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Luciano Spalletti has responded to Francesco Acerbi's claim of being disrespected after refusing a call-up to the Italy squad.

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Acerbi snubs Italy call-up citing “disrespect”Spalletti says defender must explain his claimJokes Mancini's phone was “stolen” after tweetFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Inter defender Acerbi turned down a national team call-up, claiming disrespect from Italy boss Spalletti. The former Napoli manager responded by saying Acerbi owes him and the squad an explanation. The drama was further stirred when former Azzurri coach Roberto Mancini appeared to “like” Acerbi’s post online, prompting Spalletti to joke that someone must’ve stolen or hacked his phone.

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The controversy comes just days before Italy’s crucial World Cup qualifier against Norway. With several injuries plaguing the squad, including striker Moise Kean and multiple defenders, Spalletti is dealing with a reduced group. Despite the tension and off-field drama, he emphasised the team’s focus and motivation heading into what he called a “match that can take us to the World Cup.”

WHAT SPALLETTI SAID

Spalletti was asked for his reaction to Acerbi's comments at a press conference ahead of their qualifying match, saying: “One day, Acerbi will explain to me where it is that I showed him disrespect. And I will tell him what I think about respect for what he did to me and above all to the Italy squad.”
The situation took another twist when Mancini appeared to ‘like’ Acerbi’s message on social media, with Spalletti responding: “Either someone stole his phone or is going around putting likes on things to make him look bad,” he joked. “Nowadays phones are always getting hacked, so I couldn’t possibly think otherwise…”

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AFPWHAT NEXT FOR ITALY?

Italy will hope to kick off their campaign with a win when they face Norway in Oslo in their Group I opener for the World Cup qualifiers

Craig Miles, Ben Raine take four wickets apiece for Durham to keep visitors below 400-mark

ECB Reporters Network11-Jun-2023Kiran Carlson scored a brilliant century to allow Glamorgan to post 390 with the bat on day one of their LV= Insurance County Championship clash against Durham at Seat Unique Riverside.The Glamorgan skipper scored his second ton of the season against the North-East outfit and his fourth of the campaign to provide the foundation of the visitors’ score after opting to bat. Carlson was dropped on 67 and 107, and he duly made the hosts pay with his knock of 162 supported by 60 from Sam Northeast and a quick-fire 45 from Billy Root.Durham toiled in the afternoon session amid Carlson’s onslaught, but debutant Craig Miles and Ben Raine combined with four wickets apiece to lead a late fightback with the new ball to prevent Glamorgan from breaking past the 400-run mark. The visitors fell from 340 for four to 390 all out, spurning a decent opportunity to bat the hosts out of the game.Both sides were shorn of their Ashes stars as Matthew Potts missed out for the home side, while Glamorgan entered the game without Marnus Labuschagne and Michael Neser. Despite fielding an inexperienced opening pair of Zain ul-Hassan and Andrew Salter, the visitors opted to bat. Salter and Ul-Hassan fended off the initial new-ball burst, working their way to a fifty partnership within the first hour.But, Durham new boy Miles made the breakthrough with a brute of a short ball before diving to take a return catch to send Ul-Hassan on his way. Bas de Leede then prised out Colin Ingram and Salter for a well-made 43 as Ollie Robinson took two catches to give Durham the narrow edge in the morning session after reducing the visitors to 81 for 3.After lunch, Carlson issued an emphatic response taking the attack to the Durham bowlers. The Glamorgan skipper dispatched two sixes against Ajaz Patel and Miles to race his way towards fifty from 72 balls.Stanley McAlindon had a tough day with the ball as he was given an early warning for a beamer and then struggled with no balls, overstepping several times, as his first six overs cost fifty runs. McAlindon’s day went from bad to worse when he dropped a simple chance at short mid-wicket to dismiss Carlson for 67, which would loom large over the rest of the innings.Northeast at the other end was not quite as fluent as Carlson, but he was still able to register his third half-century of the season. The two batters shared a stand worth 168 to provide the foundation of the innings before Miles broke the partnership with a gem to pin Northeast lbw for 60.Carlson pressed on and notched his 11th first-class century, and fourth of the campaign, continuing his 100% conversion rate in 2023. He was handed yet another life on 107 when Miles put down a diving chance at gully. Root offered quick runs to maintain the pressure on the hosts, only to fall five short of a half-century to the first delivery from the new ball from Raine.Carlson continued to defy the hosts by working his way to his second consecutive score of over 150 in the Championship. But the home side fought back in the dying overs of the day as the 25-year-old was finally dismissed to Miles for 162 before James Harris fell in the same over.Raine ended the Glamorgan innings when he bowled Prem Sisodiya, earning a third bowling bonus point for the hosts and preventing the visitors from taking their score beyond 400. McAlindon was chosen for nightwatch duties and saw out the final over the day to leave Durham four for nought at the close, 386 behind.

