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“Don’t see any reason as of now why Shakib should not play in Bangladesh in the home series [against South Africa],” Shahriar Nafees says

Mohammad Isam24-Sep-2024The BCB is confident that Shakib Al Hasan won’t have any problems returning to Bangladesh – for the first time since the fall of the Awami League government, of which he was a part – for the Test series against South Africa next month.Shakib, Bangladesh’s most celebrated cricketer, was among 147 people named in a murder case in Dhaka last month. He had become a member of parliament in January this year. When Sheikh Hasina resigned as the prime minister on August 5 following massive anti-government protests in Bangladesh and fled the country, Shakib was playing in the Global T20 League in Canada. After that, he has travelled to Pakistan for a Test series, then played a county match for Surrey, and is now in India for another Test series. He was not in Bangladesh at any point during the protests or since. The case in question relates to the death of Mohammed Rubel, who was wounded in the firing during the protests on August 5 and died two days later.Shahriar Nafees, in charge of the BCB’s cricket operations, said on Monday that the country’s caretaker government had clarified that Shakib would not be “harassed”.Related

Shakib on Bangladesh protests: 'To those of you who were hurt by my silence, I sincerely apologise'

Official says govt will provide Shakib with security on Dhaka return

'Shakib's security is not in the board's hand,' says BCB chief

Shakib trials strap around neck as head-positioning tool in Chennai

Spotlight on off-colour Shakib amid injury murmurs

“I think the honourable chief adviser, law adviser and sports adviser have spoken very clearly regarding Shakib Al Hasan,” Nafees said. “There is a clear message from the Bangladesh government that no one will be harassed unfairly in the cases that have been filed. We believe the interim government has made its position very clear on Shakib. Unless there is an injury problem or a selection-related issue, I personally don’t see any reason as of now why Shakib Al Hasan should not play in Bangladesh in the home series.”Last month, Bangladesh’s law adviser, Asif Nazrul, had also said that he hoped Shakib would not be arrested in connection with the case. “There’s only a case filed against Shakib. I hope he will not be arrested. I have come to know that the police forces have been asked to show as much restraint as possible in case something incredible happens.”Soon after the news about him being named in the case surfaced, Shakib had received support from his Bangladesh team-mates, who had posted messages on their respective social-media accounts. But his silence during the student-led mass protests in July and August has also led to criticism. Many of his national team-mates have, at various points, spoken about the protests and the loss of lives, especially of students, but Shakib hasn’t.Bangladesh, who are currently in India to play Tests and T20Is, are scheduled to play two home Tests against South Africa in October. CSA’s security team completed its evaluation of Dhaka and Chattogram, where the Tests will be played, on Monday and is expected to inform the BCB about its decision later this week.

MatériaMais Notícias

da marjack bet： Sábado (14) tem Ceará e Sampaio Corrêa em jogo válido pela 32ª rodada do Brasileirão Série B. A partida está marcada para às 18h30 (de Brasília), na Arena Castelão.

da cassino： +Confira a classificação do Brasileirão – Série B

São 12 pontos os que separam o Ceará do G-4, e as chances do Vozão conseguir a vaga são remotíssimas. A equipe poderá ter que se contentar nestas últimas partidas a tentar terminar bem o torneio e começar a pensar no que fazer para a próxima temporada do futebol brasileiro,

Ainda assim, o time de Vagner Mancini tentará buscar algo importante e, no duelo deste sábado, Paulo Victor e Michel Macedo podem ser novamente desfalques, estes por lesão. Além disto, Breno não jogará o confronto contra o Sampaio por estar suspenso.

+Assista aos jogos do seu clube do coração com aquela gelada! Copo Stanley a partir de R$120,00

O empate com o Novorizontino na última rodada deu um pouco mais de tranquilidade a Bolívia Querida, que tem agora 35 pontos e cinco de vantagem para a Chapecoense, que é a primeira equipe dentro da zona de rebaixamento. E agora há a chance de conseguir aumentar um pouco mais tal distância nesta rodada.

E Fernando Marchiori terá uma série de problemas para escalar o time neste Ceará x Sampaio Corrêa. Pará está suspenso deste jogo mais três atletas (Pimentinha, Mikael e Neto Paraíba) não seguirão para enfrentar o Vozão por estarem lesionados. Rafael Jansen, por outro lado, está recuperado de lesão e disputa vaga na zaga com Gustavo Henrique.

