Roston Chase (injury) and Fabian Allen (personal reasons) were unavailable, while Rovman Powell and Romario Shepherd were left out
ESPNcricinfo staff12-Aug-2022
Kevin Sinclair is in line to make his ODI debut•AFP/Getty Images
Following his return to West Indies’ T20I squad last month, Shimron Hetmyer is back in their ODI set-up too. The middle-order batter has been named in a 14-man squad for the three-match ODI leg of the ongoing home series against New Zealand.Hetmyer returned to West Indies colours for the first time since November 2021 – he had been excluded mostly on fitness grounds in the interim – for the T20I series against India and New Zealand. He is now in line to play his first ODI since July 2021.The squad includes one new face in the Guyanese offspin-bowling allrounder Kevin Sinclair, who has played six T20Is but is yet to make his ODI debut.”As we stated before, we are looking to broaden the pool of players, and we have decided to give Sinclair an opportunity in the CG United ODI Series against New Zealand,” lead selector Desmond Haynes said. “He has been in the system for a while and was also in the ‘A Team’ to play against Bangladesh ‘A’ in the upcoming series. We believe with his calm approach and skills he will do well in the matches against New Zealand.”Left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie, whose participation in the ODI series against India last month was cut short by a finger injury, has been included in the squad subject to clearing a fitness test.Legspinner Hayden Walsh, who replaced Motie during the series against India, has been left out. Also out of the squad are the hard-hitting middle-order batter Rovman Powell, and the seam-bowling allrounder Romario Shepherd.Shepherd, who was left out of the third T20I against India following expensive outings in the first two – and his bowling in the death overs – has been a concern for West Indies of late. Of all bowlers to have sent down at least 60 balls in the last ten overs of ODI innings this year, Shepherd has the worst economy rate with 10.28, with New Zealand’s Blair Tickner (9.09) quite a way behind in second place.Spin-bowling allrounders Roston Chase (injury) and Fabian Allen (personal reasons) were unavailable for selection.The first ODI against New Zealand takes place on August 17, followed by matches on August 19 and 21. All three games will be played in Bridgetown.West Indies squad: Nicholas Pooran (capt), Shai Hope (vice-capt), Shamarh Brooks, Keacy Carty, Shimron Hetmyer, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Brandon King, Kyle Mayers, Gudakesh Motie (subject to fitness), Keemo Paul, Jayden Seales, Kevin Sinclair
حسم روبن أموريم، المدير الفني لنادي مانشستر يونايتد، موقف الشياطين الحمر تجاه التكهنات بشأن مستقبل قائد الفريق، برونو فرنانديز، مع أنباء اهتمام الهلال بضمه في الصيف المقبل.
وارتبط اسم برونو فرنانديز بإمكانية الانتقال إلى الهلال السعودي من أجل تدعيم صفوفه قبل خوضه غمار كأس العالم للأندية 2025.
ويستمر عقد برونو مع مانشستر يونايتد حتى صيف 2027، لكن الفريق السعودي وضعه كأولوية بالنسبة له لتقوية الصفوف في البطولة العالمية.
اقرأ أيضًا.. أتليتكو مدريد ينافس ريال بيتيس على لاعب مانشستر يونايتد
وتحدث أموريم عن مواطنه في مؤتمره الصحفي لمباراة أتلتيك بلباو في الدوري الأوروبي، وقال: “من الطبيعي أن تثار التكهنات بشأن انتقاله، خاصة مع أرقامه المميزة وطريقة لعبه الفريدة، لكننا نريد الاحتفاظ به، هو لاعب من الطراز الرفيع”.
وتابع: “برونو فرنانديز قائد الفريق، ونحن نحتاج إلى لاعبين من هذا النوع، وبالتالي من غير المنطقي أن نفكر في بيعه”.
واختتم: “من الطبيعي أن يسعى البعض للتعاقد مع برونو فرنانديز، فهو واحد من أفضل اللاعبين في العالم، لكننا نرغب في الاحتفاظ به لأنه جزء أساسي من مشروعنا”.
