All posts by n8rngtd.top

Going away from the game has helped him come back with a clearer mind and surer feet

Daniel Brettig04-Feb-2020Glenn Maxwell insists he is better equipped to handle the short-pitched bowling he can expect to face on his return to Australia’s ODI team for the first time since last year’s World Cup, having refreshed his mind and renewed his outlook after taking a much-publicised mental health break at the start of the summer.Back in October, Maxwell was not “getting a lot of enjoyment out of his cricket” in the words of national team coach Justin Langer, and gradually found a way back through time at home, club cricket, a Big Bash League campaign as captain of the Melbourne Stars, and now a recall for both the T20I and ODI squads to travel to South Africa later this month.The sorts of pitches and bowlers Maxwell can expect to face across the Indian Ocean are very relevant to the technical and tactical challenge he faced in improving his play against the short stuff, something that Langer had, in typically blunt and honest fashion, spoken publicly about at the back end of a World Cup campaign in which the 31-year-old had failed to exert the sort of influence his outrageous talent demanded. A clearer mind and surer feet should help, as they have done during a BBL the Stars are still fighting to win.”I think I’ve shown during this BBL that it doesn’t really faze me that much at the moment,” Maxwell said of the short ball. “I know that in one-day cricket you get a few extra bumpers an over, that’s fine. But it was probably something I did need to address, and when you have so much scrutiny it can be quite wearing on you. You’re trying hard, trying to find a way to fix it.”I was well aware that I felt confident against the short ball, I knew I kept on getting out but I felt confident against it, so it was sort of a Catch-22, when you try to take it on and getting out to it. I just feel like I’m a bit better at being able to deal with it, choosing which ones to score off and which ones to play, and that does come back to being a bit more still and being able to make a more calculated decision at the crease.”It is probably as simple as getting back to trying to be as still as possible. There might still be some movements but there’s not as big a pre-movement, there’s not as much anxiety around trying to get myself off the mark or get into the game, it’s just being a bit more calm and just remembering the sole focus is to watch the ball and deal with it as best you can.”That calm, focused attitude applies to the season as a whole as much as it does to every ball Maxwell faces. He stressed that he had perhaps looked too far ahead during 2019, creating mental hurdles for himself that did not necessarily need to be there, and subsequently resolved not to worry about Australian selection until it actually took place.”I wouldn’t say I pencilled anything in this year,” he said. “Last year and where I got to mentally, I probably thought ahead a lot, I thought deep into the future and all of a sudden you stop thinking about the now. I’ve literally just been going – as bad a cliché as it is – one game at a time and just making sure I’m putting 100% of my concentration and energy into the next game that I play and I think that’s been showing dividends.”With guys being more open and more honest, being able to actually have the honest conversation that I’m not feeling right, not feeling ok and it being accepted that it’s ok to feel that way. You still need the support behind you from all the boards to grant you the time away and to have that time to get yourself right. It is nice that other cricketers around the world are accepting and supportive of people in that space.Glenn Maxwell hasn’t played ODI cricket since the 2019 World Cup•Getty Images

“I knew if I could get things right that I had a game that’s good enough to play at any level and when you’ve got so much going on behind the scenes and in the back of your mind or whatever it might be, to finally clear that away and just concentrate on the things that matter is a sign that it was the right move.”Maxwell will be welcomed back into the Australian set-up, not only the T20I side in which he has always been a central performer, but also the ODI line-up, which is being put together with a longer-term view in mind – the next World Cup in India in 2023.”I’ve always felt extremely comfortable in that T20 side and I feel like I’ve performed extremely well especially over the last three or four years in that squad and been able to get a specific role in that side and be quite welcomed in the way I go about that role, bat No. 4 for Australia,” Maxwell said. “The one-day side there’s been a bit more of a shift and I’ve been up and down the order a fair bit, but the reason behind this is a bit more of a spot on role that they want me to play.”I think I’ve come back a fresher player, being able to work out things off the field and get mentally right to perform and play well without any sort of mental scars going on behind and just be able to concentrate on the things that actually matter.”Hopefully a far better prepared one and a far fresher one and I’ve got a really good understanding of what I need to do to be successful and how to bat well. I feel like I’ve shown that on numerous times during this BBL, I’ve been able to think my way through situations and be quite calm in different positions and hopefully I can bring that to the Australian side.”