Relembre o jogo pelo primeiro turno:

CEARÁ X SAMPAIO CORRÊA
32ª RODADA DO CAMPEONATO BRASILEIRO DA SÉRIE B 2023

Data: 14 de outubro de 2023.
Horário: 18h30 (de Brasília).
Local: Arena Castelão, em Fortaleza, Ceará.
Árbitro: Rafael Martins Diniz (DF)
Assistentes: Daniel Henrique da Silva Andrade (DF) e Karla Renata Cavalcanti de Santana (PE)
VAR: Gilberto Rodrigues Castro Junior (PE)
Onde assistir: SporTV e Premiere

Provável escalação do Ceará:

André Luiz; Caíque, Tiago Pagnussat, Lucas Ribeiro e David Ricardo; Léo Santos, Jean Carlos e Richardson; Barletta, Erick e Saulo Mineiro (Nicolas).Técnico:Vágner Mancini.

Provável escalação do Sampaio Corrêa:

Luiz Daniel; Matheus Pivô, Ícaro, Gustavo Henrique e Lucas Mota; Claudinei, Paraíba e Robinho; Pimentinha, Vitinho e Ytalo.Técnico:Fernando Marchiori.

The change was made to free up Mooney, who is Giants’ designated wicketkeeper as well as opener

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Feb-2025Australia allrounder Ashleigh Gardner has been named Gujarat Giants captain for WPL 2025, ending fellow national team-mate Beth Mooney’s two-year reign at the helm.”It is an absolute honour for me to be named the captain of Gujarat Giants.” Gardner said in a Giants statement. “I have loved being a part of this team and I am excited to lead this fantastic group in the upcoming season. We have a great mix of young and experienced players and plenty of Indian talent in our squad. I am looking forward to working with the team and making our fans proud.”Related

• WPL 2025: Can new captain Gardner change Gujarat Giants' fortunes around?

• Shafali, Reddy and other players who could take the WPL route to Indian team

• Mithali Raj, Nooshin Al Khadeer part ways with Gujarat Giants

• WPL 2025: Chinelle Henry replaces injured Alyssa Healy at UP Warriorz

Gardner has been a vital cog for Australia across formats, chipping in with her all-round credentials. In the recent Women’s Ashes, she picked up five wickets including a second-innings four-for in the only Test match – a pink-ball affair at the MCG – and scored her maiden ODI century in the third ODI of the series. She missed the T20I leg of the multi-format series with a calf strain but had provided a reminder of her bowling abilities by picking 16 wickets for Sydney Sixers in WBBL 2024.”She is a fierce competitor,” Giants head coach Michael Klinger said. “Her game awareness, tactical acumen, and ability to inspire players make her the ideal choice to captain Gujarat Giants. We believe she will lead from the front and guide the team towards a successful campaign.”Gardner has been with Giants since the inaugural season and the move to elevate her to captaincy was made to free up Mooney, who is also the designated wicketkeeper and the opening batter for them. Gardner was also Giants’ vice-captain for most of the first season after Mooney picked up a calf injury one game into WPL 2023.Gardner is the No. 1-ranked allrounder in ICC’s ODI rankings while Mooney is the leading T20I batter.”I would like to thank Mooney for her highly valued leadership,” Klinger said. “Now, she will be able to focus on wicketkeeping and opening the batting lineup. She continues to be a major leader of our group.”Ahead of the auction for WPL 2025, Giants rejigged their support staff with assistant coach Nooshin Al Khadeer and mentor Mithali Raj parting ways. Australia assistant coach Daniel Marsh joined as the batting coach while IPL team Lucknow Super Giants’ spin-bowling coach Pravin Tambe is the bowling coach.

Wolverhampton Wanderers have now made direct contact over a deal for an “amazing” defender, who could be tempted by a move to Molineux this summer, according to a report.

Summer rebuild needed at Molineux

The departures of Rayan Ait-Nouri and Matheus Cunha have left Vitor Pereira with work to do in the summer transfer market, but Steve Bull believes his former club could be capable of taking major strides next season.

