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Heather Knight has urged the cricket community to lend its voice to the Afghanistan women’s team amid concerns that the group had been largely “forgotten” until a row broke out last week over the England men’s team playing Afghanistan at the Champions Trophy.England are due to play Afghanistan in Lahore on February 26 in their second match of the tournament and the ECB has faced calls from UK politicians to consider boycotting the match. UK prime minister Keir Starmer and ECB chief executive Richard Gould have called upon the ICC to show leadership on the issue.Women’s cricket in Afghanistan has effectively been outlawed since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021. Further restrictions have included banning the sound of women’s voices from being heard in public.Related

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Some 22 women contracted by the Afghanistan Cricket Board before the Taliban took control fled to Australia and are now based in Melbourne and Canberra. A number of them will play for an Afghanistan Women’s XI against a Cricket Without Borders XI in a T20 match at Melbourne’s Junction Oval on January 30, the same day England and Australia begin their Women’s Ashes day-night Test at the MCG.Knight, England Women’s captain, plans to meet a number of exiled players, who are now based in Melbourne, when they attend the second Ashes ODI at Junction Oval on Tuesday.”I think it’s a really good thing that people are talking about it and it’s been in the news again because honestly, I think it’s been forgotten a lot which is a really bad thing,” Knight said. “Obviously, it’s a really complex situation with what’s going on but I think the biggest positive can be that group of women being talked about.”They’re playing a game at Junction the first day of our Test match so I’d love to see that broadcast far and wide. Let’s get that voice out there that those women are playing cricket, which is a really cool thing. I think that could be a really positive message from a pretty heartbreaking situation going on in their home country.”

تتزايد الدعوات في الوقت الحالي من أجل تعليق مشاركة إسرائيل في مسابقات كرة القدم، في ضوء المجازر التي يرتكبها العدو الصهيوني ضد الفلسطينيين في قطاع غزة.

ويتعرض أهل قطاع غزة لعدوان غاشم منذ ما يقرب من عامين على يد العدو الصهيوني، وأعلنت لجنة التحقيق التابعة للأمم المتحدة بشكل رسمي أن ما يلقاه الشعب الفلسطيني يُعد إبادة جماعية.

ويشارك المنتخب الإسرائيلي حاليًا في التصفيات الأوروبية المؤهلة إلى كأس العالم 2026، بينما يشارك نادي مكابي تل أبيب في منافسات الدوري الأوروبي ذلك الموسم.

وقد أبلغ مسؤول بارز في أحد اتحادات كرة القدم، شبكة “بي بي سي” العالمية، أن العديد من الدول تضغط من أجل إجراء تصويت على استبعاد إسرائيل من كرة القدم الأوروبية، وأن مسؤولي يويفا يرغبون في اتخاذ إجراء.

ووقعت مجموعة مكونة من 48 رياضيًا على رسالة مشتركة، يوم الجمعة الماضي، تدعو إلى تعليق مشاركة إسرائيل على الصعيد الرياضي، حسبما ذكرت شبكة “بي بي سي” العالمية.

اقرأ أيضًا.. أمريكا: سنتصدى لأي محاولات تمنع إسرائيل من المشاركة في كأس العالم

وأفادت صحيفة “تايمز” أن التصويت قد يُجرى في أقرب وقت، في غضون أيام، وأن رئيس الوزراء الإسرائيلي بنيامين نتنياهو يشن حملة ضده، بينما تعهدت وزارة الخارجية الأمريكية بمقاومة أي محاولة لمنع إسرائيل من التأهل المحتمل لكأس العالم.

وأشارت “بي بي سي” إلى أن مجموعة الرياضيين، المذكورة سلفًا، دعت إلى تعليق مشاركة إسرائيل في كافة المسابقات الرياضية بشكل فوري حتى تلتزم بالقانون الدولي وتتوقف عن قتل المدنيين في غزة.

