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The occasion – a home Test against Australia – was great. But the game itself fell flat

Danyal Rasool08-Mar-2022Imam-ul-Haq and Abdullah Shafique got together in the middle, and had a little chat and a fist-bump. It ended as it had begun with Pakistan’s openers at the crease and Australia’s bowlers toiling away. If something happened in the middle, you’d be forgiven for forgetting it; history certainly will.Five days, 1187 runs, 14 wickets, and lots of existential dread after this history-making Test started, the umpires put the players out of their misery. If Pakistan believed the reticence of the so-called Big Three (Australia, England and India) to visit this part of the world was detrimental to Test cricket, the last five days were an odd way to make the point.It was wholesome enough watching Australia touch down on Pakistani soil for the first time in overs 23 years, have the touring party gush over the hospitality and food, and listen to the CA and ACA chief executives talk about how safe everyone felt here. But the real proof of a corner being turned – and Pakistan Cricket’s end-goal – isn’t the wall-to-wall coverage of a box office side playing Test cricket in Pakistan. It’s for tours like this become so routine they no longer make newspaper headlines.The PCB might be relieved we’re not at that stage yet or the scrutiny on this surface would have been significantly more forensic, the criticism much more pointed. That the cricket is still secondary to the event has been the saving grace of the past week. Because, while Australia’s visit has been handled almost to perfection, the preparations for the cricket – you know, the reason they were here in the first place – have been rather more ham-fisted.Related

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• Rawalpindi pitch gets 'below average' rating from ICC match referee

• Imam: 'When we go to Australia, they don't make pitches consulting us'

There are myriad factors contributing to the orgy of ennui that consumed the ether around the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, but what’s most unforgivable is how utterly unnecessary this was. Pakistan cricket may have a million issues, but the Pindi pitch isn’t one. There have only been two other Test matches where a side had a worse strike rate than Australia’s 478 balls per wicket and they happened 64 and 50 years ago respectively. It’s little short of travesty that Rawalpindi will now rank so high up in a list it has no business belonging to.Recall that the most recent Test on this surface was one of the matches of 2021. South Africa’s stockpile of quality seam bowling is more intimidating than perhaps any other nation’s and so there was substantial angst about whether there was any home advantage to speak of. But despite Pakistan’s efforts to tame the natural predispositions of the strip, the need to ensure a quality contest was always at the forefront. In a game where the momentum ebbed and flowed, Hasan Ali and Shaheen Afridi took nine of the ten South Africa wickets in the fourth innings, a time when the home side might have wanted the surface to start breaking up.Injuries to Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali and Faheem Ashraf may have played a part in Pakistan sedating their most lively pitch•PCBThe memories of that game had left a particularly tantalising aftertaste, and the brouhaha of the context of Australia’s visit aside, it was the prospect of similarly engrossing cricket that made the first Test feel like such a grand occasion. Australia’s well-rounded pace attack was equipped to adjust to the varying conditions Pindi throws up, and since Faheem Ashraf’s return to the Test fold, Pakistan’s inveterate problems with balancing their side appeared to have melted away. If you enjoyed the buzz around an Australian visit, there was plenty in it for you. And if you wanted to nerd out over Test cricket, you were still nicely sorted.However, as Pakistan’s injury list piled up, the furtiveness around the pitch grew. Haris Rauf contracted Covid-19 and was ruled out. Hasan Ali, Test player of 2021 for Pakistan, was also injured. And, it appears, once Ashraf’s absence became official, so too did any realistic hopes of a positive result for Pakistan in Rawalpindi. When the covers were removed on the morning of the first Test, they revealed a flat, dried out husk of a deck, not a blade of grass in sight.After becoming PCB chairman, Ramiz Raja had singled out the state of domestic pitches as one of the key reasons holding Pakistan cricket back. “Until the pitches are fixed in Pakistan, our cricket won’t rise. Pitches must be competitive, and there must be a balance between bat and ball. My mission statement is that I want Pakistan to defeat Australia, South Africa and New Zealand in Australia, South Africa and New Zealand.” With a reputation for micromanagement, Ramiz went on to say he thought of himself as a curator and had a brochure he read every day called “How to Prepare a Pitch”. Turns out it might take more than a brochure to become a curator.Sports fans have fickle memories, and if Pakistan find themselves in the World Test Championship final, the decision to sedate the liveliest pitch in Pakistan might look like a masterclass rather than a miscalculation. But where Pakistan have yelled themselves hoarse reminding other nations of their wider obligations to cricket, they would do well to remember they are not exempt from those very obligations.Ultimately, the expense, the hassle, the stress, the inconvenience to residents, commuters and spectators, the security risks are all considered a fair trade in Pakistan so people can throng stadiums and huddle around TV screens enjoying what most countries take for granted: international cricket in their nation. Tour dates are announced with breathless excitement; every update is a headline, every press conference a moment. Ticket websites crash as they are overwhelmed; fans line up hours ahead of the start and brave excessive security measures.It’s hard to argue those crowds – it was one of the best-attended Test matches in Pakistan in ages – weren’t heavily short-changed. Even a captain as diplomatic as Pat Cummins couldn’t stop himself saying “it was probably clear” there was an “effort to nullify the pace bowling”, and that it wasn’t a fair contest between bat and ball.There has been reputational damage to Test cricket in general and the Pindi pitch in particular. This is the surface Pakistan supporters have used as evidence that the country offers a diversity of conditions not seen elsewhere on the subcontinent to this degree. They might find it’s suddenly become much harder to make that case after what the cricket world was subjected to over the last five days.It seems like a fair bit to lose for four World Test Championship points.