India’s own Rocket Man has finally turned up on the tour during which the sun has gone down fairly rapidly on India’s No.1 Test ranking

Sharda Ugra in Northampton03-Aug-2011The Indians have nearly sold out their two-day practice match at the County Ground in Northampton on August 5 and 6, but they still won’t be the town’s biggest act this summer.Like India’s chances of a series victory in England that too has, in fact, come and gone.On June 25, nearly 15,000 packed into an open-air Elton John concert, live from the outfield, at the venue where India will attempt to repair form and reputation this weekend. John was on his Rocket Man world tour and, among many of his other hits, he also sang “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me.” The Indians could well adopt it as their theme song when they take to the ground on Thursday after a thumping defeat in the Nottingham Test.In what is an outside chance of a complete turnaround, India’s own Rocket Man has finally turned up on the tour during which the sun has gone down fairly rapidly on India’s No.1 Test ranking. Virender Sehwag’s arrival in England on Wednesday coincided with the double-whammy that both Harbhajan Singh and Yuvraj Singh are out of the Test series, both injured during the Nottingham Test.When, after the Lord’s defeat, MS Dhoni said that all that could go wrong did go wrong during that Test match, he didn’t know he was presenting himself as the ultimate optimist. Lord’s was merely a prelude to the tailspin that was Nottingham.It has been a downhill series: India’s strike bowler pulled up with an injury in the first session of the first Test and their strike batsman has arrived at a time when the series can only be saved.It is not a bad target for a counter-attacker like Sehwag to sink his teeth into. At the same time it could be just what Gautam Gambhir needs to feed off as he pushed for a return in time for Edgbaston a week from now.The two-day practice match could be just the tonic India need, but only if its convalescing cricketers are recovering at the speed they need. Sehwag is coming cold off shoulder surgery, Gambhir off a still-swollen elbow while airlines now only let Zaheer onto a plane if his hamstring is strapped up in bubble wrap and marked fragile.The Northampton County Cricket Club is promising a turn for the better for the visitors. Their hospitality and weather will be warm. Their pitch will be … okay never mind. At least Zaheer has also been promised a better return to Northampton than when he played for Worcestershire in 2006. The track has changed from its subcontinental avatar to a green but they say generous seamer.Deputy head groundsman Paul Taylor says it is far from Nottingham redux. Taylor was quick to point out that the grass cover was “different to Nottingham’s. It has a more even covering, there won’t be tufts of grass.” Northants Cricket CEO Mark Tagg pointed out that the county ground had received ECB commendations for the quality of their pitches following a complete overhaul in the middle of the last decade. Taylor says, “We used to have pitches rather like subcontinental tracks. Grassless, where on windy days you could see dust flying, which helped our spinners.” That was the time Anil Kumble became the highest wicket-taker of the 1995 county season with 105 wickets for Northamptonshire, 64 at home, 41 away. Until recently, Monty Panesar and Graeme Swann turned out together for the county until 2005.Over the last five years following renovation, however, the pitch has changed character and now suits the quicker men. The overseas players expected to turn out for the practice match over the weekend is left-arm swing man, Chaminda Vaas, so Zaheer will at least have good company. Taylor says, “This wicket is very different from what Zaheer would have experienced with Worcester. It did not carry through much then, but this is a wicket is now true.” As far as the batsmen go, Taylor says that considering Northampton’s own progress – they lead the Division 2 county table – the top batsmen have not really prospered but, “it is the Nos. 7 to 9 that are averaging 55, I would say if you get in, you can score very quickly indeed.”At Lord’s and Nottingham, India’s new generation batsmen have struggled precisely in that simple skill: getting in and staying there. There is however something they must leave behind, according to former captain Sourav Ganguly: the debris from the past two weeks. When he was asked by TV channel what he would have said to his players if he were still captain, Ganguly said, “Get away from the game in the next two days. Every individual player, get away from the team. Take a walk down the road, have a dinner on your own and evaluate, where do I stand? How have I done in this series, where can I get better?… Talk to yourself and say how can I get better? Because that’s the only way the team can get better.”Ganguly’s is sound advice but unlike Nottingham, where the team lived in the city centre, in Northampton the team hotel is closer to a motorway out of town and a golf course. Naturally, there were few sightings of solitary Indian players walking around in deep introspection on Wednesday evening. There’s a far better chance that they took turns in walking up to Sehwag and saying by God, it was good to be seeing him again.

