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If other men were witness to as much incompetence as Angelo Mathews has become used to, dressing rooms might have been set ablaze

Andrew Fidel Fernando in Colombo01-Sep-20152:52

‘We need to score more runs’ – Mathews

Angelo Mathews is now the first Sri Lanka captain in almost two decades who does not have a consistent match-winner in his team. It is a fate that has been coming to him for some time. There are occasional flashes of the sublime from this team, but those are oases in the desert. Mathews has no batsmen who routinely transforms matches, like Aravinda de Silva or Mahela Jayawardene did. Rangana Herath is tenacious, but not often transcendent.So as the greats faded one by one, Mathews had gradually built up his own legend. Fifty-two Tests in, the medals on his breast are many. As captain he averages 68.80 – third after his Holiness Donald Bradman and statistical first-apostle, Saint Sangakkara. In the fourth innings, Mathews’ 75.71 is third again, this time one place ahead of the Don. On a trying pitch, in the back end of the SSC match, Mathews was the best batsman. With 339 runs at 56.50, he has been the pick of the series.His is an easy plight to sympathise with. Constantly abandoned by young middle-order batsmen, consistently beating out top-order fires, Mathews is the crisis manager who is never not in crisis. In this match, he came to the crease with the score on 40 for 3 and then 7 for 3. It is a good thing he is ruled by a timeless stoicism, equally measured after the SSC’s heavy loss as he was after Galle’s frantic win. As subdued when he hooks for six, as he is dispassionate when his edge is beaten. If other men were witness to as much incompetence as Mathews has become used to, dressing rooms might have been set ablaze. Team buses would have run off cliffs.On Tuesday, he had Kusal Perera’s company for 135 runs, and while the two were together, there was a nuggety sense of hope. It would have been fitting if Kusal – the kind of cricketer the island specialises in producing – had helped orchestrate one of those truly chaotic Sri Lankan victories. But the pair were left with too much to do. They had sadly been preceded by another kind of Sri Lanka specialty – the batsmen who muck around for 25 balls, then hang bat and arms out like wet noodles to send balls to the slips.

Tragic heroes have an end to their journey, after all. Hector is overcome by Achilles. Anakin Skywalker gives into the dark side. But series after series, Mathews turns up and turns it on

So when debutant Kusal took the wrong option and reverse-swept R Ashwin straight to point, Mathews still had a mountain to climb. One of of the more comically-inclined tails in world cricket was to come. His ship was sinking, and yet again, Mathews was the last man left on deck. He was playing that same old mournful tune.You’d think that after a while, he would tire of this fruitless pursuit. That one day he will snap and become enraged, or become bored and think: “What’s the point?” Other tragic heroes have an end to their journey, after all. Hector is overcome by Achilles. Anakin Skywalker gives into the dark side. But series after series, Mathews turns up and turns it on. He was Sri Lanka’s second-highest run scorer against Pakistan, and had played his team’s best innings of the series. He finished each of the previous years with an average higher than 70.”It doesn’t really matter if you score a hundred or not if you end up losing,” Mathews said after the match. “If I get a duck and the team wins, I’ll be the happiest. That wasn’t the case. Today I had to change my gears a little bit, as wickets fell down. I had to try and build up a partnership. It was quite difficult. It was hot and humid – quite draining.”Aggression is not a quality that comes naturally to Mathews, but to his great credit, he has not been so jaded by the losses that he has given up on the idea of risk. Sri Lanka might have been tempted to play conservatively and hope for rain today, but the run-rate rarely languished, even after two wickets fell in the first session. In the past, Mathews has led doomed chases against South Africa and Pakistan in Galle, and against New Zealand in Wellington. Each time the target has been daunting.With the two seniors gone from the top order now, Mathews treads a lonely road. He can count himself unlucky. Most other exceptional Sri Lanka batsmen had a partner in crime. Aravinda had Arjuna Ranatunga. Sanath Jayasuriya had Marvan Atapattu. Mathews is left hoping that one day, at least one other reliable batsman will emerge. There are no clear takers yet.

Alfonso Thomas’s four in four, carelessness from Gloucestershire and a forgetful Graeme Smith all feature in our alternative review of the 2014 county season

