Tag Futebol

After a campaign that never really took off, they have some reflecting to do: on batting-order tactics, on individual decision-making, and on whether the time is right for a change in leadership

Shashank Kishore15-Oct-20242:19

Muzumdar: ‘Couldn’t have asked for more from players’

Watching another game nervously with your fate reliant on its result is probably among the least enviable things in sport. Which is why, bags packed, several India players chose not to invest three-plus hours of their emotional energy into the New Zealand-Pakistan game, instead only glancing at the score from time to time.Their hopes rose when New Zealand were kept to 110, but they came crashing down when Pakistan tumbled to 56 all out. It’s the first time since 2016 that India haven’t made the semi-finals of a Women’s T20 World Cup. Their packed bags were ready to head straight to check-in as Harmanpreet Kaur’s team will head to their respective cities, before reconvening in Ahmedabad next week for three ODIs against New Zealand.Between now and then, they’ll have time to reflect on a campaign that never really took off. And that’s perhaps why this will sting more than the one in 2023, when they were contenders through much of the tournament before being stopped in the semi-final by eventual champions Australia.Related

• The Soph and Suze show – New Zealand's hit sitcom seeks one last high

• Mithali Raj: Time for 'saturated' India to move on from Harmanpreet as captain

• Powerplay podcast: An unexpected final

• Powerplay podcast: India out as NZ get it together

• India succumb to chaos in Sharjah spectacle

When they do stop to reflect, here are some of the things they will have to consider.

The batting-order muddle

It’s great to have flexibility and India tried out six different players at No. 3 since Amol Muzumdar took over as head coach in December last year. But when these experiments didn’t yield the desired results, the team management backed the experienced Harmanpreet Kaur to be the impact batter there.In T20s since the start of 2022, Harmanpreet has been striking at 94.07 across 84 innings. The plan here was to free her up to play the role of an aggressor, allowing Jemimah Rodrigues, originally a No. 3, to be a spin enforcer in the middle.Jemimah Rodrigues: No. 3 or not No. 3?•ICC/Getty ImagesBut one loss to New Zealand led to a reshuffle with Rodrigues coming out at No. 3 against Pakistan, a game where the openers failed to hit a single boundary in the powerplay when the need of the hour was quick runs to improve their net run rate if it came down to that.Rodrigues herself had spoken of how batting in a new position had got her to approach batting differently. Yet, in a decisive game against Australia, with spinners Sophie Molineux, Georgia Wareham and Ash Gardner applying the brakes on India’s scoring rate, they missed Rodrigues in the middle, because she was sent in at No. 3 again, above Harmanpreet. The revolving door at No. 3 may have not been the only reason for their exit, but it certainly forced India to deviate from the template they had wanted to set.

Mandhana, Ghosh off-colour

It also didn’t help that Smriti Mandhana had a forgettable tournament. Barring the half-century against Sri Lanka, she managed just 12, 7 and 6. Mandhana’s powerplay salvo has over the years allowed India’s middle order some cushion. It did so in 2023; not this time though, and it hurt the team. Muddled batting plans down the order didn’t help either, like the decision to send in Deepti Sharma ahead of S Sajana against Pakistan when India were looking to close out the chase quickly.Smriti Mandhana has a forgettable World Cup to reflect on•ICC/Getty ImagesDeepti was unbeaten on 7 off eight balls and by the time Sajana, playing primarily as a finisher, came in to hit her first (and only) ball of the tournament to the boundary to bring up the winning runs, India had eaten up 18.5 overs in a modest chase.Batting-order tactics aside, India also let themselves down with their individual, in-the-moment decision-making. Like Richa Ghosh, India’s biggest six-hitter, chancing a non-existent single to extra cover when big hits, and not quick singles, was the need of the hour.Or Harmanpreet’s decision to take a single with India needing 14 to win off six balls against Australia. It was clear, beyond doubt, that Harmanpreet was India’s last hope. India went on to lose two wickets in two balls. Even when there was still a chance, however unlikely, with India needing 13 off 3, Harmanpreet opted to take another single, leaving No. 9 Shreyanka Patil to hit two sixes.

Why camps over A-tour exposure in Australia?

Patil is a competent batter in domestic cricket but has hardly had opportunities to showcase her credentials at the top level. Okay, she was injured in the run-up to the tournament and needed the National Cricket Academy’s attention, but in simply focusing on skills and fitness camps did India deny themselves a valuable opportunity of sending some of the others, like Pooja Vastrakar, Radha Yadav and Arundhati Reddy, on the India A tour to Australia?All through the South Africa and Bangladesh series, India’s lower order was hardly tested on the batting front. Even when they went 3-0 up in Bangladesh, they stuck to the tried-and-tested. At the time, this might have seemed fair because they were preparing for a World Cup that was expected to be in those same conditions. But hardly any batting time for a lower order for months leading into the World Cup didn’t help.

