Tag Futebol

Surfaces have not been bad there historically. Ironically, they have been since he became chairman

Osman Samiuddin08-Dec-2022Good. Very good. Good. Below average.In order, oldest to latest, those are the ICC ratings for Rawalpindi pitches in the four Tests Pakistan have played there since Test cricket returned to the country in December 2019, excluding the last, against England.That first Test was ruined by rain but the two subsequent ones, against Bangladesh and South Africa, were played on pitches designed to reap results, which they did. They weren’t rank turners or green mambas, though there was enough grass on the surface against Bangladesh for Pakistan to talk publicly about moving on from the UAE spin era. In both games there was movement for the new ball off the surface, there was a period when batters could feel settled, there was bounce, there was purchase for spin, there were runs to be made, and there was reverse swing. In short, the contest between bat and ball was fair and compelling.Related

Ramiz Raja removed as PCB chairman

Rawalpindi pitch earns second 'below average' rating of 2022

Searching for the real Pakistan – from behind a security cordon

Little chance of conservatism from England as Pakistan search for bowling balance

Babar Azam: 'We didn't get the pitch we wanted'

The last rating was for the Test against Australia.Between that match and this England Test, Rawalpindi hosted seven Quaid-e-Azam trophy games in which wickets came at a cost of 32.4 and a strike rate of 60.38. Fast bowlers took 142 wickets at 32.6, spinners 66 wickets at 30. In the last of those games, a month ago, Mohammad Abbas took seven wickets for Southern Punjab and the mystery spin of Abrar Ahmed eight wickets for Sindh. In short, the contest between bat and ball in those games was fair and compelling. Then came this England Test, which, like that Australia Test, provided a grossly unfair and off-putting imbalance between bat and ball.That England secured a win on the final day should not mask what an abomination the surface was. It took one of their greatest performances ever to eke out a result, otherwise the pitch was made purely to secure a draw for Pakistan. The two Test surfaces, in other words, have been nothing like those from a couple of years ago or even, more recently, those of this domestic season. Nasser Hussain said the pitch didn’t deserve to have the players it had on it.Ramiz Raja, the PCB chairman, also condemned the surface, calling it “embarrassing”. In various media interactions, Ramiz also said that it would take anywhere from a season to several years to fix pitches; that Pakistan were in the dark ages as far as pitch preparation was concerned.Ordinarily such comments might get a pass. He is the chairman. Foreign media are in town. He is an easy content provider. He is bilingually perfect, because he speaks English but also the language of the media, made up of buzzwords and clichés. The pitch is so awful it needs accountability. This is the ceremonial dance of chairmanship.Except, in Ramiz’s case, those comments cannot pass so easily. As well as being alarmist, the idea that Pakistan cannot produce good pitches is more than a little disingenuous, because as those ICC ratings suggest, Test pitches have been this bad only since Ramiz became chairman. It’s surprising he doesn’t remember Rawalpindi producing good surfaces because he was commentating on those games before he became chairman. In the daily analysis he did for his YouTube channel, he praised the surface for the Test against South Africa, not least on day four when he said the curator had prepared a , or brilliant, surface with something in it for everyone.If such a surface could be produced as recently as February 2021, why should it take years to produce another surface like that – or at least a surface less like the one this England Test was played on? Why should it take so long and be seen as so difficult to produce better surfaces when the evidence of this first-class season in Rawalpindi says that there is not much work to be done?It shouldn’t, is the short answer. The only reason the last two Test surfaces in Rawalpindi have been so poor, so lifeless, is because Pakistan have wanted them that way, not because there is something inherently wrong with them. The problem is not the pitches but the conservative mindset among the leadership of Pakistan cricket.Earlier this year Ramiz all but admitted that the Rawalpindi pitch had been flattened to neutralise Australia’s attack. After the England loss Babar Azam said this was not the pitch Pakistan wanted, even though they had “a lot of input” into what they wanted. They wanted a turner, though the deed of picking just one spinner from a squad of three – and not a spinning allrounder who was Pakistan’s leading wicket-taker in their last Test series – rather belies those words.England get an eyeful of the Rawalpindi pitch ahead of the Test•Getty ImagesOrdinarily, most board chairmen would not be as fixated on pitches as Ramiz appears to be. He brought in a curator from Australia for a ten-day stint ahead of the third Test of that series. Nobody is sure what purpose that served. He brought in another Australian curator in July, this time for local curators to pick his brains about pitch preparations. (He has little faith in local curators clearly: in a previous stint as board CEO, he brought in Andy Atkinson to help prepare pitches for a series against India.) He’s been keen on bringing drop-in pitches to Pakistan, though that plan has had to be put on hold because of the expense involved in shipping them in. Now he wants to develop them in Pakistan.The solution is questionable because drop-in pitches are useful usually in multipurpose venues, where cricket shares space with other sports. All of Pakistan’s main cricket stadiums are under the control of the PCB and so will only be used for cricket. It is more questionable because, on the evidence of all Tests played in Pakistan since their return in 2019-20, it could be argued there wasn’t a problem in the first place – until Ramiz took over.Ramiz has already warned that similar surfaces will be seen for the rest of season, another two Tests against England and two when New Zealand visit. At which point, it is worth revisiting the three home series against Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and South Africa and asking: why?Sure, Multan, where Pakistan and England now play, is a bit of an unknown in that this Test will be the first there since November 2006. Five of the seven first-class games there over the last two seasons have been drawn, though not in homogenous fashion. But Karachi, the venue for the last Test of the England series, has played out two Tests (before the one against Australia, under Ramiz’s tenure) of compelling cricket: it spun more than some could ever remember on the first day of one and had seam movement and invariable enough bounce to keep batters honest on the first day of the other.In one sense, it is understandable that Ramiz is so hung up on pitches. His USP when he became chairman after all was that he was a cricketer and what cricket needed more of was cricketers running it. Indeed, who else run it better? And so, going by that platform, of course he will get in the weeds with pitches.Except, if the state of Pakistan’s Test pitches is anything to go by, the evidence is growing that it’s not being run particularly well.