Centuries for Luke Wells, Josh Bohannon keep Northants under pump on shortened day

Paul Edwards27-Jul-2023
If anything is to help this game reverse up Stalemate Close, it is probably the black saucers of earth that lie at each end of the pitch. Batters regard them with suspicion while spin bowlers, of which Lancashire have two specialists, view them with delight. If only our top order can build a lead, they thought this morning, we could frolic in the footmarks on Friday. So as expected, when play began at Emirates Old Trafford on this third day, three hours late and with 29 overs snipped from our ration, Lancashire put the hammer down on an attack lacking Ben Sanderson, Tom Taylor and Rob Keogh.Carnage followed. Big style. And Phil Salt played one of the innings of the season, scoring a century which outshone even those of Luke Wells and Josh Bohannon and reminding everyone, perhaps including Salt himself, that his talents need not be confined to white-ball cricketThat said, Northamptonshire’s injured bowlers have taken 39 of their side’s 108 Championship wickets in 2023 and this day’s two sessions showed how sorely they are missed. To a degree, it also revived memories of the evening’s cricket at Blackpool just over a fortnight ago, when Lancashire’s attack was shredded by Dan Lawrence and Doug Bracewell. This time, however, it was Keaton Jennings’ batters who did the shredding, scoring 377 runs in 67 overs and ending the day with a lead of 156 runs and power to add on the morrow.Even in the present era, such fast-forward cricket lent the evening unreality. The achievement of bonus points every 50 runs, significant partnerships and the batter’s individual landmarks blurred into each other and passed with notebook-defeating speed. Rounds of applause blended into each other, for there always seemed something for home supporters to clap. Wells reached his first century of the season off 171 balls, Bohannon his second off 143 balls and Salt also made his second three-figure score of the campaign, reaching that landmark off 74 balls with his third straight six to add to his 11 fours. So yes, there were plenty of big shots but what was most noticeable, particularly during Bohannon’s 126-run stand for the third wicket in 19 overs with Salt, was the whippet-speed of the running between the wickets as ones became twos if the fielder had to make any ground towards the ball.And as so often on such occasions, catches went down, some more culpably than others. White had little choice but to throw his catch at deep square leg back inside the boundary as he toppled over the rope, thus giving Wells a life on 78, but shortly afterwards Lewis McManus had no such excuse when he spilled a very straightforward chance off Dominic Leech. McManus was standing back, Leech was standing aghast and Wells was still standing on 85 not out.The one Northamptonshire fielder to emerge from the massacre with any credit was Ricardo Vasconcelos, who took an unremarkable catch to dismiss Wells off White for 119 and then a very remarkable, one-handed, diving effort off the same bowler to remove Bohannon for 128. But the loss of those wickets was acceptable collateral damage for Lancashire, although the same could hardly be said when Croft received a box-splintering blow in the knackers from White and fell to earth like a lightweight on the end of a haymaker.Salt’s dismissal, caught at deep square leg off White for a 77-ball 105 brought the curtain down on chaos. Nine overs from the close, Bell was caught on the deep square leg boundary by Vasconcelos for 15 and Croft and Tom Bailey later fell to Luke Procter, who, along with White, was the only Northamptonshire bowler who will wish to consult his bowling figures this evening. But those late successes seemed taken from another game, one far detached from the mayhem of a post-tea session in which 222 runs were scored in 35 overs, and one even further removed from the sight of Salt hitting fours and sixes that astounded even his batting partner.

Trent Alexander-Arnold has posted a video of his day out in Madrid during his unveiling as a new Real Madrid player at Santiago Bernabeu on Friday.