While India’s T20 World Cup preparation – exclusive fitness, fielding and skill camps across six weeks – may have seemed comprehensive on the face of it, they may have missed a trick by not scheduling a single fielding or training session under lights

Which is perhaps why exposure in a multi-format series against a quality opponent, which featured the likes of Tahlia McGrath, who played an important role in India’s defeat on Sunday, could have provided them exposure and experience that no skill or fitness camp would have compensated for.Also, while India’s preparation – exclusive fitness, fielding and skill camps across six weeks – may have seemed comprehensive on the face of it, they may have missed a trick by not scheduling a single fielding or training session under lights. While three dropped catches against Australia in a crunch game may not have directly contributed to their defeat, it all added up in the end.

So, what next?

Inevitably, the end of every World Cup cycle will prompt questions of a transition. Harmanpreet has been captain for seven years now, and has been a key driver for change amid a revolving door of coaches (Tushar Arothe to Ramesh Powar to WV Raman to Ramesh Powar to Hrishikesh Kanitkar to Amol Muzumdar) since she took over in 2017.Is it time for Harmanpreet Kaur to pass the captaincy baton on?•ICC via Getty ImagesMandhana has been the captain-in-waiting, much like Rohit Sharma until he replaced Virat Kohli, co-incidentally after a group-stage exit at a T20 World Cup in the UAE – in 2021. Mandhana has risen to be a top batter who commands the respect of the players and has built an impressive body of work.Earlier this year, she masterminded Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s maiden WPL win. At 28, with over a decade’s experience, it may not necessarily be a bad idea for the team to go to her, for an influx of new ideas from a player who has come of age under Harmanpreet and can build on her good work.That could possibly unshackle Harmanpreet the batter as well, adding possibly yet another chapter to her illustrious career, especially with a 50-over World Cup to look forward to at home next year.

The two countries are on opposite ends of the game’s solar system, which is why a rare India tour is a big opportunity for Zimbabwe

Liam Brickhill17-Aug-2022There’s nothing like staring into a sky full of stars, and feeling as though you’re falling headfirst into the endless deep of the cosmos, to make you feel small and insignificant. India’s visits to Zimbabwe are, like a solar eclipse or the appearance of a comet, rare and spectacular occasions heralded on a similarly cosmic scale. That is, after all, the only scale that might accommodate both of these teams, who, while they may orbit within the same Full Member system, do so at opposite ends of the spectrum.India burn with the brilliance of a billion fans. Zimbabwe bounce from series to series with a gentle lunar lightness, sometimes waxing, sometimes waning. India has the IPL, with its piles of cash and galaxy of stars. Zimbabwe has the NPL, for which the prize money is USD 10,000. The Indian men’s team are, you might say, cricket’s 1%. Zimbabwe are firmly wedged in its working class.Indeed, cricket is an increasingly proletarian game in Zimbabwe, and while privilege will still get you somewhere, hard work and skill gets you further. Still, it’s been a long and often bumpy road for Zimbabwe’s cricketers. For many of them, that road started in dusty and dirt-poor places like Highfield, or Chitungwiza, far from Harare’s leafy green northern suburbs.Related

