All posts by h716a5.icu

An update has emerged on Manchester United's plans to add a new number nine to their squad ahead of the 2023/24 Premier League campaign…

What's the latest on Rasmus Hojlund to Manchester United?

According to Football Insider, the Red Devils are in the market for a 'marquee' addition to their forward options and Atalanta striker Rasmus Hojlund is one of the names on their list of targets.

The report claims that the Denmark international would be one of the cheaper options available to them as the Serie A outfit are looking for a fee in the region of £60m to part ways with him.

It states that the 20-year-old centre-forward 'wowed' United's scouts in the season just gone, although they do not believe him to be on the same level as the likes of Harry Kane, Victor Osimhen, and Randal Kolo Muani at this moment in time.

Where would Rasmus Hojlund fit in at Manchester United?

United boss Erik ten Hag could line up with the Danish marksman as his number nine and play England international Marcus Rashford out on the left flank, with Antony potentially completing the attacking trident on the right.

Hojlund is not a player who should be expected to hit the ground running as Erling Haaland did for Manchester City as the Norwegian finisher broke the Premier League record for the most goals in a single season.

However, the talented youngster would be a long-term addition.

At the age of 20, the striker could improve and develop with experience while also working with ten Hag on the training pitch to become a lethal no.9 who could also make Rashford unstoppable.

The current United star plundered an exceptional 30 goals and 11 assists in 56 outings in all competitions for the club last season, with 17 of those strikes coming in the league – no other player managed more than eight.

Rashford was the obvious threat for opposition teams to look out for, with more than twice as many league goals as any other forward in the squad, and Holjund's arrival could provide defences with another player to focus on, which could open up more space for the English hotshot to thrive in the final third.

The Atalanta dynamo scored nine goals in just 20 Serie A starts in 2022/23 while he has also found the back of the net six times in four European Championship qualifying matches for his country.

This means that the £11k-per-week gem scored more league goals than every United player other than Rashford last term, despite only starting 20 games, which is why he could be an exceptional addition to ten Hag's squad for now and in the future.

The exciting young talent, who was once hailed as "remarkable" by manager Gian Piero Gasperini, has showcased his potential as a goalscorer and his goal threat could force opposing teams to place an emphasis on marking him out of the game.

This, in turn, this could free some of the shackles from Rashford to provide the 25-year-old phenomenon with fewer obstacles between him and the goal as the defenders would have to worry about Holjund's quality as well as his.

England Under-19s will be without Matt Fisher for their four-day series against India in Nagpur which starts on Monday as they take a protective attitude to a fast bowler in whom they have invested considerable expectations

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Feb-2017England Under-19s will be without Matt Fisher for their four-day series against India in Nagpur which starts on Monday as they take a protective attitude to a fast bowler in whom they have invested considerable expectations.The Yorkshire fast bowler is still struggling with the groin problem he picked up during the one-day series in Mumbai – although England privately stress that he has not suffered a recurrence of the hamstring problems that bedevilled him last seasonFisher will stay with the Under-19 squad for another week to make the most of his first sub-continental experience as a member of England’s leadership group, while continuing to receive treatment from the medical staff. He will then return to Yorkshire to join their pre-season preparations at Headingley.Max Holden, the Middlesex batsman who has been loaned out to Northants for the start of the season, will take over the captaincy as planned for the four-day series.

With outgoings aplenty and reports of replacements on their way, Chelsea could field a much-changed line-up on the opening day of the Premier League season against Liverpool at Stamford Bridge.

It will be the start of what will be a crucial first season for Mauricio Pochettino and the Blues, who will be looking to make an instant return to the Champions League. It may take time for a new-look squad to gel, however, as the new boss attempts to find his strongest starting line-up.

With that said, we've taken a look at the potential new additions to Pochettino's line-up after the summer transfer window.

