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Forcing heart and nerve and sinew, Alastair Cook showed a precious ability to fight even when hope was fading, providing an example of the character and courage required in his team

George Dobell at the WACA14-Dec-20130:00

Michael Carberry defends Kevin Pietersen

England may well relinquish the Ashes in the next couple of days but they will, metaphorically at least, have to be prised from Alastair Cook’s grasp.He failed in the end, but Cook produced a gallant performance on the second day in Perth. His struggle was obvious: like a runner with a limp or a boat with a leak, he was never secure and often painfully uncomfortable. He was battling not just the heat – at one stage a spectator fried an egg on the top of an advertising hoarding – but a disciplined bowling attack and, most of all, his own technique.Like most batsmen, when Cook is in form, the runs flow and batting appears a simple business. But here, unsure where his off stump was and struggling with his balance, it felt as if each run had to be carved out of granite.Yet, through grim determination and a surfeit of obduracy, he recorded his highest Test score since May and his highest score in eight successive Ashes Tests. When he couldn’t run he walked; when he couldn’t walk he crawled. It was an innings as low in style and as high in substance as Cook has played for some time.Those watching the highlights – and from a batting perspective there really weren’t many – may see only a somewhat loose cut to end his innings. Cook will spend much of the night – perhaps much of the next few weeks and months – regretting the thick, top edge that ended his resistance. It wasn’t beautiful and it was the second time this series he has fallen in such fashion.But what the highlights will not convey is the struggle that led up to the false stroke. They will not convey the three-and-a-half hours of fight that preceded it, the wonderfully consistent bowling that induced the false shot, the burden of a situation in which Cook knew that his team were desperately in need of a performance to sustain any hope in this series and that, sans Jonathan Trott, they are horribly overly reliant upon a few senior players for their scores. Somehow, over recent weeks, England seem to have gained the tail of a Diplodocus.Carberry sympathetic to Pietersen

Michael Carberry defended Kevin Pietersen and praised the patience of the Australian bowlers after England were forced to work hard for their runs on the second day in Perth.
Pietersen was caught at mid-on attempting a pull stroke to leave England struggling to reach parity with Australia in their first innings on a wicket that is expected to deteriorate later in the match.
But while the stroke may have looked an unnecessary risk in the circumstances, Carberry was sympathetic to Pietersen’s intentions.
“We’re out there to score runs and Kevin is a positive player,” Carberry said. “That’s what has made him successful over a long career. He does things that not many of us can and it’s a shot many of us have seen him play time and again and hit the ball out of the ground.
“It’s disappointing for him and us but we want people to play how they play naturally and I wouldn’t want Kevin to leave that shot in the locker.
“Ideally we would have liked to lose fewer wickets. But Australia bowled very well and were very patient. That’s what pressure does. They shut down the scoring at times and we know that, when that happens, wickets are likely to follow.
“It was a good scrap and we’re still in the hunt.”

There will be those who suggest that Ashes defeat should spell the end of Cook’s time as captain. Those, presumably, who have forgotten Cook’s achievement in reintegrating Kevin Pietersen into his side and leading them to success in India little more than a year ago. Those who when pressed can’t think of a better option as captain.But you might equally argue that Cook proved his worth as a leader in this innings. That he forced heart and nerve and sinew to serve long after they had gone. That he showed a precious ability to fight even when hope was fading. That, with men wilting around him and worn out tools, he provided an example of the character and courage required in his team. Anyone can lead a winning side. It takes courage to lead a struggling one.Whether Cook has the same durability as captain as he does as a batsman remains to be seen. But here, despite being beaten more often than a punch bag in a boxer’s gym, he survived through a mixture of grit and that phlegmatic attitude that enables him to shrug off setbacks that would make others lose their composure. It was not, perhaps, quite as dramatic as Brian Close taking blow after blow from the West Indies fast bowlers on his body, but there was an inherent bravery on display in the face of an unequal battle, nevertheless.It has been stated before that there is something of the cockroach in Cook’s batting and the suspicion remains that, the morning after a nuclear holocaust, Cook would be there, quietly marking his guard and waiting for the bowler, as the first survivors peeked around their curtains.Alastair Cook showed admirable heart and desire, battling his current deficiencies•Getty ImagesCertainly he shrugged off several near-misses here. He was drawn into a push outside off stump before he had scored – a result of his current insecurity around off stump – he was dropped on 3 – a desperately tough chance, but the result of playing across his front pad having fallen to the off side – and was later lured into an attempted hook off Mitchell Johnson that he was lucky to miss.It is sometimes overlooked, but Cook is often the man who provides the foundations upon which others build more eye-catching innings of their own. So it was Cook who was at the other end when Pietersen played that remarkable innings in Mumbai, Cook who laid the platform ahead of Pietersen’s remarkable innings in Colombo and Cook who contributed the century in Ahmedabad that showed his team how to prosper in such conditions. While he is at the crease England always have hope.But once he departed, England’s resistance creaked. Pietersen soon followed, having played with uncharacteristic restraint, taking 15 balls to get off the mark – a record for Pietersen in Tests – and 44 balls to hit his first boundary. Again, the shot that brought his departure will not flatter him taken out of context, but Pietersen showed no lack of fight or application. Like his long-serving colleagues – the likes of Trott, Cook, Graeme Swann and James Anderson – Pietersen looks jaded and weary.But the effort and passion shouldn’t be questioned when a lack of fight from England has been most galling at times this series. On this occasion, they fought and came second. There’s no disgrace in that.

