MatériaMais Notícias

Nesta quinta-feira (23), o Internacional promove a ‘Noite Gigante’, no Beira-Rio, em comemoração aos 114 anos de história do clube que, coincidentemente, ocorre bem próximo também ao 54º aniversário de seu estádio. A festa ocorre nove e 11 dias antes dos aniversários do Colorado e de sua casa, respectivamente. A celebração, que promete homenagear personagens marcantes na história do time, contará com a presença dos torcedores.

O comparecimento do público é mais uma das ações pensadas pela diretoria para aproximar o clube dos torcedores. O Vice-presidente de Patrimônio e Administração do Internacional, Victor Grunberg, detalha a estratégia do Colorado, explica a medida que prioriza reforçar a identidade conhecida como sendo de ‘Clube do Povo’.

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>No dia da festa de aniversário, torcedor relembra histórias marcantes

– O Internacional é o clube do povo e, desde 2021, a gente vem com alguns princípios de aproximar a torcida do time. Pela pandemia, ficamos alguns anos sem fazer a comemoração de aniversário da instituição. Era feita em um jantar solene, um evento muito legal, mas que não conseguíamos reunir nossa torcida. E é pensando nisso que estamos, com ajuda da Estrela.bet, viabilizando o show. Faremos esta celebração para comemorar grandes feitos do Internacional e do Estádio Beira Rio – explicou.

No encerramento, a festa terá um show do cantor Alexandre Pires, com a turnê ‘Baile do Nego Véio 2’, pensado para o torcedor colorado.

– Junto com a celebração, ainda trazemos esta atração com ingressos muito populares, a partir de R $20 para os sócios. Os preços são entre R$ 20 e R $35, impraticáveis hoje no mercado de shows. Mas é um presente que o Internacional quer dar para o seu sócio, valorizando-o ainda mais”, afirmou Grunberg.

No que diz respeito à valorização tanto dos ídolos do passado quanto do presente, o evento ainda terá no palco as presenças de personagens importantes da história do clube. Ao homenagear grandes figuras do Inter, a ação repete o conceito de um podcast produzido pelo clube, no final do ano passado, com um conteúdo especial gravado no Museu do Internacional para celebrar os 30 anos da conquista da Copa do Brasil de 1992. A ocasião contou com parabenizações aos campeões e também marcou a inauguração de um novo totem do espaço.

Para Grunberg, esta relação que o Colorado mantém com os personagens passados também é de grande importância:

– É nesse sentido que vamos aproximar a história junto do torcedor, envolvendo-o, de modo que faça parte do dia a dia do clube. Sempre com a nossa história junto e relembrando-a, ensinando inclusive para os mais novos, para as novas gerações que não viveram esses momentos.

MatériaMais Notícias

Luís Castro ainda não encontrou um time titular em 2023. O treinador vem realizando diversas reformulações neste começo de temporada e não conseguiu achar uma escalação ideal que desse padrão de jogo e entrosamento ao Botafogo.

No ano passado era fácil prever os titulares. O Botafogo tinha uma base e conseguiu protagonizar boas atuações na reta final do Brasileirão. Hoje, não se sabe ao certo qual nome ganhará uma oportunidade ou será sacado do time.

+ATUAÇÕES: Tchê Tchê, Gabriel Pires e Di Plácido vão mal em empate do Botafogo na Sul-Americana

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+Torcedores do Botafogo cobram time na chegada ao Rio de Janeiro

DEFESA MANTIDA

O sistema defensivo alvinegro foi raramente alterado pelo técnico em 2023. O time vem jogando com Lucas Perri, Di Plácido, Adryelson, Víctor Cuesta e Marçal. Do meio-campo para frente, no entanto, diversas modificações têm ocorrido de um jogo para outro.

+Autor de um dos gols do Botafogo, Eduardo lamenta empate sofrido: ‘Estávamos com um homem a mais’

MEIO-CAMPO

No começo do ano, Tchê Tchê, Patrick de Paula e Gabriel Pires eram os meias do Glorioso. Depois, Marlon Freitas, Danilo Barbosa e Lucas Fernandes ganharam espaço. O setor de criação rodou muito e atuou pouco tempo junto neste começo de temporada.

+Luís Castro pondera empate do Botafogo: ‘Deveríamos ter ganho, mas não hipotecamos o nosso futuro’

ATAQUE

Gustavo Sauer, Víctor Sá e Tiquinho Soares eram os atacantes do Botafogo no início nesta temporada. Em seguida, Carlos Alberto, Lucas Piazon e Luis Henrique receberam oportunidades. Atualmente, é difícil prever os titulares do ataque alvinegro.

+ANÁLISE: Botafogo não consegue se impor, comete falhas e desperdiça chance preciosa na Sul-Americana

EM BUSCA DA EVOLUÇÃO

Esta indefinição na escalação vem sendo uma das principais marcas do time de Luís Castro em 2023. O treinador ainda não conseguiu dar uma cara para equipe alvinegra e precisa encontrar um time ideal para dar padrão de jogo e entrosamento ao elenco.

O Botafogo terá um mês de abril difícil pela frente e, se não apresentar atuações convincentes, corre risco de ser desclassificado das disputas da Copa do Brasil e Sul-Americana nas próximas semanas.

