في خطوةٍ مثيرة شغلت قلوب عشاق القلعة البيضاء، أعلن نادي الزمالك رسميًا عن تصميم قميصه الجديد الذي سيخوض به مواجهة قمة الكرة المصرية والإفريقية أمام الغريم التقليدي الأهلي في نهائي السوبر الإفريقي.
التصميم الجديد، الذي تم الكشف عنه في فيديو مبهر يضم نخبة من نجوم الفريق، يجمع بين الأصالة والحداثة في مزيج ساحر.
فقد حافظ القميص على الهوية التقليدية للزمالك بألوانه المميزة، مع إضافة لمسات عصرية مبتكرة تعكس روح العصر وتلبي أذواق الجماهير التي تتطلع دائمًا إلى الجديد والمميز.
التفاصيل الدقيقة واللمسات الفنية التي أضفيت على القميص الجديد حازت على إعجاب الجماهير التي ثمنت الجهد المبذول في تصميمه، مؤكدةً أنه يعكس مدى اهتمام النادي بتقديم الأفضل لجمهوره.
طالع أيضًا | مجدي عبد الغني: الأهلي سيهزم الزمالك بفارق أكثر من 3 أهداف حتى لو في بلاد تركب الأفيال
ومن المنتظر أن يشهد ملعب “المملكة آرينا” في المملكة العربية السعودية يوم الجمعة المقبل مواجهة نارية بين الزمالك والأهلي، حيث سيخوض الفارس الأبيض المباراة بقميصه الجديد الذي يمثل دافعًا إضافيًا للفريق لتحقيق الفوز والتتويج باللقب القاري.
الجدير بالذكر أن الفيديو الترويجي للقميص الجديد قد حصد آلاف المشاهدات والإعجابات على وسائل التواصل الاجتماعي، مما يؤكد مدى تفاعل الجماهير مع هذا الإعلان المرتقب، وشارك به العديد من نجوم الفريق مثل شيكابالا وعمر جابر وأحمد سيد زيزو ومحمد صبحي.
Micky van de Ven is only 22 years old, but Tottenham Hotspur supporters will tell you that he is one of the Premier League's finest central defenders, most influential summer signings.
Sure, he's not infallible but the Netherlands international has been ever-so-impressive since signing from German team Wolfsburg in a £43m transfer last summer.
It bears testament to the managerial prowess of Ange Postecoglou, the front-footed, proactive approach to rebuilding a squad that had fallen by the wayside last term like an elephant from a tree.
Ange Postecoglou.
There were a host of factors contributing to Antonio Conte's demise, the serial trophy winner dismissed in razor-edged circumstances just over 12 months ago after a loss of confidence, cohesion, identity.
The problem underpinning it all was some terrible defensive solidity, or lack thereof, with Tottenham finishing with the sixth-worst goal concession rate of the season.
Such fortunes are indeed much improved this term with Van de Ven partnering Cristian Romero in central defence, but last year certainly will have elicited a sense of longing from the Lilywhites faithful, who will have fondly recalled the dynamism and fluency of Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld.
Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen
The latter spent less time in north London than his compatriot but he proved himself to be one of the Premier League's standout defenders during his time at the club.
How much Spurs paid for Toby Alderweireld
Tottenham had been making gains under Mauricio Pochettino's leadership but needed a top-class partner for Vertonghen, and so forged ahead with the £11m signing of Alderweireld from Atletico Madrid following the Belgian's impressive loan spell with Southampton in the Premier League.
Former Spurs man Alton Thelwell was left gushing over the partnership, saying: "Both of them have been exceptional. They complement each other very well and literally they’re all-round quality defenders. They read the game well, they get on the ball and they play the Tottenham way.
Toby Alderweireld for Belgium
"Vertonghen likes to pass the ball with elegance – he’s like the Rolls-Royce of defending. He gets on it with his left foot, he’s got excellent ability and the same goes for Toby as well. I’d say he’s probably a bit more tenacious than Vertonghen but overall they’ve got all the attributes that you want.
"They’re good all-round defenders and that shows with only 22 goals conceded in the league this season. They provide the perfect balance for Tottenham."
20/21
7th
25
45
19/20
6th
33
47
18/19
4th
34
39
17/18
3rd
14
38
16/17
2nd
30
26
15/16
3rd
38
35
During Alderweireld's finest days as a Tottenham player, during those first few seasons, he was an almighty presence at the back, robust and energetic with deceptive pace and crisp, crunching challenges.