Australia’s inconsistency in the CB series and their listlessness in the second final cannot be put down solely to Ponting’s absence. But, as Mickey Arthur, says it is difficult to replicate Ponting’s intensity

Daniel Brettig07-Mar-2012Dare it be said that 17 days after the national selectors deemed it the right time for Ricky Ponting to move on the Australian one-day team is missing him? Perhaps not his batting, which had offered nothing in his final five innings, but certainly his dressing-room influence, energy, drive and focus.While Michael Clarke and Shane Watson seek to establish their leadership axis on the eve of the West Indies tour, the team around them has looked listless in the field since the 30th over of the first CB series final, in Brisbane. Clarke’s face has looked sterner in the past 48 hours than at almost any stage of his captaincy so far, and Watson’s anger when a concerted caught-behind appeal was refused in Adelaide on Tuesday night was obvious to all. This team must now work out who will lift them out of their fast-onset slumber.”I said when I took over the captaincy there were going to be some challenges and this is probably one of them,” Clarke said after the first final. “We’re playing against a very good team full of confidence, and we have to play our best cricket and turn things around very quickly to win the third final. But it is 1-1 in this finals series, so I don’t think we’re doing that badly, that’s for sure. I’m confident the boys will get out there in a couple of days and play our best cricket.”Both Clarke and Watson have their own problems to confront. Clarke is now sidelined by a serious hamstring strain, and will be out of action for about a month. In a trice the team has lost its best batsman and most capable leader. Watson must assume the mantle in Clarke’s absence, as he fights to re-establish himself after a three-month injury layoff. While his bowling has been sound since his return, Watson is battling for timing and rhythm with the bat.Under them is a team that is confronting its first significant flat spot for some time. With the exceptions of stormy Test matches in Cape Town and Hobart, the team led by Clarke has been operating on a steady upward curve for almost 12 months. Limited-overs series wins in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and South Africa, coupled with steadily improving Test results, have demonstrated plenty of discipline, focus and the desire to improve. Ponting was a part of all those squads.In his absence this series, Australia have performed passably, have alternated wins with losses, and have now struck a particularly poor phase in the field. Bowlers are struggling to maintain their line and length, fielders are proving sloppy, and even Clarke’s usually sharp judgement has been questionable at times – note his angry slap of the turf after positioning only one slip for James Pattinson’s outswing in the second final.”We’re giving away too much width more than anything else,” Clarke said of his bowlers. “We’re getting a little bit of swing but we’re giving good players width, and you can’t afford to do that on good batting pitches like that [Adelaide]. We’ve got to be more disciplined with our areas, I said that the other night [in the first final] and unfortunately once again we didn’t execute anywhere near as well as we would have liked. But it’s all facets contributing to the loss: our fielding was sloppy and we were probably 40 runs short of the total we wanted on that pitch, with fairly small square boundaries.”Australia’s coach Mickey Arthur is in no doubt that Ponting has left a significant gap in the team. Ponting’s relentless pursuit of fitness, success and consistency often left him as the last man on the field at training, long after younger and fresher legs had been exhausted. Arthur said Michael and David Hussey had filled some of the breach, while David Warner also acted as a source of energy, and runs.”We’ve certainly asked for other guys to take on that mantle and the guys have tried to step up,” Arthur said. “But you don’t replace that intent, that ability to execute his [Ponting’s] all-round [game], that aura that Ricky had in the dressing room, you never replace that easily. But it is a team in change now and the other guys need to step up to the plate.”I’ve certainly seen Michael Hussey stand up a little bit, David Hussey has stood up a little bit, and we’re hoping Davey Warner stands up as well, and certainly with his form he’s taken that mantle on properly.”The difficulties faced by the Australian team towards the end of a long and demanding summer – it is set to continue in the West Indies – go beyond the decision to jettison Ponting. But it is significant that the downturn has accompanied his absence. Watson, Clarke and the selectors are now aware of precisely how much was lost with Ponting’s removal. It will be a major step for the team if they can conjure the right result without him in the third final.Edited by Dustin Silgardo

