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“If I was really not that loyal I would have done it five years ago when T20 leagues really took off”

Firdose Moonda17-Sep-2023

Quinton de Kock has admitted that the lure of T20 league money influenced his decision to retire from ODI cricket after this year’s World Cup as he looks to “top up” his earnings as his career winds down. Although just 30 years old, de Kock has been playing professional cricket for the last 11 years, retired from Test cricket almost two years ago and will continue playing T20 cricket, both internationally and in leagues around the world, starting with the BBL in December.De Kock made himself available for Australia’s competition even though it will clash with South Africa’s white-ball series against India and shortly afterwards announced his ODI retirement. Asked by the host broadcaster, in an interview ahead of his final home ODI, whether the T20 franchise circuit prompted that decision, de Kock confirmed that they did but maintained that his first priority had been South Africa.”I am not going to sit here and deny that it doesn’t. It helps with my decision. I’ve been around for 10 or 11 years and I’ve tried to keep my loyalty to the team, which I think I’ve done really well. I think I have represented the Proteas badge very well over my career,” de Kock said. “T20 events – I am not going to deny that there is a lot of money and coming to the end of your career, guys want to get their final top-up before their career finishes. Any normal person would do it anyway. If I was really not that loyal I would have done it five years ago when it really took off. Now I am older and with me coming to the down slope of my career, it’s time.”Though still a dangerous batter and lightning quick with the keeping gloves, de Kock’s decision to wind down his career comes from a desire to spend more time with his young family. He stepped away from Tests shortly before the birth of his daughter Kiara and at the time said he and his wife Sasha planned to “grow our family,” in the coming years and he wanted to be a present father. He has now also revealed the longest format lost its appeal for him. “It was a feeling I was getting,” he said. “I remember at the end of my Test career, I was fighting playing Test matches. I only played 50 ([54] Test matches I think. I spoke to the people who I trust in my life and they said if you want to, there’s no shame in it, retire so you can focus on other formats.”In the 21 months since, de Kock has played 21 ODIs and 19 T20Is for South Africa, scored one century in each format and averages slightly less than his overall numbers. He implied the slight dip may come from his changing role in the team – from maverick youngster to senior professional.”When I was younger, it was easier because they knew what I could do and we had senior guys like AB (de Villiers), Hash(im Amla), Faf (du Plessis) and JP (Duminy). They just let me play. They didn’t try and stop me and said I must just keep being aggressive,” he said. “Over time it’s changed. Somehow, I try to play a situation that has been put before us. There’s a time for me to be aggressive but there’s also time just being out in the middle and trusting I can just catch up an innings. I’ve learnt another way to score runs and I had to take control of the senior group. Guys like myself and David Miller – we had to lead the group. Somehow through that process, my game has got a bit more enhanced than being the guy who just smashes it the whole time.”That’s why when asked for his best memories, de Kock doesn’t immediately think of his career-best ODI knock – the 178 against Australia in 2016 – but turns to events like his half-century in a Test in a Galle in 2014 as an example of his grit.”We won in Sri Lanka one-nil, which is never an easy feat for teams not from the subcontinent,” he said, also recalling his first ODI hundred against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi and three ODIs hundreds in a row against India in 2013, which helped him make his name.”I’ve had a lot of good memories along the way, things you can’t just forget,” he said. “The guys know I am an elephant, I don’t forget. There are things I don’t forget. I remember every last bit of detail about everything. It’s some skill I have just developed.”His memory may not enjoy the way his final ODI innings at home went. He scored 27 of 39 balls before being caught at slip and walked off to a standing ovation from his home ground at the Wanderers.This was his 144th match and he will add a maximum of 11 more to his name at the World Cup. And what does he plan to do other than play T20 cricket after that? “I will take a gap year for sure and then reassess,” he said. “And then I will just go back into society and be a normal person.”

da dobrowin： Shifting their focus towards the summer transfer window, Newcastle United are now reportedly racing to sign a young attacking midfielder for what would be a bargain price at the end of the season.

Newcastle transfer news

da leao： The Magpies have been forced to face the harsh reality of profit and sustainability rules in the last year or so, resulting in a quiet summer and January transfer window. In a position where they must sell before they can buy – even as the team with arguably the richest owners in the Premier League – Newcastle at least showed the door to Lloyd Kelly and Miguel Almiron last month.

It’s two sales which should free up some room on the PSR front and allow Newcastle to spend once again, albeit perhaps only on bargain deals. Reports suggest that’s very much the market that the Tyneside club are looking into too.

