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ESPNcricinfo presents the Plays of the Day from the World Cup, Group B match between Ireland and South Africa in Kolkata

Firdose Moonda at Eden Gardens15-Mar-2011The flat six of the day
Hashim Amla and Graeme Smith started tentatively, but in the fifth over Amla seemed to get in the mood. It wasn’t a particularly short ball, it wasn’t a particularly inviting one, but Amla decided that it was the one he would hit. He got under the ball and flat batted it over midwicket, with only the timing taking it over the rope. The mood didn’t last, because he tried to upper-cut the next ball and the shot had none of the timing of the first, making its way into the hands of George Dockrell.The hero turned antihero, turned hero again
Kevin O’Brien has a long way to go to recapture the magic he held in his hands against England in Bangalore. Since then, he has had two single-digit scores against India and West Indies. Looking for redemption against South Africa, Morne van Wyk fed him a ball at short cover off the bowling of Trent Johnston. He must have fed it in particularly spicy fashion because even though O’Brien didn’t have to move to get hold of it, he dropped it the instant it found him. O’Brien had both hands under the ball and should have held on to it. Just when it looked like his World Cup was fading fast, he managed to grab a well-judged catch, running backwards, to dismiss JP Duminy on 99.Desperate moment of the day
Graeme Smith and Morne van Wyk can make an equally desperate pair. One is looking for form and the other to cement his place in the national side. When two such desperations collide, the result can only be disaster. van Wyk was hitting everything he could and more, and his anxiety to turn the strike over saw him call for a run after nudging the ball no further than John Mooney at midwicket. Smith was keen to get to the other side too, heeded the call and when he realised it was time to turn back, Mooney had beat him to it.Sluggish moment of the day
Jacques Kallis had no-one but himself to blame for the way he was run out, the second time in four matches. He laboured through the run, called by JP Duminy, and was slow to get going and slow to reach the other end. Worst of all, he didn’t even put in a dive at the end. Niall O’Brien, the Ireland wicketkeeper, who had to collect a throw and break the stumps, did a far speedier job, and Kallis paid the price for braking when he should have accelerated.Most-active player who wasn’t playing
AB de Villiers was forced to sit out the match because of a muscle-sprain in his left thigh, and he has also been battling with a stiff back, but he can’t be kept out of the action. When it was time to serve drinks, de Villiers was the one carrying them onto the field, making sure his team-mates had had enough and even offering a few words of advice. The cameras constantly found de Villiers in the thick of things, talking to the playing XI and being as much a part of the team as he could.The look of death
Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel are supposed to hunt down wickets in a pair, and although they haven’t always shared the new ball in this tournament, they’re still regarded as a twosome. Morkel had the opportunity to help his partner twice, and both times he fluffed it. The first chance came when Porterfield pulled Steyn to fine leg, where Morkel was fielding. He overran it and the ball went for four. Steyn stared and Morkel trembled. The third ball of the next over, Morkel was offered a straightforward catch at third man off Paul Stirling’s bat. Morkel went down on his knees and made a mess of it. Steyn couldn’t even look at him that time, directing his angry gaze at the floor instead. It didn’t help that Morkel took both Porterfield and Stirling’s wickets at the other end.Body blow of the day
Kevin O’Brien had a rude reception to the crease courtesy of Jacques Kallis. He had faced just two balls when he was given a bouncer, which he wore on the back and made him roll on to the ground. He didn’t escape there and Morne van Wyk caught the ball and hit the stumps. The review, which found O’Brien to be safe, gave him time to rub the sore spot a little and recover in time to hit the last ball of the over for four.The catch that won the match
van Wyk faced some criticism after dropping two catches against India but made up for it with four catches in this innings. The last one, which ended the Irish innings, was the finest of them all. The ball came off the shoulder of George Dockrell’s bat and van Wyk had to dive to his right, full stretch. He took the catch one-handed, in picture-perfect fashion to seal the South African win.

Good at controlling the controllables? Bitter about those he could not command? Dysfunctional in routine human dealings? A 50-minute interview with Duncan Fletcher doesn’t necessarily answer the questions

