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England captain insists reversal of ODI retirement was ‘Ben’s call’

Vithushan Ehantharajah18-Aug-2023England limited-overs captain Jos Buttler left it to Ben Stokes to come out of ODI retirement and said “badgering” the allrounder would have been counter-productive to getting him back onboard for the upcoming 50-over World Cup.Stokes, the hero of the 2019 World Cup and last year’s T20 success, was officially drafted back into the 50-over set-up on Wednesday ahead of England’s title defence in India this autumn. He had originally retired from the format last summer due to what he perceived as an “unsustainable” workload because of his commitments as Test captain and a relentless international schedule.The 32-year-old had since waved away suggestions he would return to the format. He even highlighted the period between the end of the men’s Ashes and the beginning of a five-match Test series against India in January 2024 as the ideal window to sort out the chronic issue in his left knee that has hampered his ability to bowl in recent campaigns.Speaking on Wednesday after Stokes’ return was confirmed after missing 11 ODIs – including nine over a winter for which he would probably have been rested – national selector Luke Wright stated it was not a case of “needing to beg”. That sentiment was echoed by Buttler, who had been the selectors’ sole point of contact given his close friendship with Stokes.Having had the seed planted long before, Stokes reached out “a week or 10 days” after the Ashes concluded at the end of July to inform Buttler he wanted to return.”To be honest, it was Ben’s call,” Buttler said. “You all know Ben pretty well by now – I don’t think anyone talking to him would persuade him.Related

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“We had some conversations quite a while ago about it and just left it to him to come to me, basically, if he wanted to come back. We’re delighted that he feels ready to come back and any time you can welcome him back into the team is great.”Ben is very much his own man, he makes his own decisions. I’ve played with him for a very long time, I’m good friends with him. Me badgering him and saying ‘come back, come back’ is not really the way things work with Ben. He very much makes up his own mind and decides.”We had some conversations around it and just left it in his court. I’m sure the lure of playing in a World Cup is quite big for someone as competitive and as driven as he is to play in an England shirt. I’m delighted he felt up to it and could come back.”Stokes’ one-day record is arguably his best of the three formats, scoring 2,924 runs at an average of 38.98 across 105 caps and 74 wickets at 42.39. The latter figure, however, was not a consideration with Buttler reiterating Stokes will play solely as a batter.Moreover, his big-game prowess is invaluable as England look to make it three ICC limited-overs trophies out of four, having missed out on 2021’s T20 World Cup. Stokes was player of the match in the 2019 ODI final, when his 84 not out took England to a Super Over in which he batted alongside Buttler, with the hosts eventually winning on boundary count after the scores were tied. Last November, he marshalled a chase of 138 at the MCG against Pakistan with 52 not out as England became the first team to hold both men’s World Cups simultaneously.”I don’t think you need me to tell you what Ben Stokes brings to a team,” Buttler said. “It’s fantastic to have Ben back available. Any time a player of his quality is available again is fantastic. We’re delighted to welcome him back.”

England batter says days like Ashes opener are ‘what we live for’ after lengthy injury lay-off

Andrew Miller16-Jun-2023Jonny Bairstow admitted that the occasion and atmosphere at Edgbaston are “what we live for” as professional cricketers, after marking his first innings for England in nearly ten months with a run-a-ball 78 on a frenetic opening day of the 2023 Ashes.Though Bairstow made his return to the Test team against Ireland at Lord’s earlier this month, his innings on Friday was his first visit to the crease for England since breaking his leg in a freak golfing accident in September last year.He arrived at a critical juncture too, with England wobbling on 176 for 5 following the dismissal of Ben Stokes. However, he instigated another wave of attack in a 121-run partnership with his fellow Yorkshireman, Joe Root, and by the time he was stumped off Nathan Lyon, he had shown more than just a glimpse of his stellar form from 2022 than had made his recall non-negotiable.”It was great fun being back out there, to be honest,” Bairstow told Sky Sports. “It took a little bit of time to just get my rhythm, just to get my hands and my feet going. But I think when you come in off a lay-off like I have, that’s going to take a bit of time. But when you’re ready, you try and give it your best shot and, if it’s there to hit, you try and give it a whack.””Giving it a whack” was very much the order of another extraordinary day of England’s new-look Test approach. The tone was set by Zak Crawley’s blazing drive for four off Pat Cummins’ first ball of the series, and continued at such a chaotic rate that Stokes was able declare the innings at 393 for 8 after 78 overs, leaving Australia four overs to survive before the close.”Over the last 12 months, I don’t think that’s a change to what it’s been like, to be honest with you,” Bairstow said. “If the ball has been there to hit, the lads have tried to hit it. Sometimes you nick it, sometimes you miss it, sometimes you middle there. It’s part and parcel of the game that we’re fortunate to play.”The intent that the lads showed – from, obviously, Zak’s shot first ball of the day … I just heard it. I was like, wow, it’s like a cannon … it’s a stark contrast to when we were Down Under the last time.”So it’s been a good day. The crowd’s been amazing, the lads have been on good form, really enjoying it, and that’s exactly what we spoke about leading into the game.Related