Video footage in West Indies’ third ODI against Afghanistan showed him using his thumbnail to scratch the ball

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Nov-2019West Indies batsman Nicholas Pooran has been banned from four T20Is after being found guilty of attempting to change the condition of the ball during West Indies’ third ODI against Afghanistan on Monday.Pooran admitted the charge, which deals with a breach of level 3 of the ICC’s Code of Conduct, and accepted the sanction proposed by match referee Chris Broad. He had violated Article 2.14 of the code, which relates to “changing the condition of the ball” after video footage showed him scratching the surface of the ball with his thumbnail.Pooran will now miss West Indies’ three-match T20I series against Afghanistan and the first game of their subsequent three-match series against India. He will also have five demerit points added to his record. The earliest he will be available to play for West Indies is the second T20I against India, on December 8 in Thiruvananthapuram.The charge was levelled by on-field umpires Bismillah Shinwari and Ahmed Durrani and third umpire Ahmed Pakteen as well as fourth umpire Izatullah Safi.Calling his act “an extreme error in judgement”, Pooran said he accepted the penalty while promising this incident was a one-off.”I want to issue a sincere apology to my teammates, supporters and the Afghanistan team for what transpired on the field of play on Monday in Lucknow,” Pooran said in a statement issued by Cricket West Indies. “I recognise that I made an extreme error in judgement and I fully accept the ICC penalty. I want to assure everyone that this is an isolated incident and it will not be repeated. I promise to learn from this and come back stronger and wiser.”West Indies had completed a 3-0 sweep against Afghanistan in the ODIs, winning the third game by five wickets with eight balls to spare. Pooran had a successful series with the bat, and was the Man of the Match in the second game for smashing 67 off 50 balls. He was likely to have kept wickets for West Indies in the T20Is, but they have Denesh Ramdin in the squad as back-up, and the 34-year-old will now get to add to his 68 T20I caps, the last of which came a year ago, in November 2018.

New Zealand Cricket will be cutting costs by around US$ 3 million and, as a result, the country’s professional players will have to wait until 2015 to receive part of their salaries for the next financial year

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Jun-2011New Zealand Cricket (NZC) will be cutting costs by around US$ 3 million and, as a result, the country’s professional players will have to wait until 2015 to receive part of their salaries for the next financial year. The appreciation of the New Zealand dollar in relation to the US$ – the currency in which a significant amount of NZC’s revenues are paid – and poor gate receipts during Pakistan’s tour have led to a drop in projected income for the financial year ending July 31.The deferment in pay falls within the purview of an eight-year agreement signed between NZC and the New Zealand Cricket Players’ Association in which the parties follow a ‘risk and reward’ model whereby players earn a significantly greater income during economically lucrative times, but absorb the shortfall during recession.”We are looking in the region of trying to claw back about $3 million in cost savings. Ideally, we’d do it through driving additional revenue but the US dollar rate doesn’t help us and the market internationally is tough,” NZC CEO Justin Vaughan told the .However, irrespective of how good or bad the revenues are, a significant amount, as per the agreement, is allocated each year to the development of the game at the grassroots.Heath Mills, the CEO of the players’ association, said that while players were disappointed with their deferred pay, they understood it’s a part of the agreement.”One of the key tenets of the master agreement, which we are very committed to upholding, is that when the game does well, the professional game – particularly the players – benefit and get a far greater share of the upside,” Mills said. “But the quid pro quo is that when the game hasn’t gone so well and the revenues aren’t what we expect, then the professional game and the players need to pick up the shortfall.”The amateur game – the grassroots level of the sport – has its funding protected now as part of the agreement.”We have been working with NZC to highlight areas in which cuts can be made for the next financial year without unduly affecting the professional cricket programme or the ability to retain players. A number of those cuts occur around the player payment pool.”From a player’s point of view, while it’s disappointing, we understand that it’s the nature of the deal.”Mills said it was the players’ duty and obligation to keep the partnership with NZC alive and expected the situation to improve from 2013 onward.

