Category Uncategorized

Several supporters claim on Twitter that they suffered racist abuse from other fans on the fourth day

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Jul-2022Police have launched a criminal investigation into claims of racist abuse among the crowd on the fourth day of the rescheduled fifth Test between England and India at Edgbaston.Warwickshire and the ECB began their own investigations into the claims, which emerged publicly on Monday night when several supporters said on Twitter that they had suffered racist abuse from other fans. Their complaints were highlighted by Azeem Rafiq, the whistleblower whose allegations of a culture of institutional racism have seen Yorkshire charged with bringing the game into disrepute.In a statement released immediately after England completed a seven-wicket victory before lunch on Tuesday’s fifth day, Stuart Cain, Warwickshire’s chief executive, said the club had provided police with CCTV images and information, adding that anyone prosecuted faced being banned from Edgbaston and other venues around the country.”Any form of abuse isn’t acceptable in life or sport,” Cain said. “So, I’m angry about the fact that people think it’s acceptable at an international cricket event and apologise for the distress it’s caused.”I have spoken to those who raised the issue on social media, the stewards managing the Eric Hollies Stand and the police. There has been a great atmosphere over five days involving more than 100,000 England and India fans but when this issue was reported to the stewards, they couldn’t pinpoint where the alleged abuse was coming from so stewards and the police monitored the area until close of play.”However, we actively support police action in alleged cases of abuse and have provided them with CCTV imagery and further information which has led to them launching a criminal investigation.”Anyone with information was asked to contact police on their national crime-reporting number, 101, and Cain urged fans to download the Edgbaston app allowing people to anonymously report abuse directly to the ground’s control room which can then alert stewards and police.”There was a separate incident reported via the app yesterday, which was dealt with in less than ten minutes and led to the ejection of three fans,” he said. “For Saturday’s Vitality IT20 versus India we will be writing to all fans to remind them of our zero tolerance approach to abuse… everybody should feel safe and welcome at Edgbaston, and we will continue to work hard to deliver this expectation.”The Bharat Army, the official team India supporters group, said on Twitter that they would work with Edgbaston officials to share fan feedback on their experiences, adding: “Sad to say many of our members experienced racist abuse from a very small minority of individuals… Thank you to those England fans who stood by us.”On Monday night, the official Edgbaston Twitter account said in a response to one of Rafiq’s tweets: “We’re incredible sorry to read this and do not condone this behaviour in anyway [sic]. We’ll be investigating this ASAP.”The ECB also said in a statement: “We are very concerned to hear reports of racist abuse at today’s Test match. We are in contact with colleagues at Edgbaston who will investigate. There is no place for racism in cricket. Edgbaston has been working hard to create a safe and inclusive working environment.”

Nat Sciver admits that it’s going to feel strange playing a Test match without Katherine Brunt in the England attack.Brunt remains a key presence in the England Women’s camp ahead of their encounter with South Africa starting on Monday. Having announced her retirement from Tests last week, Brunt travelled to Taunton to continue her preparation for the white-ball portion of the multi-format series and impart her knowledge on a clutch of relatively inexperienced seamers vying to fill the void left by her and Anya Shrubsole, who called time on her international career after the World Cup in April.Barely a month since celebrating her wedding to Brunt in an “amazing” ceremony, Sciver, England’s vice-captain, reflected on how her wife would be missed on the cricket field.”It’s going to be different, very strange really,” Sciver said. “When we go out onto the pitch, it’ll be weird not to see her at the top of her mark or on the pitch. She obviously has provided so much energy and passion to the team and has been a big driver in the field when we need wickets.Related

• England challenge Emma Lamb to make her mark as an opener

• An ICC for women? It might be the only way to save women's Test cricket

• South Africa look to take lessons from Mysore into Taunton Test

• Childhood memories fuel Kate Cross' Test hunger

“Just being able to throw her the ball when we need a wicket or we need something to happen. She’s been that person for a really long time. It takes a lot of skill, courage and energy to be able to do that for us, so it will be exciting to see hopefully some of the youngsters try and be that person for us.”One of those who had been hoping to be that person, seamer Emily Arlott, was ruled out of the match on Saturday after failing to shake the after effects of a recent bout of Covid. That elevated Issy Wong, the 20-year-old express quick from travelling reserve to part of the squad.Sciver did not want to reveal the playing XI before match-day morning but Lisa Keightley, England’s head coach, said last week that Wong’s workloads would be carefully managed this summer with a view to potentially handing her an international debut in the white-ball formats.Nat Sciver’s experience will be even more vital to England•Getty Images