The 35-year-old chalked up 236 appearances for Spurs, more than for any other team he has played for, and while he didn't win any silverware, the former Belgium international played a crucial role in an exciting and adventurous period of Tottenham's modern history.
Ledley King is another to have been struck by such sublime defensive performances from the pairing, remarking: "They're well rounded – both of them. They don't have any obvious weaknesses. Sometimes you can get someone who is very good in the air, very physical but not so great with the smaller, nippy players. They can deal with all types of forwards."
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Tottenham's defensive displays last season were certainly a far cry from the one-time fortitude of the Belgian duo, and while the club are improving in that regard under Postecoglou's wing, Romero and Van de Ven haven't reached the same level – yet.
How much Spurs sold Toby Alderweireld for
Like all good things, Tottenham's time with Alderweireld had to come to an end, and it was always going to be a tall order replacing the man who had been compared to Harry Kane by pundit Rio Ferdinand, with the Manchester United icon even claiming that he was just as important as the goalscoring talisman.
But with Tottenham on the decline after losing in the Champions League final against Liverpool in 2019, Alderweireld failed to capture the essence of his world-class mettle as he approached his twilight phase in the Premier League, sold by Nuno Espirito Santo in 2021 with focus on landing Romero from Atalanta for £42m that same window.
While it was a poignant departure, Alderweireld was 32 years old and Espirito Santo understandably wanted to reshape the backline after successive seasons of comparative defensive struggle – not quite so heavy as last season's woes, mind – and when Qatari side Al-Duhail offered £13m for his services, it was something of a no-brainer to let him leave.
Especially so considering that he is now – understandably – worth only £5m, placing him at a lower market valuation than Spurs struggler Bryan Gil, who is unhappy at the club and hopes to leave in the summer, with the winger having started just two Premier League fixtures this season.
Gil was purchased from Sevilla for £22m in 2021, around the same time Alderweireld took his leave, and while he's only 23 years old and has been said to be capable of "moments of magic" by Spurs correspondent Rob Guest, Football Transfers has marked him at a lowly £8m price tag.
Bryan Gil in action for Tottenham.
It's impressive that Spurs claimed the finest years of Alderweireld's career and still made a profit when he was on the edge of decline, though he's still enjoyed some fine moments since leaving England.
What Toby Alderweireld is doing now
Alderweireld only spent one year in Qatar before heading back to his homeland and signing with boyhood club Royal Antwerp, but if it was thought that he was content on winding down, such beliefs were proved remarkably incorrect.
Across two campaigns in Belgium, the veteran centre-half has chalked up 90 displays and scored 11 goals, incredibly scoring the last-gasp winner to win his team the Belgian Pro League last season.
It's a stunning story, but Tottenham fans have always known of the tenacity, desire and quality that has allowed Alderweireld to forge a high-class career for himself.
Overall, while a massive profit was not made, Alderweireld's signing can only go down as an unmitigated blinder. He's one of the finest to lace the boots in Tottenham's modern history.
Where Are They Now
Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast's Where Are They Now series.
Amid debate over the future of those without mystery, youngster argues the case for the conventional off-spinner
George Dobell in Port Elizabeth18-Jan-2020At the start of the third day’s play, there was an intriguing chat on commentary between Matt Prior and Kevin Pietersen – yes, TalkSPORT has bought the pair together; they’ll be pairing Ian Botham and Ian Chappell next – over the future of conventional off-spinners in Test cricket.The conclusion, to paraphrase only a little, was they are an endangered breed. But, unlike the rhinoceros, Pietersen didn’t seem especially concerned with their preservation. Again, to paraphrase only a little, both he and Prior felt that, in the modern game, any off-spinner without some mystery or at least the ability to challenge both edges of the bat was likely to struggle.But here, for the second Test in succession, Dom Bess supplied the case for the defence. Having admirably performed a holding role in Cape Town, he showed he could also perform a more attacking role here. Taking advantage of a dry surface, he showed the conventional skills – most of all control, but also subtle changes of angle and pace – still had a place in the modern game. Already he has become the first England spinner since Derek Underwood, in 1975, to claim the first five wickets in a Test innings and the third-youngest England spinner (after Pat Pocock and Underwood) to claim a five-for in Test history. If the rain relents, there is a good chance there will be more to come.ALSO READ: Bess five-for spurs England before de Kock defianceIt’s true, Bess does not possess the eye-catching skills of Rashid Khan, Sunil Narine or Saqlain Mushtaq. He cannot turn the ball both ways. There is no doosra. Analysts will not be glued to their screens working out how makes the ball fizz and dip and, the cynics have suggested, he could only take wickets on the helpful surfaces of Taunton where, until today, six of his eight five-wicket hauls in first-class cricket had come. Only a few months ago, he was unable to get into the Somerset team and went on loan to Yorkshire.But what he can do, at this stage of his career, is maintain his line and length. He has conceded only seven boundaries – and an average of 1.64 runs per over – in his 31 overs