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Fortaleza e Altos se enfrentam pelas quartas de final da Copa do Nordeste, neste domingo (21), às 19h (de Brasília), na Arena Castelão. O jogo terá transmissão da ESPN (TV fechada), Nosso Futebol (pay-per-view) e Dazn (streaming).

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✅ FICHA TÉCNICA
FORTALEZA X ALTOS
COPA DO NORDESTE – JOGO ÚNICO (QUARTAS)

Data e horário: domingo, 21 de abril de 2024, às 19h (de Brasília)
Local: Arena Castelão, Fortaleza (CE)
Onde assistir: ESPN (TV fechada), Nosso Futebol (pay-per-view) e Dazn (streaming).
Arbitragem:  Marcio dos Santos Oliveira; José Ricardo Vasconcellos Laranjeira (VAR).

⚽ PROVÁVEIS ESCALAÇÕES
Fortaleza (TÉCNICO: Vojvoda)
Santos; Dudu, Brítez, Kuscevic e Bruno Pacheco; Lucas Sasha, Pochettino e Pedro Augusto; Marinho, Moisés e Lucero.

continua após a publicidade

Altos (TÉCNICO: Flávio Araújo)
Careca; Luis Guilherme, Leandro Amorim, Ricardo e Arthurzinho; Hudson, Marcelinho e Dhonata, Matheus, Brayann e Rhuann.

Tudo sobre

Copa do NordesteFortalezaFutebol NacionalOnde assistir

Abhishek Sharma has smashed a 12-ball half-century, playing for Punjab against Bengal in a Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy match in Hyderabad on Sunday. It is the joint-third-fastest fifty and joint-second-fastest by an Indian in men’s T20 cricket.Opening the batting with Prabhsimran Singh, Abhishek took apart a bowling attack headlined by Mohammed Shami and Akash Deep, scoring at well over 15 runs an over against both of them as well as Saksham Choudhary and Writtick Chatterjee. Abhishek hit five fours and five sixes to get to his fifty, conceding just one dot ball in the 12 balls he had faced to get to the landmark.Though he never really threatened to run the record for the fastest century in men’s T20s close – Chauhan’s, in 27 balls – Abhishek did get to the mark in 32 balls before finishing on 148 in 52, with eight fours and 16 sixes. Abhishek, however, already has the record for the joint-second-fastest T20 century, off 28 balls, the same as Urvil Patel, who scored it for Gujarat against Tripura, also in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, last season.Punjab finished with 310 for 5 in their 20 overs, Prabhsimran smashing 70 in 35 balls, but his innings put in the shade by his partner. Punjab’s total was the second highest in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, behind Baroda’s 349 for 5 against Sikkim in Indore in December 2024. They went on to win the game by 112 runs.The fastest fifty in men’s T20s was scored by Nepal’s Dipendra Singh Airee, against Mongolia during the Hangzhou Asian Games in September 2023. India’s Ashutosh Sharma is at No. 2 on the list for his 11-ball fifty for Railways against Arunachal Pradesh in the 2023-24 edition of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.Abhishek is now the fifth batter to record a 12-ball fifty in the format. Yuvraj Singh was the first, with his innings at the 2007 T20 World Cup against England, which included six sixes in an over against Stuart Broad. Chris Gayle achieved it in the BBL, for Melbourne Renegades against Adelaide Strikers in January 2016. In October 2018 then, Afghaniostan’s Hazratullah Zazai matched it playing for Kabul Zwanan against Balkh Legends, featuring Gayle, in an Afghanistan Premier League game in Sharjah.The last instance was when Estonia’s Sahil Chauhan got there against Cyprus in an international match in Episkopi on his way to an unbeaten 41-ball 144.