Vithushan Ehantharajah29-Sep-2014Liam Neeson of the Season – Jack Shantry v Surrey
Dubbed “Angry Jack” by his team-mates (presumably for constantly getting off on the wrong foot), Shrewsbury’s maddest man was stirring. After taking 6 for 87 as Surrey scored 406, for a first-innings lead of 134, Shantry had little time to rest up, coming back to the middle with his side 171 for 7 – just 37 ahead. From somewhere, he summoned a maiden century, extending Worcestershire’s lead to 217. Then, in true one-man army fashion, he took 4 for 44 in the second innings – becoming the first No. 9 batsmen or lower to take 10 wickets and score a century in the same match – as Worcestershire sealed promotion to rapturous glee. Shantry said it was one of the best days of his life, beating the time he went to Silverstone and shook Jackie Stewart’s hand.Ambivalence of the Season – Adam Lyth & Adil Rashid’s sixth wicket stand v Lancashire
As you have probably realised in the last couple of weeks, Yorkshiremen like to go on about things. No one knows that better than Lancastrians. Perhaps that is why when Adam Lyth and Adil Rashid beat an 88-year-old sixth-wicket record for a Roses match, the PA at Old Trafford, having been informed of the accomplishment, chose the moment to inform the crowd of a blocked car in the car park. Licence plate number “D1CK13”, presumably.Clubbie of the Season – Richard Oliver
When Oliver moved down to leafy Reigate in Surrey, he did so to focus on a new life; cricket had been good to him, but not good enough. While playing for local Premier League outfit Reigate Priory, the Shropshire captain received a call from Worcestershire, who had a number of batsmen on their injury list and were seeking a short-term fix. After impressing in the 2nd XI, he was given an hour’s notice before he made his full debut against Durham in the T20 Blast, scoring 43 off 31 balls. A match-winning 77 against Northamptonshire in the same competition led to Worcestershire turning his trial into something more substantial, as he signed on until the end of the 2015 season. A month later, he recorded his maiden Championship century against Gloucestershire. He is a shining example of the merits of club and minor counties cricket.Jack of all trades of the Season – Arun Harinath
From gritty opener, to gritty No. 3, back to gritty opener, to one-day dasher to one-day finisher, “The Baron” added strike bowler to his list of roles against Glamorgan at Colwyn Bay at the beginning of July. Desperate for a win to keep their promotion hopes alive, Surrey captain Gary Wilson turned to Harinath with the hosts coasting on 357 for 6 and time running out on the fourth day. In a spell of bowling that one observer described as “the finest display of medium-pace bowling you are ever likely to witness on a Wednesday afternoon, in Wales”, Harinath took two in an over to open up the tail and then finished unbeaten on 19 to see Surrey home to an improbable victory.Sloppiness of the Season – Gloucestershire
As Oscar Wilde would have said if he spent more time at the County Ground and less time thinking of sassy comebacks to custom officers: “To lose one Gidman may be regarded as misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness.”Partnership of the Season – Adam Lyth & Aaron Finch
Lyth and Finch sounds like an accountancy firm but, for now, they’ll just be dealing in outrageous catches. The assisted boundary grab is a thing of gawping beauty, and Yorkshire’s answer to Torvill and Dean managed two in a summer. Lyth reckons that while the one against Lancashire looked the best, the second against Leicestershire, with Finch diving one-handed to claim the secondary catch, was the hardest. Either way, they were both rather epic.Awesome foursome: Alfonso Thomas earned the ball against Sussex•Getty ImagesFoursome of the Season – Alfonso Thomas v Sussex
“Will they name it after me now?” asked Thomas, of the Marcus Trescothick Stand. It was towards this stand that Thomas celebrated “like a nutcase”, after becoming the first Somerset bowler in first-class cricket to take four wickets in four balls. After removing Sussex nightwatchman James Anyon, he removed Rory Hamilton-Brown and then Ed Joyce for his hat trick. Then, with the first ball of his next over, he profited off a loose drive by Matt Machan to emulate a feat last performed in county cricket by Gary Butcher 14 years ago.Teacher of the season – Saeed Ajmal
One difficulty for the subcontinental overseas player in county cricket is the language barrier. New Road import Ajmal was no different. Wary that those behind the stumps might be undone by his quicker ball, Ajmal felt he needed a suitable code to warn them of its incoming. Instead of trusting his English, the offspinner decided it would be best to hide behind the standing umpire and wave his keeper and slip fielders back. “We had to change it,” said Ben Cox, who was one of a number players to be taught some Urdu, as Ajmal discovered that his word was slightly less decipherable than his actions.Commuter of the Season – Luke Wright
In essence, Wright wins this for falling foul of the greater London traffic yet managing to harness his rage into something worthwhile. In the last round of the NatWest Blast group matches, the Sussex squad found themselves stationary on the M25 for an away tie at Essex. When they eventually reached Chelmsford, just 30 minutes before the scheduled start, they lost the toss and conceded 225. Reduced to 0 for 1 in the first over, Wright then blitzed a 66-ball 153 – an English T20 record – to see Sussex home with nine balls to spare.Forgetfulness of the Season – Graeme Smith
We have all done it: you rock up to a game on a Saturday, only to find that you’ve left your whites on the drying rack. It turns out it happens to some of the best, too. When former South Africa captain Graeme Smith arrived for the opening day of Surrey’s season opener against Glamorgan, he realised that he hadn’t packed his cricket trousers. Luckily for Smith, the ever-reliable office at The Oval had some spares.