Matthew Engel12-Jan-2008

Four days after our interview I lay awake trying to puzzle out the mystery of one of the strangest men I have ever come across, certainly in cricket. How on earth can one explain Duncan Fletcher?And then it hit me. The key to his character was in the last place one usually looks to understand a cricketer: his ghosted autobiography. It is a seemingly innocuous passage on page 133 of , going back to his days captaining Zimbabwe.”Being an allrounder, I was worried that I might not be able to spend as much time on my game as I wanted, so I asked for a coach to be appointed above me.”So in came Peter Carlstein, the former Rhodesian batsman who had played eight Tests for South Africa, but within five or six net sessions I realised there was a serious problem, because nobody knew who was really in charge. In no sport can the player have two bosses …”His interpretation, according to the book, was simple: “The captain is always the boss, the managing director.” That is not precisely how I interpret it. Let us phrase it slightly differently: Duncan likes to be the boss, whatever the situation.Once given that control, he can be a highly effective, indeed exceptional, leader. Inside the England camp, surrounded by subordinates, he was able to pretend he was not in control at all. It allowed him to work effectively with his captains (all bar one, anyway), to let his players express themselves, to give way to colleagues’ opinions and to acquire his reputation for self effacement.But his dealings with those he could not ultimately command, those who did not necessarily accept Fletcher’s own valuation of himself, were always fraught and, as we now know, left him very bitter. Hence this ill-tempered, ill-judged book, a work whose tone was accurately conveyed by the newspaper serialisation.It was a week when the effects of the serialisation were still reverberating. Fletcher had just been called “paranoid” by Mike Atherton and “pathetic” by Angus Fraser; and they were among the kinder judges. We were due to meet in a hotel coffee shop at 10.30 for a 50-minute interview. I arrived 15 minutes early but was immediately hustled in as if I were late.There was no by-your-leave. I did not expect to be given the benefit of the extra time and so was not disappointed. The pleasantries were perfunctory and there was no suggestion of coffee (he refused on my behalf). It was exactly like his England press conferences.Six months out of the job, Fletcher was dressed as if for a round of golf: he looked fitter, slimmer, far less jowly than the Rod Steiger figure depicted on the book’s dust jacket. I remarked that the photo did not do him justice. He did not smile.And yet he is not an evasive interviewee. He answers questions, again as he did in his press conferences. But there is something not right: it has puzzled me for years. It is partly the refusal to make eye contact.But mainly it is the tone. He addresses people like a disillusioned schoolteacher restating the bleeding obvious to a recalcitrant class for the umpteenth time. One imagines that is how he talked to Boycott, Botham, Blofeld, Graveney, Marsh, Tim Lamb, Barry Jarman and all the others on whom he avenges himself in the book.We talked a bit about the role of coaches, who seem to me to be overblamed and overpraised. He agreed with that. “There are a lot of attributes. You have to understand the biomechanics, how the body works, because you can only move in a certain way and each person is slightly different. And you have to understand the mental aspects.”But international teams can get by without coaching? “It just adds a little bit of everything,” he replied. “Fifty or 60 years ago there were no consultants in business. It’s exactly the same in cricket. The game’s gone forward.”

It is unquantifiable, though, isn’t it? “It’s very hard to explain. During the dips you have a bigger role. If the players go off at a tangent, you have to get them back where you want them to be.” The captain is the boss, though, and you are the consultant? Here he touched on the Carlstein story. “That’s how I see the job, wherever I’ve been. The captain is still in charge. That’s unique to cricket. He’s the one in the heat of battle. I think it’s crucial that the captain is boss of the side.”But surely you insisted on being in charge? The captain has far less power now, doesn’t he?He wavered here. “The final say was between me and the captain. That’s why it’s so important that the relationship was so good.”But you wanted to be the boss and got very prickly if you were not recognised as such? There is an incident in the book when Jarman, as a match referee, gets up Fletcher’s nose by refusing to recognise his authority and insisting on speaking to Phil Neale,
who had the title of manager.”I think on the administrative side the coach has the final say.” I said that on past England tours what he calls “old-fashioned
managers” had far less power than he had. “The captain is in charge. I keep saying,” he replies. Then he looks at his watch, not for the last time.We move on to his father, whom he describes in the book as “a pillar of authority, decency and common sense”. Is that what you strive to be? “I hope I’m someone like that. He didn’t impose himself on things and shrunk from the limelight.” Do you have a sense of humour? “Yes, if I get to know someone and trust them. A sense of fun has been part of every team I’ve been involved with.” They say you enjoy practical jokes, I remarked. “I enjoy practical jokes.”Yet there was the incident when he was with Glamorgan when Robert Croft snipped Fletcher’s socks. He did not think that was funny and gets very pompous about it in the book. “Ach, cutting people’s socks and ties. That’s a person’s clothing. You don’t do things like that. You just don’t. There are practical jokes and practical jokes.”So you have got a sense of humour? “You can speak to other people.” He smiled now, for the first and only time. “The people you play with, you’re going to war with them. Humour’s very important.” Did you learn that in the Rhodesian army? “Nah. When you go to play international sport, it’s a battle.” This is odd. Ex-soldiers are normally cautious about applying military metaphors to more trivial matters.There is another striking passage in the book, understandably overlooked in the furore, about how he had bombed out a Glamorgan fringe player called Phil North, who had been out late, upset his roomie and then turned up at the ground late too. “I was never afraid to make tough decisions like that,” he adds, throwing in the expulsion of players called Cecil Grimmer, whom he actually sent off the field in a club match, and Grant Paterson, who made faces behind Fletcher’s back.You did not take the tough decision when Andrew Flintoff turned up drunk in Australia? “There was more than one decision to make. One decision was: ‘Yes, he’d done wrong.’ But the other was that it would have affected the performance of the cricket team. My feeling at the end of the day was that going public would have disrupted a side under fire. Not bringing it out into the open might have helped them win that trophy.”