A rapidly maturing Pandey plus a relaxed Dravid equals a near-perfect chase

Sriram Veera at the Wanderers23-May-2009In the end discipline prevailed over flair. The only really tense spell in the chase came when Muttiah Muralitharan operated. On either side of his spell there was such calm, composure and skill from Royal Challengers Bangalore, led by Rahul Dravid and Manish Pandey, that the victory seemed almost a formality if they held their head. And they did.Pandey seems to have grown a year in a couple of nights, from the time he made that hundred. Dravid, it seems, has lost a few years since the IPL’s first edition. It was a perfect tango between a rapidly maturing Pandey and a relaxed Dravid. What stood out was the absence of the mid-pitch conference between the veteran and the novice. When Dravid joined Pandey one expected there would be moments where Dravid would guide the youngster through constant chit-chat to kill the adrenalin rushes. Sure there were talks, but there wasn’t anything visually dramatic. There was no need either: Pandey was eerily cool and in control.The start set the trend. Albie Morkel got his deliveries to curve away in the air, but Pandey showed class. It’s risky to foist such an adjective upon one so young, on somebody who has just played two fine innings at this level, but it was unmistakable tonight. He waited that extra second for the swing to play out before threading two pretty square-drives through point. It was in direct contrast to how he started in his last knock.On Thursday he started off with a few big hits, which came with a touch of desperation in them, to give himself some breathing space. Understandably the pressure on him to deliver was more then. Understandably he was yet to find himself at this level. Cricketers often talk about how one innings can turn things around. Things seem to have turned around for Pandey.What caught the eye was how late he played. There was a delightful late-cut off Manpreet Gony, and a lovely little battle with Shadab Jakati, who actually bowled really well to Pandey, despite what his figures show. Time and again he slowed it up, hoping the youngster would go hard at him. Pandey refused to take the bait. He was made to wait by the bowler, and he waited. There were several little taps past cover before he won that contest with a forcing shot off the back foot to the cover boundary. Jakati was taken off.In the meanwhile Dravid was just being Dravid. Rock solid. A wicket at that time could have set the cat among the pigeons. He not only made sure it didn’t happen but kept the runs coming too. The outstanding shot was his signature classy on-drive. It wasn’t a bad delivery from Morkel who landed it on a length and on the stumps. Dravid leaned forward fully, and wristed it gorgeously through wide mid-on, uncorking his wrist – as is his wont – in an exaggerated fashion at the completion of the stroke.From unpredictable to classy, Manish Pandey seems to have grown a year in two nights•Associated PressAll along Dhoni had delayed the entry of his trumpcard Muttiah Muralitharan. Perhaps he left it for a bit too late. You knew Chennai Super King’s only chance was Murali. And he bowled beautifully. It was a fascinating phase as he did his utmost to strangle Bangalore. It was the only time the Bangalore fans in the crowd got edgy. At the grass banks, they oohed and aahed. In the middle Chennai fielders repeatedly cleared their throats to appeal.Matthew Hayden, at first slip, and Dhoni, at leg slip, defined appealing. Blood-curling cries, the full arch of the body and the extension of arms right behind over their bodies. Murali screamed as well. The tension was palpable, and indicative of their desperation and their state of mind. They knew this was the last and the only dice. Simon Taufel remained impassive, though, till he finally lifted his finger to send Dravid back.It was here, at this moment, where the game paused for a brief while. The Chennai section of the crowd was finding themselves. It was here that Bangalore showed how far they had come through in confidence levels. Virat Kohli and Ross Taylor don’t generally need an invitation to go for their shots, but the clinical fashion in which they hunted down the remaining runs must have given a lot of heart to Kumble.The bowling must have already given him great joy. Though Kumble didn’t do anything magical tonight, the rest of the pack stood up to be counted. Again it wasn’t anything sensational; there were no magical balls but simple old-school discipline. Chennai ended up at least 30 runs short and it made the difference in the end. Bangalore against Deccan in the final. Who would have thought?

Sixers have won their last four, while Heat dominated the league stage and fought back from a dip in form with a stunning win in the Challenger

Tristan Lavalette23-Jan-2024

Big picture: Underdogs Heat aiming to snap title drought; Sixers striving to regain crown

A year ago, Brisbane Heat succumbed at the death against Perth Scorchers in a pulsating final at the Optus Stadium to fall agonisingly short of ending their decade-long BBL title drought.That painful defeat has lit a fuse under Heat and lifted them to great heights this season. But Heat’s bid for redemption and adding to their lone title from BBL 02 goes on the line against Sydney Sixers in Wednesday’s final at the SCG.Using a similar blueprint to powerhouses Scorchers and Sixers, Heat have built a strong core of local players as they aim to become only the third team in BBL history to win multiple titles.Related

• Dwarshuis credits India experience for his BBL success

• Stats – Josh Brown sets record for most sixes in a BBL innings

• Brown: 'To do what I did in a pressure game was surreal'

Heat can also end the Scorchers-Sixers stranglehold, with the two teams having combined to win the last four titles and eight overall. A triumph might well see a power shift, but it won’t be easy with Heat starting as underdogs despite a bounce back against in-form Adelaide Strikers in the Challenger.For further confidence, Heat also knocked Sixers out of last season’s Challenger with a tense victory at the SCG.More recently, however, Heat were thumped by 39 runs in the Qualifier on a two-paced Gold Coast surface similar to the SCG, where Sixers’ brilliant bowling attack continually defend modest totals.Sixers will enter with supreme confidence having peaked at the right time with four straight victories. For much of the season Sixers had appeared to be falling short of an all important top two finish with several of their matches heavily impacted by rain, including both games against Heat earlier in the month.Mustering their experience and trademark resiliency, Sixers turned it around capped by superb wins over Scorchers in Perth then Heat to reach a seventh BBL final.On the cusp of a fourth title and first since 2021, Sixers are closing in on regaining their BBL crown.