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“The lads are out there with a smile on their face,” he added. “You can see that at the start of the day, whether it’s in the warm-ups, or that first ball, and right to the end.”International cricket is completely different to county cricket, and the occasion and everything is what we live for. And when your beans are going and your hands are going, that’s exactly what I love. That’s what it’s all about.”England’s typically high tempo of 5.03 runs per over meant that, for the fourth time in his captaincy, Stokes was able to declare England’s first innings inside 100 overs. However, with Root unbeaten on 118 and looking good for several more on a true wicket, it was arguably the most contentious closure yet. Bairstow, however, insisted the faith that this team has in each other’s roles means that they are confident that the bowlers will get stuck in on day two.”It was a bold call, it was a good call,” Bairstow said. “There will be conversations around it, but no-one likes going out there with 20 minutes and four overs, when you’ve got Stuart Broad and Ollie Robinson running in at the end of a day that has been a bit of a toil.”The biggest thing is being patient and relentless on a length,” he added. “They’re going hit the middle of the bat because they’re good players. But we’re able to build pressure through our fields, through the ruthless lengths that we’re able to hold, with the three guys [Broad, Robinson and James Anderson] that have got such a wealth of experience behind them.”Whether the pitch is flat, whether it’s swinging, whether it’s seaming, I’ve no doubt that the guys will be able to call upon all those experiences, and all those times that it has potentially been flat. We will turn up in the morning and we’ll see again. They had to start tonight, and they’ve got to start again, and it does take a couple of balls to get in.”With 11 wins in their last 13 Tests, however, England are riding a rare high in Test cricket, and Bairstow admitted that the confidence that that breeds could be critical for the rest of the contest.”There’s different pressures, but when you go in on the back of wins, and of people in some form, there’s a huge amount of trust within each other to go out and do their own jobs individually, which then collectively comes together as a unit.”Throughout the whole last 12 months, that’s exactly what it’s been about. It’s about trust in each individual to go out and play their individual way.”Such are the reasons why Moeen Ali was tempted back to Test cricket after an absence of 21 months. His first innings back was a predictably hard-swinging knock of 18 from 17 with two fours and a big six down the ground. And, on a dry pitch that has already earned Lyon four first-innings wickets, his most important role could yet be to come.”That’s the brilliant thing about Mo,” Bairstow said. “He comes in with that freedom and the thought process of, right, let’s go and try and change the game. Let’s go and try and win a game.”That’s the whole ethos of this team. How can we have those individual performances that enable you to go and win games? Not just go and compete, but go and actually take the game on, in order to put you and the team into a position that you can potentially force a result.”

Manchester United have begun to find their shooting boots in recent weeks. Goals have, at times this season, been an issue for the Red Devils, under both former manager Erik ten Hag and his replacement Ruben Amorim.

However, in their last two games, the 13-time Premier League champions have had more joy in front of goal. United have found the back of the net seven times in their last two outings, beating Real Sociedad 4-1 at Old Trafford, and Leicester City 3-0 away from home.

Things have begun to pick up for United on the goalscoring front in the last few weeks. It seems like they want to continue this hot streak in front of goal, and have been linked with a new striker ahead of the summer transfer window.

Man Utd's striker targets for the summer.

The Red Devils are not short of options in the summer transfer market when it comes to signing a new striker with Benjamin Sesko and Victor Osimhen said to be targets according to Sky Sports’ Florian Plettenberg.

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The reporter name-checks the two forwards as players the Red Devils are ‘closely monitoring’. However, they are also targeting Eintracht Frankfurt’s France U21 international Hugo Ekitike.

Plettenberg notes that Amorim’s side are ‘looking to strengthen their attack in the summer’, with 22-year-old Ekitike one of the names on their list.

At the start of March, a report from French outlet L’Equpie valued the striker at an eye-watering £67m, linking United’s rivals Liverpool to him.

It remains to be seen if this valuation will stick for United, but it could be tough to meet if they fail to get into Europe next season, thus reducing funds available.

How Ekitike compares to Rasmus Hojlund

It has been an outstanding season for French striker Ekitike. He is an all-round centre forward, who can score and create.