Returning KL Rahul hopes to build on fond Zimbabwe memories

Chakabva to lead Zimbabwe against India

Shahbaz Ahmed replaces injured Washington Sundar for Zimbabwe tour

High stakes for Rahul and Deepak Chahar

In just the last few years, Zimbabwe’s players have endured suspension, missed World Cups, Covid-19, a coup, cancelled tours and pay cuts. Thankfully, the days of perennial salary delays and money worries do appear to be gone under the current Zimbabwe Cricket administration, which has cleared the debts that nearly sunk the game in the country.But, like all other Zimbabweans, the cricketers still have to deal with queues for essentials, shortages, inflation and the country’s unhinged financial system – a system that is utterly indecipherable to outsiders and defies explanation. After a long day in the field, Zimbabwean cricketers still have to drive home on roads as puckered and potholed as Ryan Burl’s old shoes (before Puma slid into his DMs). And they won’t know whether the lights will be on at home when they get there. Harare residents regularly endure electricity blackouts which can last for days at a time.If you have running water in your home, chances are it comes from a borehole. Indeed, there are parts of the capital that have not had running municipal water this millennium. Working streetlights are exceedingly rare. That makes driving at night a white-knuckle affair, but on the flip side there’s very little light pollution and you can get lost in that sky full of stars, just by looking up, in the middle of a city of more than two million people. It is perhaps contradictory and counter-intuitive, but there’s a sort of ramshackle glory to this place. An undeniable beauty. And whatever you may have read about Zimbabwe, should you ever visit, it will not be what you expect.Zimbabwe’s cricketers have had to endure and overcome hardships that most of India’s players will never know•AFP/Getty ImagesZimbabwe is a country teeming with such contradictions. Here’s one more: in a Zimbabwean context, the senior men’s cricket team, however humble their beginnings, and whatever hurdles they may leap in their daily lives, are better off than the vast majority of Zimbabweans. Being a Full Member nation, they are better off than most Associate cricketers too. Nevertheless, they still inhabit a different cricketing universe to that of the vaunted Indians.Take, for instance, KL Rahul and Innocent Kaia. They’re both 30-year-old, top-order batters, with ODI averages in the 40s. When Kaia scored his maiden hundred against Bangladesh earlier this month, he mimicked Rahul’s shut-out-the-noise celebration. Their lives off the field, however, could scarcely be more different. Rahul, alone, has about as many followers on Instagram as there are people in Zimbabwe. Sikandar Raza is Zimbabwe’s most popular cricketer, on and off social media. His followers could just about fill the Narendra Modi Stadium. Kaia’s would not fill one stand.India’s cricketers count their pay checks in crores and millions; Zimbabweans in the thousands. In terms of match fees, India’s players would earn about 10 times more than the amount the Zimbabweans are paid to play. The life of an Indian cricket star, with its drip and shine and Lamborghinis and Balenciaga, appears to the average Zimbabwean cricketer as something so alien that he may as well be looking at someone from another planet.Still, it’s not about the money, is it? At least not yet. But if we’re talking dollars and cents, it’s worth mentioning that you can watch the NPL for free, as you can any domestic cricket in Zimbabwe. For internationals, your wallet would be USD 1 lighter upon entrance, with charges going up by a few bucks for access to the more exclusive areas within the ground, such as the Centurion Pub at Harare Sports Club, or the Grandstand at Queens.It doesn’t cost much to get your fill of cricket in Zimbabwe•AFP/Getty ImagesFans, meanwhile, shelled out anything from USD 140 to as much as USD 650 to watch India play West Indies in Florida earlier this month. That seems a bougie amount of money to pay for watching a game. It’s just one more sign of a widening inequality gap in international cricket – the game is becoming more, not less, stratified.There’s also a price to pay for all that opulence. Virat Kohli has spoken about the suffocating – and sometimes frightening – trappings of fame, and a Zimbabwean could never know the pressure that accompanies being at the head of a queue a billion people strong. And so it is that the Zimbabweans have something the Indians do not. They are somewhat well known in the urban areas, but Zimbabwean cricketers get to live very normal lives.On previous tours, visiting Indian journalists have been astonished by the access, the closeness, that Zimbabwe allows. Yes, you can stand a couple of metres away from the nets while the players are in there. Stick around after a net session or a game, and you’ll probably see a couple of the Zimbabweans ambling through the pub to play some pool or meet up with friends. Before the first ODI on India’s current trip, there were a couple of Zimbabwean fans (and journalists) sharing selfies snapped with India’s captain at Harare Sports Club. There were no baying crowds behind them. Just an empty field. It’s all very laid back.What is less likely to be laid back is the cricket. There is pride at stake, and that’s something you can’t put a price on. And what’s more, cricket is a great leveller – perhaps one of the greatest – and though the cricketing world revolves around an Indian team that burns with a solar brightness, if you’re in the right place at the right time, you’ll see the moon devour the sun. Zimbabwe will know that even the most celebrated, and richest, teams can be eclipsed.

Following the Buttler-Woakes rescue act in Manchester, we turn the clock back to other memorable chase-altering gigs