Bull said: “Pereira had to pick up the pieces last season from Gary O’Neil and he guided us to safety.

“I am not sure he wants to do that this year. I think he wants to sell himself and get us at least in the top half of the table this season.”

Achieving a top-half finish after losing Ait-Nouri and Cunha would be a major achievement for Pereira, which would be sure to attract the attention of some top clubs, but a summer rebuild will be needed in order to make that goal a reality.

Wolves make first approach to sign £34m Club World Cup goalscorer

He’s been in excellent form at the Club World Cup.

ByTom Cunningham Jun 27, 2025

One of the main reasons the Old Gold were drawn into a relegation battle last season was their very poor defensive record, shipping 69 goals in the Premier League, the highest number of any club outside the relegation zone.

As such, it is little wonder Wolves are looking at bringing in a new centre-back, and they have now held direct talks with Brighton & Hove Albion’s Igor Julio, according to El Diario Vasco (via Sport Witness).

Indeed, the Old Gold have called Igor over a potential move to Molineux, which could be of great appeal, given that Pereira’s squad is full of Brazilian and Portuguese players.

However, the Brazilian is currently prioritising a move to Real Sociedad, as he is keen to seal a move away from England this summer, and believes the La Liga side could be a good fit.

Julio could be "amazing" signing for Wolves

Wolves will be hoping the defender’s head can be turned, despite the interest from Sociedad, as he impressed considerably for Brighton last season, being singled out for praise by manager Fabian Hürzeler.

Hürzeler said: “He played now a good game against Newcastle. And I wasn’t surprised by this because I see him every training session and he’s an amazing professional player.

“He always wants to give the best. He always wants to be the best version of himself and that’s very impressive.”

The 27-year-old, who signed for Brighton for €17m (£15m) in 2023, also ranks in the 99th percentile for blocks per 90 over the past year, when compared to other centre-backs, and the 88th percentile for his pass-completion rate.

Having proven himself in the Premier League, Igor could be exactly the type of signing to help Wolves kick on and push for a top-half finish, but the interest from Real Sociedad could pose a major problem.

Chelsea are involved in the FIFA Club World Cup in the USA this summer, looking to become the inaugural winners of the new-look competition.

The Blues took advantage of the first summer transfer window by signing striker Liam Delap from Ipswich Town, with Todd Boehly activating the forward’s £30m release clause.

Delap has been included in Enzo Maresca’s Club World Cup squad, as are fellow summer signings goalkeeper Mike Penders, centre-back Mamadou Sarr and midfielder Dario Essugo.

However, there is still plenty of time for Chelsea to make more signings, with the second market not closing until September 1.

Chelsea's most expensive signings of all time

Todd Boehly has spent big in recent years.

ByCharlie Smith Sep 5, 2025

With more arrivals on the cards at Stamford Bridge, Grok, the AI tool on X, has predicted five more signings Chelsea could make this summer.

AI predicts 5 players Chelsea will sign this summer 1 Victor Osimhen Napoli (£60m)

Starting with another striker after Delap, Chelsea continue to be linked with a move for Victor Osimhen.

After spending last season on loan at Galatasaray, Osimhen has returned to Napoli but could be on the way out this summer.

The Nigeria international’s entourage were working on a Stamford Bridge transfer, and Grok say a £60m transfer would see Osimhen ‘provide a focal point in attack, complementing Delap and Nicolas Jackson’.

2 Jamie Gittens Borussia Dortmund (£55m)

A player who Chelsea wanted to sign before the Club World Cup, Jamie Gittens could still make the move to London in the second summer transfer window, and Grok can see a move materialising.

The Blues had a £42m bid rejected for the English winger, and Grok say they’ll need to get to £55m for a transfer to happen.

Grok say ‘Gittens would bring pace, creativity, and goal-scoring ability to the flanks, fitting Maresca’s attacking system’.

3 Jarrad Branthwaite Everton (£50m)

Despite signing Sarr, more central defenders could also be on the to-do list at Stamford Bridge to rival the likes of Tosin Adarabioyo and Levi Colwill.

Everton star Jarrad Branthwaite has been catching Chelsea’s eye, and there have been rumours of the Blues weighing up an offer later in the window.

