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Mark Hughes is preparing for his first Premier League game in charge of Southampton, one of the clubs he represented in his playing days, and it is their biggest game of the season so far.

He will take the Saints to face West Ham, who themselves are still reeling from the unsavoury scenes that marred their last match, the 3-0 home defeat to Burnley in a match that will go a long way to determining who will survive and spend another season in the top flight next time around.

It is 17th v 18th, with the Hammers two points and a place above their visitors, who enjoyed the “new manager bounce” already by qualifying for the FA Cup semi-finals last weekend with a hard-fought victory over League One side Wigan.

Hughes would love to go to the London Stadium with a full complement of players at his disposal but he might not have that luxury.

Steven Davis and Ryan Bertrand are doubtful for the match, having pulled out of their respective international squads but Charlie Austin could be fit to make a return.

Read on for the latest on the trio, who could make a huge difference to Hughes’ survival bid, as per Premier Injuries…

When was Davis injured?: The Northern Irishman pulled out of the national squad this week with a hamstring injury, which has also kept him out of the Saints’ past five games.

Potential return date: 31/03/18

What the manager said: On 22 March, Northern Ireland manager Michael O’Neill said: “It’s been a wee bit tricky. Davo (Davis) is out. We have to be careful with the players given the time of year it is and the nature of the game.”

Has he been missed?: Davis is a player who does not always catch the eye but his reliable work rate and technique is something that has been missing in a dour Saints side who were sinking without a trace before Mauricio Pellegrino was sacked. Hughes will want him back in contention as soon as possible and will be grateful that O’Neill has been sensible with him.

When was Bertrand injured?: Bertrand was called up to the England squad for the final friendlies before the World Cup final 23 is announced but had to withdraw due to a lower back injury.

Potential return date: 31/03/18

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Has he been missed?: Bertrand has fallen slightly short of his usual levels this season, but he is still one of Southampton’s key men. He is one of three players in a fight for the two left-back spots in the Three Lions squad for Russia – alongside Ashley Young and Danny Rose – and will be giving his all between now and the end of the season to make the cut. That can only benefit the Saints. 

When was Austin injured?: He picked up a hamstring injury during December’s 1-1 draw with Hudderfield.

What the manager said: On 16 March, Hughes said: “We’ve got a chance of integrating him for short periods next week. With a bit of luck, if we can get him ready for West Ham.”

Has he been missed?: In a word, yes. Southampton have struggled badly for goals – if they are relegated this season, their shotshy attack is will be the reason and Austin tends to bang them in when he’s fit. He can count himself as a proven Premier League goalscorer now and his injury came just as he was starting to show signs of his best form.

Throughout the summer, Louis van Gaal has put a number of Bundesliga stars at the top of his transfer wishlist and could once again plan a few more January signings in the upcoming window.

Primary Manchester United are in need of a centre-back, a right-back, and possibly another holding midfield as their manager could even consider keeping a close eye on another potential striker as well.

So, here are five mega Bundesliga stars United should sign in January if they are to maintain their goal of finishing in the top four, if not aiming to win the entire league.

Ilkay Gundogan

Name: Ilkay Gundogan

Age: 23

Position: Centre Midfield

Nationality: Germany

Club: Borussia Dortmund

Price: £20 – £25 million

Ilkay Gundogan has been a target for Manchester United over the course of the summer and since returning from injury, he isn’t guaranteed a starting spot, opening up a chance that Borussia Dortmund may let him leave. Despite already signing a number of midfielders in the summer, Louis van Gaal will still be keen to add more quality players into his squad as he accomplish a top four finish.

He only made four league starts this season scoring one goal, but if United want to sign him, they may need to cash in on him now or risk his price rising if he manages to pick up form later in the campaign.

Arjen Robben

Name: Arjen Robben

Age: 30

Position: Right Wing

Nationality: Netherlands

Club: Bayern Munich

Price: £30 – £35 million

Another summer target Louis van Gaal was considering is the likes of Bayern Munich’s Arjen Robben, a player he is already familiar with during his time as the Netherlands manager. The Dutch star earlier rejected a move to Manchester United, but with his club naming Marco Reus as a transfer target, he may have to make way.