وأفادت أن الفرنسي بول بوجبا يُعد أبرز الموقعين على البيان، في حين أن لاعب خط وسط كريستال بالاس شيخ دوكوري هو اللاعب الوحيد في الدوري الإنجليزي الذي وقع على تلك العريضة.

إلى جانب ذلك، هناك المصري سام مرسي لاعب إيبسويتش تاون السابق، ولاعب تشيلسي السابق حكيم زياش، إلى جانب لاعب الكريكيت الإنجليزي السابق معين علي.

وقال الموقعون، في بيانهم، إنهم “صوت موحد لمحترفي الرياضة من جميع أنحاء العالم، يدافعون عن العدالة والإنصاف والإنسانية في الرياضة”، مؤكدين على أن “أفعال إسرائيل تنتهك القانون الإنساني الدولي وتتناقض مع مبادئ الاحترام والسلامة والسلام التي تمثلها الرياضة”.

وأوضحوا: “الرياضة ليست محايدة في مواجهة الظلم، الصمت يعني القبول بأن حياة البعض أقل قيمة من حياة الآخرين”.

وسبق لـ يويفا معارضة كافة دعوات منع إسرائيل من المشاركة في مسابقاته، حيث صرح ألكسندر تشيفيرين في أغسطس الماضي بأنه يعارض الحظر بشكل عام، قائلًا: “أعتقد أنه يجب أن تتاح لجميع الرياضيين فرصة المنافسة، وأن تُعامل الأمور الأخرى بشكل مختلف”.

وتعرض يويفا لانتقادات شديدة – بما في ذلك من نجم ليفربول محمد صلاح – قبل شهر عندما نشر خبرًا عن لاعب كرة القدم الفلسطيني سليمان العبيد على مواقع التواصل الاجتماعي، دون إيضاح ملابسات وفاته.

وكان الاتحاد الفلسطيني لكرة القدم قد أعلن بأنه اُستشهد في هجوم إسرائيلي أثناء انتظاره مساعدات إنسانية في جنوب قطاع غزة، مؤكدًا على أن عدد لاعبي كرة القدم الذين اُستشهدوا أو ماتوا جوعًا في غزة بلغ 421 لاعبًا، من بينهم 103 أطفال.

Tottenham Hotspur are now in contact to sign a £70m Premier League “superstar”, who is keen to leave his club this summer, transfer expert Graeme Bailey has revealed.

Spurs set sights on new forward

It appears as though Son Heung-min is set to remain at N17 for at least one more season, although former scout Mick Brown has suggested Tottenham could look at replacing the forward in the near future, given that he is no longer the player he once was.

Brown said: “You look at his stats last year, they were nowhere near as good as they were the year before, but you know what type of player you’re getting.

“With just one year left on his contract, there’s more value in keeping him for a Champions League and Premier League campaign rather than selling him now. You don’t really want to lose that type of player and what Sonny can offer you.”

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Consequently, it may be time for Thomas Frank to start running the rule over potential long-term replacements for Son, and Southampton’s Tyler Dibling has recently been identified as a potential option.

However, Spurs are also targeting a current Premier League player, according to Bailey, who recently told The Boot Room: “Alejandro Garnacho wants to stay in England, and there are only so many options. Chelsea, we know, like him, whilst Tottenham have maintained contact.”

There may also be rival interest from Aston Villa, with Unai Emery’s side making contact over Garnacho, who is valued at around £70m, and Bailey states the winger would be open to a move to Villa Park.

One thing that is clear is that the Man United forward is likely to be on the move this summer, having already informed his current employers that he wants to leave.

"Superstar" Garnacho could reignite career at Tottenham

At 21-years-old, the United ace is still very young, with plenty of time to fulfill his lofty potential, and journalist Liam Canning believes the youngster is already a “superstar”.

The 2024-25 season was, of course, very difficult for the Red Devils, with Spurs ultimately coming out on top in the Europa League final, but the Argentina international still managed to impress at times, amassing 21 goal contributions in all competitions.