4 GK: Mike Maignan

Following the pending departure of Edouard Mendy, Chelsea are short on a goalkeeper to compete with Kepa Arrizabalaga next season. And that's where Mike Maignan could come in, with the shot-stopper valued at £30m (via Yahoo).

According to The Telegraph, the Blues are considering making a move for the AC Milan shot-stopper this summer with Kepa's number-one spot in doubt under Pochettino.

3 CB: Levi Colwill

Not exactly a new signing, but Levi Colwill more than showed that he's capable of stepping into Chelsea's side next season after playing a key role at Brighton under Roberto de Zerbi in the last campaign.

The young defender can form a solid partnership with Wesley Fofana next season, finally adding some much-needed stability to the backline at Stamford Bridge.

It makes sense for Chelsea to keep hold of Colwill after letting Kalidou Koulibaly leave to Saudi Arabia this summer, too. The last thing they want is to be short on options.

2 CM: Moises Caicedo

After playing a pivotal role in Brighton & Hove Albion's Europa League qualification last season, Moises Caicedo is unsurprisingly a man in demand this summer. And, according to reports, it is Chelsea who lead the way.

As per Fabrizio Romano, the Blues are set to open talks with Brighton for the midfielder and personal terms are not an issue as the London club prepare to go full steam ahead for a deal – though a fee will reportedly cost over £80m.

Caicedo would likely replace N'Golo Kante in Chelsea's side after the Frenchman swapped London for Saudi Arabia this summer.

1 ST: Nicolas Jackson

According to Romano and Will Unwin of The Guardian, Chelsea have completed the signing of Villarreal forward Nicolas Jackson for £31.8m, as they look to solve their goal-scoring issues.

Scoring just 38 goals last season, the London club are in desperate need of a capable goalscorer, especially with Kai Havertz on the verge of joining Arsenal.

The hope will be that Jackson, who scored 12 La Liga goals last season, can take things up a level or two under Pochettino and become the striker that's needed at Stamford Bridge.

Pochettino's potential line-up: Mike Maignan; Reece James; Levi Colewill; Wesley Fofana; Ben Chilwell; Moises Caicedo; Enzo Fernandes; Conor Gallagher; Noni Madueke; Nicolas Jackson; Raheem Sterling

With the departure of Kai Havertz to Arsenal all but confirmed and Manchester United continuously courting Mason Mount, a massive gap has appeared in Chelsea’s squad for a new attacking midfielder.

Chelsea are in the hunt for an inventive, prolific, and young playmaker, as Celta Vigo’s Gabri Veiga ticks all those boxes.

What’s the latest on Gabri Veiga to Chelsea?

According to Florian Plettenberg, the 21-year-old is “ready for the next step” in his career and talks have been initiated with Chelsea.

The tweet also details that the Spaniard has a release clause €40m (£34m) which is active this summer, so a player of this quality available for such a modest fee would be a huge coup for the Blues.

It was previously reported by the Guardian that Pochettino is “prioritising additions in midfield” and this aim will only be augmented given the outgoings at Stamford Bridge.

Why do Chelsea want Gabri Veiga?

The attacker enjoyed a phenomenal breakout season in his homeland, registering 15 goal contributions in 36 La Liga outings throughout 2022/23.

The youngster finished the season in style – with this boyhood side needing a victory on the final day to avoid relegation, he netted twice to sweep aside title-winning Barcelona.

Across the year, no one in Spain’s top-flight outperformed their expected goals (xG) more than the prodigy, whilst his commendable four goals from outside the box were also the highest in the division.

His magnificent rise to international prominence means that the sensation is set to play a starring role at the U21 European Championship this summer.

Indeed, Veiga’s been named by The Athletic as one of the players to watch at the tournament.

The joyous technician has produced incredible numbers this term as he ranks in the top 12% for successful take-ons per 90, touches in the attacking penalty area per 90, non-penalty goals per 90, and total shots per 90.