The English domestic season has begun, albeit in the wrong country and with the wrong ball, why England’s win in Bangladesh is like balancing a pencil on your nose, and why Vettori can almost claim to being the greatest No

Andy Zaltzman25-Feb-2013
Tim Murtagh finds out giant antacids cannot be used to bounce out a batsman© PA Photos
Hello again, Confectionery Stallers. Break out your picnic baskets, don your sombreros, and ring work to tell them you’re feeling a bit ill and will be off sick for the next six months − the English domestic season has begun.Admittedly, it began yesterday in what traditionalists would vociferously bark was (a) the wrong month, (b) the wrong country, and (c) the wrong weather. And, most unarguably, (d) with the wrong ball – as Gubby Allen would no doubt have said about the pink curiosity that has been used in the March sunshine in Abu Dhabi: “Never play cricket with something that looks like a prescription drug elephants might take for long-standing digestive problems.”At least the season began with the traditional number of people taking the blindest bit of notice. The county cricket season, like middle age, is something that creeps up on the consciousness gradually, imperceptibly, almost furtively. Some seasons pass by almost completely unnoticed – there is still little concrete proof that the 1998 domestic summer actually happened. The schedule generally splats indecipherably onto the calendar as if it had been typed onto an orange and hurled by an unusually irate chimpanzee.All this before the commemorative highlights DVD of England’s triumphant victory in Bangladesh has even been released, or the avalanche of ghost-written player diaries has hit the shelves. Whether will sell as well as the Freddie Flintoff tomes that flew into Britain’s bookshops at the speed of agitated light in 2005, remains to be seen.Tredwell’s first-Test substitute appearance – a formidable one-handed diving catch seconds after trotting onto the field of play – merits a chapter in itself. Not all subs make such an impact. I once played in a match in which the opposition loaned my team a fielder to cover for a latecomer. The substitute took a fine catch to dismiss his own captain, then hurled the ball in the air, whooped with delight, and started high-fiving us, his temporary, surrogate team-mates. Which suggested that all was not harmonious in the opposition dressing room.England duly completed their almost unavoidable 2-0 series win. On the scale of great human achievements, this ranks some way below Beethoven’s symphonies and the plays of Shakespeare, and some way above balancing a pencil on your head for 15 seconds without it falling off, or making a sandwich. It was fine. Not great, not bad.The pitches were difficult for bowlers and spectators alike, and Bangladesh have the strongest batting line-up in their short and unglamorous history, but England should nevertheless be a little concerned that their seam attack finished with comfortably the worst-ever collective series average (40.70) against Bangladesh.But the Tigers’ bowling “attack” is still, by Test standards, cannon fodder, and England were startlingly cautious at times, as if nervously trying to defuse a loaf of bread. In the second Test, they scored the third slowest team innings of 350 or more against Bangladesh, featuring two of the five slowest ever innings of 50 or more against them (Tim Bresnan’s careful 91 came in a creditable fifth, and Jonathan Trott’s study in passivity was second only to Nasser Hussain’s achingly constipated six-hour 76 in Chittagong in 2003, an innings that had the physio sending out bags of dried apricots to loosen things up.)For the home team, the dream of winning Test matches (without the aid of civil war in West Indian cricket) remains distant, but their batting, and pancake-flat pitches, suggest that the goal of at least emerging with occasional draws is now achievable. In Dhaka, they recorded their highest match aggregate, and saw four players pass 50 in an innings for only the second time.No. 8 was a particularly fruitful position for Bangladesh, with scores of 79, 36, 59 not out and 28. It has been a vintage millennium so far for Test No. 8s, who have averaged close to 23.5, 15% above the figure for the previous millennium (which itself had smashed the preceding millennium’s record).Much of this improvement is due to Daniel Vettori. Now promoted to No. 6, Vettori has completed his transformation from useful tailender (averaging 16 in his first 46 Tests), to fully qualified batsman (averaging 42 in his last 54). His bowling average, interestingly, was 33 in that first period of his career, and has remained 33 ever since, as he has mutated into the Wilfred Rhodes New Zealand cricket had been waiting for ever since, well, ever since Wilfred Rhodes was born in England and failed to emigrate to New Zealand.Vettori can lay an almost legally binding claim to being the greatest No. 8 in Test history. He recently overtook Shane Warne as the highest scorer at that position of all time, with 2072 runs at an average of 42 – higher than the career Test averages of, amongst others, Mark Waugh, Dilip Vengsarkar, Herschelle Gibbs, Andy Zaltzman, Alec Stewart, Lalit Modi (sue me if it’s not true), Chris Gayle, Marilyn Monroe and Monty Panesar. He has also scored three centuries and 13 half-centuries batting at 8, both records. And, to prove that he is not a specialist No. 8, he also holds the record for most runs scored by a No. 9 (1075). The man is a true allrounder.An all-time XI of highest scorers in each position reads as follows: 1. Gavaskar, 2. Hayden, 3. Ponting, 4. Tendulkar, 5. Steve Waugh, 6. Steve Waugh, 7. Gilchrist, 8. Vettori, 9. Vettori, 10. Waqar Younis, 11. Muralitharan.A strong team, certainly, but whether Vettori and Vettori could combine effectively as a spin-bowling partnership is open to doubt, and there may be an awkward personality clash between the two Steve Waughs, particularly when one (the captain) asks the other (the vice-captain) to open the bowling.It seems that the end may be nearing, however, for another Kiwi tail-end stalwart. Chris Martin has served New Zealand nobly with the ball, but he has served humanity heroically with the bat. In an age of increased professionalism and coaching, Martin has clung to his batting ineptitude with the pride and dedication of a true imperfectionist.He has hit 12 fours in a decade-long Test career, amassing 84 runs at an average of 2.15. No Test batsman has failed with such bloody-minded persistence, an inspiration to those of us who can only dream of playing international cricket, but who can secretly (or publicly) reassure ourselves that, if we played 56 Tests, we might not take the 181 wickets Martin has notched on his bedpost, but we would have a fighting chance of scoring at least 85 runs.Meanwhile, in the IPL, well, to be honest, I’m not entirely sure what is going on. I have tried to get into it, readers, but I have failed. Yesterday, I switched my television on, and within five minutes I had seen David Warner reach a hundred and clout some sixes, David Hussey take an extraordinary boundary-defying catch, some pretty women dancing around with almost authentic enthusiasm, and at least 150 different logos. But I still cannot force myself to care genuinely who wins, or why. Possibly because of the logos.