Competition

Appearances

Goals

Assists

Premier League

36

6

2

Europa League

15

1

4

FA Cup

3

0

1

EFL Cup

3

3

3

Community Shield

1

1

0

Ruben Amorim was also left impressed by the starlet, praising him for his performance in the 1-1 draw against Arsenal: “I think Garnacho made a really complete game. He was upset last Thursday and today, he was amazing.”

As such, United’s loss could be Tottenham’s gain this summer, and Garnacho’s ability to play on the left-wing could make him a solid long-term replacement for Son.

Anderson believes his playing days are not behind him and is open to exploring T20 opportunities

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Aug-2024James Anderson has floated the possibility of an improbable foray into franchise cricket after his international retirement, a decade after his most recent T20 appearance. Anderson turned 42 two weeks ago, but believes that he still has “something to offer” as a bowler and has said that extending his playing career is “not off the table”.Following his final Test match at Lord’s last month, Anderson has been working with England’s bowlers in a coaching capacity and will continue in that role in their upcoming series against Sri Lanka. But he may step back for their tours to Pakistan and New Zealand this winter, which would leave his schedule open for opportunities overseas.”I feel there is something there, that I still want to play a little bit more – I just don’t know what that is yet” Anderson told the podcast. “I’m pretty open to anything at the minute. Things will become clearer as the rest of the year progresses. There’s two Test tours in the winter and I’m not sure I’ll be on them in this [coaching] role.”There’s plenty of things to think about and I just need to sit down and chat to people about it. I watch the Hundred and see the ball swinging around in the first 20 balls, and I think, ‘I can do that. I can still do that.’ I don’t know if that is a viable option, to maybe see if I could do a job in white-ball cricket? Franchise cricket is something I’ve never done.”Anderson has not played any white-ball cricket since 2019 and his last T20 match was the 2014 NatWest Blast final for Lancashire. But he remains England’s all-time leading ODI wicket-taker and believes that he still possesses the relevant skills, having bowled at England’s batters in the nets ahead of the second and third Tests against West Indies.”I don’t know how seriously I’m actually thinking about this myself right now,” Anderson conceded, “[but] the bowling thing is still a definite option for me, the way my body feels right now, the way my head is. From a skills point of view, the way Test cricket’s gone… I don’t think that’d be an issue. But I don’t know how much people would want a 42-year-old bowler in their team.”Anderson has not played T20 cricket in the last decade•Getty ImagesAnderson also intends to “give back” to Lancashire, the county where he developed as a young bowler. “I’ve played more Tests than I have first-class games for Lancs,” he said. “Whenever I’ve gone back, I’ve tried my very best and loved it. But there may be something there where I do feel like I could give something back to the club.”I’m actually quite excited about what’s next because I don’t know what that is, and that excites me. I’ve still got plenty of options, whether it is the coaching side of it, the media side of it, or whether it’s still playing in some capacity for a couple more years. I still feel like that’s not off the table, with the way that my body feels and the way that I’ve been bowling in recent years.”Anderson said that his body “at no stage has started to feel like it’s 42” and that he wants to make use of his ability to bowl fast while he still can. “There will be a time when I can’t turn my arm over at all and I can’t bowl at 50mph, never mind 80, so while I can do that, I want to keep doing it,” he said. “I’ll still dive around in the field if I play for Burnley in five years’ time.”

There’s no hiding from the fact that Manchester United fell by the wayside last season, but Ruben Amorim is intent on bringing Old Trafford back to the fore.

The Premier League giants were grounded, finishing 15th. Having also lost the Europa League final to Tottenham Hotspur, Amorim knows he has his work cut out, but with Matheus Cunha signed and conversations ongoing for the transfer of Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo, there’s hope yet that a corner can be turned in the coming months.

However, it’s not only the frontline that needs repackaging. Indeed, the Red Devils are also hoping to make some changes in the central engine room.

The latest on Man Utd's midfield search

Manchester United need a midfielder, hopefully someone who can help to dynamise and widen the scope of Amorim’s ball-playing tactical vision.