Form guide

Sydney Sixers WWWWL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Brisbane HeatWLLWWJosh Brown made history in the Challenger•Getty Images

In the spotlight: Josh Brown and Steve O’Keefe

It just has to be opener Josh Brown after his astonishing 140 off 57 balls against Strikers as he produced the third highest score in BBL history. Heat’s revamped batting – following the exit of internationals Colin Munro and Sam Billings – had struggled in losses to Scorchers and Sixers, but Brown stepped up with a remarkable display of power-hitting to smash a record 12 sixes. But he has had to deal with a lot of attention in the aftermath and is also battling a sore hip after pushing his body to the limits.Brown may also have to contend at some stage with retiring left-arm spinner Steve O’Keefe, who has enjoyed an outstanding final season. Only teammate Todd Murphy has a better economy than his 6.25 for those who bowled more than 15 overs this season. O’Keefe is particularly masterful on an SCG surface where he utilises the favourable conditions to his advantage and has proven almost impossible to counterattack. He took 3 for 13 against Sydney Thunder in his last appearance on the ground and if he can produce something similar then O’Keefe will likely end his career with a fairytale finish.

Team news: Sixers unchanged, Swepson set to be recalled

Given their strong form and dominance in the Qualifier, Sixers are set to go in unchanged meaning there won’t be room for veteran seamer Jackson Bird.But Heat have a selection headache after legspinner Mitchell Swepson was left out against Strikers with opener Charlie Wakim getting the nod for his season debut. Swepson, however, is almost certain to be recalled given the spin-friendly SCG conditions with Wakim set to make way. It will force a reshuffle to the batting order with Jimmy Peirson or Max Bryant likely to be elevated.Sydney Sixers (probable XI): 1 Jack Edwards, 2 Daniel Hughes, 3 Josh Philippe (wk), 4 Moises Henriques (capt), 5 Jordan Silk, 6 Joel Davies, 7 Hayden Kerr, 8 Sean Abbott, 9 Ben Dwarshuis, 10 Todd Murphy, 11 Steve O’KeefeBrisbane Heat (probable XI): 1 Jimmy Peirson (wk), 2 Josh Brown, 3 Nathan McSweeney (capt), 4 Matt Renshaw, 5 Max Bryant, 6 Paul Walter, 7 Michael Neser, 8 Xavier Bartlett, 9 Spencer Johnson, 10 Mitchell Swepson, 11 Matthew KuhnemannSteve O’Keefe is two wickets away from picking up 100 in the BBL•Getty Images and Cricket Australia

Pitch and conditions

There is always anxiety over Sydney’s weather, but there is no threat of rain on Wednesday. Sunny conditions are forecast during the day and it is expected to still be warm and humid when the match starts at night.The SCG surface is expected to again be slow and low to bring spinners into the game with scrappy batting often needed on the ground. Totals of around 150-160 have continually been successfully defended by Sixers in a blueprint they will likely want to replicate if they win the bat flip.

Stats and trivia

• Sixers enjoy a 13-6 overall record against Heat. But Heat have won two of the last three at the SCG with their only defeat being a two-wicket loss in late 2021.
• O’Keefe is two away from claiming 100 BBL wickets. Only 10 bowlers have reached the milestone.
• Moises Henriques need 39 runs to overtake Glenn Maxwell and lift into fifth spot in the BBL’s most runs list.
  

