Tag Futebol

David Moyes seems almost certain to make Thiago Alcantara his first signing at Old Trafford. As speculation mounts, footballfancast.com illustrates what Man Utd fans can expect from this latest Spanish sensation.

One of the most immense challenges in football is trying to break your way into a Barcelona team considered by vast swarms of the football stratosphere to be the best side there has ever been. Thiago has had to undertake that challenge in the golden era at the Nou Camp. Pep Guardiola stated that ‘he is a special player and we’re fortunate to have produced another player in-house’. The embarrassment of riches available to Barcelona is probably the reason they are going to lose one of their most exciting prospects. It has been widely reported that 22 year old Italian-born Alcantara (whose dad is Brazilian) has a minimum fee release clause of £17 million. This is due to him playing in less than 60% of Barcelona’s games last season. For a player of Thiago’s ability, and at a critical juncture in his career-this is not enough and Man Utd can offer him the chance to shine on the highest stage.

What can Man Utd fans expect from this expected signing? Look no further than the UEFA European Under-21 Championship final this year. Thiago was captain that day and led by example with a fantastic hat trick as Spain lifted the trophy with a 4-2 win. Whilst small in stature at just 5 feet and 5 inches, as with many Spaniards he uses this to his advantage on a football pitch. Touted as the next Xavi, he offers a team a great eye for a pass and the incredible vision-probably not seen in a United team since Paul Scholes was at his peak. Click on the video to see more of the latest Spanish talent who looks set to embrace the Premier League.

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Tottenham’s Luka Modric has finally completed his switch to Real Madrid, and will be unveiled by the Spanish side according to The Daily Mail.

The diminutive playmaker has made his intentions to leave White Hart Lane clear, with Jose Mourinho’s men in negotiations over a deal all summer long in a protracted transfer saga.

Despite the north London side standing firm on their £40 million valuation initially, Daniel Levy has had to compromise and accept €34million (£26.9m) to facilitate a move before the transfer window closes.

Modric has not been part of Andre Villas-Boas’ training and as such a move was needed to end the player’s isolation at White Hart Lane.

It is thought that Tottenham will make a late push to reinvest the money made from Modric’s sale in other players before the window closes at the end of this week.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

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By Gareth McKnight

Seamers share eight wickets as table-toppers face awkward final day at Grace Road

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay10-Sep-2025If Leicestershire’s vision was to clinch promotion to Division One with a resounding victory, it looks unlikely to come to pass this week after a truncated third day of their Rothesay County Championship match left them trailing Gloucestershire by 150 runs.Shan Masood compiled a typically elegant 111 to mark his first-class debut for the county with the 30th hundred of his career but Leicestershire then lost their last six wickets for 22 to trail by 140 on first innings, bowled out for 342 as Gloucestershire seamer Matt Taylor finished with five for 70, backed up by new-ball partner Ajeet Singh Dale’s three for 78.Gloucestershire – who need a victory to keep their outside chance of promotion alive – were eight without loss from four overs in their second innings before a three-hour interruption due to rain, adding just two runs before a resumption at 5.30pm was curtailed after just 13 deliveries due to bad light. With earlier rain having delayed the start by 70 minutes, just 30 overs and one ball were bowled in all.Even if a win eludes them, Leicestershire’s lead in the division is so large that a top-two finish can still be confirmed this week if this match ends in a draw and the clash between third-placed Derbyshire and fourth-placed Middlesex at Lord’s is also drawn.Masood faced 176 balls and hit 13 fours on the way to his eighth first-class hundred in county cricket, having previously made them for Derbyshire and Yorkshire. The left-hander will be 36 next month but retains the capacity to produce moments of sublime skill at the crease, which he underlined with some beautiful strokeplay in this innings.After his 152-run partnership with Lewis Hill on Tuesday had seemed to set up Leicestershire for a substantial reply, there seemed little to suggest that would not happen as a second batting bonus point was secured in a morning session reduced to 50 minutes with Masood and Steve Eskinazi, also making his Championship debut for a new county, having added 82.But that all changed with the last delivery of the session, which resulted in Masood being given out leg before, the former Pakistan Test captain’s body language leaving no doubt that the decision did not meet with his approval.Masood’s dismissal was the catalyst for an unseemly collapse from 320 for four to 342 all out, with the follow-on only just avoided.Having put off taking the second new ball until after lunch, Gloucestershire took it immediately after the break and needed only 10 overs’ use of it to claim the remaining five Leicestershire wickets.Taylor, who had three wickets overnight, beat Ben Cox for pace and had Ben Mike nicking behind to complete his first five-wicket haul in two years.New-ball partner Singh Dale, bound for Lancashire at the end of the season, gained deserved rewards as ex-Middlesex batter Eskinazi’s county debut innings ended on 34 with a catch at second slip. Logan van Beek and Chris Wright became the fourth and fifth batters in the innings to fall leg before, Wright having at least hung around long enough to ensure that the visitors would bat again after the ninth wicket had gone with still one run needed.

