All posts by h716a5.icu

On his way to 100 Test wickets, Gabriel broke a host of West Indian records in St Lucia

Gaurav Sundararaman19-Jun-20180 – Bowlers with better match figures in West Indies than Shannon Gabriel’s 13 for 121 in St Lucia. The previous best was Makhaya Ntini’s 13 for 132 at Port of Spain in 2005. Curtly Ambrose’s 11 for 84 against England in 1994 was the previous best by a West Indian at home. Incidentally, this is Gabriel’s maiden 10-for in first-class cricket. His previous best was the 9 for 92 against Pakistan at Bridgetown. This career best has propelled Gabriel to No. 12 in the Test rankings.ESPNcricinfo Ltd2 – West Indies bowlers with better match-figures than Gabriel in Tests. Micheal Holding’s 14 for 149 against England in 1976 and Courtney Walsh’s 13 for 55 against New Zealand in 1995 lead the list.1 – Bowlers with a better match strike-rate than Gabriel’s 16.9 while taking 10 or more wickets in West Indies. Glenn McGrath had a match strike rate of 14.4 against West Indies at Port of Spain in 1999. Gabriel’s match strike rate is the second best for a bowler from West Indies, behind Walsh’s 16.6 against New Zealand at Wellington.2001 – The last time a pace bowler produced better figures than Gabriel’s. Chaminda Vaas took 14 for 191 against West Indies in Colombo. Richard Hadlee was the last right-arm fast bowler to take more than 13 wickets in a Test. 11 – West Indies fast bowlers with two five-wicket hauls in a match. Kemar Roach’s 10 for 146 against Australia at Port of Spain in 2012 was the only other instance in the last 25 years.1990 – The year in which a West Indies fast bowler previously picked an eight-for in an innings. Gabriel’s 8 for 62 is the best since Ambrose’ 8 for 45 against England at Bridgetown. The last pace bowler to pick up eight wickets in an innings was Stuart Broad against Australia at Nottingham in 2015.

Glenn Maxwell was asked to make more runs, but then passed over for others who were given the opportunity to score while he wasn’t

Daniel Brettig11-Sep-2018″Get hundreds” is the oldest line delivered by selectors to an unwanted batsman at the time of a squad announcement. It’s also not always as simple a task as it appears.Australia’s coach Justin Langer declared Glenn Maxwell needed to become a more consistent century-maker if he is to figure in the Test team after his omission from the squad to face Pakistan, but a strange sequence of selection instructions and decisions appear to have made that harder than it otherwise might have been.The omission of the 29-year-old Maxwell from the group to play two Tests against Pakistan was the headline choice made by Langer, the selection chairman Trevor Hohns and the national talent manager Greg Chappell. It was a decision forecast some weeks ago when Langer used an interview with the to make an unflattering comparison between Maxwell and the suspended Steven Smith in terms of hundreds scored.Maxwell will be “shattered” by omission

Glenn Maxwell was expecting to be part of Australia’s Test squad for the series against Pakistan according to Victoria team-mate Peter Siddle.
Siddle, who was recalled after a gap of nearly two years, said that Maxwell will be “shattered” by his omission but backed him to respond in domestic cricket.
“Coming home and being around him yesterday he was a little bit confident that he was going to be part of the squad so he’ll be very disappointed,” Siddle said. “You do feel for him, you always want your team-mates around the squad. I know he’ll be shattered but I know he’ll go out, work hard and push his claims for the summer.”

“He’s a really interesting one isn’t he, Maxi,” Langer said. “I think everyone including himself is trying to unlock the mystery of Glenn Maxwell. He knows it is completely up to him. He’s [almost] 30 years old for example, Steve Smith’s 29 and got 79 hundreds, Glenn Maxwell’s got 17 hundreds [in all forms]. So an enormous talent, an elite fit young bloke, he’s incredibly fit, he brings so much to the table.”But maybe what he needs to learn … in Zimbabwe he did that sign to me about watching the ball, ultimately that’s what batting’s about, learning the art of concentration. In my office at the moment I’ve got a letter from Sir Donald Bradman in 1995 where he talks about the most important thing is learning how to concentrate.”What concentration means is eliminating all distractions and watching the ball like a hawk, over and over and over again. If you do that you get hundreds, and that’s what the great players do. So Maxi that’s his great challenge, that he becomes a more consistent player. He knows – anything I say is not going to surprise him – if he can keep learning to watch the ball really closely out of the hand for longer periods of time he’ll get more hundreds, and then he’ll be too good to ignore.”Langer more or less repeated these words in explaining on Tuesday why Maxwell was not included in the Test squad, despite a gaping hole left by Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft, and despite his strong showings for Victoria in the Sheffield Shield last summer, where he tallied 707 runs at 50.50, including one innings of 278 against New South Wales.”He’s a very good player and I was very impressed with him in England, the way he goes about his business,” Langer said. “I’d love to see Maxi score more hundreds. And he and I have talked a lot in our brief time together about the art of concentration and watching the ball like a hawk and I’m sure if he does that more regularly, he will be making a lot more hundreds and be much more pickable for Test cricket.”This all seems straightforward enough. But ESPNcricinfo has learned of a somewhat confusing sequence for Maxwell around the aforementioned tour of England and Zimbabwe, where he performed below expectations in the limited-overs team – following on from another subpar display for Delhi Daredevils, under the mentorship of Ricky Ponting, in the IPL. Those displays left Maxwell eager to spend more time in the middle, potentially via a white-ball deal in English county cricket that could then have grown into a red-ball stint, as previously done by Finch, for Yorkshire, among others.