  Quotes

Andrew Miller considers the audacious career of a cricketing genius

Andrew Miller18-Mar-2018Ostensibly thick-skinned, yet strangely vulnerable. Thunderously powerful, but prone to myopic weaknesses. And when witnessed in full majestic flow in his natural environment, he could stop even the most casual of observers dead in their tracks.It’s little wonder that Kevin Pietersen has such an affinity with the rhino, the beast that is self-evidently his spirit animal, and which now looks set to absorb, through his conservation efforts, the passions which propelled his extraordinary career.Pietersen’s retirement at the age of 37 comes as no surprise. He’s been hinting at it all winter long, first at the Big Bash, and again before his departure for the PSL, and in both competitions, the sightings of his best form were as scarce as a watering hole in the Serengeti.A rumbustious 74 from 46 balls here, a 34-ball 52 there – and precious little in between. Prized snapshots for the lucky few who happened to be present on those days, but mere echoes of the truest glories which built up his legend.And now, finally, his career is no more – a fact that has drawn a generous smattering of eulogies from those who played with and, not least, against him, but understandably has not resonated quite as loudly as it would have done four years ago, prior to his excommunication from the very highest level of the game. His retirement came in several stages.This day, of all days, let’s not delve too deeply into the circumstances of that bleak and rancorous divorce – except to say that on Saturday the ECB’s Twitter feed found the good grace (or the brazen front, depending on which side of the schism you stand) to utter, in public, the words “Thank you @KP24!”, alongside a photo of his defining glory – that ludicrously unabashed century at The Oval in 2005, on the final day of the most compelling Ashes contest of all time.Kevin Pietersen in magnicent form in Colombo•Getty ImagesAnd yes, shocking though it may seem to those who still loathe the ego, English cricket owes Pietersen a huge debt of gratitude. Like Brian Lara before him, his outlandish talents are diminished in some people’s eyes by the fact that he wasn’t always the easiest of men to play alongside, but if you try to take an overview of the eras to which each man belonged, your mind is sure to snap back like a bungee cord to specific moments of outrageous glory.Bridgetown 1999 or Mumbai 2012; Sydney 1993 or Adelaide 2010. Lara’s guillotine-crack through the covers or KP’s flamingo-flick through wide mid-on. You simply cannot be a sports fan with a pulse and not be entertained by the audacity that such players brought to their game.Unlike many of the game’s greatest cricketers, neither Pietersen nor Lara appeared to have to sacrifice any style in producing careers of incredible substance. Sure, both could be guilty of playing one shot too many on more than a few occasions, and even KP was prone to go into his shell when needs must. However, each rightly calculated that the rewards of giving their genius full rein amply compensated for the sort of risks that, say, Steve Waugh or even Sachin Tendulkar could never have countenanced, or Alastair Cook or Allan Border – for all their granite-willed attributes – could never have pulled from their lockers in the first place.And for Pietersen, never was that more apparent than during that first, and still unequivocally greatest Test century. September 12, 2005 was Judgment Day for English cricket. Australia’s champions were down but not out, and even KP himself was briefly caught in two minds early in his innings, as the Aussies clawed with savage intensity for their urn, and would surely have reclaimed it had Warne at first slip not spilled a fateful edge.But never mind that… chances come, chances go at all levels of cricket. How Pietersen responded to that moment of luck, on 15, would define both his own career, and those of an entire generation of English cricketers. Legend has it he asked his captain, Michael Vaughan, how to play it, as England, paralysed by anxiety, resumed after lunch on an extremely sickly 127 for 5, with more than 60 overs of the series still to come.

Pietersen’s natural game was revealed, gloriously, to be ego-fuelled Ninjutsu

“Play your natural game,” were Vaughan’s orders. And there and then, Pietersen’s natural game was revealed, gloriously, to be ego-fuelled Ninjutsu – 96mph bouncers from Brett Lee were there to be uppercut over fine leg; Glenn McGrath length balls were there to be flambeed back through the torso of the umpire. Within six overs the game had changed beyond recognition, and though it took several more hours for England to dare to believe, Pietersen’s onslaught – 158 from 187 balls all told – had proven a paradoxically subtle point. Though volume of runs are a batsman’s ultimate aim, sometimes the “how” is every bit as important as “how many”.Which leads directly onto the second fundamental reason for English cricket to be grateful for Pietersen’s career. Sometimes, inevitably, his hubristic talents set him up for a pratfall – at Sabina Park in 2008-09, for instance, where he lined up a whip through midwicket but lost his off stump to Jerome Taylor, as England crumbled to a humbling 51 all out. Or at Cardiff five months later, when a hideous hoicked sweep against Nathan Hauritz opened the door to what, until a miraculous final-session escape, looked like being an Ashes-defining defeat.But the strength of mind he showed to shrug off the catcalls and keep the shots coming was remarkable. “It’s just the way I play,” became Pietersen’s stock retort on such occasions, and though he did temper his game to a degree during a mid-career lull, there’s no questioning the influence that his natural attacking mindset had on two more of England’s defining triumphs of the era.Kevin Pietersen was centre stage in England’s 2005 Ashes triumph•Getty ImagesThe World T20 win in the Caribbean in 2010 remains England’s only global one-day trophy and one that Pietersen’s Man-of-the-Tournament performance put beyond the reach of all comers. And, for the Ashes win in Australia in 2010-11, in which Cook’s rock-steady obduracy sapped Australia’s will to live, it was Pietersen’s frenzied double-century at Adelaide that flogged them into submission. In his very best performances, arguably only the inimitable Viv Richards displayed a greater ability to intimidate with a bat in hand.And the lessons of Pietersen’s attitude are apparent in another key aspect of England’s modern-day approach, this time in one-day cricket. Under Eoin Morgan, a man of similarly independent mindset (and who, had he been allowed to do so, would have recalled KP for the disastrous 2015 World Cup), England have turned themselves into serious challengers for the next event in 2019.And, if you listen very carefully to Morgan’s brazen lack of apology on the occasions when his team’s “express-yourselves” mentality has given way to an express-train wreck, you can almost hear his words being delivered in a slightly effete South African lilt.There’s an irony, too, in England’s sudden willingness to embrace the lessons and lifestyles of the Indian Premier League. Though it was never explicitly acknowledged as the reason for the meltdown in relationships between Pietersen and England, the ECB’s intransigence towards the tournament not only alienated their star player – who has always known his worth and knew what he was missing out on – it had ripple effects throughout the whole fabric of the English game.Kevin Pietersen understood the lure of IPL•BCCINow, all of a sudden, England’s players are flocking to the competition, lured by the life-changing sums of money, but also absorbing the extraordinary life lessons that can come from sharing a dressing-room with the world’s very best talents, and performing in front of enraptured crowds on a thrice-weekly basis.And that, fundamentally, was how Pietersen’s agitations retained a credibility that your common-or-garden egomaniac could never have sustained, for he saw the IPL as a career progression rather than just a cash cow. As if to underline the old saw about genius being 1 percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration, there was no-one in the course of his ten-year England career who trained harder than he did, and few of his contemporaries spoke about the game with more compelling insight either.