Kuldeep against the MI batters will also be a sub-plot that could decide the fate of the game

Ashish Pant26-Apr-20242:31

Should Mumbai Indians change up their bowling line-up?

Match details

Delhi Capitals (DC; 6th place) vs Mumbai Indians (MI; 8th place)
Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi, 3.30pm IST (10am GMT)

Big Picture – Pant vs Bumrah

Rishabh Pant has gone from strength to strength since his comeback to competitive cricket. After showing glimpses of his old self in earlier games, he unleashed havoc on the Gujarat Titans bowlers in Delhi Capitals’ previous outing, with 88 off 43 balls and some geometry-defying pyrotechnics.With 342 runs in nine outings, Pant has already crossed his run-tally from the last time he played the IPL in 2022. He is comfortably DC’s highest run-getter this season and boasts a strike rate of 161.32. That strike rate goes further up to 190.55 against fast bowlers.But when Capitals face Mumbai Indians on Saturday, Pant could be in for his sternest test of IPL 2024 against old nemesis Jasprit Bumrah.Bumrah has been in prime form this season. With 13 wickets and an economy rate of 6.37, he is the joint-highest wicket-taker and Mumbai’s best bowler. More importantly, he has a stellar record against Pant. Bumrah has dismissed Pant six times in 13 IPL innings – more than any other bowler. Pant has a strike rate of 111.6 against Bumrah and averages just 8.00.Bumrah has an economy rate of 7.20 in the death overs in IPL 2024, better than any bowler who has bowled more than two overs. Pant, meanwhile is going at a strike rate of 260.60 this season in the last four. The two didn’t come face to face when DC met MI earlier in the competition. But if they do, it could make for an interesting battle within a battle.MI are currently eighth on the points table with three wins in eight games. Hosts DC, who have won three of their last four outings, are sixth on eight points but have played one extra game.

Form guide

DC WLWWL
MI LWLWWRomario Shepherd had a strike-rate of 390 the last time both sides met•BCCI

Previous meeting in IPL 2024

Romario Shepherd blasted an unbeaten 39 off 10 balls, including a 32-run last over against Anrich Nortje, as Mumbai racked up 234 for 5. Tristan Stubbs also hammered an unbeaten 25-ball 71, but it came too late as DC managed only 205.

Team news and impact player strategy

Delhi Capitals: David Warner remains unavailable due to a finger injury, while Ishant Sharma has also been ruled out of the game. Afghanistan allrounder Gulbadin Naib, who recently replaced Mitchell Marsh in the squad, is available.DC brought in Rasikh Salam as an impact sub for Prithvi Shaw last game and are likely to go that way again. If the surface is conducive to spin, they could also get in Lalit Yadav for his offspin and batting. Nortje has been woefully out of form (economy 13.36) so DC could bring in Jhye Richardson too.Probable XII: 1 , 2 Jake Fraser-McGurk, 3 Shai Hope, 4 Rishabh Pant (capt & wk), 5 Tristan Stubbs, 6 Abishek Porel, 7 Axar Patel, 8 Kuldeep Yadav, 9 Anrich Nortje/Jhye Richardson, 10 Mukesh Kumar, 11 Khaleel Ahmed, 12 Mumbai Indians: Suryakumar Yadav is favourite to be MI’s Impact Player. They started with three overseas players in the previous game, with Nuwan Thushara coming on later. Mumbai could go with the same combination but could also be tempted to have Shepherd in given his performance in the reverse fixture.Probable XII: 1 Rohit Sharma, 2 Ishan Kishan (wk), 3 , 4 Tilak Varma, 5 Hardik Pandya (capt), 6 Tim David, 7 Nehal Wadhera, 8 Mohammad Nabi, 9 Gerald Coetzee, 10 Piyush Chawla, 11 Jasprit Bumrah, 12 Kuldeep Yadav has been DC’s in-form bowler•BCCI