That puts Lauren Bell, a tall right-arm swing bowler, in the frame to make her international debut, with right-arm quick Freya Davies set to play her first Test having played seven ODIs and 17 T20Is. The experienced Kate Cross is poised to lead the seam attack while Sciver, too, will play a key part, although she said there were plans to reduce her workload slightly given a busy home international season ahead.”There’s been chatter about hopefully me bowling slightly less,” she said. “That’s where the youngsters can come in, with their energy or to be able to put some overs in for us.”Obviously, they’re inexperienced, but they are very skilful and I think in terms of bowling, shorter spells is probably the way to go. I think what we’ve seen in practice with the Dukes ball, the condition of the ball changes quite quickly, so I think shorter spells can work for us.”Sciver said the match would be played on a fresh pitch, which had been covered and uncovered during rain showers throughout Sunday. More rain was expected to clear shortly before the toss but showers are forecast throughout the four days of the match.”It looks a pretty good wicket,” Sciver said. “If we get in at Taunton you can really cash in because the outfield is fast and the wicket is pretty true. I think there’s a little bit of grass on it so we’ll have to take that into consideration at the toss.”South Africa will be without pace bowler Shabnim Ismail and left-arm spinner Chloe Tryon, who have both played one Test and are nursing calf and hip complaints respectively, with another first-choice seamer, Ayabonga Khaka, focusing instead on the shorter formats.Shabnim Ismail’s absence is a big blow for South Africa•ICC via Getty Images

That leaves the visitors set to field eight Test debutants, with only Trisha Chetty, Lizelle Lee and Marizanne Kapp having played any red-ball cricket.Sune Luus, their captain, said that while South Africa had not played a Test since 2014, she had been encouraged by their three-day tour match against England Women A, where Laura Wolvaardt scored a century and Lara Goodall and Andrie Steyn fifties while Anneke Bosch and Tumi Sekhukhune took five economical wickets between them.”Obviously we would have loved to have the likes of Aya, Shabnim and Chloe in our Test squad with the experience they bring in and the skills set they have, but we still have an amazing team,” Luus said.”We come off a great warm up match where some of the younger players really performed and put up their hands so I’m still very excited for the Test match and to see what the new players can do, but I guess we’re all new players in a Test match so it’s going to be something different for all of us.”England (possible): Tammy Beaumont, Emma Lamb, Heather Knight (capt), Nat Sciver, Sophia Dunkley, Amy Jones (wk), Charlie Dean, Kate Cross, Sophie Ecclestone, Freya Davies, Lauren BellSouth Africa (possible): Laura Wolvaardt, Andrie Steyn, Lara Goodall, Lizelle Lee, Marizanne Kapp, Sune Luus (capt), Anneke Bosch, Trisha Chetty (wk), Nadine De Klerk, Tumi Sekhukhune, Nonkululeko Mlaba

CWG Australia consulted with a tournament expert team and match officials before she was permitted to take part

