi and M Ashwin exploited a right-hander heavy Royal Challengers line-up to skittle them for 109 in 17 overs.Profligate RCB, prolific Kings XI On a fresh, true pitch, Umesh Yadav allowed Rahul and Mayank Agarwal to ease themselves in by bowling looseners down the leg side. At the other end, Steyn pushed the ball wide of off and gave up back-to-back to fours to Rahul in the second over of the match. Then, when first-change Navdeep Saini offered a wide full-toss, Agarwal creamed it through extra-cover as the Kings XI surged to 50 for 0 in six overs.Enter Yuzvendra Chahal. Exit Agarwal. The spinner unleashed a quicker wrong ‘un and stormed through the defences of Agarwal to trigger a brief slowdown along with offspinner Washington Sundar. After managing just 11 off 13 balls against the spinners, Nicholas Pooran attempted to line up seam-bowling allrounder Dube, but instead he holed out for 17 off 18 balls.The return of Yadav and Saini, however, loosened the spinners’ grip. Another freebie on the pads, another overpitched delivery outside off meant Rahul could pick up the pace.Rahul hits top gear After a productive powerplay, ESPNcricinfo’s forecaster reckoned that the Kings XI would finish with 180. Such a tall total seemed unlikely when Dube also tricked Glenn Maxwell with an offcutter, but Rahul, aided by the two drops, ensured his side breached 200.ALSO SEE: Kings XI Punjab vs Royal Challengers Bangalore live score 24th September 2020 He went 6,4,6,6,4 against Steyn and 4,6,6 against Dube to cap the innings for Kings XI and snatch the orange cap – reserved for the tournament’s leading run-scorer – for himself. All up, Kings XI pillaged 74 off their last four overs. Dube had plucked out an injured Mitchell Marsh at the death in the Royal Challengers’ opening win, but, perhaps, it wasn’t a wise option to use him again during this phase, especially against a rampaging Rahul. Saini, who can bowl yorkers at speeds upwards of 140kph and also cut his pace down, ultimately bowled just one over at the death while Sundar sent down only two overs overall for 13 runs.(Leg)spin to win If the Royal Challengers were to have a proper crack at 207, they needed a strong start from their top order. However, it was not to be, with Cottrell striking twice in his first two overs. The promoted Phillipe shuffled across and missed a straight one from Mohammed Shami before Aaron Finch and AB de Villiers threatened a comeback. Finch kept jumping outside leg to throw Bishnoi off his lines and lengths, but the 20-year-old held his own and knocked him over with a slider. Rahul then matched up Ashwin with de Villiers and had him carving a catch to sweeper cover for 28 off 18 balls. Finch and de Villiers aside, Sundar (30) was the only other Royal Challengers batsman to pass 15 as their middle and lower order came into sharp focus once again. Ashwin and Bishnoi came away with three wickets each, applying the finishing touches.
The dreaded World Cup knockouts have come early for injury-hit South Africa who might need to win their remaining six matches to keep their semi-final hopes alive
The Preview by Liam Brickhill09-Jun-2019
Big Picture
What else could possibly go wrong for South Africa? A month ago, they were hiking up Table Mountain together as part of their pre-tournament team building, the sun on their backs in one of the most beautiful corners of the world, the World Cup a glittering dream ahead of them. Full of excitement and potential.The reality has been somewhat more harsh and the pointy end of the tournament has come right at the beginning for them. Losing three matches in a row is bad enough, but they’ve also said a tearful goodbye to Dale Steyn, and seen Lungi Ngidi sidelined by injury. They are dealing with the disruptive complexities of AB de Villiers’ 11th hour comeback attempt, in the full glare of the public, in the middle of a World Cup. And now a team that hates must-win knockout games has, essentially, six of them in a row. It’s a perfect storm.West Indies, meanwhile, are not fussed. You might even say they were a little too blasé in their efforts after they let Australia off the hook at Trent Bridge. But they at least have points on the board, and a healthy dollop of confidence, after the demolition of Pakistan that kick-started their campaign. The biggest story out of their camp in the last week – apart from the absorbing theatre of Chris Gayle’s battle against Starc, Gaffaney and the DRS – has been their opening bowler’s salute celebration going viral IRL. What fun! The most chilled-out team at this tournament is about to meet a side that would be forgiven for freaking out right about now, and whatever the result, this contest is likely to make for compelling viewing.”Score more runs,” was the succinctly obvious remedy offered by Chris Morris after the defeat to India on Wednesday, and South Africa have indeed been let down by their batting in all three games so far. That much is suggested by the fact that Kagiso Rabada currently tops their tournament batting averages, and it’s in the middle order that de Villiers was attempting to waltz back into that South Africa have the most room for improvement.MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma appeal for an LBW dismissal against JP Duminy•IDI via Getty Images
JP Duminy has failed two times out of three, while David Miller keeps getting himself in and then immediately getting out. A turnaround for Duminy would be particularly timeous as he is in the last stretch as an ODI cricketer and will retire from the format after this tournament.West Indies have a few vulnerabilities of their own. They have been two down inside the Powerplay in both their innings so far, and against Australia their early blitz with the ball was let down by missed chances in the field and, later on, soft dismissals with the bat.The situation for South Africa is precarious. Victory against one of cricket’s most slippery teams is an absolute necessity if their campaign is not to go up in flames. West Indies’ biggest challenge could be to overcome their own inconsistencies.