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TAA unveiled as new Real Madrid playerReal Madrid enjoys his day out in MadridPosts video of his unveiling day on XFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Real Madrid officially unveiled Alexander-Arnold on Friday afternoon as a Los Blancos player in a deal worth €10 million (£8m/$11m). The England left-back was waiting for his contract with Liverpool to run out this summer; however, the Spanish side signed him earlier this week on a cut-price deal, as they wanted him ready for the Club World Cup. The 26-year-old has now shared a video showcasing his day in the Spanish capital.

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Real Madrid have finally ended their multiple-year interest in Alexander-Arnold. It has been expected that the Englishman's arrival may mean the end of Dani Carvajal's stint as Los Blancos' starting right-back.

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR ALEXANDER-ARNOLD?

The former Liverpool star is likely to be a starter when Real Madrid take on Al-Hilal on Wednesday in their Club World Cup opener at Hard Rock Stadium.

Nottingham Forest are determined to keep Callum Hudson-Odoi at the club amid interest from Manchester United and Napoli.

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Man Utd and Napoli show interest in Hudson-OdoiForest want to keep forwardAmorim intent on new optionsFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Hudson-Odoi, who joined Forest from Chelsea in 2023, has only a year left in his existing deal. The winger had an impressive outing in the 2024-25 campaign and played a key role in the club securing a European place after 30 years away from continental competition. The 24-year-old scored five goals and provided three assists in 36 games across all competitions.

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His dazzling performances for Forest have attracted interest from Manchester United as well as Italian clubs AS Roma and Napoli, according to . United had enquired about the player's availability in January but got a firm no at that time. Forest are determined to retain their star winger's services and are reportedly ready to offer a lucrative new deal to the player.

WHAT HAS BEEN SAID

A source close to said: "Talks are ongoing and Forest have presented him with a new deal. But let’s see, because there is also interest from clubs abroad like Napoli and Roma but it’s early days. He was really happy with his season but obviously the hamstring injury at the end was disappointing. He believes he could have helped more but for that so let’s see if he’ll be happy with the deal presented or not."

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GettyWHAT NEXT?

Ruben Amorim is looking for creative options in attack as he looks to rebuild the United squad ahead of the new season. The Red Devils could consider placing an offer for Hudson-Odoi as the summer window progresses.

Jasprit Bumrah and Prasidh Krishna make their ODI comebacks, but Yuzvendra Chahal has been dropped from the 17-man squad

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Aug-20231:02

Will India miss Chahal in their Asia Cup squad?

KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer have been selected in India’s ODI squad for the Asia Cup after recovering in time from a thigh and a back injury respectively.The 17-man Asia Cup squad announced by chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar in Delhi on Monday included rookie left-hander Tilak Varma, who hasn’t played ODI cricket yet.Fast bowlers Jasprit Bumrah and Prasidh Krishna, who made their international comebacks during the ongoing T20I series in Ireland after recovering from back surgeries, were also selected. Mohammed Shami made a comeback after being rested for the entire tour of West Indies, while Mohammed Siraj and allrounders Hardik Pandya and Shardul Thakur complete the pace attack.”In West Indies, we saw some real promise in terms of not just performances but the temperament,” Agarkar said of Tilak’s selection. “And it gives us an opportunity to take him with the team, give him some more exposure; a left-hander again, looks very promising. So fortunately we can take 17 here, it’ll be 15 at the World Cup. So when the time comes we’ll take that decision, but at the moment it at least gives the coach and captain an opportunity to have him with the squad.”ESPNcricinfo LtdExperienced legspinner Yuzvendra Chahal was dropped from the squad, with Kuldeep Yadav preferred as the only wristspinner along with two fingerspinning allrounders in Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel. There was no offspinner in the squad.”We thought about an offspinner as well, [R] Ashwin and Washy [Washington Sundar], but right now you see Chahal had to miss out because we could only pick 17 players,” India captain Rohit Sharma said at the press conference. “The only way we could have picked him was if one of the seamers was missing. We can’t do that because seamers are going to play a big role in the next two months. A few of them are coming back after a long time, so we wanted to have a good look at them, get them in and see what they have to offer. Having said that, no doors are closed on anyone. Anyone can come in anytime. If we feel like we need Chahal for the World Cup, we’ll see how we can squeeze him in, same goes for Washy or Ashwin.”Ishan Kishan was chosen over Sanju Samson as the second wicketkeeper in the squad, behind Rahul, with the left-hand batter doubling up as a reserve opener. Samson, however, will travel to Sri Lanka as a back-up player.