At a time when the batting-talent cupboard is all but bare for Australia, Maxwell’s omission seems a greater gamble than his inclusion would have been

However it is believed he was counselled by Cricket Australia to rest-up ahead of the Australia A tour of India rather than playing elsewhere. This advice then led to an understandable sense of mystification when the squad was announced and Maxwell’s name was omitted. At the time it was explained that Maxwell was one of several players deemed to have played and succeeded often enough in Asian conditions to not need the stint in India, a line that Langer also followed in his aforementioned interview.When asked why Maxwell wasn’t then going to India to play long-form matches for Australia A where he could work on his concentration levels, Langer replied that the Victorian’s qualities against spin were already well understood by the selectors. “I think we aren’t taking him to India because we’ve seen he’s 30 years old now,” Langer said.”I know we’re taking Ussie [Usman Khawaja], but there’s different reasons for that, a lot of discussion that he can’t play spin bowling and I just don’t believe that, but a good opportunity for Ussie to get some confidence up against spin. Maxi, we’re not taking Aaron Finch either, we’re not taking Shaun Marsh, they’ve had some time in India, we wanted to give others opportunities.”So it appeared at the time that Maxwell was still in contention to be part of the Test squad to go to the UAE, but with a more tenuous grasp on a touring berth than he might otherwise have thought. What happened in between, however, was the scoring of runs by Khawaja, Travis Head and also Marnus Labuschagne in the first of Australia A’s two first-class matches. This was seemingly enough to squeeze them all ahead of Maxwell in the Test-match reckoning. Shaun and Mitchell Marsh and Finch were all apparently inked into the UAE squad beforehand, as Langer indicated. So Maxwell had been asked to make more big scores, then been dropped because others were given the chance to do so ahead of him.”I’m really thrilled for Aaron Finch. One thing we ask of our players is to perform and in white-ball cricket he’s as in-form a player as there is in the world at the moment,” Langer said. “What I know about Aaron Finch is he scores hundreds and in Test cricket that’s very important. You’ve got to score hundreds. And he’s also one of the core leaders in the group and to have him in the squad, I know he’s waited a long time for it. Hopefully like a Mike Hussey or a George Bailey or a Chris Rogers he can have an impact on Test cricket as well as white-ball cricket.”Marnus Labuschagne, he’s like Cameron Bancroft in the fact that he would literally do anything to play cricket for Australia. He loves playing cricket. His work ethic is as good as anyone. From everything I know about him – I’ve only met him a couple of times, but everything I’m hearing about him on the Australia A tour and for Queensland – he’s one of those guys who is like the heartbeat of the team, like a Cameron Bancroft in terms of work ethic, desire, focus. So he’s another great person to have in the squad.”These glowing character references will of course lead to other questions about Maxwell, in terms of whether the current Australian set-up considers him the sort of cricketer around whom to build a new team. His under-performance in England, when among the most experienced members of the ODI batting order, cannot have helped build an impression of reliability. But at a time when the batting-talent cupboard is all but bare for Australia, Maxwell’s omission seems a still greater gamble than his inclusion would have been.No longer consumed by thoughts of resuming his Test-match career against Pakistan, Maxwell will now turn out for Victoria in 50-over and Sheffield Shield competitions. Runs in domestic ranks this summer may well lead to the moment when Maxwell and others find out whether that “get more hundreds” line is genuine, or just a way of letting him down gently about his services not being required.

No other wicketkeeper in Test history has managed these many centuries aged 21 or below

Bharath Seervi04-Jan-20191258 – Number of deliveries Cheteshwar Pujara has faced, the fourth-most by a batsman in a series of four or fewer Tests. His tally is 100 short of Richie Richardson’s 1358 balls at home against India in 1988-89. The previous best in Australia was the 1237 balls by Herbert Sutcliffe in 1928-29. Among Indians, Rahul Dravid faced 1203 balls in the 2003-04 series.ESPNcricinfo Ltd8 – Number of Indians out in the 190s in Tests. Pujara was the latest addition to this club on Friday. Virender Sehwag is the only other Indian to be dismissed in the 190s against Australia when he holed out at deep midwicket while attempting to get to his double century with a six at MCG in 2003.521 – Pujara’s tally so far this series, the third-most for India against Australia. Virat Kohli’s 692 runs in 2014-15 and Rahul Dravid’s 619 in 2003-04 are the top two entries. Pujara’s average of 60.07 against Australia is the third-best among all batsmen who have played 25 innings or more against them.1 – Rishabh Pant became the first Indian wicketkeeper to score Test century in Australia. The previous highest was Farokh Engineer’s 89 at Adelaide in 1967. In 2018, he was the first Indian wicketkeeper to score a Test ton in England. Pant is also the only India wicketkeeper to score a century in the SENA (South Africa-England-New Zealand-Australia) countries and he has got in two of them already.ESPNcricinfo Ltd159* – Pant’s score is the third-highest for an India wicketkeeper in Tests behind MS Dhoni’s 224 and Budhi Kunderan’s 192. It is the second-highest for any visiting wicketkeeper in Australia, only behind AB de Villiers’ 169 at WACA in 2012-13. Pant’s score is also the second-highest for any visiting batsman at No. 7 or lower in Australia, behind KS Ranjitsinhji’s 175 at SCG way back in 1897.2 – Pant is the first wicketkeeper with two Test tons as a 21-year old. Both of them have come outside Asia.2009 – The year when India last posted 500 or more in a Test innings in England, Australia, South Africa or New Zealand. India’s 622 for 7 in Sydney is their second-highest total in Australia. All of India’s four highest totals in Australia have come at the SCG.204- The partnership between Pant and Ravindra Jadeja for the seventh wicket, which is the highest for the wicket by any pair in Australia. The previous best was 185 between Greg Matthews and Graham Yallop versus Pakistan at MCG in 1983-84. For India, this is the second-best seventh-wicket stand away from home.