Steven Smith and Marnus Labuschagne among those who will play in the UK while David Warner eyes form in the IPL

Alex Malcolm and Andrew McGlashan28-Mar-2023 • Updated on 04-Apr-2023

IPL 2023Jason Behrendorff (Mumbai Indians)
The 31-year-old left-armer returns to Mumbai having played his only five IPL games there in 2019 but he spent the last couple of seasons as a squad member at both Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bangalore. He is coming off his best-ever BBL taking 21 wickets in 14 games at an outstanding economy rate of 6.69 in Perth Scorchers’ title. Jhye Richardson’s absence from the IPL for Mumbai due to a hamstring injury and Jasprit Bumrah’s fitness queries, as well as Jofra Archer’s workloads, could present opportunities for Behrendorff.Tim David (Mumbai Indians)
The globetrotting gun-for-hire was underused by Mumbai last year after they paid big money for him prior to even being selected for Australia. The retirement of Kieron Pollard means David becomes a key cog in Mumbai’s middle order and a lot will be expected of him with the other overseas batters in Green, Dewald Brevis and Tristan Stubbs all being relatively inexperienced.Nathan Ellis (Punjab Kings and Hampshire)
He returns for his third season at Punjab. He’s only played five IPL games in his first two seasons. He only played two matches in 2022 with Punjab having a strong group of first-choice overseas players. He has established himself as an international quality T20 bowler having bowled superbly in his limited opportunities for Australia. Ellis will also return to Hampshire for the T20 Blast where he was a key part of their title last year.Cameron Green (Mumbai Indians)
Mumbai splurged $AUD3.15 million on the emerging superstar after he tore India apart in the brief T20I tour last year. His Test century in Ahmedabad will only add to Mumbai’s excitement but Green is still very raw in T20. It is unlikely he will play every game for Mumbai and it may be a development year for him given the squad’s overseas depth. Australia’s selectors will be concerned however about his physical and mental fatigue ahead of the World Test Championship final and the Ashes, given he will have spent four straight months in India and does not travel home or play any red-ball cricket prior to heading to England.Can Josh Hazlewood prove his Test fitness?•Cricket Australia via Getty Images

Josh Hazlewood (Royal Challengers Bangalore)
Hazlewood’s class is not in question but his fitness is. He was sent home from the Test tour of India due to Achilles tendonitis that has plagued him for two months. That came after he damaged his side in the first Test of the summer in early December 2022 and missed three Test matches. He has barely played any Test cricket over the last 18 months due to injury but he has hardly missed any T20s and has been outstanding in the last two IPLs. Australia’s selectors will keep a close eye on him with the World Test Championship final starting just a week after the IPL final. His lack of red-ball preparation will be a major issue.Mitchell Marsh (Delhi Capitals)
Marsh will be itching for the IPL to get going so he can continue the rich vein of batting form that he is in on the back of being Player of the Series in the 2-1 ODI victory over India. He is likely to bat at No. 3 although Rilee Rossouw’s presence in the squad makes Capitals’ overseas configuration a little more complicated. Marsh hasn’t bowled since returning from ankle surgery and that would only add to his value at Capitals. He has stated that he would also love to be considered for the Ashes as a back-up for Green but he would need to be bowling in order for that to happen.Glenn Maxwell (Royal Challengers Bangalore and Birmingham)
Maxwell’s fitness remains a concern as he continues to recover from his broken leg. He pushed to play the ODI series against India but was clearly underdone. He is a key figure in RCB’s team with both bat and ball but he hasn’t bowled much during his recovery due to soreness. It will be interesting to see how many games he is able to play for RCB. He has also signed to play the T20 Blast for Birmingham Bears.Daniel Sams (Lucknow Super Giants and Essex)
Sams joins his fourth IPL team in four years having played three games for Delhi Capitals in 2020, two games for RCB in 2021, and 11 games for Mumbai Indians in 2022. He looks set to be a depth player for LSG. He had a good finish to the season with the ball last year for Mumbai but hasn’t shown his full batting capabilities in the IPL. Sams will also return to Essex for the T20 Blast. Matt Short (Punjab Kings)
The BBL Player of the Tournament has earned a late call as Jonny Bairstow’s replacement. It is a great opportunity for Short to further press his claims to be in Australia’s plans for the next T20 World Cup. He was superb for Adelaide Strikers, making 458 runs with a strike-rate 144.47 including a thrilling 59-ball century in a huge chase against Hobart Hurricanes and claimed 11 wickets with his offspin. With Aaron Finch having retired he could be an option to open for Australia.Big chance: Matt Short’s BBL form has been rewarded•Getty Images