to date. As a result, he has kept the batsmen under pressure. And what he can do, at this stage of his career, is apply a series of small variations to lure batsmen into errors and take advantage of helpful surfaces.The wicket of Faf du Plessis provided a fine example of this. The South Africa captain had just driven him for a couple of fours. Bess responded by dropping his arm a little lower, gaining just a little drift away from the batsman to draw him into a forward prod, only to turn the ball sharply off the pitch and take the inside edge. Ollie Pope, who looks terrific at short-leg, did the rest. Any off-spinner would have been happy with that.There were other moments which showcased those subtle skills. By changing the seam position – including bowling with a scrambled seam – he manages to gain variation from some balls skidding on and others gripping and turning. Dean Elgar, who was probably the one man in the top five to play Mark Wood with any confidence, was defeated by just such a delivery: coming forward to one he expected to turn, he was slightly late as the ball skidded through a little quicker, taking his inside edge before ballooning off his pad to short-leg. Again, that’s fine bowling.The ECB deserve some credit for Bess’ development. At the end of the season, they and Somerset agreed he should be given an extended break to clear his head after a sometimes frustrating few months. As he has previously said, he “lost a lot of confidence within my game” after “falling off the [England] radar a bit” after his brief spell in the England side in 2018.Having allowed him that time, they identified the ideal coaches or mentors he could learn from – they were after spinners who relied on subtle variations rather than extravagant natural ability – and invited him on a spin bowling camp in Mumbai. Those coaches were Rangana Herath, the Sri Lanka left-arm spinner, and Richard Dawson, who played seven Tests for England as an off-spinner in the early years of this century.These were wise choices. Herath, in particular, enjoyed an outstanding career as a traditional spinner. And somewhere along the way, Bess has learned that by concentrating on building pressure and by embracing those little variations, he gives himself the best chance of success. In these two Tests, he has looked a better bowler than he did when the Championship season finished in September. He also credited Jeetan Patel, who is with England as a spin bowling consultant, for his advice in helping him gain more bounce and pace.Faf du Plessis fell cheaply again•Stu Forster/Getty Images
“That ball to Faf was something I’d been working on with Herath,” Bass said. “I started around the wicket and he came at me quite a lot, so I tried to change the angle. I dropped my arm a little and it bit off the surface. It’s really nice to work on something and see it work.”Then with Elgar – who I played with at Somerset – I wanted to make sure I was always challenging him. I looked to go a little under the ball and luckily it kicked on a bit. Some spun and some didn’t and Ollie Pope held a great catch.”I’ll cherish this for a long time because I’ve worked very hard for days like this. Technically I’m getting a lot stronger through repetition. There’s still a lot of work to do but hopefully there’s a lot more to come.”But before giving the ECB too much praise for their wisdom, it should be acknowledged that Bess was not in the original tour party. And as time goes on the selection of Matt Parkinson, who played four Championship games for Lancashire in 2019, looks ever more odd. It must have been painful to see an injury replacement – called up for the ill Jack Leach – who had not enjoyed the benefit of any warm-up games come into the side ahead of him, but, suffice to say, at this stage of his career, Parkinson looks far better suited to the white-ball game.”I’m gutted for Leachy, he’s had such a tough time these last six weeks,” Bess said. “I know he’ll be happy for me. He’ll be working really hard to get back for the Sri Lanka tour. I’d love to play together. That would be a really nice touch if we could take wickets together for England as well as Somerset.”Equally, the ECB might do well to reflect on the apparent crackdown on the surfaces at Taunton. It is surely no coincidence that England’s two first-choice spin bowling options have been developed on turning pitches – just as they were in Northampton, not so long ago – which provide scope for lots of bowling. Yes, there is a distinction to be made between acceptably turning surfaces and ones which offer variable bounce and excessive assistance. But it is also no coincidence that Bess responded to this relatively helpful surface in a calm and constructive manner; something which had not always been the case with Moeen Ali, for example, who sometimes looked more comfortable when expectations were lower. Not for the first time, the thought occurred that Somerset deserve credit not censure for their spin-friendly pitchesBess had a couple of other factors in his favour here. The first, as was the case in Cape Town, is that this South Africa side is, generally, oddly passive against spin. Other sides – better sides – will surely look to hit Bess off his length. The other factor is that he was bowling when his side had 499 runs on the board. That makes a huge difference in terms of the fields set, the mentality of the batsmen and the time the fielding captain can stick with plans. It won’t always be this straightforward.But everything suggests Bess has the character to cope with adversity. He has shrugged off being unable to get into his own county team, after all, and being called into this tour party without a competitive game since the end of the English season. He made a half-century on Test debut and followed it with 49 as nightwatchman in his second Test. And he’s still just 22. Suddenly Moeen’s exile does not seem quite as urgent an issue.