A figure of at least £50m has been mooted by AI, however, stories elsewhere suggest the England international could cost more at £75m.

4 Alejandro Garnacho Man Utd (£40m)

After coming close to a deal in January, Man Utd winger Alejandro Garnacho is set to depart Old Trafford and has told his agents he is interested in a move to Stamford Bridge.

The Argentine wants to remain in the Premier League, which should give the Blues an advantage, with Grok believing a deal could be worth £40m.

Garnacho can play on the left or right-hand side, so could be a replacement for Jadon Sancho, who returned to the Red Devils following his Chelsea loan.

5 Marc Guehi Crystal Palace (£50m)

It might not be all new faces this summer, though, with Marc Guehi linked with a return to Stamford Bridge, four years on after leaving for Crystal Palace.

Crystal Palace

155

Swansea City

59

Chelsea

2

England

23

The England international has been going from strength to strength at Selhurst Park but now has just a year left on his current contract, resulting in rumours of an exit this summer.

Claims in May said that Guehi was tempted to move back to Chelsea and that the Blues were confident of a deal. Now, with Champions League football on offer, that confidence could have grown.

India’s spinners finish the job, with miserly and incisive spells

Sidharth Monga09-Oct-20242:36

Takeaways: Reddy arrives on the scene, Rinku repeats heroics

India pounced on poor bowling from the Bangladesh spinners to get out of jail on a Delhi surface that started off as tacky but kept on improving for batting as the night progressed. Nitish Kumar Reddy and Rinku Singh took India from 41 for 3 in the sixth over to 221, with a finishing kick provided by Hardik Pandya. In better batting conditions, the India bowling still proved too good for Bangladesh, sealing the series win.The Bangladesh spinners suffered on both comparisons. Their fast bowlers bowled 12 overs for 102 runs, but the spinners conceded 116 in their eight. And then the India spinners rubbed it in for them with nine overs for just 49 runs and five wickets.India struggle at the startAfter a toss that didn’t seem to matter – Bangladesh said they wanted to use the dew coming in later to their advantage and chase, India said they wanted to bat first to test their bowlers in dew – Bangladesh opened the bowling with Mehidy Hasan Miraz, whose arm balls were either too full or short and taken apart by Sanju Samson. On a tacky surface, the fast bowlers managed to draw misbehaviour though. Samson and Suryakumar Yadav fell to checked shots because of the slowness of the pitch, and Abhishek Sharma played on trying to slog Tanzim Hasan.Tanzim Hasan Sakib had Abhishek Sharma chopping on•BCCI

Reddy enjoys some luckRinku was the only one able to play smoothly from the start. Reddy got away twice in the early phase of his innings. When Litton Das dropped him down the leg side of Tanzim, Reddy moved to 6 off 4, and he was 19 off 14 when he survived an extremely close lbw – umpire’s call on impact on a reverse-sweep. That 19 included a six off a free-hit thanks to a no-ball by Mahmudullah.Flood gates openRishad Hossain is a legspinner full of promise, especially in T20 cricket. However, against a Rinku intent on all kinds of sweeps, he bowled his fifth ball too full and was slog-swept for six. And then Mahmudulllah offered the free-hit. In his second over, Rishad erred on length on both sides. Reddy took him for two sixes down the ground before Rinku pulled him for one. That 24-run over took India past 100 in 10 overs.After that, only Taskin Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman managed an over without a boundary. Mehidy suffered the worst punishment as he couldn’t get Reddy off strike and kept bowling in his wheelhouse for 26 runs in the 13th over. A hundred in just his second match looked on but a slower ball from Mustafizur got the better of him to dismiss him for 74 off 34.Rinku Singh celebrated his third T20I fifty•BCCI

This was the right time for Bangladesh to squeeze in an over of spin but Hardik Pandya offered no concessions to Rishad’s errors in length. Rinku might have looked like the silent partner in the carnage but he got to his fifty at almost two a ball.As India kept losing wickets looking for quick runs, Rishad managed some respite and got to bowl the last over for just eight runs. Bangladesh were still being asked to score their highest T20I total to stay alive in the series.A bridge too farThere’s a reason Bangladesh have never scored more than 215 in T20Is: their batters don’t seem to have the game for it. Looking for the unprecedented, the batters took too many risks and got off to a quick start but it was a matter of time before the risks caught up with them. Parvez Hossain played Arshdeep on, Washington Sundar got Najmul Hossain Shanto twice in two games, Litton Das was all at sea against Varun Chakravarthy, Towhid Hridoy was done in by an Abhishek Sharma arm ball, and the game was all but done at 46 for 4 in the seventh over.The rest was mere formalities, which involved a wicket for Riyan Parag, a stunning catch by Pandya, and a wicket at least for each of the seven bowlers India tried.