His direct effervescence, coupled with a keen eye for goal and sparkling creativity means he has been likened to Eberechi Eze via FBref. That should no doubt be an attractive proposition with the Eagles star sparkling bright towards the climax of last season, winning an England call-up in the process.

Described as “amazing” by Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig, Veiga has performed very similarly to Eze for goal involvements (15 vs 14), shots on target (29 vs 25), shot-creating actions per 90 (3.14 vs 4.03), and average shot distance in yards (19.8 vs 21.9).

This shows that while they are crafty providers for their teammates, they also harbour their own ruthless ambitions to find the net.

Both talents have evolved as the chief creators for their respective sides and irreplaceable figures within offensive sequences.

If the West London outfit secured this signing, it would be an excellent way to replace Havertz and Mount.

Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana will be withdrawn from the WBBL before the competition has finished, in order to participate in a training camp ahead of their 2017 World Cup qualification tournament

Adam Collins13-Jan-20173:36

Lemon: Sixers only side to lock themselves at the top

The BCCI have exercised their right to withdraw the batsmen Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur from the Women’s Big Bash League before the competition has finished.ESPNcricinfo has learned the duo will return to India ahead of the WBBL finals to participate in a training camp before their 2017 World Cup qualification tournament, leaving Brisbane Heat and Sydney Thunder without their prized recruits if competing in the trophy decider.The development, alongside Cricket South Africa’s retrieval of Dane van Niekerk and Marizanne Kapp from Sydney Sixers duty for the last four regular season fixtures, has bolstered calls for a dedicated ICC exclusivity schedule window for the WBBL.Anthony Everard, the head of the BBL, explained that the No Objection Certificate process – which includes provision for overseas boards to call back their national players for duty as they see fit – is respected widely, but acknowledged “degrees of frustration” experienced by the affected clubs at this late stage.Everard believes the WBBL, in its second season, has built a case for a window as the first women’s competition of its kind. “Given we’ve invested significantly in this competition, and the important role it plays in the development of women’s cricket not only within Australia but globally, we have at least got a seat at the table to have that discussion,” he said.It is a view shared by former England captain, and now Adelaide Striker, Charlotte Edwards. She said it was “frustrating” that her team-mate Sophie Devine missed two games to play for Wellington in New Zealand’s T20 event days after making the WBBL’s fastest century. “Hopefully [a window] is going to be something looked at in the future where the dates don’t clash and we can have as many of the New Zealand girls as possible in this tournament,” she said.A Sixers spokeswoman confirmed their South African pair had been signed before it it was clear they would be missing over a quarter of the regular season for five ODIs against Bangladesh. In turn, she added her club’s support for the window in future seasons. “I would be surprised,” she said, “if CA wasn’t advocating on our behalf so that it became a priority.”The Thunder are at this stage unlikely to incur the cost of replacing Kaur with another international, while the Heat are hopeful that West Indian Deandra Dottin will recover from facial surgery in time to fill Mandhana’s vacancy.The Sixers, who are two games clear at the top of the table, will substitute the South Africans with England wicketkeeper Amy Jones and Irish rookie Kim Garth for their last four group games. Kapp, spearheading their attack, is the most frugal bowler in WBBL02 to date.Perth Scorchers allrounder and New Zealand skipper Suzie Bates was the most prominent international representative drawn away from WBBL duty last season, missing six games where clashes existed across the Tasman in the Christmas-New Year period.While stressing the efforts made by New Zealand Cricket, Bates says it continues to be a “really difficult” process for all parties; both boards wanting players to be available full-time. “It is hard when it is the players that are left with those decisions,” she said, concurring with Edwards that it would be “helpful” having a window to avoid the predicament into the future.Bates also noted the difference between the depth in the men’s and women’s tournaments in finding suitable players. “No one wants to dilute their teams because we just don’t have the numbers,” she observed. “The top ten players in the world are in demand from everyone.”A competition insider echoed the concern for the fledgling tournament replacing marquee players as easily as it is the case for the men’s equivalent. “There just isn’t the depth,” he said, contrasting the BBL where “every player manager in the world” is contacting clubs when a vacancy arrives due to injury or international selection.Another affected player returned home to New Zealand was allrounder Amy Satterthwaite, captain of Canterbury in New Zealand, who agreed with the Hurricanes that she would miss two games, half of the amount she wasn’t available for in WBBL01. As was the case with Devine, Hobart lost the game the experienced allrounder was absent for, while the other was washed out.Everard is confident the Trans-Tasman piece of the puzzle is “solvable” between the boards between seasons. “Ideally you want to get to a point where it becomes a win/win,” he said. “I think there’s a workable solution in there somewhere.”