Juventus’ Douglas Luiz has been placed on the radar, but after a disappointing season in Italy that led to only three Serie A starts, would he be the best pick?

Transfer Focus

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Instead, United appear to be showing greater interest in Valencia star Javi Guerra, with reports from Italy claiming that the 22-year-old is actually close to joining United this summer.

A fee could be agreed for around €30m (£26m); this is an attractive figure, but it’s led to Aston Villa and Atletico Madrid also registering their interest.

United need to move quickly to get this one done.

What Javi Guerra would bring to Man Utd

While Christian Eriksen’s departure at the end of his contract takes away some experience from United’s ranks, last season’s travails have made it clear that some youthful exuberance would be a good thing for the progression of Amorim’s project.

Guerra would certainly offer that. His technical quality and trademark Spanish footballing IQ have led talent scout Jacek Kulig to liken him to Xabi Alonso, one of the finest playmakers of his generation.

More contemporarily, he’s perhaps cut from the same cloth as Martin Zubimendi, who has just signed for Arsenal in a deal worth £51m. In this way, United could land their own version of the distinguished Spain international, thus bridging the gap toward England’s leading pack.

Matches (starts)

36 (31)

36 (33)

Goals

3

2

Assists

3

1

Touches*

49.8

61.0

Pass completion

80%

84%

Big chances created

6

1

Key passes*

0.6

0.5

Dribbles*

0.8

0.5

Ball recoveries*

4.7

3.9

Tackles + interceptions*

2.0

3.2

Duels won*

3.5

4.6

Zubimendi is obviously the crisper and more refined player, with ex-Spain manager Luis de la Fuente even going as far as to name him one of the “best central midfielders in the world”.

Slightly more progressive and mobile, Guerra could add that robust number eight profile that the Red Devils so crave in the middle of the park. Guerra actually ranked among the top 17% of midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for successful take-ons and the top 18% for ball recoveries per 90, as per FBref.

Hailed a “serious talent” by Statman Dave, Guerra might be young but he’s already proving himself capable against the best of them, one of only six U21 midfielders to have won over 50 tackles and take-ons each across Europe’s top five leagues last year, a list that also contains Jude Bellingham and Barcelona’s Pedri.

It’s a profile that United don’t quite have at present, especially now that Eriksen has gone. This could herald a new wave of quality through to this great football club, looking to get back on its feet after quite the rough patch.

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Former Sri Lanka batter Mahela Jayawardene, who had signed a one-year extension as their consultant coach in January, has handed in his resignation six months into his contract.”Sri Lanka Cricket wishes to announce that Mr. Mahela Jayawardene, who served as the ‘Consultant Coach’ of the SLC, has tendered his resignation with immediate effect,” an SLC media release said. “Jayawardene, during his tenure, helped implement significant changes to the structure of the national team ecosystem and the High-Performance Center.”Jayawardene, who started his role from 2022, had seen mixed results during his time with SLC, with an unexpected win in the 2022 Asia Cup followed by a run to the final a year later being the highlights. But poor showings at the 2022 and 2024 T20 World Cups, and the 2023 ODI World Cup, had brought his position under scrutiny, though SLC themselves had been keen to extend his role citing his good work behind the scenes.Related

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His primary role, however, had been in overseeing an overall cultural shift within Sri Lanka cricket. What was notable was his championing of the National Super League, Sri Lanka’s domestic competition in both first-class and List A cricket, and technical improvements brought to the High Performance Centre, as well as an increased focus on data and performance analytics.Even within the national side, Jayawardene’s role had been more pronounced in recent years – he had accompanied the side on tour for major tournaments 2022 and 2023 – but his absence was conspicuous at the ongoing T20 World Cup in the US and West Indies, where Sri Lanka couldn’t make it to the Super Eight.ESPNcricinfo understands that the plan had initially been for Jayawardene to travel with the side, but as it transpired, recently-appointed cricket consultant Sanath Jayasuriya travelled with the team instead. Jayasuriya was announced in the newly-created role in December last year. On the face of it, the position seemed to have some overlaps with Jayawardene’s, with it understood to range from strategic and technical planning to the overall development of the national team.”It has become apparent to me that current decision-making is no longer fully aligned with the direction we were taking in some of these areas, and after careful consideration, I have concluded that it is best I step down,” Jayawardene had stated in his resignation letter, which ESPNcricinfo has seen.Jayawardene, who remains the second-most successful coach in the IPL, is currently the global head of performance at Mumbai Indians and its franchises.