He made himself into a world-class batsman through the force of his own will, by refusing to accept any limitations on his technique, his opportunities, his geography or, ultimately, his modesty

Take his justification, in the summer of 2006, for reversing his stance against Muttiah Muralitharan of all people, and slotting the first of his trademark “switch hits” into the stands at Edgbaston. In his end-of-day press conference, he explained, with patience and passion, how the angle of the delivery, and the lay-out of the field, with two men back for the conventional sweep but none on the ropes at extra cover, had turned an outrageous piece of skill into an obvious percentage option.But of course, it could only be a percentage option due to the insane levels of preparation he was willing to put into his game. On the 2008 tour of New Zealand (to name just one nets sessions in a cast of thousands), thanks to the lay-out of the practice wickets at Hamilton, I was able to watch his entire session as if I was standing at silly point, and it remains to this day the most immersive experience of my career.He was FIGJAM to his closest acquaintances – particularly those standing behind him in the opposition slip cordon – and there were moments throughout his career when even his most ardent apologists would struggle to defend his crassness. But Pietersen’s glories and his failings were the flip side of the very same coin. He made himself into a world-class batsman through the force of his own will, by refusing to accept any limitations on his technique, his opportunities, his geography or, ultimately, his modesty.In time, the gaucheness, the gripes, the potshots and resentments will fade away from the tale of Kevin Pietersen. Like those sightings of his spirit animal, the memories of his glories will mean all the more now that he is gone.

Gianluigi Donnarumma's agent claims the Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper wants to play in the Premier League, but has denied talk of a move to Manchester City.

• Donnarumma being forced out of PSG
• Italy international interested in PL move
• Man City switch seemingly not on the cards

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Donnarumma's agent, Enzo Raiola, has confirmed that the Italy international is interested in a move to England this summer. The goalkeeper issued a statement earlier this week, confirming that he is set to leave PSG, while hinting that Luis Enrique is to blame for his exile. To that end, the Ligue 1 giants have already signed Lucas Chevalier in a €40 million (£34.5m/$47m) deal to replace him. 

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Donnarumma's agent has now said that the stopper is open to a move to England, because he could become only the second Italian player to win the competition after Mario Balotelli. However, the prospect of moving to Balotelli's former club, Man City, is seen as unlikely, as Pep Guardiola's side have not made contact with Raiola. 

• WHAT RAIOLA SAID

  Raiola told Calciomercato: "Rumours about Guardiola's interest are (just) rumours that have arrived. The truth is that we never talked to Guardiola. Until recently we thought to stay in Paris, again this year. After the communication of the non-renewal I said: 'Let's stay another year and then go away'. This was also the will of Gigio.

  "Some Premier League clubs are moving and it’s the league to which Gigio aspires, also from a professional point of view. After being in Italy and PSG, the Premier League could give you that next step forward because you would go to play in the best league in the world. 

  "The Premier League step is taken into account because we think that for an important player like Gigio it can be the right place. Also because history says that the only Italian to have won the Premier League is Mario Balotelli. If he could become another Italian to win it, it would be a beautiful thing for us. History says that it is very difficult for Italians to win it." 

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  WHAT NEXT?

  PSG will go in search of more European glory on Wednesday night when the Champions League holders take on Europa League winners Tottenham in the UEFA Super Cup. Donnarumma won't be involved after being left out of the squad altogether.

MatériaMais Notícias

Em compromisso disputado na Rua Javari contra o Juventus-SP, o Fortaleza venceu por 2 a 1 e garantiu sua classificação para o mata-mata da Copa São Paulo de Futebol Júnior nesta terça-feira (10).

Aos 17 minutos, o Leão executou cobrança curta de escanteio onde a bola levantada encontrou a excelente impulsão do zagueiro Patrick Nunes. Subindo na marca do pênalti, o camisa 4 testou firme e estufou as redes adversárias.

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>Veja as últimas do mercado no novo vaivém do LANCE!

No fim da etapa inicial, o clube paulistano chegou a deixar tudo igual em bola alçada onde a bola ajeitada pro meio da área foi batida de primeira por Yormax, sem chance de defesa para o arqueiro Bruno Guimarães.

Porém, o tento da vitória e da classificação veio com 16 minutos do tempo complementar onde, novamente pelo alto, o Fortaleza chegou ao tento da vitória onde Riquelme testou e a pelota morreu no canto oposto do goleiro juventino.

Com a vaga, o Tricolor aguarda o encerramento do Grupo 32 da Copinha, agendado para a próxima quinta-feira (11), para saber se enfrentará na próxima fase o Juventude ou o XV de Piracicaba.