Marcus Stoinis (Lucknow Super Giants)
His IPL stock remains high despite some injury issues over the last 12 months. He only played eight games in the recent BBL due to ongoing side problems that have plagued him for years and he hasn’t bowled a lot, although he did bowl well in the ODI series against India. Bowling in back-to-back games remains a challenge for him.Matthew Wade (Gujurat Titans)
Wade returns to the IPL after winning a title with Gujarat last season although he did spend a period of the season out of the team. He has become a global T20 player in the last 12 months, forgoing Sheffield Shield cricket for Tasmania after the BBL season ended to play in the South Africa T20 league for Joburg Super Kings and in the Pakistan Super League for Karachi Kings. He will likely play a flexible for Titans having kept and batted in every spot in the top seven in the last 12 months and played as a batter only in the PSL.David Warner (Delhi Capitals)
Warner will be eager to make a statement in the IPL as he has done in the past after an unusual last few months. He is coming off a fractured elbow having missed the last two Tests of the Border-Gavaskar series and he only made his return to playing in the final ODI of the recent three-match series where he batted at No. 4. He has been named Delhi captain in Rishabh Pant’s absence and will relish the responsibility having captained Sunrisers Hyderabad to an IPL title previously, and having been denied the chance to captain in the BBL. But he won’t get to play any red-ball cricket in the lead-up to the World Test Championship final and the Ashes which will no doubt be a cause for concern for Australia’s selectors.Adam Zampa (Rajasthan Royals)
The abundance of spinners in the IPL has meant that Zampa’s opportunities have been limited despite being one of the world’s best at T20I level for Australia. He joins his third IPL team having played for Rising Pune Supergiant in 2016 and 2017 and RCB in 2020. He is unlikely to play many games for Rajasthan with R Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal set to be first-choice spinners.Marcus Harris will be looking for more runs with Gloucestershire•Getty Images

County Championship and T20 BlastSean Abbott (Surrey)
Abbott is one of those players who could end up very unfortunate not to have a stab at Test cricket, although this county stint puts him in the right place should injuries hit during the Ashes. He had previously joined Surrey in 2021 before his season was cut short by a hamstring injury.Cameron Bancroft (Somerset)
Far and away the leading run-scorer in the Sheffield Shield with almost three hundred more than the next best. Bancroft has made a very strong claim for a place in the Ashes squad having briefly returned to the Test fold after his ban in the 2019 series. Has signed for a short four-match stint with Somerset although the selectors have probably already made their minds up either way.Peter Handscomb (Leicestershire)
Handscomb has a considerable amount at stake as he looks to secure a spot in the Ashes squad. Had an encouraging return to Test cricket in India where he impressed on the tough surfaces. However, his record in England across various county spell is modest with an average of 30.14 and just one hundred from 30 matches. His ability to be a back-up wicketkeeper adds value.Marcus Harris (Gloucestershire)
Like Handscomb, Harris is pushing for a back-up spot in the Test squad and will still have ambitions of being David Warner’s long-term replacement when the vacancy arrives. Was picked apart by England’s quicks during the 2019 Ashes and has failed to build on glimpses of promise at Test level although was unlucky to lose his spot during the 2021-22 series.Matt Kuhnemann (Durham)
The rapid rise of left-arm spinner Kuhnemann continues. A few months ago he was not first-choice for Queensland then he earned an Australia Test call-up and claimed a five-wicket in Indore. Now Durham have secured him in place of Todd Murphy who became unavailable for the first part of the season as CA watch his workload. Quite how conducive home conditions in April and May will be for Kuhnemann remains to be seen.Marnus Labuschagne (Glamorgan)
Labuschagne has a long association with Glamorgan and his 2019 stint became a key part of his narrative after being parachuted into that summer’s Ashes as Steven Smith’s concussion substitute at Lord’s. He made three Test centuries in four innings during 2022 (including a double against West Indies) and continues to be a run machine.Michael Neser is ideal for English conditions•Getty Images

Chris Lynn (Northamptonshire – T20 Blast)
Lynn had a superb T20 campaign for Northamptonshire last year with 516 runs at a strike-rate of 159.25. After plenty of behind-the-scenes dealings he negotiated a deal to play the majority of the BBL being taking up an ILT20 contract.Nathan McAndrew (Sussex)
A developing allrounder, McAndrew had a very good season for South Australia where he claimed 28 wickets at 30.46 and scored 289 runs at 48.16. In 2022 he played for Warwickshire, taking 20 wickets at 37.85 and scoring 278 runs at 34.75, including two fifties.Ben McDermott (Hampshire – T20 Blast)
Has drifted down the pecking order for Australia’s white-ball sides after a strong ODI series in Pakistan last year when a number of first-choice players are missing. A poor BBL with Hobart Hurricanes where he averaged just 16.33 has left him with a lot of catching up to do to be in the frame for next year’s T20 World Cup.Lance Morris (Northamptonshire)
Once of the quickest bowlers in Australia, Morris has a good chance of being part of the Ashes squad having been around the Australia team over the last six months including throughout the India tour without yet earning a Test debut.Michael Neser (Glamorgan)
Will be very much in the frame for the WTC final and Ashes squads given a skillset that is ideal for English conditions. However, it could be that the selectors feel he’s better off playing regular cricket and calling him up if required. He is coming off the back of a career-best Shield season for Queensland where he claimed 40 wickets at 16.67 although did pick up an injury late in the campaign.Kane Richardson (Kent – T20 Blast)
Remains a very effective T20 bowler but it feels as though he is slipping down the Australia hierarchy and faces a challenge to be in the plans for the 2024 T20 World Cup.Peter Siddle (Somerset)
Still going at 38, Siddle returns to Somerset for another season. Last year, he claimed 27 first-class wickets at an average 23.92. Had a solid Shield campaign for Tasmania with 24 wickets at 25.58. Is returning to Victoria next summer.Steven Smith’s short deal raised some eyebrows•Cricket Australia via Getty Images