Tottenham Hotspur will enjoy a sojourn away from competitive action this weekend with their Premier League opponents, Chelsea, attending to obligations in the Carabao Cup final.
It's a double-edged sword. Influential full-backs Pedro Porro and Destiny Udogie both missed out last weekend as Ange Postecoglou's side slumped to defeat at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers and with both stars likely to have missed out this weekend, a break isn't a bad thing.
That said, Spurs need fluency after fluctuating in results and performance, last securing successive victories in the league before Christmas Day, and after Manchester United's shock Old Trafford loss against Fulham, fifth-placed Tottenham could now create some breathing space.
Ange Postecoglou.
Securing top four is the incentive but Postecoglou's project is definitely moving in the right direction, with some exciting improvements to the first team and some incredible development within the academy ranks.
Tottenham's development squad have so many talented youngsters pushing for prominence, and while the likes of Jamie Donley perch at the top, Tyrese Hall might just be the club's most precocious starlet.
Tyrese Hall could be a bigger talent than Jamie Donley
Hall might only be young but he has been riding the crest of a wave recently as he continues to sparkle brightest among many high-quality peers, having joined the club from London rivals Chelsea during his formative years.
Stepping up to thrive at U18 level across the 2021/22 campaign – while still a schoolboy – Hall is clearly destined for the top level and now he must just ply his trade industriously to continue the growth that has whipped relevant circles into a frenzied buzz.
This season, the 18-year-old has scored six goals and supplied five assists in all competitions, principally in the U18 Premier League but recently being promoted to the Premier League 2 and supplying two assists on his debut.
While Jamie Donley is the creme-de-la-creme of Wayne Burnett's development squad right now, having posted six goals and 12 assists from 17 matches this season, the 19-year-old might just find himself leapfrogged if Hall continues in his ascendancy.
In The Pipeline
Football FanCast's In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.
Hall has received a glowing endorsement from Tottenham insider Superhotspur, who outlined his best attributes, writing that he is 'a player with great ability on the ball' and that he is 'capable of creating chances out of very little, and he with his consistently impressive weight and vision for a pass, he is also capable of making those all important forward passes.'
Such qualities spring a certain Phil Foden to mind; just imagine, for one moment, if Spurs have such a player on their hands.
Phil Foden's season in numbers
Manchester City are not quite firing on cylinders after winning the treble last season, but the Etihad side are still the best team on the continent and are competing for the biggest honours, with Foden's elite contributions among the most important.
With Kevin De Bruyne sat on the sidelines for large portions of the campaign, the 23-year-old has proved his worth and then some, unceasingly productive.
Stat
#
Matches
26
Starts
24
Goals
9
Assists
7
Pass completion
89%
Shots per game
2.8
Key passes per game
2.0
Dribbles per game
1.4
Ball recoveries per game
3.6
Duels won per game
4.0
Moreover, to illustrate this point, the mesmeric England international ranks among the top 5% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals scored, the top 7% for assists, the top 19% for shot-creating actions, the top 2% for pass completion, the top 8% for passes attempted and the top 20% for progressive passes per 90, as per FBref.
More succinctly: he is a world-class player. Praised for his "immense" quality by The Times' Henry Winter, Foden continues to thrive at the heart of one of the finest football teams across Europe in a generation, a dynamic dancer through the lanes, balletic in his gait and deadly in the final third.
Hall, while naturally a more defensive-heavy midfielder, has a similarly prodigious sheen to his play and he might just find himself earning comparisons as he continues to rise to the fore.
Manchester City eyeing Hall
On the topic of Man City, Guardiola's side have been reported to be big admirers of Hall by Football Transfers, who have revealed that scouts had been dispatched earlier in February to observe him in action.
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The Barnet-born teenager's seamless transition through the levels has suggested that he is of a standard that would not be out of place at the nest of City's system, and while a move might be forthcoming, Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy must be steadfast in repelling the advances.
