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Also: Moeen Ali’s Ashes distinction, other 3-2 Ashes scorelines, and the oldest living Australian players

Steven Lynch25-Aug-2015How many times has an Ashes series ended up 3-2? asked Martin Palmer from England
This one in 2015 was only the sixth Ashes series to end up 3-2, the first since 1997 when Australia came out on top. That, though, was a six-Test series which also included a draw: the last five-Test Ashes encounter to end up this way was the famous one of 1936-37, when England went 2-0 up but Australia – skippered by Don Bradman – won the last three Tests to pinch the series, a unique feat. The other 3-2s were all in England’s favour, in the 1884-85, 1894-95 and 1903-04 series in Australia.Moeen Ali scored nearly 300 runs in the Ashes series – is this a record for someone who never batted above No. 8? asked Martin Basterfield from England
Moeen Ali’s 293 runs in the 2015 series from No. 8 or 9 has been exceeded only once in the Ashes, by Australia’s Sammy Carter – their wicketkeeper and an idiosyncratic batsman – who made 300 runs in the 1907-08 home series, with a highest score of 66. Carter’s aggregate has been exceeded only twice in any Test series: Shaun Pollock made 302 runs in South Africa’s five home Tests against West Indies in 2000-01, but he was shaded by Harbhajan Singh, who made 315 for India at home against New Zealand in 2010-11. That came from only three Tests: Harbhajan scored his only two Test hundreds, and averaged 105 overall.England won the fourth Test by an innings then lost the fifth by an innings. Has such a turnaround ever happened before? asked Neil Cartwright from England
This seesaw end to the 2015 series was only the second time in Ashes history that the sides had traded innings victories in successive Tests. The other occasion was in 1965-66, when England won the third Test in Sydney by an innings and 93 runs, only for Australia to hit back in Adelaide, winning by an innings and nine. In other series it has happened three times. In India in 1952-53, in Pakistan’s inaugural official Test series, India won the first Test, by an innings in Delhi, only for Pakistan to turn the tables in Lucknow. This also happened in the series between England and West Indies in 1966, and the two-match rubber between India and South Africa in 2009-10.I know Ajinkya Rahane’s eight catches in Galle was a Test best, but was it a first-class record too? asked Mahesh Rahul from India
Ajinkya Rahane’s eight catches in the field in the recent first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle eclipsed the old Test record of seven, first achieved by Greg Chappell for Australia against England in Perth in 1974-75, and later equalled by Yajurvindra Singh (on debut, for India against England in Bangalore in 1976-77), Hashan Tillakaratne (Sri Lanka v New Zealand in Colombo, 1992-93), Stephen Fleming (New Zealand v Zimbabwe in Harare, 1997-98) and Matthew Hayden (Australia v Sri Lanka, also in Galle, in 2003-04). Rahane was the ninth outfielder to take five catches in a Test innings, a record originally set by Chappell’s grandfather, Vic Richardson, against South Africa in Durban in 1935-36. The first-class record, though, is held by Wally Hammond, who was a fine slip fielder as well as a superb batsman. Playing for Gloucestershire against Surrey at Cheltenham in 1928, Hammond took ten catches – eight of them off Charlie Parker – and also scored 139 in the first innings and 143 in the second.Moeen Ali’s 293 runs in Ashes 2015 is the second-highest by a No. 8 or below in an Ashes•Getty ImagesFollowing the sad passing of Arthur Morris, who is Australia’s oldest living Test cricketer? asked Jamie Stewart from Canada
The recent death of Arthur Morris, aged 93, leaves 89-year-old Len Maddocks as Australia’s oldest living Test player. Maddocks, a wicketkeeper from Victoria, played seven Tests during the 1950s. Two of them came in England in 1956: Tony Lock inflicted a pair on him at Headingley, then he provided Jim Laker with two of his 19 wickets in the next match at Old Trafford. In the second innings, Maddocks was the last man out to complete Laker’s ten-wicket haul. Morris’ death means there is now just one survivor from the famous Australian “Invincibles” team of 1948, which was captained by Don Bradman. The last man standing is Neil Harvey, who was only 19 during that tour and is now 86.Kumar Sangakkara played 594 international matches without ever bowling – is that a record? asked Sunit Kumar from Afghanistan
Well, it would have been a record – except that actually Kumar Sangakkara did occasionally have a bowl, sending down 14 overs in Tests in four different innings. Ten of them – for a respectable 34 runs – came at Karachi in 2008-09, as Pakistan amassed 765 for 6 declared. The man who has played the most international matches without ever bowling is Adam Gilchrist, with 396, ahead of Moin Khan (288) and Ian Healy (287). The top non-wicketkeeper is Eoin Morgan, who has played 213 internationals so far without ever turning his arm over. Sangakkara did play more matches (594) than anyone else without taking a wicket: Gilchrist is next, ahead of Herschelle Gibbs, whose one and only over in 361 international matches came as the 11th bowler used when West Indies piled up 747 against South Africa in Antigua in 2004-05.