In the spotlight – Kuldeep Yadav and Hardik Pandya

Kuldeep Yadav has been phenomenal this season. With 12 wickets and an economy of 7.54, he is just one away from the Purple Cap, but what’s been most impressive is his 11 wickets in the middle overs, the joint-most in that phase this season. He is also going at an economy of just 6.40 in the phase. MI’s middle order hasn’t been their strongest suit and Kuldeep could add more to his tally.Nothing much has gone to plan for Hardik Pandya. In eight innings in IPL 2024, he has scored just 151 runs, averaging 21.57 with a strike rate of 142.25. With the ball, he has only managed four wickets going at an economy rate of 10.94. Pandya’s entry point while batting has also been a major talking point. In MI’s previous game, he came in after a strong 99-run stand between Tilak Varma and Nehal Wadhera and sucked the momentum out of the game with a run-a-ball 10, with Tim David still waiting to bat. A strong show with both bat and ball will do Pandya’s confidence a world of good.

Pitch and conditions

Runs, runs and more runs have been the theme in the two games in Delhi. Teams have thrashed 57 sixes in two matches here, with scores of 200 breached three times in four innings and the lowest score standing at 199. The shorter square boundaries could bring the likes of Suryakumar, Tim David and Jake Fraser-McGurk into the picture with another high-scoring affair expected. This will, however, be the first day game in Delhi and that could mean some assistance for spinners.The temperature will be around the 38C mark in the day.

Stats that matter

• Pant’s 243 runs in the middle overs is the highest among all batters in IPL 2024.
• Capitals have the second-worst economy rate in the powerplay this season – 10.46.
• Rohit Sharma has 1026 runs against DC in the IPL. He needs five more to go past Virat Kohli’s record for most runs against the Delhi franchise.
• Bumrah has removed Shaw twice in 16 balls in the IPL. Shaw only strikes at 72.7 against Bumrah, while averaging 8.00. Axar Patel has fallen to Bumrah three times in 45 balls and has a strike rate of 102.2 against him.
• Rohit has been dismissed by Axar three times in 10 IPL innings and strikes at only 91.3 against him. Khaleel Ahmed has meanwhile sent back Pandya three times in 26 balls in the tournament.

Quotes

“It was obvious in that last game against RR that wasn’t the standard that we set ourselves to. That’s a challenge to the playing group. We are responsible for setting that tone and for providing the intent in the field. We haven’t been effective enough at shutting teams down when they’ve gotten going. That’s a challenge moving forward and again if we are going to play well through in the back-end of this tournament then we have to fire through as bowlers, as batters and in the field. We need to play our best cricket.
“Our batting is also strong, we have scored more than 400 runs in four games. The wicket here is so good. It is a fantastic wicket, not the biggest of grounds, so it’s very hard on the bowlers. It’s really not easy on the bowlers at all. The way it’s going all around IPL, bowlers are getting carted all over. That’s one area that needs to be looked at in the future, a proper balance between bat and the ball.”