A look at the numbers from the previous 199 Twenty20 internationals

S Rajesh03-Jun-2011On February 17, 2005, the first Twenty20 international match was played between Australia and New Zealand, a match which Australia won by 44 runs. More than six years later, West Indies will take on India in the 200th game of this format, which means, on an average, about 32 Twenty20 internationals have been played per year. The ICC has said in the past that it doesn’t want to overdo this format, and so far they seem to be sticking to that promise, given that 932 ODIs have been played in the same period.A year-wise look at the matches shows that most Twenty20 internationals have been played as part of the World Twenty20. There have been three editions so far – in 2007, 2009 and 2010 – each consisting of 27 matches, which means 81 out of 199 games have been played in these three tournaments. In fact, out of 66 different Twenty20 series, half have consisted of one-off games; there have been 24 two-match series, and only nine – including the three World twenty20s – have been played over three or more matches.The run-rates have been pretty constant each year from 2005, with the only dip coming in 2008, when the run-rate and average dipped alarmingly. That’s largely because of the World Twenty20 Qualifier in Belfast, when teams averaged a measly 5.34 runs per over and 13.82 runs per wicket over 11 matches. The three World Twenty20s themselves have pretty similar numbers, with the first one having a slightly higher run-rate than the two more recent ones.

A team-wise look at Twenty20 internationals shows that Pakistan have played the most number of matches, even as they’ve been starved of Test cricket during this period. They also have a high win-loss ratio, second only to South Africa, who have by far the best ratio despite not reaching even the final of a single World Twenty20. Six of the top eight teams have won more matches than they’ve lost, and one of the reasons for this is the fact that many lesser teams play this format far more often than they do ODIs. In all 17 countries have played Twenty20 internationals, including Ireland (17 games), Netherlands (10), Afghanistan (8), Kenya (12), Canada (11), Scotland (12) and Bermuda (3). In fact, out of 199 Twenty20 internationals so far, 48 have involved teams outside the nine Test-playing sides and Zimbabwe; and 60 have involved teams outside the nine Test-playing ones.

The country that has hosted the most Twenty20 internationals is South Africa, with 42. The two others to have hosted the World Twenty20, England and West Indies, are the only ones apart from South Africa to have hosted more than 30. India, on the other hand, have hosted only three Twenty20 internationals, but they’re also the only country where the average run-rate is more than nine per over – in fact, it’s touching ten. (Click here for stats by host country.)IPL v Twenty20 internationalsIndia, though, have been busy hosting three seasons of the IPL – the club-based format has seen 248 matches across all four seasons, including the one which was hosted by South Africa. Overall, the IPL has a higher run-rate, but the bigger difference is the number of centuries scored – in 199 Twenty20 internationals, there have been only four, but in 248 IPL games there’ve been 18.

More numbers

• Brendon McCullum is the only batsman to score more than 1000 runs in Twenty20 internationals – he has scored 1100 runs at an average of 33.33 and a strike rate of 128.35. Graeme Smith is next with 958. Among batsmen who’ve scored at least 500, Yuvraj Singh has the highest strike rate (151.60), while Kevin Pietersen has the highest average (36.03). (Click here for the list of highest run-getters.)
• Shahid Afridi is the highest-wicket-taker with 53, and the only one to top 50. The next two highest-wicket-takers are also from Pakistan – Umar Gul (47) and Saeed Ajmal (43). Among those who’ve bowled at least 50 overs, Ajantha Mendis has the best average (12.39 for his 33 wickets), and Daniel Vettori has the best economy rate (5.36). (Click here for the list of leading wicket-takers.)
• Sri Lanka’s 260 for 6 against Kenya in the 2007 World Twenty20 is the highest total so far, and one of 19 instances when a team has scored 200 or more. (Click here for the list of highest totals.)
• The highest partnership in a Twenty20 international is 170, between Smith and Loots Bosman against England in Centurion. The only other 150-plus stand was between Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara – they added 166 against West Indies in the 2010 World Twenty20. (Click here for all 29 century stands in Twenty20 internationals.)