Pat Cummins says his return to bowling has gone better than expected, with Australia’s captain still eyeing a return for the second Ashes Test

AAP05-Nov-2025Pat Cummins remains on track to return for the second Ashes Test in Brisbane, but has conceded playing through the rest of the series unchanged could be difficult.Cummins has progressed to bowling off a three-quarter run up as he plots a meticulous return from a back injury that has sidelined the Test captain since July.The 32-year-old was able to get through close to eight overs in the nets on Wednesday, and expects to be bowling at full pace by the start of the first Test.Related

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Cummins has not felt any significant pain since his managed return to bowling, with no signs of any recurrence of the stress injury in his lower back.Officials have been coy on whether Cummins would return for the second Test in Brisbane starting four weeks from now, but the skipper remains a genuine chance.”That’s the aim and we’re building our plan to the second Test,” Cummins said at the Seven Network’s cricket launch on Thursday.  “It’s probably not until you get a bit closer that you can really know where you’re at.”The good thing is that I’m pulling up well and the body is great.”We’re trying to keep that second Test as a live option. I’ll have a really good bowl in Perth, and by then I’ll know where I’m at.”What won’t be so easy, Cummins concedes, is playing every remaining Test this summer once he does return. There is an eight-day gap built in between the second and third Tests, but only four-day gaps between the third, fourth and fifth Tests.Australian officials have already identified that as a pressure point of the summer for bowlers, particularly if Tests go the distance and the hosts spend long periods in the field.”I’m pretty keen to play as much as I can,” Cummins said. “But realistically, if we have a big game and bowl 40 or 50 overs and then there’s a game that starts a few days later, it might be a bridge too far.”I’m trying to get right, and if I get right then hopefully I’ll try to play most of it as I can.”Ashes race: Pat Cummins goes through a running session•Getty ImagesCummins said he did not feel he would need a warm-up match in either the Sheffield Shield, a tour game with the Cricket Australia XI or Prime Minister’s XI against England or England Lions, or a grade cricket fixture to have his body right for Test cricket.Instead, Australia’s pace leader will fly to Perth with the rest of the team next week and spend the Test with the coaching staff.”Before the 2023 ODI World Cup I flew over to South Africa and watched the last couple of ODIs there,” Cummins said. “It was actually a really different view from the coach’s box. It’s a different perspective.”So hopefully I gather some information from being in that position through the Test that later on in the series I can use.”Or maybe Steve Smith needs something and I have seen something differently from up there.”But being close to the game and the conversations, I think I will need that going into the second or third Test.”Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood will lead the pace attack in Cummins’ absence, with Scott Boland to keep his spot after taking a hat-trick in Australia’s most recent Test in the West Indies.Australia are hoping allrounder Cameron Green can bowl up to 20 overs in his next Sheffield Shield match, with Beau Webster a chance to stay on as a second allrounder.

Liverpool have now reportedly held concrete talks to sign Antoine Semenyo from Bournemouth, as they look to the January transfer window in an attempt to solve their problems.

The Reds are in a crisis, that can no longer be denied. Defeat against Nottingham Forest at Anfield on Saturday slammed home just how much trouble Arne Slot’s side find themselves in. Their crown has evaporated, their dominance has subsided and they sit in the bottom half after 12 games in the Premier League.

Liverpool legend and Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher had his say on the Reds’ problems on Monday Night Football, saying that he would like to see Mohamed Salah come out and speak for the side.

“A year ago this weekend, Mo Salah wasn’t shy in coming out and speaking about his own situation, about the club not offering him a contract.

“I only ever hear Salah speak when he gets man of the match or he needs a new contract. I would like to see Salah come out as one of the leaders, one the legends of Liverpool, come out and speak for the team. It shouldn’t always be the captain.”

The Egyptian, however, may decide to let his football do the talking as Liverpool desperately look to get back on track against PSV Eindhoven on Wednesday night.

The Champions League has often handed the Premier League champions some much-needed reprieve this season, with victory over Real Madrid the best win of their season last time out.

Now, the visit of PSV presents Slot’s side with a similar opportunity to turn results around, before squaring off against West Ham United this weekend.

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Meanwhile, in the middle of their dismal period of form, Liverpool have reportedly been getting to work off the pitch on much-needed reinforcements.