“You don’t want to be handicapped or stuck with one player batting in one position. Having said that, you want to get the best out of players in certain positions. All seven-eight [positions] are open to anyone, that’s the message we have sent out for so many years now”Rohit Sharma on flexibility in the batting line-up

“We’ve picked these 18 guys. It’ll be in and around these guys [for the World Cup squad],” Agarkar said. “A few important guys coming back from injury, hopefully all goes well with them. They have a few games now at the Asia Cup. There’s a short camp in Bengaluru] followed by a couple of games before we announce the World Cup squad, but it’s quite obvious it’ll be around these guys.”Rahul and Shreyas had spent several weeks undergoing rehab at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru and took part in match-simulation exercises in the days leading up to their selection. Rahul has not played any competitive cricket since he was injured during IPL 2023, while Shreyas has been out of action since Australia’s tour of India in March. Agarkar said that while Shreyas was passed fully fit, there was still a question mark over Rahul.”Both are coming off long-term serious injuries. Shreyas has been declared completely fit. Rahul, not his original injury but there’s a niggle, which is why Sanju is travelling,” Agarkar said. “We’ll get a report from the physio at some stage but we all expect him to be fit. If not at the start, by the second or third game, but he’s on track. Shreyas has been passed fit, which is good news for us.”1:09

Shastri: ‘Virat must bat at No. 4 if the team needs him to’

Apart from Tilak’s inclusion, there were no surprises in the batting unit and Rohit said the team management wanted to be flexible with the batting order.”One thing I want in this team is to make sure everyone is okay to bat anywhere,” Rohit said. “You need flexibility, guys who can step up at any position. No one should say, ‘I’m good at this position or I’m good at that position’. You want guys to be able to bat anywhere, that’s the message conveyed to every individual. Not now, but over the last three-four years. I know it’s tough for guys on the outside to understand why a guy who bats at six is batting at four, but the message has been given. You don’t want to be handicapped or stuck with one player batting in one position. Having said that, you want to get the best out of players in certain positions. All seven-eight [positions] are open to anyone, that’s the message we have sent out for so many years now.”The Asia Cup begins on August 30 with Pakistan hosting Nepal in Multan. India’s first Group A game is against Pakistan in Pallekele on September 2, after which they play Nepal in Pallekele on September 4. Group B comprises Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka and the top two teams from each group will progress to the Super Four stage. The sides that finish one and two in the Super Fours will contest the final in Colombo on September 17.India squad for Asia Cup: Rohit Sharma (capt), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Hardik Pandya (vice-capt), Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Mohammed Shami, Ishan Kishan (wk), Shardul Thakur, Axar Patel, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Prasidh Krishna

The Black and Yellow took all three points and now advance to the Round of 16 as the top seed in Group F

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Dortmund defeat Ulsan HD 1-0Top Group FUSMNT's Reyna earns first minutes of tournamentWatch every FIFA Club World Cup game free on DAZNStream nowTELL ME MORE

Borussia Dortmund defeated Korean side Ulsan HD 1-0 at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio Wednesday afternoon in Group F action at the FIFA Club World Cup.

A first-half goal from Daniel Svensson secured the result, as earned three points and secured their position atop Group F at the end of the Matchday, finishing the Group Stage in first place. It was a dominant affair from the Bundesliga side, despite the low-scoring match.

American Gio Reyna earned his first minutes of the competition, coming on in the 79th minute, as the U.S. international helped close out the match in the midfield. Meanwhile, on-loan midfielder from Chelsea, Carney Chukwuemeka, impressed heavily in his late cameo, nearly doubling their lead on multiple occasions.

With the result between Ulsan and Dortmund, the Bundesliga side will now take on the runner-up of Group H in the Round of 16, while Brazilian side Fluminense advanced as the runner-up of Group F after drawing South African side Mamelodi Sundowns 0-0 on Wednesday afternoon as well.

Ulsan exited the competition after going 0-0 across the Group Stage.

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Dortmund's bench began the match watching the game from the locker room due to on-field temperatures reaching nearly 100 degrees Fahrenheit. They came out early in the second half.