Queens Park Rangers are interested in signing a “really exciting” striker in the January transfer window, according to a recent report. The Rs made it five unbeaten and back-to-back wins on Wednesday night, as they beat Oxford United 2-0, a result that sees them climb to 19th in the Championship table, four points adrift of the relegation zone.
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QPR are rooted to the bottom of the Championship table after a dismal start to the season.
1 ByBrett Worthington Nov 13, 2024 QPR news and updates
It was another impressive night for QPR in front of their home fans, but it could have potentially come at a cost, as Marti Cifuentes revealed a concerning update on midfielder Nicolas Madsen after the game.
Cifuentes said: “For the second game in a row, he gets a big impact around his ankle, shin, and calf all this area. He was very painful, so immediately when he went out, he told me that he would try but that he was not feeling very confident. Hopefully, it will just be a knock, and he will be ready for Saturday.”
Despite the upturn in form in recent weeks, QPR will still have their eye on potential business for January, as they look to climb the table and not continue this fight at the bottom. It was reported earlier this week that QPR are among the teams interested in signing Louie Barry on loan from Aston Villa.
The forward is expected to be recalled from his loan at Stockport County and then sent out to a higher-level team next month. The Rs could face a difficult battle to win this race, as Middlesbrough are said to be leading this charge, and Leeds United are also interested in signing Barry.
QPR join transfer race to sign Leeds outcast According to Football League World,Queens Park Rangers are interested in signing Joe Gelhardtfrom Leeds in January, which would perhaps pave the way for the aforementioned Barry to move to Elland Road. The 22-year-old looks set to leave Yorkshire in some capacity in January, as he’s fallen way down the pecking order under Daniel Farke.
Celtic transfer target Joe Gelhardt in action for Leeds United.
Gelhardt, who earns £15,000 a week, has played just three times for Leeds this season; two have been substitute appearances in the league, which add up to a total of nine minutes of football, and the other was 63 minutes in the Carabao Cup.
It was reported earlier this week that Gelhardt is keen on joining Rangers after they made their interest clear, but Leeds were undecided as they didn’t know whether to sell the striker or loan him out. But Gelhardt has another option to consider, as QPR are also interested in signing him in January.
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Football League World reports that the 22-year-old, who has been dubbed “really exciting” by Jamie Redknapp, is on the Rs’ radar ahead of next month, but they face plenty of competition to secure a transfer, as a host of other Championship teams are also interested. It is likely that QPR will only be able to afford a loan deal for Gelhardt, so it will depend on what Leeds want to do with the striker.
The five-time IPL champions are missing Suryakumar Yadav, but have all their other bases covered
Sruthi Ravindranath26-Mar-2022
Rohit Sharma and Rishabh Pant, the current India captain and, possibly, his successor, go face to face•BCCI
Big pictureRohit Sharma vs Rishabh Pant. The India captain against his possible successor (that’s what Delhi coach Ricky Ponting thinks – he finds their journeys similar too). A predictable narrative but potentially a blockbuster one. The two big Indian names aside, these are two strong sides that have made sure to fill their squads well at the auction. Mumbai may be the five-time champions, but Capitals have been the team to beat in the last couple of years. It’s five-all between these teams since 2018, but Capitals did the double over Mumbai last season. Both the sides have solid top orders and enviable fast-bowling depth, and a number of Under-19 stars in their squads to groom.Related
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But Capitals will be missing some of their biggest overseas names for this game. David Warner and Mitchell Marsh are fulfilling their national commitments, Anrich Nortje is continuing his recovery from an injury, Lungi Ngidi and Mustafizur Rahman are in quarantine. This means they only have two overseas players around – Tim Seifert and Rovman Powell – and will have to rely on inexperienced back-ups. That makes it Advantage Mumbai.On that front, Mumbai don’t too much to worry about, but key man Suryakumar Yadav is out with a hairline fracture in his right hand.It was a disappointing season for Mumbai in 2021, but they would be looking to return in . They have managed to assemble their strong core – comprising Rohit, Suryakumar, Ishan Kishan, Kieron Pollard and Jasprit Bumrah – which has been their biggest strength over the seasons. Kishan, who will open with Rohit, has superb numbers at that position – 555 runs in 13 matches at a strike rate of 156 – in the IPL. The middle-order has Pollard and Tim David – they both have struck at 163 since 2020 in T20s. The death bowling has got a massive boost with the addition of Tymal Mills. Their only big concern as of now remains the lack of experience in the spin department – and possibly enough powerplay-specialists among the bowlers.Tymal Mills’ acquisition should add muscle to Mumbai Indians’ death bowling•Mumbai Indians