Steven Smith (Sussex)
Smith flies in for a three-match stint during May in what has proved the most controversial of the pre-Ashes signings, but it is a fantastic opportunity for Sussex’s young batters to learn off the best. Spare a thought for the Sussex net bowlers and those giving throwdowns. He will come up against Labuschagne when Sussex face Glamorgan on May 18.Will Sutherland (Essex – withdrawn)
Was unlikely to be in Ashes contention barring a huge spate of injuries, but Sutherland is one of the emerging players in the Australian game. Has enjoyed an excellent all-round season for Victoria and took on their Sheffield Shield captaincy, guiding them to the final. However, his hopes of a season with Essex have been ended by a stress fracture of his back revealed after the Shield final.Chris Tremain (Northamptonshire)
The chance of a baggy green has likely passed Tremain by, but he remains a very consistent domestic performer. He has signed a short three-match stint with NorthantsAJ Tye (Northamptonshire – T20 Blast)
His international days are likely behind him but Tye remains a fine T20 bowler who has put on, or rediscovered, some pace. Had an outstanding season for Perth Scorchers where he took 26 wickets.Sam Whiteman (Northamptonshire)
A solid left hander, Whiteman could be an outside chance of pushing for higher honours if he can put together a strong county season then back it up at home. In this year’s Shield, he responded to an early-season pair with a career-best 193 against South Australia but wasn’t quite able to build on that.

Australia hope that specially prepared pitches at home will help them achieve one of the biggest overseas challenges: winning a Test series in India which they have not done since 2004.The squad has traded off a longer build-up on the ground in India – and there won’t be a warm-up match – in favour of a short pre-series camp where the North Sydney Oval curator Kieran Meurant served up the type of surface the head coach Andrew McDonald was hoping for during two days of intense training for those not involved in the BBL.One pitch on the Bon Andrews Oval, adjacent to the main North Sydney Oval, was scarified and scuffed up, alongside having some significant cracks, to try and replicate what is expected to be on offer in India – although nothing can be certain until each Test begins – with SG balls also being used.Australia will arrive in Bengaluru where they will be based for five days before heading to Nagpur for the first Test on February 9, and they have been told that the practice wickets will be close enough to the Test pitches to provide value, but one of the reasons for the short build-up is the belief that conditions they can control at home are of as much value.”Kieran has done a fantastic job here with the groundstaff to produce exactly what we want,” McDonald said. “We feel as though out there the surfaces we got are very similar to what we’re going to confront in India which is very difficult to replicate, but we feel as though we’ve got close to that, so the ground staff have done a fantastic job.The specially prepared pitch Australia have trained on in Sydney•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

“Often [there’s] no real connection between that practice game into the first Test match. We feel as though we can control the surfaces here. [We] get a bit more control in Bangalore to replicate what we’re going to come up against and then we go into Nagpur fresh and hopefully it pays dividends at the back end.”There’s been assurances given [about pitches in Bengaluru]. We’ll get there and most groundstaff around the world are pretty good at allowing us to get what we want. We’ll wait and see.”Australia prepared in a similar way before going to Pakistan last year with a camp in Melbourne rather than extra days on tour although this time the expectation is for pitches to provide sharper, quicker spin – closer to how the two Tests against Sri Lanka in Galle played out.”We went through a lot of those scenarios,” McDonald said. “I think the new ball is the one that creates more of that slide and when the batters do get done on the inside…we’re preparing for that.”We’ll expect the spinners to bowl early against our opening batters as well with the new ball so all that is taken care of in the training environment. The key to success there is to have a clear method and that will be individually based and depending on the conditions we’re confronted with.”A fit-again Ravindra Jadeja, who took eight wickets on his comeback in the Ranji Trophy last week, looms as a major threat after his Player of the Series role in the 2017 series where he claimed 25 wickets. Whether it be Jadeja or Axar Patel, visiting teams have struggled to combat India’s left-arm spin in recent years.Related

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“We’ve got a similar bowler in Ashton Agar who can help prepare, and also [assistant coach] Dan Vettori, a left-arm thrower,” McDonald said. “We’ll be trying to make sure the batters are clear on their method. It will be an individual method… they’ve got a really good blueprint in some of the Test matches against Sri Lanka in Galle.”While the senior batters in the squad have not been part of the camp, all the frontline spinners have been together with some very specific training for Nathan Lyon, Agar, Mitchell Swepson and the uncapped Todd Murphy. The quartet have worked on the lines, lengths and release positions, aided by the pre-ordered pitch, and have even got as detailed as discussing field settings.Another key reason for getting the bowlers into camp was to be able to increase workloads, with those who have been involved in BBL needing to quickly adjust from four-over spells”Starting to get into that really tactical layer [and] also physical preparation,” McDonald said. “From the fact they’re going to be required to bowl heavy overs and clearly you can’t just shift T20 into Test match cricket.”It’s been one of the great challenges. I’ve heard state coaches talk about it year in year out, switching from BBL back into Shield cricket and how difficult that is. Everyone appreciates how difficult that is and hence why we are here now. There’s some talk around we’re going to India a bit later… but we’re still preparing over here. Still feel like we’ve got two weeks to prepare for that first Test.”