Lutho Sipamla enjoys fruitful maiden series as travails of 2020 are put behind the hosts

Firdose Moonda05-Jan-2021South Africa did not have many certainties going into this Test series against Sri Lanka, except it was going to be tough for batsmen. The venues – SuperSport Park and the Wanderers – are known for pace, bounce, swing and seam movement and the strategy against teams from the subcontinent means those conditions are amplified.That has meant that South Africa’s own batsmen have had to struggle too in recent years, but that was considered a small price to pay for series wins over India (2018) and Pakistan (2019). It also allowed the cream among the home players to rise to the top, and over the last five years that has been just one person: Dean Elgar.Among openers, Elgar is Test cricket’s leading run-scorer in the five years since January 2016, and reclaimed top spot on the final day at the Wanderers after Dimuth Karunaratne had briefly overtaken him with his hard-earned century in Sri Lanka’s second innings.His returns are particularly impressive because they have come at a time when the rest of South Africa’s line-up has been inconsistent and without a clear leader. South Africa have long lacked a go-to batsman; a reliable top-order presence who is almost guaranteed to come good, in the manner of Kane Williamson or Virat Kohli, let alone Jacques Kallis or Graeme Smith. Elgar may not automatically be mentioned among those names, but in the current South African context, perhaps he should be.”I think that, with my experience and my time in the Proteas set-up, I need to contribute [more],” he said while receiving the Player of the Match and Series awards. “In years gone by, there’s always been experienced heads so you block it out and give them the older ball to try and score, but I feel that if I look to score and try and be positive, it’s something that we can gain from.”Lutho Sipamla bowls on Test debut•AFP via Getty ImagesMark Boucher, South Africa’s coach, is certainly impressed: “If you have a look at conditions our batters have had to face over the last period, there have been some tough conditions to bat in,” he said, “especially as an opening batter with the new ball. I’m very happy he is in good form and technically, is looking very good.”Although an Elgar innings is not always aesthetically pleasing and usually involves a few hours of grind, it is often an effective knock, and one that sets South Africa up well. “He has been nice and aggressive as well, which is something we have spoken about in the team,” Boucher added. “There’s nothing better than when a senior player takes those words on board, especially at the top of the order.”Elgar’s establishing of his own authority in this series was the most notable aspect of his batting. It is because of his 95 and 127 and the partnerships he featured in – the first century stand for a South African opening pair in more than three years, with Aiden Markram at SuperSport Park, and a 184-run second-wicket stand at the Wanderers with Rassie van der Dussen – that South Africa won. Elgar finished the series as the leading run-scorer and, if he can repeat that against Pakistan and Australia, don’t be too surprised if it results in him being named Test captain. Until then, he still has a major role to play for South Africa: the role of certainty.Related