Valkerie Baynes07-Aug-2022Australia allrounder Tahlia McGrath took part in the Commonwealth Games gold-medal match against India despite testing positive for Covid-19.McGrath did not line up with her team-mates during the national anthems and was seen sitting by herself in the stands wearing a face mask while the other Australian players sat in their dugout. However, she came into bat at No. 4 without a mask on.Commonwealth Games Australia confirmed the news of McGrath’s participation in a statement during play on Sunday, saying they had consulted with a tournament expert team and match officials, before McGrath was permitted to take part.”McGrath presented to team management with mild symptoms on Sunday and subsequently returned the positive test,” the statement said. “She was named in the starting XI at the toss and the International Cricket Council (ICC) approved her participation in the final.”Cricket Australia medical staff have implemented a range of comprehensive protocols which will be observed throughout the game and for post-match activity, to minimise the risk of transmission to all players and officials.”It is understood to be the first case in international cricket when a player known to have Covid-19 has taken part in a match, and comes after it emerged that the participation of Covid-positive players across all sports at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham would be assessed on a case-by-case basis. Factors considered include the severity of an individual’s illness, how heavily infectious they are likely to be, and whether they compete outdoors or in a confined space.The toss was delayed while consultations on the matter took place between various governing bodies but play started at Edgbaston on time.When Meg Lanning was run out by Radha Yadav in the 11th over of Australia’s innings, McGrath came in at No. 4 as usual and spoke with batting partner Beth Mooney upon arriving in the middle. The pair had batted together for an extended period on the previous evening, putting on 56 runs as Australia defeated New Zealand in the semi-finals.On this occasion, however, McGrath’s stay at the crease was brief, ending when she cut Deepti Sharma towards backward point, where Radha Yadav took a blinder of a catch diving a long way to her left.McGrath, who faced four balls for her score of 2, trudged off the field, back towards the stand where she had been sitting earlier, some distance from the dugout.Australia’s cricketers have followed some of the strictest Covid-prevention protocols among athletes in Birmingham, wearing face masks during all post-match interviews and at any time they are indoors other than in their rooms or exercising. They had not been allowed to go and watch other sporting events at the Games until Friday when that was relaxed.”The CGA has maintained a comprehensive Covid-19 risk mitigation strategy for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, with testing protocols over and above those required by the Birmingham 2022 Organising Committee,” the Commonwealth Games Australia statement added.After the match, Harmanpreet Kaur, the India captain, said that her side felt comfortable playing in the circumstances.”They informed us before the toss,” she said. “That was something not in our control because the Commonwealth has to take the decision. We were okay because she [Tahlia McGrath] wasn’t very ill, so we just decided to play. We had to show the sportsman’s spirit. We’re happy that we didn’t say no to Tahlia because that [missing the final] would have been very hard-hitting for her.”Mooney said she was comfortable with the way the situation was handled.”I think it was handled extremely well from from Cricket Australia’s point of view, in terms of having protocols in place and making sure everyone in the team was comfortable that she was playing,” Mooney said. “They did all the right things. Our medical staff did all the right things in making sure we were keeping everyone safe. Towards the toss, it became a bit hairy there for a while, but I think it’s no different to someone playing if they’ve got a cold or flu.”So from my perspective, the right decision was made and we just went out and played. It wasn’t within our control. The people who are paid to make those decisions made them and we had no control over that.”

Chris Lynn is looking for a new BBL club after Brisbane Heat made the shock decision to delist the BBL’s all-time leading runscorer after 11 seasons at the club.Queensland Cricket and Brisbane Heat CEO Terry Svenson confirmed on Wednesday that Lynn would not be offered a new contract for next season after another disappointing year where Heat finished seventh.Lynn is the only player in BBL history to have scored more than 3000 runs, having made all of them for Heat in 105 matches but managed just 215 runs in 12 matches last season. He has also captained the club 50 times, more than any other player. Jimmy Peirson took over as captain last summer under new coach Wade Seccombe.”It’s not a decision that has come easily to the Heat by any means,” Svenson said. “Chris Lynn and his feats have made an indelible impression on the club, and his efforts over more than a decade can rightly be said to have had an enormously positive effect on cricket.”We should gratefully acknowledge the influence he has had on a generation of kids who have grown up thrilled by his batting exploits.”His appearance in a teal jumper each year would no doubt be linked by many households to the onset of their holidays, with the BBL being such an integral part of summer holidays.””The Heat wish him nothing but the best for the future as he transitions into another phase of his career and thank him wholeheartedly for his commitment to the game in Queensland.”The decision was made by Queensland and Brisbane Heat’s retention and recruitment committee which includes Svenson, Seccombe, Kirsten Pike, board member Ian Healy, selector Chris Hartley and high-performance general manager Bennett King.Healy, who chairs the committee, said the decision marked the beginning of the next phase at Heat.”Chris Lynn will be missed by thousands, however, the decision we have made as a club is about building on the legacy that he leaves as a foundation player, captain and ambassador for the Heat,” Healy said. “He holds a very special place in our history.”Heat look likely to land Australia Test opener Usman Khawaja after he opted to leave Sydney Thunder for family reasons. Khawaja is Queensland captain and lives in Brisbane with Heat looking a natural fit for him in order to spend more time at home during the BBL over the Christmas and New Year period.

Aston Villa are keeping a close eye on an overseas player because director of football Monchi is a big fan and has been for some time, according to a new report.

It has been a good start to the 2024/25 season for the Villans, but there will be disappointment that they couldn’t hold on to all three points against Ipswich Town on Sunday afternoon. However, Unai Emery and co. will be putting all their focus on their two massive games, as they face Bayern Munich and Manchester United this week.