It was revealed that Van Gaal has been in constant contact with Robben as he tries to convince his fellow countryman to make the switch to Old Trafford. Despite his age, the 30-year-old has been getting better and better as he gets older and would be a great addition to United’s struggling attack force.

Roberto Firmino

Name: Roberto Firmino

Age: 23

Position: Attacking Midfield

Nationality: Brazil

Club: Hoffenheim

Price: £20 – £25 million

Dubbed the ‘new Kaka’ Roberto Firmini is another attacking prospect Manchester United have been monitoring as a number of other Premier League clubs are also chasing his services. Arsenal, Liverpool, and Chelsea are believed to all be interested in signing the attacking midfielder to add to their ranks.

He started all his Bundesliga matches for Hoffenheim, scoring three and also assisting three in 14 appearances. His dribbling and passing ability in the final third of the field could be just what Louis van Gaal needs as his current crop of midfielders are mostly being deployed in a holding role.

Atsuto Uchida

Name: Atsuto Uchida

Age: 26

Position: Right Back

Nationality: Japan

Club: Schalke 04

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Price: £5 – £10 million

Manchester United were previously interested in signing Atsuto Uchida to provide Rafael with some competition as well as add some cover in right side of Louis van Gaal’s defence. He recently signed a contract extension at Schalke 04, but that shouldn’t stop the club from trying to sign him.

Rafael has been in and out of the squad through injury with Antonio Valencia often being deployed in his place. Uchida is a regular face in the Bundesliga, starting 10 out of 14 league matches and appearing in five Champions League matches for his side. His very reasonable price tag along with his experience in Europe could be seen as a very good addition into the United back line.

Mats Hummels

Name: Mats Hummels

Age: 25

Position: Centre Back

Nationality: Germany

Club: Borussia Dortmund

Price: £25 – £30 million

Mats Hummels very well tops Manchester United’s shopping list as they have been in heavy pursuit of the Borussia Dortmund centre-back. Louis van Gaal seems to be unhappy with his current group of defensive players and along with the large number of injuries to his back line, the German World Cup winner will be a huge asset if the club can finally confirm his signing.

If he does join the Red Devils, he will easily be the first choice defender and is surely be someone who can sure up Van Gaal’s struggling defence. His exploits in Brazil shows that he is well on his way to becoming one of the best players in role and due to Dortmund’s decline in form, he could finally agree to a transfer.

As Tottenham Hotspur have looked to take their season into a higher gear during the festive period, for Emmanuel Adebayor, it’s felt much more like a chance to take the handbrake off, rather than increasing on any momentum gained.

Since making his superb loan spell from Manchester City permanent during the summer, the big Togolese striker has of course endured something of a difficult start to life as a fully-fledged player at White Hart Lane.

After joining up with Andre Villas-Boas’ squad without a proper pre-season under his belt, Adebayor has struggled for both form and fitness as he’s endeavoured to try and recapture the form that saw him net 17 Premier League goals for Harry Redknapp’s side last term. The superb goalscoring exploits of Jermain Defoe has offered the ex-Arsenal man only another obstacle to overcome in a set-up which has tended to only accommodate one striker for much of the season.

And in more ways than one, Adebayor’s goal in the 3-1 win over Reading yesterday couldn’t have come at a better time for both club and player. Because while it set the Lilywhites on their way to third in the Premier League table, it also saw Adebayor finally alleviate some of the mounting pressure that had begun to build amongst supporters in recent weeks.

Yet while some of the critique aimed at Adebayor has been both fair and due, especially so in the wake of his disastrous sending off against Arsenal back in November, there has been a growing sense of malaise developing from a small section of supporters towards the Togolese international. While Adebayor isn’t without his faults, fans must remain patient with him as we set off out into 2013.

Given his chequered history, it’s fair to say that supporters are well within their rights to dabble in an element of cynicism when it comes to evaluating their No10’s current run of patchy form. While Adebayor has scored goals wherever he’s gone in his career, he’s also tended to serve up large spells of inconsistency, too.

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Since he first arrived at Spurs in 2011, supporters have yet to really be treated to the darker side of Emmanuel Adebayor, but come the North London derby back in November, they were given a timely reminder of the other side of the one time Real Madrid man’s game. His 18th minute lunge on Santi Cazorla saw him correctly sent off during Spurs’ disastrous 5-2 defeat to Arsenal at the Emirates, in a game which coincidentally saw him notch his only other league goal of the season.