Prior success against South Africa counts for nothing in tournament-ending loss

Valkerie Baynes24-Feb-2023England Women leave the T20 World Cup determined that their shock semi-final defeat at the hands of South Africa won’t define them or do anything to alter their newly branded attacking style.South Africa stifled England with a perfect performance before a 7,507-strong home crowd at Newlands to secure a place in Sunday’s final against Australia, after asking England to break their own record for the highest successful run-chase at a T20 World Cup – they got within seven runs of doing so.England put in a scratchy performance in the field as South Africa reached a total of 164 for 4, then lost five wickets in the last five overs of their pursuit. However, Heather Knight, their captain, credited the result to the hosts’ ability to assert pressure, rather than any nerves on her side’s part.”There’s certainly things you can do better,” Knight said. “The experience of playing under what was an awesome crowd was a great experience and I think the younger players in particular will learn a lot from that. A lot of them have played in front of big crowds, but when there’s so much on it and when it’s a World Cup semi-final, that does add to it.”But I think remembering, as a side, this match doesn’t define us. The way we’ve made a mentality shift and changed the way we want to play a little bit, and really tried to take the game forward, is something we should be really proud of and we’ll keep faith in. In T20 cricket, sometimes you’re going to lose games unfortunately. And today wasn’t our day.”The more assertive approach cemented since Jon Lewis’s appointment as head coach late last year saw England, like Australia, go undefeated through the group stage where they bludgeoned 213 for 5 in a record-breaking 114-run victory over Pakistan.”The way we’ve played has certainly been entertaining and it’s certainly the way forward to being successful,” Knight said. “There’s always risk in playing that way, but it shows that we’ve nearly chased that down. That is the right strategy to go forward. I think we’re building something nicely, obviously it hasn’t quite come off in this tournament, unfortunately, and today, but I think the future looks bright.”South Africa, meanwhile, had dropped two group games, including the tournament opener at Newlands against Sri Lanka. They also lost by six wickets in Gqeberha to Australia, who have beaten South Africa in all six of their T20I meetings. England, too, had a favourable 19-3 win-loss record against South Africa heading into this match, and they had beaten them three times in as many World Cup semi-finals – once at the 2014 T20 tournament and at the 2017 and 2022 ODI events.”We certainly believed as a side that we could win,” Knight said. “The crowd behind them was certainly a factor, you certainly felt it as the opposition. I think they held their nerve pretty well. Their bowlers took it as deep as they could and picked up a few wickets, which meant the rate climbed quite quickly. They seemed pretty clear under pressure.”Related

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England were well ahead in the powerplay at 55 for 2 after South Africa had recovered from a slow start which had them 14 for 0 after four overs and 37 for 0 after six. Even at the halfway point of England’s innings they were in front, but after Laura Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits had laid a foundation with a 96-run opening stand, Marizanne Kapp held her nerve despite Sophie Ecclestone’s two wickets in three balls in the penultimate over of the innings. Katherine Sciver-Brunt conceded 18 runs off the final over and Kapp ended 27 not out off 13 balls.England lost wickets in clusters as Shabnim Ismail and Ayabonga Khaka piled on the pressure, first with Ismail’s raw pace and later by taking pace off and making it difficult for the batters to find the boundary. Add in Brits’ record-equalling four catches, including a wonderful diving effort at midwicket to remove Alice Capsey for a duck – one of six England batters who failed to reach double figures – and the efforts of Danni Wyatt and Sophia Dunkley to get them off to good start and 47-run stand between Nat Sciver-Brunt and Knight was negated.Amy Jones, who had contributed two valuable scores in the 40s in the previous two matches but fell victim to Khaka early on this occasion, said England simply failed to execute in the key moments.”South Africa came at us hard and in front of a home crowd really put on a show,” Jones said. “There were times when it was in the balance and we started really well for both innings and we were ahead of the game, so the back end of both innings is where we lost it and in the field at times as well.”Throughout this tournament we’ve said we want to put pressure on the opposition at any point and stick to our strengths, and in the field that looks like completely attacking the ball and throwing yourself around and supporting your team-mates as much as possible. We did that, I think it was just execution and, similarly at the back end as well with the bat, we took positive options and stuck to our strengths, but lost too many wickets.”We wanted to win this game more than anything, but I think going forward, it’s something we believe in, something that we’ll continue to do and will stand us in good stead.”

Christian Pulisic’s agent has reportedly sounded out interest “in Italy and abroad” as the USMNT star stalls on signing a new contract at AC Milan.

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American has been posting personal bests in ItalyRossoneri eager to agree fresh termsOptions being mulled over before summer windowFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The United States international is currently tied to terms at San Siro through to 2027. The Rossoneri are doing all they can to add a further 12 months to that deal, with Pulisic lined up for a much-deserved pay rise.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

He has become a talismanic figure for Milan, registering a career-best 17 goals and 12 assists this season, but is said to be mulling over his options after enduring a tough Serie A campaign that is destined to finish without European qualification being secured.

DID YOU KNOW?

There has been talk of Premier League teams casting admiring glances towards the ex- Chelsea forward, while heavyweight outfits in Italy have seen what Pulisic is capable of and would be willing to do a deal at the right price.

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GettyWHAT AN INSIDER SAID

Matteo Moretto has told when offering an update on Pulisic’s situation: “He does not have a short contract, he expires in 2027 with an option for 2028, but Milan has been negotiating his renewal for several months now. The parties have arrived, I would not say at the contracts, but almost. They have reached a verbal agreement, they have discussed figures and numbers, contract adjustments and everything in terms of salary.