The young striker has 19 goals and eight assists in 38 games across all competitions and was described at the start of the season as “one of the most in-form attackers in Europe” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig.

Ekitike’s ability to link up with players around him could see him explode in Amoirm’s 3-4-2-1 system. He would be playing alongside two number 10s, flying wingbacks and Bruno Fernandes in his new deeper-lying role. He surely would not be short of service or players to link up with.

Should the Red Devils get this deal over the line, Ekitike could be a replacement for Rasmus Hojlund. The Dane’s form has been disappointing this season, with just eight goals and two assists in 39 games across competitions.

However, he did manage to get on the scoresheet in their last game against Leicester. It was a well-taken strike, too.

Fernandes clipped a ball over the top, with Hojlund bringing the ball under control, and driving his shot into the bottom left corner, across the goalkeeper.

Well, Hojlund’s form has certainly been a concern for United, and there is a report that Napoli could look to sign him this summer if the Old Trafford club decide to cash in on him. They are thought to want £50m for the striker.

If United do decide to sign Ekitike as a replacement for Hojlund, the stats via FBref from this season suggest it would be an upgrade. For example, the Frenchman averages 0.62 goals and 3.78 shot-creating actions per game, compared to 0.29 goals and 1.9 shot-creating actions per game for Hojlund.

Ekitike vs. Hojlund key stats

Stat (per 90)

Ekitike

Hojlund

Goals

0.62

0.29

Shots on target

1.51

0.72

Expected goals

0.73xG

0.31xG

Shot-creating actions

3.78

1.9

Goal-creating actions

0.61

0.13

Stats from FBref

As the goalscoring numbers, and the underlying stats, suggest, the sensational Frankfurt star would be a big upgrade on Hojlund for United. The Frenchman has been in superb form this season, and cannot stop scoring, which is exactly what United need to enhance their attacking prowess.

Even though the fee of around £67m is an expensive one, it could be the perfect investment for the Red Devils to take their goalscoring to the next level.

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Leeds United’s up-and-down March continued at Queens Park Rangers at the weekend as Daniel Farke’s promotion-hungry Whites had to settle for a 2-2 draw at Loftus Road.

When Leeds found themselves 2-0 down after half an hour, a draw come full-time would have been more than a welcome final scoreline, but Sheffield United are now level on points with the West Yorkshire side at the very top of the Championship due to this slight misfire.

Farke will just hope he can get more out of his star players between now and the close of the campaign, with a number of his vital first-team personnel suffering from a poor day at the office against Marti Cifuentes’ Hoops.

Why Leeds struggled against QPR

Whilst the likes of Ao Tanaka, Junior Firpo and Jayden Bogle stood out and impressed once more – with the full-back duo having a say in both goals – there were also a whole host of faces that struggled to get going versus QPR.

Indeed, Brenden Aaronson fell victim to yet another quiet showing, as the American attacking midfielder failed to register a single shot on the Hoops net while registering a timid 26 touches of the ball.

Away from Aaronson, Joel Piroe also put in a lacklustre performance in front of goal, with the ex-Swansea City striker unable to fire a single on-target effort on Paul Nardi’s busy net.

Piroe, who is the division’s second-top scorer with 15 goals, he is in a lean patch of form now having gone goalless across his last four matches. It’s not what you need at all heading into the campaign’s final few months.

Thankfully, these limp performances up top didn’t result in a defeat being tallied up next to Leeds’ name, but to gift Farke and Co even more firepower ahead of some crunch games, the German must be considering starting one of his most explosive talents.

£50m-rated star can help Leeds improve in the final third

There might well be some regret on Leeds’ end that they didn’t go all out and strengthen in January, particularly with some performances recently looking somewhat fatigued.

Regardless, there is an abundance of exceptional talent for Farke to pick from when everything is ticking along smoothly, with Wilfried Gnonto turning into an impact substitute now in Championship action.

The “electric” forward – as he was labelled by football statistician Statman Dave – has only started 20 of his side’s 35 second-tier games this campaign, but has still managed to register a sterling total of five goals and five assists.

While he perhaps hasn’t been at his free-flowing best this term, Gnonto offered Leeds a lot more than Aaronson in the forward areas at Loftus Road, with the £3.8m buy gifting the promotion chasers a livewire presence that helped Farke’s men to push on to clinch a share of the spoils.

After coming on, the Italian missed one big chance and won three duels from his memorable second-half cameo.