In the newsJust two overseas players to pick from, which means both Seifert and Powell should play for Capitals. In fact, Pant has already said that Powell will bat at No. 4 or No. 5 this season.Suryakumar linked up with the team after being released on Saturday by the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru, where he had been in rehab for the past few weeks. How soon he can get in the middle, though, remains to be seen.Likely XIDelhi Capitals: 1 Prithvi Shaw, 2 Tim Seifert, 3 KS Bharat/Mandeep Singh, 4 Rishabh Pant (capt, wk), 5 Rovman Powell, 6 Lalit Yadav, 7 Axar Patel, 8 Shardul Thakur, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Khaleel Ahmed, 11 Kamlesh Nagarkoti/Chetan SakariyaMumbai Indians: 1 Ishan Kishan (wk), 2 Rohit Sharma (capt), 3 Tilak Varma, 4 Anmolpreet Singh/ Dewald Brevis, 5 Kieron Pollard, 6 Tim David, 7 Sanjay Yadav, 8 Tymal Mills, 9 Jaydev Unadkat, 10 M Ashwin, 11 Jasprit BumrahStrategy PuntPant in the middle, doing just Pant things? Call Bumrah. Bumrah has dismissed Pant the most number of times in T20s – six in 12 innings. Since Pant’s IPL debut in 2016, it’s been a one-sided rivalry between the two. Pant has also struck at just 112 against the quick.Stats that matter The last time Mumbai won their opening game of any IPL season was in 2012 Fast bowlers have picked up more than 75% of the wickets at this venue – Mumbai’s Brabourne Stadium – in the IPL Axar Patel needs to strike five more times to tally 100 wickets in the IPL
Simon Harmer didn’t believe he could win matches.When he left South African cricket in 2017 – he was no longer part of the national set-up or the A team – his franchise future was hanging in the balance and he was unsure of himself and his abilities. Luckily, Essex came calling.”I had a lot of self-doubt,” Harmer said, on his Test comeback for South Africa, five years after he believed his future in the country was over. “Essex gave me the opportunity and the platform to rediscover what made me successful. I learnt to be a match-winner for them and got comfortable with that role. The more I did it, the more I started to believe. That’s added a lot to my game, that self-belief, knowing that I can win games of cricket as an orthodox offspinner. If I could single out one thing, it would probably be that.”With Essex, Harmer won the County Championship twice and the T20 Blast once. He came back to South Africa and won the inaugural Mzansi Super League with the Jozi Stars. Had Brexit not put paid to the Kolpak arrangement, it’s unlikely he would have returned to play for the Titans. However, this summer, Harmer has been their key bowler and leading wicket-taker in the first-class competition, which they won. Harmer took a nine-for in the deciding match but still, there was a lingering thought at the back of his mind about whether he can now consider himself good enough. Not just good enough to win matches, but good enough to do it at the highest level.Related
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“There’s still questions. Like am I good enough to play international cricket?” he asked. “I’ve done it for Essex, I’ve done it at county level, I’ve come back and done it for the Titans but am I still good enough [for International cricket]?”He started to answer those questions on the second afternoon in Kingsmead when he knocked over Shadman Islam’s middle stump with a delivery that kept low. But it was later in the day, when Harmer delivered a glorious ball that pitched on middle stump and turned away to beat Najmul Hossain’s outside edge and hit the top of off stump, that the doubts about whether he is good enough seemed to have dissipated. That was a delivery that would make any spinner proud. A stunning catch from Keegan Petersen at silly-point off the next ball put Harmer on a hat-trick and though he didn’t get it, he claimed a fourth when Mushfiqur Rahim gloved him to Kyle Verreynne, whose enthusiastic appeal convinced Dean Elgar to review. Harmer finished the day with 4 for 42, in sight of a five-for on comeback, so surely he must now believe he is good enough? Or not.”Four wickets doesn’t mean yes I am,” he said. “But coming back and putting in a performance for my own self-belief and my own mind is good.”He said there was “definitely a feeling of vindication,” and that he “couldn’t have scripted the day better,” but didn’t go anywhere near the kind of self-praise that saw him once call himself “the best offspinner in the world.”Instead, Harmer focused on talking up the improvements he was able to make because of opportunities he was given in England that were absent in South Africa.”I had my reasons for signing Kolpak. For me it was about opportunity. I was only playing one format for the Warriors when I left here and I went over there, I played all three formats. That’s what it was about,” he said. “At the end of the day, currency is wickets and