You can make tough decisions for North, Grimmer and Paterson, but not for Flintoff? “It’s a totally different situation, because that’s not upsetting the side.” So why reveal it now? “I felt let down.”It is hard on cricketers, isn’t it? We agreed that there were far too many games. No one can spend a long career playing in every single England game, can one? “No, but you can’t pick and choose. You’re part of a team. All for one and one for all. It’s got worse the last two or three years and you have to start to look at that. But you can’t say, ‘I’ll go there, I won’t go there.'”So who decides when players should take a rest? “You’d discuss it with the sports psychiatrist and you’d speak to the trainer. Then you’d make a decision. At the end of the day you’re in charge and you’re accountable.” So the coach is in charge? “At the end of the day it’s the coach’s decision.”Ah!It was 10.55 and Fletcher’s PR man was looking at his watch too. Early in, early out. Do you feel better now you have written the book? “I feel better for putting my side of the story.” He was fidgeting with his mobile now.”I was just trying to put my version of events. When you write a book, it’s very hard to know how it’s going to be interpreted. People may think I’m being personal, but I’m not. I could have been more guarded, but then that would have been misinterpreted too. People would have said I was glossing things over.”Do you feel better now? “I feel better for putting my side of the story.”I said I got the feeling that if anyone was not in Fletcher’s team, and directly under his control, or did not provide exactly what Fletcher wanted, he resented them, people like Lamb and Graveney.”That’s my point. These people didn’t protect me.” Do you think you have enhanced your reputation? “I was just putting my side of the story.”It was 11.05 and the PR man was edging forward now. I got the message. After I grasped the significance of Carlstein, it also occurred to me that Fletcher’s weirdness – and that is the word – must have something to do with his background.Here is a man who can operate brilliantly when placed at the top of a hierarchy, but is almost wholly dysfunctional in routine human dealings. The Wisden Cricketer had been invited by him to help plug his book, yet he was incapable of adding the tiniest dusting of charm or even good manners to the occasion to assist the process.I wondered whether this might have something to do with being brought up in Rhodesia, a society that was both hierarchical and dysfunctional. Sorting that out would require many more sessions with Fletcher, possibly with Mike Brearley in attendance. I think all concerned would choose to pass on that.”How many more interviews have you got today?” I asked the PR man lightly. “Plenty,” he smiled. “Cheers now,” said Duncan. That was not a pleasantry, it was a dismissal. He was still not smiling.

Nidamanuru’s 76-ball 111 helped Netherlands tie the game after they were set 375 to win

Himanshu Agrawal26-Jun-2023

“I can’t really explain it,” Player of the Match Logan van Beek said. Netherlands, chasing 375 against West Indies, were deep in trouble with 205 required from the remaining 125 balls with only six wickets in hand. Who would have known they would end up getting 204 of them in a frenetic finish that would force the game into a Super Over?And if you thought that was enough excitement for the day, van Beek bashed 4, 6, 4, 6, 6, 4 to smash the record for most runs in a one-over eliminator. In reply, West Indies lost two wickets for eight runs, and that was it. Netherlands took two vital points into the Super Six of the World Cup Qualifier, leaving West Indies with nothing to carry forward after being beaten by both Netherlands and Zimbabwe. The two-time World Cup champions are now teetering, their hopes of making the World Cup proper hanging by a thread.Before van Beek batted like a free spirit, it was Teja Nidamanuru and his captain Scott Edwards who made that finish possible, adding 143 for the fifth wicket to give Netherlands hope from the most helpless of situations. That stand consumed only 90 deliveries. West Indies stormed back, though, taking 3 for 14 in a hurry to leave Netherlands needing 30 from the last two overs.Teja Nidamanuru celebrates his century•ICC via Getty Images

At the crease was none other than van Beek. The first three legal balls of the 49th over, bowled by Roston Chase, disappeared for 4, 6, 4. Nine needed off six balls. Four more from van Beek. But there was a twist. With one to get from the last ball, he swiped to mid-on, where Jason Holder tumbled to his right to grab the ball. It was given out only after the third umpire made sure Alzarri Joseph hadn’t overstepped.Van Beek hit 28 at a strike rate of 200 during the run chase after Nidamanuru belted 111 off just 76 balls, with 11 fours and three sixes. Edwards, meanwhile, smashed 67 from 47. Not only did they find boundaries at will, they also made the West Indies fielders look ragged, converting ones into twos and twos into threes. Every run counted towards a remarkable Super Over win.The game was set up by West Indies’ centurion Nicholas Pooran. After half-centuries from Brandon King and Johnson Charles laid a solid foundation, Pooran added 108 with Shai Hope for the fourth wicket in less than 13 overs.Pooran was on 7 off 17 balls at one stage. He then took Saqib Zulfiqar for a four and a six in the 35th over. In the 39th, he targeted the same bowler with a six and four again, before reaching his fifty in the 40th with another run of boundaries off Vivian Kingma.West Indies added 118 in the last ten overs. Pooran reached his second century of the World Cup Qualifier in the penultimate over, before Keemo Paul took over, ransacking Aryan Dutt for 20 in the final over to propel West Indies to 374. Who knew even that wouldn’t prove enough?

