Batsman, captain, innovator, inventor, mentor, commentator and writer – Martin Crowe was all of that during a career that did not end after he retired from the game

Compiled by George Binoy03-Mar-2016Martin David Crowe was born on September 22, 1962 in Henderson, Auckland, to parents Audrey and David Crowe. He had a sister Deb and an older brother Jeff, who played 39 Tests and 75 ODIs for New Zealand. Russell Crowe, the actor, was a younger cousin.In 1968 at the age of around 6, Crowe joined Cornwall Cricket Club in Auckland, the start of a lifelong association. In fact, on February 27, 2015, during his battle with lymphoma, Crowe took part in a match to mark the club’s 60th anniversary. “My dad’s ashes are up there on that bench so I thought it would be nice to bat an over, if I last the over,” Crowe told ONE News ahead of the game “I was going to treat this as my last outing on the old ground.” He made 25 not out off 20 balls in his final innings.Crowe attended Auckland Grammar School as a 13-year old in 1976 and spent five years in the institution. This is what his headmaster Sir John Graham, a former All Black, wrote about him in 1980 (taken from martincrowe.com): “MD Crowe is one of the outstanding young men to have attended Auckland Grammar. He has excelled in every aspect of school life in which he has been involved and no boy in the School’s history has done more for his school’s reputation than Martin Crowe. He is a young man of the highest quality and all-round potential. He is dedicated and determined in all he does, he has the intelligence and the ability to do all things well. His character is strong, dependable and independent. I have the highest regard for him as a young New Zealander.”Crowe was fast tracked in domestic and international cricket. The rapid progress he made, however, wasn’t always beneficial. “From the age of 14 when I was picked for the Auckland under-23 side and then as 12th man for a Shell Trophy final. I was basically given a script that was way beyond my years. Emotionally I was totally unprepared and ever since, I’ve always been playing catch-up with that emotional stability,” Crowe told in 2006. “All I kept feeding was an ego. In terms of my emotional development I was always three years out of my depth and I’ve had issues throughout my career with it.”On January 19, 1980, at the age of 17, Crowe made his first-class debut for Auckland against Canterbury, scoring 51 in the first innings. His domestic career ended in the 1995-96 season and he finished with 19,608 first-class runs at an average of 56 in 247 matches, representing Auckland, Central Districts, Somerset and Wellington. His List A career comprised 261 matches in which he scored 8740 runs at an average of 38.16.The 1992 World Cup was the zenith of Martin Crowe’s career – he led New Zealand to the semi-final and was Player of the Tournament•Getty ImagesCrowe was 19 when he made his ODI debut , against Australia at Eden Park in Auckland, on February 13, 1982. He did not bat in New Zealand’s 46-run victory that day, despite them losing six wickets. Two weeks later, Crowe made his Test debut, at Basin Reserve, where he was run out for 9 in a rain-hit draw against Australia. “When I played for New Zealand when I was 19, against Lillee and Thomson, I rattled off scores of 9, 2, 0 and 9. And then I ran up to the far north of New Zealand to be with my sister. I couldn’t face anyone in public,” Crowe told in 2014. “And then I finally went down to the pub to play a game of pool. At the bar there was this big Maori man, and he said, “Hey, Crowe! I hope you can play pool better than you can play cricket. I was trapped. I couldn’t go anywhere. This was the farthest pub in New Zealand, and in that moment I realised I had to fix this problem of failure.”After seven Tests, in which he scored only 183 runs at 15.25, Crowe made his maiden Test century – a match-saving 100 against England in Wellington. “But Martin, the younger of the Crowe brothers, showed exceptional maturity for a 21-year-old, batting for 276 minutes without making a visible mistake until the stroke that got him out, an edge to slip that gave Gatting his first Test wicket,” reported. “Crowe’s driving, reminiscent of Greg Chappell’s in its rifling precision, accounted for most of his 19 fours.” Crowe went on to make 17 Test hundreds, a New Zealand record that still stands.Between 1984 and 1988, Crowe played county cricket for Somerset, where he replaced Viv Richards. Ian Botham was not happy at losing the West Indian batsman and disparagingly called Crowe “a good club cricketer”. Crowe went on to play 48 matches for Somerset, making 3984 runs at an average of 59.Crowe’s second and third Test hundreds were a brace of 188s in April and November 1985. The second of those came in a famous innings win at the Gabba, where Crowe’s performance complemented Richard Hadlee’s 15 wickets to seal New Zealand’s first Test victory in Australia. “Martin was sublime, really. Watching from the other end I was constantly amazed at the time he had to play his shots,” John Reid, who scored 108 in that innings, told ESPNcricinfo in 2015. “When they pitched the ball up, he drove it well. When they pitched it short he cut, hooked and pulled the ball. He dominated their attack to an extent I could not emulate. I was actually consciously feeding him the strike to ensure that his ability to dominate the attack could be utilised to better the chances of winning.” In contrast, the first of those 188s had been an exercise in patience that helped New Zealand draw a Test in Guyana. Crowe had batted nine and a half hours, longer than any of his previous first-class innings.In 2011, Martin Crowe attempted a comeback to club cricket at the age of 48. It lasted one match•Getty Images”At the age of eight, I said to my dad that I am going to score a century at Lord’s one day,” Crowe told . He made two – the first in July 1986 and the second in 1994.Bruce Reid struck Crowe on the jaw during the Christchurch Test in 1986. Crowe was on 51 when he mistimed the hook and had to leave the field to get ten stitches. He returned with New Zealand 190 for 6 in the first innings, in response to Australia’s 364, and counterattacked to make 137 off 226 balls. “It was a display which drew comparisons with Sutcliffe’s epic innings for New Zealand at Johannesburg in 1953-54,” Wisden reported.Crowe made 1348 first-class runs at an average of 103.69 for Central Districts in the 1986-87 