The successful chase of 359, arriving in a World Cup year, is a massive injection of confidence for a side that seemed to lack clarity of purpose in ODI cricket

Daniel Brettig11-Mar-20196:35

The more pressure before a World Cup, the better – Handscomb

A glance down the list of highest ODI totals batting second in the entire history of the format offers a few salient observations. The first of these is that England have four of the top 10, all scored since the last World Cup in 2015 to underline their status as likely favourites for this year’s edition of the tournament.The second is that Ashton Turner’s blazing bat in Mohali, building on a platform set by Peter Handscomb and Usman Khawaja, has edged Australia into the all-time top 10. This has come about in the year of a World Cup where high scoring and judicious use of Twenty20 skills at pivotal times in the 50-over game will doubtless be critical to the outcome.What makes this more significant is that this is the first time Australia have got anywhere near some of the marks set by England in recent times, having never previously ventured beyond 350 when batting second. As an ODI team, in fact, Australia have very seldom operated as effectively batting second as they do going in first: Mohali is the only score in the nation’s top 35 ODI tallies to have been made when chasing.Understandable then, that Handscomb raved about the confidence injection this result will provide. “This is a really big moment for us,” Handscomb said. “We haven’t had too much of a debrief yet but it will be something along the lines of ‘Take this belief, take this confidence, this momentum, keep building’. Because what we’ve done today is something special … this gives us so much confidence. Not only going into the next game but looking forward to the World Cup.”To chase down 360 [359] against India in India, the boys are going to take so much confidence from that, not only going into the next game but going on to Pakistan and looking forward to the World Cup. This is a really big moment for us and we’re really enjoying it.”The more pressure you can put yourself under going into a World Cup is great. We’re starting to see that guys are learning, guys are more relaxed out there and understanding what they can do within their own game and then executing to their strengths, both with bat and ball. It’s very, very good prep.”Getty ImagesFor a long time, it has looked as though Australia’s 50-over team are operating without enough clarity of purpose whether with ball or bat in hand. To some degree this has been because Test cricket has taken priority in between World Cups, leaving the ODI side commonly at the mercy of the need to rest and rotate exhausted players. Equally, some of the players first picked for the ODI team have found themselves not at their best even when chosen – Aaron Finch’s misadventures this summer being a prime example.However, after an abortive attempt to stock the team with hitters at the top, not least the now discarded Chris Lynn, Australia started to make some progress in their ODI performance against India at home at the start of the year. Ironically, they did so by slowing down, returning more conventional stroke-makers like Usman Khawaja and Handscomb to the team to help modulate the scoring rate through the middle overs.Confidence has been slow in arriving, and big scores in the regions recently explored by England have also been elusive. But as Handscomb pointed out, the team coached by Justin Langer and led by Finch have gradually been building up a sense of consistency and ownership about the way they play, and the way they intend on attacking the challenge of a World Cup.ALSO READ – India, meet Ashton Turner: Australia’s new finisher“If you look at our one-dayers in Australia, we made good progress there, we started to develop our own batting plan or batting signature,” Handscomb said. “We keep getting better with each game and we started off nicely with two T20 wins here that gave us a bit of confidence and then we were close in the first two games and then we’re starting to click come these two games and hopefully that builds momentum going forward.”This gives us so much confidence. If you look back on the second T20 as well, where we chased down 189 at Bangalore, that was the start of a little bit of belief there and then to come out and do it again showed it’s not a fluke, it’s actually a bit of consistency starting to come into this team. And batting plans add a lot of confidence. We’re going to execute those plans. Going forward this is a big moment and hopefully we can continue to build on this feeling we’ve got at the moment.”Circumstances and selections have also played a role, and will continue to do so in the run to the Cup. Travis Head, a fixture in the ODI side for most of the past three years, now finds himself on the outer due to Handscomb’s utilisation in the middle order. More immediately, a broken thumb to Marcus Stoinis – after numerous failed chase attempts where his tendency to soak up dot balls has been exposed – meant that Turner was able to gain an opportunity that he claimed with murderous relish in the closing overs at the PCA Stadium.4:42