Why Aston Villa have advantage in race for Bristol Rovers prodigy Kofi Shaw

Aston Villa are keeping an eye on a player who plays for a club that they have a previous relationship with.

ByBrett Worthington Sep 30, 2024 Aston Villa transfer news

The season is very much starting to heat up, and all focus will be on the games as they come thick and fast, but like many other clubs, Aston Villa also seem to have their eye on the transfer business they may wish to conclude in 2025.

The Midlands side are said to be interested in signing Alex Baena from Villarreal, a player who Emery worked with when he was in charge of the Spanish team. The 23-year-old broke into the first team during Emery’s time at the club, and he has impressed a lot this season, so much so that Emery is keen to bring him to England.

As well as looking to sign Baena, Villa are among the teams tracking Bristol Rovers’ young star Kofi Shaw. The 17-year-old has burst onto the scene at the Memorial Stadium this season, featuring a handful of times, and his performances have caught the attention of Villa, Leeds United, and Southampton.

Aston Villa are keeping a close eye on a £5.5m Atletico starlet

According to TBR Football, Aston Villa are closely monitoring Atletico Madrid’s Samuel Lino. Emery is keen to improve his options on the left-hand side, as Lino is capable of playing as an attacker as well as a wing-back.

The report states that Lino is one that Villa are seriously keeping a close eye on, as Monchi has tracked the player ever since he moved to Atlético Madrid in 2022. The La Liga side is said to have paid 6.5m euros to sign Lino at the time, which is roughly £5.5 million.

The Brazilian started his football career at São Bernardo before moving to Flamengo under-20s on loan. Lino then joined Gil Vicente in Portugal in 2019 before he joined Atlético three years later. The 24-year-old signed a five-year contract when he joined the Spanish giants, meaning his deal runs out in the summer of 2027.

Apps

54

Goals

8

Assists

9

Lino spent his first season at Atlético being sent out on loan to Valencia, where he scored eight goals and recorded three assists in 41 appearances in all competitions. That loan has helped him break into the Atlético team, and it seems that Villa could now be ready to make a move thanks to Monchi’s affection.

Bayern Munich chief Max Eberl has opened up on striker Harry Kane's current scoring struggles with the Bundesliga club.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Kane without non-penalty goal since NovemberHasn't scored from open play in seven gamesEberl not concerned about Kane's form since returnFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Kane started his Bayern Munich career with a bang as the England captain enjoyed a prolific debut campaign. Despite the Bavarians' trophyless season, the former Tottenham Hotspur striker quickly became a fan favourite at Allianz Arena. However, Kane has not enjoyed quite the same kind of goalscoring form as he did last season, which has raised concerns among fans and Bayern's top brass.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Kane has not managed a non-penalty goal for Bayern Munich since the middle of November and missed a hatful of chances last time out against Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga. Kane also had an off-night as Bayern were beaten by Feyenoord in the Champions League. Eberl has now opened up on Kane's struggles in front of goal but insists he is not worried.

GettyWHAT EBERL SAID

Speaking to the media, Eberl said: "Harry [Kane] is the least of my worries. When you have a young player, you might worry more, but Harry Kane has had so many highs and also some lows. So if anyone can cope and deal with it, it's Harry Kane. He hasn't scored from open play for a long time, but he also was injured.

"Of course, we need his goals. He knows that and is probably the one who is most critical of himself. But I don't think it's causing a mental problem for Harry."

WHAT NEXT FOR KANE?

The England captain will play a major role for Bayern Munich in the second half of the season as they look to regain their Bundesliga title from Bayer Leverkusen and challenge for the Champions League as well. Kane will be in action next when the Bavarians take on Freiburg on Saturday.

Hamish Rutherford’s memorable debut takes the mind back to his father’s, and those from other cricketing dynasties in New Zealand