It was a moment of stupidity and an exhibition of the fiery blood that has always pumped through the body of Adebayor, but nothing more. Yet judging by some of the views emanating out of White Hart Lane in recent weeks, the negativity heaped upon him suggests that not all may have necessarily got over the mauling caused that day by Adebayor’s moment of madness.

Yes, he’s not hit anywhere near the heights of last season, but first of all, let’s not forget quite what an outstanding contribution Adebayor produced for the Lilywhites last term. A tally of 17 league goals and 11 assists is outstanding whichever way you look at it and while he may not come close to matching it this time round, don’t underestimate the work he’s been performing for the side since his return to first team affairs.

Patience appears to have been running thin for Adebayor for a while now, but given the disruption he’s faced to his season so far, is it really that much of a surprise that he only may just now be coming into form?

Even though we’re now already half way through the Premier League season, Adebayor simply hasn’t had the solid, consistent run of starts in the league until the start of last month. Given his abject lack of fitness via an absent pre-season, early season cameos against Norwich and West Brom are reduced to little more than token statistics and following a niggling hamstring injury, he had to wait until November 11th to make his first start of the season against Manchester City.

The subsequent three-game suspension that awaited him following his next game against Arsenal is no one else’s fault bar his own, but consequently, his next start in the league didn’t come till the 2-1 defeat against Everton at Goodison Park. That was only his third Premier League start of the entire season.

And for a player that’s been described as everything from a passenger to a mercenary in recent weeks, his side haven’t half done bad with him in the team. Since that defeat to David Moyes’ side, Tottenham have been unbeaten in five, picking up 13 points along the way. Adebayor has started all five of those games.

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Playing in Villas-Boas’ altered 4-4-2 like set-up, the hard work Adebayor’s been doing off the ball, striving to win it back and linking up play from far deeper than what we’ve seen before, will never win as many plaudits as the goals Jermain Defoe’s recently been scoring. But don’t underestimate his value to the team.

Only in the past four weeks has Adebayor really got that run of games he’s needed to try and find both form and fitness. There’s been some knocks along the way, a few unconvincing performances and a touch in front of goal that certainly won’t return overnight. Yet slowly but surely, we’re finally starting to see Villas-Boas’ faith pay dividends.

Emmanuel Adebayor can’t stop here and for all his hard work, he must do more to start putting the ball in the back of the net. Although wheeling out tired clichés about him giving up the ghost now he’s got a permanent contract is both as uninformed as it is missing the point. He’s doing his bit to try and recapture the form of last season. It’s time the small section of naysayers started doing their bit to help him, too.

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Ex-Somerset legend says concerns were raised about conditions that ‘reduced game to a farce’

Matt Roller23-Jul-2025Lord Ian Botham, Durham’s honorary president, has slammed his former club Somerset for preparing an “appalling” pitch after 35 wickets fell in five sessions in the County Championship fixture between the two sides.Botham, the legendary England allrounder, spent most of his professional career with Somerset and was a key part of the club’s one-day success in the late 1970s and early 1980s. He later joined Worcestershire and then Durham, and became the latter’s honorary president last year after serving a seven-year term as chairman.He accused his old county of reducing the Championship “to a farce” on Wednesday night after their five-wicket win over Durham by preparing a bright-green pitch on which 22 wickets fell to spinners. Jason Kerr, Somerset’s head coach, described the pitch as “an incredible surface” and said the volume of wickets owed to the quality of his bowlers.”As an ex-Somerset player, I find this appalling,” Botham wrote on X, alongside pictures of the pitch, which were taken before a ball was bowled. “Durham raised serious concerns the day before the game started… change is needed… both Somerset and Durham have high quality batsmen… Somerset do not need to do this… reduces the game to a farce.”Related