Big picture: New cycle brings new hope

The first Test match after the World Cup in India is taking place in Sylhet, which geographically, is not a million miles away, but certainly in terms of atmosphere, it is another world. New Zealand are playing their first Test in eight months, Bangladesh in five months. It is the kick-off point for the World Test Championship for both teams, so at the very least, points are at stake.New Zealand were the defending champions in the last cycle, but they were nowhere near close to making the final. That might just have prompted them to be that little bit more switched on, resulting in bringing their best team on this tour after sending a second-string side for the ODIs that were played here in September. Everything was different then.Kane Williamson will lead the batting unit alongside Tom Latham, Devon Conway and Henry Nicholls in the top four. Daryl Mitchell and Rachin Ravindra, having totalled five centuries between them in the World Cup, will be brimming with confidence.Related

• Southee expects spin to play a big role in 'hard-fought' series

• 'Things have happened quite quickly' – Ravindra is living his dream, and loving it

• Hathurusinghe wants Bangladesh youngsters to step up in 'exciting' transition period

• Mitchell, coach Ronchi back NZ to adapt to Bangladesh conditions

Captain Tim Southee will lead a bowling attack that is likely to be spin-dominated. Ish Sodhi is in the mix – he took a six-for against Bangladesh this year, albeit in a different format. Mitchell Santner seems a good shout to play his first Test in over two years. Ajaz Patel is another major option for their selectors. Ravindra’s all-round skills will be key, while Neil Wagner too could expect to bowl a lot if he is the second seamer with Southee.Bangladesh have their own reasons to want to get on the field quickly. They had a poor World Cup campaign. The aftermath hasn’t been great either and they go into this series without many of their key players. Captain Shakib Al Hasan and his deputy Litton Das are out. So are fast bowlers Taskin Ahmed and Ebadot Hossain. Apart from Litton who was given paternity leave, the rest are all injured. Bangladesh have had to rethink their bowling attack even as Shakib and Tamim Iqbal have left big holes in the batting line-up.Mahmudul Hasan Joy and Zakir Hasan are the likely openers, but a lot will depend on captain Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mominul Haque and Mushfiqur Rahim. Taijul Islam and Mehidy Hasan Miraz will carry the inexperienced bowling attack. The picture ain’t pretty for Bangladesh, but Sylhet could provide the sort of exit they want from the talk about the World Cup, which doesn’t seem to end in Bangladesh.

Form guide

Bangladesh WWLLL (last five Tests, most recent first)
New Zealand WWWLD

In the spotlight: Mominul Haque and Rachin Ravindra

Usually Mominul Haque doesn’t want to be in the spotlight. It was one of the reasons that he gave up the Test captaincy last year. His runs had dried up. Many felt it was because of his aversion to the limelight. Mominul, however, remains Bangladesh’s Test batting mainstay. He will be expected to get back in the groove quickly even though he has stressed in the recent past that it isn’t easy being a Test specialist playing this format after big gaps. Still, he was the highest run-getter in the recently-concluded National Cricket League first-class tournament so batting form may not be a big worry for the left-hander.Tim Southee will be leading a full-strength New Zealand side in Bangladesh•Getty Images

There will be a lot of interest in Rachin Ravindra after his World Cup bonanza. He finished as the fourth highest run-getter in the competition, including centuries against England, Australia and Pakistan. He is likely to have a different role in the Test series against Bangladesh, probably batting down the order and involved in a lot of bowling. He is already a changed cricketer, having been given the opportunity of a lifetime so early in his international career.

Team news: Extra spinners in both XIs

Nurul Hasan will take Litton’s place behind the stumps, while Khaled Ahmed is likely to take Taskin’s spot in the bowling unit. Nayeem Hasan is likely to be the third spinner if they choose a five-man attack.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Mahmudul Hasan Joy, 2 Zakir Hasan, 3 Najmul Hossain Shanto, 4 Mominul Haque, 5 Mushfiqur Rahim, 6 Nurul Hasan (wk), 7 Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 8 Nayeem Hasan 9 Taijul Islam, 10 Shoriful Islam, 11 Khaled AhmedNew Zealand have a spin puzzle to solve. Ravindra is likely to bat in the top six after a stellar World Cup campaign, but there could be a toss-up between Ajaz, Santner and Sodhi for two positions.New Zealand (probable): 1 Tom Latham, 2 Devon Conway, 3 Kane Williamson, 4 Henry Nicholls, 5 Daryl Mitchell, 6 Rachin Ravindra, 7 Tom Blundell (wk), 8 Mitchell Santner, 9 Tim Southee (capt), 10 Ajaz Patel/Ish Sodhi, 11 Neil Wagner

Pitch and conditions: Sylhet is good for batting

Sylhet’s reputation as the best batting ground in Bangladesh was strengthened by the five white-ball international matches held this year. It hasn’t hosted a Test in five years but during this period, there have been six 400-plus scores in first-class matches at this venue. The weather is mostly dry, with the breeze coming down from the hillside often helping drop the temperature further.