Sidharth Monga on the small-town venues where Maharashtra have been playing their home games

Sidharth Monga in Nagothane10-Dec-2007

The Reliance Cricket Stadium near Nagothane is situated 130 km from the nearest city: Mumbai. The population of the township that houses the ground is about 2000. There are villages surrounding the township, the nearest one being 10 km away. Yet, on a Sunday, anywhere between 800 and 1000 watched the Maharashtra-Delhi Ranji Trophy match, something big cities like Mumbai, with a population of 10 million, scarcely manage. And Virender Sehwag, the main attraction, did not even bat on the day.With a hill overlooking the ground and the winter sun staying mild for the majority of the day, it is fun to play and watch cricket here. A venue far away from the city and amid the hills is bound to evoke the exotic, which one needs to look beyond. Nagothane, staging it’s maiden first-class game, is one of the many offbeat, small-town venues in Maharashtra, where Ranji Trophy games are being held.Ratnagiri, Nasik, Aurangabad, Nanded and Karad are the other venues where they have been playing. After they played Bengal in the first round of the 2005-06 Ranji Trophy, they haven’t played a first-class game at Pune. “Maharashtra is a huge state,” says Ajay Shirke, the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) president. “And it’s not feasible for the talent in the districts and small towns to come to us; we will have to go to them with the game. We realised that for the last two-three seasons we have been working on that.”The persistence has started showing feasible benefits. “Our Under-15 team has reached the semi-finals and is unbeaten so far. The pace spearhead of that team, Yuvraj Pawar, comes from Usmanabad. His parents know nothing about the game. We wouldn’t have got him had we just concentrated on Pune. A majority of the population doesn’t have the means to come to Pune and play with city players. We have recognsied it as our responsibility to take the game to them. You can see the senior team too: we have players from Aurangabad, Satara, Nasik. Some of them are the first players from their districts for the last 40-45 years.”

There is an unmistakable raw enthusiasm to the young Maharashtra side who have won two matches outright and conceded a first-innings for the first time, against Delhi. Players like medium-pacer Wahid Sayyed from Aurangabad might probably not have made it to the side, but for this policy. Jaideep Narse, former Maharashtra opener, who travels with the team now to assist with the sports mechanics, feels there has been a decisive shift with cricket going to the hinterland. “Earlier Maharashtra cricket was only Pune,” Narse, also from Pune says, “but now we play all over, even if that means doing away with the home advantage for the time being.”Bhupinder Singh, the national selector, only vindicated Narse’s point. Supposed to watch this match, he landed up in Pune only to find out they were playing in Nagothane.While staying beyond the exotic, as Sanjay Bangar’s said in his domestic diary, it is also necessary that players get a proper wicket to play, a proper outfield to field in, and a reasonable place to stay. The local journalists say the wickets at Ratnagiri and Nasik have been sporting. The Nagothane track has a good-length spot from where the ball misbehaves, but apart from that the wicket has done itself no disgrace. The batsmen can get runs if they can apply themselves, the bowlers wickets if they keep hitting the length. The outfield is better than some of the international venues in India. And the team have been put up in large resorts where one can lose one’s way while taking a walk.Shirke doesn’t refute there are “teething” problems, which will be resolved with time. On the day before the match, there was no-one at the ground to operate the super-sopper. On the first day of the match, when heavy dew caused an hour’s delay, an experienced groundstaff could have avoided the delay. It might have only required to time the removal of the covers better. The media-persons covering the match have no decent places left to stay, after the teams have populated the two available resorts. But overall, “teething” problems aside, while the BCCI is busy promoting the game in Singapore, Malaysia and such like, it is good to see a state association taking it to villages. And benefiting from that through the talent they generate.

Wicketkeeper Nurul Hasan, fast bowler Hasan Mahmud and left-arm spinner Hasan Murad were left out

Mohammad Isam18-Mar-2024Bangladesh have called up pace sensation Nahid Rana for the first Test against Sri Lanka in Sylhet. Rana is among three changes in the squad that also includes uncapped fast bowler Musfik Hasan and Litton Das, who returns to the Test squad after skipping the previous series against New Zealand.The 21-year old Rana has only been around for three seasons in domestic cricket, but already he has taken 63 wickets at 21.92 bowling average in first-class cricket. It includes three five-wicket hauls.The selectors have also included Musfik, who earned a call-up against Afghanistan last year. Musfik has 55 first-class wickets at 21.16. It will also be a chance for Litton to get back in the runs after having a horrid time in the white-ball formats against Sri Lanka recently.Related

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Wicketkeeper Nurul Hasan, fast bowler Hasan Mahmud and left-arm spinner Hasan Murad were left out from the squad that played against New Zealand in November.The first Test starts in Sylhet on March 22.Bangladesh squad for first Test against Sri Lanka: Najmul Hossain Shanto (Captain), Zakir Hasan, Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Shadman Islam, Litton Kumer Das, Mominul Haque Showrab, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shahadat Hossain Dipu, Mehidy Hassan Miraz, Nayeem Hasan, Taijul Islam, Shoriful Islam, Syed Khaled Ahmed, Mushfik Hasan, Nahid Rana

The gifted teenager is attracting attention from Europe's elite after a stunning start to his career

"He’s got bags of talent and he’s Mexican, so we can consider ourselves very lucky," Mexico boss Javier Aguirre said in July after watching 16-year-old sensation Gilberto Mora set up the winning goal for Raul Jimenez in El Tri's Concacaf Gold Cup semi-final clash with Honduras. "The sky's the limit for him."