Andrew Miller10-Aug-2020Australia v Pakistan, Hobart, 1999
It’s been more than 20 years since Adam Gilchrist announced his intentions to shred the Test-match batting manual with his often-imitated-but-never-bettered brand of lower-order violence, but as soon as the Buttler-Woakes alliance started stretching into ominous territory, “Hobart” was probably the ghastly reference point playing out in the minds of every Pakistani fan. There really have been few statements of intent quite like it. Gilchrist had been made to wait for his turn while the great Ian Healy played out his final days, but now, in his second Test, he was presented a stage that most combatants might have baulked at. Australia had slumped to 126 for 5 with 15 overs remaining on the fourth afternoon, with their target of 369 a pipedream. By the close, however, Gilchrist had almost lapped his steadfast partner, Justin Langer, in romping to 45 not out, and the following day he continued in the same belligerent yet chanceless vein. Saqlain Mushtaq, Shoaib Akhtar, Waqar Younis and Wasim Akram was about as fearsome as an opposition quartet could get, but in breaking their chase down to ten-minute intervals, Gilchrist and Langer turned all the pressure back on their vastly vaunted opponents.David Williams celebrates getting to a half-century on his way to tripping up England in Trinidad•PA Photos/Getty ImagesWest Indies v England, Trinidad, 1997-98
The diminutive David Williams is but a speck in the annals of West Indies’ cricketing history. He started his career as an under-study to the mighty Jeff Dujon, and spent several series in Junior Murray’s wake too before Ridley Jacobs’ emergence. But in Trinidad in February 1998 he stood taller than at any other moment in his career, to thwart England in a hastily rearranged second Test, and set West Indies on course for the retention of the Wisden Trophy in a series that threatened to be closer than its eventual 3-1 scoreline. Days after the fiasco of the Sabina Park abandonment, the Caribbean was braced for further embarrassment as England took control in Port of Spain, largely through the indefatigable efforts of Angus Fraser, whose first-innings 8 for 53 had secured a precious 23-run lead in what promised to be a low-scoring dogfight. Alec Stewart’s 73 set up an imposing target of 282, and at 124 for 5, following Fraser’s 11th of the match, there could be only one winner. But then, fatefully, Fraser dropped Williams off the first ball of the final day, and as the target was whittled down to double figures, the belief began to ebb from England’s endeavours. Williams knuckled down for a priceless 65, in support of Carl Hooper, whose 94 not out was further evidence of his late-blooming maturity. Though England bounced back to square the series at the same venue a week later, the missed opportunity would cost them dear.Dion Nash, who hit a career-best 89* in New Zealand’s first innings and the winning runs in the second, is all smiles on the final day of the Wellington Test•Getty ImagesNew Zealand v India, Wellington, 1998-99
“It was just after Christmas,” wrote Wisden, “but India rather overdid the gifts.” The Boxing Day Test featured a brace of improbable New Zealand batting revivals. They rallied from 208 for 7 to 352 all out in the first innings, with Dion Nash digging deep for his career-best 89 not out, and the teenaged Daniel Vettori doing likewise for his second Test fifty. But it was their second innings that took the biscuit, as India – defending a middling target of 213 – belatedly found their A games to shred the top order at 74 for 5, effectively six, after Nathan Astle had had his hand broken by a Javagal Srinath lifter. But once again, New Zealand’s lower-order stood firm, with Craig McMillan’s fluent 74 not out being joined by a typically hard-hitting 61 from Chris Cairns, who cracked nine fours and a six in a sixth-wicket stand of 137 that only ended when he launched what had intended to be the winning runs straight to cover. Nash, however, made no mistake one ball later, as New Zealand closed out a contest that they had been dominating ever since Simon Doull’s first-innings haul of 7 for 65.New Zealand’s Christchurch hero of ’94, Shane Thomson, seen here batting against Surrey the same year•Getty ImagesNew Zealand v Pakistan, Christchurch, 1993-94
Shane Thomson could have been a contender. At Auckland in 1990, he’d given a precocious account of himself as a 21-year-old debutant – no major runs or wickets to speak of, but the sort of Test-match bearing that implied he had a future as a spin-bowling allrounder, especially with Richard Hadlee only months from retirement and New Zealand in need of a new pivot in their lower-middle order. Yet seven years later his first-class career would be over, amid the realisation that his bowling just wasn’t quite up to the standards required. He will, however, always have Christchurch – the scene of his one and only Test century, and a formidable knock at that, as he stared down the might of Wasim and Waqar in their prime, and in partnership with Bryan Young, who also reached three figures for the first time, transformed a lost cause with a buccaneering stand of 154 for the fifth wicket. Chasing 324 to avoid a series whitewash, the pair had come together at 133 for 4 – and given that Waqar had made the old ball talk in claiming his last five wickets for 19 in the first innings, the omens were hardly promising. Still, Young and Thomson endured to secure one of New Zealand’s finest Test victories.Graeme Smith is mobbed by his team-mates after leading South Africa to their first series victory in England since 1965•Getty ImagesEngland v South Africa, Edgbaston, 2008
Legend has it that Graeme Smith mounts the heads of England Test captains on a pike outside his house to ward off intruders. Three times in three England tours, his presence coincided with the resignation of his opposite number. If the exit of Andrew Strauss in 2012 perhaps had more to do with Kevin Pietersen’s antics than his opponents, then both Nasser Hussain and Michael Vaughan were hounded out of office by a pair of furiously committed innings. Smith’s 277 at Edgbaston in 2003 was in many ways his statement innings – his highest score as well as his first century as South Africa captain, but his 154 on the same ground five years later was arguably his greatest innings. The series was up for grabs, but the challenge was stark – a target of 281 would be no stroll in the park against an England attack featuring Andrew Flintoff at his most lethal (his first-innings duel with Jacques Kallis was a bout for the ages) and the fingerspin of Monty Panesar, for whom the conditions seemed tailor-made. At 93 for 4, South Africa were up against it, and at 171 for 5 with AB de Villiers gone, their hopes of a late rally seemed to be fading. But Mark Boucher has always been a doughty combatant, and he was in no mood to shift. Smith, meanwhile, just kept grinding and grinding, eventually claiming the extra half-hour to bury his crestfallen opponents. A day later, Vaughan resigned in tears, aware that he could carry his team, and his career, no further.

MatériaMais Notícias

Vitória e Bahia se enfrentaram neste domingo (21), pela terceira rodada do Brasileirão. Em jogo movimentado, a partida terminou empatada por 2 a 2, com gols de Matheusinho e Wagner Leonardo para o Vitória e Biel e Everaldo para o Bahia.

continua após a publicidade

➡️ Siga o Lance! no WhatsApp e acompanhe em tempo real as principais notícias do esporte

Com o resultado, o Bahia segue na nona posição, com nove quatro pontos. A equipe tem uma vitória, uma derrota e um empate na competição. O Vitória, por outro lado, somou seu primeiro ponto no Brasileirão, mas tem um jogo a menos.