Leeds United might have well strolled to automatic promotion in the end with a sizeable 100-point haul next to their name, but the Whites will know the Premier League is a different beast altogether compared to the Championship.

Indeed, Daniel Farke will be the manager tasked with turning the West Yorkshire giants back into a Premier League-ready outfit, with Leeds unfortunately falling back down to the EFL at the end of the 2022/23 season after three campaigns at the daunting level.

To help achieve that, the German looks to be in the market for some new defensive buys to shore up his newly promoted side, with a fresh goalkeeper very much a must when leaping up to the unforgiving top-flight.

Leeds' targets in defence

Of course, one of the main talking points towards the back-end of their promotion campaign was Farke axing Illan Meslier due to far too many errors seeping into the Frenchman’s game.

Therefore, it shouldn’t come as a great shock to anyone that the Whites are prioritising an upgrade in the number one position, with Serbian shot-stopper Djordje Petrovic reportedly catching their eye.

A new report from TEAMTalk suggests that Leeds are seriously considering a move for the Chelsea goalkeeper off the back of a standout loan stint in France with RC Strasbourg.

With Petrovic’s first-team situation uncertain at Stamford Bridge, Leeds could offer the 25-year-old plenty more game time, with the five-time Serbia international perhaps finding a new defensive teammate in Leonardo Balerdi if he also relocates to Elland Road shortly.

Further reports claim that the Whites are ready to put forward a bumper £38m bid for the Argentine centre-back, meaning their defence could have a fresh look ahead of their Premier League adventure if both signings enter the building, with the new duo in question potentially helping Leeds to stay afloat.

How Farke could transform Leeds' defence

Amazingly, despite playing for two separate Ligue 1 clubs currently, the standout pairing could both be donning Leeds colours next season if everything goes smoothly.

Both defensive figures do look ready for the challenge of top-flight football in England too, with Balerdi a calm orchestrator at the back for Marseille with a mammoth 104 touches of the ball averaged per league clash, alongside Petrovic also receiving some glowing praises in-between the sticks for Liam Rosenior’s men.

Petrovic’s constant class in goal for Strasbourg has even seen the ex-Hull City boss label the 25-year-old as “world-class”, alongside also stating that the 6 foot 4 ‘keeper will go on to have a “remarkable” career after his formative loan experience in France is up.

Leeds will hope the promising stopper morphs into an even better ‘keeper in West Yorkshire, therefore, with his numbers in Ligue 1 this campaign making him a huge upgrade on a waning Meslier in terms of being able to handle the pressures of a top division.

Games played

29

25

Minutes averaged*

90

84

Touches*

56.9

107.4

Accurate passes*

36.1 (78%)

89.4 (94%)

Ball recoveries*

9.0

6.1

Clean sheets

10

4

Combined, both Petrovic and Balerdi have managed to collect 14 clean sheets this season in league action, with the Serbian also proving himself to be a calm presence on the ball much like his South American counterpart, seen in him averaging a 78% pass accuracy from 29 league contests.

To add context, Meslier has only amassed 21 clean sheets in the Premier League from a far higher 107 clashes, with Petrovic already up to five at the intimidating level when infrequently featuring under Enzo Maresca.

Whilst Balerdi might find it hard to displace the likes of Pascal Struijk and Joe Rodon in the heart of defence immediately, his hefty £38m price tag must count for something in terms of his game time not being too thin.