“Then at a certain point, Pulisic asked and took time because he wanted to understand Milan’s sporting project between the sporting director and the coach. He wants to have guarantees for the future.

“Pulisic’s agent is moving a lot, he proposed the boy both in Italy and abroad. But the player certainly has a contract with Milan, and in my opinion, once these ideas are clear, then we can also get to a contract extension. As of today, the renewal is on standby.”

Premier League icon Alan Shearer has warned Viktor Gyokeres against joining Manchester United in the summer.

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• Gyokeres has been a top target for Man Utd
• Amorim wants his pupil at Old Trafford
• Shearer has warned him against joining

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Gyokeres has become one of the most talked-about names ahead of the upcoming summer transfer window, following a phenomenal campaign in Lisbon. The Swedish striker has taken Portuguese football by storm since his switch from Coventry City, notching an extraordinary 95 goals in just 100 appearances for Sporting CP.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  With widespread reports linking Gyokeres with a Premier League move under his former manager, Ruben Amorim, speculation is mounting that the striker could be on the verge of a blockbuster move. However, one of English football’s most respected voices is urging him to tread carefully.

• WHAT SHEARER SAID

  Premier League legend Shearer has voiced concerns over a potential transfer to United for Gyokeres, warning that the club’s current state of instability could be a serious red flag for any incoming player. Speaking to Shearer said: "They have to win the Europa League and I know that Ruben Amorim will have one or two contacts for the transfer market this summer. He coached Gyokeres, who will be chased in the summer by several clubs. It would be a brave move for him, or any other player, to go to Old Trafford if they're not in the Champions League."

  Shearer stressed that United, in their present condition, fall well short of the standard expected of title challengers.

  "They're a million miles off challenging for the Premier League, so that isn't going to happen next season. That's why it's so important – they're a very different proposition if they do get into the Champions League, because that will be able to attract players," he added.

  "As a fan, you would worry about next season if they're not in the Champions League. It's just been a mess from top to bottom. This cup competition has turned into something huge for Man Utd, because they have to win it, as do Spurs. One of the two teams will be incredibly embarrassed by their season and God knows what will happen to the team that doesn't win. You can imagine the criticism that's going to come their way."

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  Shearer didn’t stop at player advice as he also tore into the broader mismanagement that has plagued the Red Devils in recent years.

  "It's a really tough job and everything has been a mess," he said. "The communication, sackings of managers beforehand and ticket prices as well. Results in the Premier League have also been embarrassing. You can't say enough about the importance of this final for both Tottenham Hotspur and Man United."

“He has put his name up in lights” – Malan also lauds seamer Graham Hume, who grabbed four wickets in the first ODI

Mohammad Isam19-Mar-2023

Ireland coach Heinrich Malan wants his side to continue playing with the aggressive mentality that they have shown over the past few months. This, despite their 183-run loss against Bangladesh in the first ODI in Sylhet, where they slipped to 76 for 5 – and eventually 155 all out – despite being 60 without loss in the 12th over in pursuit of 339.”The captain said that we are focusing on the way we play,” Malan said. “Of course, it is about results. We understand international cricket is about winning and losing, but it is the way we go about our business. I think if you look at the last 12 months, the way we have tried to play has got us into opportunities to beat some of the bigger sides. We beat England in the [T20] World Cup.”We look at this series as one of those opportunities as well: to come here in different conditions against a team that just beat the world champions, and show what we [have] got in the bank.”Ireland have achieved mixed results across both limited-overs formats since 2022, having won an away ODI series against West Indies and a home T20I series against Afghanistan, and drawn an ODI series in Zimbabwe and T20I series against South Africa in England along the way. They also came close to beating New Zealand and India several times during their home season last year – margins of defeat included four runs, one wicket, three wickets and one run.Malan said Ireland will still keep fighting their own way, even with Bangladesh having been quite dominant at home since 2015. He even found the funny side of how the Sylhet weather became slightly Irish overnight; there has been non-stop rain in the region, with the temperature also falling. But Malan also acknowledged that this would work to the Bangladesh pace attack’s advantage.”It is a lot more our sort of conditions, isn’t it? Hopefully, it keeps raining and hopefully it [the ball] keeps moving around,” he said. “Look, let’s not look beyond the fact that Bangladesh has three quality seamers too. They highlighted last night that they have become a very good all-round side.Graham Hume took a career-best 4 for 60, including the wickets of Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim•AFP/Getty Images