Manchester United are still hoping to complete one final deal in the coming hours as they look to finalise their squad for the second part of the Premier League campaign, it has been reported.

Manchester United's January signings

Ruben Amorim’s first transfer window as Manchester United manager ended with just two new faces added to his squad despite the Red Devils languishing in 13th place in the Premier League and with a less than good record since the former Sporting manager arrived, which was compounded by their most recent defeat to Crystal Palace.

Ruben Amorim’s Premier League record

Games

13

Wins

4

Goals scored per game

1.2

Goals conceded per game

1.7

Points per game

1.08

The major addition was Patrick Dorgu, with the wing-back arriving from Lecce in a deal believed to be worth around 35m euros (£29m) with add-ons included.

“I am incredibly proud to be able to call myself a Manchester United player – this is a very special day for my whole family,” said Dorgu upon being unveiled at Old Trafford.

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“I cannot wait to work with Ruben Amorim. His vision for this team and the future of the club is incredibly exciting. There is a clear plan set out for my development, and I feel that Manchester United is the perfect place to fulfil my potential and complete my huge ambitions.”

Though still just 20-years-old, Dorgu is expected to be an instant starter at the Theatre of Dreams and will add some much needed firepower and dynamism on the left hand-side for Amorim, while he is also versatile enough to play elsewhere should he be required. A long-term option at fullback, his arrival means that United are now pursuing a late exit.

United aiming to finalise exit for stricken star

That is according to The Athletic, who report that the Red Devils are still aiming to complete a late loan move for Tyrell Malacia. Despite the English transfer window closing at 11pm on Monday, the Dutch transfer window remains open for another 24 hours and it is there that INEOS are looking to finalise a deal.

Malacia, who has seen much of his time since arriving at Old Trafford marred by injuries, has caught the eye of PSV Eindhoven after a move to Italy or Portugal broke down “over the club’s desired loan fee and the level of a future option to buy”.

Indeed, he has “travelled to the Netherlands to undergo a medical” in a move that will see at least some part of his £75,000 a week wages taken off the books for the remainder of the campaign, adding to the significant savings that both Marcus Rashford and Antony’s loan moves this month have provided.

Malacia won plenty of praise during his early tenure at Old Trafford, including from former Red Devil great Rio Ferdinand, who hailed him for his performance against Mohamed Salah back in 2022.

“He reminds me of Patrice Evra in many ways,” said Ferdinand “He’s athletic, he looks like a pound-for-pound strong kid”.

However, the 25-year-old has failed to kick on from that early promise thanks to injury, and his career now appears to lie away from Old Trafford both in the short term and likely the long term too.

Looking to cement their Champions League place once and for all, Nottingham Forest have now reportedly made contact to sign a Serie A midfielder who knows all about finishing inside the Premier League’s top four.