• Somerset handed points deduction for 'below average' pitch

• Somerset docked 12 points for 'poor' pitch in Championship decider

• Craig Overton leaves Durham overwhelmed on 22-wicket day

• Jack Leach six-for hands Somerset two-day victory

Botham said that the pitch underlined why England have largely opted to ignore county averages in selection in recent years. “These are not first-class cricket conditions in midsummer,” he wrote. “I am not surprised that Rob [Key] and Ben [Stokes] unfortunately have to disregard county performance in assessing players for Test quality appearances.”He also said that the pitch undermined Somerset’s opposition to a proposed cut in the number of Championship fixtures per team from 14 to 12, which Durham support: “At a time when County Cricket is under pressure for relevance as a breeding ground for International Players and Somerset members have apparently voted for the status quo, the club produces this pitch.”Kerr, the Somerset coach, told the ECB Reporters Network: “There has been a lot of noise surrounding the pitch, but I thought it was an incredible surface. You can’t see 400 runs scored in a day, as happened yesterday, and then complain about the wicket.”We have to find a way of getting results here and, because there has been so much cricket at the ground this year, we had to prepare a used pitch. Craig [Overton] and Jack [Leach] exploited any help in it because they are top quality bowlers.”Somerset’s pitches have often attracted opprobrium. They were docked 12 points for the 2021 Championship season after preparing a pitch marked “poor” for their 2019 title decider against Essex, were warned after a two-day finish against Lancashire in 2018, and in 2017 were branded “a disgrace” by Angus Fraser after a relegation shoot-out against Middlesex.

Cricket South Africa took the decision anticipating protests targeting Teeger for his pro-Israel comments last year

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Jan-2024David Teeger has been relieved of the South Africa Under-19 captaincy a week before the World Cup over concerns for his safety following his comments in support of Israeli soldiers in the ongoing conflict with Palestine.Cricket South Africa are bracing for protests at the tournament, which begins on January 19, and said there was a risk that they could “result in conflict or even violence, including between rival groups of protestors”.The decision to remove Teeger as captain, CSA said, was taken “in the best interests of all the players, the SA U-19 team and David himself.” He will continue to remain with the squad as a player and a new captain will be named “in due course”.South Africa’s campaign begins next Friday in Potchefstroom, where they will play West Indies, followed by matches against England and Scotland. The tournament, which was moved from Sri Lanka last November, will also be played in Benoni, which will host the semi-finals and final, Bloemfontein, Kimberley and East London and CSA expects protests at all of them.”As is the case with all such events, CSA has been receiving regular security and risk updates regarding the World Cup. We have been advised that protests related to the war in Gaza can be anticipated at the venues for the tournament,” CSA said in a statement. “We have also been advised that they are likely to focus on the position of the SA Under-19 captain, David Teeger, and that there is a risk that they could result in conflict or even violence, including between rival groups of protestors.”CSA has a primary duty to safeguard the interests and safety of all those involved in the World Cup and must accordingly respect the expert advice of those responsible for the safety of participants and spectators.”In all the circumstances, CSA has decided that David should be relieved of the captaincy for the tournament. This is in the best interests of all the players, the SA U19 team and David himself.”Spectators showed their support for Palestine during the New Year’s Test between South Africa and India at Newlands•AFP/Getty Images

There has already been at least one incident in relation to Teeger’s appointment as South Africa’s U-19 captain at a cricket match in the country. A group of pro-Palestinian supporters picketed outside the main gate at Newlands during the New Year’s Test between South Africa and India. They were then escorted by police to a specifically designated spot from where they continued to question Teeger’s selection. Another group of fans sat in the North Stand with Palestinian flags during the game. CSA expects the numbers of protestors to escalate in light of Teeger’s dedicating an award to the soldiers of Israel last year.On October 22, 2023, Teeger was named the Rising Star at the ABSA Jewish Achiever Awards ceremony and in his acceptance speech, said the following: “But more importantly, yes, I’ve been awarded this award, and yes, I am now the rising star, but the true rising stars are the young soldiers in Israel… So I’d like to dedicate this award to the South African family that married off one son whilst the other is still missing. And I’d like to dedicate it to the state of Israel and to every single soldier fighting so that we can live and thrive in the diaspora.”Teeger’s comments were reported in the South African Jewish Report on October 26 and have since been widely published across South African media. In response, the Palestinian Solidarity Alliance (PSA) lodged an official complaint with the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee. Subsequently, CSA, Lions (the domestic union where Teeger plays), four Johannesburg-based cricket clubs, one concerned cricket supporter, the Abu Asvat Institute of National Building (a civil society group), and a director of a company that sponsors Lions all issued statements of grievance. CSA referred the complaints to advocate Wim Trengrove, who conducted an independent adjudication. Trengrove found that Teeger had acted in accordance with his constitutional right to freedom of expression and did not engage in any unbecoming or detrimental conduct. CSA has accepted the report.However, the PSA said Teeger’s comments caused a “significant rift within the cricket community,” and they continue to question whether he is “fit to represent a diverse South African team and more so, whether he has the necessary capacity to lead any such team.” The PSA called for Teeger’s suspension from the U-19 World Cup squad and vowed to protest during the tournament. Pro-Palestinian sentiment is surging through South Africa after the country took Israel to the International Court of Justice this week.