“I’ve been learning on the job in Test cricket. I feel like I’m getting better and better,” says the left-arm spinner

Vithushan Ehantharajah10-Dec-2022A humble Jack Leach was in disbelief at achieving 100 Test wickets, regarding the feat as more than he felt he’d ever achieve and something he did not think “would ever happen” on the day he became the 49th England bowler to pass the milestone.The left-arm spinner took 4 for 98 on the second day of the Multan Test, as Pakistan were dismissed for 202 in their first innings. Having taken the first of those on the first evening, he arrived on Saturday with 99 dismissals to his name. A dragged heave from Saud Shakeel, caught brilliantly by James Anderson running back from mid-on, took him to three figures.Related

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The celebrations said it all: jubilation from the Somerset spinner matched by that of his teammates, particularly captain Ben Stokes who was the first to embrace the 31-year-old as he wheeled away with glee.”I did know coming into the game I needed a couple of wickets,” Leach said at stumps, with England’s lead at 281 with five second-innings wickets remaining. “It was a nice feeling. The boys were always really happy for me. I was just pleased to get a wicket in that situation of the game, really.”I just felt like, I don’t know, 100 wickets feels like quite a lot. And it’s more than I felt I’ll ever achieve. I need to remember that. As sportsmen and as people, it’s easy to just push on to the next thing and the next thing and the next thing, and nothing’s ever enough.””But if you told me that when I was a kid that I’d take 100 wickets, I would have laughed at you. So yes, it is special.”He became the 13th left-arm spinner to register 100 wickets for his country. But most impressively of all, the 50 innings it took to get here puts him in elite company: Wasim Akram, Chaminda Vaas, Shoaib Akthar, Rangana Herath, Mitchell Starc and Keshav Maharaj to do it in as many.While Shakeel’s wicket took him to 100, it was the next wicket of Mohammad Rizwan that was the most spectacular. Having been struck over his head for four, Leach got one to dip and spin off a leg-stump line and strike middle as the right-hander hung back and was beaten on the outside edge. A chip from Mohammad Nawaz to Stokes in close gave him four for the innings and took him to 102 across his career, at an average of 33.75.That Leach has achieved all this, not to mention playing in his 31st Test, is an indication of his resilience. He suffers from Crohn’s disease, an inflammatory bowel disease, that was first diagnosed at the age of 14. It is managed with immunosuppressant medication, which weakens the immune system and thus leaves Leach prone to other ailments that could be life-threatening.During a tour of New Zealand at the end of 2019, he was hospitalised with a life-threatening bout of sepsis after suffering from food poisoning. It meant he did not feature on that tour, and the knock-on effects into South Africa meant he did not play any of England’s four Tests there at the start of 2020, leaving before the third after his struggles became insurmountable. He would later have to shield himself during the Covid-19 pandemic because he was regarded as medically vulnerable.He almost missed the first Test of this series in Pakistan with illness, falling victim to the virus that affected the majority of the playing squad and staff ahead of the opening match in Rawalpindi. He pulled through, taking three in the match, including the winning wicket at the end of day five to secure one of England’s most audacious victories in the format.”I wouldn’t think it would have been possible, just probably health-wise more than anything. I was quite close to not playing the first Test. There’re lots of different challenges. I’m aware everyone has their challenges, I’m aware mine have been quite out there. That’s good because I want to be open and honest with people. There’ve been some definite lows along the way, but it does sort of make it all worth it.”Leach picked up the final wicket in the first Test to seal a memorable win for England•Matthew Lewis/Getty Images

There have been professional battles too, from struggling for first XI cricket at Somerset to biding his time with England since making his debut in March 2018. But since Stokes took over under head coach Brendon McCullum, Leach has enjoyed a renewed sense of purpose and drive as the number one spinner. He credits both with the comfort he has in his role at the moment. He has been the only bowler to play in all nine Tests since their stewardship began at the start of the summer.”Ben and Baz [McCullum] have a lot to do with that,” he said when asked of his surer footing at international level. “But I think also just I’ve probably been learning on the job in Test cricket. I feel like I’m getting better and better, and learning more and more. It’s nice to feel like I’m in control of what I’m doing. It feels good. Because if we’re winning lots of games, then everything kind of takes care of itself.”I feel like I’m just loving playing for England, the most I’ve ever loved it. And it’s because it’s all about the team, it’s not about me. And that’s a special feeling.”In the immediate future, he will have to play a prominent role in the ongoing second Test in Multan. The tourists boast a 281-run lead going into day three on a pitch spinning and now exhibiting indifferent bounce. Any victory, which would seal a famous series win with a match to spare, rests on him. For now, however, he is still coming to terms with breaking the 100-wicket barrier.”I can’t really believe it. I didn’t think that would ever happen, so it’s a nice, big milestone to get to.” As for where he goes from here: “Just try and get another 100 now, I guess?”