domestic season to help win the Shell Trophy for his team. The 1676 runs Crowe scored that summer remains the New Zealand record for the most runs in a season.In early 1987, Crowe made 119, 104 and 83 in three Tests against attacks comprising Malcolm Marshall, Joel Garner, Michael Holding, Courtney Walsh and Tony Gray to help New Zealand draw the series against West Indies 1-1. “Sometimes you got too conscious because you tried too hard to deal with the challenge,” Crowe told about what could trip him up in the middle. “And against West Indies you had to accept it was hit or miss. Out of five, you were going to have three failures but if you could have one good innings and a half-good innings, you would average 40 and that would be okay in that era of the ’80s.”Crowe captained New Zealand for the first time in a Test against Pakistan in October 1990. He led his country in 16 Tests – of which New Zealand won two and lost seven – and 44 ODIs (21 wins, 22 defeats). As captain, he averaged 54 with the bat in Tests and 45 in ODIs.Martin Crowe contributed to New Zealand cricket even after he stopped playing, mentoring players such as Ross Taylor and Martin Guptill•Getty ImagesOn February 4, 1991, Crowe made the highest individual Test score for New Zealand – a record that stood for 23 years – but also became the only batsman to be dismissed for 299. He batted 610 minutes in that innings against Sri Lanka, and said after the game: “It’s a bit like climbing Everest and pulling a hamstring in the last stride.” His 467-run partnership with Andrew Jones was also a world record at the time.In February and March 1992, Crowe led New Zealand to the semi-finals of the World Cup, the highlight of his captaincy career. He was Player of the Tournament for being the top-scorer – 456 runs at an average of 114 – and for his innovative captaincy: Crowe used a spinner to open the bowling and restrict batsmen during the fielding restrictions, and also deployed a pinch-hitter to exploit those very restrictions when New Zealand batted. “Marty was a very creative and brilliant thinker, the genesis came from him. Tactically he was light years ahead of anyone else I played under,” former New Zealand bowler Gavin Larsen said in 2014. “He was the boss, he ran the gig. He was like a chess master, the way he moved his players around. He was just clever.” Crowe, however, did not field in the semi-final against Pakistan, and New Zealand failed to defend their total. “With what unfolded, I had made a massive mistake in not taking the field despite a hamstring injury, because I was trying to be fit for the final as opposed to getting the team through to the final,” Crowe said in 2015.His international career ended in India, in November 1995. Crowe’s final innings was 63 off 62 balls in Nagpur, where New Zealand won by 99 runs to draw the ODI series 2-2. Crowe finished with 5444 runs at an average of 45 in 77 Tests, and 4704 runs in 143 ODIs at an average of 38.55.In 1996, Crowe launched his invention, Cricket Max – a shortened form of the game with a funky format and rules. “I invented and designed Cricket Max because I felt it was time to provide to our spectators and TV viewers a game of cricket that was short in duration, very colourful, kept some old traditions and highlighted the best skills in the game,” Crowe said at the time. The format was not played after 2003.Crowe began his broadcast career in 1997, when he joined Sky Television. “Marty embodies the quality that businesses often dislike but desperately need – the desire to change something before it gets stale,” Nate Smith, former Sky TV CEO, said on martincrowe.com. “I saw that way back when he saw the world of cricket needed a shorter formatted game. Did all the ideas tested last? No, but it did move the code forward in its thinking. Marty may not always say what people want to hear, but that is why he would be the perfect choice.”Martin Crowe was inducted into the ICC’s hall of fame during the 2015 World Cup•Getty ImagesCrowe was inducted into the New Zealand sports hall of fame and awarded an MBE for services to cricket in 2001. He had plenty more to give the game. Crowe was a mentor, most notably to New Zealand batsmen Martin Guptill and Ross Taylor. “Martin has been a mentor to me for almost my entire first-class career. In both the good times and the more trying times Martin has always been there for me,” Taylor said in a testimonial on martincrowe.com. “His advice, technical understanding and nous, coupled with his unwavering belief and loyalty in me have made my job as a professional cricketer that much easier. I shall always be grateful to him.”At the age of 48, in May 2011, Crowe said he was returning to club cricket at Cornwall with a view to making a comeback for Auckland, 15 years after he had retired. “Every now and then you find yourself drifting along. I needed to do something to stay at the top of things,” Crowe told ESPNcricinfo.” It’s a little bit of fun but it’s based on the need to get off my butt. When you get to my age, you need to do something. Physically, I am a person who needs more than going to gym. I need to fire myself up. I don’t like swimming, cycling, or lifting weights. I can’t climb, I can’t run; why not bat? It’s a serious goal to get fit but it’s a fun and light-hearted attempt to see if a 48-year old can play and at what level. Unless you try you will never know.” A thigh injury ended his comeback in his first innings.Crowe was diagnosed with lymphoma in October 2012. “In the past, on travels during my cricket career, suffering salmonella and glandular fever has compromised me,” he said at the time. “The result of a weakened immune system over the last two decades is basically why I have become exposed to this sort of disease.” After going into remission for a while, Crowe revealed the cancer had returned in September 2014. “After a brilliant year of self discovery and recovery, I have more work to do. My friend and tough taskmaster Lymphoma is back to teach me,” Crowe said on Twitter. “To say you can’t beat lymphoma is not quite true, many have. Yet follicular lymphoma is incurable, and can be treated and tamed for many long years.”On February 28, 2015, Crowe was inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame, during the World Cup. His presence at the final at the MCG was his last public appearance.Martin Crowe died on March 3, 2016, at the age of 53. People around the world paid tribute to him.