Namibia’s JJ Smit and Zimbabwe’s Raza have also made significant gains following their performances in the T20 World Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Oct-2022Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan has moved up one spot to become the No.1-ranked allrounder in T20Is – going past Afghanistan’s Mohammad Nabi – following his superb outing in the recent tri-series against New Zealand and Pakistan.While Bangladesh did not win a single match in the series, Shakib was the player in form for his team, scoring 154 in three matches at a strike-rate of 150.98. He made a 44-ball 70 in the match against New Zealand and followed up with a 42-ball 68 against Pakistan. He now has 266 rating points, 20 ahead of Nabi.Namibia’s JJ Smit broke into the top five allrounders while Zimbabwe’s Sikandar Raza entered the top ten following their impressive starts in the first round of the T20 World Cup. Smith moved four places up to fourth following his 1 for 16 – in addition to scoring 31* – and 2 for 24 against Sri Lanka and Netherlands respectively. Raza, who’s been in superb form lately, scored a 48-ball 82 and picked up one wicket against Ireland.Among the batters, New Zealand’s Glenn Phillips jumped 13 spots to No. 10 after scoring 130 runs in four innings – including a 24-ball 60 – in the tri-series.In the bowling charts, Afghanistan offspinner Mujeeb ur Rahman moved up two places to fifth position, while South Africa’s Keshav Maharaj went one spot up to No. 8.Pakistan opener Mohammad Rizwan, on 861 rating points, further extended his lead at the top of the batting rankings after another consistent showing during the New Zealand tri-series, while India’s Suryakumar Yadav is behind him on 838 points.

Three wickets for Thompson help restrict Birmingham as Bairstow, Malan, Rashid return to action