THE MVP

Hyeon-woo Jo: The 33-year-old Korean goalkeeper had the performance of a lifetime, denying attempt after attempt from Dortmund. An impeccable showing, the shotstopper put on one of the best showings across the competition so far, making 10 saves.

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Getty Images SportTHE BIG LOSER

Fluminense: With Dortmund only scoring one goal on the day, all the Brazilian side needed was one single goal to finish atop Group F, but they never found it against Sundowns. Now, they will have to play the winner of Group E in the knockout round, which is increasingly looking like Champions League finalists Inter.

Players to get three-year deals, along with increased monthly retainers and a percentage of the PCB’s revenue

Danyal Rasool27-Sep-2023The PCB and the Pakistan men’s team players have reached a landmark agreement on central contracts, ending several months of deadlock and uncertainty. For the first time in Pakistan, three-year contracts have been put in place – rather than the standard 12 months – along with a significant increase in player earnings, as well as a fixed share of revenue from the PCB’s earnings from the ICC.The agreement comes nearly three months after the most recent central contracts expired on June 30. Ever since, Pakistan’s players had been playing without receiving any retainers or other financial compensation. ESPNcricinfo understands the PCB offered the players the option to continue the payment structure of the old contracts until the new deal was struck, an offer the players turned down.As such, there was an impasse between the two parties, with the Test series in Sri Lanka, an ODI series against Afghanistan, and the Asia Cup all played by players without active contracts. It looked inevitable that Pakistan would play the World Cup without contracts too, with the captain Babar Azam offering no indication that an agreement was close during his pre-departure press conference.Related

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Pakistan players set to receive 'historic' hike in new contracts

While the players and the board were far apart in terms of what they were willing to agree to for much of the last few weeks, the deal that has been struck is more generous for players than any in recent history. The monthly retainer was never really a sticking point, with Category A players receiving PKR 4,500,000 (USD 15,590), a more than four-fold increase over the previous year. The PCB had initially offered Category A players the option to play just one T20 league aside from the PSL, but agreed to allow all centrally-contracted players two additional leagues regardless of category of contract.By far the biggest sticking point, though, was the possibility of revenue sharing. The players demanded a percentage of the revenue the ICC pays annually to the PCB, something the board was reluctant to agree to. In the end, the parties agreed to the players receiving a 3% share of revenue, which amounts to around USD 1 million (the PCB is set to earn USD 34 million per year from next year as a share of ICC revenue). This will be paid to players over and above their monthly retainers and match fees, which are also set to increase by 50% in Tests, 25% in ODIs and 12.5% in T20Is. While it is a far cry from Cricket Australia’s 27.5% revenue-sharing deal with its centrally-contracted players, or the BCCI’s 26%, the Pakistan players were keen to agree to any percentage, however small, to set a precedent.”This deal signifies our commitment to improving the financial health of our players, acknowledging their hard work and dedication to the game,” Zaka Ashraf, the PCB management committee chairperson, said. “We firmly believe that a financially secure and motivated team is more likely to excel on the field.”As we move forward, the entire nation stands behind these players to do well in the upcoming ICC Men’s World Cup. We have faith in their abilities, and we are confident that they will make the nation proud with their outstanding performances.”The main reason the players managed to get the PCB to agree to most of their terms was a collective bargaining position. It is understood the four players leading the negotiations – Babar, Mohammad Rizwan, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Shadab Khan – put up a united front for these talks, and retained the trust of the rest of the team to negotiate on everyone’s behalf.”It is by far a historic deal,” Babar said. “I am extremely happy and satisfied that we have reached an agreement with the PCB. It has been a lengthy and, at times, challenging negotiation process, but I believe we have reached a fair and beneficial agreement for both parties.”The decision to extend these contracts to three years also provides all parties with medium to long-term certainty. This does not mean all players currently offered central contracts will keep them for the next 36 months, or even that they cannot be demoted. The contracts will be subject to annual review, with players potentially coming in or dropping out, but the infrastructure and framework of the contracts is set to remain unchanged till 2026.Pakistan arrived in Hyderabad in India earlier today, where they play their warm-up games against New Zealand on September 29 and Australia on October 3. Their first game of the World Cup is also in Hyderabad, against the Netherlands on October 6.List of centrally-contracted playersCategory A: Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan and Shaheen Shah Afridi
Category B: Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah and Shadab Khan
Category C: Imad Wasim and Abdullah Shafique
Category D: Fahim Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Ihsanullah, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmad, Saud Shakeel, Shahnawaz Dahani, Shan Masood, Usama Mir and Zaman Khan

Bayern Munich sporting director Max Eberl has criticised Paris Saint-Germain star Gianluigi Donnarumma for his role in Jamal Musiala's injury.