Quinton de Kock: 'Bubble life is very unsettling. I don't know how long it can last for'

SA seal victory and 2-0 series win despite Karunaratne ton

Rise of Anrich Nortje heralds new era of security for South Africa

Elgar drinks in latest hundred as SA make light of batting wobble

Moonda: SA's collapse exposes familiar faultlines

At the other end of the line-up is someone in an altogether different stage of his career. Lutho Sipamla made his debut at SuperSport Park amid South Africa’s uncertainty over who to anoint as their third seamer, and has now made a strong case for keeping the spot. Sipamla started poorly, with 66 runs coming from his first 12 overs, but finished strongly with 10 wickets and 101 runs from his next 27.5, and he has impressed Boucher with his tenacity.”It was difficult to judge Lutho on his first day of Test cricket – there are so many butterflies and nerves and certain people handle those feelings in different ways,” Boucher said. “He is very young and he has probably never felt like that before, especially because Test cricket means such a lot to him. That’s a good sign for me, when a guy is so passionate about playing for his country, especially for a Test match. He is one of the pluses for me. From where he started to where he is now, he has learnt a hell of a lot in the last two games.”Sipamla demonstrated an ability to adapt quickly, when he went from spraying both sides of the wicket in his opening spell of the first Test to plugging away in the channel outside off thereafter. He was rewarded with wickets in the Sri Lankan tail in both matches, which Boucher said came as a result of hard work. “It’s one thing cleaning the tail up but the areas that he was hitting, always asking questions, with some decent pace as well [show how he improved].”Aside from Elgar and Sipamla, South Africa had other sparks of excellence, such as Faf du Plessis’ 199 and Anrich Nortje’s second five-for, but also some indifference. Losing 9 for 84 on the second day of the second Test remains their biggest concern. “The collapse wasn’t ideal. There were a couple of good balls in between there and maybe one or two lazy shots,” Boucher said. “They got the ball to swing a lot and swing with a bit of bounce is always going to be very friendly to bowlers. The conditions were quite difficult to bat in. If you are a bowler and you got the ball in the right area, there’s always something for you.”That sums up South African conditions which will remain challenging for batsmen, from home and away, but which can be conquered. South Africa have started to show how that can be done again. Their real test will come later in the summer, against Australia, when, given the attacks in each camp and the likelihood of the bubble being in Johannesburg again, the only certainty is that it will be tough for batsmen.

Carlos Correa is going back to where it all started.

The Minnesota Twins dealt the three-time All-Star shortstop to the Houston Astros in a blockbuster move before the trade deadline, reuniting him with the team with whom he spent seven seasons and helped win the 2017 World Series.

Correa was reportedly a big fan of the reunion as he waived his no-trade clause to return to the Astros. "I let [the Twins] know there was only one team I would allow that to happen," Correa said.

Astros star Jose Altuve was also pumped about the Correa trade and shared a simple, two-emoji reaction on his Instagram Stories.

On Thursday night, Altuve reposted a graphic of Correa in an Astros jersey who was pointing to his wrist to signal, "It's time." Altuve added two clock emojis in the caption:

It should come as no surprise that the Astros second baseman is excited about the move given that the two were good friends and teammates from 2015 to '21.

Prior to the deadline deal, Altuve said he hadn't spoken to Correa about returning to Houston but did speculate on a potential reunion.

"Correa’s a guy with a lot of history here in Houston," Altuve said Wednesday. "He’s a great player, a great human being, great teammate, so I think anything that happens, I hope it’s the best for him and for us."