Yuvraj Singh said it was tough keeping his emotions in check during India’s quarter-final at Motera because he had been dreaming of playing Australia in a crucial match for a year

Nagraj Gollapudi at Motera24-Mar-2011″For the first time in my life there have been claps in a press conference. I am sure this is a special moment for me, guys.” Yuvraj Singh made a telling opening statement. The whole media room was in splits. For the next 17 minutes Yuvraj played the role of entertainer effortlessly, his answers laced with wit and charm.It was difficult to imagine the man sitting there as the same one who had fought doubts, conditions and the formidable Australian fast bowlers and stood tall and strong for one-and-a-half hours to eventually take India into the semi-finals. Still, it was not entirely a surprise; Yuvraj has now been named man of the match in four of India’s seven matches so far this World Cup, so he must be getting used to it.”I’ve been batting really well since the England game,” Yuvraj said. “The plans are working for me: trying to work till the end, trying to hit the ball down the ground into the gaps. I just kept telling myself to bat till the end, stay till the end.”With 12.3 overs left, 74 runs required and just one specialist batsman in Suresh Raina for support, Yuvraj was left to hold the Indian innings together and take it past the finish line. The Aussies were steadily closing in, having picked up the wickets of Gautam Gambhir and MS Dhoni in quick succession.Yuvraj had come up with an all-round performance in India’s 80-run victory against West Indies last Sunday. His 113 in that match was his first century since June 2009. It was a knock of determination, as he fought hard to stay on his feet in the Chennai heat while suffering from dehydration; he even threw up a few times while batting. Later in the evening he returned to pick up two wickets to expedite the Indian victory.Even in the earlier matches in the tournament, he had restrained his attacking instincts admirably to stay put, and brave India through tense moments in victories against Ireland and Netherlands after the main batsmen had lost their way easily. Coming into the quarter-finals, Yuvraj had run the whole gamut of experiences, which only helped him survive the high-pressure situation at Motera, which he said had drained the players both mentally and physically.Yuvraj Singh kept his emotions in check till the final runs were scored, after which he let out a victory roar•AFP

On Thursday, he turned up match-fit and was one of India’s best bowlers with two top-order wickets and followed it with an unbeaten 57, an innings he described as one he had built in his dreams exactly a year ago. “The emotions, I really can’t explain them, because it was tough out there. From last year I have been dreaming of playing Australia in a crucial game. I don’t know why Australia; probably because they are three times world champions. I’d been thinking about this moment for the last 365 days and it actually came true. I just believed in myself, I envisioned that moment from time to time: me staying there till the end and hitting the winning runs for India. So it is a very emotional moment for me.”There were a few jitters, especially the child-like indecisiveness between him and Gambhir while going for tight singles. Gambhir fell victim to one such moment of confusion and was run out. Yuvraj accepted his role in the mix-up. “It was a bit of a mishap with Gautam. We haven’t batted too much together and the running between the wickets was just out of order. And I think it was my mistake and I apologise.”It was not an isolated incident, as there was immense pressure on both teams. Experienced hands like Brett Lee failed to come through when Yuvraj and Raina began turning the screw on the Australians, at the start of the final eleven overs of the match. Lee had taken the wicket of Dhoni in his previous over, but in the 40th, the pair took him to the cleaners, with Yuvraj hitting two scorching boundaries.In the next over, Shaun Tait was wayward and gave away 13 runs. Those two overs proved to be one of the catalysts of India’s win, but Yuvraj said it was not a planned counterattack. “It was very difficult to control the emotions because the heartbeat was racing in the pressure situation. If we made one mistake in a situation like today we would be out of the World Cup. Various thoughts run through your mind, but I decided that I would only watch the ball, keep it simple and as far as possible not hit in the air. Unless the asking rate peaked to seven-and-a-half, only then I would go for the big hits; till then I would hold back.”Yuvraj revealed that there was a driving force behind his recent success, a person he will unveil if India make the final on April 2. “I am playing this tournament for a special person. That special person always comes into my mind whenever I am in a pressure situation. Hopefully it will work out in the end.”Not only was he a bit secretive, he even turned philosophical about his good work against Australia. “You have a lot of thoughts [in the mind while batting] but whenever you want to desperately do it for your country and your team it somehow works out. It is great it is working at the right moment in the World Cup. It is a great victory for us.”Yuvraj had planned for every eventuality. On the eve of the match, he was the last batsman to face throwdowns from coach Gary Kirsten. Yuvraj knew the Australians would fire a lot of short-pitched stuff at him to unsettle him. “I just wanted to concentrate on hitting everything down the ground while leaving out the short balls.”That planning came to fruition on Thursday. He checked his shots and emotions till the victory stroke was unleashed. Once the job was done, he came crashing and sliding down on his knees, the way football players rush to the flag after scoring a goal. Then he let out a victory roar. A little later, he trotted out the jokes.