Dasgupta: Turner played the dimensions of the ground well

“We’ve seen Ash do this in the Big Bash before, we’ve seen him do it a couple times now,” Handscomb said. “But for him to come out on the world stage, second ODI and play an innings like that is phenomenal and he’ll take a lot of confidence going forward as well.”The thought process was take it as deep as possible because anything can happen. We knew the wicket was going to be good, getting better with dew coming in later, so we just worked on trying to go a run a ball and then hopefully back-end the innings, which worked out beautifully with Ash Turner doing his job.”I think it became a T20 chase about 15 overs out, it was getting up over 10 an over and close to 12. So we had to look to pull the trigger a couple of times and bring it back. Ash picked his bowlers beautifully, he knew who to target and then other guys to sit on and respect. For a guy playing his second game, that was a beautiful, mature knock.”There are a few caveats to the Mohali result, not least the dew irritating India’s bowlers, and the fact that the hosts, with MS Dhoni rested, are in World Cup preparation mode having settled on their preferred “signature” long ago.This is without mentioning the looming returns of Steven Smith and David Warner, which will create fresh selection headaches for Langer and company even as Turner, Handscomb and Khawaja have staked their claims. Certainly Shaun Marsh’s hold on a spot is now looking increasingly wobbly.But the statistical dent this chase made in Australia’s previously grim record batting second, and the confidence the team will derive from doing so, means this is a significant result. For the first time since the last World Cup, Australia looked like a team capable of challenging not only India, but England.

Liverpool will have a commanding presence in the transfer window this summer and could use that leverage to pull off an audacious player-plus-cash deal to land an exciting target, according to a report.

Liverpool look to build on Premier League title triumph

After laying claim to their second title of the Premier League era, the Reds are winding down for the campaign and won’t be too frustrated at surrendering a two-goal advantage in their draw with Arsenal last weekend.

Ultimately, Arne Slot has led his side to the goal they set out to achieve at the start of the season. Now, many are beginning to wonder what happens next once their celebrations are in the memory bank.

That is still a while off yet, though Liverpool are active in their pursuit of summer reinforcements and could look to bring Bayer Leverkusen’s Jeremie Frimpong to Anfield. The Netherlands international is someone the club are aware of as far as his situation goes, with a release clause of between £29.5 million and £33.8 million being something they are willing to exploit.

Lyon winger Malick Fofana is also being targeted by Liverpool, potentially becoming a replacement for Luiz Diaz amid the latter attracting interest from Saudi Pro League outfit.

Darwin Nunez is another that could be moved on to free up funds and space for reinforcements in a period where Slot is expected to be ruthless in his decision-making to mould a squad fit to defend their crown. Realistically, Liverpool have nothing to prove to anyone, but they could potentially surpass their jointly-held record of 20 titles that they share with Manchester United next term with a repeat performance of this season’s excellence.

Making strides to equip themselves to do so, the Reds are now eyeing a swap deal that could see one of Europe’s revered attackers arrive on Merseyside.

Liverpool eye Ademola Lookman and Federico Chiesa swap deal

According to reports in Italy via Sport Witness, Liverpool would be willing to swap Federico Chiesa for Atalanta forward Ademola Lookman to bring the Nigeria international back to the Premier League. Formerly of Everton, Lookman has registered 19 goals and seven assists in 38 appearances across all competitions this season. His current employers are unlikely to make allowances relating to his £50 million+ valuation, so Chiesa could be used to whittle that number down.

Better than Jota: Liverpool make contact to sign "world-class" £85m star

Liverpool have made contact to keep informed on a “world-class” star who is miles better than Diogo Jota.