Former India batter Robin Uthappa, who retired from international and Indian cricket in September, will turn up for Dubai Capitals in the inaugural season of the International League T20 (ILT20) starting in the UAE in January. He will be joined by Yusuf Pathan, another former India player who made his name in T20 cricket.Uthappa is a direct signing by Capitals, who are one of the six franchises in ILT20, which is sanctioned by the Emirates Cricket Board. The 37-year old is one of the first high-profile India players to retire from Indian cricket to take up the opportunity to play in in overseas T20 leagues. Uthappa said he had wanted to play in overseas T20 leagues even as an active player in Indian domestic cricket and the IPL, but BCCI rules hadn’t allowed him to do so. The retirement from international and Indian cricket will allow Uthappa to fulfil that desire now and he is keen to feature in other tournaments like The Hundred, the Caribbean Premier League and the Big Bash League in the future.Related

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“It is something I wanted to do [play in overseas T20 leagues]. Now that I have retired it gives me the opportunity,” Uthappa told ESPNcricinfo. “I consider myself a student of the game. So I will only be enriching my own knowledge and experience and information about the game when I go and play in different conditions in the world. Tomorrow if I want to be a coach, I should have some kind of stand when I am having a conversation with the lads. I believe all these experiences will add value to that.”Basically, it has got to do with growing a lot more as a cricketer. Since I haven’t had the opportunities in the last few years to go outside of India and play in different conditions. I am hoping I will [now] to be able to go to different parts of the world and play the leagues, not just Dubai, even outside the subcontinent – hopefully South Africa next year, England (The Hundred), Australia (BBL) and the Caribbean (CPL). It gives me the access to improve myself, even try to grow my horizons as a human being as well, experience different cultures, places and people. All that will only add to my values as far as cricket is concerned irrespective of what I decide to do later on.”Uthappa, who played 46 ODIs and 13 T20Is in an international career that stretched from 2006 to 2015, also played 205 IPL games, turning out for six different franchises over 15 seasons. He enjoyed a late-career flourish with Chennai Super Kings, playing a key role in their march to the 2021 title with a 44-ball 63 in the first qualifier and a 15-ball 31 in the final. He began the 2022 season with two fifties in his first five innings, but his form tailed away thereafter, as he got into double figures just once in what were to be his last six IPL innings.Yusuf, 40, played 57 ODIs and 22 T20Is for India between 2007 and 2012. He was a big part of the Rajasthan Royals team that became the first ever IPL champions, excelling in the role of finisher. He was Man of the Match in the final in 2008 and still retains the record for the fastest IPL century by an Indian, getting there in only 37 balls. Yusuf won the IPL twice more, with Kolkata Knight Riders in 2012 and 2014, and retired in 2021 with 4852 T20 runs and 99 T20 wickets.The BCCI has not permitted active Indian players to take part in franchise leagues other than the IPL. The handful that have done so – Virender Sehwag in the T10 League, Yuvraj Singh in the Global T20 in Canada – have only been able to do so after announcing their retirements. Players have spoken about their desire to take part in overseas leagues; Suresh Raina, for instance, had suggested in 2020 that the BCCI allow players without central contracts to be able to explore overseas options, but the board has made no such move.The topic became hotly debated recently after India’s semi-final loss at the T20 World Cup in Australia, with ESPNcricinfo experts Anil Kumble and Tom Moody suggesting that overseas exposure would help India’s players improve their skills in the format, but other noted names have disagreed. Current India head coach Rahul Dravid said allowing Indian players to play in overseas leagues would hurt India’s domestic cricket, since a number of tournaments including the BBL, the SA20 and the ILT20 clash with India’s home season. Former India coach Ravi Shastri and former India left-arm quick Zaheer Khan echoed Dravid’s views, with Shastri suggesting that young Indian players already get plenty of overseas exposure via India A tours.

MatériaMais Notícias

Após emendar três vitórias seguidas, o Botafogo volta a campo nesta quarta-feira, às 19h, para medir forças com o Nova Iguaçu, no Estádio Luso-Brasileiro, pelo Campeonato Carioca. O confronto é válido pela sexta rodada da competição estadual e não terá o Nilton Santos como palco, pois passa por uma reforma com a troca para o gramado

+ Veja as novidades do Botafogo no mercado da bola

Os comandados de Luís Castro chegam com moral depois de ter vencido o primeiro clássico da temporada. No último domingo, o Alvinegro bateu o Fluminense por 1 a 0, no Maracanã, com gol de Victor Sá. Sendo assim, a equipe tem o melhor aproveitamento do campeonato, visto que tem um jogo a menos que a dupla Fla-Flu e o Volta Redonda.