Liverpool now "seriously working" on Semenyo deal

As reported by Sky Sports’ Florian Plettenberg, Liverpool are now “seriously working” on a deal to sign Semenyo from Bournemouth in the January transfer window.

Despite suggestions he has chosen to join Manchester United, those at Anfield have reportedly held “concrete talks” in pursuit of the winger, who has a release clause worth around €70m (£62m).

There is plenty of competition, but Liverpool should go all out to land Semenyo in January. They’ve missed the direct ability that Luis Diaz provided them – the ability that draws fouls, breaks low blocks down and evades an opposition press. Semenyo, however, can offer them exactly that.

The Bournemouth star has enjoyed 10 more successful take-ons than Salah so far this season and has earned high praise from ex-Liverpool man Jamie Redknapp as a result. The Sky Sports pundit described Semenyo as “unique” earlier in the campaign.

Who is to blame for Isak's form at Liverpool?

Regis Le Bris has responded to mounting speculation linking Sunderland with the signing of Marseille's Matteo Guendouzi. While the Black Cats boss did not commit to an approach for the ex-Arsenal midfielder in the January transfer window, he spoke positively of their relationship. Le Bris was managing Lorient's B team as Guendouzi was coming through the ranks at the French club.

Guendouzi to reunite with Le Bris at Sunderland?

The 49-year-old manager revealed that he and his former player keep in touch. Le Bris gave Guendouzi his first foray into senior football back in 2016. The defensive midfielder pushed on from his time Lorient's reserve team, establishing himself in the Ligue 2 outfit's starting XI before making the switch to Arsenal for an undisclosed fee.

Their close relationship and Sunderland's excellent start to life back in the Premier League could be enough to convince Guendouzi to trade Rome for Wearside. Guendouzi joined Lazio from Marseille in on a permanent basis in 2024 after an initial season-long loan spell, for a reported fee of €15 million (£13.2m).

AdvertisementGetty Images SportBlack Cats boss coy on official approach

Despite their positive relationship, Le Bris was coy about the speculation, suggesting the club had not committed to an approach in the coming transfer window. He said: "We still have connections with players and Matteo is one of those players. I worked with him (previously) in Lorient so we stay connected. But at the minute it’s too early to speak about the January transfer window."

Guendouzi not surprised by Le Bris' Sunderland success

Based on his previous comments, a reunion would please Guendouzi, who has credited Le Bris for his impact on his career. Since leaving Lorient in 2016, Guendouzi has made 312 senior appearance in club football and represented his country 14 times. 

The 26-year-old said Le Bris' success on Wearside comes as no surprise to him. Since taking over at the Stadium of Light, the Frenchman has exceeded all expectations leading the Black Cats back to the Premier League for the first time in eight years. Sunderland have punched above their weight so far this term, taking points from Arsenal and Chelsea. Le Bris' side are currently fourth in the table. 

"Honestly, his results at Sunderland don't surprise me," Guendouzi said recently. "A year with him is perhaps the equivalent of three with other coaches. You learn a lot about yourself. Without him, I wouldn't be where I am today."

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Getty Images SportWill Guendouzi make a return to the Premier League?

Guendouzi could well look at at a return to England as a chance to right some unfinished business. He flashed moments of promise in Unai Emery's side, however, he was quickly sidelined by Mikel Arteta. 

Joining a massive club like Arsenal with limited senior experience at the age of just 18 presents a steep learning curve for any player. There were moments of discipline that suggested a player that needed to mature to excel in the world's toughest domestic competition. Now at 26-years-old, Guendouzi could well fancy a reunion with his ex manager, and his midfield running mate Granit Xhaka. For that to happen, the Black Cats will likely have to exceed the €15m fee Lazio paid 18 months ago. 

In the meantime, Guendouzi will have to focus on his duties for the two-time Italian champions. The Biancocelesti currently sit in ninth place in Serie A. They return from the international break when they host Lecce on Sunday. 

Manchester United are now determined to sign a “tremendous” midfielder, with it being revealed they are willing to make a £61m offer.

Man Utd want to sign new midfielder with Mainoo heading for exit

It has now emerged that Kobbie Mainoo could now be heading for the exit door, having failed to start a single Premier League game this season, with Napoli close to getting a deal over the line after a recent round of talks.

Ruben Amorim clearly isn’t fully convinced by Mainoo, having opted to give Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro the nod in the middle of the park for the most part, and doubts remain over Manuel Ugarte, who received heavy criticism after the EFL Cup defeat against Grimsby Town.