The likes of Paulo Dybala have been among those threatening to steal the headlines this week, with his bargain release clause reportedly grabbing the attention of those at St James’ Park.

Meanwhile, if it’s not to be the experienced option then the Magpies could turn towards a rising star. According to SportBILD, via Sport Witness, Newcastle are now chasing a deal to sign Ibrahim Maza from Hertha Berlin this summer following reports that his €20m (£17m) price tag is set to drop to €10m (£8m) at the end of the season.

The Magpies aren’t alone in their interest, however, with Atletico Madrid, Manchester City and Wolverhampton Wanderers – among others – all interested in the 19-year-old.

Related Newcastle planning £33m offer for "dangerous" star who destroyed Liverpool

He would complete Eddie Howe’s attack.

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For £8m, Newcastle could land an eventual bargain deal if Maza’s rise continues out of the 2. Bundesliga in the near future. A deal which would end their wait for an impressive reinforcement whilst avoiding any PSR risks, they should make their move.

"Decisive" Maza is on the rise

Although he hasn’t stolen every headline throughout the current campaign courtesy of his place in Germany’s second division, the stats do plenty of the talking for Maza. At just 19 years old, he’s been a crucial player for Hertha – scoring seven goals and assisting another four in all competitions in the middle of what has otherwise been a disappointing season for his side.

Earning the praise of Ben Mattinson as a result, the analyst claimed that Maza can be “the face of a top team” and described the young attacking midfielder as both “assertive” as well as “decisive”.

Yet to reach the peak of his powers, Newcastle would be wise to make their move at a bargain price this summer rather than holding off and watching Maza reach his potential elsewhere.

MatériaMais Notícias

da betcris： O título do Brasileirão pode ser um sonho distante para muitos alvinegros, mas não para Luís Castro. O treinador reconheceu as dificuldades da competição, mas ressaltou que tem muita vontade de conquistar esta taça pelo Botafogo.

– O Brasileirão é um dos campeonatos mais difíceis do mundo. Chegando lá, há equipes com nível muito bons, como Fluminense, Flamengo, Palmeiras, Atlético-MG e Corinthians. Queremos estar nesse lote, de ter possibilidades de conquistar o Brasileirão. Ganhar ou não é questão de correr melhor ou não as coisas. Mas não pode ser uma distância de 20 pontos – declarou Luís Castro, em entrevista ao “Charla Podcast”:

+Lista fechada! Saiba todos os clubes classificados para a Sul-Americana 2023

RelacionadasBotafogoJoia do Botafogo, Matheus Nascimento fica fora da lista do Brasil no Sul-AmericanoBotafogo08/12/2022Fora de CampoLuís Castro defende treinador de Portugal por colocar Cristiano Ronaldo no banco na CopaFora de Campo08/12/2022BotafogoConfira detalhes do planejamento de Luís Castro para a pré-temporada do BotafogoBotafogo07/12/2022

da bwin： +Botafogo alcança liderança inédita de engajamento em rede social

– Quero muito isso. Queria já nessa última temporada. Conquistar títulos é viciante. Nos últimos anos ganhei e queria ganhar no Botafogo. Sinto energia positiva no clube e na torcida. Sinto toda gente entusiasmada, quero aproveitar para crescermos mais e mais. É o que procuro fazer através da minha liderança diária – completou.

Nesta edição do Brasileirão, Botafogo cresceu muito no segundo turno e chegou perto de conseguir uma vaga para Libertadores. Na próxima temporada, Luís Castro espera construir uma equipe ainda mais competitiva e menos oscilante.

He is frustrated at not converting starts but has been satisfied with the way he has played

Andrew McGlashan25-Jul-2023David Warner has shut down rumours that he will retire from Test cricket after the fifth and final Test at The Oval as he prepares to face England for the final time.Speculation was fuelled in Australia when Michael Vaughan told that he had heard “whispers” during the Old Trafford Test that the final Ashes encounter would be Warner’s last, rather than him going through to the Pakistan series and a Sydney farewell in early January that he had set out at the beginning of this tour.”No, not at all,” Warner said at The Oval when asked if he had considered making it his final Test. “I haven’t seen anything…I don’t have an announcement. For me it’s about trying to work hard in the nets as I did today and if selected, go out there and play and try and win an Ashes series.”Related