Former India opener will explore “new opportunities in the world of cricket and the business side of it”

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Jan-2023

M Vijay has called time on his international career to explore “new opportunities in the world of cricket and the business side of it”.Vijay played 61 Tests, 17 ODIs and nine T20Is in an international career that began in 2008 when he replaced Gautam Gambhir in India’s XI for the final Test of the 2008-09 Border Gavaskar Trophy in Nagpur. He last turned out for India in the Perth Test in December 2018, and last played first-class and List A cricket, for Tamil Nadu, in late 2019. His last appearance in professional cricket was in the IPL, in September 2020.A classical Test opener, who, when at his peak, had a solid technique and immense patience against the new ball – his ability to leave the ball earned him great praise during India’s tour of England in 2014 – Vijay finished with 3982 Test runs in 105 innings at an average of 38.28. He made 12 centuries and 15 half-centuries, with a best of 167 against Australia in Hyderabad in 2013.Related

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“I am excited to announce that I will be exploring new opportunities in the world of cricket and the business side of it, where I will also continue to participate in the sport that I love and challenge myself in new and different environments,” 38-year-old Vijay said in a statement. “I believe this is the next step in my journey as a cricketer and I look forward to the new chapter in my life.”Will Vijay explore opportunities in overseas T20 leagues?In June last year, speaking at an event to launch the 2022 edition of the Tamil Nadu Premier League, Vijay had said he wanted to “play as long as possible”. While he hasn’t said if he would be pursuing opportunities in T20 leagues around the world, Vijay’s retirement note didn’t make a mention of retirement from anything apart from international cricket.Not long ago, in fact, he had hinted at playing outside India. “I am almost done with BCCI and am looking for opportunities abroad,” Vijay had told former India batter WV Raman on Wednesdays With WV, a weekly show on . “After 30 in India, it’s a taboo. I think people see us as 80-year-olds walking on street.”The media should also address it differently. I feel you are peaking in your 30s. Sitting here right now, I feel I can bat the best way I can. But, unfortunately, the opportunities were less, and I had to search for chances outside. I honestly feel as a person, you can only do what’s in your hand. You can’t control the uncontrollable. Whatever happened, happened.”M Vijay had his best years in the IPL with Chennai Super Kings, winning the title in 2010 and 2011 with them•BCCI

Vijay was a key member of India’s Test squad for a five-year period between 2013 and 2018. From December 2013 to January 2015, when India played all their Test cricket away from home – in South Africa, New Zealand, England and Australia – Vijay faced the most balls and scored the second-most runs for the team. He was also one of only three players to average more than 40.Though a Test opener in the classical mould, Vijay also featured in 106 IPL games and led two franchises: Delhi Daredevils (now Capitals) and Punjab Kings. However, much of his success came for Chennai Super Kings, with whom he won two IPL titles, in 2010 and 2011. The triumph in 2011 was particularly special as Vijay earned the Player-of-the-Match award for his 52-ball 95 in the final against Royal Challengers Bangalore. Overall, he scored 2619 runs in the IPL, with two centuries and 13 half-centuries, scoring his runs at a strike rate of 121.87.Vijay also had short stints with Essex and Somerset in the English county championship.”My journey from 2002-2018 has been the most wonderful years of my life,” he wrote in his retirement note. “It was an honour representing India at the highest level of sport. I am grateful to the opportunities provided by the BCCI, Tamil Nadu Cricket Association, Chennai Super Kings and Chemplast Sanmar [the corporate that runs Jolly Rovers, Vijay’s club team in the TNCA league].”

Aurelien Tchouameni seems to have put his struggles with form behind him and has also become more popular than ever in the Real Madrid dressing room.

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• Tchouameni's dressing room stocks on the rise at Real
• Surprised team-mates with a piano performance at an airport
• Has been one of the in-form players of the team in recent weeks

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Aurelien Tchouameni is certainly enjoying his current purple patch at Real Madrid, with his return to form coming at the right time for head coach Carlo Ancelotti, who has had to deal with multiple injuries. The French midfielder's popularity within the Madrid dressing room has surged, too, after dropping a surprising piano performance at an airport on one of Los Blancos' recent away trips.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  According to Cadena SER, Tchouameni's Real Madrid team-mates have been impressed with his resolve to turn things around amid a furious wave of criticism. Ancelotti has had to deal with a truckload of injuries throughout the season. With Eder Militao suffering an ACL injury, and David Alaba recovering from one, the Italian manager fielded Tchouameni as a makeshift centre-back, an experiment that, to be fair, didn't work out as expected.

  Earlier in the season, reports emerged that stated that the Real Madrid hierarchy was not happy with the Frenchman's performances. In fact, Tchouameni was whistled by the home supporters at the Santiago Bernabeu in a game against Celta Vigo.

  In recent weeks, though, with the emergence of Raul Asencio and the return of Alaba to full fitness, Tchouameni has returned to his preferred position in midfield and looks rejuvenated in the middle of the park, producing top performances on a more consistent basis.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  The same report further mentioned that Tchouameni's fluency in Spanish has also impressed those in the first team, with his strong command of the language attributed to his mother, who is a Spanish teacher.

• Getty Images
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR AURELIEN TCHOUAMENI?

  After starting for Real in the second leg of the Champions League round of 16 against Atletico Madrid, Tchouameni will be expected to retain his spot in the XI when the La Liga holders travel to the Ceramica to take on Villarreal on Saturday, March 15.