David Hopps10-Jun-2021Yorkshire 147 for 4 (Bairstow 34, Kohler-Cadmore 31*) beat Birmingham Bears 144 for 8 (Hain 59, Thompson 3-23) by six wickets with 11 balls to spareYorkshire encouraged the belief that they have finally assembled a T20 squad that can challenge for honours as they overcame Birmingham Bears by six wickets with 11 balls to spare at Headingley.The presence of three England T20 internationals – Jonny Bairstow, Dawid Malan and Adil Rashid (carded to come in at No.11) gave them obvious extra pedigree in their first match of the tournament, but it was an energetic approach by young players who have developed while the likes of Bairstow and Rashid has been otherwise engaged that also indicated some lean T20 years might be behind them.Rashid’s absence from Yorkshire’s side, particularly in the Championship, has occasionally attracted pointed remarks, largely unfair, but it is even more striking that this was Bairstow’s first Blast appearance for Yorkshire since 2016. Rashid finished wicketless, but Bairstow and Malan assembled a second-wicket of stand 58 in 34 balls that set them up nicely on a slow but accommodating surface to overhaul the Bears’ sub-standard 144 for 8.If Yorkshire looked focused, the Headingley crowd displayed a split personality – unruly on the West Stand, where down-in-one beer challenges, chants and fancy dress predominated, as if release (perhaps temporary) from lockdown was too much to take; watching with serious intent elsewhere where Tim Bresnan’s return to Headingley in Birmingham colours probably brought learned assessments of his comparative strike rates across all competitions.Birmingham wasted an appealing batting night with a wild top-order display. Will Rhodes’ standing has grown substantially since Yorkshire released him, but he made nought, toe-ending a wide full toss from Matthew Waite to mid-off. Waite, a combative all-rounder playing his first match for two years, also removed Adam Hose who endured a painful blow in the box, bad enough for a five-minute hold-up, then resorted to an over of leg-side slogging, as if disorientated, before one of them fell into the hands of Adam Lyth at mid-on.Jordan Thompson was another effervescent allrounder who had a good night, although for all his energy and ambition, his three wickets were blessed with fortune. Dan Mousley hacked a dirty full toss to long on, Carlos Brathwaite tried to clip a gift outside leg stump and got a leading edge which Thompson sprang backwards to his left to claim. Another caught-and-bowled ended Michael Burgess’ tortuous stay.From 89 for 6 in the 13th over, Birmingham were forced into damage limitation and Sam Hain, who glued things together with 59 from 43 balls, would have been grateful for a rare face of sanity – the unmistakeable figure for Yorkshire watchers of Bresnan, returning to Headingley for the first time since leaving the county at the end of 2019.Hain included three sixes in his 59 – the most extravagant, a falling-backwards ramp shot against the pace of Lockie Ferguson – but, by and large, his was an unobtrusive innings which contrasted with the untamed thrashes going on around him.Bresnan’s presence in the closing overs was a welcome sub-plot for the Headingley crowd which had been unable to offer him a farewell last season. In between the applause at each end of his innings, he spent much of the time desperately urging extra speed from his considerable frame as Yorkshire hunted run-outs; a Ferguson-Thompson combo on the square leg boundary, with Thompson’s throw hitting direct, was the closest effort and sent him diving into the dirt. He did muscle Waite for a straight six before he fell in the penultimate over.Matches between these sides have brought few major batting displays: Tom Kohler-Cadmore’s 94 not out at Edgbaston being an exception. But Yorkshire’s chase was pretty straightforward.Malan had played only one match for Punjab in IPL, but he had also been with England in India and admitted to having felt “a bit of bubble fatigue”. His 23 from 20 balls was that of a man finding his way back. When Malan lofted Bresnan into the leg-side ring and Bairstow chopped on to Danny Briggs, it was left to a trio of younger players to round things off.Kohler-Cadmore’s stand with Harry Brook was a sensible affair – 49 in eight overs. Kohler-Cadmore has had a lean Championship season and he was dropped twice in his unbeaten 31. Yorkshire have often made a meal of closing out matches, so when Brook tried to lift the tempo and fell at long on, there were concerns. But this time Will Fraine’s no-nonsense finale took them home in emphatic fashion.

Tour match becomes three-day friendly with frontline bowlers at risk of no match practice before first Test

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Dec-2019England’s tour match against South Africa A starting on Friday has been downgraded from first-class status, due to the ongoing effects of illness in the touring party. Jofra Archer, Stuart Broad and Jack Leach all remain doubtful for the Benoni game, leaving England’s plans for next week’s Boxing Day Test in some disarray.All three players were forced to sit out the low-key tour opener against a South Africa Invitational XI earlier this week, after a bug swept through the England camp, and according to an ECB spokesman, their fitness for this weekend’s three-day fixture won’t be confirmed until the morning of the match.Unlike the opening match, the South Africa A game was due to be a first-class fixture, featuring a strong opposition including regular Test-squad members Temba Bavuma, Theunis de Bruyn and Andile Phehlukwayo. That would have meant England being unable to substitute the trio into the line-up should they recover later in the contest.However, the game will now be classified as a three-day friendly, with only 11 batting or fielding at any point in time, giving all squad members the opportunity for match practice in South African conditions ahead of the first Test in Centurion.Speaking at the conclusion of the two-day game on Wednesday, Chris Woakes acknowledged the sickness in the England camp.”A few guys have gone down a little bit ill, so obviously they’re back in the hotel trying to steer clear of everyone,” he said. “Hopefully it’s not too bad, hopefully it’ll be a couple of days out and they’ll be back on their feet.”While the timing of the illness is not ideal for the squad as a whole, it is particularly problematic for Leach, who was omitted from England’s most recent Test, against New Zealand in Hamilton last month, and then suffered a bout of gastroenteritis that would have ruled him out for much of the game anyway.In his absence, England gave an outing to the legspinner Matt Parkinson in their opening tour game in South Africa, but he endured some rough treatment as Joe Root emerged as the most economical spinner on the day.With a range of allrounders in England’s squad, including Ben Stokes, Sam Curran and Chris Woakes – all of whom are currently fit for selection – England could yet decide to take the field in Centurion without a frontline spinner for the second Test in a row, especially at a venue that has traditionally favoured seam bowling.Assuming he is fit in time for the Centurion Test, Archer seems guaranteed to take his place in England’s starting XI – even though he endured a tricky first taste of overseas Test cricket in New Zealand, claiming two wickets at 104.50 in the series.Broad, however, would doubtless benefit from time in the middle as he seeks to build on a decent display in New Zealand, where he was England’s most economical bowler on a flat deck in the first Test at Mount Maunganui. However, he had been omitted from three of England’s previous six overseas Tests in Sri Lanka and West Indies, amid doubts about his penetration with the Kookaburra ball.England also face a tricky decision over the fitness of James Anderson, who came through 11 overs unscathed in Benoni, but whose recent injury record invites caution at the start of a four-match series. He broke down after four overs of the first Test against Australia in August, and did not feature again in the series.