Gnonto’s overall Leeds numbers

Games played

110

Goals scored

18

Assists

12

Original fee

£3.8m

Value now

£50m

Value increase %

1215%

Stats via Transfermarkt

Proving himself to be a Premier League calibre performer in West Yorkshire too, with six of his Leeds goal contributions coming in the elite division, it’s fair to say that even if he’s not starting week in week out at the moment, Leeds struck gold when signing the diminutive attacker for that mere £3.8m fee, considering his valuation now stands at an eye-watering £50m according to reports.

That is an increase of 1215%, with the potential for Leeds to gain more for Gnonto than they managed when selling the likes of Archie Gray for £30m and Kalvin Phillips for £45m, further reinforcing the shrewdness of the original deal.

Before the 21-year-old considers parting ways, however, he will hope more goals and assists come his way as Leeds desperately attempt to return to the Premier League away from any wobbles in confidence seeping in.

In short, he now simply has to start games over Aaronson if Leeds are serious about securing promotion.

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Manchester United are in dire need of improving their poor form this season having now slumped to 15th in the Premier League, and although relegation seems unlikely, they are set for a record-low finish in the Premier League.

United’s most recent game saw them make their final trip to Goodison Park to face Everton. The Toffees were the better side for much of the 90 minutes, but United managed to claw back a 2-0 deficit to draw, thanks to an inspirational performance from Bruno Fernandes.

It was not just United’s captain who stood out, with new signing Patrick Dorgu also impressing.

Dorgu's time at United so far

The Red Devils made Dorgu the first major signing of the Ruben Amorim era at the back end of the January Transfer window. They signed him from Serie A strugglers Lecce, for £25m up front and a further £4.1m in add-ons.

So far, the wing-back is just three games into his United career. His debut came in the FA Cup against Leicester City, where he featured for the first half. He has also played two games in the Premier League, getting 90 minutes under his belt against Tottenham Hotspur and, most recently, Everton.

The Denmark international was certainly one of the better United players against the Toffees. The Manchester Evening News journalist Samuel Luckhurst was impressed by his performance, giving him a 7/10. He explained that Dorgu ‘has not been ground down by the pressure of playing for United’ so far.

Goals and assists will surely follow soon, too. Before his move to Old Trafford, the young wing-back scored three times and grabbed one assist for Lecce this season, showing his threat in front of goal.

In fact, that is as many goal involvements as a former United full-back, who perhaps Amorim wished he could call upon if he was still in his prime.

Former Man United star is now on par with Dorgu

There are plenty of former Red Devils stars performing well since leaving the club. One of the best recent examples of this is Antony, who has five goal involvements in six games since his loan move to Real Betis.

Well, another player who is doing well after leaving United is Ashley Young. Make no mistake about it, the former club captain was exceptional during his time wearing the famous red shirt, and only left in 2020 on a free transfer to Inter Milan, when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was in charge of the club.

The former England international made more appearances for United than he did any other club over his career.

He played 261 games, scoring 19 goals and grabbing 32 assists. Perhaps his best game came against Arsenal in the famous 8-2 win in 2011, where he scored two and assisted three.

The further he got into his United career, Young’s role in the side changed. He went from dynamic and tricky winger to marauding full-back, capable of playing either side. His versatility became key for the managers he had at Old Trafford.

Left midfield

74

12

10

Right-back

56

2

4

Left-back

55

1

7

Left-wing

29

3

9

Right midfield

20

0

1

Right-wing

6

0

0

Second striker

3

0

0

Central midfielder

2

0

0

Centre-back

1

0

0

Now plying his trade for Everton, Young also has four goal involvements this season, just as Dorgu does for Lecce. However, the former England international has one goal and three assists for the Toffees, playing as a flying full-back. At 39 years of age, the former United number 18 is still going strong.

It does make you consider how much Amorim would have appreciated Young this season if he was still at Old Trafford. Given the versatility of the former United skipper, the ability he has to whip in a deadly cross, and the fact he is still contributing to goals, he could have been an ideal wing-back.

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Pant vs Karthik is India’s major selection debate in a contest full of star-studded match-ups

Vithushan Ehantharajah09-Nov-20226:53

Key match-ups: Kumble feels Suryakumar will put Curran under pressure

Big picture
The self-anointed big boys of world cricket are going at it at the Adelaide Oval. The neutrals may struggle to pick a side, but one thing is certain – it will be a blockbuster occasion.Familiarity will breed competition in this instance, given what’s at stake. Just a few months ago these two sides spent a concentrated fortnight at one another’s throats, with India taking the T20I leg with a pretty convincing 2-1 series win. But things are different now, very much in a good way. Jos Buttler is a more accomplished captain, settled in the rigmarole of the job and his tactics. Meanwhile, Virat Kohli has rediscovered his mojo.England will feel they have an edge of sorts, what with two must-win games ticked off against New Zealand and Sri Lanka to get them out of Group 1. There is a renewed confidence about them as setters having long been chasers, to the extent that the toss may be academic provided evening dew is minimal.Related