✅ FICHA TÉCNICA
VITÓRIA X BAHIA
3ª RODADA – CAMPEONATO BRASILEIRO
🗓️ Data e horário: domingo, 21 de abril de 2024, às 16h (de Brasília);
📍 Local: Barradão, em Salavdor (BA);
📺 Onde assistir: Globo e Premiere;
🟨 Árbitro: Raphael Claus (FIFA-SP);
🚩 Assistentes: Alex Ang Ribeiro (FIFA-SP) e Miguel Cataneo Ribeiro da Costa (SP);
🖥️ VAR: Rodrigo Guarizo Ferreira do Amaral (FIFA-SP).

continua após a publicidade

⚽ PROVÁVEIS ESCALAÇÕES:

VITÓRIA (Técnico: Léo Condé)
Lucas Arcanjo, Zeca, Bruno Uvini, Wagner Leonardo e Lucas Esteves; Willian Oliveira, Léo Naldi, Rodrigo Andrade e Matheuzinho; Osvaldo e Alerrandro.

BAHIA (Técnico: Rogério Ceni)
Marcos Felipe, Arias, Gabriel Xavier (Kanu), Cuesta e Luciano Juba (Rezende); Caio Alexandre, Jean Lucas, Everton Ribeiro e Cauly; Ademir (Biel) e Thaciano.

continua após a publicidade

Tudo sobre

BahiaBrasileirãoVitória

Former Chelsea and England star and current England Under-21 assistant coach Ashley Cole has revealed that his journey into coaching has made him a "better person", as he has been able to learn more about the human side of football and how to manage the people behind the players, and what they may be going through behind the scenes on a day-to-day basis. He also revealed some of the inspiration he has taken from his former managers in his playing career.

• Ashley Cole reveals benefits of his coaching journey

  Cole began his coaching career at Derby County in 2019 following his retirement from playing, soon following former team-mate Frank Lampard to both Chelsea and Everton as his assistant. Cole first took up the role as Lee Carsley’s England U21 assistant on a part-time basis in 2021, briefly spending a period as assistant coach for the senior team during Carsley’s interim period in the top job, before Cole joined the FA on a full-time basis in September 2024.

  A marauding left-back in his playing days, Cole is viewed by many as arguably the greatest player in his position in Premier League history, shining at Arsenal before winning near enough all there is to win at Chelsea. The 44-year-old has since taken the plunge into coaching and while he has not yet become a manager or head coach, he has revealed how his time in coaching has helped him develop not only his skills on the training pitch, but also his interpersonal skills and off-field qualities needed to become a top modern-day coach.

  Cole was speaking as part of the an initiative where a group of aspiring football coaches were given the unique opportunity to learn from England U21 assistant Cole and Lionesses legend Fara Williams during a coaching masterclass at Wembley Stadium.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Cole reveals coaching has helped him become a 'better person'

  Cole said on his time as a coach so far: "I had a long, good career and it was, you know a few things. Giving back to football, that gave me a lot. Trying to help and develop people and create the new Ashley Cole, Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira.

  "What Chase has done here with this football programme is brilliant. I think we're enhancing people's ability to communicate. We're enhancing people's ability to connect. And grow. And learn. And develop.

  "You start to learn people. You know, is he mad? Is he angry? Is he sad? Is he super happy? Through coaching, that's given me that ability to read people a bit. Which I think in the long run is going to make people better. So, I definitely learnt how to be a better person through my coaching journey."

• Cole speaks on influence of Mourinho and Ancelotti

  There is no doubt that Cole learnt a lot from the top managers and coaches he worked under during his playing career. 

  The three-time Premier League winner said on two of his iconic former bosses: "Jose Mourinho was very disciplined, strong, expectations high. Standards in training. Which has helped me grow as a coach because I really like that. 

  “Then Carlo Ancelotti who was more, know the person than the player. Get to know the person within this player, that has to give everything for the badge. So the communication skills of his were top. The understanding of people and as I alluded to before, really understanding the signs of people. 

  “Are they in distress, are they not playing well, how are they feeling? He was very, very good at that so, I definitely learnt from that and tried to develop my people skills a little bit more from that.”

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty
  

  Cole has started bright coaching career as he means to go on

  During his early coaching career thus far, Cole has demonstrated his ability to coach and develop young players, playing a key role in England U21 winning back-to-back European titles under the stewardship of Carsley and Cole alongside him.

  Where the 44-year-old decides to go with his coaching career next remains to be seen. Compared with contemporaries such as Lampard, Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney, Cole’s coaching career thus far has gone somewhat more under the radar. The former Chelsea man will no doubt continue to build up his skills as an assistant with the U21s and will aim to take his coaching career to new heights in the future.