Needing 22 off final over, Harmer hits three sixes, scrambled two levels scores on last ball

ECB Reporters Network12-Aug-2021A century from former England Test captain Alastair Cook helped secure Essex Eagles’ progress into the knockout stages of the Royal London Cup following an extraordinary tie with Lancashire at Emirates Old Trafford.Essex, who were eight wickets down, had required 22 off the last over to win before Simon Harmer stepped up and hit three successive straight sixes off Steven Croft with a scrambled two off the last ball leaving the scores level.The result meant the visitors finish second in Group 2 behind leaders Durham and will play a home eliminator against the third-placed team in Group 1. It was heartbreak for Lancashire, who had to win to qualify. They dropped to fourth, with their total of 250 for 6 always looking a shade under par.The hosts endured a stodgy start with Jack Plom and Ben Allison’s accuracy justifying Essex’s decision to field first. The opening pair had battled their way to 49 when Harmer struck in the 16th over to remove Luke Wells with a beautifully flighted turner for 26 which brought Croft to the middle.Together with Josh Bohannon, the veteran batsman took the game to the visitor’s bowlers before the opener scooped a full toss from Ryan ten Doeschate straight to Harmer at mid off for 34.When a frenetic Rob Jones was caught soon after for three thanks to a one-handed effort by Josh Rymell off ten Doeschate it looked like the innings could go either way until the incoming George Lavelle had other ideas.The 21-year-old quickly took a liking to Aron Niijar and at one stage deposited the unfortunate spinner into the balcony of the famous Emirates Old Trafford pavilion for a massive six as he and Croft built an entertaining century partnership for the fourth wicket.By the time Lavelle holed out to Paul Walter on the leg side boundary for 52, Lancashire had progressed to 203 and with Danny Lamb keen to keep up the momentum with a flurry of innovative shots the host’s were creeping towards respectability.Croft eventually fell seven short of his century hitting out in the penultimate over with Lamb dismissed three balls later as Lancashire closed on 250 for six.In reply Cook and Josh Rymell had eased their way to 44 off 8.3 overs when the 20-year-old edged Baily to Wells at slip, before Essex suffered a severe wobble with Morley trapped in front by Jack Morley for 19 and Feroze Khushi run out by Bohannon for 10 following a mix up with Cook.When Paul Walter was dismissed by a stunning one-handed catch at point from Taylor Cornall, Essex looked in trouble, but with Cook joined by ten Doeschate, the experienced pair were able to add 89 runs for the fifth wicket and take the Eagles to what looked a secure position at 212 for 5 with 33 balls left when the Dutch international was out for 45.But as scoreboard pressure increased, the Eagles plummeted as Cook (110) and Adam Wheater fell in successive deliveries to Croft’s off spin and Nijjar skied Wells to Liam Hurt off his first ball before Harmer’s heroics ensured a thrilling finish.

He is confident that the extra responsibility will not have an adverse effect on his batting