Form guide
South Africa: LLLWW (Last five completed matches, most recent first) West Indies: LWLLW
In the spotlight
Imran Tahir is South Africa’s second-highest wicket-taker in World Cups, but after striking dramatically with the second ball of the tournament, his trip to England hasn’t been particularly successful. He has only taken three more wickets across three innings subsequently, and his average (44) and economy rate (5.86) are comfortably his worst at any World Cup. South Africa desperately need a turnaround, and it could start with Tahir, who has enjoyed himself against West Indies in the past. He made his ODI debut against them at the Feroz Shah Kotla at the 2011 World Cup, claiming 4 for 41 in that game, and has continued in much the same vein in subsequent battles. He has now taken 26 wickets against West Indies in eight matches, while his average of 12.69 against them is his best against a top 10 ranked team in ODIs.Chris Gayle hits a pull shot•Getty Images
The loss of early wickets hasn’t hurt West Indies irreparably just yet, but being one or two down early could send their campaign skittering off the rails later on down the line. They’ve tried two different opening pairings in two games, thanks to Evin Lewis’ hand injury, but does it really matter who is at the other end when Chris Gayle is batting? There will be no Steyn to trouble him with the new ball, and if Gayle can survive Kagiso Rabada’s early onslaught he could be very hard to rein in. “Chris is Chris, he will know what he needs to do,” said assistant coach Roddy Estwick on the eve of the match. If he does what he needs to, all else will follow much more easily for West Indies.
Team news
There are a few different ways South Africa might look to re-shuffle their playing XI, and they will have to decide whether to play an extra batsman, an allrounder, a fresh seamer, or a second spinner. Tabraiz Shamsi went wicketless against India, while Dwaine Pretorius might find it hard to get into the side ahead of either Andile Phehlukwayo or Morris. Aiden Markram, who also offers a little with the ball, could slot back into the top three, and the decision could come down to whether South Africa believe Markram will score more runs than a specialist bowler – Beuran Hendricks – would save with the ball.South Africa (probable): 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 Hashim Amla, 3 Faf du Plessis (capt), 4 Rassie van der Dussen, 5 David Miller, 6 JP Duminy, 7 Andile Phehlukwayo, 8 Chris Morris, 9 Kagiso Rabada, 10 Beuran Hendricks, 11 Imran TahirAndre Russell didn’t train the day before the match, but the team management insisted he was fit and would be available to play against South Africa. If Russell is fit, there seems little reason for West Indies to tinker too much.West Indies (probable): 1 Chris Gayle, 2 Evin Lewis, 3 Shai Hope (wk), 4 Nicholas Pooran, 5 Shimron Hetmyer, 6 Jason Holder (capt), 7 Andre Russell, 8 Carlos Brathwaite, 9 Ashley Nurse, 10 Sheldon Cottrell, 11 Oshane Thomas
Pitch and conditions
The pitch is expected to be a belter – something more akin to the track upon which England and Pakistan scored 734 runs a month ago , rather than the one South Africa and India scrapped 457 runs on last Wednesday. There are, however, showers anticipated, so it could be an on-off sort of day in Southampton.
Strategy punts
Legspin is West Indies’ kryptonite. Five of the West Indies top eight average under 25 against legspin and Tahir might be most effectively deployed as a counter-measure to the big hitters in their lower middle order. Andre Russell has been dismissed twice in the 11 balls he has faced from Tahir in ODIs, while Carlos Brathwaite has also been out twice in the space of 17 deliveries he’s faced from him. Neither has managed a boundary off Tahir in this format.
Perhaps an unhappy South African top order needs a reshuffle? An underperforming JP Duminy could move up to No. 4, the position at which he has scored two of his four hundreds and averages 46.7 across 33 innings. This would mean Miller slipping down to No. 6 – a position where he has much better numbers than Duminy, generally scoring much more quickly, especially at the start of his innings. Another option might be to shunt Markram up to open the innings, a position in which he averages 40.8, with Amla coming in at No. 3. That would also allow Amla to escape the ravages of the new ball, against which he has struggled in 2019.
Stats and trivia
No West the Indies batsman has made an ODI hundred at this ground, but Gayle came mighty close, scoring 99 against Bangladesh during the Champions Trophy almost 15 years ago.