RelacionadasBotafogoVolante assina contrato com o RWD Molenbeek e é mais um jogador a deixar o Botafogo na temporadaBotafogo31/01/2023BotafogoJeffinho assina com o Lyon e se torna a maior venda da história do Botafogo; veja a listaBotafogo31/01/2023BotafogoBotafogo inicia venda de ingressos para duelo contra o Nova Iguaçu nos pontos físicos; veja os locaisBotafogo31/01/2023

+ Confira e simule a tabela do Campeonato Carioca

Com nove pontos em quatro jogos, a diferença do Botafogo para os rivais é pequena e ainda terá pela frente os confrontos diretos. O Flamengo lidera com 11 pontos, enquanto o Fluminense e Voltaço têm 10, porém ambos já estiveram em campo em cinco oportunidades. O jogo a menos que resta para o clube de General Severiano será contra o Vasco, no dia 16 de fevereiro.

Desde o início do campeonato, Luís Castro tem rodado a equipe para dar tempo de jogo a todo elenco. Como a equipe titular esteve em campo no domingo, a tendência é que o português utilize os reservas diante da Laranja da Baixada.

O Nova Iguaçu, por sua vez, soma apenas cinco pontos, porém o mesmo número do Madureira, atual oitavo colocado. A equipe tenta uma vaga na Taça Rio, que será disputada entre os times que terminarem o campeonato entre o quinto e oitavo.

FICHA TÉCNICA

Botafogo x Nova Iguaçu
Campeonato Carioca 2023 – Taça Guanabara
Sexta rodada
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Data e horário: 01 de fevereiro de 2023, às 19h (de Brasília)
Local: Luso-Brasileiro, Rio de Janeiro (RJ)
Árbitro: Rafael Martins de Sá
Assistentes: Thiago Henrique Neto Corrêa Farinha e Hugo Filemon Soares Pinto
Onde assistir: Cazé TV e Tempo Real do LANCE!

PROVÁVEIS TIMES

BOTAFOGO (Técnico: Luís Castro)
Douglas Borges; Daniel Borges, Philipe Sampaio, Segovia e Hugo; Danilo Barbosa, Marlon Freitas e Patrick de Paula (Gabriel Pires); Gustavo Sauer, Matheus Nascimento e Carlos Alberto.

Desfalques: Gatito Fernández, Joel Carli, Kayque, Lucas Fernandes e Eduardo

NOVA IGUAÇU (Técnico: Carlos Vitor)
Max; Léo Fernandes, Gabriel Pinheiro, Michel e Bruninho; Paulo Henrique, Gustavo Nicola, Luã Lucio e Ícaro; Nathan e Andrey Dias.

Ashwin blames India’s “cinema culture” for the treatment meted out to Hardik at various grounds this season

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Mar-2024R Ashwin has come out in strong support of Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya, blaming India’s “fan wars” and “cinema culture” for the vehement booing Hardik has been subjected to at various grounds this IPL season.Hardik, who took over the Mumbai captaincy from Rohit Sharma this season, was given a hostile reception by the fans in Ahmedabad last week when he faced his former team Gujarat Titans, whom he had led to successive IPL finals including the title in 2022. The booing continued when Hardik faced Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, as Mumbai began their campaign with back-to-back defeats.Answering a question from a viewer on his YouTube channel on whether Mumbai should issue a statement to diffuse the situation, Ashwin said that the onus lay with the fans, not the team, to “get our act together” and put an end to such “ugly” scenes.Related

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“People should remember which country these players represent. It’s our country, ” Ashwin said. “Fan wars should never take such an ugly route. I’ve said it many times, this is cinema culture, that happens only here.”I know there are many things like marketing, branding, and positioning. I don’t deny it, but have you seen these fights happen in any other country? Have you seen, for instance, Joe Root and Zak Crawley fans have a fight? Or Joe Root and Jos Buttler fans fight? It’s crazy. Do you see Steven Smith fans fighting with Pat Cummins fans in Australia?”Ashwin brought up examples from the past, when several Indian greats like Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid all played under each other’s captaincies, with minimal fuss or backlash from the fans.”I don’t understand. If you don’t like a player and boo him, why should the club come out and issue a clarification? We act like this has not happened before.”Sourav Ganguly played under Sachin Tendulkar and vice versa. These two have both played under Rahul Dravid. These three have played under Anil Kumble and all of them have played under MS Dhoni. When they were under Dhoni, these players were cricket (giants). Dhoni too played under Virat Kohli.”Ashwin said he believes that all fans have a collective responsibility to “correct ourselves” before blaming others, explaining that cinema can’t be compared directly to sports.”You know what the issue is? We all happily sit inside our houses and look at the trash outside. We expect someone else to pick it up instead of doing it ourselves.”This is real-time sport. Sport has real players with real emotions, nothing is scripted. Hero and hero worshiping is great, but sport should never be compared to cinema. How we go beyond that, counter it and find balance to play cricket is what this is all about.”You are free to enjoy what you like about your favourite players or team, but not at the cost of putting another player down. This is one thing I’d love to see disappear from the face of the earth in our country.”Mumbai will play their first home game of the season against Ashwin’s Rajasthan Royals at the Wankhede on Monday.