Grounded by a spate of injuries, the 19-year-old pacer has found a mentor-cum-confidante in Wriddhiman Saha, and undying encouragement from the Knight Riders management

Shashank Kishore09-Apr-2019″That saying ‘when you’re happy, you enjoy the song; when you’re low, you understand the lyrics’ is so true, (brother),” Kamlesh Nagarkoti says as he reflects on life over the past 12 months. We are sitting in his hotel room in Bengaluru, a couple of weeks before the IPL began. Nagarkoti has been in the city for rehab, recovering from a back injury.His thunderbolts at the Under-19 World Cup last year elicited genuine excitement from former West Indies fast bowler Ian Bishop. “I salivate when I see bowlers like him, so impressive,” Bishop had said at the time, before adding, “but I do hope coaches have a watch over him, that action concerns me.”Those words cannot ring truer than they do now.Nagarkoti last played a competitive game 13 months ago. Injuries to his ankle, heel and lower back have now derailed him for a second straight IPL season with Kolkata Knight Riders, who bid INR 3.2 crore for him last year. A recovery, Nagarkoti says, is still “four or five months away”.

When I return, I will be the same Nagarkoti with a new OS

Since April, Bengaluru and the National Cricket Academy have become his second home. “Recently Yuzi (Yuzvendra Chahal) asked: ‘Brother, (Are you settled here; have you bought a house here?)’ Sometimes, I laugh, sometimes I feel bad, but I know they’re trying to cheer me up.”He’s refreshingly candid, willing to speak about his insecurities. It’s a different side to the Nagarkoti most of his friends and team-mates have seen. He was the mischief monger, who led the cake smash on Rahul Dravid’s face to celebrate the coach’s 45th birthday during that World Cup. The memories and friendships from the U-19 campaign seem distant as he recounts his journey. He has watched good mates Prithvi Shaw and Shubman Gill graduate to donning the India colours, and while he couldn’t be happier for them, he can’t help but keep asking ‘why me?’Often, he found himself brooding after returning from his daily rehab sessions. “At 19, I must be running in and bowling fast. But here I am, not playing, not studying, out injured, away from home, all by myself, and trying to get fit even as my friends are playing in the IPL and for India A,” he reflects. “It’s been tough, no doubt.”Kamlesh Nagarkoti was one the stars of India’s 2018 U-19 World Cup win•Getty ImagesAs coach, Dravid knew of Nagarkoti as the mischievous kid. Team-mates say he would have been the first to opt for a bungee jump if not for the contracts they had signed. The lively teenager is now in his own bubble, needing an arm on his shoulder. Dravid had heard from the NCA coaches that the boy had been agitated. He took time out to counsel him.”Sir [Dravid] was there for a meeting during an India A series, when he asked for me through someone,” Nagarkoti recounts. “He told me, ‘don’t think life is over if you miss one or two IPL seasons, you have to play for India. You have to be strong for that.’ He cited the example of Pat Cummins, how he missed six years of cricket after his Test debut because of a back injury, and how he has made a comeback to top-flight cricket.”Nagarkoti was encouraged by Dravid’s gesture, but wouldn’t know yet that another setback was awaiting him. As his heel injury was on the mend, PET scans detected a stress fracture on his back in August last year. He flew with NCA physio Yogesh Parmar to London to consult two surgeons, and it was decided that surgery would be the last option considering he was anyway going to spend at least a year on the sidelines.

I realised how he has played for the country for four-five years and is still so positive at 35. I have no reason to feel depressed when I’m just starting outNAGARKOTI ON EXCHANGING NOTES WITH WRIDDHIMAN SAHA

Since his return, Nagarkoti’s daily routine is somewhat like this: At the NCA from 9am to 5pm, alternating between rehabilitation and training, the intensity of which is tailored to his recovery plan. Swimming, squash, basketball and wall climbing have also become part of his strengthening process to ensure monotony doesn’t creep in. For every three weeks of intense rehab, he spends a week at home or away from the NCA, “trying to distract myself from cricket”.Fortunately, he has had a big brother for support. A man fighting his own battles. It’s an unlikely friendship, but one Nagarkoti is thankful for. “I used to meet Wriddhi (Wriddhiman Saha) at the NCA daily during the lunch break. Over time, we both got used to the familiarity,” he says. “One day, we just spoke about dealing with injuries, our lives – a lot of it outside of cricket. I realised how has played for the country for four-five years and is still so positive at 35. I have no reason to feel depressed when I’m just starting out.”For three months, Saha and Nagarkoti frequented restaurants together – the occasional onlookers notwithstanding – played UNO cards in their room and watched movies. “After some time, I wasn’t alone in my room anymore, because Wriddhi wouldn’t allow me to be by myself in the evenings. Pooja Vastrakar, the India women’s fast bowler, was also in rehab at the time, and we all bonded together. It’s a great gesture from a senior player like him to be so welcoming towards his juniors when he himself was undergoing intense rehabilitation.”Nagarkoti has also been in constant touch with physios and coaches at Knight Riders. The franchise’s academy project is aimed at keeping open channels of communication with their uncapped Indian players even during the off-season.”The support staff is fantastic,” Nagarkoti says. “Venky sir (CEO Venky Mysore) knows what a player needs, so their support has been amazing. They have handled not just me but all young players with tremendous respect. You never feel you are only a youngster starting out. They trusted me and sat me down to explain I will be retained even when I was sent back after injury last year.”To him, his family and their sacrifice are often on the mind when his thoughts start getting negative. His father, a Subedar (a mid-level junior commissioned officer) in the Indian army, used his small retirement corpus to buy a one-bedroom flat in Jaipur to further Nagarkoti’s cricket career. These gestures have kept the teenager grounded. “My parents have just one advice: ‘try to make peace with your problem and work towards your end goal.’ I’ve waited for nine months now, I’m sure another four months will fly by in no time.”Nagarkoti jokes that he doesn’t remember his action anymore, but is focused on returning as a bowler and not one who has compromised on his speed because of his injuries. “When I return,” Nagarkoti says, “I will be the same Nagarkoti with a new OS.”