Stobo took 4 for 7 to leave Queensland 67 for 7 after Edwards made 95 in the home side’s big total

AAP and ESPNcricinfo staff06-Dec-2025New South Wales were charging towards a desperately-needed Sheffield Shield win, dominating an under-strength Queensland at the SCG.Declaring on 471 for 7 midway through day two, the Blues, led by a spell of 4 for 7 from Charlie Stobo, tore through Queensland’s brittle batting line-up.At stumps on Saturday, Queensland had crashed to 67 for 7, still trailing NSW by 404. They crumbled from 43 for 2 to 58 for 6 as Stobo claimed all four wickets in that collapse.Related

Konstas finds form with century for New South Wales

Marsh misfires again as rain stalls Victoria's charge

Scott, Lehmann tons help SA dominate Tasmania

Sam Geyer was forced to retire hurt late in the day after being struck on the helmet twice in two balls as he ducked into bouncers.NSW captain Jack Edwards fell painfully short of his fourth first-class century, out for 95 to former Australia legspinner Mitch Swepson.In the field, Edwards took a stunning one-handed catch at second slip to remove Jack Clayton and another excellent one to claim Jimmy Peirson during Stobo’s inspired spell.Ryan Hicks was the only member of the NSW top seven not to register a fifty. Axed Australia opener Sam Konstas brought up a confidence-boosting century on Friday, his first for NSW since October 2024.Second-placed Queensland are missing key quicks Michael Neser, who is playing his third Test for Australia, and Xavier Bartlett who is on Australia A duties.They are also undermanned in the batting department, with star opener Matt Renshaw at Allan Border Field playing for Australia A, veteran Usman Khawaja injured, and Marnus Labuschagne having been recalled to the Test team.NSW entered the match fifth on the ladder, having won just one of their five Shield matches this season.It comes just a week after they suffered an embarrassing defeat to Tasmania at Cricket Central when they capitulated on the final day on a flat pitch.

وجه الحكم الدولي المصري محمود البنا استغاثة عاجلة إلى فخامة الرئيس عبد الفتاح السيسي رئيس جمهورية مصر العربية، عقب ساعات قليلة من إعلان اعتزاله التحكيم.

وطالب البنا في رسالته إلى رئيس الجمهورية، بإنقاذ منظومة التحكيم من سوء الإدارة وتهميش الكفاءات الوطنية.

طالع.. رسميًا | محمود البنا يعلن اعتزاله التحكيم.. ويؤكد: المنظومة يقودها فكر شاذ

وأكد محمود البنا، في نص الاستغاثة، أنه اختار مخاطبة الرئيس بعدما ضاقت السبل أمام أبناء منظومة التحكيم في ظل تجاهل المسؤولين لمطالبهم، واستحضار قيادات أجنبية لرئاسة لجان الحكام دون تحقيق تطوير حقيقي. رسالة محمود البنا إلى الرئيس عبد الفتاح السيسي

“استغاثة عاجلة إلى فخامة السيد رئيس جمهورية مصر العربية

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

فخامة السيد الرئيس عبدالفتاح السيسي،

رئيس جمهورية مصر العربية

حفظكم الله ورعاكم

أتشرف بأن أرفع إلى سيادتكم هذه الاستغاثة، بعد ساعات قليلة من إعلاني اعتزال التحكيم المصري، إيمانًا مني بأن ما سأقوله لم يعد يحتمل التأجيل، بعد ان ضاقت بنا السبل ولم نجد من يستمع الينا.

سيادة الرئيس، استمعتُ إلى حديث سيادتكم منذ فترة حول استقدام المدربين الأجانب للمنتخب الوطني، وقلتم بوضوح وبصوت الحكمة:

“ليه بتجيبوا أجانب يدربوا المنتخب والنتيجة هي هي؟”

وبالفعل، عندما جاء المدرب الوطني، أثبت نجاحه، ورفعت مصر رأسها بالإنجازات التي حققها.

واليوم، يتكرر المشهد ذاته — ولكن داخل منظومة التحكيم.

فالمسؤولون يأتون بأجانب لرئاسة لجان الحكام، لا لإضافة خبرة أو تطوير المنظومة، بل لأخذ أخذ أموالنا  وإقصاء كوادرها المصرية، رغم أن الواقع أثبت أن الحكم المصري قادر، وكفء، ومشهود له دوليًا.

سيادة الرئيس، رئيس لجنة الحكام الحالي رجل يعمل داخل الفيفا، خلال الشهرين الماضيين لم يمكث في مصر أكثر من أسبوع واحد، حيث انه تواجد فى تشيلى حيث بطولة كأس العالم دون العشرين عاما ثم ذهب إلى قطر حيث بطولة كاس العالم دون السبعة عشر عاما ورغم ذلك يتقاضى آلاف الدولارات من أموال المصريين، دون تفرغ، ودون وجود حقيقي، ودون مكسب واضح لمنظومة التحكيم.