With that in mind, the Red Devils have set out to bring in a new midfielder, and Crystal Palace star Adam Wharton recently moved ahead of Brighton & Hove Albion’s Carlos Baleba on the list of targets.

According to a report from Spain, however, a different midfielder has now emerged as Man United’s top target, with it being revealed they are willing to make a €70m (£61m) offer for Athletic Club star Oihan Sancet.

United are determined to get a deal for Sancet done, as they believe he fits their desired profile perfectly, and scouts have been sent to watch the Spaniard in action on a number of occasions.

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The attacking midfielder hasn’t ruled out an exit, but his current employers are working on a new contract, in an effort to stave off interest from elsewhere.

Sancet enjoyed "tremendous" 2024-25 campaign

Many of the Red Devils’ other midfield targets, such as Baleba, Wharton and Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson, play in slightly deeper midfield roles, but the Athletic Club star has an attacking mindset, enjoying a fantastic 2024-25 campaign.

Indeed, the 25-year-old was a constant threat on the front foot in La Liga, amassing 20 goals and assists in all competitions, which impressed Athletic Club sporting director Rafa Alkorta, who described him as “tremendous”.

Sancet clearly has the ability to succeed at Old Trafford, but given his attacking mindset, the Pamplona-born star wouldn’t be a like-for-like replacement for Mainoo, who appears to be heading for the exit door.

Anderson, on the other hand, is accustomed to playing in a deeper midfield role, and the Nottingham Forest star recently displayed his ability to control matches, in what was a remarkable performance for England against Latvia.

Statistic

Number completed

Accurate passes

121/130 (93%)

Key passes

2

Tackles

4

Duels won

7

The Blaze 169 for 9 (Elwiss 61, Kelly 46) beat Surrey 152 (Wyatt-Hodge 60, Gordon 3-35) by 17 runsPowerplay heroics with bat and ball from The Blaze helped end host Surrey’s unbeaten start to the 2025 Vitality Blast women’s competition.Cassidy McCarthy and Kirstie Gordon doused the flames of the previous unstoppable host batting line-up, reducing them to 1 for 3 in pursuit of 170 to win.Danni Wyatt-Hodge’s blistering 60 from 33 balls, including three sixes and seven fours, briefly raised home hopes but they were bowled out in the last over 17 runs short.Earlier, Georgia Elwiss (61 from 46) and Marie Kelly (46 from 29) shared an opening stand of 92 in 57 balls and despite a collapse in which Tash Farrant and Grace Harris got two wickets apiece, their total of 169 proved more than enough.Ryana MacDonald-Gay’s five wides in the opening over gave The Blaze early impetus on which they were quick to build.Kelly was the first aggressor, clearing the ropes off first Farrant and then Tilly Corteen-Coleman. Elwiss then drove and swept Kalea Moore for three successive fours as the visitors reached 63 for nought at the end of the powerplay.A lofted drive and a streaky edge for four by Kelly kept up the pressure, but with a 50 in sight, poor calling left her stranded at the same end as Elwiss.From there, wickets tumbled. In-form Kathryn Brice lofted Corteen-Coleman to Harris at mid-off, the first time she’d been dismissed in the tournament, and her sister Sarah made only 1 before nicking MacDonald-Gay through to Kira Chathli.A suicidal second run saw the end of Heather Graham and neither Ella Claridge or Michaela Kirk stayed long.Elwiss, who’d surveyed the slide from the other end, reached 50 from 40 balls, but after she lobbed a catch to short third, only a few late blows from Josie Groves got The Blaze to 169.Surrey made the worst possible start losing skipper Bryony Smith for nought, part of a wicket-maiden for McCarthy.Chathli also went without scoring courtesy of a fabulous running catch by Kirk and when in-form Paige Schofield was bowled first ball for nought by Gordon Surrey were 1 for 3.Phoebe Franklin blocked out Gordon’s hat-trick ball, but would have been run out soon afterwards were it not for a wild throw with both batters at the same end. Reprieved, Franklin swept Gordon for six, while Wyatt-Hodge caressed one through the covers as a 50-stand came up in 39 balls.The England opener cleared the ropes at midwicket and again behind square to race to 50 in 27 balls, but Groves bowled Franklin to end the stand at 69.When Wyatt-Hodge’s bold effort was ended by McCarthy’s sharp catch at backward point, hopes rested on big-hitting Harris for a late rescue act.The powerful Australian hit Groves back over her head for six, but perished later in the over trying to repeat the shot and despite some brief fireworks from Macdonald-Gay, Surrey were destined to fall short.