What does the former India captain bring to the role of BCCI head?

Nagraj Gollapudi24-Oct-2019In November 2018, Jayesh George, the secretary of the Kerala Cricket Association, sat down at Eden Gardens with Sourav Ganguly and discussed cricket. It was the first day of a Ranji Trophy match between Bengal and Kerala.It was a green pitch, George remembers. Kerala won the toss and their fast bowlers bundled Bengal out for 147 before lunch.George knew Ganguly from BCCI general body meetings, where Ganguly figured as the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) secretary in 2014 and then president late 2015 onwards.ALSO READ: ‘My biggest priority will be to look after first-class cricketers’ – Ganguly”In the fifth over [of the Kerala innings] Sourav told me, ‘You are going to win this match,'” When George pointed out the difference in experience between the sides, Ganguly said: “Look, if Bengal were able to reach 200 or 220 runs then it would have been different. Now what they will try to do is try to get [Kerala] all out for around 120-130, and might end up bowling some loose deliveries.”And so it turned out. Mohammed Shami conceded 100 runs in 26 overs, Jalaj Saxena made 143 for Kerala, and they ended up winning by nine wickets. George remembers being impressed by Ganguly’s reading: how the Bengal players might stray from the basics.Ganguly often has that effect as a leader and thinker in cricket. On the field he was a visionary, and a captain who could grasp the essence of a player quickly and help him use it in a positive fashion. Those qualities will come in handy as he begins a new chapter in his career, as the 37th president of the BCCI.

The choice of Ganguly works for the BCCI in terms of the optics. An aggressive captain who earned respect from within the India dressing room and rivals alike, his aura remains intact more than a decade since he retired

He will be only the second former player to head the board, after the Maharaja of Vizianagram in 1954. Ganguly was the sole nominee for the position and was elected unopposed – as were all those appointed to the five office-bearers’ positions. One of them is George, who has been elected as joint secretary.***Ganguly emerged as the consensus candidate for the president’s job at an informal meeting called by former board presidents N Srinivasan and Anurag Thakur in Mumbai about ten days ago. Those two men had picked their horses to back for the top job, and Ganguly was likely not first choice for either. Srinivasan wanted long-term confidant Brijesh Patel, the former India opener and a veteran administrator at the Karnataka State Cricket Association, in the post. Thakur, a serving member of parliament in the Indian government, was thought to have supported the candidature of Jay Shah, the son of India’s home minister Amit Shah, known as the second most powerful man in the country after the prime minister, Narendra Modi.It was Shah who might have played the hand that tilted the scales, though not in favour of his son but Ganguly. On August 13, Ganguly flew to Delhi, where he met informally with Shah. Later that day he said to a group of reporters that he didn’t think he was a front-runner, while remarking on how alien he was to the way things worked in the higher echelons of the board.ALSO READ: Sourav Ganguly takes charge, promises new start for BCCIA few hours later, on the 14th, he was named the unanimous choice for the BCCI president’s job. Jay Shah would file a nomination for the secretary’s post.Ganguly said he was happy take up the new challenge, which he said was nowhere near the task that faced him when he took charge as India’s captain in 2000, in the immediate aftermath of the match-fixing scandal.The choice of Ganguly works for the BCCI in terms of the optics. An aggressive captain who earned respect from within the India dressing room and rivals alike, his aura remains intact more than a decade since he retired. “They wanted somebody who is more visible and high-profile,” a newly elected secretary of a powerful state association, who was present at the Mumbai meetings, says. “The current generation will identify with Ganguly.”If there was one thing everyone present at the Mumbai meeting agreed on, it was that Srinivasan could not be allowed to come back into power, even if indirectly. Srinivasan might have dared to field Patel against Ganguly, but the risk that the gambit would not pay off was too great, and Srinivasan was well aware there were several state associations that were ranged against him after he was tainted by association in the 2013 IPL corruption scandal.Along with veteran administrator Jagmohan Dalmiya, Ganguly launched a programme for Bengal’s players to get exposure to world-class coaching and experts’ advice•Getty ImagesWhat about Jay Shah as a candidate for president, though? The state association president quoted above says Shah was outclassed by Ganguly on knowledge of cricket affairs and ability to handle pressure situations. “Ganguly was the India captain. And in the last four years he has been an office bearer at the CAB. Jay Shah would have been completely exposed.”***Within three days of taking over as CAB president in September 2015, Ganguly rang Daljit Singh, the veteran curator and head groundsman in Mohali, who had at the time recently retired as the head of the BCCI’s grounds and pitches committee. Ganguly wanted Singh to help sort out the drainage at Eden Gardens, which was going to host two marquee games in the 2016 T20 World Cup – India v Pakistan and the final. He wanted to make sure fingers would not be pointed at CAB over the issue.The challenge at the ground through its existence was that the pitch and outfield did not stand up well to rain water.Singh told Ganguly they could re-lay the entire ground and install a sub-soil drainage system as a long-term solution. But that would mean closing the ground for six months or so. Ganguly struck down that idea because of the lack of time. Instead, they devised a fix using a coring machine, fine sand and organic fertilisers. It was a rush job but it worked. “Even if it would rain, the water would be absorbed quickly and there would be no lengthy disruptions,” Daljit said earlier this week looking back at the project.ALSO READ: ‘I’ll do it the way I know’ – Sourav GangulyAnother feather in the cap of Ganguly the administrator was Vision 2020, a programme launched in association with former board president Jagmohan Dalmiya to help young Bengal players get exposure and top-class coaching. Ganguly roped cricketing greats Muttiah Muralitharan and VVS Laxman, and fast-bowling coach TA Sekar, into the project. Although Bengal’s stock in domestic cricket has not risen significantly during Ganguly’s tenure at CAB, young players from the state, like Abhimanyu Easwaran, are now part of the pool of players shortlisted by the national selectors.Ganguly also left his mark on grass-roots cricket during his Bengal tenure. The duration of first-division matches organised by the CAB was increased from two days to three, the better to help players develop the mindset required for first-class cricket. Ganguly thought Bengal players lacked the patience and focus they needed to approach first-class matches session by session, and thought an additional day would help them become tougher mentally.