Stats and trivia

• Sylhet is hosting only its second Test match. The first match was in 2018 when Zimbabwe beat Bangladesh.
• New Zealand are playing Tests in Bangladesh after exactly ten years. Bangladesh, meanwhile, have toured New Zealand in 2017, 2019 and 2022 to play six Tests in total.
• Shanto has become Bangladesh’s captain within five years of making his Test debut. That’s a quicker climb to leadership than Mushfiqur and Mominul, both of whom became captains six years after their respective Test debuts.

Quotes

“Dusting off the whites and back together as a Test group. We achieved some pretty cool things in the backend of last summer. It has been a heavy diet of white-ball cricket so the guys are excited to be back in Test cricket. Start of the World Test Championship cycle is exciting.”
“I personally believe I can lead the team in all formats. It is easier for anyone to plan as a long-term captain. Whoever comes through as the next captain, he will have a better time if he gets a longer rope.”
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—Fixtures | Squads | Points table | Tournament Index

Top Story: Warner, Maxwell one-two knocks Netherlands out cold

1:59

Where are all the last-over thrillers?

News headlines

• India allrounder Hardik Pandya will miss a second consecutive game at this World Cup – Sunday’s match against England – as he continues to recover from the ankle injury he suffered against Bangladesh in Pune.
• Shakib Al Hasan, Bangladesh’s captain at the World Cup, has travelled to Dhaka to train with his mentor Nazmul Abedeen Faheem even as the rest of the team arrived in Kolkata ahead of their matches in the city against Netherlands

Match preview

England vs Sri Lanka, Mumbai (2pm IST; 8.30am GMT; 7.30pm AEDTSo, how’s that whole “attacking champions” thing working out? Jos Buttler may always regret saying England wouldn’t be “trying to defend anything” out in India – a statement that appears to be coming true uncomfortably quickly – but they are not quite at the point of no return, despite only being kept off the bottom of the table by Bangladesh’s thumping defeat to South Africa on Tuesday. Cornered lions, anyone?Click here for the full previewTeam newsEngland (probable) 1 Jonny Bairstow, 2 Dawid Malan, 3 Joe Root, 4 Ben Stokes, 5 Jos Buttler (capt, wk), 6 Harry Brook, 7 Moeen Ali, 8 Chris Woakes, 9 David Willey, 10 Adil Rashid, 11 Gus Atkinson/Mark WoodSri Lanka (probable) 1 Pathum Nissanka, 2 Kusal Perera, 3 Kusal Mendis (capt, wk) 4 Sadeera Samarawickrama, 5 Charith Asalanka, 6 Dhananjaya de Silva, 7 Dushan Hemantha/Dunith Wellalage, 8 Chamika Karunaratne, 9 Maheesh Theekshana, 10 Kasun Rajitha, 11 Dilshan Madushanka

Feature: World Cup’s the (toughest) stage for accidental captain Kusal Mendis

When Kusal Mendis burst onto the scene at the Under-19 World Cup in 2014, he was earmarked for big things including captaincy. It has taken nearly a decade for Kusal to get that job, but it has come under circumstances he wouldn’t have envisaged.As such, international cricket can be a hard place to learn on the fly and Kusal perhaps had valid reasons for not wanting the job in the lead-up to the 2023 World Cup. Far from a sustainer of good form, he had only slowly been emerging from that frustrating ‘one step forward, two steps back’ pattern that has been a constant in his seven-year international career.Read the full feature from Shashank Kishore

Spurs recorded their lowest-ever Premier League finish in 2024-25 despite ending their trophy drought with Europa League glory.

Tottenham are under new management, with Thomas Frank replacing the popular Ange Postecoglou in the dugout for the new season. The Australian helped Spurs end their 17-year wait for a trophy by delivering the Europa League, but oversaw a Premier League campaign which ended with a 17th-place finish.

The north Londoners will open 2025-26 against Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup on August 13, while their Premier League season begins three days later at home to newly-promoted Burnley. This is followed by a tricky trip to Manchester City.

Spurs head to rivals Arsenal in November before hosting the Gunners in February, while Frank will get two reunions with Brentford during the month of December. Tottenham's season ends with a home match against Everton.

GOAL brings you the full month-to-month breakdown of all of Spurs' Premier League matches in 2025-26.*

AUGUST

Date Kick-off time (UK) Fixture

16/08/202515:00Tottenham v Burnley23/08/202515:00Man City v Tottenham30/08/202515:00Tottenham v BournemouthAdvertisementSEPTEMBER

Date Kick-off time (UK) Fixture

13/09/202515:00West Ham v Tottenham20/09/202515:00Brighton v Tottenham27/09/202515:00Tottenham v WolvesOCTOBER

Date Kick-off time (UK) Fixture

04/10/202515:00Leeds v Tottenham18/10/202515:00Tottenham v Aston Villa25/10/202515:00Everton v TottenhamENJOYED THIS STORY?

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NOVEMBER

Date Kick-off time (UK) Fixture

01/11/202515:00Tottenham v Chelsea08/11/202515:00Tottenham v Man Utd22/11/202515:00Arsenal v Tottenham29/11/202515:00Tottenham v Fulham