“It is not just about playing spin anymore. They have an accomplished seam attack. If it is a little overcast and rainy, it will be a little more comfortable for us. We have to play on what’s in front of you; we are looking forward to the challenge in Bangladesh.”Malan said his team was working on identifying areas they did well in in the first ODI and rectifying areas they didn’t.”It is not the result that we are obviously after. I think it was a nice little opportunity for us to get a feel for the conditions,” he said. “They were better than what we anticipated. It was a nice surface. It wasn’t as effected as we thought it would be. It is something that we identified and something we will rectify tomorrow.”We are trying to find ways to get wickets in the middle overs of white-ball matches. We picked up some wickets in the powerplay, [but] they built a nice partnership through the middle and allowed them to get a foundation to have a successful death period. We are taking that into account. Looking at tomorrow, we have to come up with one or two creative ways to get some quality players in the opposition under pressure.”Malan praised how right-arm seamer Graham Hume bowled, taking a career-best 4 for 60 in what was only his fifth ODI. Although slightly expensive, Hume dismissed the dangerous-looking Shakib Al Hasan and Towhid Hridoy, as well as Mushfiqur Rahim.”We know what we will get from Hume. He is a very consistent performer,” Malan said. “He has been around for a long time. It has been a great addition to our bowling stocks. He has got a lot of opportunities over the last year with a few injuries. It is exciting that we are building a pace-bowling stock. He has put his name up in lights now through his performance. Hopefully he can keep doing that for us.”Malan also said that they could use the left-arm spin of George Dockrell, who although he didn’t bowl a single over in the first game, is someone who keeps working on his bowling despite changing track as an international cricketer.”Over the last couple of years, he [has] transformed himself into a quality batter after coming into the side as a bowler,” Malan said. “He is always an option as a bowler. He trains diligently and does everything in the nets. I guess it comes down to the match-ups. We were trying to create some match-ups with the lefties yesterday, hence you saw couple of overs from [Harry] Tector as well.”

India needed 18 runs off nine balls when Ellyse Perry sprinted to her right from deep-backward square leg, threw herself into the air and flicked the ball back before tumbling over the boundary rope to save two runs. That moment epitomised what makes Australia tick. Every piece of effort is given at 100% and forms part of the whole juggernaut, which even when pushed by India in the T20 World Cup semi-final prevails by five runs.At the time, left-arm spinner Jess Jonassen – who hadn’t played since their opening match as Australia opted for legspinner Alana King for the next three games – was in the middle of executing the perfect 19th over, conceding just four runs when India needed 20 from 12 balls, and pegging Sneh Rana’s leg stump back with the last ball.With India left to get 16 off the last over, the eventual Player of the Match Ashleigh Gardner gave away only ten and claimed her second wicket as Perry again held her nerve and settled under a skier, by Radha Yadav, at long-on to allow Australia to snatch a berth in their seventh successive T20 World Cup final.Related

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After the win, Gardner said the victory ranked “pretty high” on Australia’s unmatched list of triumphs.”I think at the ten-over mark in India’s batting innings, everyone had probably written us off, but I think that just shows our character within our side and that’s why the best teams win in those types of positions,” she said.”What we speak about is when our backs are up against the wall, we always try and find a way, and today we probably had no right to win at one point there. They were cruising and then we found a way to get some wickets and ultimately came out on top.”It was similar to last year’s Commonwealth Games gold-medal match, which Australia had won by nine runs. That, combined with Thursday’s performance at Newlands, suggests the gap might be closing somewhat compared to the 85-run thumping they had dished out to India in the final of the T20 World Cup back in 2020.India, on the other hand, squandered their chances with crucial drops of Beth Mooney and Meg Lanning, Australia’s two biggest run-scorers on this occasion, as well as leaking runs through numerous misfields and overthrows.”We showed our class today in the field and we always speak about as a group being the best fielding team in the world, and I think today really showed that,” Gardner said. “Ellyse Perry was elite on the boundary. Whether it’s dropped catches, [or] missed opportunities in the field, those ultimately add up to quite a lot of runs and I think we took those moments when we really needed to.Player-of-the-Match Gardner contributed 31 off 18 balls with the bat and followed that with two wickets•ICC/Getty Images

“I certainly think Pez is probably the blueprint for our side going forward – certainly on the boundary. At the end of the day, that could have been the difference between us and them.”Gardner, who had also contributed an excellent 31 off 18 balls with the bat, revealed it was no accident that Australia are so strong in the field.”We have KPIs and there are markers that show us whether we’re positive or negative in the field,” she said. “So there’s a pretty clear indication of how we’ve fielded. We just know how to push each other. In our training sessions, there are always really high-pressure situations, and as athletes, we all push each other – whether it’s on the field or off the field, whether it’s in the gym, running.”That’s something we really pride ourselves on is being fit, being strong, and ultimately that’s one of the things that has an impact in the field.”India captain Harmanpreet Kaur, who overcame illness to put her side in a winning position before being run out when her bat got stuck in the pitch, acknowledged that the difference in fielding was the key.”The Australian side, they always field very well; and from our side, we made some mistakes,” Harmanpreet said. “But again, we have to just learn [from] whatever mistakes we have made. But obviously, the Australian side is better than us. They always field well, and today also, after I got out, their body language completely changed. The way they stopped two-three boundaries, that also made a huge difference.”Jemimah Rodrigues, India’s second-highest run-scorer on the day, agreed: “When you lose, you always find a lot of reasons. You can blame anything… but yeah, that is one aspect. As an Indian team, we know that we need to improve our fielding and our running between wickets. Today the running between was really good but I think there’s so much to learn from.”Gardner, Jonassen and Mooney all said that competing under pressure in franchise tournaments such as their own WBBL and England’s much-newer Hundred had contributed to Australia’s strength, which is encouraging for India ahead of their inaugural WPL season, which starts next month.”It probably comes back to the exposure of those sorts of situations,” Jonassen said. “Having such a quality domestic set-up, having the WBBL, having some of the best international players coming over every year – that plays a significant part. Then we’re almost primed for those same situations on the international stage.”We’ve had a few young players making debuts in different formats this season as well that have come from those competitions, and we’re always looking to try and improve, and try and push each other to that next level and try and get the most out of each and every person because ultimately we know if we can gain an extra one or two percent individually, then the team’s collectively going to be better off.”And such is Australia’s depth that Jonassen jokingly revealed her disbelief when head coach Shelley Nitschke told her after training on match eve that she was back in the side.”I had to get her to repeat it because I had walked about ten laps after training yesterday, sort of getting my head around how I would mentally deal with if I missed out again,” Jonassen said. “I’ve got my partner and my mum who have flown over, so I was pretty disappointed up until today that I wasn’t able to play a game in front of them. Hopefully one more and it’s another successful one.”One more will mean a contest for the trophy against either hosts South Africa or England. Besides India at this World Cup, only England have looked capable of threatening Australia. Whoever it is will need to do more than just threaten, as India found out.