أعلنت مجلة “فرانس فوتبول” الفرنسية الشهيرة، منذ قليل، عن قائمة المرشحين الثلاثين لجائزة الكرة الذهبية، أفضل لاعب في العالم، لعام 2025.

وتُعد تلك النسخة هي الثانية بعد تطبيق الشراكة بين الاتحاد الأوروبي لكرة القدم، يويفا، ومجلة “فرانس فوتبول” العالمية.

كان نجم فريق مانشستر سيتي، رودري، هو الفائز بالنسخة السابقة من جائزة الكرة الذهبية، كأفضل لاعب في العالم لعام 2024، بعد مفاجأة غير متوقعة، حيث كان فينيسيوس جونيور لاعب ريال مدريد هو المرشح الأبرز للتتويج بها.

وكشفت المجلة، في وقت سابق من هذا اليوم، عن قائمة المرشحين لجائزة أفضل لاعب شاب في العالم لعام 2025، حيث ضمت اثنين من لاعبي برشلونة (لمطالعة التفاصيل من هنا).

في حين تم إعلان قائمة المرشحين لجائزة ياشين، لأفضل حارس مرمى في العالم لعام 2025 (لمطالعة التفاصيل من هنا).

كذلك تم الإعلان عن قائمة المرشحين لجائزة كرويف، لأفضل مدرب في العالم لعام 2025 (لمطالعة التفاصيل من هنا).

بخلاف الإعلان عن قائمة المرشحين لجائزة أفضل نادِ للرجال في العالم لعام 2025 (لمطالعة التفاصيل من هنا).

وبعد ذلك، كشفت المجلة الشهيرة عن قائمة المرشحين لجائزة الكرة الذهبية لأفضل لاعب في العالم، لذلك العام، والتي تضم 30 لاعبًا، حيث جاء في المقدمة النجم المصري محمد صلاح.

ويُعد محمد صلاح أبرز المرشحين المتوقعين لنيل تلك الجائزة المرموقة ذلك العام، بعد تألقه اللافت للأنظار مع ليفربول الموسم الماضي، حيث لعب دورًا حيويًا في قيادة كتيبة آرني سلوت نحو تحقيق لقب الدوري الإنجليزي للمرة العشرين.

وشهدت القائمة استمرار غياب النجمين ليونيل ميسي وكريستيانو رونالدو، لاعبا إنتر ميامي والنصر، حيث لم يتواجدا في قائمة النسخة الماضية.

وسيتم الإعلان عن الفائزين بمختلف جوائز “فرانس فوتبول”، وعلى رأسها الكرة الذهبية، يوم الإثنين 22 سبتمبر المقبل على مسرح “شاتليه” في باريس. المرشحون لجائزة الكرة الذهبية 2025

عثمان ديمبلي، باريس سان جيرمان، منتخب فرنسا.

جيانلويجي دوناروما، باريس سان جيرمان، منتخب إيطاليا.

جود بيلينجهام، ريال مدريد، منتخب إنجلترا.

ديزيري دوي، باريس سان جيرمان، منتخب فرنسا.

دينزل دومفريس، إنتر ميلان، منتخب هولندا.

سيرهو جيراسي، بوروسيا دورتموند، منتخب غينيا.

إيرلينج هالاند، مانشستر سيتي، منتخب النرويج.

فيكتور جيوكيريس، سبورتينج لشبونة سابقًا وآرسنال حاليًا، منتخب سلوفينيا.

أشرف حكيمي، باريس سان جيرمان، منتخب المغرب.

هاري كين، بايرن ميونخ، منتخب إنجلترا.

خفيتشا كفاراتسخيليا، باريس سان جيرمان، منتخب جورجيا.

روبرت ليفاندوفسكي، برشلونة، منتخب بولندا.

أليكسيس ماك أليستر، ليفربول، منتخب الأرجنتين.

لاوتارو مارتينيز، إنتر ميلان، منتخب الأرجنتين.

سكوت ماكتومناي، نابولي، منتخب اسكتلندا.

عثمان ديمبلي، ريال مدريد، منتخب فرنسا.

نونو مينديز، باريس سان جيرمان، منتخب البرتغال.

جواو نيفيز، باريس سان جيرمان، منتخب البرتغال.

بيدري، برشلونة، منتخب إسبانيا.