Arsenal have now joined the race for a £88m forward who recently entered “very advanced” talks over a move to Tottenham Hotspur…

Gunners ramping up pursuit of forward amid Eze criticism

The Gunners’ lead at the top of the Premier League table was reduced to just two points on Saturday, with Aston Villa securing a 2-1 win at Villa Park, and Shaka Hislop was particularly unimpressed with Eberechi Eze’s performance.

Hislop said: “He could have been taken off after 30 minutes, I’ll be honest.

“Now I am as willing as anybody to sing Eze’s praises, but everything from Arsenal came down the right in that first half.

“Everything came through Bukayo Saka, so the change had to be made at half-time because Eze was non-existent.”

In fairness, Eze has made a very promising start to life at the Emirates Stadium, with the England international amassing nine goal contributions in his opening 22 matches across all competitions.

However, the 27-year-old’s best performance arguably came in the 4-1 victory against Tottenham, during which he played through the middle, so there may be room to bring in another left-winger this winter, and Arsenal are now ramping up their pursuit.

It was recently revealed that a strong move is being made for Paris Saint-Germain star Bradley Barcola, but the Frenchman is not the only target, with a report from Caught Offside revealing Arsenal have now joined the race for RB Leipzig star Yan Diomande.

The Gunners have been monitoring Diomande’s progress over the past few weeks, alongside a number of Europe’s top clubs, while Spurs are also keen, with Sky Sports reporter Sacha Tavolieri recently stating they are in “very advanced” talks with the left-winger.

A deal could be on the expensive side, however, with it being suggested RB Leipzig could look to hold out for around €80m – €100m (£70m – £88m).

Arsenal to "directly contact" £88m forward about joining after talks with his reps

Arteta apparently wants to sign him in January.

By
Emilio Galantini

Dec 5, 2025

Diomande making "sensational" impact in Germany

The Ivorian only made the move to Germany during the summer, but he has already started to make a major impact, being singled out for high praise by scout Jacek Kulig.

Most recently, the 19-year-old put in a remarkable performance in his side’s 6-0 victory against Eintracht Frankfurt, scoring a hat-trick and completing more dribbles than any other player.

Considering Diomande is still a teenager, the level of his performances in the Bundesliga this season have been remarkable, and he may be ready to join one of Europe’s biggest clubs soon, so it would be fantastic if Arsenal were able to beat Tottenham to his signature.

Byron Buxton and Carlos Correa may have escaped the worst possible scenario after a scary collision on Thursday.

The two Minnesota Twins players ran into each other as they both chased down a shallow pop fly against the Baltimore Orioles. Buxton ran in to catch the ball off the bat of Cedric Mullins at full speed, somehow made the grab, then ran into Correa's back as both men hit the turf hard.

Video is below.

Both players left the game and it was later announced they had entered concussion protocol.

After the game, Twins bench coach Jayce Tingler clarified that entering concussion protocol doesn't mean a player has a concussion, but rather that both are being evaluated for concussions.

We should know the status of both players on Friday, but it's good to hear they haven't been diagnosed with concussions yet.

The Twins beat the Orioles 4-0 to improve to 24-20 on the season.

Celtic have just under two weeks to find their long-term successor to Brendan Rodgers in the dugout at Parkhead before the end of the international break.

Martin O’Neill has been in interim charge for the last four matches in all competitions, winning three of them, but he may have managed his last game for the club if they can find a permanent head coach in the coming days.

Sky Sports reporter Anthony Joseph recently claimed that Columbus Crew manager Wilfried Nancy has emerged as one of the contenders to replace Rodgers in Glasgow.

Celtic considering move for title-winning manager

The French MLS head coach is not the only name under consideration during this international break, though, as they are also looking at a title-winning boss who would be an upgrade on Nancy.

Manager Focus

Who are the greatest coaches in the land? Football FanCast’s Manager Focus series aims to reveal all.

According to Sky Sports, Celtic have drawn up a shortlist that includes several of the usual suspects, including Nancy, Kieran McKenna, Craig Bellamy, and Kjetil Knutsen.

The report claims that Club Brugge head coach Nicky Hayen is also one of the tacticians on their radar, as they consider who they want to replace Rodgers this season.