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As for India, the only team to have won four matches in the Super 12 stage, the pressure to go on to a reunion with Pakistan at the MCG in Sunday’s final will be great, though no greater than what their players usually contend with. Quite apart from their obvious strength is a cerebral approach to their T20 work that gives them a unique edge over opponents before they have set foot on the park. Much of England’s public preparation has been on bigging that up while privately racking their brains to take them down a few pegs.The shorter square boundaries in Adelaide, as detailed in our Tactics Board, will play to the strengths of both batting line-ups. That no Englishman other than openers Buttler and Alex Hales have hit more than one six in the tournament speaks of a middle order that hasn’t quite come to the party. And while it’s tempting to say they are “due”, India will no doubt be focussing on keeping them quiet. One expects Sam Curran’s emergence as Buttler’s go-to death bowler will also face its sternest test against a side who are striking at 11.90 at the death.Wherever you look, there are match-ups that could be regarded as game-changing bouts. Don’t miss any of them.1:14

Watch: India tune up for the semi-final

Form guide
India WWLWW (last five completed T20Is, most recent first)
England WWLWWIn the spotlight
In a team of superstars, Suryakumar Yadav strides above them all as the man of this World Cup. No one has had a more profound effect on his team – and opponents – quite like this 32-year-old phenom equipped with more scoring options than Erling Haaland. The numbers he’s posted so far – 225 at a strike rate of 193.96 – are remarkable, the strokeplay drawing admiration from all quarters, even AB de Villiers who is the only one that springs to mind when it comes to the consistent destruction this man is serving up. Can he be stopped?Reliable with the ball, the usual excellence in the field and, against Sri Lanka, finally a score of note with the bat. Picking Ben Stokes in this section is as clear as the blue’s SKY. But in Dawid Malan’s likely absence, the allrounder is the only batter likely to hold the innings together and take things deep in the event of early losses. They say the big moments find him, and few come bigger than this.Team news
The only debate for India is whether to play Rishabh Pant or Dinesh Karthik. Pant can upset Adil Rashid being a left-hand batter but Karthik is the finisher who can hit from ball one. Also Pant will have Moeen Ali’s offspin to deal with. Going by India’s training session, it looks like Karthik will play, having engaged in keeping drills while Pant did not. It is touch and go.India (possible): 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 KL Rahul, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Suryakumar Yadav, 5 Hardik Pandya, 6 Dinesh Karthik/Rishabh Pant (wk), 7 Axar Patel, 8 R Ashwin, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 Mohammed Shami, 11 Arshdeep Singh.Neither Mark Wood nor Dawid Malan were fully fit at the time of the captain’s press conferences but England are willing to give them as much time as possible. Malan batted for a bit with one pad on, while Wood bowled about two overs max – with England understood to be ready to play Chris Jordan in his stead. It was notable that Phil Salt batted for a long period in the nets. Those changes in themselves will bring a degree of uncertainty given England have named unchanged XIs for their World Cup games so far.England (possible): 1 Jos Buttler (capt & wk), 2 Alex Hales, 3 Dawid Malan/Phil Salt, 4 Ben Stokes, 5 Harry Brook, 6 Liam Livingstone, 7 Moeen Ali, 8 Sam Curran, 9 Chris Woakes, 10 Chris Jordan, 11 Adil Rashid.In the possible absence of Dawid Malan, Ben Stokes could play a key role in holding England’s batting together•AFP/Getty ImagesPitch and conditions
Yes, this will be a used pitch, but it was last used on November 4 for the match between Australia and Afghanistan. The groundsman has assured Jos Buttler that he has had enough time to prepare what should not behave like a tired pitch. Buttler said: “I think having talked to the groundsman, his team is really confident that he’s had a lot of time to get some really good work into the wicket. He seems very comfortable that it’s going to be a really good surface and a consistent surface. At the moment I have no worries about the pitch.”For what it’s worth, the pitch for Australia vs Afghanistan started off slow and inconsistent in bounce, but it skidded on nicely at night. Afghanistan came close to chasing down 168. Chasing upon winning the toss might be a good idea, though much of the week leading up to this match has been quite hot so there might be more pace in this pitch. The forecast is fine, albeit with a morning shower predicted. Nevertheless, this should be an uninterrupted match.Stats and trivia
India have won their last four bilateral T20I series against England – two in England, two in India, all four by one-match margins. The two teams have not met at a T20 World Cup in this period, though. The last of their three meetings came in 2012, when a Rohit Sharma half-century and a four-wicket haul from Harbhajan Singh led India to a 90-run win in Colombo. In all, India have a 2-1 lead in T20 World Cup meetings. Virat Kohli needs 42 runs to become the first batter to 4000 in T20Is. Alex Hales, meanwhile, is 13 short of the 2000 mark. Quotes
“These guys are quite dangerous. They’ve played some really good cricket in the tournament as well, which is why they’re here. So we’ve got to be at our best to win the game.”
“Well, we certainly don’t want to see an India-Pakistan final, so we’ll be trying all we can do to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