Umar Farooq18-May-2020Pakistan’s new white-ball leader Babar Azam wants to follow in former captain Imran Khan’s footsteps and embrace controlled aggression. Last week, Azam was appointed Pakistan’s ODI captain and the 25-year old is also the heir apparent to Azhar Ali in Test cricket.”I would like to go with what I have learnt that is attacking. So, I would like to follow Imran Khan style of captaincy,” Azam said in an online press conference on Monday. “As captain, you have to learn to be cool. You have to take players with you as well as planning with them against other teams. There are instances when you get angry inside but then you have to contain yourself and must have to control your aggression in the field. The confidence is the key and the more you back your players, they will give their best. With player support you can have a bed of thorns turn into a bed of roses.”Azam is Pakistan’s premier batsman across formats and his recent elevation to ODI captaincy confirmed his status as the highest-profile cricketer in Pakistan. When asked if he was feeling the additional pressure of leadership, Azam said he was ready for the new role.ALSO READ: Babar Azam named Pakistan captain for ODIs“It’s a challenge and you always have to get ready to take up the challenge,” Azam said. “When Wasim Khan (PCB CEO) called me first about handing me the captaincy, it naturally made me happy. It was written in my destiny and it did come to me. You can’t complain that you got it early or it’s a big responsibility. If they (PCB) invested their trust in me, obviously they thought it through and saw a potential in me and I am ready for this.”In addition to the challenges on the field, Azam will have to handle pressure from the media, senior players and power struggles in selection. Historically, many Pakistan captains have struggled to juggle multiple roles and as a result have drifted away from playing their natural game. Azam, though, was confident that leadership will not have an adverse effect on his batting.”I love to take challenges and there is a big difference between captaining and batting,” Azam said. “I don’t think there will be any effect on my batting. In fact, I never think about this because while batting I won’t think about captaincy, so my focus will always be there on my batting. After that I will look into how to handle rest of things and how to draw performances from the team and it is a challenge and I am up for it.”I am definitely not expecting a straight line of victories as a captain. Definitely there won’t be a decorated bed of roses. There will be ups and downs, there will be mistakes and there will be good performances – so this is a part and parcel of it.”Azam backed himself to take his own decisions as captain, but said that he would also take inputs from the senior players and the team management whenever he needed support.”Whenever I feel I need help, there are senior players to help and I look back to Misbah for advice,” Azam said. “It’s a wrong impression that head coach is controlling me as a captain with his decisions. It’s a different perspective. This is definitely not like captaining an Under-19 team or A team where you mostly rely on the dressing room for on-field decisions. I have learnt enough to drive the game on my own in the field with my decisions. But it’s a team game, you sometimes do need tips from the staff sitting outside and if they have a good suggestion, then I do consider it and apply. So this is how it works.”

The Perth Scorchers and Western Australia fast bowler is inexperienced at the professional level, but has already been tipped to play for international honours

Andrew McGlashan12-Apr-2019How has he got his IPL gig?Through impressive performances in the recent Big Bash League for Perth Scorchers, where his skills at the death, particularly his yorker, stood out. Although the Scorchers had a miserable season, Kelly impressed in the seven matches he played taking 11 wickets with an economy rate of 7.74. There is a Western Australia/Scorchers link to Knight Riders as well, with Simon Katich being the assistant coach of the IPL franchise, which could well have helped the move.”I think with the budget we had and the kind of options we had, we felt Matt Kelly fit the bill,” Knight Riders mentor Abhishek Nayar said. “He hits hard lengths, has bowled very well in the BBL in death overs. He also contributes with the bat. So we felt like when we invested in someone like Harry Gurney it was more about seeing the kind of skills he has that adds to the team, which is one of the reasons why we shortlisted Matt Kelly.”Yorkers, you say…Yes, indeed, that skill that has taken a bit of a back seat in recent years with bowlers trying a whole host of variations to try and overcome batsmen who are ever-more innovative with scoops and flicks. It remains a fact, though, that a good yorker (and they aren’t easy to deliver on cue) remains very difficult to score off despite all the shots batsmen have these days. Kelly’s ability caught the eye of someone who used to be world-class at delivering them…
Never mind the IPL, how about Australia selection?Australia are pretty well-stocked with quality quicks across all formats at the moment, but Kelly will certainly be one to keep an eye on with a view to the 2020 T20 World Cup and beyond. Mark Waugh, the former Australia selector, suggested Kelly could be a late inclusion for this year’s World Cup in England if any one of the first-choice picks are injured, even though he’s only played five List A matches.”One thing we do lack slightly is a really good death bowler – a guy who can bowl yorkers at the end of the innings and he’s really good at that,” Waugh told . “He played for the Scorchers and WA. He’s a bit of a smoky but I’d have him the mix.”
Will he get into the Knight Riders XI?Tough to say at the moment. Knight Riders are second on the table, so are going quite nicely although they were heavily beaten by Chennai Super Kings in their last match. That loss, however, was a failure of the batting unit, which could only make 108 for 9. Their four overseas players in that game were fellow Australian Chris Lynn, Sunil Narine, Andre Russell and Gurney. Russell is enjoying the form of his life, Narine is a key allrounder and Lynn wouldn’t be a like-for-like role so it could come down to him playing off for a spot with Gurney.What about the other formats?As mentioned, he only has five one-day matches under his belt but his early numbers are good, with nine wickets at 22.77 and an economy rate of 4.69. It’s not just white-ball, either, where he has shown plenty of promise. He was Western Australia’s leading wicket-taker in the Sheffield Shield with 30 wickets at 28.53 including a career-best 6 for 67 against South Australia. He certainly has a chance of featuring in the Australia A squads for the tour of England, which will be named next week.