With a safer pair of gloves in Petrovic too, Leeds will pray they don’t fall victim to a leaky Premier League campaign that ends with the all-too-familiar taste of relegation.

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Crystal Palace have now made an enquiry to sign a 28-year-old on a free transfer ahead of rival interest from fellow Londoners Fulham, according to a recent report.

Palace shop for Glasner replacements just in case

Given how the season started for the Eagles and how it could end, it has been quite a turnaround for Oliver Glasner and Palace, as they remain in the hunt for a top-half Premier League finish and could win England’s oldest competition this month.

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Reaching the FA Cup final and guiding the club away from relegation trouble likely means that Palace chiefs are going to want to extend Glasner’s stay at Selhurst Park. However, the links of a potential move away at the end of the season are not going away. In the last couple of months, Glasner was linked with a move to RB Leipzig and it’s now being claimed that he is the number one choice for the Bundesliga side.

As well as RB Leipzig, Tottenham Hotspur are also interested in appointing Glasner as their new manager should Ange Postecoglou be sacked at the end of the campaign.

These links have made Palace put their own ducks in a row, and according to Sky Sports German reporter Philipp Hinze, Palace are interested in appointing Danny Rohl as their new manager should Glasner depart. However, they are not the only teams chasing the German, as Leicester City and Southampton are also keen on the Sheffield Wednesday boss.

Crystal Palace make enquiry to sign 28 y/o on free transfer

But while the future of Glasner remains up in the air, Palace chiefs are looking ahead to the summer and already have their eye on one player they would like to bring to Selhurst Park. According to TEAMtalk, Crystal Palace are now considering signing midfielder Yvan Neyou on a free transfer.

The report states that Palace are among the clubs who have joined the race to sign Neyou, who is set to leave Spanish side Leganes when his contract expires. It is claimed that La Liga side Valencia are leading the race to sign the 28-year-old, but his performances for a struggling side have alerted the attention of Palace as well as Fulham.

The Eagles have now made an enquiry to understand if Neyou would be interested in a move to Selhurst Park, but have yet to make an offer. Neyou’s consistent form, defensively and offensively, in a side that is struggling at the foot of the table has plenty of appeal to clubs operating on a smaller budget.

Yvan Neyou’s 24/25 La Liga stats

Apps

28

Starts

25

Goals

1

Assists

1

Touches per game

49.0

Key passes per game

0.4

Passes per game (accuracy)

31.3 (87%)

Interceptions per game

0.9

Tackles per game

1.9

Balls recovered per game

4.0

Palace are of course wary of the interest in Eberechi Eze and Adam Wharton – winning the FA Cup and gaining access to European football could be required to ensure Neyou joins the duo at Selhurst Park instead of replacing them.

Australia thumped 13 sixes to two against South Africa despite slumping to 75 for 6 after batting first for the first time in their new power-based era

Alex Malcolm11-Aug-2025

Tim David launched eight sixes in his 83•AFP

. It hasn’t been an edict that has been formally declared either internally or publicly by Australia’s T20I team, but the actions of their batters are speaking loudly at the moment. No matter the scenario, no matter the number in the wickets column, Australia’s batters are trying to hit their way to victory with spectacular results so far.On Sunday in Darwin, Australia’s foot-to-the-floor method was put to its sternest test to date, having not batted first in any of the games in the Caribbean.Mitchell Marsh, with a moon shot that might as well have been a bat signal, launched the first ball of the match for six over mid-off to set the agenda for the night.When they lost two wickets in three balls across the second and third overs, Marsh kept going. When Marsh fell to leave Australia 30 for 3 after 3.1 overs, Cameron Green and Tim David showed no sign of slowing. David skipped down the track to his second ball from Kagiso Rabada and lofted him straight for six. Green smashed four fours and three sixes in a 13-ball 35. When he skied one, Australia were 70 for 4 after 5.5 overs.Related