نظم الاتحاد المصري لكرة القدم، ورشة عمل صباح اليوم السبت، من أجل تطوير مسابقات الناشئين في جميع المراحل العمرية والفئات والأقسام.

وشارك في أعمال اليوم المسئولون عن قطاعات الناشئين بأندية القسمين الأول والثاني، فيما تمتد أعمال الورشة إلى الغد بحضور مسئولي الناشئين بأندية القسمين الثالث والرابع.

وحضر ورشة العمل عن الاتحاد المصري وليد درويش عضو مجلس إدارة الاتحاد المشرف على تطوير مسابقات الناشئين، كما حضر محمد أبو حسين عضو مجلس الإدارة ومصطفى عزام المدير التنفيذي والكباتن حسن شحاتة ومحسن صالح وحلمي طولان أعضاء اللجنة الفنية وعلاء نبيل المدير الفني وسيد بخيت رئيس لجنة المسابقات وجمال محمد علي مدير إدارة المدربين وناصر فراج مدير المسابقات.

وأوضح وليد درويش عضو مجلس الإدارة في بداية أعمال الورشة الهدف من اقامتها الذي يتلاقى مع رغبة الاتحاد المصري في إعادة هيكلة مسابقات الناشئين لتخدم الغرض الذي تُقام من أجله.

طالع | “هناك مخالفة”.. بيراميدز يوضح تفاصيل شكواه للمحكمة الرياضية بشأن انسحاب الأهلي

وأضاف أن منهج اتحاد كرة القدم يرتكز على تطوير كافة عناصر المنظومة الكروية، وهو ما لن يتأتى إلى بالعودة أولاً إلى أرض الواقع حيث المسئولين عن قطاعات الناشئين في الأندية للوقوف على حقيقة مشاكلها لوضعها في الاعتبار لدى تطوير مسابقات الناشئين التي تمثل القاعدة الرئيسية والأوسع للكرة المصرية.

وأشار وليد درويش إلى أن جملة الآراء والمداولات التي استمعنا إليها سواء من نجوم الكرة المصرية أعضاء اللجنة الفنية بالاتحاد ومسئولي الناشئين بالأندية ستكون موضع توصيات سيتم رفعها إلى مجلس إدارة الاتحاد.

وكان مجلس إدارة الاتحاد برئاسة المهندس هاني أبو ريدة قد كلف وليد درويش في أول اجتماع له بدراسة وعرض موقف مسابقات المراحل السنية بكل مسمياتها.

Zimbabwe coach confirms Sean Williams will return for second ODI, but Blessing Muzarabani remains unlikely to feature in the series

Andrew McGlashan30-Aug-2022

Zimbabwe coach Dave Houghton is seeing encouraging signs that his players are learning how not to “freeze” against the strongest opposition, and hopes that the batters can put together a complete performance during the remainder of the ODI series against Australia.Having been put into bat, the top order – led by a career-best 72 from Wessly Madhevere after the openers had negotiated the first ten overs – built a solid if an unspectacular platform during the opening game on Sunday, as Zimbabwe reached 185 for 4 in the 43rd over before losing their last six wickets for 15.However, Houghton was buoyed by the performance after their recent displays at home had relied on runs from the middle and lower order, led by the prolific Sikandar Raza.Related