2

By
Dan Emery

May 12, 2025

The Liverpool star could now be thrown into a potential swap arrangement after struggling to make an impact following his move from Juventus. Earning £150,000 per week, the Italy international has scored twice and registered two assists in just 13 outings, making him a prime candidate for a summer departure.

That said, it remains to be seen whether a swap would be the preferred option for both clubs or if conducting seperate deals is a more viable alternative to put through the books.

He will call curtains on a legendary career at the ground where it all began for him 21 years ago

Vithushan Ehantharajah11-May-202411:21

James Anderson ‘England’s greatest ever bowler’

James Anderson has announced he will retire from international cricket after England’s first Test of the summer at Lord’s, against West Indies, bringing the curtain down on a legendary career where it all began 21 years ago.Anderson, who turns 42 in July, made his Test debut at Lord’s in 2003 against Zimbabwe. He has gone on to take 700 wickets – the most by any pace bowler in Test history. His eventual tally of 188 caps will be the second most in Test history, with just Sachin Tendulkar ahead of him on 200.In a personal statement released on Instagram, Anderson confirmed he would represent England one last time, although speaking later to the BBC’s Tailenders podcast, he did not rule out the possibility of extending his playing career with Lancashire.”Hi everyone. Just a note to say that the first Test of the summer at Lord’s will be my last Test,” Anderson wrote on Instagram.”It’s been an incredible 20 years representing my country, playing the game I’ve loved since I was a kid. I’m going to miss walking out for England so much. But I know the time is right to step aside and let others realise their dreams just like I got to, because there is no greater feeling.””I couldn’t have done it without the love and support of Daniella, Lola, Ruby and my parents. A huge thank you to them. Also, thank you to the players and coaches who have made this the best job in the world.”I’m excited for the new challenges that lie ahead, as well as filling my days with even more golf.”Thank you to everyone who has supported me over the years, it’s always meant a lot, even if my face often doesn’t show it.”See you at the Test,”Go well”Jimmy x”Anderson had previously harboured ambitions to play England’s six Tests this summer against West Indies and Sri Lanka and even refused to rule out being around for the 2025-26 Ashes, by which point he would be 43. However, following a face-to-face meeting on the golf course with Test head coach Brendon McCullum in April, and further conversations involving managing director Rob Key, Anderson was informed the team needed to look beyond him this summer with a view to building to that tour of Australia.The news of that meeting, initially reported in on Friday, ultimately brought confirmation from Anderson 24 hours later. He was due to feature as part of the BBC’s live coverage of England Women’s first match of the summer against Pakistan at Edgbaston on Saturday but has subsequently pulled out.James Anderson is set to finish his career with 188 Tests to his name•Getty ImagesSpeaking to Tailenders, Anderson confirmed that his discussions with McCullum had come up as part of his annual appraisal, at the six-month mark of his one-year contract.”I feel like I have talked about it for ten years with every coach I have had, asking ‘how long you going to play for’,” Anderson said. “Looking ahead, could a 43-year-old me make the Ashes in 18 months time? I sort of came to the decision ‘probably not’. From my point of view it feels like a stretch at this point in my career, and from their point of view there are 15 or so Tests before the Ashes so it gives them time to get other guys Tests and experience before that Ashes series.”I feel good about it, I have had an amazing career. Stuff about retirement has been hanging around for years now, ever since I turned 30 and grown even more since I turned 40. I just feel really lucky that I have managed to get to this stage, still playing at this very high level.”Anderson reached the 700 Test-wicket mark earlier this year in the fifth and final Test of England’s tour of India. Though he has long been the lynchpin of the English attack, he bowled just 110 overs in seven innings in that series after a tough Ashes campaign last summer in which he took just five wickets at 85.40 in four Tests. Anderson is currently on a one-year central contract which expires at the end of the summer.Regarding his county career, however, Anderson admitted he was “not 100% set” on hanging up his boots, and could yet feature in the latter half of Lancashire’s Championship campaign.”There are games at the end of the season that I’m not ruling out at this moment,” he said. “That’s a conversation I’ve got to have with Lancashire and see what they want to do.”It is part of the thought process. I’m not 100% set on what I’m going to do next. That will be a conversation further down the line with Lancashire and see what they want to do, see if I’ve actually got the desire and willingness to do that as well. Again, that will be later in the year.”In a statement released by the ECB alongside Anderson’s, chair Richard Thompson said:”I don’t think we’ll ever see a bowler to match Jimmy again. It has been an honour as an England fan to watch him, and to marvel at his skill with the ball.”To still be bowling at the top of his game at 41 is remarkable, and he is a true inspiration and role model for peers and younger generations alike.”His final Test promises to be an emotional one, and having been there for his first Test in 2003, it will be an honour to watch his final one at Lord’s in July.”English cricket owes Jimmy Anderson a send-off like no other.”