It remains to be seen who they will decide to pursue as their number one target, at this moment in time, but Hayen could be a much better option than Nancy for the Hoops.

Why Nicky Hayen would be a better option than Wilfried Nancy for Celtic

The 4-2-3-1 head coach could be an upgrade on the Columbus Crew manager for Celtic because of his experience in European football and his superior domestic performances.

Per Transfermarkt, Nancy has averaged 1.70 points per game over 169 MLS matches in his career. He also ended the 2025 campaign with a points per game average of 1.59, winning 14 and losing eight of his 34 games.

Meanwhile, per Transfermarkt, Hayen has averaged 2.00 points per game across 83 matches as Club Brugge’s permanent manager, after averaging 2.21 points per game in 14 outings as their caretaker before landing the permanent job.

The Pro League boss, who was described as “tactically unbeatable” by one scout on X, has also won three trophies, including a league title, since the start of the 2023/24 campaign.

Meanwhile, Nancy has won one trophy, the MLS Cup, since the start of 2023, which suggests that Hayen would be the better option out of the pair when looking for domestic success in the Scottish Premiership.

Matches

4

15

Wins

2

6

Draws

1

2

Losses

1

7

Points per game

1.75

1.33

Best finish

Semi-finals

Last 16

As you can see in the table above, the Club Brugge head coach has also had success on the European stage, going further in the Conference League and the Champions League than Rodgers ever did across his two spells at Parkhead with Celtic.

These statistics suggest that Hayen would help the Hoops to compete on the European stage, as he has proven that he can coach at that level, whilst Nancy has only ever coached in the MLS and has no prior experience in the Europa League, Conference League, or Champions League.

Dream Knutsen alternative: Celtic want to interview "incredible" manager

Celtic want to interview a manager who would be a dream alternative to Kjetil Knutsen.

ByDan Emery Nov 11, 2025

Therefore, the Club Brugge boss could be a much better option for the Scottish giants than Nancy, because their respective careers suggest that he has a higher chance of being a success domestically and on the European stage.

Former Australia coach Tim Nielsen will take over as Australia’s Under-19s coach ahead of the upcoming series against India Under-19s with the World Cup on the horizon but Australia’s squad won’t feature star batter Oliver Peake as he will be touring with the Australia A team.Cricket Australia announced a 15-man squad for the upcoming home series against India Under-19s in Brisbane and Mackay starting next month, which will feature three 50-over matches and two four-day games. The three Youth ODIs will be played on September 21, 24 and 26 at Ian Healy Oval in Brisbane. The first Youth Test will be held at the same venue starting on September 30 while the second will played in Mackay from October 7.Nielsen, 57, coached Australia’s men’s team between 2007 and 2011, having been a long-time assistant to former Australia coach John Buchanan before that, as well as being head coach of CA’s Centre of Excellence, a position that no longer exists.Related

• Mhatre to lead India U-19 in multi-format tour of Australia

• Konstas, Peake, McSweeney named in Australia A squad for India tour

• Weatherald 'ready' for Test cricket, excitement around teen-prodigy Peake

Following his stint with Australia’s men, Nielsen was South Australia and Adelaide Striker’s long-time high performance manager before resigning in February 2024. He took up a brief post as Pakistan’s high-performance red-ball coach alongside close friend and long-time colleague Jason Gillespie when the latter was Pakistan’s Test coach in 2024.Nielsen returns to a development role at CA after Lachlan Stevens resigned as CA’s development coach earlier this year and his first duty will be to lead an Under-19s squad in their last bilateral series before the Under-19s World Cup in January in Zimbabwe and Namibia.Australia’s 15-player squad looks very different to the one CA sent to India in September and October last year, where they were beaten soundly 2-0 in the Youth Test series and 3-0 in the Youth ODI series. Only four players, Simon Budge, Steve Hogan, Hayden Schiller and Alex Lee Young, remain from that tour where India batting sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi announced himself with a 58-ball century in the first Youth Test.Oliver Peake made an impressive 52 on first-class debut aged 18•Getty Images