Dropping Shivnarine Chanderpaul before the series provided opportunities for younger players, but the West Indies’ lack of batting depth was ruthlessly exposed in his absence

Daniel Brettig15-Jun-20151:26

Hazlewood and Lyon star in the Caribbean

8

Jason Holder
As impressive as Holder’s bold batting and canny bowling was his attitude to the contest. He does not give up, and is not overly irked by aggression directed his way from opponents. On the evidence of this series he should be batting at No. 6 for West Indies, and probably leading the team in the next year or so. A source of optimism.Jerome Taylor
Some truly brilliant spells in Jamaica maintained a formidable record at Sabina Park, as Taylor swung the ball at pace while also summoning a rare yorker to stop Steven Smith short of 200. He lacked enough support, but will be a worthy opponent in Australia later this year so long as the West Indies can find another paceman or two with enough discipline to help him.Devendra Bishoo
Not many bowlers spin past Steven Smith, a fact that underlined the excellence of Bishoo’s Dominica display. His absence from Sabina Park was a major blow to the hosts, and it can only be hoped that his poorly spinning finger can be effectively treated ahead of future assignments. Australian pitches, with their extra pace and bounce, should agree with him.

6

Shane Dowrich
A sound temperament, a sturdy enough technique and a determination to stay at the crease marked Dowrich as one of the more promising young batsmen to enter the West Indies Test XI in recent times. Has plenty more to learn, but was at least able to “stick it out” for far longer than any other young batsman apart from Holder.

5

Shai Hope
Three starts in four innings suggested that Hope may have the right stuff provided he can build on his concentration, but the question for the West Indies is where he should bat. Having opened in Dominica he dropped down to No. 5 at Sabina Park, looking neither out of his depth nor quite ready to dominate. Watch this space.Marlon Samuels
The longest West Indian innings of the series, yet was twice out hooking and then missed the second Test. Samuels is the most enigmatic of figures, but for now he is the only senior batsman the West Indies possess. The team knows who he is and what he provides, and must hope he can suppress the instincts that had him taking on the short ball in a most ungainly fashion at Windsor Park.Marlon Samuels needs to show more responsibility as the West Indies’ senior batsman•Getty Images

4

Jermaine Blackwood
Batted as though he had a bus to catch – a bus to a Twenty20 match. Despite making a strong start to the West Indies home season before this series against England, a few of his dismissals made one wonder if he really can become a successful Test player. Blackwood freely admitted he has plenty of work to do on his concentration. The talent is there, but how much does he want Test match success?Veerasammy Permaul
Suffered by comparison to Bishoo, and made little impact at Sabina Park. Permaul is steady, but clearly needs the pitch to do much of the work for him. Batted passably in the second innings as the last rites were being given.Denesh Ramdin
Much more was expected of Ramdin this series. His wooden captaincy and mediocre batting left plenty to wonder whether he is the right man to lead the team to Australia at the end of the year. Like several other members of the team he fell back from his efforts against England, and it will be a question of resolve as to how much he works on that after the Caribbean Premier League.Shannon Gabriel
Fast but erratic, Gabriel may be the right man to share the new ball with Taylor, but must close the gap between his best and worst. Missing out on the Jamaica Test through illness was a blow, for he would doubtless have made the ball jump on a lively first morning.Darren Bravo managed an underwhelming 49 runs in four innings during the series•Getty Images

3

Kraigg Brathwaite
Devoid of footwork and hurried by the Australians’ pace, Brathwaite looked worryingly out of his depth for someone who has been installed as a long-term opening batsman. On swifter Australian pitches, such problems may well be exacerbated further.Darren Bravo
The biggest disappointment of the series. Despite his obvious talent, Bravo was hemmed in and made to look ponderous by the Australian bowlers and their disciplined lines. Unlike his mentor and hero Brian Lara, Bravo was unable to get through the tough periods and make the bowlers come back for more spells. Without Shivnarine Chanderpaul around anymore, Bravo must do more than this.Kemar Roach
Three years ago Roach was a constant threat to Australia, but this time looked a bowler much diminished. Lacking his former pace, he was also less accurate, and failed completely to support the excellent Taylor on day one in Jamaica. Capable of so much better than he showed here.Rajendra Chandrika
A first-class average of 26 does not inspire much confidence in an opening batsman, and Chandrika was set a most difficult task to step up. A pair on debut will make for painful reading, but plenty of other batsmen have dealt with that ignominy before improving. It remains to be seen whether Chandrika will get that chance.

Barcelona are expected to look for a successor for the ageing Robert Lewandowski and they've been offered strikers from two of Italy's biggest clubs.

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Barca looking for Lewandowski successorSalah contract proved to be too expensiveTwo new names now in Camp Nou frameFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Lewandowski is having the most impressive season of his career at Barcelona and is on track to hit 50 goals by the end of the campaign. However, with the Polish striker set to turn 37 in August and his playing days numbered, Barca are said to be considering their options up-front.

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The Catalans are keen to line up a replacement for the former Bayern Munich No.9 over the next year. According to a report from SPORT, Juventus have offered Barca the chance to sign out-of-favour striker Dusan Vlahovic, but the club's transfer chiefs are not sold on the Serb, who has been linked with a move to either Saudi Arabia or the Premier League.

Another name mentioned in the report is that of Victor Osimhen, who is currently on loan at Galatasaray from Napoli. The Serie A side are set to part ways with the Nigeria international once and for all this summer, and will look to offload him for a price of €75m. Barca, though, believe that the player's wages as well as his transfer fee are well beyond their financial capabilities at the moment.