Lancashire 72 for 2 trail Somerset 361 (Rew 105, Henry 50*, Mitchell 3-32, Williams 3-71) by 289 runsThis is an Australian summer and therefore one of those times when many cricket lovers see other games through the prism of a five-match battle that is yet to be fought. At Cardiff, Marnus Labuschagne tries to help Glamorgan complete their victory against Worcestershire; at Derby, Marcus Harris fields for Gloucestershire and wonders when he might get his next chance to bat in what for has been a rain-sodden season for his team; at Chester-le-Street Jonny Bairstow makes 16 not out and attempts to prove that he should bat and keep wicket for England this summer, although, to Bairstow himself, this is already a self-evident truth; at Grace Road, Steve Smith is leg before wicket to Wiaan Mulder for 3; and at Emirates Old Trafford James Anderson stimulates a crazed ferment on social and other media by failing to appear for the second day of Lancashire’s match against Somerset.In precisely five weeks’ time these five cricketers might be present at Edgbaston but for the moment they are playing – or in Anderson’s case, not playing – for their counties in Championship matches.And for many of those watching the cricket at Emirates Old Trafford this afternoon, it is those latter games that count. While they may note Lancashire’s verbal statement that Anderson’s “minor issue” is being dealt with by the county’s physio, Sam Byrne, their main concern is that the issue is sufficiently major to prevent their best bowler helping his team combat the preternatural skills of James Rew. For others watching the game, the whole affair gives rise to sly humour. “Jimmy Anderson’s up a step ladder changing light bulbs,” said someone at lunch, thereby causing consternation until it was explained to the uninitiated that the bloke in question is actually an electrician in Lancashire’s maintenance department.Eventually the news dribbles out from undisclosed sources that Anderson, the bowler not the spark, has something amiss with his groin, although no one will say whether the issue is major or minor or even whether Anderson is to have a scan on the affected area. It barely matters. Twitter goes cheerfully berserk and some recollections go back four years to the Australian summer when Anderson went in the calf at Sedbergh and subsequently played just one Test and bowled four overs before quitting the series.Four summers ago, though, Rew may well have been doing his GCSEs at King’s College, Taunton and here he surely cared little for anything but the fact that Championship cricket is a game he can play. Anderson’s absence mattered to him only in so far as he made his job of guiding Somerset’s recovery from 135 for 5 to 361 all out somewhat easier. In any case, Lancashire are his favourite opponents. Three of his 13 first-class games have been played against them and his aggregate is 362 runs at an average of 72. But the side currently captained by Dane Vilas are not the only team he has made suffer. He is currently Somerset’s leading scorer with 421 runs. For all that county cricket is no place for softies, this world must be especially fresh and lovely for James Rew at the moment. Time was when it held similar delights in store for Anderson.For those Lancashire supporters who saw Rew batting at Southport last year or at Taunton three weeks ago, the composure and self-possession he showed on Friday morning were not revelatory. His main run-scoring areas are on the off side and he drives anywhere between straight mid-off and backward point with considerable ease. Reprieved on both 20 and 70 when Lancashire’s slip cordon put chances down – in total Vilas’s fielders dropped seven catches in Somerset’s innings – Rew made good use of his escapes to help Kasey Aldridge add 106 for the sixth wicket.When they didn’t depend too heavily on their fielders, Lancashire depleted attack performed well on a pitch that had plainly eased since Thursday morning. In particular, Daryl Mitchell revealed something of what he might offer his new county by taking three wickets for 32 runs in 13 overs. Rew, who edged Mitchell to the substitute fielder, Rob Jones, at slip, was one of the New Zealanders’ victims but it was Matt Henry, another New Zealander making his debut, who dominated the latter stages of Somerset’s innings by hitting 50 off 39 balls, an effort that included three leg-side sixes in one over from Tom Hartley.Encouraged by his own cheerful thuggery, Henry then parried a fiercely driven drive from Luke Wells before catching the ball in both hands and thereby giving the Somerset bowlers precisely the early breakthrough they needed. For most of the evening session, however, it seemed Tom Abell’s attack would have to be content with that success but, having had a number of confident leg before appeals turned down, Jack Leach decided to dispense with the middle man and bowled Josh Bohannon for 31 three overs before the close. As is the habit of his trade, Rew scampered from behind the stumps to celebrate with his bowler and his broad grin will be an abiding image we can take from the day’s cricket. In the morning, though, the young man might discover something about the price of fish. If he turns to the cricket pages of the national newspapers, he will find that the headlines are not about him.