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“I’ve been quoted about fearless cricket,” Houghton said, Yes, we want to play fearless cricket; we want to see guys expressing themselves. I’ve seen these guys play franchise cricket, and I’ve seen what they can do; and [then] see them play international cricket, especially against these strong sides, and freeze a little bit. Somehow, I’m trying to take away that freezing.”For me, to see our two youngsters go out there against [Mitchell] Starc and [Josh] Hazlewood and get us 40 off the first ten without losing a wicket – that was a big plus for us. Now you can sit down in a team meeting and say, ‘Yes, it was a little different and a little scary going out first against these guys but look what you achieved. What can you do the next game and the game after?’.”It’s building blocks all the time. Tours like this don’t happen very often for us, so when you get the opportunity it’s a real learning for us.”Houghton was open in admitting that the skill gap between Zimbabwe and teams such as India and Australia is “huge”, but is focusing on ensuring the team move back up the rankings and compete with sides around them.He hoped that some of what the players learn in Townsville can be put to use in the T20 World Cup next month when they will return to Australia for the Group B qualifiers in Hobart with the aim of reaching the main draw.”The skill gap is huge between us, India, Australia and England – there’s no hiding from that,” Dave Houghton•AFP/Getty Images

In the more immediate term, Houghton wanted to see an improvement in the team’s fielding for the second ODI on Wednesday, recalling previous landmark victories and how it is an area Zimbabwe can compete in regardless of batting and bowling skill.”The skill gap is huge between us, India, Australia, [and] England – there’s no hiding from that,” he said. “Your batters are better than us, they’re more experienced, your bowlers are taller and faster than us. What we can do is field competitively, which I wasn’t happy about the other day; [I] thought we were lethargic and looked very jetlagged.”For us to compete with these sides and try to get a win against them – which we’ve done over the years with our giant-killing sides – every part of your game has to be right on song from the beginning. If we put a score on the board, [and] then bowl and field incredibly well, we can put enough pressure on sides [so] that if they aren’t quite on their game we can beat them.”Houghton suggested the batters may take a different approach to trying to finish the innings, having had trouble combatting the short deliveries in the first match, where Cameron Green bagged a maiden five-wicket haul.”What we talked about at the end of the game is how we get that last bit of our innings organised a bit better,” he said. “They were all trying to take it on but weren’t quite good enough at it, so is there another way? Can we ramp it a bit? Maybe, if we don’t hook, can we back away and cut?”These are all things for them to solve themselves, but we need to play the backend better which, for us, [is] a new situation. The games we won against Bangladesh – and when we did compete well with India – we got all the runs at the middle and back, and nothing at the front. So hopefully we’ll put both ends together at one stage on this tour.”Houghton confirmed that experienced allrounder Sean Williams would return after an elbow injury ruled him out of the opening match, and would likely replace a fast bowler. However, Blessing Muzarabani is unlikely to feature on this tour as he continues his recovery from a thigh injury with the focus on getting him ready for the T20 World Cup.

The season will start in October, and will also include the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield, Ford Trophy and Super Smash

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Aug-2022New Zealand Cricket has announced a full 2022-23 domestic schedule after the last season was hit by widespread Covid-19 disruptions. The season will start with the Plunket Shield in October – followed by the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield and Ford Trophy competitions – and will last for a total of six months till the end of March 2023.An NZC release said, “the formats and playing conditions for all competitions will largely revert to those employed before last season, although the provision to allow full substitutes for players who test positive to Covid-19 will remain.”Auckland will begin their Plunket Shield title defence against Otago at home starting October 18, in the first of eight rounds which will finish on March 24, 2023.The Hallyburton Johnstone Shield, won by Otago Sparks last season, will start on November 19 with the final scheduled for March 4, while the Ford Trophy, also lifted by Auckland last season, will commence on November 22 and include an elimination final on February 17, ahead of a grand final two days later.Both the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield and Ford Trophy finals will be played at the John Davies Oval in Queenstown. The Super Smash draw for men and women, starting December 23, will be announced at the end of this month.NZC’s GM cricket operations Catherine Campbell said the board and the six major associations had decided to retain the flexibility to react to any emergency situation – caused by Covid-19 or otherwise – and were hopeful of an uninterrupted summer.”We’re all looking forward to a full season of domestic cricket being played across the country, from Whangarei in the north to Queenstown and Dunedin in the south,” she said.”With the home international fixtures and the Dream11 Super Smash added, Kiwi cricket fans will have plenty to keep them interested, from the start of October to early April 2023.”In the international home summer, New Zealand men are scheduled to host a T20I tri-series involving Bangladesh and Pakistan in October ahead of the T20 World Cup, followed by a limited-overs visit by India in November after the World Cup, two Tests against England in February 2023 and an all-format visit by Sri Lanka in March.In between, New Zealand will also tour Pakistan and India in December-January.The women’s team will host Bangladesh for ODIs and T20Is in December ahead of the T20 World Cup in South Africa early next year.

Glasgow Rangers Premiership title hopes went up in flames on Boxing Day as they suffered their fourth league defeat of the season against St Mirren, conceding a late goal to lose 2-1.