DID YOU KNOW?

Earlier this month, reports from Spain also revealed that Liverpool's Mohamed Salah, who is currently set to depart Anfield as a free agent upon the expiration of his contract in June, also offered himself to Barcelona. That move was, however, turned down by Barcelona owing to the Egyptian's €18m-a-season wages. It is believed that the La Liga giants asked Salah to take a massive pay-cut if he wanted to join them.

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR BARCELONA?

Hansi Flick's men have a gruelling fixture calendar in the coming weeks, but have already managed to secure two comfortable wins after the international break and lead La Liga by three points with nine games to go. Their next game sees them face rivals Atletico Madrid in the second leg of the Copa del Rey semi-finals on Wednesday, with the score level at 4-4 following a thrilling first encounter.

Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United were the Premier League’s main entertainers in December, as the super-confident Magpies ended up scoring goals by the bucket load on the way to some convincing victories being picked up.

Indeed, across the entire month in all competitions, the Toon fired home a ridiculous 21 strikes, which then saw Howe’s men rise up the league standings to a pretty fifth position.

Still, there are spots in his team that the Magpies manager will want to improve during the transfer window, with concerns over depth arising down the right channel.

Newcastle considering move for "magic" attacker

As per a report by journalist Graeme Bailey, various different Premier League clubs are considering a move for Celtic ace Nicolas Kuhn this January, as the Bhoys attacker continues to tear Scottish Premiership defences to shreds.

The report states that Aston Villa, Tottenham Hotspur, Brentford, Brighton & Hove Albion and Crystal Palace are all keen alongside Newcastle, with the Magpies in for an almighty battle to win their desired man.

But, with it looking increasingly likely that Miguel Almiron will depart St James’ Park this month according to reports, Newcastle will hope they can be successful in this pursuit.

Moreover, the “magic” Magpies target – as he was once labelled by current boss Brendan Rodgers – would offer Jacob Murphy some great competition on Tyneside if a move does get finalised, with the German winger far surpassing the 29-year-old’s numbers playing in Scotland this season.

What Nicolas Kuhn could offer Newcastle

It does appear that the in-demand German has outgrown his surroundings at Celtic Park – hence all this frenzied interest coming from England – with the ex-RB Leipzig man just toying with defenders week in week out now in Scotland.

This campaign to date, Kuhn has fired home an outrageous 14 goals from 25 overall games, with a further 11 assists also tallied up.

One of those sublime strikes even came on Europe’s grandest stage as the tricky Bhoys number 10 delicately curled an opportunity home in the Champions League, which is a competition Newcastle would love to compete in again very soon if they can enter into the top four spots in the Premier League in 2025.

Adding in top-quality talents such as Kuhn could help them achieve that far-off goal, with the Toon also wanting to get rid of some deadwood now surfacing in their camp in the form of Almiron down the right.

Shot-creating actions

2.93

3.77

2.08

Progressive passes

3.71

3.68

2.43

Progressive carries

3.12

2.65

2.43

Successful take-ons

2.73

0.76

0.93

Touches in attacking penalty area

5.66

3.68

4.17

Progressive passes received

9.57

8.25

5.56

Looking at the table above, it’s clear that Kuhn would fit in well with the gung-ho style of play Newcastle have perfected over recent weeks, with more progressive carries and successful take-ons managed over the last year compared to both Murphy and Almiron.

On top of that, his goal and assist numbers for the campaign to date completely blow Murphy out of the water, who has just nine goal contributions in all competitions in contrast.

Also similar to Anthony Gordon according to FBref’s similar players feature, Kuhn could well seamlessly fit into the set-up under Howe, with the potential for the Magpies to cause even more issues for Premier League defences to cope with if the Celtic attacker relocates to Tyneside.

Whilst Howe will likely be content with what he has currently, January will be an apt time for him to add even more quality to make 2025 a memorable year at St James’ Park.

Their next Gordon: Howe targeting "monster" Newcastle signing for £0

Eddie Howe could soon add this surprise attacker to his Newcastle United squad.

ByKelan Sarson Dec 29, 2024

‘The Ashes is the script that the skipper is waiting to write, so he’ll be sweet’

Vithushan Ehantharajah01-Mar-2023

Brendon McCullum is confident that Ben Stokes’ involvement in the Indian Premier League will not jeopardise his participation in the Ashes this summer.Stokes, England’s Test captain, has found himself in the middle of a franchise versus country dilemma: insistent on fulfilling his £1.6million contract for Chennai Super Kings despite a left knee that requires constant management and rest ahead of the 2023 English season.The issue has progressively worsened over the winter to such an extent that Stokes was only able to bowl two overs in the match and struggled to bat with freedom in the thrilling second Test against New Zealand, in which the hosts triumphed by one run to square the two-match series. Speaking at the end of the match at the Basin Reserve, he admitted to finding it “very frustrating” that he could not play a full part, particularly as the fourth seamer, but quashed the idea he would turn his back on the IPL.last week, Stokes floated the possibility of leaving the competition early (which runs from March 31 to May 28) to ensure he is ready for the first Test of the summer against Ireland at Lord’s on June 1, though only if he feels he needs a bigger lead-in. McCullum, as Test coach, has no doubts the 31-year-old will be right for the summer, not just because he has full faith in the CSK set-up, which he was a part of for two seasons, but also as he is aware how much a series against Australia means to his skipper.”I don’t think he’s jeopardising it,” McCullum said. “The Chennai set-up is excellent in looking after their players and they’ve a very good medical team and he will be well looked after. The skipper has a strong mind and he knows how to get right for the big moments. His life is that, right? So I don’t have any concerns. In fact I look forward to watching him play in it and see, without captaincy as well, the opportunity to play cricket without worrying about everybody else, knowing when he comes back into the fold and leads us into the Ashes campaign he’ll have the bit between his teeth and I think we’ll be alright.”He sees the big picture in everything, so I’ve no concerns that the skipper will be totally looked after. And I also believe that the Ashes is the script that the skipper is waiting to write, so he’ll be sweet.”Also putting McCullum’s mind at ease is the presence of his good friend Stephen Fleming in the CSK dugout. Fleming, who was McCullum’s first international captain, has been in charge of the franchise since 2009, and has been in New Zealand throughout this series. He’s been in constant communication with Stokes regarding his fitness and other plans, and it is understood Stokes has been sounded out for a leadership role at CSK, potentially as part of a succession plan for MS Dhoni.Related