That last statement may well be true, especially when you consider that only a year ago, Mora was still waiting for his first taste of senior football. His rapid rise from the Club Tijuana Under-19s to the club's first team, and subsequently Mexico's starting XI has been nothing short of extraordinary. 

Naturally, it hasn't gone unnoticed in Europe. Barcelona reportedly offered Mora a trial last September, while Manchester City have sent scouts to watch him in Liga MX action. As confirmed by his agent, Real Madrid are also now keeping a close eye on the teenager's progress with a view to tying him to a pre-contract agreement that allows him to head to Spain after he turns 18.

Whoever wins the race for Mora's signature will be getting a potential generational talent. He is certainly the most exciting prospect Mexico have produced for a long time, and Aguirre's words of praise sum up the feelings of fans across the country. It often feels premature to place so much expectation on the shoulders of young players, but the hype around Mora is totally justified, and GOAL has taken a deep dive into his development below…

• Where it all began

  Mora was born on October 14, 2008, in the Mexican city of Tuxtla Gutierrez, and football has always been in his blood. His father, Gilberto Mora Olayo, played professionaly for Mexican clubs Toluca, Jaguares and Puebla, and is now the current coach of Club Tijuana's reserve team, a role he initially took up in 2022. 

  Tijuana drafted Mora into their youth ranks early, and it soon became clear that he had the potential not only to emulate his father, but also to eclipse him entirely. He started playing for the U19s by the time he was just 14, and caught the eye of first-team manager Juan Carlos Osorio with his electrifying performances.

  Osario invited Mora to train with the senior squad, and in the space of just a few weeks, he did enough to convince the coach he was worthy of a spot in Tijuana's squad for the 2024-25 campaign. He was left out of the first four games of the season, but then stepped off the bench for his debut in a Liga MX Apertura encounter against Santos Laguna at the tender age of 15 years and 10 days.

  That made Mora the youngest player in Tijuana's entire history, and he also broke the record for the youngest to ever provide an assist in Liga MX, feeding Jaime Alvarez to seal a 3-1 home victory in stoppage time. In that moment, the Estadio Caliente faithful welcomed a new hero into their hearts.

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  The big break

  Just 12 days after making his bow, Mora was handed his first start for Tijuana against Leon, and marked the occasion in spectacular style. The Mexican ace, who was also captaining his country's U17 team at the time, scored the decisive goal to give Tijuana a 2-1 victory in the 65th minute, calmly controlling a loose ball in the box before firing low past the goalkeeper.

  That made Mora the youngest Liga MX goal-scorer of all time, beating the previous record held by Yael Padilla of Chivas by two years. He would go on to feature in 24 more league games for Tijuana before the end of the campaign, netting another winning goal in an Apertura encounter against Monterrey along the way.

  On January 16, Mora also appeared in his first senior game for Mexico, in a behind-closed-doors friendly against Internacional. Mora didn't write another chapter in the history books because that was an unofficial contest, but it paved the way for him to do so six months later at the Gold Cup.

  Aguirre named Mora in his official 26-man squad for the tournament, and he became the youngest Mexico debutant ever at 16 years and 257 days when lining up against Saudi Arabia in the quarter-finals, replacing the injured Luis Chavez on the left of a midfield three. Mora played 73 minutes as El Tri ran out 2-0 winners, and Aguirre was delighted by the youngster's impact: "He wasn't scared, he has talent with the ball. He sees football differently.

  Mora was subsequently switched to the right side in the last-four clash with Honduras, but showed the same fearlessness in a much tighter game. In the 50th minute, he latched onto a pass some 20 yards from goal, dancing past one defender with ease before playing a perfectly weighted pass to Jimenez, who then produced a first-time finish that ultimately gave Mexico a 1-0 victory and a final berth against the United States.

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  How it's going

  Mora retained his place for the showpiece event, and played a key role in Mexico's stunning 2-1 victory over the arch rivals. Jimenez and Edson Alvarez grabbed the goals to cancel out Chris Richards' early opener for the U.S., but it was Mora who kept things ticking over in midfield as he posted a 93 percent pass completion rate, with no nerves creeping into his game on the biggest stage.

  That triumph saw Mora overtake Spain's Euro 2024 hero Lamine Yamal as the youngest player ever to win a senior national-team title. Whether or not Mora can go on to reach the same level as the Barcelona wonderkid remains to be seen, but the foundations are in place, and he also has the advantage of a strong support network, which includes Mexico striker Santiago Gimenez. 

  "Mora blew us all away at 16, I think he was one of the best players in the cup," Gimenez said after the tournament. "He's a very focused kid, who knows what he wants. I want to be an example for him and I also want to instruct him because I know his dream is to reach Europe."

  That dream is likely to become a reality sooner rather than later if Mora stays on his current trajectory. The Tijuana star has also made a superb start to the new club season, now working under Uruguay legend Sebastian Abreu, who replaced Osorio at the helm in March.

  Mora was selected for the MLS All-Star Game, and scored the only goal for Liga MX in a 3-1 defeat, while dazzling with his quick feet and composure. "Mexico has a gem here, it’s not normal to see a player like that, he is an exceptional player," Liga MX All-Stars manager Andre Jardine exclaimed.