Steven Lynch16-Mar-2013I wrote here a few weeks ago about veterans, and how they seem to be getting younger all the time. And then something happened that made me feel a bit of a veteran myself: the son of someone I knew quite well went out and scored a Test century.We’re not talking Comptons here: I’m not quite old enough to have seen Denis play, although I was lucky enough to meet Nick’s grandfather a few times. I remember feeling inordinately chuffed when, on bumping into him again a few minutes after our initial introduction, I received a genial “Hello, old boy.”No, the relative in question is Hamish Rutherford, who took England apart on his debut in Dunedin a few weeks ago with a superb 171. He professes to be “as blind as a bat” without his contact lenses, but didn’t seem to have too much trouble seeing England’s bowlers in his first Test. Some of his left-handed drives were reminiscent of another son of a Test-playing father, Mark Butcher, who just occasionally touched greatness – Headingley 2001, Brisbane 1998-99 – in the quality of his play straight down the ground. It was something his dad, Alan, never quite matched during a long and successful county career (plus one precious England cap).Hamish Rutherford’s father, Ken, was an early winner of a scholarship from the New Zealand board which sent a promising youngster to Lord’s each year. I was working on the cricket side there at the time, and welcomed him in on his first day in 1984. A couple of years previously the scholarship winner had been Martin Crowe: the contrast between the two was quite striking. Crowe was intense, dedicated to cricket, and anxious to play at every opportunity. He’d been asked to send written reports of what he’d been doing back to New Zealand; he dutifully trotted round to the pavilion every week or so, and asked me to photocopy them and send them off.Rutherford was rather less preoccupied. I don’t recall any written reports at all, although it’s possible the NZ board had stopped asking for them. He was much more laidback, and seemed intent on enjoying life in London. When I later discovered that he liked to bet on the horses, I wasn’t entirely surprised.But both Crowe and Rutherford could play. Crowe remains probably the greatest batsman New Zealand has produced, able to execute the on-drive – possibly the hardest shot of all to get right – as well as anyone I’ve ever seen, apart perhaps from Greg Chappell (actually much of Crowe’s cricket, even his bowling, was Chappell-like). Ken Rutherford was a fine driver too, but more of a square-of-the-wicket player. That’s higher-risk stuff, and partially helps explain why his Test average was 27 while Crowe’s was 45.They both had difficult introductions to Test cricket. Although Crowe was obviously a class act, he was still only 19 when he was named for the home series against Australia in 1981-82, less than six months after that Lord’s stint finished. The Aussie new-ball pair was Jeff Thomson and Terry Alderman, with a rather handy first-change called Dennis Lillee: Crowe predictably struggled, managing scores of 9, 2 0, and 9. A chapter in his autobiography about his debut series was simply entitled “Way too soon”.Rutherford, though, managed to draw an even shorter straw for his first series: he was called up to tour the Caribbean in 1984-85, when the West Indian “mean machine” was at the height of its powers. Rutherford, also 19, was included in the first Test after a century in a warm-up game, and faced a bowling attack of Malcolm Marshall, Michael Holding and Joel Garner. Not the gentlest of introductions – especially when he was asked to open.

“That first Test innings I survived for 20 minutes. It seemed a lifetime. I was out off a bat-pad from the bowling of Marshall. I didn’t score a run”Ken Rutherford on batting against a fearsome West Indies

“That first Test innings I survived for 20 minutes,” he later wrote. “It seemed a lifetime. I was out off a bat-pad from the bowling of Marshall. I didn’t score a run.”He didn’t score a run in the second innings either – or face a ball. Rutherford’s pair was sealed after he was run out without facing when John Wright tried a quick single to Roger Harper, the best fielder in the world at the time.Rutherford’s maiden series didn’t improve much: 4 in the second Test, 0 and 2 in the third, and 1 and 5 in the fourth, for a not-so-grand total of 12 runs at an average of 1.71. “The scars from that tour stayed with me for a very long time,” he admitted in his autobiography, an entertaining read entitled A Hell of a Way to Make a Living. In the circumstances, that career average of 27 wasn’t too bad: his next innings was 65 against Australia, and he eventually scored three Test centuries – and a rollicking 317 in a match in the Scarborough Festival at the end of New Zealand’s 1986 tour of England, an innings that included 199 between lunch and tea.Ken Rutherford, like Martin Crowe, went on to captain New Zealand. Both of them should have had longer Test careers: Crowe’s was blighted by injury, latterly a serious knee problem, while Rutherford was dumped after a modest run and went off to South Africa to play for Transvaal.And now Hamish Rutherford has arrived. He does look a good player, although he’s clearly not, as their respective Test debuts might suggest, really 171 times better than his dad. New Zealand Test cricket has a rich history of families: Martin Crowe’s brother Jeff also captained them, Chris Cairns followed his father Lance into the national side and outdid his achievements, and there have been Hadlees and Bracewells galore, among many others. Ken Rutherford’s brother Ian – Hamish’s uncle – himself had a distinguished career with Central Districts and Otago, although he never quite cracked the Test side.One word of warning, though: England’s bowling looked undercooked – or do I mean under-Cooked? – in Dunedin: Hamish Rutherford may never clatter 171 again. Let’s hope, though, that it’s not a reverse of New Zealand’s Redmond saga: Rodney (another left-hander) announced his arrival in Test cricket with 107 and 56 against Pakistan in Auckland in February 1973… and never won another cap, for various reasons, chief among them an inability to adapt from glasses to contact lenses. Rodney’s son, Aaron, made his Test debut in England in 2008, and collected a duck: in his seventh Test, against Australia in Adelaide later that year, he made his top score of 83… and, in accordance with family tradition, hasn’t played again since.