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Musiala suffers serious-looking injuryDonnarumma collided with Bayern starGoalkeeper criticised for his actionsFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The PSG stopper collided with Musiala in the first half of Bayern's 2-0 Club World Cup quarter-final loss on Saturday, with the 22-year-old having to be stretchered off for a serious-looking injury. Now, Eberl has laid into the Italian international for his "inconsiderate" actions.

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He told reporters: "When I jump onto his [Musiala's] lower leg while sprinting, weighing 100 kilograms, there's a high risk of something happening. I don't think he did it intentionally, but he also wasn't being considerate."

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While Bayern are out of the lucrative Club World Cup, they will be more concerned about Musiala's injury. The German international is a vital player in Vincent Kompany's side and their chances of success next season, re winning trophies, will likely take a huge hit without him.

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AFPWHAT NEXT?

Bayern and the club's fans will now keep a close eye on the extent of Musiala's injury in the coming days. The attacking midfielder missed the tail end of last season with a torn muscle and now he could be out for much longer.

Australia have had the wood over South Africa in the majority of their World Cup meetings but Bavuma’s men are in red-hot form of late

Alex Malcolm11-Oct-20232:03

Are South Africa better prepared for a turner?

Big picture: Australia seek to arrest their slideIs there a more storied World Cup rivalry than South Africa versus Australia? It’s hard to argue against. In ESPNCricinfo’s top 20 Greatest ODIs, two of the top three matches were played between South Africa and Australia. Admittedly, one was not in a World Cup, but the other was the OG of World Cup ties, the 1999 Edgbaston semi-final. Even that game had come after a thrilling encounter at Headingley four days earlier.The two teams would meet in a World Cup semi-final again eight years later. South Africa were on the wrong side of history in all three of those encounters. But they exacted revenge four years ago in another famous World Cup game in Manchester.Having had a woeful 2019 campaign and missed the semi-finals, South Africa still played a huge part in shaping the outcome of the tournament by beating Australia in a high-scoring thriller to flip the semi-final matchups that would eventually produce the England-New Zealand final.Related

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Maxwell: Australia ready for 'a bit of unknown' from relaid Lucknow surface