Is the Sri Lanka allrounder such a poor runner that the selectors’ decision to drop him, despite him being the most consistent ODI run-maker in the side, defensible?

Fidel Fernando, Shiva Jayaraman and Srinath Sripath02-Oct-2018Angelo Mathews’ recent fall in limited-overs cricket was dramatic. Following Sri Lanka’s embarrassing Asia Cup exit, Mathews was first stripped of the captaincy, then dropped from the one-day team altogether, only 10 months after the same coach and selectors had requested him to lead the team. Chandika Hathurusingha and chief selector Graeme Labrooy have since attempted to publicly explain the decision to axe him, and have landed on three inter-related reasons:a) Mathews is not “cricket fit”, in that they are not confident he can field for 50 overs, then be relied on to bat effectively for 30 or more overs.b) Mathews’ running between the wickets in particular is affected by this lack of “cricket fitness”, and he has run out an unusually high number of partnersc) As a result of the two reasons above, Mathews’ presence in the side creates a less-than-ideal “team dynamic”Hathurusingha spoke most strongly about reasons b) and c), stating that: “Running between the wickets is a very big concern for the whole team at the moment…If you look at his record, he has been involved in about 64 run-outs, and 49 times the opposite guy got run out. That’s a world record.” So do Hathurusingha’s claims stack up? Is Mathews such a poor runner that the selectors’ decision to drop him, despite being the most consistent ODI run-maker in the Sri Lanka side, defensible?At first glance, Hathurusingha may be on to something. No batsman has been involved in as many run-outs as Mathews since his debut in 2008. In fact, no one even comes close. Mathews has been party to 65 run-outs over his career, across formats – 35% more than the next-worst offender in the time period, which is surprisingly AB de Villiers. Of that total, 42 of the run-outs involving Mathews have come in ODIs.Also note MS Dhoni’s presence at No. 3 on this list – that will become relevant later in the story.Most run-outs across formats•ESPNcricinfo LtdMathews has not only racked up a high volume of run-outs since his debut, but it also translates to a high percentage of his partnerships being ended by a run-out. More than a tenth of Mathews’ ODI partnerships have been brought to a close by a run-out. Just to contrast, the overall run-out percentage in ODIs since Mathews’ debut is 6.19%.A 4.2% run-out percentage change between Mathews’ partnerships and your average ODI partnership does not seem like much, but do keep in mind that run-outs are largely seen as a completely avoidable form of dismissal. Also, remember what Hathurusingha said about Sri Lanka’s “team dynamic”. From a batting partner’s perspective, you are roughly 60% more likely to have your present partnership ended by a run-out if you are batting alongside Mathews, rather than your average ODI batsman.De Villiers is again the second-worst on this statistical measure, while Shane Watson, Eoin Morgan and Martin Guptill have had the lowest percentage of their ODI partnerships end in run-outs in this period.Where does Mathews rank among the worst ODI runners?•ESPNcricinfo LtdWe can now be sure that Mathews has registered an unusually high volume and percentage of run-out involvements over a 10-year career, but Hathurusingha’s other point was that the run-outs Mathews was involved in have overwhelmingly led to the dismissal of his partner, rather than himself. This was certainly the case in the recent Asia Cup, where Mathews was party to two running mix-ups in successive games, and was largely to blame for the dismissal of his partner on both occasions.Overall, his statistics suggest this is a trend for Mathews. In fact, not only is his involvement in dismissals of his partner unusually high for his own playing period, it is the highest – in terms of percentage of overall run-outs – in the last 30 years. In nominal terms, Mathews has been party to a run-out of his partner 50 times, across formats. Which means that of the run-outs he has been involved in, it’s his partner who has lost his wicket 77% of the time.