Dean Elgar and Farhaan Behardien put South Africa A into a very strong position on the first day of the second Test against Bangladesh A at Pietermaritzburg

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Apr-2011
ScorecardDean Elgar and Farhaan Behardien put South Africa A into a very strong position on the first day of the second Test against Bangladesh A at Pietermaritzburg.Elgar closed unbeaten on 120 with Behardien not out 75 as their 147-run third wicket stand broke the back of the tourists after two quick wickets had given them hope.Jacques Rudolph won the toss and chose to bat first and South Africa A were immediately on top as Shahadat Hossain leaked runs. Having reached 79 without loss Noor Hossain trapped Andrew Puttick in front for 29 to give Bangladesh A some much-needed relief. Mohammad Ashraful then removed his opposite number, Rudolph, for 1 and the tourists were back in it.But Elgar and Behardien could not be removed. Instead Elgar struck 15 boundaries and a six in his 194-ball stay and Behardien seven fours in his 116-ball knock.

Seamer hopes blend of young stars and T20 know-how can help Nottinghamshire to second Blast win in three years

Matt Roller20-Sep-2019Only a handful of teams have managed to string together something approaching sustained success in the 17-year history of English domestic T20: Leicestershire (2004 and 2006), Hampshire (2010 and 2012), and Northamptonshire (2013 and 2016) are the only teams to have won multiple titles within a short period.But Nottinghamshire are well-placed to add their name to those that have gone before. After charging to the title in 2017, they have regenerated over the course of the next two years, losing the experience of Riki Wessels, Chris Read and Michael Lumb while bringing through Matt Carter, Ben Duckett and Luke Wood.On Saturday, they go into Finals Day as firm favourites. And while personnel has changed considerably since 2017, several constants remain. Dan Christian remains in situ as captain and overseas player; Alex Hales will hope to use the day as a platform to stake his claim for England re-integration; and Harry Gurney remains among the competition’s premier death bowlers.”It’s difficult to compare it to the 2017 white-ball teams,” Gurney tells ESPNcricinfo. “We probably had a little bit more experience then, with Brendan Taylor, Read, Lumb, those kind of guys. But this is certainly a very exciting group.”Never has a squad had as much depth as Nottinghamshire’s in the history of English domestic T20 cricket, and that much was evident in their quarter-final against Middlesex.They thrashed a side containing Eoin Morgan and AB de Villiers by ten wickets, with Steven Mullaney injured and Joe Clarke, Zak Chappell, Jake Ball, Luke Fletcher, Paul Coughlin and Ben Slater all left out. Even with Imad Wasim absent on Saturday due to a Pakistan training camp, they will still have a level of bench strength that only IPL sides can rival.”In our quarter-final we were back to batting how I’ve become accustomed to seeing Nottinghamshire bat over the years,” says Gurney. “We were so fortunate for a number of years to have so many destructive players, but with Nashy [Chris Nash] going in and hitting his first ball for four and really setting the tone – it felt sat on the balcony watching – a lot more like those years.””That depth is so important. To have someone like Nashy, who is in the top three run-scorers in the history of the competition, coming into the team and having the impact that he did is amazing.”And then having bowlers of the calibre of Luke Fletcher, Jake Ball sat on the bench, and Coggers [Coughlin] who was captain of Durham a couple of years ago – all of those guys would play in most teams around the country. It’s so valuable.”Dan [Christian] made a point about it in the changing room after the game – the