Nottingham Forest transfer news

Six wins on the bounce and level on points with second place Arsenal in the Premier League, Nottingham Forest are proving to be no flash in the pan as the season enters its second half. It’s even worth noting that up next they have the chance to become the first side to complete the double over Arne Slot’s Liverpool side and remain the only side to defeat the Reds in league action so far this season.

Watch out Wood: Nottingham Forest could land their own Gyokeres in £35m ace

Nottingham Forest could target added attacking reinforcements to bolster their top four hopes.

ByEthan Lamb Jan 8, 2025

Defeat Slot’s side once again and Nuno Espirito Santo’s high-flying Forest will find themselves just three points adrift with the leaders, who will at least have a game in hand to rectify that gap. If the likes of Chris Wood perform at the level they did against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the coming weeks, then the title race may well have a shock participant.

The January transfer window could yet boost their impressive campaign even further too. According to The Daily Mail, Nottingham Forest have made contact to sign Douglas Luiz from Juventus this month in what is likely to be a short-term loan move away from the Serie A giants.

Having struggled since arriving in Turin, Luiz could now receive the opportunity he so desperately needs to return to the Premier League and rediscover his best form. A move to Nottingham Forest wouldn’t be without its controversy, however, given that the Brazilian spent a number of years at Aston Villa and even helped the Villans into the Champions League last season.

"Decisive" Luiz would cement Nottingham Forest's ambitions

Just like he did for Midlands rivals Aston Villa last season, Luiz could seal Forest’s Champions League ambitions by completing a January move and much-needed fresh start away from Juventus – albeit merely a brief loan spell.

Earning a reported £132,000-a-week in Serie A, it will be interesting to see just how much of Luiz’s hefty salary Nottingham Forest are willing to match and how much Juventus will pay, themselves, in order to send their midfielder on loan.

The former Villa man is certainly worth the gamble this month, having still earned plenty of praise throughout a troubled campaign so far. Among those with plenty of positives has been Aston Villa sporting director Monchi, who told reporters as relayed by Tribal Football earlier this month: “He’s playing less than we all expected, but we’re talking about a strong player.

“There are guys who arrive and impose themselves, others who need time. Patience is needed, but Douglas’ qualities are beyond discussion. He will become important for Juve. He’s a playmaker and every ball that comes out of his feet has a meaning: last year he played 90% of the games with us. He was decisive.”