Spurs are currently at the Premier League 2's summit and are creating a mouth-watering youth fold of immense ability, and while Hall would – and should – be confident in his ability to follow the likes of Oscar Bobb, Rico Lewis (and Foden) in Greater Manchester, opting to remain in London might prove to be the more prudent route in the end.
Hall's composed finish against the young Citizens – a clutch of players that the Manchester City powers-that-be wish for him to join – was sadly not enough to prevent a cup exit as the adversaries turned the game on its head.
But it's just another example of his stunning potential, and while Hall is safely ensconced in his fledgling phase as a U18 star (he need not worry about a promotion to the senior squad at this stage), there is no question that the teenager is among the finest midfielders of his age bracket and the vested interest of Manchester City can attest to that.
Spurs must fight fiercely to retain Hall's services, guiding the flickering flame of his development and ensuring that he is clad in Tottenham white when, if all goes to plan, he breaks into the senior set-up and catches the eye.
Aston Villa have been immense this campaign, as highlighted by their current fourth-place spot in the Premier League.
However, this week they suffered a disappointing 3-1 home defeat to Chelsea, which dumped them out of the FA Cup.
The midfield arguably lost them the tie, but there was a glimmer of quality towards the end of the game via one substitute, whom Unai Emery could look to fully unleash soon.
The rise of Jack Grealish
Having been at his boyhood club since the age of six, Jack Grealish made his Premier League debut for Villa away to Manchester City on 7 May, 2014, in what was just the start of him becoming a Villans legend.
The winger would go on to mainly take on the role of a substitute in the next two seasons, during a time when the club struggled on the field and eventually succumbed to relegation.
However, this is where Grealish developed into the player he is today, taking on the captain's armband and leading the club he supports to the Premier League in 2019.
jack-grealish-villa
Grealish contributed to 65 goals over 213 games for Villa, with his best campaign coming in the 2020/21 Premier League season, when he scored six times and registered ten assists. This earned him a move to Man City for £100m, which is the second-most expensive signing in Premier League history.
The 28-year-old has gone on to become a key player for Pep Guardiola's side, helping them win the treble last season while also becoming a regular for England.
Perhaps, Emery could have the biggest prospect since Grealish waiting in the wings…
Tim Iroegbunam's future at Villa
Despite being handed his first Premier League start in the 2021/22 season by Steven Gerrard and impressing, Tim Iroegbunam was sent on loan to QPR last season, where he took on a key role, playing 32 games and helping the side avoid relegation to League One.
Former QPR loanee Tim Iroegbunam.
This season, he has played 41 minutes under Emery, which has occurred in Villa's last two matches. The 6 foot midfielder can play as a number eight or as a defensive midfielder, and his stats from his time at the Hoops show what type of player he is.
Goals
0.08
Top 47%
Assists
0.00
Bottom 86%
Tackles won
1.74
Top 10%
Passes blocked
1.54
Top 6%
Carries into final third
1.62
Top 20%
The England gem played a handful of roles in the Championship, for a side that often spent long spells without the ball, which prevented most of his on-the-ball qualities from shining, but he still showed his ability to carry the ball with ease.
However, that did allow him to show his ability to hold his own, especially out of possession, as he ranked highly for tackles won and passes blocked, showing his reading of the game is superb.
It is no surprise that analyst and writer PGR described Iroengbunam as the "real deal," and his profile would be the perfect replacement for Douglas Luiz, who has been tipped with a move away from the club, with Arsenal being a potential destination.
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The likeness between the pair can be seen in their shared defensive prowess, with Luiz averaging 2.7 tackles and interceptions per game this season in the Premier League, while his young teammate averaged 2.8 for that same metric in the second tier in 2022/23.
Whether the Brazilian leaves in the summer or not, the youngster deserves a chance to shine.
Aston Villa recovered from their 3-1 defeat to Newcastle by thrashing Sheffield United 5-0 to move back into the Premier League's top four. It was Villa's biggest away win since the 2007/08 season, when they beat Derby County 6-0 at Pride Park.
One concern for Villa fans, though, was that Ezri Konsa failed to complete 90 minutes for just the third time this season after going down injured. Unai Emery tried to calm fears after the game by insisting that Konsa's withdrawal was tactical rather than enforced.
The Spaniard is already dealing with a considerable injury list, topped by season-long absentees Emi Buendia and Tyrone Mings, both of whom have damaged their anterior cruciate ligament. Left-back Lucas Digne is expected to be back this month, but Jhon Duran may be out until April.
Now, Villa reporter John Townley has shared a fresh update on Konsa, and unfortunately it appears that Emery's initial confidence was misplaced, with the defender facing a spell on the sidelines.