The T20 squad had no room for Mali, Sune Luus or Laura Wolvaardt but included Odine Kirsten, Nadine de Klerk and Moseline Daniels

Firdose Moonda26-Jan-2018South Africa have named uncapped medium-pacer Zintle Mali in their women’s squad to face India in three ODIs next month. The squad of 14 otherwise comprises familiar names who represented South Africa at the Women’s World Cup last June-July.

South Africa limited-overs squads

ODIs: Dane van Niekerk (capt), Marizanne Kapp, Trisha Chetty, Shabnim Ismail, Ayabonga Khaka, Masabata Klaas, Sune Luus, Laura Wolvaardt, Mignon du Preez, Lizelle Lee, Chloe Tryon, Andrie Steyn, Raisibe Ntozakhe, Zintle Mali
T20s: Dane van Niekerk (capt), Marizanne Kapp, Trisha Chetty, Shabnim Ismail, Ayabonga Khaka, Masabata Klaas, Sune Luus, Odine Kirsten, Mignon du Preez, Lizelle Lee, Chloe Tryon, Nadine de Klerk, Raisibe Ntozakhe, Moseline Daniels

The team have not played a match since their semi-final defeat to England in Bristol on July 18 but will need to find their feet quickly. The three matches against India will form part of the ICC Women’s Championship (IWC), which will decide which teams qualify for the 2021 World Cup. The South African women held a team camp late last year and some of memebers have been playing in the Women’s Big Bash League, so they are not entirely without game time but coach Hilton Moreeng knows the importance of being on the ball immediately.”It’s been a long break for the squad and preparation has been very good building up to this important, first IWC series and we are going to make sure that we keep working hard and that we arrive prepared for it. Come the first game against India, we need to make sure that we hit the ground running,” Moreeng said. “We know that the series against India is going to be a tough one. We need to make sure that we capitalise on the home-ground advantage as a team to make sure that we bring the right results to the fore.”The squad will be led by Dane van Niekerk and with headliners Mignon du Preez, Marizanne Kapp and Shabnim Ismail. Youngsters Laura Wolvaardt, Raisibe Ntozakhe and Sune Luus are also in the mix.South Africa and India will also play five T20s after the ODIs, of which the final three will be staged as double-headers with the men’s series. The matches are being viewed as preparation for the Women’s World T20, which will take place in the West Indies in November this year. The T20 squad had no room for Mali, Luus or Wolvaardt but included Odine Kirsten, Nadine de Klerk and Moseline Daniels.”Going into the T20s, for us it is going to give us good preparation against a very good side. The televised double-headers are the cherry on top to make sure that we keep improving and raising the awareness regarding women’s cricket in the country and making sure that we build towards the ICC Women’s World T20 in West Indies. Every game that we play from now on will be with that in mind,” Moreeng said.