Suryavanshi has been named in India’s Under-19 squad to tour Australia. But Peake, who made a century in the second youth Test in India last year, has been selected on Australia A’s tour of India that will occur at the same time, following an impressive first-class debut for Victoria in March and scoring 92 for Australia A against Sri Lanka A last month. Peake, 18, is still eligible to play in the Under-19s World Cup next year but it remains to be seen whether he will given he is contracted to Melbourne Renegades in the BBL and a key part of Victoria’s plans for the upcoming Sheffield Shield season.”We’re excited to continue our preparation for the ongoing ICC U19 World cup cycle, with an exciting squad of emerging players,”CA’s Head of National Development Sonya Thompson said.”This series against India provides a valuable opportunity for our young players to experience international cricket in white-ball and red-ball formats, and to test themselves against a high-quality opponent.”The multi-format tour is designed to challenge players to adapt and grow, while also giving selectors and coaches meaningful insights ahead of the National U19 Championships in December.”We’re also thrilled to welcome Tim Nielsen as Head Coach of the National U19 squad. His extensive international experience and leadership will be instrumental in guiding and inspiring Australia’s next generation of cricketers.Australia Under-19 squad: Simon Budge, Alex Turner, Steve Hogan, Will Malajczuk, Yash Deshmukh, Tom Hogan, Aryan Sharma, John James, Hayden Schiller, Charles Lachmund, Ben Gordon, Will Byrom, Kasey Barton, Alex Lee Young, Jayden Draper

MatériaMais Notícias

Renato Augusto foi ausência pelo segundo treino consecutivo do Corinthians durante a Data Fifa. O camisa 8 sentiu um desconforto na panturrilha durante o empate do Timão com o Flamengo, pelo Brasileirão, no sábado (7), e vem convivendo com lesões durante a temporada.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasCorinthiansEntenda o motivo de Tite ter recusado o Corinthians, mas aceitado o FlamengoCorinthians11/10/2023CorinthiansVai ter proposta? Atacante do Corinthians, Wesley é monitorado por clube inglêsCorinthians11/10/2023CorinthiansFagner gordo? Lateral busca resolver problema que tem o atormentado no CorinthiansCorinthians11/10/2023

+ Garanta a sua vaga no curso que formou craques como Pet, Dante e Léo Moura! Cupom: LANCE1000

Entre as atividades na academia e os exercícios em campo, Mano Menezes e Sidnei Lobo, auxiliar técnico do Timão, conversaram com Fausto Vera durante o treino. O momento foi divulgado pela Corinthians TV.

Contratado por R$ 30 milhões na temporada passada, o meia argentino não entra em campo pelo Timão desde o dia 3 de setembro, quando saiu do banco de reservas e atuou por 15 minutos no empate com o Palmeiras, pelo Brasileirão.

continua após a publicidade

Fausto Vera era titular absoluto com Vítor Pereira e elogiado pela torcida corintiana em 2022, mas caiu de rendimento na atual temporada. O argentino não inicia uma partida entre os titulares desde 29 de agosto, na eliminação do Corinthians diante do São Paulo, pela semifinal da Copa do Brasil.

Depois da derrota corintiana contra o São Paulo, pelo returno do Brasileirão, o auxiliar Sidnei Lobo garantiu que Fausto terá mais oportunidades no clube até o final da temporada.

continua após a publicidade

– O Fausto vai ter o espaço dele novamente. Tivemos só um dia de treino, foi uma opção que tivemos. Ele é bom jogador e mais para frente vai ter oportunidade – disse o auxiliar técnico de Mano.

Desde o Dérbi contra o Palmeiras, o meia argentino foi relacionado para seis dos sete jogos do Corinthians, mas não atuou em nenhum.

+ Renove o seu estoque de camisas do Timão com o cupom LANCEFUT 10% OFF

Nesta quarta-feira (11), Mano Menezes e sua comissão organizaram um trabalho de duelos de um contra um ofensivos e defensivos. Houve também confrontos de dois contra dois para aprimorar a transição ofensiva e defensiva. O elenco corintiano retorna ao CT Joaquim Grava na manhã de quinta-feira (12), com a presença da imprensa.