Welsh legend pays price for county’s flat-lining performances on all fronts

George Dobell17-Oct-2018Hugh Morris has described as “incredibly difficult” the decision to end Robert Croft’s 30-year career with Glamorgan.Morris, the club’s chief executive, acknowledged Croft’s “incredible contribution” to Glamorgan but conceded that, after a grim year, this was “the right time for a change”.Croft had been head coach at Glamorgan for the last three years. Despite seeing the side reach Finals Day in 2017 – the first time they had done so in 13 years – Croft was unable to improve their first-class form. They finished bottom of Division Two in the County Championship in 2018, won only one List A match, and failed to progress to the last eight in the T20 Blast. The departure of 21-year-old Aneurin Donald, one of the club’s brightest prospects, to Hampshire underlined the impression that, too often in the last few years, the club had relied too heavily on imports.Before his spell as head coach, Croft had enjoyed a long career with the club – he made his debut in 1989 and captained the side between 2003 and 2006 – and had a period as assistant coach. His departure leaves the club looking for both a new head coach and director of cricket following last week’s announcement which revealed Morris, who has had a dual role as chief executive and director of cricket since 2013, would be concentrating on the former position. It is likely the new director of cricket will be involved in the appointment of the next head coach.”On behalf of the club I would like to thank Robert for the incredible contribution he has made to Glamorgan, not just as head coach but also as a player, assistant coach and ambassador over the last 30 years,” Morris said.”He is one of our greatest players and the most successful player we have ever had at the club at international level and has done more than anyone to promote not just cricket in Wales, but Welsh cricket to the world.”During his tenure, he has developed a number of young players which Glamorgan will hopefully see the benefit of for years to come. He also oversaw the club reaching the quarter-finals of the Vitality Blast in two of his three years in charge, which culminated in our return to Finals Day last year.”It was an incredibly difficult decision for the board to make, but given our performances in the County Championship we feel it is the right time for a change. Robert is always welcome back at the club and we hope he will continue to act as an ambassador for Glamorgan and Welsh cricket.””After finishing my playing career it was one of my dreams to coach at this great club and I am pleased to have been able to fulfil that dream and play a part in developing the next generation of Welsh cricketers,” Croft said. “I leave knowing that Glamorgan has a number of extremely talented cricketers who can take the club forward.”Although our County Championship campaigns did not go as I would have liked, we were able to compete admirably in the shorter formats of the game with a small and young squad of players.”Glamorgan will always hold a big piece of my heart and I would like to wish the club and supporters well for the future.”Since they were relegated at the end of the 2005 season, Glamorgan have only finished in the top half of Division Two twice. In that period, they have failed to produce an England player. At one stage in 2018, they lost seven Championship games in succession.

The pair are likely to be the first batsmen to attempt filling the gap left by Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis Khan’s retirements in the upcoming Tests against Sr Lanka, even as Pakistan have bolstered their bowling with the inclusion of uncapped fast bowler Mir

Umar Farooq23-Sep-2017Haris Sohail, who last played first-class cricket in 2014, and Usman Salahuddin have inherited the hardest jobs in Test cricket – to follow in the footsteps of Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis Khan. The pair are likely to be the first to attempt filling those giant shoes, as Pakistan named their first Test squad in the post-MisYou era, to take on Sri Lanka in the UAE.