Plays of the day from the fourth ODI of the series between England and Sri Lanka

Alan Gardner29-Jun-2016The foot race
Sri Lanka had clearly resolved to try and push England a bit harder on a ground known for high scores but good intentions were no match for Jonny Bairstow’s quick reactions in the second over. Danushka Gunathilaka dropped the ball down into the covers and immediately called his partner, Kusal Perera, through for one. Bairstow was far quicker off the mark – though Perera’s running line was slightly obstructed by the bowler, Chris Woakes – and his scampering underarm throw caught the batsman inches short. Perera, who has been run out four times in his last 10 ODI innings, might have stood a better chance with a dive.The finger stinger
England chose to include two spinners, despite the poor forecast and a pitch that had sweated under covers, and it was hard not to have sympathy with Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali as they hugged themselves in the field and waited for the call. There was little for them in a true batting surface, either, but Moeen did get some heat into his fingertips when Gunathilaka drove uppishly back to the bowler’s right. Moeen threw himself low to try and take a one-handed catch but the ball burst through his fingers and away – probably leaving his bowling hand feeling even more numb.The statement six(es)
With a solid platform from which to attack England from at last, Dinesh Chandimal and Angelo Mathews came out swinging. Both smeared Moeen over deep midwicket, Mathews with a particularly brutal swipe into the crowd; but Chandimal upped the stakes a couple of overs later when he took on Liam Plunkett, giving the charge to an 86mph delivery and driving back over the bowler’s head and into the second tier of the pavilion. Not content with making Plunkett look like a medium-pace trundler, he then jumped across to uppercut a short ball over third man to go to his half-century with another six.The scoop
Mathews’s hitting during the closing stages ensured his side would soar beyond 300 for the first time in the series, particularly when he helped himself to 14 off the penultimate over, bowled by Plunkett. That included a sequence of three consecutive fours and it was one of his more deft strokes that stood out, as he contorted his body to flip a full, fast attempted yorker from around off stump clean over short fine leg, much to Plunkett’s chagrin.The assault
Jason Roy is the sort of opener who forces bowlers to wake up and smell the coffee whether they like it or not. He was well into his stride, having reached 50 from 39 balls, when Nuwan Pradeep began his fifth over. Pradeep began with a leg-side wide – although there was a suspicion Roy might have got a tiny edge on it – and was then subjected to a disdainful barrage of 6-4-4. The first was a crashing blow over long-on; the second dispatched through the covers with a fluid drive; the third clipped smartly off his pads as he walked across to make use of Pradeep’s change of line. Up came the England hundred and a sense of the momentum shifting.The stunner
Gunathilaka had already made his third ODI fifty and picked up the second wicket of his short career when he latched on to what must surely be his best catch in a Sri Lanka shirt. Eoin Morgan connected well with a slash off Suranga Lakmal that looked set to give third man a test when a flying Gunathilaka intercepted it one-handed leaping to his right at backward point. Sri Lanka’s catching has not been perfect on this tour but Gunathilaka’s celebration in the direction of the dressing room suggested he has not been shirking.The final word
Roy’s hundred on his home ground was met with a rousing reception, as the crowd rose for a player much appreciated in these parts. Whether he took Chandimal’s effort at endangering spectators in the pavilion as a personal challenge is unknown but the clean strike over the sightscreen off Seekkuge Prasanna in the 25th over, the ball ricocheting off the concrete steps, was as emphatic as anything seen all night.

After a sub-par 2016 and with India’s strong bench, Shikhar Dhawan’s ODI career has reached the phase where he has no choice but to perform