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New Zealand beat England in one-run thriller, make history by overcoming follow-on

Ben Stokes: 'That last half-hour is everything that you wish for'

“I’ve got a tee-time with him [Fleming] tomorrow [Wednesday] afternoon,” McCullum said. “So I’ll be talking to him and making sure he looks after the skipper, but I know that Chennai set-up actually. I played in that franchise and they’re very good. They’ve got a good team and an outstanding leader in Flem.”Up until now, McCullum has been reluctant to discuss the Ashes, often joking it is an unhealthy English obsession. However, with the series just three months away, he acknowledges excitement at seeing how a group that have won 10 Tests out of 12 take on such bitter rivals. England last won the Ashes in 2015 and the feeling as they come out of the winter is of quiet optimism they can reclaim it.”I hadn’t thought about the Ashes, to be honest. I know everyone talks about it and obviously you’re going to be judged on your performance in the Ashes as well.”But now I’m starting to go ‘the next series is the Ashes; that’s pretty cool’. I think this team has grown over the last eight or nine months. I think it’s become more at ease with how we’re playing, and it’s become more authentic as well. And I think it certainly does give ourselves the best chance of being able to topple a good Australian side. We know it’s not going to be easy, but I’m pretty sure that we will play a very similar style of cricket that we’ve played throughout the last eight or nine months. And with eight or nine months of development of that style under our belt, we should be hard to beat.”Now we can really get excited about it, I think we’ve tried to to live in the moment rather than look too far ahead and make sure that we’re really present with what we’re doing. Now we have the opportunity to really start to plot and plan, and turn our attention to what’s going to be a pretty amazing time in the guys’ lives: an Ashes series at home against a good Australian side. So I think we’ll go into it with a lot of confidence. We know they’re a good side. We’ll work out who wins.”As for the first XI at Edgbaston come June 16, that is hard to predict. McCullum has come out of the winter with better knowledge on all 16 players used across Pakistan and New Zealand, along with those who were part of squads but didn’t see any action. His pool of players is set to grow further, too, with Jonny Bairstow returning from breaking his leg, along with bowling options such as Jofra Archer, Chris Woakes and Sam Curran working back into red-ball contention through white-ball work.Bairstow is the most intriguing of the lot. He was the poster boy of the 2022 summer, with four hundreds in the first five matches under Stokes and McCullum before a freak slip on the golf course ruled him out of the Oval Test against South Africa. His replacement, Harry Brook, has gone on to take the world by storm, with four centuries across five matches this winter, giving him a batting average of 80.90 and a strike rate of 98.77.Ben Stokes batted within himself at Wellington while managing his knee issue•Getty Images

Though there is no guarantee Bairstow will pick up his form where he left off, provided his rehab goes as hoped it is likely he will return to the XI. Much of the conjecture over the last few months has been about whether it would be to replace Ben Foakes (and in turn take the gloves) or Zak Crawley, who averaged just 29.30 over the winter despite starting a run of 10 innings with scores of 122 and 50.However McCullum said he would avoid shoehorning players into unfamiliar roles for the sake of it. In turn he championed Foakes, who almost won England the second Test, and reiterated Crawley’s merits as a streaky player with a high ceiling.”There is a lot of quality players to get in the XI. There will be opportunities. What we can’t do is try and crowbar people in. We need to take stock when the first Test arrives, what the fitness is like and how the guys are going and we will make the call from there. One thing we are not afraid to do is be brave in selection. If we think it gives us our best opportunity to win, that will be our mantra throughout.”[Foakes] has been excellent, not just as a wicketkeeper which is world-class. He came up to the stumps to impact the game and got a wicket with Daryl Mitchell stepping back and pulling the ball up in the air. Little things like that make a big difference and, to me, show a real sign that Foakesy is trying to make an impact on the game, which is what you want from all your players. He nearly played an absolute hand at the end to get us across the line and he has played some vital hands right across the summer for us as well. He has really developed as a cricketer for us over the last nine months.”Our team is set up at the top of the order for Zak to play like that. To become more at ease within that role, he needs to not try to catch form but, day in and day out, turn up with that same aggressive mindset and, if he does that, I have no doubt his talent will come out. He is one of those guys, the Australians from my conversations with Ricky Ponting, they respect him for the instinct and power he has at the top of the order and how destructive he can be. He is still a big player for us moving forward.”The next couple of weeks will be one of reflection for McCullum. Defeat in Wellington scuppered England’s chance to register a 100 percent win record this winter, after the 3-0 success in Pakistan followed by the 267-run win at Mount Maunganui in the first Test here. Nevertheless, the manner of this defeat underlined the objective of playing captivating Test cricket.”I thought it was epic actually. I know we came out on the wrong side of it – or the losing side of it – but in terms of what we set out to achieve at the start of the campaign as a side, I thought we’d certainly played our part in that. I think there’ll be millions – tens of millions – of people around the world that sat back and enjoyed that Test match.”I’m just really proud of the guys and the fight that they’ve shown, the application they’ve shown and also the investment and how this team’s wanting to play throughout. So yeah, slightly disappointing finish, I guess from a result point of view, but I think it leaves us in a pretty good space moving forward for a pretty big challenge.”