Not since 2003 have West Indies beaten South Africa in a World Cup match.
Chris Gayle needs 15 runs to reach 1,000 against South Africa in ODIs
South Africa and West Indies have played only three ODIs against each other since the last World Cup.
Quotes
“Andre will be fine… he is a warrior, he is a soldier, he is a strong man mentally and he has been for us – we didn’t expect him to bowl as much as he is doing.” “Unfortunately we’ve had quite a few problems in this tournament regarding injury. We have to deal with what we have. There’s no point in complaining about it.”
The Tasmania fast bowler took a career-best haul of 6 for 67 to give his side a comfortable first-innings lead against Victoria
Alex Malcolm15-Mar-2018Getty Images and Cricket Australia
A career-best haul from Tasmania fast bowler Andrew Fekete has put the Tigers on track for their first Sheffield Shield final in five years.Victoria, bidding to reach its fourth Sheffield Shield final in a row, were dismantled by Fekete who took 6 for 67 to hand the Tigers a 162-run first-innings lead. Dan Christian was the only shining light with the bat, making 69.The Bushrangers made inroads in the second innings, reducing the Tigers 4 for 73 at stumps on day two to keep themselves in the game. Still, with the lead at 235 and six wickets in hand, it’s Tasmania who is calling the shots.Earlier in the day Chris Tremain picked up two of the Tigers last three first-innings wickets to finish with 6 for 81. It was his second six-plus wicket haul in three matches, after taking 7 for 82 against Western Australia at the WACA.
Najam Sethi, the PSL chairman, has spoken to the overseas players taking part in the tournament about the security measures in place for the final to take place in Lahore
Umar Farooq07-Feb-2017The PSL chairman Najam Sethi met all the overseas players in the Pakistan Super League in Dubai on Tuesday to brief them about the exhaustive security arrangements put in place to host the final of the tournament in Lahore. The PCB has also drawn contingency plans in case some of the participants do not want to make the trip. In the last week of February, a player draft will be held so that the five franchises can top up their rosters, albeit with local talent.At the launch of the second season of the tournament in Dubai on Monday, Sethi confirmed the final will be at the Gaddafi stadium. The PCB has received assurances from the Punjab government and other security agencies and is confident they can conduct the match without trouble.The PCB has been trying to persuade foreign players to travel to Pakistan for a while now, having invested in four bulletproof buses, and have also been mulling the idea of flying the players in for the PSL final on March 5, the day of the match, and flying them out immediately the end of it. The teams going through to the final are expected to stay at the National Cricket Academy.Sethi was confident the security arrangements for the PSL final will be “endorsed” by the ICC and player associations even though the Federation of International Cricketers’ Association, in January, reported that “an accepted level of participant safety cannot be expected or guaranteed”.As opposed to last year, when all the franchise captains were Pakistani, three of the five – Kumar Sangakarra (Karachi Kings), Darren Sammy (Peshawar Zalmi) and Brendon McCullum (Lahore Qalandars) – are foreign players.PSL ambassadors Ramiz Raja and Wasim Akram – who was born in Lahore – implored the overseas contingent to stay on and play the final.”Lahore is a beautiful city, the perceptions about the place might be muddled, but I can assure you that the players who will travel will be making a priceless contribution to Pakistan cricket,” Raja said. “Once you taste the flavour of cricket in the country you will come to realise how welcoming the crowds are. I am hoping that cricket can be brought back to Pakistan, it will be a huge contribution to the emotions of the cricket fans in the country.”Akram said: “Growing up I saw legends like Michael Holding and Sunil Gavaskar play in the stadiums, which was hugely inspiring. It is imperative that cricket returns to the country, Pakistanis are passionate about the game, my wife who is an Australian is staying in Karachi for the last four years and she is having a great time. Let me also remind you all that the government will do everything possible to ensure the safety of the players.”Akram explained the importance of bringing cricket back to Pakistan by recalling an incident from the 1996 World Cup, when the security situation in Sri Lanka was dire enough that Australia and West Indies did not travel to Colombo and forfeited their matches instead.”A team comprising of six star players each from Pakistan and India travelled to the country to play a solidarity match and change perceptions,” he said. “We played a positive role in 1996 that was warmly welcomed in Sri Lanka. Trust me, the foreigners who travel to Lahore for the final will be given heroic status in the country and their contribution will be remembered by Pakistanis for a long time, the passionate followers of the game will be hugely welcoming and thankful.”Another thing that may reduce the players’ perception of risk could be Giles Clarke’s comments about the situation in Lahore. He had visited the city in January as head of a Task Force to see if international cricket can be brought back to the country. Clarke is understood to have shared details of his trips to the member boards at the ICC meetings in Dubai over the weekend.