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Mitch Owen tried to launch his fourth ball out of Darwin. Glenn Maxwell tried to do the same with his fifth. Australia were 75 for 6 in the eighth over and in danger of being bowled out for under 100.David got a little more selective as the lone specialist batter left standing when he was joined by Ben Dwarshuis. But with Dwarshuis good enough to feed him the strike with minimal risk, David was able pick his match-ups and club eight sixes in total to score 83 from 52 and help Australia post a match-winning total of 178.”It’s obviously not the team plan to be four down within six overs, but that happens at times,” David said post-game. “We’ve got what we believe is a great calibre of batters in our batting order, and we back each guy to make the right decisions.”We’ve been playing together as a group now for a while, so there’s not a great deal of instruction from the coaches. They trust the players. We trust ourselves to go out there and we understand the game situation and we make decisions on the fly, because that’s the nature of T20 cricket.”I think if you’d watched our guys bat over the last period, wherever they bat around the world and when they play for the Australian team, it’s close to all guns blazing. So, yeah, you can probably expect to see that a little bit from our team. That’s how we think we play best.”Start as you mean to go on: Mitchell Marsh hit the first ball of the match for six•Getty ImagesThe sight of David turning down singles with plenty of balls left in the innings, and a capable batter at the other end just as he had done in the Caribbean, might have looked odd at the time. But there is a clear method to it. David believes that even two sixes, three dots and a single off the last ball in an over where he faces all six deliveries is a better use of his talent and a better mathematical outcome than five singles and one six in the over.Australia struck 13 sixes in total to South Africa’s two on Sunday. And while South Africa faced 13 fewer dot balls during their chase – 46 to Australia’s 59 – the net outcome was a 17-run win to the home side. In the Caribbean, they hit 64 sixes to West Indies’ 53 across the series to win 5-0. They hit more sixes in three of the five games, were level in one and one short in another, but also never faced the full allotment of overs compared to West Indies given they chased in every game.This is not a new method of playing T20 cricket. Australia aren’t proclaiming to have reinvented the wheel. But it is a different method for a team that has been traditionally quite conservative in the shortest form and it’s led them to nine-straight T20I wins, a record for Australia in the format.They took lessons from the most recent T20 World Cup in the Caribbean, where the batting fell well short of the mark. The retirement of David Warner, who had become a T20 anchor in his latter years, and the non-selection of Steven Smith have led to a clear shift in method. There was once a desire to have a left-hander, like the retired Matthew Wade, permanently positioned in the middle-order for fear of being exposed by a legspinner or a left-arm orthodox, and that conservative thinking has also been shelved.Cameron Green has shown his power in the middle order•Randy Brooks/AFP via Getty ImagesPacking the middle order with long levers and brute power to the point where Maxwell was listed at No. 7 on Sunday has been eye-opening. Green’s intent at No. 4 has been jaw-dropping. David has made his two highest T20I scores for Australia in his last three matches since moving to No. 5, including a 37-ball century and facing the most balls he ever has in a T20 game against South Africa. Owen has applied his successful powerplay hitting from the BBL into a new role at No. 6 without changing a thing.It is no coincidence too that the style is similar to what Sunrisers Hyderabad have done in the two recent IPLs, given Australia’s bowling coach Daniel Vettori is Sunrisers head coach, Pat Cummins is their captain and Head is their opening batter. Vettori is not with Australia in this series as he is coaching Birmingham Phoenix in the Hundred, another team that has pushed to be a higher boundary percentage batting unit than their opponents at various stages in recent years.If the coming T20 World Cup were to be played on Australia’s bouncy pitches and huge boundaries, it might be a method that could leave them vulnerable more often as it did last night. But Australia are looking at the conditions in India and believing this is a method that will bring them the success they crave. The 2021 T20 World Cup title currently sits as a one-off. Australia did not advance beyond the group stage or the Super Eights in the two editions since.The major question, as it was with Sunrisers and Phoenix in 2024, is can it stand up in knock-out finals? The other question that Australia are keen to find an answer to is whether it translates to lower-scoring spinning surfaces in Sri Lanka, given they could be drawn to play there more often in the World Cup compared to some of the pristine batting surfaces in India.They’ll find out at some point. In the meantime, it’s all guns blazing.