والأعجب من ذلك — وهو الأمر الذي يُثير الدهشة والاستغراب — أنه عندما طلب من الفيفا محاضرين وخبراء لتطوير الحكام المصريين، أرسل لنا الفيفا محاضرًا مصريًا هو ك تامر درى رئيس لجنة حكام لبنان الحالى ، وهو إقرار رسمي من الاتحاد الدولي بكفاءة العنصر المصري الذي يتم تجاهله داخليًا!

هذا المشهد وحده يكفي ليؤكد أن مصر تمتلك الكفاءات، وأن الإصرار على الأجانب لا سند له، ولا منطق فيه، ولا مبرر إداري أو مهني.

سيادة الرئيس،

لقد قلتم من قبل:

“عايزين تقنعونا إن بلد فيها 60 مليون شاب ما فيهاش 6000 محمد صلاح؟”

وبذات المنطق العادل نقول:

هل يُعقل أن مصر — بتاريخها التحكيمي العظيم — ليس فيها 6000 جمال الغندور؟ أو عصام عبد الفتاح ؟

هل يُعقل أن نُقصي أبناء الوطن، بينما يعترف العالم بكفاءتهم؟

سيادة الرئيس،

إنني لا أطلب مصلحة شخصية، فقد أعلنت اعتزالي بالفعل، ولكنني أرفع إلى سيادتكم هذه الاستغاثة من أجل إنقاذ منظومة التحكيم المصري من الإدارة الخاطئة، وإهدار المال العام، وتهميش الكفاءات الوطنية، وضياع معيار العدالة داخل بيئة طالما كانت نموذجًا للانضباط.

إن الحكم المصري — مثل اللاعب المصري — قادر على تمثيل مصر بأفضل صورة، متى وجد العدالة، والاحترام، وتكافؤ الفرص.

ختامًا، أتوجه إلى سيادتكم بكل الثقة في حكمتكم وحرصكم على حماية مؤسسات الدولة ومنع الفساد الإداري وإهدار الموارد، داعيًا الله أن يوفقكم إلى ما فيه خير البلاد والعباد.

وتفضلوا بقبول فائق الاحترام والتقدير”.

Everton midfielder Idrissa Gueye has quickly addressed the shocking red card he was shown in the first half of his team's eventual win over Manchester United on Monday night, received for raising his hand to collegaue Michael Keane after an altercation between the pair on the pitch. Both Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Toffees boss David Moyes have also given their reaction.

Gueye's public apology

The incident erupted when Keane seemingly took exception to Gueye carelessly giving the ball away near to Everton's goal, which resulted in Manchester United having a shot. There were angry words exchanged and then pushing and shoving between the pair, during which Gueye's hand swiped at Keane's face. He was quickly pulled away from the situation by goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, but it was the latter action which resulted in the midfielder being sent off.

The red card meant that Everton played all but 13 minutes of the match with a player disadvantage, miraculously still able to pick up a rare 1-0 win at Old Trafford, and Gueye didn't fail to see the significance of what he had done.

"I want to apologise first to my team-mate Michael Keane," the player began, in a statement published as an Instagram story. "I take full responsibility for my reaction. I also apologise to my team-mates, the staff, the fans and the club. What happened does not reflect who I am or the values I stand for. Emotions can run high, but nothing justifies such behaviour. I'll make sure it never happens again."

AdvertisementGetty Images SportGueye 'said his piece' to Everton team-mates

Before going public, Gueye had already said sorry to the rest of the Everton squad behind closed doors, straight after the full-time whistle in Manchester.

"Idrissa has apologised to us at full-time, said his piece and that's all he can do," Dewsbury-Hall, scorer of what proved to be Everton's winning goal in the first half, told afterwards.

"We move on from it. The reaction from us, was unbelievable. Top tier. We could have crumbled but if anything, it made us grow.

The former Chelsea midfielder was also asked what Moyes had made of the dismissal and how the manager had reacted to it at half-time, adding: "He just said: that's done now. We'll deal with that another time. It was about keeping to the plan we had. He made sure we do the right things, continue what we're doing. We can't change that now, second half we continued to do that."

Moyes bizarrely pleased by incident

He might have thought very differently had the game not finished up as Everton's first win at Old Trafford since 2013 – ironically when Moyes himself was Manchester United manager and Bryan Oviedo scored the decisive Toffees goal – but the Scot claimed he saw a major positive in the Gueye flashpoint because of what it represented.

"There's another side to it," Moyes said. "I like my players fighting each other, if someone didn't do the right action. If you want that toughness and resilience to get a result, you want someone to act on it."

On the actual decision to send Gueye off in the first place, Moyes added: "If nothing happened, I don't think anyone in the stadium would have been surprised. I thought the referee could have taken a bit longer to think about it. I got told that the rules of the game are that if you slap your own player, you could be in trouble.