If the pressure on Philippe Clement was easing up after several weeks of solid performances, then this defeat puts him right back at square one. Matches against Motherwell and Celtic are coming up over the next six days and more dropped points could see his position become untenable.

While thoughts are on these games, surely one eye is focused on the upcoming January transfer window, which gives the Ibrox side a chance to bolster their squad ahead of the second half of the season.

Much will depend on how much of a budget the manager will be handed once the winter window opens next week, and he might have to sell a couple of players in order to raise significant funds.

This could see several players leave Ibrox, with one current first team player already attracting interest ahead of January – Cyriel Dessers.

Why Rangers should finally sell Cyriel Dessers

Unfortunately, Rangers are now in a position where they have to sell players before thinking of making signings, such is the nature of their finances.

Hopefully, Clement is ruthless and moves on those who are either taking up a place in the squad that isn’t warranted, or earning a lavish wage which is not representative of their performances on the field.

This could see a host of players depart the club next month, but it is Dessers who is the one attracting the most attention as of late.

Before Christmas, news emerged from France that Saint-Étienne were showing a keen interest in the striker ahead of making a potential move for the player once the window finally opens.

This wasn’t the first time that the Nigerian international had drawn interest from elsewhere. During the summer transfer window, Cagliari were hoping to bring the forward to Serie A, but no move ever materialised.

Things might have been different if Clement had more centre-forwards in his squad, but with Danilo still recovering from a knee injury and Hamza Igamane still settling in at Ibrox, it was perhaps too risky to sell Dessers.

January could be the ideal time for the club to recoup what they paid for him 18 months ago, especially as he hasn’t been the first choice over the previous few weeks.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Across 28 games in all competitions for the Gers, Dessers has found the back of the net on 12 occasions, yet he has scored just three league goals since the start of September.

Recently, Danilo and Igamane have taken turns being deployed as the lone striker in Clement’s 4-2-3-1 system, meaning Dessers has had to settle for a place on the bench.

Metric

2023/24

2024/25

Goals

16

6

Assists

4

2

Big chances missed

27

6

Big chances created

8

2

Shots per game

2.9

1.7

Additionally, the striker is also earning £27k-per-week, which places him among the highest earners at the club.

All of these factors should be taken into consideration with regard to his future. Is he contributing enough considering his high wage? The answer is no. Therefore, if a decent bid arrives, then the Light Blues should accept it.

This could free up funds for Clement to move for a player they have been linked with lately who is currently shining in South Africa…

Rangers' search for a striker

As reported by South African news outlet SNL24 (via the Scottish Sun), the Light Blues have been keeping a close eye on striker Iqraam Rayners, who currently plays for Mamelodi Sundowns.

“There has been an enquiry about Iqraam (Rayners) from Rangers of Scotland,” a source told SNL24.

“I don’t think there has been an offer from them at this stage. What I know is they have shown interest and they continue monitoring him.”

There is no information on how much Rangers would have to pay to bring the South African to Glasgow, but it appears he is doing everything right in order to earn a big move abroad.

If a move for Rayners is concrete, this could see Dessers finally packing in what would be a popular move among the supporters. That’s for sure.

How Iqraam Rayners compares to Cyriel Dessers

Rayners may be the same age as Dessers, but he is currently in the form of his life for his club side.

Across just 17 matches in all competitions, he has scored 13 goals while chipping in with an assist, a wonderful strike rate in front of goal, that’s for sure.

Indeed, throughout the entirety of 2024, he has notched 24 goals for two clubs, which has led writer Joshua Henricks to hail the player as “impressive” due to his goalscoring ability.

Domestically, Rayners averages 1.7 shots per game, has created one big chance while succeeding with 75% of his dribble attempts. Crucially, he has missed only one big chance, indicating that he is more clinical in front of goal than Dessers, who tends to miss a large number of chances.

The 29-year-old has also shone for his country throughout 2024, scoring four goals in ten games for South Africa, with two coming during qualification for the Africa Cup of Nations as the nation avoided defeat in their group.

This proves that he is able to star on the international stage, suggesting he may not be fazed by moving to Ibrox in January.

With Hamza Igamane making the move to Scotland from Africa earlier this year and adapting fairly well, hopes are high that Rayners, who has more experience than the young Rangers striker, could follow suit.

Once again, finances could be the crux of any potential deal. If interest in Dessers is genuine, then securing a decent fee for the 29-year-old could certainly aid in Clement’s future transfer plans.

Will Rayners be included in this? Only time will tell, but the South African has proven his talents in front of goal throughout the calendar year.

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Rangers suffered defeat to St Mirren on Boxing Day

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