They have been in form in the lead up to the World Cup but have different roles to play in the two XIs

Mohammad Isam27-Sep-2023You are likely to hear a lot more about Najmul Hossain Shanto and Will Young during the World Cup. They head into the tournament among their respective team’s top scorers this year, having also top-scored in the Bangladesh-New Zealand third ODI in Dhaka on Monday, their last game before the World Cup. But they have reached this stage through different routes in the last couple of years.Young is New Zealand’s fourth-highest run-getter in ODIs since his debut in 2021. He has opened in half of those matches, and has now nailed that position even as Kane Williamson returns for the World Cup. His 70 off 80 in the third game while chasing 172 against Bangladesh ensured New Zealand didn’t stumble despite losing two early wickets.Young said that although Bangladeshi conditions aren’t exactly like India’s, they helped New Zealand know their balance ahead of the World Cup.Related

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“The boys were saying in the change room that we haven’t won a one-day series here since 2008,” Young said. “Just the extra fuel for the fire to come here. Heading into this game with a 1-0 lead, get[ting] the job done. Winning a series for the first time in 15 years is pretty special. Playing three games in Bangladesh before a World Cup in India is pretty good preparation. It is not the same conditions but they might be similar, especially with the balance of sides.”Potentially, three seamers and couple of spinners. It was a good hit out. Five of us are heading to India for the World Cup. For those guys it was especially good. For the rest of the team, it is good to get the experience here as they [conditions] are very different to what they are like back home.”Young said that he was looking forward to linking up with the rest of the New Zealand squad so that they know more about Indian conditions. “We have a lot of experience in our batting in the World Cup squad,” Young said. “Rachin [Ravindra] and I are younger in our international careers. It is nice to have a bank of experience of playing in these conditions. We will take it to the World Cup.”For the rest of the squad, batters in particular, they have played in the IPL and bilateral series against India for years. We will hear what they have got to say, soak it all up. So, when we play the first game against England in Ahmedabad, we can hit the ground running.”Shanto was the only Bangladesh batter to go past 50 in the third ODI•AFP/Getty ImagesShanto has turned his career around in the last 12 months, from being a benched T20 batter to being the Bangladesh vice-captain in the World Cup. He returned to lead Bangladesh in the third game after missing a few matches in the Asia Cup with a hamstring injury and led from the front with his 76 off 84 balls.”It was disappointing to get out like that. If I hung around till the end, we could have made 200-220 runs, “Shanto said. “I should have batted with the tail. I couldn’t do it, so it was disappointing.”It is a matter of pride. My family is very happy. I will enjoy these moments. It wasn’t a happy occasion result-wise. I was excited since I was declared captain. When I was batting or when the bowlers were starting well, I was enjoying it.”Shanto’s innings stood out but the rest of the batting order crumbled around him. While the hosts maintained a good run rate, they couldn’t get partnerships going at any stage.”I think it was a good wicket for batting. We continued on a good run rate of around 5.5 to 5.7 even when we were losing wickets. We had a few batters getting out after being settled in the wicket. We needed a couple of big partnerships. I think we have to look inwards [to figure out] why it is not happening. It is up to the individual,” he said.Shanto’s turnaround in form started with the T20 World Cup last year where he was the team’s highest run-scorer. He expressed his desire to get better individually and collectively. “As a batter, it is my duty to score runs in every game. It shouldn’t be a dream. It is what I am supposed to do. I should do better. I am trying to improve myself.”It doesn’t matter if I am the highest run-getter if the team doesn’t do well. We didn’t make it to the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup last year so individual performance doesn’t count much for us. Important thing is, we need to win matches. I will try to convert those fifties into hundreds. I want to bat with the same intent and plan whenever there’s an opportunity,” he said.