كول بالمر، تشيلسي، منتخب إنجلترا.

مايكل أوليس، بايرن ميونخ، منتخب فرنسا.

رافينها، برشلونة، منتخب البرازيل.

ديكلان رايس، آرسنال، منتخب إنجلترا.

فابيان رويز، باريس سان جيرمان، منتخب إسبانيا.

فيرجيل فان دايك، ليفربول، منتخب هولندا.

فينيسيوس جونيور، ريال مدريد، منتخب البرازيل.

محمد صلاح، ليفربول، منتخب مصر.

فلوريان فيرتز، باير ليفركوزن سابقًا وليفربول حاليًا، منتخب ألمانيا.

فيتينها، باريس سان جيرمان، منتخب البرتغال.

لامين يامال، برشلونة، منتخب إسبانيا.

Here are the 2025 Ballon d’Or nominees!#ballondor pic.twitter.com/tehmbU4R0j — Ballon d’Or (@ballondor) August 7, 2025

Pakistan’s chase never really got going on another rain-hit day at the Asia Cup

Deivarayan Muthu10-Sep-2023 • Updated on 11-Sep-20231:33

Uthappa: Rahul’s innings showed how much work he has put in

KL Rahul wasn’t supposed to start against Pakistan. After Shreyas Iyer suffered back spasms during the warm-ups, he replaced him on Sunday and on Monday, the reserve day, he announced his return with a sensational hundred. At the other end, Virat Kohli did his thing, bringing up a century of his own, as India piled up 356 for 2.Jasprit Bumrah, bowling in ODIs for the first time after his injury break then discomfited Pakistan’s top order with vicious swing and seam movement. He was unplayable at various points while Mohammed Siraj also ramped up the pressure on Pakistan with his accuracy. After Bumrah had Imam-ul-Haq caught in the slips, Hardik Pandya joined the party by storming through Babar Azam’s defences. A rain delay then gave Pakistan respite, but upon resumption Kuldeep Yadav compounded their woes. The left-arm wristspinner finished with 5 for 25 in eight overs, with neither Haris Rauf or Naseem Shah walking out to bat for Pakistan. The margin of victory – 228 runs – was the biggest for India against Pakistan in ODI cricket.Related

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Injured Rauf and Naseem doubtful for remainder of Asia Cup

Resuming from an overnight 147 for 2 in 24.1 overs, India pumped 209 in 25.5 overs on Monday, with Rahul and Kohli responsible for all of those. This was only the fourth instance of India’s top four making fifty-plus scores in ODIs. In the absence of Rauf, who was out of action on the reserve day as a precautionary measure, Pakistan couldn’t separate Rahul and Kohli. Pakistan then suffered another scare when Naseem left the field in the 49th over with an injury to his bowling shoulder. This was the first time that Naseem has gone wicketless in 14 ODIs.Pakistan could have cut Kohli’s innings short at 60 had Naseem not misjudged a catch at deep third in the 42nd over. Kohli and Rahul proceeded to smash 92 together off the last eight overs of the innings. Kohli finished the innings with a thrilling sequence of 4,4,6.In the early half of the innings, Kohli had followed his usual ODI template of accumulating in risk-free fashion with singles and twos. Overall, boundaries only contributed only 54 runs to his 122.Rahul, though, had started the reserve day with a flurry of boundaries. He slapped Afridi so hard that even Shadab Khan couldn’t cling onto the ball at backward point. Shadab and part-time spinner Iftikhar Ahmed, who was filling in for Rauf, then copped punishment from Rahul. Kohli also lined up Iftikhar and left him nursing figures of 5.4-0-52-0.KL Rahul finished with 111* off 106 balls•Associated Press

Rahul played a number of sweeps and often took trips down the pitch to disrupt Pakistan’s spinners. He even pulled off an impersonation of Kohli when he launched Shadab over midwicket with the bottom wrist. When he reached a run-a-ball century, he closed his eyes and looked skywards in relief. Kohli’s celebration was more exuberant and, along the way, he became the fastest player to 13,000 ODI runs.Rahul didn’t take the field for the start of India’s defence, but at the start of the seventh over he returned to the field to take over the keeping gloves from Ishan Kishan. Later in the night, Rahul missed a sharp chance off a wrong ‘un from Kuldeep, but otherwise he got a decent workout behind the stumps too. After bowling five overs in the powerplay, Bumrah spent some time off the field, too, for unspecified reasons. It remains to be seen whether India rotate their players when they end up playing on a third successive day, against Sri Lanka, on Tuesday.By the time, Hardik had castled Babar on Monday with a wobble-seam inducker, Pakistan’s required run rate was almost eight. It had shot past nine by the time Kuldeep cleaned up Fakhar Zaman for 27 off 50 balls. No other Pakistan batter passed 25 in the chase. Kuldeep carved up the middle order with his stock balls, wrong ‘uns and sliders. He gave up only two boundaries and claimed his second five-wicket haul in ODIs. He looked good for more, but Pakistan’s Nos. 10 and 11 were out injured.