  That is one of six goals Mora has scored in August, with the youngster also netting braces for Tijuana in a Leagues Cup tie against the LA Galaxy and in the 3-3 draw with Chivas in Liga MX. Jardine was right: Mora is "not normal", and nor is the fact that Tijuana are already relying on him as their primary source of inspiration.

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  Biggest strengths

  Mora is an elusive winger/attacking midfielder who dribbles with a low centre of gravity and always keeps close control of the ball. He is capable of gliding past multiple defenders under pressure, and also has a deep box of tricks to pull from, which makes him thrilling to watch because you never know what he is going to do next.

  From a technical standpoint, Mora is miles ahead of most players around his age as a two-footed maestro with a high footballing IQ. The Mexico international can flip from an orchestrator to a creator or ultimate difference-maker in the blink of an eye, possessing the accuracy to fire in shots from any angle. 

  His versatility and powers of anticipation are also invaluable, but Aguirre believes that Mora's "biggest strength" is often overlooked. "What I like most about him is that he never shies away or pulls out of tackles," the Mexican coach said at the Gold Cup. "He can be on the receiving end of a couple of robust challenges and he keeps showing for the ball."

Luka Modric is determined to help AC Milan return to their once glorious heights as he reflected upon his decision to join the club.

• Modric officially presented as new Milan player
• Wants to help Serie A outfit reach Real Madrid's level
• Reflected on his decision to join San Siro side

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Croatian, who spent 13 years at Real Madrid and tasted unprecedented success, explained that it was an "easy decision" to join Milan on a free transfer after leaving the Spanish side, outlining his ambition to help the Italian outfit reach the same level as his former side.

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• WHAT LUKA MODRIC SAID

  Speaking about his goal at Milan, Modric said: "Of course I knew about Milan's seven Champions League titles, the most successful team in Europe after Real Madrid… We all remember Milan as one of the best teams in the world. We can't settle for a mediocre season or qualifying for the Champions League. As for my vision for Milan, we also need to be humble: we need to work hard to bring the team back to the highest levels. I'm very competitive; I want to bring this to the team. The minimum objective is qualifying for the Champions League, but Milan must fight to win trophies: that's my goal, and it should be the same for everyone who works at Milan. But we need to stay humble and have a solid team."

  Later, he was asked how he reached the decision to join Milan after leaving Madrid. Modric explained: "It was a very easy decision when [sporting director Igli] Tare called me. When he came to Croatia, it was very important. It showed how much Milan cared about me and how much they believed I could perform at a high level. It was the turning point in the negotiations: when someone comes along and wants to buy you, it's important that they explain their project to you. Then I needed some time to talk to my family, but deep down I knew it would be the best choice. I didn't expect it to happen so quickly, but it shows the faith they've shown in me: I hope I can repay it on the pitch."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Modric arrived in Madrid in 2012, spending 13 years and leaving the record European champions as their most decorated player ever with 28 titles. He won the Champions League six times with Los Blancos, a tally bettered only by two teams: Milan and Madrid. The Rossoneri finished eighth in the league last season, which means they will not feature in Europe's premier club competition next season. In fact, the last time they lifted the 'Big Ears' trophy was way back in 2007. Modric, thus, will be heavily relied upon to bring his vast experience and elite mentality to the table while helping Milan restore their prestige in Europe.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Modric spent the last few weeks on vacation after he was part of Madrid's squad for the Club World Cup. With no pre-season training under his belt yet, it is unlikely he will feature in Milan's final two summer friendlies. However, he can be expected to play a part when Massimiliano Allegri's side take on Bari in the first round of the Coppa Italia on August 17.

Mehidy Hasan Miraz has been left out of the T20I squad while mystery spinner Al Islam earns maiden call-up