performances and winning games of cricket and trophies and I put my blinkers on and tried to achieve that.”He succeeded. So much so that Harmer made it impossible for the South African selectors to ignore him once he returned and they took him to New Zealand as cover. He has since edged ahead of allrounder George Linde – who was unavailable for that series because he was getting married – in the pecking order, and is also proving himself to be competent with the bat.Harmer notched up his highest Test score and shared in two partnerships over 30 in the South African tail to push their total over 350, and indicated there’s more to come. “I’ve been working really hard on my batting,” he said. “Myself and (South African batting consultant) Justin Sammons and (performance analyst) Matthew Reuben at the Titans have been putting in some long hours. It’s good to see some rewards.”And there’s every chance of many more as the match goes on. Kingsmead is known to get slower and lower as play progresses and this pitch has already taken some turn. “It’s been a while since I’ve played red-ball cricket at Kingsmead,” Harmer said. “It’s got a reputation of turning. As the game goes on, it will turn more and more.”Which means that by the end, Harmer may well have a definitive answer to his question about whether he belongs at this level, and a real reason to believe that he can win matches.
IPL 2021 was ordinary by any standards for Nicholas Pooran. He managed all of 85 runs in 12 innings, including five ducks, for Punjab Kings. Yet, when the fresh auction came around last weekend, Kolkata Knight Riders, Chennai Super Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad went big bidding for him. Finally, when the paddle came down, he was the second-most expensive overseas buy at INR 10.75 crore (USD 1.42 million), going to Sunrisers.On Wednesday, Pooran, the West Indies T20I vice-captain, showed why he is rated highly, anchoring a floundering innings with a 43-ball 61 from No. 3 against India in the first T20I. It kept West Indies in the contest and allowed them to post 157, which he later felt was “ten or 15 short”. While it wasn’t a flawless effort, Pooran’s adaptability against both pace and spin was something his team-mates would do well to note.Related
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Pooran himself struggled to manoeuvre the ball when it was bowled into the pitch. Ravi Bishnoi and Harshal Patel profited from this approach. As per ESPNcricinfo’s logs, West Indies struck just 27 runs off the 32 deliveries bowled short of a good length. He was a lot more comfortable when it was tossed up, although Yuzvendra Chahal should have had him on 8 in the seventh over, but for Bishnoi’s drop at long-off.”We fell short, and that is where the game definitely slipped,” Pooran said. “We can’t fault the bowlers, to be honest. As batsmen, we need to pace [the innings] much smarter, so it was definitely the batting [that let them down]. We need to continue to build partnerships and negate spinners better.”What should the others be doing to play spin better?”We were in two minds against them,” Pooran explained. “Whether to attack them or keep them out of the game. We got caught there. It is a small fix. We have to be more clear in the next game to execute our plans. It was a bit tricky today. The ball was stopping on the surface. It was two-paced. When the spinners and pacers bowled back of a length, you had to adjust to the pace off the pitch, so hitting through the line was difficult early on.”Dew was as big a factor as well. When we were bowling, a lot of guys were wiping the ball. The guys bowled a lot of full tosses as well [because of dew] towards the end, so conditions played a big factor. The wicket also played a lot better in the second half, it came on a lot better. That said, India batted really well, have to give them credit.”One of the ploys West Indies tried to unsettle India’s spinners was to promote hitter Akeal Hosein, the left-hander, ahead of Kieron Pollard to try and take advantage of the legspin, deliveries coming into his swinging arc, as against the ball turning away. But Bishnoi was a step ahead on that count and used the wrong’un as his stock ball.His drift and the lengths he bowled in taking the ball across, meant they didn’t get too many deliveries in the hitting arc. Bishnoi delivered as many as four dots in the 13th over, his third, as Hosein tried to hit out. He was eventually dismissed in the following over for 10 off 12 balls. This strategy may not have worked on the night, but Pooran felt the call to have him come up ahead of Pollard was a peek into their mindset of being flexible.”If you think about it and look at T20 cricket all over the world, it’s about being smart,” he said. “We had just lost two wickets in the 11th over. The thinking, I guess, was to have a left-hander negate the spinner. As soon as Akeal came in, they brought in Venkatesh Iyer and pushed the spinners deeper in the innings. I thought from a team perspective, that was a good plan. Had Akeal hit that [the delivery he got out] for six, we would’ve been back in the game. It didn’t work out, but I like that thinking.”