Arun Venugopal14-Jan-2017Shikhar Dhawan is always smiling, but there is no way to tell what’s on his mind. It is the same smile – dripping with warmth and a hint of mischief – that follows a boundary or a dropped catch or a joke shared with a team-mate. Even when he grimaces, there are faint traces of a smile. The last six months, however, are likely to have tested such a quality.Ahead of his first ODI in nearly a year, Dhawan isn’t even a certainty in the XI. It is ironical given that his ODI form has been consistently good: since 2013, he has averaged more than 50 in nine of the 16 series he has played. During the same period his average has dropped below 40 only once. Even last year, he notched up 287 runs in the five ODIs he played.And yet, his place in the ODI side is not a given. While Dhawan would lose the popular mandate – fans have bayed for his axing on social media for a while now – the selectors have voted in his favour, even if not emphatically. It won’t be a stretch to suggest that Dhawan’s ODI career is on weak footing; a failure in this series could see KL Rahul – who is swiftly rising into a reliable all-format batsman – push him down the pecking order.Ideally, Dhawan’s ODI record would earn him a longer rope, but that it is not, at least to some extent, a consequence of his meagre returns in Tests and T20s over the last year. At any rate, it isn’t entirely uncommon for players these days to be picked in one format on the basis of strong performances in another – think Yuvraj Singh.Dhawan’s average differential in Tests and ODIs has been consistently increasing in the last four years•BCCIWhile Dhawan’s Test average in 2016 was 26, he averaged 57.40 in ODIs, a difference of 31.40. Such skewed numbers aren’t a one-off occurrence, and the gap between his Test and ODI averages has continued to widen over the last four years, with 2015 being the lone exception. For instance, in 2014, when India played Test series’ in England, South Africa and Australia, the difference between his Test and ODI averages was 16.44. In his 39 Test innings, he has had three sequences of seven or more innings without a 50-plus score, but in contrast only once has he gone five consecutive innings without a fifty in ODIs.Things went downhill for Dhawan when he was dropped for the Port of Spain Test last August after a modest tally of 138 runs from four innings. He sat out the Kanpur Test against New Zealand, but was handed a lifeline in Kolkata after Rahul injured himself. But, Dhawan copped a furious onslaught from Trent Boult, Neil Wagner and Matt Henry, and managed only 1 and 17.A thumb fracture, courtesy Boult, made the management’s decision easier. Upon recovery, he had to audition himself in the Ranji Trophy where five innings didn’t yield a single half-century. His T20 form had been poor as well – he managed 43 runs from four innings in the World T20 – and he hasn’t been picked in the format since.After the Duleep Trophy final last year, Dhawan, who scored 29 in each innings, spoke candidly about how he channelled the disappointment of being dropped for the T20Is into becoming a better batsman. Equally pragmatic was his take on the competition for the opening slots with the emergence and success of KL Rahul: ” [One needs to give it one’s all to keep one’s place in the side].”Dhawan found some form in the first practice game against England earlier this week and went on to score 63 off 84 balls on a flat track. After starting shakily, some of his characteristic strokes – the cut, pull and the uppish drive over covers – made an appearance. The innings would have gladdened his team-mates. Nicknamed Gabbar after the iconic villain of the Hindi film , his moustache-twirling thigh-slapping celebrations are a hit with his team-mates.His captain, Virat Kohli, is as much a fan of Dhawan’s quirks as he is of his explosive potential. But how does he motivate a batsman who has lost his place in two formats and is not too far from being dropped in the third?”A player like Shikhar, everyone is aware of his ability. We try to keep someone like Shikhar in a very good head space,” Kohli said. “Because once he’s cleared his head, he can really take the game from the opposition. That’s something we try to do, give him as much space as possible, not speak too much about the game – that’s something I like to do.’We try to keep someone like Shikhar in a very good head space’ – Virat Kohli•Associated Press”Knowing the kind of player Shikhar is, and the kind of person he is, it is better to leave a guy like that to his own planning and own thinking, rather than giving your plans to him. Because he’s so instinctive, once he gets going, he just finds more options than anyone else. Once he’s in the game, he has momentum, I’ve seen guys really struggling to bowl to him when he’s in full flow.”Kohli feels Dhawan is still a good enough ODI opener, who possesses an ability to set up games for batsmen coming down the order. “He bats long as well, he can really bat till the 40-45th over once he gets going,” he said. “So, he has a lot of positives, that’s what we always back Shikhar on.””Jinx [Ajinkya Rahane] is coming back from an injury as well, he’s batted well in the one-day warm-up match. KL has been playing well for a while; he’s coming off almost a double-hundred in Chennai. Shikhar has also got runs in the warm-up game so we have to figure out, among these three, who are the two who will be likely to start. But, again, I say, I am happy that all three are in a good space now having had some runs behind them. It makes my job easier.”

The England veteran is the oldest man to top the charts since Clarrie Grimmett in 1936

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Feb-2023James Anderson has overhauled Australia’s captain Pat Cummins to become the No.1 Test bowler in the ICC rankings, off the back of his role in England’s 267-run win against New Zealand in Mount Maunganui last week.At the age of 40 years and 207 days, Anderson is also the oldest player to top the rankings since Clarrie Grimmett, the Australian legspinner, in 1936, having played an integral part in the recent success of England’s Test team, which has now won ten of its past 11 matches.It is the sixth time that Anderson has gone to the top of the rankings in a career that began against Zimbabwe at Lord’s in May 2003, and has now spanned 178 Test appearances and 682 wickets, placing him third on the all-time list behind the spin duo of Muthiah Muralidaran (800) and Shane Warne (708).Full rankings tables