Mohammad Isam13-Feb-2024

Shakib Al Hasan’s eye condition has kept him out of Bangladesh’s ODI and T20I squads for the upcoming home series against Sri Lanka. However on the same day that the selectors announced the squads for the Sri Lanka series, Shakib struck a whirlwind 31-ball 69 for Rangpur Riders in a BPL game in Chattogram.Shakib had reportedly said that batting was an issue for him – he demoted himself down the order for Rangpur before returning to the top three in the recent games.Chief selector Minhajul Abedin, who will be relieved of his duties from February 28, selected his last squads of his eight-year stint. Mehidy Hasan Miraz, the vice-captain of the T20I side, was left out among six changes. Afif Hossain, Shamim Hossain, Tanvir Islam, Hasan Mahmud and Rony Talukdar were also left out.Instead Anamul Haque, Mohammad Naim, Mahmudullah, Taijul Islam and Taskin Ahmed were brought back. Mystery spinner Aliss Al Islam, who is currently in action for Comilla Victorians in the BPL, earned his maiden call-up to the national side.Mahmudullah returned to the T20I side after more than a year, having scored two fifties so far for Fortune Barishal in this BPL season. Mahmudullah, though, has been a regular in the ODI team, having only missed the New Zealand tour last December. Taijul Islam and Taskin Ahmed were also back in the T20I squad. However, there was no room for Rakibul Hasan, Afif Hossain and Hasan Mahmud. Rakibul is a young left-arm spinner while Afif and Mahmud lost their places in both white-ball sides.Bangladesh will play the three T20Is against Sri Lanka in Sylhet on March 4, 6 and 9. The ODIs will be held in Chattogram on March 13, 15 and 18.Bangladesh T20I squad Najmul Hossain Shanto (capt), Litton Das, Anamul Haque, Mohammad Naim, Tawhid Hridoy, Soumya Sarkar, Mahedi Hasan, Mahmudullah, Taijul Islam, Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam, Tanzim Hasan, Aliss Al IslamIn: Anamul Haque, Mohammad Naim, Mahmudullah, Taijul Islam, Taskin Ahmed, Aliss Al IslamOut: Mehidy Hasan Miraz (vc), Afif Hossain, Shamim Hossain, Tanvir Islam, Hasan Mahmud, Rony Talukdar (wk)Bangladesh ODI squad Najmul Hossain Shanto (capt), Anamul Haque, Soumya Sarkar, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Litton Das, Mushfiqur Rahim, Tawhid Hridoy, Mahmudullah, Mehidy Hassan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Mustafizur RahmanIn: Mahmudullah, Taijul Islam, Taskin AhmedOut: Rakibul Hasan, Afif Hossain, Hasan Mahmud

On following the auction: “We were trying to keep ourselves busy, and when [your name] popped up, you end up being glued to the screen”

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Dec-20234:53

Making sense of CSK’s INR 14 crore bid for Mitchell

Mitchell Santner – “he’s a Chennai stalwart now” – was the first to get in touch. And then “your phone goes off pretty quickly,” Daryl Mitchell said with a laugh, talking about the calls from his new team at the IPL, Chennai Super Kings, not long after he was sold for INR 14 crore (US$1,687,000 approx.) at Tuesday’s auction in Dubai.”Yeah, your heart starts to pump a little bit as you see the paddles going up. And yeah, having been through an auction before and going unsold, it was a special night last night to experience that, and now to obviously be part of the Chennai Super Kings is an exciting time,” Mitchell said in a chat with reporters back in New Zealand the morning after.”[Elder daughter] Addie’s birthday today, so there was a bit of wrapping up presents and stuff like that while the auction was going on. At the auction, you don’t quite know exactly when you’re going to come up in the list. So yeah, I guess we were just trying to keep ourselves busy and watching it, and then, when it popped up, I guess you end up being glued to the screen to see what happens.Related

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“As soon as it’s all done, your phone goes off pretty quickly, and Chennai get in touch with you, speak with the manager and Flem [head coach Stephen Fleming], in contact with them to get a few things sorted and becoming part of the Chennai Super Kings team. It all happens pretty quickly. At the moment, I guess I am still pinching myself [because of] how lucky and grateful I am for this opportunity and looking forward to getting stuck into it in a few months’ time.”Mitchell, an established member of the New Zealand national team across formats after 20 Tests, 39 ODIs and 56 T20Is, was a part of Rajasthan Royals, in 2022, but go into the first XI only twice. This opportunity, he is hoping, helps him in a bigger way, and not just in terms of his cricket.”It’s my oldest daughter’s fifth birthday today, so I got her a pretty good present waking up,” he said. “Not that she understands what’s going on, but yeah, look, I guess that’s the whole thing about these sorts of situations, it will help us set up the family in many ways, [the two daughters can] grow up and enjoy the things they love, and for me, that’s the really cool thing about it, and they are the reason why you do all this.2:50

Mitchell excited to work with ‘great of the game’ Fleming at CSK

“I understand that the game doesn’t owe you anything, but you also have to be grateful for the opportunities that are provided. I still showed up this morning when we woke up, my daughter ran in and she [doesn’t] really even think about the IPL. So, I guess, in many ways, it’s about keeping things in perspective. And be grateful for what’s happened over the last 12 hours and being excited about it, but at the same time knowing that the hard work doesn’t stop, and you keep showing up with a smile on your face and getting stuck into the competition.”At Super Kings, Mitchell will have a lot of familiar faces around. Santner, of course. And Fleming. Rachin Ravindra has been acquired at the auction too, and Devon Conway was already there. Not to forget the physio, Tommy Simsek.”Really excited to play under Flem, he is obviously a great of the game in our country as a player and now as a coach as well. To learn off him, he’s obviously had a lot of success, and I am looking forward to that experience,” Mitchell said. “I grew up with Mitch since we were about 12 years old. And now, with Dev and Rachin in the team as well, it’s going to be good fun. And again, a lot of the Indian players – the cool thing about the IPL is that you get to rub shoulders with some world-class players, so really looking forward to that.”You obviously spend a lot of time in hotels throughout the IPL and to have some good mates there helps the time go a bit faster. Throughout the World Cup, I know Rachin was in charge of the PlayStation group every night, so those sort of things will be happening again. Yeah, look, it’s nice to have some familiar faces, but at the same time, it’s also awesome to be part of what is such a cool franchise and successful franchise, to learn off some guys and those things are going to be seriously exciting.”