England have confirmed that Jos Buttler and Chris Woakes will return to their team for the third Test against India starting in Mohali on Saturday

George Dobell in Mohali25-Nov-20162:53

Compton: Buttler may not be a long-term option

England have confirmed that Jos Buttler and Chris Woakes will return to the side for the third Test against India starting in Mohali on Saturday. Buttler comes in for Ben Duckett, who has been dropped, while Woakes replaces the injured Stuart Broad.For Buttler it will be just his second first-class match since being dropped from the Test side against Pakistan in the UAE last year. He played once for Lancashire towards the end of 2016 season, having had plans to play Championship cricket earlier in the summer ended by a broken thumb.”Jos is an extremely talented cricketer and we’ve all seen that in the one-day and Twenty20 format,” Alastair Cook, the England captain, said. “He’s right up there with the best short-form players in the world and he’s earned an opportunity to come and play here.”It’s clearly not ideal because of circumstances and he hasn’t played a lot of red-ball cricket but sometimes when the pressure’s off and you just go out and play you can do something special.Cook also said that using Buttler as wicketkeeper, and Jonny Bairstow as a specialist batsman after what has been a prolific year, was not discussed. “There was no temptation to give Jos the gloves back,” he said. “I think Jonny’s been outstanding and has settled in that role and done very well.”But he had a glint in his eye when I said we’d like you to move up to five. It gives him more chance to bat. He bats at five and keeps at Yorkshire so he’s used to that role.”Virat Kohli, the India captain, said he was surprised it had taken so long for England to bring Buttler back. “I was actually quite surprised to see him being left out after a couple of bad runs. I think he’s a very talented player and can do really well for England.”One advantage that Buttler has over most of his team-mates is in having played at Mohali already this year, during his IPL stint with Mumbai Indians. But the suggestion that Buttler has “earned” his recall will raise some eyebrows. While Buttler’s record in limited-overs cricket is very good – he is rated No. 12 in the official ICC ODI rankings and 20th in the T20I rankings – and his work ethic around the squad is excellent, he has hardly had an opportunity to push for a return in red-ball cricket.He has not been able to prove that he has learned to build an innings or deal with some of the issues that saw him lose form. Buttler hasn’t so much earned his recall as won it by default, with Duckett and Gary Ballance having been dropped.That raises questions about the balance of the squad on this section of the tour. The England camp were not committed to retaining the same squad from Bangladesh here so if they had come to a decision not to pick Ballance – and it appears they had – in India, it might have made sense to call up another player in his place.Quite who that might have been is debatable. While England would love a player of Ian Bell’s talent and experience to have scored enough runs to justify his recall, it is hard to argue that he did.Asked whether reinforcements might be called up before the final two Tests of the series, Cook replied: “I don’t think that will happen.”Cook also had warm words for Broad, who produced an exceptional spell on the fourth morning in Visakhapatnam despite a foot injury. “You wouldn’t know that his foot was as bad as it was,” Cook said. “But the specialist’s advice is that there is a risk of it going totally and he would then be out for a period of time”They were quite surprised how well he got through those four-and-a-half days after doing it in the third or fourth over of the match. If he played here and did more damage to the tendon in the second over then you’d look stupid.”Describing the decision to drop Duckett as “a blip” in a promising young player’s career, Cook expressed confidence in his long-term future.”Ben won’t be the only good player who has been dropped,” he said. “He has an England future, there’s no doubt about it, because he’s a very talented guy with a lot ahead of him.”When I chatted to him he said he thought he was a pretty decent player of spin. And he is. But he just has an issue which unfortunately has been found out quite quickly which can happen in this part of the world in international cricket.”He can go and address that and come again because he’s a very talented and exciting cricketer in all three forms. It’s just a blip in his career. He will have to work at his game, but he isn’t the first person who has to do that and he won’t be the last.”Cook also confirmed that Zafar Ansari was not fit for selection but delayed naming a full side until he had taken the chance to inspect the pitch and decide whether a third spinner or fourth seamer would be more appropriate. On a dry, shaved surface though, it looks likely that Gareth Batty, the offspinner, will come into the side in place of Ansari.Moeen Ali is to be promoted to No. 4 in the batting order and Bairstow to No. 5. Buttler will bat at No. 7. That means Moeen will have batted at every position in the top nine for England in Test cricket except at No. 3, which is where he bats for Worcestershire.