Giving up captaincy will put MS Dhoni under pressure to keep performing in limited-overs cricket, but he will remain an “invaluable” member of India’s side if he manages to do so, Rahul Dravid has said

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Jan-20173:49

Dravid: Dhoni brought a calm to captaincy

Giving up captaincy will put MS Dhoni under pressure to keep performing in limited-overs cricket, but he will remain an “invaluable” member of India’s side if he manages to do so, Rahul Dravid has said. Speaking to ESPNcricinfo, Dravid, the former India captain and current coach of the India A and India Under-19 sides, said Dhoni’s experience and knowledge would be “priceless” to Virat Kohli, who will most likely take over the captaincy, if he continues to earn his place in the side with bat and wicketkeeping gloves.”There is no doubt that someone of MS Dhoni’s experience and ability, when playing well, is invaluable to the side,” Dravid said. “That’s the kind of experience and knowledge and ability, under pressure especially. It is not easy to find and not easy to get.”The question obviously remains that you need to earn your place in the team and you need to do it with performances. So at his best and performing really well, a guy like MS Dhoni is invaluable to India’s one-day team, especially in the big tournaments coming up. But I think that’ll also be decided by his own performances and his own ability. I think now he’ll really be judged on how he performs and can he hold his place in the side purely in terms of his wicket-keeping and batting. And that’ll be up to him.”And I guess if you’re Virat Kohli, you’ll actually be hoping that MS Dhoni does really well and is able to hold on to his place. Because you would like that kind of experience performing well in the team. Just that knowledge would be priceless for Virat Kohli to have.”Dravid felt the timing of Dhoni’s decision was “really right”, since it gave Kohli plenty of time to mould the ODI side and build towards the 2019 World Cup.”[Dhoni’s decision was] probably not that much of a surprise, in the sense that he probably knew that the time was sooner rather than later,” Dravid said. “There was talk of him continuing till the Champions Trophy with only one one-day series before that.”But I think, from his perspective, if he didn’t see himself continuing till the next World Cup, he got the timing really right because if he doesn’t see himself as a long-term prospect as captain then I think it is a good time to let Virat Kohli take over and have enough time to be able to build a one-day team to his liking for the next World Cup.”Rahul Dravid played 35 Tests, 17 ODIs and one T20I under MS Dhoni’s captaincy•Getty ImagesDravid, whose decision to resign from the captaincy in 2007 paved the way for Dhoni to take over, said it would take Dhoni some time to get used to playing under someone else, but didn’t think it would be a major issue.”I don’t think it’s very difficult,” Dravid said. “From personal experience as well, it takes a little bit of getting used to and adjusting – of not setting the field and not running things – but I think you get used to it. And Dhoni spent a lot of time as a player and not having captained before he started captaining in 2007. So I don’t think it should take him too much time to get used to it. And knowing the kind of person he is and the personality he is, I don’t see it as too much of a problem.”Dhoni’s place in India’s batting order has been a point of debate over the last year or so, with his finishing skills seemingly on the wane and a set of younger middle-order batsmen coming into the side. When asked where Dhoni should bat in limited-overs cricket, Dravid said the more pressing issue was where the less-experienced players batted.”There’s going to be a few young players around that one-day team and finding the right positions for them would be more important than Dhoni, because I think that Dhoni playing at his best can adapt to any situation.”Asked what Dhoni’s biggest contribution as captain was, Dravid pointed to the “sense of calm” he brought to the job.”Indian captaincy, there can be a lot happening around in Indian cricket – emotions can go up and down,” Dravid said. “For me, he was able to maintain a calm and a balance through all of it, which was his unique ability and his unique strength. And I think Indian cricket benefited a lot from that.”History, Dravid said, would remember Dhoni as India’s most successful captain.”What else was there for him to achieve? Most number of Test wins for India, number 1 ranking in Test cricket, T20 World Cup, Champions Trophy, the World Cup, most number of wins as one-day captain. I’m not great at stats but he must be at the top of every statistical list on what an Indian captain has achieved,” Dravid said. “History remember him as India’s most successful captain. And someone who really, in his time as an Indian captain, took the team and the game forward in this country.”