“He will hear everybody patiently and take it forward. Anything that will do good for the game, he will get it implemented. He will not budge. He will not bulldoze you, but he will get it done”Naresh Ojha, CAB vice-president on Ganguly

He also sought the help of corporates to employ players. And made the AN Ghosh Trophy, a limited overs first-division tournament, a corporate trophy.Naresh Ojha, who played for Saurashtra before moving to Kolkata, and has been CAB vice-president for the past four years, sees parallels between Dalmiya and Ganguly. “I have seen both men from close,” Ojha, who worked as assistant secretary at the CAB during Dalmiya’s tenure, said. “What I see in Sourav is, he is hands-on, has a lot of ideas. He has picked things up very, very quickly. He is calm, he knows what he is doing, and he knows what he wants to do.”Ojha says Ganguly’s charisma and aura are among his strengths. “When he started [as CAB president] he started individually connecting to every member – something I had seen Jaggu do long, long back. He took everybody in the loop towards the goal – how to progress, how to make CAB better, how to make Indian cricket better.” Like Dalmiya, Ojha says, Ganguly is not afraid to take hard decisions.”He is able to implement ideas quickly. And that is something he will use to prosper as BCCI president. He will hear everybody patiently and take it forward. Anything that will do good for the game, he will get it implemented. He will not budge. He will not bulldoze you, but he will get it done.”ALSO READ: ‘Here to make life easier, not difficult’ – Sourav Ganguly to Virat Kohli and Ravi ShastriGautam Dasgupta, a former office-bearer at the CAB, and right-hand man of Dalmiya, agrees. Dasgupta occupied various positions at the CAB, was joint secretary of the BCCI in the mid-2000s, and worked closely with IS Bindra, another former BCCI president. He knows what is needed to succeed in the top job. “Firstly, you need to be a genuine lover of the game. Secondly, we are a large country and every member wants your attention, so you have to listen to each and every one.”Dasgupta believes Ganguly’s biggest strength is his personality. “By the time he became CAB president, he became a good administrator and worked hard on development of the game and the infrastructure in the region. By virtue of his personality, CAB has definitely gained during his tenure.”It is possibly this charisma that draws heavyweights in politics at large to Ganguly. In 2015, he was a joint secretary at the CAB, which was not in the best of shape at the time; Dalmiya had been ill for more than a few years. Biswarup Dey, then the CAB treasurer, wanted the job of president. However, to everyone’s surprise, including Ganguly’s possibly, Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee stepped in and announced Ganguly as CAB president, with Dalmiya’s son Avishek replacing him as joint secretary.Top connections: in 2015, after Dalmiya’s death, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee intervened to announce Ganguly as the new Cricket Association of Bengal president•Getty ImagesAt his first media briefing in Kolkata upon becoming president-elect of the BCCI, Ganguly was asked whether he was planning a foray into politics at some point. He said he had no such thoughts. He will keep his benefactors close, though. On Monday he told the media that he would invite Banerjee to attend the second Test of the India-Bangladesh series, scheduled in Kolkata from November 22.***Each time he has spoken as president-elect Ganguly has said the BCCI has been in a state of “emergency” in the last three years under the supervision of the CoA. This is a reference to how the CoA has blocked the outflow of funding to state associations, saying that only those that are compliant can avail of the benefit.Virtually every state association has suffered from that stipulation. Ganguly’s administration will look to correct what they see as a wrong committed by the CoA. “Even after amending our constitution and framing it as per Lodha Committee reforms, they did not release the funds,” George says.ALSO READ: Conflict of interest a ‘very serious issue’, needs to be sorted – Sourav GangulyAlso high on Ganguly’s agenda will be ICC matters. Recently the ICC board approved its management’s decision to have eight global tournaments, including two editions of an additional one, in the next cycle of the Future Tours Programme, between 2023 and 2031. The BCCI’s chief executive officer, Rahul Johri, is known to have sent a note to his counterpart at the ICC, Manu Sawhney, saying it was not appropriate to rush through the decision on the additional tournaments without having worked out the bilateral series in the FTP.Ganguly has already made it clear that he wants India to retain its status at the top of the pile in the ICC, considering the country is the biggest market for the game and its sponsors. Srinivasan and Thakur, and a majority of the BCCI’s state associations, had strongly objected to the ICC’s new revenue model that was put in place in 2017, overseen by the ICC chairman Shashank Manohar, under which India stood to get US$400 million as its share of the ICC’s revenues in the 2015-23 cycle.

Ganguly will be keen on building a constructive pathway between the BCCI and the ICC, especially considering India will be hosting two World Cups in the next four years