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“I came here last time and it was a draw. Hopefully, we can go away with a series win and then that’ll be a fitting Ashes campaign for us and a fitting tour over here in England with the World Test Championship as well.”In the same comments, Vaughan also raised the possible retirement of Steven Smith but, that too, was laughed off. “Obviously it’s a joke,” Warner said. “I won’t take that too seriously.” When asked in recent months, 34-year-old Smith has dead-batted talk of when he may close out his international career.Warner’s Test retirement plan is still a finish at his home ground of the SCG in early January, although there does remain the question of whether the selectors could decide to start afresh at the beginning of the home summer.David Warner has failed to convert a number of his starts in the Ashes•Getty Images

Warner has scored 201 runs at 25.12 in the four Ashes Tests – having scored 43 and 1 in the World Test Championship [WTC] final against India – which has been an improvement on the horrors of the 2019 tour when he averaged 9.50. However, this means his overall Test return since the beginning of 2021 is 28.26 and that includes the double century against South Africa.After failing twice against Stuart Broad at Headingley – to revive memories of the last Ashes in England – he made a pair of starts at Old Trafford before falling to Chris Woakes on both occasions. Warner has been frustrated not to convert into something more substantial but believes he has played his part in helping Australia retain the Ashes at 2-1 up heading to the last match, sharing three half-century stands with Usman Khawaja in the two victories.”I’ve probably left a few out there, but in saying that I’ve played a lot better than what I did last time,” he said. “I’m looking to score. I’ve had a couple of unlucky dismissals and then been dismissed where I’ve tried to negate the swing or the seam and it’s caught the outside edge of the bat.”So for me, I feel like I’m in a good space, contributed well, and as a batting unit, we’re all about partnerships. And I think the partnerships that we’ve had in key moments of this series so far have actually worked very well for us as a team.”With one Test to go in England, Warner’s average in the country (including the final against India) stands at 25.60 from 18 matches and he has never made a hundred. His overall average away from home is 32.31 compared with 58.39 in Australia.Warner came into this series promising a more attacking mindset than in 2019, when he felt that a lot of his problems came from looking to defend against the moving ball. Although he has only managed one half-century this time, he has been happy with his method.”Look at the dismissal against Woakes in the first innings last Test. That one seams,” he said. “If it doesn’t seam, it hits the middle of the bat and that’s what happens in this game. I would have been disappointed if I went forward to that and just tried to defend it. So that’s how I’ve wanted to play. I do feel like I’m playing pretty decently.”

Sri Lanka ahead in race, Zimbabwe need a win, Scotland and Netherlands face a steeper road

S Rajesh01-Jul-2023

Sri Lanka
A win against Zimbabwe on Sunday will ensure qualification for Sri Lanka as only one out of Zimbabwe or Scotland can reach eight points, as they are playing against each other. Even if Sri Lanka lose to Zimbabwe, they can still qualify if they beat West Indies in their last match on July 7. Zimbabwe and Scotland can also finish on eight points, but Sri Lanka should go through, given their excellent net run rate of 1.832.However, if Sri Lanka lose both their matches, then they can be knocked out, as Zimbabwe and Scotland can both finish above them on eight.Related

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Zimbabwe
Like Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe have taken all the points on offer from their three games so far, but their run rate isn’t as high as Sri Lanka, which leaves them more susceptible on NRR. For instance, even if they beat Sri Lanka, a defeat to Scotland could leave Zimbabwe in danger of missing out if Scotland win their last match and finish on eight, and if Sri Lanka beat West Indies.Zimbabwe’s NRR is currently 0.752, but if they beat Sri Lanka by a run and lose to Scotland by 40 (with first-innings scores of 300), then their net run rate will drop to 0.281, which can be overhauled by Scotland. However, if they beat Scotland on Tuesday, then they will qualify for sure, regardless of the result against Sri Lanka on Sunday.Scotland
Scotland have kept themselves in the hunt with the convincing win against West Indies. Not only have they added two points to their tally, but they have also improved their NRR to 0.188. Wins in their last two games will lift them to eight points, which will ensure qualification if Sri Lanka beat Zimbabwe on Sunday. If Zimbabwe win that game, then all three teams could finish on eight, bringing run rates into play.Their next game, against Zimbabwe on Tuesday, is a must-win for them. A defeat will mean they can’t catch up with Zimbabwe on points, and Sri Lanka will almost certainly finish higher on NRR even if they lose both and stay on six points.Netherlands
Netherlands need to win both their games by fairly significant margins and finish on six points and then hope that several other results go their way. Their best bet will be for Sri Lanka to qualify, and for the second place to be a three-way battle among them, Zimbabwe and Scotland.To give an idea of result margins involved, if Netherlands win their last two games by a combined margin of 90 runs, and if Zimbabwe lose their last two by the same combined margin (with first-innings scores of 250), then Netherlands will sneak ahead of Zimbabwe on NRR.