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly one of a number of teams now in the race to add a talented young prospect to their squad during the summer transfer window.

What's the latest on Adama Bojang to Tottenham Hotspur?

According to the Evening Standard, Spurs are pursuing a deal to sign Steve Biko FC centre-forward Adama Bojang ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

The report claims that fellow Premier League sides Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Liverpool, and Wolves are also keeping tabs on the teenager, who is currently playing in The Gambia.

It states that Lens, Eintracht Frankfurt, and RB Leipzig are providing competition for his signature from outside of England and that there are also teams outside of Europe who are interested in the 19-year-old marksman.

He would be a cheap option for Ange Postecoglou to swoop for this summer as Steve Biko FC are said to be demanding a fee of just £2.6m for the attacker.

The former Celtic head coach has technically made one signing since making the switch from Scotland after Dejan Kulusevski put pen to paper on a permanent deal following an 18-month loan spell but this second move may be one for the future, rather than with a view to him making an immediate impact.

Who is Adama Bojang?

Bojang is a 6 foot 3 striker who has caught the eye whilst playing for his country at youth level and could be an intriguing signing for Spurs to make.

He has plundered six goals in eight appearances for The Gambia's U20 side and was named in the Team of the Tournament for the U20 African Cup of Nations, in which the talented teen scored four goals.

The 19-year-old titan, who has been described as the 'Gambian Hurricane', revealed his footballing inspiration earlier this year:

"I want to be like Cristiano Ronaldo. Because he's my favourite when it comes to the big name players.

"I've been watching his videos on YouTube after games. He posts his workout there so sometimes I try to watch those and motivate myself through that."

He has been compared to another former Premier League number nine, though, as talent scout Jacek Kulig named Tammy Abraham, formerly of Chelsea, as a similar type of player to the "complete" Gambian dynamo.

Kulig listed pace, movement, and finishing as some of Bojang's biggest strengths and rated his potential at 8/10, which suggests that there is a promising prospect there who could be a star if he lives up to the hype.

Whilst this may not be a deal that makes a significant impact on Tottenham's chances of achieving their goals in all competitions next season, the signing of the £2.6m hotshot could be an exciting move by the club that could benefit them in the future.

Jason Holder’s opening burst and debutant Ashley Nurse’s three wickets helped West Indies defend 227 on a deteriorating Harare pitch and seal a bonus-point win over Sri Lanka