way those guys have behaved despite not being in the starting XI has been really world-class, and that’s part of the reason that we’ve come together so well as a team and as a squad.”In that quarter-final, Gurney’s return of 2 for 44 from his four overs was unspectacular, but by dismissing Morgan in his penultimate over, he may well have saved his side 15 runs.”I’ve been slightly more expensive than I’d have liked this year,” he says, “but I’ve been picking up quite a lot of wickets. That is the key to reducing an opposition score, really – and that wicket was a good example of it.”He remains one of the more sought-after death bowlers on the T20 circuit, and it was no surprise to see him re-sign with the analytics-driven Melbourne Renegades for the 2019-20 Big Bash.Another similarity with the 2017 vintage is the presence in the side of a moving, living insurance policy. That year, Billy Root played ten games as a batsman, but only got to the crease four times; this season, Jake Libby has been picked nine times, but batted in only three of those matches.The logic is simple: with Christian and Samit Patel offering genuine all-round options, the presence of an extra batsman means that the explosive players in the side have less to fear about getting out, safe in the knowledge that there is a proper player behind them.”He’s been a massively underrated T20 cricketer in my view,” says Gurney of Libby. “If you look at his numbers, his average [33.54 over his career] and strike-rate [134.18] are very impressive. He bowls handy offspin, he’s a hell of a fielder, and his versatility with the bat is invaluable to a T20 team.””If you’re 10 for 3, having someone like Libbs to go in and knock it around and rebuild is incredibly useful, and at the same time he can also go in down the order and clear the ropes, or play spin very well.”Jake Libby plays a more important role for Notts than his one innings suggests•Getty Images

Libby’s role in the side is almost unique across sports; he is a player whose failure to exert any influence on a game demonstrates that his team-mates have been at their best.”He’s very versatile, a very handy cricketer,” says Gurney. “It’s frustrating for him fulfilling that role at times, because when things are going well he gets shoved down the order, but I’m sure he won’t complain if he’s got a medal round his neck on Saturday night.”On Finals Day, Nottinghamshire will play in the first semi-final against Worcestershire, who turned them over at Trent Bridge both this year and last, but Gurney is convinced that will count for little. “It can work the other way,” he says. “If you play against a team who you’ve had the wood over, you can start to overthink it, and wonder if they’re due to beat you. From a psychological perspective they might feel like it gives them a little bit of confidence, but I don’t think we’ll be short of that.”The other consideration for Gurney is that he has a poor record against two Worcestershire batsmen. In the past three seasons, he has bowled 16 balls at both Ross Whiteley and Ed Barnard; they have hit him for 39 and 34 runs respectively.”I’ll definitely trust my method against them,” Gurney says, “and the positive to take from a match-up like that is that you don’t go into a game taking anyone lightly. Maybe sometimes if you’ve got a good record against someone you can become complacent – there are games where you haven’t done your homework and think ‘I probably should have done’. That won’t be the case on Saturday.”And while the young players have caught the eye at times this year, Notts will rely on the experienced heads on Saturday. “There’s a bit of an adage that goes around in cricket: young players win you games, but experience wins you titles,” Gurney notes.If he is somewhere near his best at Edgbaston, that adage will be rooted in reality.