Pakistan Test squad

Azhar Ali, Shan Masood, Sami Aslam, Babar Azam, Asad Shafiq, Haris Sohail, Usman Salahuddin, Sarfraz Ahmed (capt), Yasir Shah, Mohammad Asghar, Bilal Asif, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Amir, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Abbas, Wahab Riaz

Pakistan, led by Sarfraz Ahmed now, have also picked uncapped fast bowler Mir Hamza and allrounder Bilal Asif in a 16-man squad for the Test series, which starts with the first Test in Abu Dhabi on Thursday. Ahmed Shehzad and Mohammad Rizwan were the two exclusions from the list of probables that went through a five-day conditioning camp in Lahore recently.Much of the early focus will be on Sohail and Salahuddin, as Pakistan look to make up for losing over 15000 Test runs and nearly 200 Tests worth of experience in the middle order. Both are uncapped in Tests, but have represented Pakistan. Salahuddin played two ODIs for Pakistan in 2011, but Sohail was, for a while after his debut in July 2013, a near-fixture in the ODI side.Yasir Shah and Azhar Ali have both made it into the squad as well, and though both ordinarily would’ve been automatic selections, there was some doubt about their participation in the run-up to the announcement. Azhar, Pakistan’s most successful Test batsman over the last year or so, was in doubt with a knee problem and he sat out a two-day practice match at the camp. He has, however, been receiving treatment, according to chief selector Inzamam ul Haq, and a speedy recovery would enable him to be available for both of the Test matches. Pakistan will need, more than anything, his experience.Yasir, on the other hand, was on the verge of becoming the biggest victim of the new fitness drive coach Mickey Arthur and the management have implemented since their arrival. Already, the push to make Pakistan fitter has claimed victims in Sami Aslam and, most famously, Umar Akmal. Yasir’s fitness levels were said to have been a major concern over the last five days, but he has, apparently, pulled through and proved his fitness. Since 2014, he has been Pakistan’s most successful Test bowler.The squad was meant to be announced on Friday but was pushed until Saturday morning, allowing Yasir to undergo another fitness test to reach a value acceptable for a player to be selected. He was the Player of the Series in Pakistan’s last Test assignment in the West Indies earlier this year with 25 wickets in three Tests.”We want to maintain our standard on fitness and we told Yasir to make it or it would be impossible for us to select him,” said Inzamam. “Yasir’s success over the last three-four years has been great but we don’t want to create an exception on fitness. So we waited a day, and that is why we are announcing the team today, on the day of the team’s departure. Yasir is cleared now, having scored a value of 17.5. Azhar has a cyst in his knee and doctors have recommended he can play after taking injections to the knee. So he is fine now and available for selection, and hopefully he will remain fine all the way.”Aslam, the opener, has also been called back into the squad, suggesting the management is happier with his fitness.The two Tests will be the first time Pakistan step onto a field without both Misbah and Younis in seven years, the previous such instance coming at Lord’s in 2010. Both were the backbone of the Test squad that saw Pakistan reach the No.1 Test ranking last year. Inzamam picked Salahuddin and Sohail as prospective replacements.”I have been thinking of both Usman and Haris over the last few series, envisaging the situation after seniors [retired]. Both have done well. Usman has done well as a middle-order batsman while Harris could have made it into the side in 2015 but was injured. So the idea is to give our youngsters an opportunity in our own conditions rather than playing them in away series. This will increase their confidence and both have the potential to fill in for Younis and Misbah. But it does not mean the door is shut on other players making it into the side. Performances will obviously be considered and, if a player is good enough, he can definitely be selected.”Pakistan named five fast bowlers and three specialist spinners, a move Inzamam said was aimed at managing the workload of the bowlers who are better on flat tracks in the UAE.”We all understand that pitches in the UAE are a batting paradise, and there is a big opportunity for batsmen to score runs. It’s really a big challenge to get any team out twice so we have to strengthen our bowling. That’s why we have five fast bowlers with three spinners in our squad. Since the temperature will be around 40 degrees Celsius, we probably have to consider rotating our fast bowlers as well.”