From Akash Kaware, Canada

Cricinfo25-Feb-2013
Revolver EntertainmentIn 1995, West Indies lost their tag of undisputed champions of Test cricket to Australia in a seismic series and started the slide down a slippery slope of defeat and despair that continues to this day. For someone like me who started following cricket only in 1996, the current bunch of strugglers in maroon is a much more familiar sight than the juggernaut that steamrolled anything and everything that came in its way for a mind-boggling period of 15 years.For young cricket fans and old, , the much-acclaimed documentary on Clive Lloyd’s great West Indies team, is a delicious glimpse into the rosy past of a proud group of cricketing nations. The best thing about the documentary is that it is not a bunch of doddery old cricket historians talking about this dominant team in flowery language. The speakers are the very people whom the documentary is about, the players and to some extent the fans. Viv Richards and Michael Holding are the show-stealers, but Lloyd, Andy Roberts, Derryck Murray, Joel Garner, Colin Croft, Desmond Haynes, Gordon Greenidge all make an appearance. Add to that a bunch of truly eccentric characters like Bunny Wailer, Frank I, some Calypso artists and groundsmen, and the narration of the documentary is representative of the spirit of West Indies cricket in a way a historian or statistician could never have been. In fact, when one groundsman pronounces, “When West Indies lose, we cry tears maan”, you can’t help but be moved and wonder how many tears he must be shedding these days.And then of course there are those unforgettable images; Michael Holding with that graceful run-up, which was a thing of beauty to everyone other than the hapless batsman at the other end; Richards, helmetless and chewing gum, getting hit on the face by a bouncer, and hooking the very next ball for six; Malcolm Marshall bowling with a broken arm in a plaster and batting with one hand; That famous picture of Roberts, Holding, Croft and Garner together, the Horsemen of the Apocalypse; Each time a batsman had his jaws, nose, ribs, hands or other features rearranged – and there are plenty of such instances through the 88-minute documentary – the watcher is sure to wince, yet feel a visceral pleasure. One can only imagine what went through the minds of the batsmen themselves.Exhilarating as it is to watch, the documentary is not without its flaws. The cultural impact of the success of the West Indies team and cricket’s role in bringing together those independent countries in the Caribbean is undeniable. But the aspect of ‘Black Power’, the portrayal of the West Indian success as a payback for years of oppression by their colonial masters is a tad overplayed.Many players in the documentary talk about taking out their anger on the ball and the batsmen, but the fact is, no amount of anger can make a batsman play like Richards did at The Oval in 1976 or Greenidge did at Lord’s in 1984. They could play like that because they were supremely talented players, their skills honed by hours of practice. After all, when a batsman is facing a bowler bowling at 90mph, if he is thinking about the weight of history rather than the ball itself, it is hard to imagine him scoring any runs at all, forget about breaking records!You can try to find a higher political meaning in all events with the passage of time, but in this case, the documentary attempts to attribute the phenomenal success of the team to socio-political factors, rather than more believable ones like outstanding skills with bat and ball, and years of hard work. Ditto with the intimidating bowling. Throughout the documentary, fear and intimidation are a common theme. Batsmen are shown hopping all over the place to avoid bumpers, many are seen getting hit and poor old Brian Close, an elderly, but awfully brave English batsman is seen getting a thorough working over from Holding.Yet there was more to the West Indian attack than bouncers. Roberts was, in Sunil Gavaskar’s words, the cleverest fast bowler there ever was. When Holding took those 14 wickets on a featherbed of a track at the Oval in 1976, he did so by sending those batsmen to the pavilion, not to the hospital. In fact, a look at the scorecard of the particular match would tell you that of those 14 wickets, 12 were either bowled or LBW, suggesting a bowler targeting the stumps rather than batsmen’s heads. Marshall was not exactly a brainless brute either. He, along with Dennis Lillee, was probably the most complete fast bowler the game has ever seen. To the uninitiated, it would appear that the West Indian quicks were all about intimidation. But they were more, so much more.Also, the portrayal of the West Indies team before 1975 as ‘Calypso cricketers’, a bunch of players who could entertain but not win, was shocking. The tour of Australia in 1975-76, which resulted in a chastening 5-1 defeat, largely the handiwork of Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thompson, is said to have galvanized the team to come together, and go on to conquer everything there was there was to conquer on a cricket field. However, it must be noted that though West Indies became truly invincible under Lloyd, they had been winning more than they had been losing since the time of Frank Worrell, who doesn’t find more than a passing mention. The 1976 shellacking of England is said to be the ultimate triumph against their old colonial masters, when in fact, they had beaten England in England in 1963, 1966 and 1973 as well.A movie might be forgiven for taking dramatic liberties, a documentary cannot. However, for all its faults that might irk a knowledgeable cricket fan, the documentary still makes for delightful viewing. After all, when the subjects themselves are so fascinating, you hardly need to create drama. Sometimes true stories are enough to give you goosebumps..