The Report by Nikhil Kalro16-Nov-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsJason Holder’s figures of 8-0-16-2 set the tone for West Indies’ win•AFPWest Indies’ bowlers, led by Jason Holder and Ashley Nurse, defended 227 on a deteriorating Harare pitch to register a bonus-point win, their first against Sri Lanka at a neutral venue since 1999. West Indies may not have had as much had it not been for enterprising cameos from Jonathan Carter and debutant Rovman Powell.Holder set the tone with a sensational opening spell of swing bowling in which he picked up two wickets and conceded 12 in five overs. He had Dhananjaya de Silva caught behind off an inside edge and drew Kusal Mendis forward with a full delivery that swung away late and took the outside edge. Nurse took a reverse-cupped catch in front of his face at second slip. In between, Johnson Charles effected an agile run-out of Kusal Perera, hitting the stumps directly from square leg.The pitch seemed to slow down as the afternoon wore on with more than a few balls stopping in the surface. Nurse dismissed Sri Lanka captain Upul Tharanga with one such delivery. It pitched on leg, drawing Tharanga into a flick, but the ball spun and bounced extravagantly to take the leading edge and lobbed back to the bowler.A few overs later, Nurse beat the defense of Asela Gunaratne and trapped him in front with what looked like an innocuous offbreak. Suddenly, Sri Lanka had slumped to 79 for 6 on a surface that was getting increasingly harder to bat on, making West Indies’ score of 227 seem a lot more.Sachith Pathirana and Shehan Jayasuriya kept Sri Lanka in the hunt with a 60-run seventh-wicket partnership, but too much damage had been done too early. Nurse finished with 3 for 46, while Shannon Gabriel claimed the last two wickets to return 3 for 31.West Indies’ first away ODI win since the 2015 World Cup was achieved after Jason Holder had lost his sixth straight toss and West Indies were put in. For most of their recent ODI series against Pakistan, their focus was on their biggest strength: power-hitting, as opposed to strike-rotation. It seemed like West Indies had intentionally swapped their strategy, with mixed results.West Indies’ major concern would have been negotiating a testing opening spell in gloomy conditions. Their batsmen were adept at doing so, albeit on a morning with less swing available than in the tri-series opener two days ago.Sri Lanka nipped out the openers in that period, including the run-out of Kraigg Brathwaite who plonked his bat on the crease while completing a run. The bat jarred in the turf and bounced up as Nuwan Kulasekara’s direct hit from mid-on found him short.Debutant Shai Hope and Evin Lewis, a T20 specialist, were then forced to stabilise a faltering innings. As the slower bowlers were introduced, the pair looked in so much discomfort in finding gaps that West Indies could only muster 51 runs between overs 11 and 25. The Harare pitch had begun to deteriorate and the Sri Lanka spinners strangled the batsmen. West Indies had cut out expansive shots on their own volition, and Sri Lanka closed the gaps.Carter, an ODI specialist, found his rhythm from the outset, hitting gaps and finding singles by looking for them. He struck 54, and picked off two fours and two sixes in a 62-ball knock filled with intent.Powell displayed his ball-striking ability in his 29-ball 44, an innings that featured two fours and three muscular sixes into the leg side, all a result of a strong bottom hand.Just when West Indies looked set for a score in excess of 250, Sri Lanka’s seamers returned in the end overs to trigger a collapse. West Indies lost their last five wickets for 18 runs.

Chelsea’s midfield is undergoing an exhaustive rebuild.

The long-serving triumvirate of Jorginho, N’Golo Kante, and Mateo Kovacic has seemingly been disbanded.

In January, the Blues began their transition to a new midfield when Enzo Fernandez from Benfica was signed for a record-breaking fee.

Romeo Lavia has been tipped to be the next stage of Mauricio Pochettino’s process.

What’s the latest on Romeo Lavia to Chelsea?

According to football.london, the Blues have opened talks for the Southampton asset, and a fire sale is expected on the south coast following the Saints’ relegation to the Championship.

The 19-year-old only joined from Manchester City last summer for a modest fee of £10m and this outlet reported that Southampton could demand around £50m for his services.

Therefore, the west Londoners are set to reignite their interest in the Belgian, who they made a last-ditch attempt to pinch on deadline day last August.

Who can Romeo Lavia replicate at Chelsea?

The one-cap international has emerged as a combination of a competent ball carrier and a ruthless protector of the backline – as he ranks within the top 25% in Europe’s top five leagues among his positional peers for pass completion and successful take-ons per 90, as well as the top 29% for tackles, interceptions, and blocks per 90.