Click here for the full team rankings

Click here for the full player rankings

In May 2016, Anderson went past his long-time team-mate Stuart Broad, as well as India’s R Ashwin, to top the rankings for the first time, and most recently he held the top spot for five months in 2018 before being displaced by South Africa fast bowler Kagiso Rabada.It has the potential to be a short return to the top, however. With a total of 866 ranking points, Anderson is just two points ahead of Ashwin in second place, who also delivered a strong showing in India’s most recent Test win over Australia in Delhi last week. Cummins is now third on 858, but could himself regain top billing with two Tests to come against India in the next fortnight, despite flying home this week to address a health issue in the family.Wanindu Hasaranga overtook Rashid Khan to become the No. 1 T20I bowler•ICC via GettyNevertheless, the achievement is further proof of Anderson’s remarkable longevity. In the course of his seven wickets at Mount Maunganui, he brought his overall Test average down below 26 for the first time since his maiden series in 2003, but the sense that he is improving with age is backed up by his form in the last five years of his career.Since turning 35 in July 2017, Anderson has now taken 202 wickets in 56 subsequent games, at an average of 20.56. At Mount Maunganui, he and Broad also overhauled the Test record for most wickets taken as a bowling partnership, which previously stood at 1001 between Australia’s Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne.”They’re the GOATs, aren’t they? I can’t see that record being broken for a very long time,” Ben Stokes, England’s captain, said after the first Test win. “Warne and McGrath were an unbelievable combination, but I think the way in which Test cricket is going now with everything else to players, I can’t see that record being broken any time soon. I can’t ever see it being broken.”Related

'I just can't see him stopping' – Stokes on Anderson becoming No. 1 again

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Elsewhere in the rankings, New Zealand’s pairing Tom Blundell (11th) and Devon Conway (17th) have risen to career-high positions, as have England’s trio of Ollie Pope (23rd), Harry Brook (31st) and Ben Duckett (38th).India’s players also received a boost following their emphatic victory over Australia, with Ravindra Jadeja moving up seven places to ninth following his seven-wicket haul in the second innings, and Axar Patel – who is the second leading run-scorer for the series so far with 158 runs – moving up two places to fifth on the latest Test all-rounder rankings.In the T20I bowling rankings, Sri Lanka’s Wanindu Hasaranga has leapfrogged Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan to the top, as a consequence of Rashid taking only four wickets in three matches against UAE last week.For UAE, Muhammad Waseem rose six places to seventh in the T20I batting list, after scoring 199 runs at an average of 66.33 in the three games.

Manchester United's non-football staff have been given a week to decide if they wish to continue working for the club as Sir Jim Ratcliffe cuts costs.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Man Utd staff offered chance to leaveClub seeking to cut costsFollows Ratcliffe's demand to work from officesWHAT HAPPENED?

An email was sent to every Manchester United non-football employee on Tuesday afternoon inviting en-masse resignations. It appears to be driven by cost-cutting following new minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe's move into power. Staff have until midday on June 5, eight days from receiving the email to decide whether they want to continue working at the club, with reporting that some consider it more a programme of "voluntary redundancy", rather than the "voluntary resignation" the club is describing. further explains that staff have been offered early payment of an annual bonus that would normally be due in September if they choose to leave now.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The invitation to resign is a consequence of the recent instruction for all staff to work full-time from the club's various office sites at Carrington, Old Trafford and in London. The email acknowledged that "a number of colleagues prefer not to commit to this new way of working and are keen to understand their options". But the offer to leave is also open to those already based onsite full-time. There seems to be a degree of the new INEOS regime preparing a clean slate from which to implement their culture at the club. Ratcliffe had rather coldly told staff with regard to ending the flexible 'work from home' policy: "If you don't like it, please seek alternative employment." One significant problem that exists is not enough office space to accommodate all current staff.

WHAT MAN UTD SAID

A spokesperson for the club said: "This isn't a voluntary redundancy programme. The club recognises that not everyone wants to work from the office full-time so has provided options for staff who don't wish to return to the office to step away now."

DID YOU KNOW?

Manchester United recorded a £42 million ($53.6m at today's rate) loss for the 2022-23 season, despite raking in what was at the time a Premier League record revenue of £648.4m. The club employs more than 1,000 people in various roles and it is suggested that saving on staff costs will both help them comply better with financial regulations and invest in the playing squad.