Konsa out for up to a month
Townley reports that Konsa will be "out for three to four weeks" following an update from Emery in his press conference ahead of Wednesday night's FA Cup fourth-round replay against Chelsea. The 26-year-old has suffered a sprained knee and could miss four Premier League games, starting with Sunday's home game against Manchester United.
In a timely boost for Villa, though, another of their defenders is back available for the clash with Mauricio Pochettino's side. Pau Torres is set to return to the matchday squad having resumed full training at Bodymoor Heath.
"Incredible" Konsa is Emery's most trusted player
It's no exaggeration to say that Konsa has become one of Villa's most important players under Emery. A tactical weapon who can play as either a centre-back or a right-back, he's started every single league game so far, as well as 10 of Villa's 12 matches in the domestic cups and Europa Conference League. In total, he's been on the field for 2,823 mins, more than anybody else in the squad.
In the Premier League specifically, he ranks sixth among outfielders for playing time, as you can see in the table below. Unfortunately, he'll have lost a lot of ground in that leaderboard by the time he returns.
=1
Joachim Andersen
Crystal Palace
2,070
=1
Max Kilman
Wolves
2,070
=1
William Saliba
Arsenal
2,070
=4
Ollie Watkins
Aston Villa
2,069
=4
James Tarkowski
Everton
2,069
6
Ezri Konsa
Aston Villa
1,996
Team-mate Matty Cash has dubbed Konsa an "incredible" player who should be regarded as "one of the best Premier League centre-backs", and the stats justify that assessment. He's won a higher share of his challenges (88.9%) than any other player in the top-flight this term.
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Torres' comeback certainly softens the blow for Villa, but it remains to be seen how much their Champions League aspirations suffer without a player who's been among the first names on the teamsheet all season.
The newly appointed Kings XI coach and director wants the team to show greater consistency
ESPNcricinfo staff17-Oct-2019
Anil Kumble’s coaching career will resume with Kings XI Punjab•Getty Images
Anil Kumble, former India coach and newly-appointed Kings XI coach and director of cricket, said that he has learnt to “back off” and not focus on the result.Kumble, who has also mentored Royal Challengers Bangalore and Mumbai Indians in the IPL in the past, believed that building a relaxed team environment would result in improved performances on the field. He coached the Indian team from mid-2016 to mid-2017, resigning after the Champions Trophy 2017 after his partnership with captain Virat Kohli became “untenable”.ALSO READ: Kumble appointed Kings XI Punjab head coach”It is all about a game of cricket at the end of it,” Kumble told at a Kings XI event in Delhi. “If you simplify like that, the job becomes a lot easier. The moment you start putting importance to result, wins, trophies then it puts more pressure on the players. So the learning is just to back off and help the players relax, and when they are relaxed they tend to perform better.”Kumble, the only Indian coach in the IPL, drew confidence from his previous IPL stints, including winning the league with Mumbai Indians as their mentor in 2013 and 2015. He had also captained Royal Challengers Bangalore to the IPL final in 2009, and to a third-place finish in 2010, before being appointed as mentor by the same team in 2011.”With RCB we did not win the title but we came close a couple of times,” he said. “With Mumbai, we had wonderful success those three years I was there. It is nice to have the experience of crossing the line. It certainly helps (you as a coach).”In September, ESPNcricinfo had reported that Ashwin was on the verge of moving out of Kings XI and joining Delhi Capitals, but the deal hasn’t been sealed yet. Kumble was coy about the trade, saying: “Ashwin had a wonderful two years but of course we did not get the right results but we have not made any decision who the captain will be.”Kings XI had started strongly in their previous two IPL seasons, when Ashwin was in charge, but their form tailed off in the second half and they eventually missed out on making the knockouts in both 2018 and 2019. Kumble called for a greater consistency if the team was to make the final four.”The team has not won an IPL title as of yet, so that is our main goal,” he told the Kings XI Punjab website. “In terms of the biggest challenge, we have seen in the recent past that the start has been good for Kings XI but after a couple of losses, the momentum shifts. We have been close to qualifying but we miss out by small margins. So it’s important to keep the momentum over 14 games and have a sustained performance for the team to make it to the last four, where it’s anybody’s game.”
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk shared 'good vibes' with NBA legend LeBron James at a special event in London.
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Van Dijk rubs shoulder with megastars
Liverpool captain on summer break
Will return to training in due course
WHAT HAPPENED?