Ganguly’s equation with Manohar will pave the way for the future of BCCI’s and ICC’s relationship over the next year. Both men share a rapport, though there was speculation in the media that in the 2004 Test match against Australia in Nagpur, where Ganguly, as India captain, wanted a spin track, Manohar, the head of the Vidarbha Cricket Association then, ignored him and asked the curator to prepare a green track.However, Manohar, as BCCI president, is understood to also have helped Ganguly plan his retirement back in 2008, when his form was brittle. Ganguly will be keen on building a constructive pathway between the BCCI and the ICC, especially considering India will be hosting two World Cups in the next four years.The biggest challenge for the new BCCI administration is the potential diminishment of their power by the recent reforms. The Lodha committee’s recommendations make it clear that the BCCI’s office-bearers need to work with the general body and the apex council in setting out general policy. That is a radical departure from the past, when the office-bearers did not just create policy but had the final say in most matters.Can Ganguly and his men work under the new structure? “Separation of policy and administration is the key to the reforms,” a senior official who has worked with various BCCI administrations for a couple of decades says. “Earlier the president or what the secretary said was the law. Now the office-bearers, including the president, do not have much powers. [The president] is one of the nine members on the apex council, where broad policy is decided. So the challenge is abiding by the [board’s] constitution.”Ratnakar Shetty, for long an administrator with the BCCI in the past, believes Ganguly has a “feel” for administration, having led the National Cricket Academy, the BCCI’s technical committee, and been part of the cricket advisory committee. “I feel as a policy-maker it is in your hands how you lead the board, and therefore your views are important, your inputs are important,” Shetty says. “And you have an added responsibility which is ensuring implementation of the ideas and getting that done through professionals.”Ganguly has about ten months left before he finishes six years as an office-bearer with the BCCI or one of its state associations, after which he will need to serve a mandatory three-year cooling-off period. That is not something he is overly concerned about. He has told his team their focus will be on cricket. That is how Ganguly believes he can put his best foot forward as he takes charge of the new BCCI.

During the Duleep Trophy in August, the 20-year old took time off to chat about batting, the importance of being calm and those who have played a big part in his formative years

Shashank Kishore12-Sep-20194:14

Who is Shubman Gill?

What has been your biggest learning been since the Under-19 World Cup?
I’m clear in my head that your game doesn’t change, it’s just the mindset that changes. At the Under-19 level, you are on level footing with every other player, whereas at the senior level, you face a lot of experienced cricketers. I can’t play with the same mindset because playing someone at 125kph and someone at 140kph is a completely different experience. That is where the IPL has helped immensely.How do you adapt?
It’s just about calculating the situations, assessing what the team needs, and how your decisions will affect or benefit the team at a certain time. You have to take risks at times. My mindset is such that I don’t think about what will happen if I play a certain shot and get out. You have to be calm to make decisions under pressure.Shubman Gill has been in good form for India A•Getty ImagesYou seem to be calm by nature. Has it always been that way?
I am calm, but it’s also something I’ve learnt from my father – he had the patience and calmness to keep throwing 200-300 balls in the nets when I was a kid. From my early days, Under-14 and Under-16 days, I’ve played a lot of days’ cricket, so temperamentally I adjusted to it very early. From there on, my mindset has been such that if I am set and batting on 100, I have to convert it into a big one, and shouldn’t play any loose shots. Then when I graduated to the Punjab senior team, I was glad to be able to spend some time with Yuvraj Singh and Gurkeerat Singh. They have guided me along the way too.What has Yuvraj’s biggest advice to you been?
He has been through so many challenges in his career, and his support and chats with me have been massively helpful. He’s spoken to me about keeping my focus on cricket and let other aspects of professional life (endorsements, player management) aside. Guidance is very important in these aspects. Yuvraj didn’t want me to sign with any player management company at the start of my career. He said ‘just go and play, forget about these things. I didn’t sign anyone.

I’m calm, but it’s also something I’ve learnt from my father – he had the patience and calmness to keep throwing 200-300 balls at the nets when I was a kid

How have your interactions with different coaches shaped you?
Before my age-group [days], it was mostly my father who doubled up as my coach. Then in age-group cricket, I was guided by Munish Bali. I’ve been fortunate to spend time with Amol Muzumdar sir at the NCA and Rahul Dravid sir at the Under-19 India level. Their experience and guidance has been valuable.What is your father’s biggest advice to you?
He likes to keep it simple. He doesn’t talk technique. He only tells me to not lose my focus. If I’m battling out a good spell, he says ensure you see it off so that when he’s tired, you’re there to score runs.Prithvi Shaw and Shubman Gill after India’s Under-19 World Cup win•Getty ImagesWhat’s your approach to batting?
I like to be aggressive but it is very important for one to understand as to what time you have to be aggressive and when you should temper your game and get through a spell when the bowler is on top.Which shot do you like playing the most?
I have a number of shots (laughs), but I enjoy the cover drive and pull shot.Are you thinking cricket all the time even when off the field?
I know you will have more bad days than good, so you have to be balanced. Sometimes I think a lot when I have had a bad day. On the field, you have to be switched on all the time. If you’d asked me this question two years ago, I would have said ‘yes, I think a lot’, but over time, I have changed.

Personally, before going to sleep the night before, I visualise, I imagine facing up to those bowlers and playing my favourite shots

Tell us about your ODI debut in New Zealand earlier this year.
I was very excited, but I was nervous too. But as I played the first ball, the nerves calmed down. When the team was announced, I was very happy to know I was playing finally.Do you use visualisation techniques?
Before every match, we have meetings where we analyse videos of bowlers we’re likely to face. Personally, before going to sleep the night before, I visualise, I imagine facing up to those bowlers and playing my favourite shots.How has the change in fitness and emphasis on yo-yo tests changed your outlook?
I’m getting to know my body really well. I didn’t have much knowledge about it earlier, like what suits my body may not suit someone else. Diet, fitness routines – knowledge about these things have improved tremendously.

Chelsea have now submitted a £1.4m bid for an attacking midfielder following a recent scouting mission, according to a report.

Blues plotting youth recruitment drive

Under the helm of BlueCo, Chelsea have maintained a heavy focus on bringing in talented young players, with Sporting CP’s Geovany Quenda and Dario Essugo becoming the latest additions to the squad last month.

As we approach the summer transfer window, it appears as though the Blues are set to continue stockpiling young players, with Real Madrid striker Endrick becoming the latest subject of interest, having submitted a £59m offer for the 18-year-old striker.

In terms of central midfield options, 21-year-old Barcelona ace Marc Casado is on the shortlist, with Todd Boehly plotting a £33m bid for the Spaniard, while breakout AFC Bournemouth star Dean Huijsen remains a target at centre-back.