Manchester United outcast Marcus Rashford compared himself to Arsenal legend Thierry Henry while claiming he has become a 'free player'.

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Rashford compared himself to HenryClaimed he has become a free playerLinked with a move to BarcelonaFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Rashford struggled for form in the first half of the 2024-25 campaign at United, which saw him being sent on loan to Aston Villa in the January transfer window. At Villa Park, the English forward regained his confidence and ended the season on a high under Unai Emery's tutelage.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Rashford is now back at Old Trafford, but his future at the club remains uncertain. He has been linked with a permanent move away from the Red Devils this summer, with Barcelona reportedly keen on signing the attacker. Amid speculations over his future, the England international opened up on his transformation as a footballer as he compared himself to Gunners and French football icon Henry.

WHAT RASHFORD SAID

Speaking to Spanish YouTube channel XBuyer in Marbella, the 27-year-old said: "I see myself reflected in Henry. He's comfortable playing on the left and also in the middle. He's a free player. As I've developed, the number 9 position has become more comfortable, more natural. Things like playing with my back to goal are becoming easier for me. You're always in front of goal and always dangerous."

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR RASHFORD?

The United academy product is enjoying his vacation at the moment before returning to the club next month for pre-season training, unless he finds another club in between.

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca gave supporters a reason to be excited during his first few weeks in the role after seamlessly transitioning into life in West London.

The Italian lost his first game against Manchester City but led the Blues to a six-game unbeaten run, looking like the biggest challengers to runaway leaders Liverpool at one stage.

However, in recent months, the side have endured somewhat of a drop-off in form, slipping to fifth in the Premier League and 21 points off Arne Slot’s side with just 11 games remaining.

Qualifying for the Champions League would be a huge success in his first season in charge, giving him a platform to build on for the coming years during his tenure at the club.

If he is to build off his recent success at the Bridge, he needs to invest well once again this summer, replicating some of the deals which he’s overseen during his first season in the capital.

The impact of Maresca’s signings at Chelsea in 24/25

Forward Pedro Neto joined Chelsea in a £54m deal from Wolverhampton Wanderers over the summer, looking to add further firepower to the club’s already potent forward line.

The Portuguese international has since registered five goals and six assists in his 31 games for the club, including a phenomenal strike against local rivals Arsenal at the Bridge.

Neto wasn’t the only forward to move to West London last summer, with Jadon Sancho joining the Blues on loan with an obligation to buy from fellow Premier League side Manchester United.

The 24-year-old looked as though he would be a shrewd addition after his cameo off the bench for his debut against Bournemouth, but his performance levels have rapidly declined in recent weeks.

The former Borussia Dortmund ace has failed to register a goal or an assist in any of his last nine outings, putting his starting place under the Italian at risk.

However, despite the form of the aforementioned duo, one other summer addition has failed to deliver – with Boehly brutally needing to offload the big-money signing at the next opportunity.

The player who Boehly needs to offload this summer

As seen by the previous arrivals during Maresca’s first window in charge, owner Todd Boehly put trust in the new boss to make the additions he wanted to take the side to the next level.

Such trust saw the Italian raid his former club Leicester City and bring Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall with him to West London after his time with the midfielder in their Championship-winning campaign last time around.

The 26-year-old registered 12 goals and 14 assists in his 44 league appearances in 2023/24, impressing at the heart of the Foxes midfield and playing a pivotal role in their immediate return to the Premier League.

As a result, Boehly forked out £30m to prise him away from the East Midlands outfit, with Maresca labelling him “fantastic” after securing a move for his services.

However, Dewsbury-Hall has struggled to impress for the Blues since his transfer, unable to dislodge the likes of Enzo Fernández and Moises Caidedo from their starting roles at the heart of the side.

He’s only registered eight league appearances to date, with only one of which coming from a starting role and subsequently relying on Europa Conference League minutes to showcase his talent.

The midfielder has registered two goals and one assist in his eight European outings, but ultimately, he hasn’t demonstrated enough quality for a player who cost £30m.

Numerous rumours emerged over a potential move for Dewsbury-Hall in January, but the boss reiterated his desire to keep hold of the Englishman, but he’s only featured for 105 minutes since the closure of the window.

As a result, Boehly needs to be brutal over the summer and cut their losses on the former Foxes star, ultimately preventing the Blues from losing a small fortune on the fee they forked out for his signature.

It’s a shame that the move to the Bridge hasn’t worked out for Dewsbury-Hall, but he needs regular minutes to recapture his form, with the funds potentially helping Maresca improve the side in other areas to allow them to reach the next level.

Chelsea's "monster" signing has become the new Werner under Maresca

Chelsea’s £52m star may have become their next Timo Werner, showing levels of inconsistency.

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By
Connor Holden

Mar 3, 2025