Van Dijk shared snaps on Instagram of himself with James, Dr Dre and Snoop Dogg, looking firmly at home alongside megastars of sport and music.
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WHAT VIRGIL VAN DIJK SAID
Van Dijk captioned his post: "When worlds collide! Good vibes, good people."
THE GOSSIP
Van Dijk was invited to attend the UK launch of Dre and Snoop's Gin & Juice drink, named after the duo's 1994 single, at Flipper's Roller Boogie Palace in west London. The rappers performed together on a London stage for the first time in 30 years and were even joined by surprise guest Eminem.
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WHAT NEXT?
Van Dijk was in action at Euro 2024 for Netherlands until July 10 and is currently taking a break before he resumes training with Liverpool. His team-mates were beaten by Preston in a behind-closed-doors friendly on Friday before they head off to the United States for their pre-season tour. Three games will see the Reds take on Real Betis, Arsenal and Manchester United between July 26 and August 3.
Senior figures at the ECB have been grilled by MPs on the budget for the Hundred at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Select Committee, amid fears that projected costs for the new competition have grown significantly.In an oral evidence session that formed a key part of the DCMS inquiry into the future of English cricket, Tom Harrison, the ECB’s chief executive, repeatedly failed to give specific answers to questions regarding the budget for the new tournament.Former Somerset chairman Andy Nash – who resigned from the board of the ECB 18 months ago citing “standards of corporate governance… falling well short of what’s acceptable,” and a “move to promote eight counties as the first among equals” – gave evidence citing figures from an ESPNcricinfo article which demonstrated that the expected cost of the Hundred has risen significantly since the tournament was initially proposed.ALSO READ: ECB deny downplaying Blast amid fears for Hundred’s ticket salesJo Stevens, the Labour MP for Cardiff Central, questioned why the ECB had chosen to introduce a fourth format, asking “what’s wrong with T20?”Colin Graves, the ECB’s chairman, claimed that “the rest of the world is looking at it [the 100-ball format]. There’s at least four countries out there that are looking at how it develops, and they are certainly interested in it.”But the tensest exchange came between Stevens and Harrison on the subject of the budget for the Hundred, with the competition set to start in July 2020.”You presumably had a budget for it when you started the Hundred,” Stevens said. “What was the budget, and how much has it cost? How are you doing against your budgeting?”Unhappy with Harrison’s initial answer, Stevens repeated: “Can you answer the question I’m asking? What was the budget and what have you spent?”Harrison replied: “That is three years ago, the budget has obviously moved from that point as the development of the concept comes to light and there are costs… we actually added a women’s tournament…”Stevens continued: “Mr Harrison, it’s a simple question. What was the budget and how much have you spent?”In total, Stevens asked six times what the budget was for the new competition, and how the ECB’s costs had compared to expectations. Harrison said: “The budget is in line with the game’s expectations. I’m not going to reveal what that is.”We have a valuation which was met in the process of the broadcast budget, and the tournament budget which is… the tournament hasn’t happened yet. It’s happening next year. We’re in the budget-planning process. We’re planning the budget now for next year which will go through the board, through the proper governance structures and will be revealed… will effectively be confirmed in time for next year. We haven’t done budgets for any part of our business next year yet.”The budget is in line with the expectations of the Hundred board, and the ECB board.”In the second part of the session, Nash described the introduction of the new tournament as “an almighty punt and a reckless gamble” with “the potential to split and bankrupt the game”.”It will clearly will damage the other three formats,” he said. “We’ll be left with a financial crisis.”Andy Nash expressed concerns about the ECB’s financial position at a DCMS select committee oral evidence session•Getty Images
Nash claimed the first year of the Hundred would see the ECB lost £20m, and said that it “is going to cost about £60m a year to put on. So if no new fans come it will have cost £200m to cannibalise the existing game.”In fact, the first-year lost is likely to be closer to £7.5million. As reported by ESPNcricinfo, the ECB is set to claim that the Hundred will make a profit in its first year. The board projects that it will gross £51million in its first year against costs of £35million – but those costs exclude the £1.3m fee guaranteed to each county. With those included, the competition is not projected to make a profit in its first five years, though it could break even in year five. For the 2020 edition, the costs including payments to the counties are projected to be around £58.6million.T20 leagues around the world have similarly struggled for profitability until several years after their inception. Harrison later claimed that he could not provide full budget figures as they are not yet fully agreed and signed off by the board.Nash later claimed that “fans feel as though the game is being taken away from them”.”[The ECB] really are betting the farm that the next TV deal will pay back the investment on the Hundred,” he said. “We have here the germ of a major financial crisis for the game. This year was a fantastic success for cricket. Why put it all at risk? A lot of people in the game are completely baffled.”We’ll be left with a financial crisis. Where’s the justification for such a high-risk route?”Nash reasserted his support for a T20 competition split between two divisions of nine counties, as proposed by a working party he chaired when at the ECB. The plan was initially backed by the CEOs of the first-class counties.”You’d have nine teams in each division and, hey presto, you have an English Premier League in the top division,” he said. “That option is still there. It’s still what fans would like. It would cost nothing like as much as The Hundred. It would present far less of a risk.”