The aforementioned targets all have experience in a major European league, but there have now been suggestions the west Londoners could also be willing to take a risk on more of an unproven quantity.

According to a report from Africa Foot (via Sport Witness), Chelsea have now submitted a €1.6m (£1.4m) bid for Malian wonderkid Seydou Dembele, who is currently playing in Qatar.

Scouts from a number of Europe’s top clubs have been watching the U17 Africa Cup of Nations, and Dembele has seemingly stood out above the rest, having impressed the Blues, Barcelona and Red Bull Salzburg.

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As the starlet is just 16-years-old, he will not be able to move to Stamford Bridge until he turns 18, should Boehly’s bid prove to be successful.

However, there are signs that it could be worth the wait, given that the youngster has been performing very well for Mali U17s, and he has earned the nickname of “Messi” from his friends.

Chelsea’s upcoming Premier League fixtures

Date

Ipswich Town (h)

April 13th

Fulham (a)

April 20th

Everton (h)

April 26th

Liverpool (h)

May 4th

Newcastle United (a)

May 10th

"Real talent" Dembele is one for the future

With the Malian unable to sign for Chelsea until he is 18, we won’t see him in a blue shirt anytime soon, but his displays for his country indicate he could go on to be a top player, with the report stating he has twice received Man of the Match awards at the U17 Africa Cup of Nations.

Not only that, but scout Felix Johnston has also given the attacking midfielder very high praise, describing him as a “real talent”, while also detailing that he is a “really nifty” left-footed number 10.

Understandably, the news may once again call into question the fact that Chelsea are stockpiling a huge number of young players, with Enzo Maresca’s squad at risk of becoming very bloated again in the future.

However, the move for Dembele is relatively low risk at just £1.4m, and he is showing very promising signs for his country.

Leeds United have now joined the race for a “phenomenal” striker who could be the “next Harry Kane”, but there could be competition for his signature from a Premier League club, according to a report.

Leeds stepping up summer transfer plans

Following the 2-1 victory against Preston North End on Saturday afternoon, Leeds are on the brink of promotion, with Sheffield United’s shock defeat against Plymouth Argyle leaving Daniel Farke’s side five points clear with four games left to play.

However, the fact that all three of 2023-24’s promoted clubs are set to be relegated from Premier League this season will serve as a reminder that Farke must strengthen his squad this summer, should his side achieve their aim of Championship promotion.

The Whites are now stepping up their summer transfer plans, and a £3.5m bid for Montpellier defender Modibo Sagnan is now being considered, with the 26-year-old viewed as a potential replacement for Maximilian Wober.

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There are also doubts over Illan Meslier, given that the Frenchman has made a number of costly mistakes this season, and Southampton’s Aaron Ramsdale is being eyed, with the Englishman available for around £25m due to a relegation release clause.

Not only are Leeds looking to strengthen in defence, but they could also look to bolster their attacking options this summer, with a report from TEAMtalk revealing they have now joined the race for Brighton & Hove Albion striker Evan Ferguson.

Ferguson was valued at £45m during the January transfer window, and the Irishman is attracting interest from the Whites and Everton ahead of the summer, despite a disappointing spell on loan at West Ham United.

West Ham’s loan agreement doesn’t include an option to buy, which means the race for the 20-year-old will be wide open this summer, and there is a feeling Brighton will be willing to sanction his departure.

"Phenomenal" Ferguson could be "next Harry Kane"

The Ireland international’s spell at West Ham hasn’t gone exactly to plan, failing to score in six appearances for the Hammers, but he is still very young, and it is clear he has a lot of potential.

The youngster has previously been lauded as a “phenomenal finisher” and “the Premier League’s next Harry Kane” by members of the media, while he has also been singled out for praise by the Bayern Munich striker himself.

Ahead of England’s clash with Ireland earlier this season, Kane said: “I think he’s a good player, he’s a great finisher and obviously he will be a threat for them tomorrow night. I appreciate good strikers who score goals and he seems to be able to do that quite well.”

Despite his recent struggles, Ferguson could be an excellent signing for Leeds this summer, capable of providing enough goals to give Farke’s side a fighting chance of avoiding the drop.

Tottenham Hotspur lost for the 19th time in the Premier League this season when they were hammered 5-1 by champions Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday.

Spurs took a shock lead on Merseyside when Dominic Solanke found the back of the net with a brilliant header from James Maddison’s corner, but it was not a sign of things to come for Ange Postecoglou’s side in the game.

Defensive frailties were on display yet again for the Whites on a dismal afternoon at Anfield, as Liverpool had 25 shots on goal and seven efforts on target.

The Daily Mail recently reported that Postecoglou is ‘likely’ to move on from the club at the end of the season, and results like this will not do his chances of keeping his job any favours.

Tottenham’s manager cannot be spared any blame for the team’s poor form this term, because they have lost 19 matches in the division, but he has not been helped by the performances of some of the players on the pitch.

Spurs have an incredibly youthful squad, with the hope that they will develop and improve over time, and that was on display at Anfield, as Archie Gray struggled.

Why Archie Gray has struggled this season

Tottenham reportedly splashed out a fee of £30m to sign the 19-year-old midfielder from Leeds United last summer, and it has been a difficult year for the teenager.

Gray made his 24th appearance and 15th start of the Premier League season against Liverpool on Sunday, and he is still trying to establish where his best position on the pitch is.

It was his fourth start as a defensive midfielder, to go along with five starts at left-back, eight starts at right-back, and 19 starts at centre-back due to the injury issues Spurs have had in that area of the park.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Gray, who played as a right-back typically for Leeds last season, has not had a settled position that he could make his own and deliver consistent performances in, which may be why his campaign has been fairly unimpressive on paper.