Furthermore, the youngster is one of only three U21 players in this same bracket who have won possession in the midfield third 100+ times (114).

Paul Scholes has heaped praise on the prodigy and said: “I think he is a player with so much potential, and he could potentially go back, but he has settled in so well.

“He has got a pass in his locker, and he is big and strong and likes to defend. He does not want to get forward too much and sits in front of the back four and sets the play in motion from there.

“He is a young player who can do both sides of the game, equally good defensively but also once he is one the ball he has tremendous feet and can pass it.”

Lavia’s profile, his ability to read the game, his importance to his current side, and the way he guards the defence are reminiscent of the role that Claude Makelele adopted at Stamford Bridge.

The Frenchman made 217 appearances for the Blues, notably winning two Premier League titles and an FA Cup. His talents were so widely recognised that the defensive midfielder position has been colloquially labelled as the “Makelele role.”

His combative, energetic style allowed him to constantly break up opposition attacks, anticipate his opponents' movements and effectively time his challenges.

His positional awareness and intelligence are two uncoachable traits that Lavia seems to invaluably possess.

Described as “incredible” by Pep Guardiola, Lavia is destined for the top and a move could hugely elevate his career to the next level.

Graeme Cremer’s efforts with the bat somewhat covered up for Zimbabwe’s top-order failure in the first Test. With the team management insisting on consistency in selection, there’s an opportunity for them to make a mark in the second Test