Plays of the day from the World T20 game between South Africa and Afghanistan in Mumbai

Firdose Moonda20-Mar-2016The one-handed maximumSouth Africa dazzled with an array of boundaries in the first six overs but the most eye-catching one came when Faf du Plessis took on Mohammad Nabi. The offspinner dropped one short, du Plessis gave himself room by stepping outside leg stump, went deep into his crease, took his top hand off the handle of his bat and carved the ball over cover using just one hand.The mix-up Quinton de Kock knew Faf du Plessis had his dancing shoes on, so when du Plessis jabbed Amir Hamza into the covers, de Kock thought a quick run was on. Then de Kock saw Mohammad Nabi swooping in and realised it was too risky so he turned back. At the other end, du Plessis had already responded but soon saw it was wiser to turn back. He was late to undo his steps and Nabi’s throw came in quickly for Mohammad Shahzad to catch the South African captain short of his ground.The drop AB de Villiers had just started to threaten when he offered Afghanistan a chance. He sent a Samiullah Shenwari delivery straight back to him. Shenwari had to react quickly in his follow through and got his hands up in time but then it all became too much. He could not hold on as the ball burst through his hands and de Villiers got his 27th run. He would go on to score 37 more.The placementHis ability to hit the ball anywhere he wants had already been on display but to further emphasise the point, AB de Villiers bisected the gap between the stands in the middle of his assault on Rashid Khan. After hitting him through midwicket twice and straight down the ground, de Villiers smeared a short ball straight into the daylight that peeped through a gap in the stand at midwicket. That also brought up fifty for him, off 24 balls.The poser Mohammad Shahzad probably knows he is not model material but that did not stop him from striking a pose after a perfect lofted drive. As the Kyle Abbott delivery was sent cleanly over long-on, Shahzad held his stance: head down, bat straight, elbows high. And there he stood.The misfield Faf du Plessis had specifically asked for discipline from his attack but he may need to extend that to include his fielders. Mohammad Nabi sliced David Wiese to short third man, where Imran Tahir was stationed. Tahir failed to move quickly enough to his left and by the time he got there, the bounce had the better of him. Tahir could not even get a hand to the ball as it disappeared past his legs and onto the boundary. Wiese’s figures were already mangled, but that didn’t help.

Instead, the PCB plans to “revive junior series on a home and away basis” going forward