Appearances

24

Goals

0

Big chances created

0

Assists

0

Tackles + interceptions per game

1.0

Error led to shot

1

Error led to goal

1

Duel success rate

47%

As you can see in the table above, the England U21 international has failed to deliver much in the way of quality on or off the ball, with zero goal contributions and a below-average success rate in duels.

His first-half display against Liverpool before being withdrawn at the break was more of the same. Gray did not create any chances or register a shot on goal, and he only won one duel, whilst completing 80% of his attempted passes.

As you can see in the clip above, Ryan Gravenberch found it far too easy to hold off the midfielder to allow Alexis Mac Allister to fire in from range to put Liverpool 2-1 up.

It was a disappointing display from Gray, who is still learning and adjusting to Premier League football at the age of 19, but his fellow 19-year-old Lucas Bergval was even worse than him.

Why Lucas Bergval was even worse than Archie Gray

The teenage talent was selected alongside the Englishman for the trip to Anfield, leaving Spurs with a very young midfield despite having Yves Bissouma available and on the bench.

It was a difficult match for both Gray and Bergval, and that is reflected in their statistics, as the Swedish flop was even worse than the former Leeds man, notably taking fewer touches (43) than even goalkeeper Vicario (49).

Minutes

45

90

Pass accuracy

80%

72%

Dribbles completed

1/1

0/1

Possession lost

5x

13x

Dribbled past

0x

1x

Ground duels won

1/1

5/8

Interceptions

2

1

As you can see in the table above, the Sweden international was far more wasteful with the ball at his feet, completing a lower percentage of his passes, failing with his only attempted dribble, and losing the ball almost three times as much.

Bergval did win more duels than Gray but had a worse success rate and was dribbled past once, in what was a disappointing overall display from the youngster.

Player ratings courtesy of Sofascore

Sky Sports commentator Gary Neville went as far as to say that his efforts to clear the ball from a corner for Cody Gakpo’s goal were “appalling”, as his weak headed clearance fell straight to the Dutch forward inside the box.

Going to Anfield to face the champions is never an easy task, and it was a big ask from Postecoglou to put Gray and Bergval in midfield together without an experienced midfielder alongside them, as they only had James Maddison, who is an attacking player by nature, around them.

That resulted in a poor evening for both players and Spurs, who now have to prepare for a first-leg clash with Bodo/Glimt in the semi-finals of the Europa League on Thursday.

Tottenham cannot afford for their midfield to be as below-par as it was against Liverpool, as this is their last chance to win a trophy this season, and that is why Postecoglou must ruthlessly ditch Bergval from the starting XI for the clash with the Norwegian outfit.

Bissouma was an unused substitute against Liverpool on Sunday and may, now, be in contention to come back into the side after Gray and Bergval’s disappointing performances in the middle of the park.

The former Brighton & Hove Albion man has averaged 3.1 tackles and interceptions per game and won 61% of his duels in the Europa League so far this term, which suggests that he could provide some steel at the heart of the midfield on Thursday night.

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It is now down to Postecoglou to drop Bergval from the starting line-up in order to make room for Bissouma to come back into the team against Bodo/Glimt.

Arsenal have made one “top” player an offer to join them this summer, after new sporting director Andrea Berta helped to sway Mikel Arteta into a summer switch-up.

Mikel Arteta reacts as Arsenal lose Champions League semi-final to PSG

The north Londoners will end 2024/2025 without any silverware, which comes as a real disappointment for Arsenal after they were widely tipped to end their 21-year wait for a Premier League title at the beginning of the campaign.

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A combination of debilitating injuries and their failure to put teams away, with Arsenal chalking up more draws than any other side in the top ten apart from Brighton, has resulted in Arteta’s side ending the domestic campaign empty-handed.

Arsenal sparked brief hope that they could make history by winning their first ever Champions League crown, especially after their statement 5-1 aggregate win over 15-time European champions Real Madrid in the quarter-finals.

Liverpool (away)

May 11th

Newcastle United (home)

May 18th

Southampton (away)

May 25th

However, they were eventually outdone by Ligue 1 champions PSG in the semis, with their lack of ruthless finishing, alongside Gianluigi Donnarumma’s heroics, ultimately crushing Arsenal’s European dream.

“It’s probably difficult with words,” said Arteta on Arsenal’s emotions after being knocked out of the Champions League.

“The work that we put [in], the enthusiasm, the belief and whatever happens, you come here, and you do what we’ve done, it’s the first time for 95% of these guys because they’ve never played a semi-final. To do what they did in Paris today against this team is remarkable, but the fact is that we are out, and we want to improve, and we want to win it. We can never look back on it yet, but if we did or whatever, it’s just, why is it still on us to reach that and unlock that door to get to the final and then actually win it? And that’s the way it might be.”

Arsenal make offer to Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap

Now that Arsenal will be ending 24/25 without any silverware, attention is continuing to turn towards the summer transfer window and how they’ll prepare for next campaign, in a bid to go again.

It is no secret that Arsenal are targeting a goalscoring striker, and it is believed by some media sources that Berta is making serious progress on a move for Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres.

However, as per Football Transfers, Ipswich Town star Liam Delap could now join the Sweden international.

They report that Arsenal could bring in two centre-forwards, one to lead the line as a starter and one to work as an understudy. Gyokeres would arrive as the star front man, with Delap coming in as a back-up option to the 26-year-old.

The Englishman, who has a £30m release clause, has been made fully aware of this by Arsenal, who’ve also outlined exactly how they’d utilise him next term. Berta is also prepared to pay the 22-year-old’s clause, just one year after Ipswich signed him from Man City.

Football Transfers also state that Arsenal have made an offer to Delap and his representatives, coming after Berta “successfully convinced” Arteta to change their transfer strategy this summer.

Delap has been a rare bright spark for Kieran McKenna’s relegated side, bagging 12 goals in all competitions, with pundit Paul Robinson calling him a “top player” and an absolute “nuisance” to deal with.