Graeme Smith and Corrie van Zyl were optimistic ahead of South Africa’s departure to the sub-continent for the World Cup, saying that they were well-prepared for the conditions and had a squad with lots of options

Firdose Moonda08-Feb-2011There was a band playing outside the Sandton Sun hotel where the South African team were leaving for the airport to head to the subcontinent. It was a typically African band complete with rhythmic drumming and shakers, and played a beat that captured a certain South African essence, the essence of a country that prides itself for living by the concept of – I am because we are.Ubuntu is also the name of Cricket South Africa’s latest campaign – a roadshow that is travelling to every province in the country to galvanise support for the national team. They’ve gone to all corners, even other sporting codes.The national rugby coach, Peter de Villiers and lock Victor Matfield, were at the farewell function for the cricketers last week. Today, footballers Ricardo Katze and Calvin Marlin presented Smith with a football for the team to play with when they need some downtime.There’s a massive sense of déjà vu to eight months ago, when the country was encouraged to rally behind the football team, Bafana Bafana, during the World Cup. Bands were heard in every shopping centre, at every fan park and even on random street corners. It’s their music which convinced South Africans that they were one, and CSA are hoping the beats can do that again ahead of the cricket World Cup. So far, it’s worked.”We’ve had so much wonderful support and the energy around the country has been terrific,” Graeme Smith said. “We’ll get on the plane today knowing that there are a lot of people behind us, and knowing that we represent those people, and hopefully we can do them proud.”It sounds like massive burden for the squad to bear, especially because South Africa are yet to win a World Cup. The expectation this time is slightly less than it’s been in previous years, perhaps because people are reluctant to hope too much, but the silent strain is still there. This team is still expected to do what has not been done before. “As an international sportsman, pressure is a part of your life, whether it’s walking down the street or walking out to bat,” Smith said. “If we can play some good cricket upfront and get some confidence going, hopefully this team can achieve some great things.”South Africa’s tournament begins on February 24 against West Indies, a team who, in the past, have enjoyed being a banana-skin side for them in the World Cup, beating them in the quarter-final in 1996 and in the opening game in 2003.South Africa don’t want to place too much importance on the match simply because it’s their opening game. “It’s important to get off to a good start in a competition like this but it’s not the be all and the end all,” Corrie van Zyl, South Africa’s coach, said. “If we are going to be really result-driven and worry about the outcome of that game, it may trip us.”The phrase result-driven made it into both van Zyl’s and Smith’s answers many times, and both were insistent that adopting the attitude of obsessing about winning will be dangerous. “Because of the history we are so worried about whether we will get past the quarter-finals or the semi-finals,” van Zyl said. “If we can keep our focus on each day, each game and all our processes, and focus on what what we are doing at present, it will take away that sort of pressure.” South Africa have reached the knockout stages in four out of five World Cups but have been unable to progress to a single final.This time their approach is different. Smith joked that the only way to prepare for the knockouts would be by “not preparing,” and that thinking of that stage of the tournament is “getting too far ahead of ourselves.” He said that the team simply wants to build up good form, starting in the first warm-up match on Saturday against Zimbabwe where “we can achieve our own goals and make sure everyone gets a run.”For Smith, it’s the last opportunity to achieve his goals as a limited-overs captain. Having led the one-day team since 2003, and will step down after the World Cup. He believes that the eight years of experience as a leader is now at its climax. “I am best prepared to lead the side in this World Cup. I would love to walk away knowing I’ve given my best.”van Zyl thinks the best really is possible, because the tournament is the culmination of “eight to nine months of work” in which South Africa have played one-day series in India, West Indies, and the UAE. “We were preparing for subcontinent conditions and strategies that will be applicable for those conditions. We’ve got a good squad with a lot of options.”He said this with the same sort of confidence that another man, Carlos Alberto Parreira, who was then the coach of the South African football team, used to have. Parreira and his team won the hearts of South Africans even though they could not progress to the second round. The South African cricket team will not have that luxury, but they may not need it because what van Zyl does have that Parreira didn’t, is a team that are genuine contenders for the title.