The preview by Shashank Kishore05-Nov-2016Match factsNovember 6-10, 2016, Harare
Start time 10.00 am (0800 GMT)Sean Williams’ dismissal for 40 on the final day of the first Test hastened Zimbabwe’s loss•Associated PressBig PictureIn July, Zimbabwe hosted New Zealand for two Tests in Bulawayo. Considering this is only the third time in 11 years that they’re playing four Tests in a season at home, Sri Lanka’s tour ought to have provided continuity. Instead, the players were involved, not for the first time, in a protest with Zimbabwe Cricket over non-payment of match fees. When matters were temporarily resolved in September, the board was grappling with issues surrounding their annual audit which was yet to be submitted to the ICC more than three months after it was due.That delayed the appointment of a new head coach. When Heath Streak finally took over from Makhaya Ntini, who briefly held the role after Dav Whatmore’s sacking, he had a little over three weeks to prepare a side that that was once again short on cricket in the lead-up to a major series, with the domestic season yet to be finalised. Considering all this, Zimbabwe’s performance in the first Test, also their 100th overall, in Harare was seen as a massive improvement even though they eventually lost by 225 runs.They batted close to 200 overs in the Test – something they’ve done just twice in the last five years – and took it into the final hour before Sri Lanka dug deep into their reserves to eke out a win. The resistance in both innings was led by Graeme Cremer, the captain, who followed-up his maiden Test century with a gritty 43 in the second dig. It somewhat made up for the top order’s inability to build on starts, something the team management would have taken note of.The one aspect that has always been encouraging – even in Zimbabwe’s cricketing decline over the last decade-and-a-half – has been the fielding. That came a cropper in Harare – as many as seven catches were dropped in the first innings. Their bowling effort, typically restrictive, was led by debutant medium-pacer Carl Mumba, who took four wickets in the second innings. The other bowlers were largely ineffective. Therefore, a shot at equalling the series seems far-fetched for Zimbabwe, although walking away with a draw is possible, like they showed last week.For Sri Lanka, time spent in the middle here will take them a step closer to narrowing down on their combination for the bigger battles in South Africa next month. Strong performances from Kusal Perera and Upul Tharanga will add to a healthy selection dilemma once Dinesh Chandimal and Angelo Mathews, the designated captain, return from injuries.Rangana Herath’s delayed declaration in the second innings may have been scrutinised had Zimbabwe managed to hold on. For now, it’s a decision that can be firmly put on the back-burner as Sri Lanka aim for a clean sweep to cap Herath’s first – and possibly last – series as captain.The implementation of DRS, for the first time in Zimbabwe, will add an element of intrigue. Zimbabwe have been at the centre of a number of poor umpiring decisions in recent times.Form guideZimbabweLLLLL (completed matches, most recent first)
Sri Lanka WWWWDDilruwan Perera’s utility could be tested on surfaces that don’t turn as much as the ones in Sri Lanka•Associated PressIn the spotlightMalcolm Waller came into the fray for selection for the first Test on the back of 37 and 87 for Zimbabwe A in a four-day fixture against Pakistan A. Prior to that, he recorded three successive half-centuries in the 50-over format. He made scores of 22 and 0 in the first Test; the timing of his dismissal in the second innings even as Zimbabwe fought to save the Test was crucial. With Tarisai Musakanda, who also made runs against Pakistan A, breathing down his neck, there could be pressure on Waller to make a significant score here.Dilruwan Perera’s utility in this Sri Lankan line-up, especially at home, can’t be understated. He’s a more-than-capable lower-order batsman, and a tidy offspinner. But on surfaces that aid swing and seam movement, like Sri Lanka could encounter in South Africa, it remains to be seen how effective he would be. Perhaps another solid performance in the second Test could go a long way in convincing the team management that he could be a contender for a spot even if Sri Lanka decide to play an extra fast bowler.Team newsStreak and Tatenda Taibu, the selection convenor, have spoken of the need for continuity, which means Zimbabwe are likely to field the same XI despite their top-order batsmen failing to convert starts. That could mean Musakanda, who made 87 against Pakistan A to earn his selection in the Test squad, may have to wait longer for his first Test cap.Zimbabwe: (probable) 1 Tino Mawoyo, 2 Brian Chari, 3 Hamilton Masakadza, 4 Craig Ervine, 5 Sean Williams, 6 Peter Moor, 7 Malcolm Waller, 8 Graeme Cremer, 9 Donald Tiripano, 10 Carl Mumba, 11 Chris MpofuSri Lanka picked up 20 wickets, but were stretched a fair bit. With the top order among the runs in both innings, there could be a temptation to bring in left-arm wrist spinner Lakshan Sandakan to boost their bowling stocks. That could mean Asela Gunaratne, who made 53 and 16 not out, may have to make way.Sri Lanka: (probable) 1 Kaushal Silva, 2 Dimuth Karunaratne, 3 Kusal Perera, 4 Kusal Mendis, 5 Upul Tharanga, 6 Dananjaya de Silva, 7 Dilruwan Perera, 8 Rangana Herath, 9 Suranga Lakmal, 10 Lakshan Sandakan/Asela Gunaratne 11 Lahiru KumaraPitch and conditionsA similar pitch to the one last week is expected, which points to another workout for the bowlers. There is solace, though, in the fact that conditions are expected to be a lot cooler following intermittent spells of summer rain since the conclusion of the first Test. There could be brief rain interruptions from time-to-time in this Test.Stats and trivia Herath will surpass Anil Kumble and have the second-most number of wickets by a spinner in his first 75 Tests if he takes nine wickets in the match. Kumble had 346; Herath, after 74 games, is on 338. Muttiah Muralitharan tops the list with 420 wickets after 75 Cremer aggregated more than half of his career runs (258 runs in 26 innings) in the first Test alone through scores of 102* and 43Quotes”We know that we can’t control what decisions go our way, but as long as we’re playing that positive brand of cricket then hopefully a few things will go our way. We’ve just got to do the best we can with bat or ball.”
when asked about his team being rather luckless with umpiring decisions in the first Test”From the beginning it was a different challenge and a different experience but I’ve enjoyed every moment. I’ve had a lot of confidence from my playing career, so that has helped as well.”