AB de Villiers managed to convert yorkers into sixes late for RCB while Marcus Stoinis and Farhaan Behardien could only manage singles off full tosses in the waning stages of the Kings XI chase

Sidharth Monga in Mohali 10-May-2016M Vijay has overcome the first tense period. That usual period where he and Kings XI Punjab have been losing their way, when boundaries dry up after Powerplay. After scoing eight off the 10 balls just after Powerplay, Vijay has managed to hit that six and has proceded to bat beautifully to reach the 80s.It is a little unfair to talk of Vijay when their two big imports have done nothing of note, but until now Kings XI were the only side whose openers had never reached even 60. The openers of other sides have been setting games up and finishing them off. Given the ordinary form of the middle order this year, it is even more imperative that Vijay converts his starts, which he did today, and with some grace.The next time Vijay is tense, though, is when Shane Watson comes back to bowl the 17th over. Recently he told the IPL website that his mindset is “very defensive” when he is bowling at the death. Stay away from where the batsman likes to hit. “Yorkers, cutters, slower ones, slower bouncers, bouncers – all these are important weapons. But it is also crucial to know when to bowl them. If the batsman is thinking you will bowl a slower one, you should know not to bowl it.”Here he comes to bowl the 17th with only 39 runs in the bank and with Vijay on 87 off 53. He knows he doesn’t have a funny action, he doesn’t bowl mystery balls, he doesn’t have the pace and the swing, he is not an owner of freakishly loose joints. He has to do it with his brain. He can think like a batsman, and he just wants to do the opposite of what he would love a bowler to do for him.In he runs, with fine leg and third man up, and bowls a slower bouncer outside off. Marcus Stoinis, struggling on 7 off 9, fails on the big upper-cut. This is the line you don’t expect when the third man and point are up, which makes Stoinis’ eyes light up, but the lack of pace does him in. The next ball is pulled away for a single, which brings Vijay on strike. Watson gives him a full ball just outside off, which is what he loved and chipped it over extra cover for two. This is the last ball Vijay will get to his liking.Watson goes back, bowls the slower short ball outside off, and beats Vijay. Three off four balls, one can sense the tension again. Watson is playing with their minds. He is making them play to his pace, and there is no predictability to what he is doing. Watson again does what is not expected: a wide full ball at full pace and right on the guidelines for the wide. Vijay is in no position to play it. He tries a big hit, and misses. If Kings XI can have this over all over again, they will think bat on each ball, especially on a ground as big as Mohali where there is every chance of converting the better placed ones into twos.Thirty-four off the last three with Vijay there is not that bad given Royal Challengers’ bowling, but now every failed big hit is begetting another. The wise thing still is to look for a two, but you know Kings XI are going for the big hit. You can just tell. Watson senses it, bowls a slower bouncer at Vijay, making him hit into the big square boundary, into an area where he has protection, and gets Vijay out on 89. This is the shot of a man who hoped – doesn’t believe – he can win this.

****

Sandeep Sharma has been one of the best with the yorkers in this season of the IPL. In all three of Kings XI’s wins so far Sandeep – and Mohit Sharma – has played a part. He uses the whole width at the batting crease when he bowls yorkers, and also uses both angles – over and round the wicket – of his crease. A sign of his growing reputation is that his side has kept aside three overs for him in the last five. When he comes in to bowl, his side has done a decent job. Royal Challengers are only 113 for 3 after 15, but the challenge is that AB de Villiers is set. He is on 25 off 21.Sandeep starts off well with a late swinging full ball. It goes for just one. Sachin Baby gets a single next ball. Now comes the ball, a yorker. This is the ball that has kept Chris Morris and Carlos Brathwaite quiet. Andre Russell and Yusuf Pathan.There is no reason for Sandeep to change his plan. He has just come up against genius. De Villiers hits it has hard as anyone down the ground, but that’s not all he does. He picks the flight of the ball earlier than others, and has the time to play shots that take some outrageousness even to think of. He goes down on a knee to this yorker, meets it on the full, and sweeps it over square leg for six. Starting with that ball, having messed with bowlers’ minds, de Villiers scored 38 off 12. This includes one intended slower bouncer from Mohit smacked over long-off for a six.Farhaan Behardien and Stoinis harbour no fantasies of being compared with de Villiers. Yet after that Watson over they find themselves needing to score 37 in three overs. Yes one of these three overs is Watson’s, but there are two ordinary overs to cash in on. Behardien gets one short and wide first ball from Chris Jordan for four, but the next three full tosses go for just three runs. Stoinis keeps them alive with a ramped four at the end of the 18th, but Watson drags Kings XI down again.In the last over, Behardien and Stoinis need 17. Already Sandeep and Mohit must be thinking in the dugout how miserable it would have been for their batsmen had they bowled half as badly as Royal Challengers. There is another over from an off-rhythm Jordan to come. He starts with a juicy full toss on the pads. It reaches deep square leg on the bounce. One run. A hundred minutes ago, yorkers were being taken on the full and swept for six. Now full tosses are being patted for one.In the end, the genius of de Villiers and the limited nature of Kings XI batsmen undo the hard work they put in during the first 15 overs of each innings.