According to Italian journalist Fabio Santini, speaking to Il Prosecco as relayed by Area Napoli and translated by Sport Witness, former Premier League boss Maurizio Sarri ‘could go to train in the Premier League with Tottenham’. 

This big claim comes amid other reports that the favourites to succeed former boss Jose Mourinho on a permanent basis appear to be the likes of Julian Nagelsmann and Brendan Rodgers.

Spurs touted as possible move for Sarri

Other reports have even mentioned Graham Potter and Scott Parker as outside managerial candidates over Sarri, so it seems to be a complete free-for-all when it comes to predicting Mourinho’s permanent successor.

Recently, other claims coming out of the continent suggested that Levy had approached the ex-Chelsea gaffer, but reporters close to the club have since come out to deny those reports (Evening Standard).

Now, another Italian reporter has claimed Sarri is indeed a candidate – citing his sources as proof.

“I have two news about Napoli,” he told Il Processo, via Area Napoli and Sport Witness.

“I’m starting from the bad one: Maurizio Sarri, much loved by the fans, will not land in Campania.

“According to my information, the coach from Figline Valdarno could go to train in the Premier League at Tottenham.”

Transfer Tavern take

A winner in both Italy and England, winning the Europa League with Chelsea and the Scudetto with Juventus, he has absolutely no shortage of credentials.

He was famed for his brand of attacking play, dubbed ‘Sarri ball’, and he has also been described as ‘extraordinary’ by Chelsea midfielder Jorginho (Football Italia).

However, given he was at the Chelsea helm, he could be a controversial appointment for Spurs supporters.

Nagelsmann, on the other hand, plays a similar style of football and has been lavished with praise by both the media and his players for his ‘fearless’ approach to management.

For this reason, we believe the German boss should be targeted above all others, even if Sarri is an intriguing candidate.

In other news: Spurs confirmed this ‘amazing’ news, find out more here.

Sheffield Wednesday are set to lose one of their key stars this summer, according to reports…

What’s the word?

Football League World claim the Owls have given up hope of keeping hold of Adam Reach, with him out of contract at the end of the season and many of their Championship rivals circling with interest.

Promotion favourites Watford are admirers of the versatile 28-year-old, whilst it’s thought Cardiff City are another club that could tempt Reach out of South Yorkshire.

With Wednesday sitting seven points adrift of safety, it’s no wonder the club are resigned to losing out on some of their biggest stars.

Bad news for Moore

Reach has emerged as one of Darren Moore’s most-trusted starters, especially as he’s able to play in a wide variety of positions but in the absence of a true out-and-out left-sided defender, he has stepped up to the plate.

Despite “inconsistent” claims from Hillsborough legend Carlton Palmer, the former Boro ace has been a major source of goals in what has been a poor season across the board.

[snack-amp-story url=https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-sheffield-wednesday-news-transfer-rumours-and-recent-gossip” title=”Read this week’s latest Sheffield Wednesday news, latest transfer rumours and more!]

Only one other Owls player has managed to contribute more than eight goals this season (Callum Paterson, ten), so evidently, he’s crucial to Moore’s fortunes in the attack.

Reach is just two goals behind the trio of top goalscorers, whilst Barry Bannan is the one player ahead for assists, which is understandable.

Again, the 28-year-old wing-back rates out impressively for attacking returns, managing 1.2 shots and 0.8 key passes each outing in the league this campaign, via WhoScored.

It means he’s firing more shots at goal than centre-forward Jordan Rhodes and is a more creative influence than Josh Windass and Kadeem Harris.

Reach also offers leadership qualities, according to teammate Chey Dunkley, who told the official website earlier this season: “To me, Adam Reach is a leader when he comes up with something special.”

Whilst ex-caretaker Lee Bullen believes he has a major influence at either end of the pitch. “[Reach is] “so, so effective in the jobs he does because he does both attacking and the defensive roles brilliantly for the team.”

The £20k-per-week dynamo will be a big loss to Moore, and this update should worry him going into next season, regardless of if they go down to the third tier or stay up.

AND in other news, Imagine him and Iorfa: Sheffield Wednesday eye League One gem…