Several chances have been spilled in the field by Bangladesh on the New Zealand tour, especially in the slip cordon, compounding their batting and bowling woes
Mohammad Isam at Hagley Oval23-Jan-2017Mashrafe Mortaza had sounded an early warning when he talked about the body-language problem with Bangladesh’s fielders during the first ODI of this tour in Christchurch. Seeing how they have dropped catches so regularly through the rest of the tour, though, that warning seems to have gone unheeded.The 20 dropped catches on tour have affected Bangladesh adversely both in that particular moment and over the larger passage of play. This sloppiness in the field has compounded their woes, which have included batting collapses, the lack of big runs from senior batsmen and the inexperience of the Test pace attack.Mashrafe had tagged Bangladesh’s fielders “lethargic” after the ODI in Christchurch, where they allowed 27 twos and 111 singles. Back at the same venue for the second Test, their last game on tour, Bangladesh dropped seven genuine chances.In the fourth over of New Zealand’s first innings, Mahmudullah didn’t stay down for long enough when a Jeet Raval catch came his way at second slip off Mehedi Hasan. A little while later, his dive to his left at square leg couldn’t intercept a Ross Taylor flick. In between, Sabbir Rahman dropped a sitter at second slip offering Raval another life. Later Kamrul Islam Rabbi dropped Taylor at deep midwicket, and then Mehedi Hasan put Southee down at second slip. Nazmul Hossain Shanto also dropped a straightforward chance at gully; he had already shown poor technique at silly mid-off when Henry Nicholls had struck him on the body twice in the 44th over. Both would count as chances – albeit very tough ones – as it hit him on the full, but the bigger point was why was Nazmul ducking into the ball instead of jumping over it, as close-in fielding technique would demand in such cases.What was also confusing was the choice of slip cordon, where most of their catches have gone down. Mehedi Hasan continued to be there despite dropping two in Wellington Test as well. Sabbir dropped a catch in the first Test at third slip too, but continued in the same position in Christchurch where he dropped that sitter off Taskin Ahmed.Slip catching is considered a specialist’s job and Bangladesh haven’t really found their specialists. The reason for posting Sabbir and Mehedi Hasan in the slips was the absence of the injured Imrul Kayes, a recent regular in the spot. But he too had dropped one, that too one of the easiest chances on the tour, when Neil Broom had edged-behind in the third ODI in Nelson.That is not to say that catches have not been dropped elsewhere during both the ODIs and Tests. Some of these catches going down could be explained as a matter of pure luck – as Tamim Iqbal said after the loss in Christchurch, “it just happens”.* But several of these missed opportunities have translated into New Zealand batsmen going on to make a big score.Clearly, given the despair the matter has caused to some of the bowlers, it has been discussed in team meetings, and efforts must be underway to eliminate the problem. Tamim agreed that specialists need to be found. “We can definitely work on our catching, especially in our slip cordon. We will have more chances going to slips now that we will play more overseas. We have to look for specialists in that position.”The home side dropped catches too, and the issue has been brought up with their players in media conferences. Bangladesh’s extensive catalogue of problems on tour, though, has meant that their dropped catches have not really been questioned much. When he was asked about it, Tamim said the team just could not afford to fluff chances in conditions overseas. “We can somehow manage this thing at home. Conditions are such that chances are created quite regularly,” he said. “Here they [New Zealand] can drop five catches but we cannot afford to.”It takes a lot of effort for our bowlers to create one chance. I think our pace bowlers did very well here. But these things make a difference. It would have been so much better had we taken even 70% of the catches.”The easiest way to react to drops is to blame the fielder first, and then the fielding coach. But that is too simplistic a view. Fielding is about involvement and enjoyment out in the middle. If that’s missing when Bangladesh goes out to field, it might suggest deeper issues to look into. The faster the problem is pinpointed and sorted out, the better it will be for the team.*10.15 GMT, January 23: Tamim Iqbal’s quotes were added to this article at the end of day four of the Christchurch Test.