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Com isso, a dupla, últimas contratações do Tricolor na janela de transferências desta temporada, já estará à disposição do técnico Rogério Ceni para o duelo desta quinta-feira (1/9) contra o Atlético-GO, às 21h30 (de Brasília), no Serra Dourada, no jogo de ida da semifinal do torneio continental.

Ferraresi, que poderá atuar com a mesma camisa 44 com que foi inscrito no Brasileirão, entrou na lista no lugar de Jonas Toró, atacante liberado pelo São Paulo para assinar com o Panathinaikos, da Grécia.

O venezuelano foi titular nos dois últimos jogos do clube no Brasileirão e deve aparecer nos 11 iniciais do Tricolor em Goiânia (GO), já que o titular Miranda não deve se recuperar de um trauma no tornozelo direito a tempo do jogo.

Enquanto isso, Bustos, que atuará com a camisa 39 (é o 19 na competição nacional) entrou na lista no lugar de Maioli, jovem das categorias de base que mal teve oportunidades com Ceni ao longo da temporada. O argentino ainda luta para conquistar seu espaço no plantel são-paulino.

A dupla Ferraresi e Bustos pertence ao Grupo City e estão emprestados por uma temporada ao clube do Morumbi de forma gratuita, com os brasileiros apenas pagando os salários. Há cláusulas para a compra em definitivo dos dois após o fim do vínculo de repasse. Por chegarem depois do prazo, os atletas não puderam defender o São Paulo na Copa do Brasil, competição me que o clube também está na semifinal (perdeu o duelo de ida por 3 a 1 para o Flamengo, em pleno Morumbi).

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Fast bowler proud of resilience after bouncing back from brutal treatment by England batters

Andrew Miller28-Feb-2023Neil Wagner, New Zealand’s final-day hero at Wellington, was hailed by Brendon McCullum – his former captain and current England coach – as “one of the toughest I’ve come across”, after his bruising four-wicket haul secured a thrilling one-run win in the second Test.Wagner’s final figures of 4 for 62 in 15.2 overs included both of England’s set batters, Ben Stokes and Joe Root, as well as the crucial final scalp of James Anderson, caught down the leg side by Tom Blundell, as England slipped from 201 for 5 to 256 all out in the course of his final gut-busting ten-over spell.And the performance capped an extraordinary comeback from one of New Zealand’s most indefatigable performers, after he had borne the brunt of England’s aggression, both in second innings at Mount Maunganui, where his figures of 13-0-110-2 had been the second least economical in Test history, and in the first innings at Wellington, where Harry Brook’s thrilling 186 had dispatched him at close to a run a ball across 21 more overs.This time, however, with England reeling in their run-chase after the loss of four early wickets on the final day, Wagner’s aggression proved the difference, with both Stokes and Root falling in consecutive overs in failed attempts to capitalise on a deck-hitting approach that proved so effective for New Zealand throughout their reign as World Test Champions.”I got a bit of rhythm, something ticked which is nice,” Wagner said in the moment of victory. “I guess it happens in cricket. But credit to Harry Brook, he’s a serious talent. The way he’s played it and came after me, he was pretty awesome to watch but not to receive. He’s a serious player but to finally get some reward from it was quite pleasing.”Related

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• New Zealand beat England in one-run thriller, make history by overcoming follow-on

The win – which was set up by a second-innings of 483, led by a century from Kane Williamson and a 149-run opening stand between Tom Latham and Devon Conway – squared the series at 1-1, and so preserved a proud home record that now stretches to 11 unbeaten campaigns since 2017.”That’s the characteristics of this team, we keep having to fight for each other, find a way of doing the hard yards out there, and we did,” Wagner said. “It’s a special one, this, and we’ll celebrate it well. It’s an amazing achievement, and obviously everybody contributed, so hats off to everyone. That’s what this team is about, to keep fighting and it’s just something that we’re extremely proud of.”Tim Southee, New Zealand’s captain, admitted that the victory had to rank as the best he had ever been a part of, having sat out their similarly fraught four-run win over Pakistan in Abu Dhabi in 2018-19.”It’s hard to go past having only been the fourth team to win a Test match when asked to follow-on,” he said. “I imagine it’ll be a Test match that’s talked about for a long time.”We went back to what Wags’ biggest strength is,” Southee added. “He bought into it, he trusted it, even though it hadn’t come off as he’d have liked in the series. We trusted his best method and he was able to come in and change the game in this last session, like he has done for a long period of time.”It’s an unusual tactic that you see a little bit more of nowadays, but it’s something Neil’s done for a long period of time. For him to come in and change the game there, when it looked like Ben and Joe had almost taken it away from us was a massive part of this game, and shows you the ticker that Neil’s got.”It shows more about him as a character and a cricketer. He doesn’t give up. It’s in his DNA to keep giving to this team. And I think we saw that and how valuable he can be: when nothing was really happening, and into the wind as well, was able to change the game in that last sessions.”McCullum’s own reign as New Zealand captain, from 2013 to 2016, was instrumental in instilling the fighting spirit that endures to this day, and he paid special tribute to Wagner, a man whom he first played alongside in the Caribbean in 2012.”It’s a tough game, right, and tough characters have to find a way and they do,” McCullum said. “Neil Wagner is one of the toughest that I’ve come across. Obviously I had the pleasure of captaining them for a long period of time, and now playing against him, you know that he’s got a huge heart and he’ll find a way when the going gets tough.”He was good today. He was better than good, he was excellent. He turned the game on its head.”