"I'm disappointed we got the sending off. But we've all been footballers, we get angry with our team-mates. He's apologised for the sending off, he's praised the players and thanked them for it and apologised for what happened."

co-commentator Gary Neville disagreed with the decision to send Gueye off: "How much venom was in that slap? He has been sent off for that. Was it a little slap or a proper whack? There is no doubt a hand comes out to the face but it didn't look too much. They might have had to send him off purely because there is a strike to the face. They were not fighting, it wasn't a scrap. It could have been dealt with by a yellow. I don't think it needed to be a red."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty Images SportGueye to serve automatic suspension

The standard punishment for a straight red card in the Premier League is an automatic three-game ban, which the FA has the power to increase on a case by case basis, depending on the severity of the incident. With debate as to whether a red card was even a fair punishment, this instance differs vastly from the infamous on-field between Newcastle team-mates Lee Bowyer and Kieron Dyer, who had bans upgraded to seven games, so increasing it is highly unlikely.

As it stands, Gueye will miss Everton's three upcoming Premier League games against Newcastle, Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest, and will be eligible to return for the trip to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea on December 13.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Santos tem uma extensa lista de lesionados neste final de temporada e estuda o retorno dos defensores Dodô e João Basso para o duelo diante do Botafogo pelo Campeonato Brasileiro. Dodô possuía condições de jogo contra o São Paulo, mas foi poupado pela comissão técnica.

➡️Veja tabela do Campeonato Brasileiro-2023 clicando aqui

– A equipe precisava da parada, programamos tudo isso. Seguramos o Dodô em dois jogos. Talvez ele pudesse ter vindo para este jogo, mas como os zagueiros não receberam cartões, preferimos segurá-lo – disse o treinador Marcelo Fernandes.

➡️Tudo sobre o Peixe agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Santos

A volta do zagueiro João Basso é vista com otimismo para os jogos finais da temporada. Contudo, um retorno diante do Botafogo ainda não deve ser o ideal para o atleta.

– O Basso tem uma lesão delicada. Ele evoluiu muito bem. Não digo que voltará no próximo jogo, mas talvez na reta final. Queremos encher o tanque de gasolina para esses últimos quatro jogos – afirmou o técnico do Peixe.

O Peixe possui uma lista extensa de lesionados nesta reta final do Brasileirão e não deve contar com o retorno dos seguintes nomes: Sandry, Alison e Felipe Jonatan (lesão no joelho); Bruno Mezenga e Luan Dias (dores musculares); Morelos (lesão na panturrilha); e Alex (fratura no tornozelo).

Glasgow Rangers are eyeing a “tremendous” young manager as Russell Martin’s successor at Ibrox, with the free agent coach now seen as an option alongside the heavily linked former Sheffield Wednesday boss Danny Rohl.

Rohl emerges as early Ibrox candidate

The Gers are on the lookout for their next boss, following the sacking of Martin over the weekend, in a decision that felt like it had been coming for a while.

The 39-year-old simply didn’t perform to the level many Rangers fans expected when he was appointed during the summer, with Sunday’s 1-1 draw away to Falkirk in the Scottish Premiership leaving them 11 points adrift of leaders Hearts, and eighth in the table.

Unsurprisingly, plenty of names are already being thrown around as possible replacements for Martin, including the former Sheffield Wednesday manager, who is currently without a club. Rohl is reportedly admired by those high up at Rangers, but would be another gamble on a young, inexperienced boss.

In terms of a more experienced head, Sean Dyche has also been linked with the now vacant Ibrox dugout, with the ex-Everton boss proving himself in the Premier League for many years, and he’s not the only Englishman in the mix.

Rangers keen on Gerrard after McCoist show of support

According to a report from talkSPORT, Rangers are eyeing a potential reunion with Steven Gerrard alongside their admiration for Rohl, seeing the Liverpool legend as an alternative option to the German. The 45-year-old famously won the Scottish Premiership title with the Gers back in 2020/21, instantly making him a hero, although his exit to Aston Villa didn’t go down too well at the time.

Gerrard is represented by the Wasserman group, who manage top coaches like Mikel Arteta and Eddie Howe. And a move back to Rangers certainly feels like a good option, with the former Liverpool midfielder already knowing the club well, not to mention delivering success.

His former assistant at Al-Ettifaq, Dean Holden, even revealed he would “pay” to work under the 45 year-old because of how he sees the game: “Steven Gerrard sees the game differently, as his assistant I learned so much. He empowered me to be creative and come up with ideas, to challenge him. He’s a really generous guy and I am grateful for the opportunity – I felt like I got five years of experience from him in a year.

“In any other industry, you would pay for the experiences I had. If you were a doctor, you’d pay to go and observe the best brain surgeon in the world.”

Granted, his managerial career hasn’t necessarily progressed hugely since that spell in Saudi Arabia, but former Gers hero Ally McCoist lauded him after the aforementioned title win four years ago.

He's like Mourinho: 54-year-old manager wants to replace Martin at Rangers

Russell Martin’s job as Rangers manager is no more, so who could be his replacement?

ByMatt Dawson Oct 6, 2025

Rangers fans are sure to be divided over who they want to see come in, but whatever happens, those high up at the club cannot afford to rush that person and bring in the wrong person. Philippe Clement struggled in charge and Martin was even more disappointing, and the Gers must avoid past errors when it comes to hiring.