While the history has fans salivating, the 2023 teams are sick of the sight of each other. This will be the sixth ODI played between South Africa and Australia in just over a month, not to mention the three T20Is played just prior to last month’s five-match ODI series in South Africa. Australia did not show all their cards on that tour with Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Steven Smith and Glenn Maxwell all missing. Regardless, it was a series where South Africa found some irresistible form that they have carried to the opening game of the World Cup, while Australia’s wobbles have continued since blowing a 2-0 series lead in the Highveld. They have lost six of their last seven ODIs including the World Cup opener in Chennai.South Africa’s batters are in dazzling form after piling up 428 against Sri Lanka, with Quinton de Kock, Rassie van der Dussen and Aiden Markram all blazing centuries. It is the same form they found against Australia where they made scores of 338, 416 and 315. Meanwhile, Australia’s woes have continued with both bat and ball despite the return of key personnel. In Chennai against India, the middle order collapsed from 110 for 2 to 199 all out, just as they had done regularly in South Africa. In Potchefstroom, they were 140 for 1 in the 15th over chasing 338 and were bowled out for 227 with Keshav Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi sparking the collapse. South Africa did not play two spinners in Delhi against Sri Lanka, but they would have noted the success of India’s three spinners against Australia in Chennai.Lucknow as a surface is a complete unknown for both teams, however both are well aware of the recent dramas surrounding the re-laid strip and the way it played during the IPL this year.Form guideAustralia LWLLL (last five completed ODIs, most recent first)
South Africa WWWWLAlex Carey’s place in the side is firmly under the microscope•AFP/Getty ImagesIn the spotlight – Alex Carey and Marco JansenAlex Carey has been a bedrock in Australia’s team since his standout performance in the 2019 World Cup and he even captained Australia in three ODIs in 2021. But his place in the side is firmly under the microscope. He did make 99 off 77 balls in the third ODI in South Africa in a hopeless losing cause. But outside of that he has failed to reach 40 in his other 12 ODI innings over the past 12 months and has only passed 15 three times. More worryingly, over the last four years, he is striking at just 85.73 with the bat. With Australia’s middle order lacking firepower, and the talented and inventive Josh Inglis travelling with the squad, Carey badly needs some runs to both keep the wolves from the door and help Australia arrest their slide.Marco Jansen is a pivotal player in South Africa’s line-up in this World Cup and was a key contributor in their turnaround in fortunes in the recent series against Australia. While he cleared the rope in his seven-ball cameo with the bat against Sri Lanka, he was extremely expensive with the ball conceding 92 runs although he did dismiss both openers and also had some bad luck with two catches going down. But Jansen is prone to be expensive days, as he showed early in the series against Australia. His extra bounce and left-arm angle make him a weapon on fast pitches in South Africa but can make him a target on some of the slower pitches in India. His control of length and line with the new ball will be crucial against David Warner and Mitchell Marsh, in particular, given both men love to seize on anything short or wide in the powerplay.Team news: Stoinis for Green?Marcus Stoinis was unavailable to play as a bowler in the first match in Chennai due to a hamstring issue that had kept him out of the last two ODIs against India and the two warm-up games. However he is fit and available for selection, and he might come in for the struggling Cameron Green. Australia are unlikely to make any other changes unless there are any queries around the fitness of the three fast bowlers given they only had three days off and there is another short turnaround before the next game against Sri Lanka.Australia (probable XI): 1 David Warner, 2 Mitchell Marsh, 3 Steven Smith, 4 Marnus Labuschagne, 5 Glenn Maxwell, 6 Alex Carey (wk), 7 Marcus Stoinis/Cameron Green, 8 Pat Cummins (capt), 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Adam Zampa, 11 Josh HazlewoodSouth Africa have no fitness concerns to speak of, only tactical decisions to make. They have to decide whether to stick with the same team that belted Sri Lanka or add a second spinner in Tabraiz Shamsi given Australia’s weakness against spin and his recent success against them. If Shamsi were to come in, Gerald Coetzee appears the likely man to, unfortunately, miss out.South Africa (probable XI): 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 Temba Bavuma (capt), 3 Rassie van der Dussen, 4 Aiden Markram, 5 Heinrich Klaasen, 6 David Miller, 7 Marco Jansen, 8 Gerald Coetzee/Tabraiz Shamsi, 9 Keshav Maharaj, 10 Kagiso Rabada, 11 Lungi NgidiPitch and conditionsThe pitches at the Ekana International Cricket Stadium were dug up after IPL 2023 where it was widely regarded as the worst surface in the tournament. That followed the sacking of the curator in the wake of a low-scoring T20I between India and New Zealand in January. There have only been four ODIs here, and the highest score batting first in those games was 253. Both pace and spin were equally successful in those games. However, on the eve of the game, Australia captain Pat Cummins said he was expecting “pace and bounce” after taking a look at the Lucknow pitch.Stats and trivia David Warner became the quickest player to 1000 World Cup runs, reaching the mark in his 19th innings against India. He needs just 53 runs to go past Adam Gilchrist to second all-time on Australia’s list of World Cup scorers behind Ricky Ponting. Adam Zampa has gone wicketless in four of his 10 ODIs this year, and has only five wickets in five ODI World Cup matches in his career at an economy rate of 7. South Africa’s middle order has the highest average (44.6) and run-rate (6.4) over the last four years in ODIs. Australia’s middle order average 29.9 at a run-rate of 5.40 over the same period. But South Africa’s powerplay bowling is the worst in the world this year, averaging 43 with an economy rate of 6.6 in ODIs in the first 10 overs of their bowling innings. Australia’s powerplay bowlers average 40.7 but have an economy rate of 5.4.Quotes”I also always find with South Africa; we always match up quite similarly. They’ve always got some fast bowlers and some batters that take the game on, maybe a leg spinner. So, it always feels like it’s a clash of two very similar teams. So yeah, no doubt it will be another great game tomorrow.””Australian and us – we’ve always had a great history and a good competitive background. Both teams are gonna come out fighting tomorrow. Whoever makes the right choices under under the pressure will come out as the strongest team.”Quinton de Kock