Plays of the Day from the first day of the first Test between India and Australia in Chennai

Brydon Coverdale22-Feb-2013Edge of the day
Test matches can turn on moments like this. Shortly before tea, when Michael Clarke and Moises Henriques were rebuilding Australia’s innings, R Ashwin should have had his sixth wicket when Clarke, on 39, pushed forward and inside-edged onto his leg and up to the fielder at bat-pad. Vociferous appeals from the Indians were unable to sway the ICC’s Umpire of the Year Kumar Dharmasena, who ruled not out as Clarke nonchalantly re-marked his guard and settled in for a longer stay. With no DRS in place, there was nothing India could do about the decision, which saved Australia from becoming 206 for 6.Drop of the day
India could consider themselves unlucky not to have had Clarke, but they had nobody to blame but themselves earlier in the day for allowing David Warner a life. On 18, Warner was beaten in flight by Ashwin and his edge sailed towards Virender Sehwag at slip. But Sehwag’s reflexes deserted him and he didn’t manage to get his hands in the right position, spilling the chance and giving Warner what proved to be a somewhat costly reprieve. Warner went on to make 59.Unexpected six of the day
If a market had been framed for the first Australian to hit a six in this Test series, Ed Cowan might have been the ninth or tenth favourite. In a two-way market between Cowan and his opening partner Warner, Cowan would have still been a massive long-shot. So it was quite a surprise to see that when a batsman advanced to Harbhajan Singh and lofted the ball cleanly over the long-off boundary early in the day’s play, it was not Warner but Cowan who had taken the risk. Unfortunately for Cowan, a second attempt at a similar stroke off Ashwin brought about his downfall.Caps of the day
On a pitch that was clearly going to favour the spinners, it was interesting that both teams named medium-pacers to make their Test debuts. Moises Henriques became the second Portugal-born Test cricketer after the South African Dick Westcott and received his baggy green from Steve Rixon, the former Australia wicketkeeper and current assistant coach. Bhuvneshwar Kumar collected his cap from his team-mate and the only other seamer in the Indian outfit, Ishant Sharma.

Liverpool are reportedly closing on an agreement with Egyptian superstar Mohamed Salah about a new contract at Anfield.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Salah into final year of contractLiverpool optimistic about extensionEgyptian in stunning form again this seasonFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Liverpool are said to have moved from "absolute pessimism" to "total optimism" regarding a new contract for Salah. The Egyptian said recently he was "more out than in" at Liverpool and was still waiting for a contract offer. However, the situation has changed completely since then and the forward is now close to securing his future at the club, according to . An official announcement could even be made before the end of 2025.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Liverpool fans will be eager for the saga to be resolved as quickly as possible, particularly because Salah will be able to negotiate with overseas clubs from January 1 as he is into the final year of his contract at Anfield. The forward has been in brilliant form again this season and has 13 goals and nine assists in just 15 Premier League matches for Arne Slot's side.

DID YOU KNOW?

Salah's assist against Fulham last time out was his 100th for Liverpool in all competitions, with 13 of those coming this season – the most of any Premier League player in 2024-25.

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR SALAH

While fans await news of Salah's future, the team return to action on Wednesday against Southampton in the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup and then head to Tottenham in the Premier League on Sunday.