Umar Farooq31-Dec-2022The Pakistan Junior League (PJL) has been scrapped by the PCB’s new administration, with new plans instead to “revive junior series on a home and away basis” going forward. The decision to scrap the league had been expected since Ramiz Raja was was removed as chairman of the PCB, and was taken at Saturday’s meeting of the PCB’s managing committee, the new leadership body led by Najam Sethi.The league was Ramiz’s brainchild but massive losses in the very first year meant its future was always uncertain. The two-week tournament, a T20 league for Under-19 players from around the world, had its inaugural edition from October 6 to 21, 2022.”The PCB Management Committee agreed to discontinue the Pakistan Junior League,” a PCB statement said. “However, to ensure there is a pathway for the high-performing teenagers and the country continues to produce talented cricketers across all age gaps, it was agreed to revive junior series on a home and away basis.”It was also agreed to hold discussions with the HBL Pakistan Super League franchises to include an Under-19 player under their Emerging Categories in the playing line-ups.”A board financial report meanwhile revealed the staggering losses incurred in staging the inaugural edition. As per the report, the two-week tournament came with expenses of approximately PKR 997 million, while the PCB got an income of only PKR 190 million out of it.A week before Ramiz was removed from office, he had signed an MoU with a company for the commercial and management rights of the PJL – the deal was for 20 years, and was worth PKR 55.5 million per year. Pakistan’s federal government removed Ramiz and his Board from office last week, and revoked the 2019 constitution that the PCB was operating under. Now, a Sethi-led 14-member management committee has been handed full executive powers and been asked to rework processes to meet the requirements of the 2014 version of the PCB constitution.This new management committee has since opened an internal audit of Ramiz’s 14-month term, with the PJL facing particular scrutiny given the weight of related expenses.Why did the PCB incurs such high costs over the PJL?
When the PJL was announced, there were ambitious plans to have it based on a franchise model but turnout from bidders failed by some distance to match expectations of the board. That forced the PCB to bear the costs of putting together and running the teams itself, and later the title sponsorship and other commercial tenders also failed to bring in lucrative deals.Despite the lack of interest in the market, the PCB under Ramiz decided to go ahead with the league, calling it a strategic decision. ESPNcricinfo understands that the PCB’s commercial committee was reluctant to approve the expenses but the Board of Governors had given approval.What were the major expenses?
While cricket remains the most popular sport in the country, realistically only the national set-up or the well-established PSL fetch lucrative sponsorship deals. For the PJL, the response to title sponsorships rights and digital streaming rights was lukewarm at best, far lower than expectations Ramiz had: four companies came forward for the title sponsorship rights and one broadcaster for the digital rights, though in both cases the bids were below expectations. For the TV production, the PCB spent PKR 286 million and failed to close a lucrative broadcast deal, ending up partnering with PTV, the state-owned broadcaster.Additionally, some of the match fees given out at the PJL – to “elite” players – were higher than what a senior Pakistan player would get for a T20I. The league had six teams featuring a mix of 15 local and overseas players between the ages of 15 and 19, picked through a draft process and classified under three categories – four elite players with a salary of USD 16,000, five premier players (USD 12,000) and six X-factor players (USD 6000).The PCB also roped in big names like Shahid Afridi, Javed Miandad, Daren Sammy, Colin Munro, Imran Tahir, Vivian Richards and Shoaib Malik as mentors for each team.Did Pakistan already have a junior cricket system in place?
Ramiz’s rationale was that the league would identify and nurture talent, and close the gap between quality at the Under-19 level and the senior level.Pakistan already had a pathway in place for young cricketers, though, structured from the Under-15 to the Under-19 level. Historically, their junior players were only exposed to one-day and three-day formats, with a batch graduating to represent the country at the Under-19 World Cup every two years. Players like Babar Azam, Imam-ul-Haq and Shaheen Afridi have come up through the age-group ranks.Additionally, every year PSL teams picked two emerging players from the Under-19 circuit and were required to play one of them in the XI.How does the PJL bill compare to other domestic tournaments’?
PKR 1 billion was the total domestic expenditure in 2017, the same year Pakistan won their last global tournament, the Champions Trophy.This year, the PCB’s six domestic associations spent just over PKR 1.5 billion on the full season, across all formats and levels.

Former Manchester United defender Steve Bruce has sympathy for Andre Onana amid his woeful form for the club.

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Onana dropped at the weekendDropped two howlers against LyonBruce has sympathyFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Speaking on talkSPORT, former United defender Bruce suggested that the club’s goalkeepers would always struggle given the defensive issues at Old Trafford, and has claimed that he has sympathy for the Cameroon international, who made two high-profile mistakes against Lyon last week.

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Manager Ruben Amorim dropped Onana for their clash with Newcastle at the weekend. Without him, the Red Devils lost 4-1. Now, Onana is set to be restored to the starting XI for their encounter with the Ligue 1 side.

WHAT BRUCE SAID

Bruce told talkSPORT: "You would hope it's going to be a quiet night but I think we've watched United for a while now and you think 'can the lad have a quiet night'? Are they defensively good enough? Not just the goalkeeper, we're talking about them defensively now, are they good enough to go and keep a clean sheet to give yourself the platform that everybody wants to see?

"It was a big call to leave him out, obviously he's brought him back in, let's hope it's freshened him up and brought a bit of an edge to him. Undoubtedly he's a talented goalkeeper but he's like all the rest of them at the minute, they're all having a tough time, and there's nowhere more difficult to have a tough time than playing at Man United."

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Onana will hope to avoid any splashy, negative headlines with his performance against Lyon on Thursday evening.