Looking to land a player dubbed the next Xabi Alonso, Liverpool officials are now reportedly making regular checks to hijack Real Madrid’s pursuit and get one over on their European rivals off the pitch.
Liverpool transfer news
Liverpool’s season couldn’t have gone much better than it has done so far. Although Arne Slot is often quick to remind reporters of his side’s one defeat against Nottingham Forest, even he will be satisfied with a place at the top of the Premier League and Champions League. His players have continued their form in the international break too, with Curtis Jones scoring an audacious debut goal for England in a standout performance against Greece.
In arguably their strongest position to win the Premier League since their victory in the 2019/20 season, the Reds could be in a perfect position to welcome further reinforcements in both the January transfer window and next summer to take Slot’s side up yet another level.
According to Graeme Bailey for The Boot Room, Liverpool officials are now making regular checks on Javi Guerra and are looking to hijack Real Madrid’s move to sign the Valencia midfielder in 2025. The Spanish giants have been linked with the 21-year-old in the last year but could now lose out courtesy of the Reds.
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A player likened to Alonso and tipped to succeed his role for Spain in the future, Guerra will seemingly get the chance to pick between two of the Spaniard’s former clubs in an attempt to take a similar path to the midfield legend.
It would represent quite the statement of intent if Liverpool sealed glory in the current campaign and then beat Real Madrid in pursuit of a midfield reinforcement next summer.
"Intelligent" Guerra can follow Alonso path
One of the best midfielders of his generation, Alonso first swapped La Liga for the chance to join Liverpool in 2004 in what was truly the beginning of an incredible rise full of moments to savour. Now, Guerra can take a similar path. Like Alonso swapped Real Sociedad for Merseyside, the young midfielder can swap Valencia for a chance to reach Anfield stardom.
Valencia midfielder Javi Guerra.
Still just 21 years old, the Valencia star has quite the decision to make, that’s for sure. Of course, not many would be shocked by such a big move for Guerra, who was described as “intelligent” by Football Talent Scout’s Jacek Kulig earlier this year.
After Liverpool missed out on Martin Zubimendi last summer, Guerra could take the opportunity that the Sociedad star decided to reject next summer by completing Slot’s midfield once and for all. Amid such high interest, the Spaniard will be one to watch when 2025 arrives and Liverpool set their sights on reinforcements.
Rafiq has alleged it was an “open secret” that the name “Kevin” was used to describe people of colour
ESPNcricinfo staff17-Nov-2021Alex Hales has denied “any racial connotation” in naming his dog ‘Kevin’ after Azeem Rafiq alleged that the name was used by former Yorkshire team-mate Gary Ballance “to describe people of colour”.Rafiq told a parliamentary hearing into the Yorkshire County Cricket Club racism scandal on Tuesday that he believed Hales, the former England batter, had named his dog ‘Kevin’ because it was black.In a statement released on Wednesday, Hales said: “Having heard the allegations made against me, I categorically and absolutely deny there was any racial connotation in the naming of my dog.”I entirely respect and have huge sympathy for both the stance Azeem Rafiq has taken and what he has had to endure. His evidence was harrowing.”There is no place for racism or discrimination of any kind in cricket and I will gladly cooperate with any investigation the game’s authorities choose to hold. Neither I nor my representatives will be making any further comment on the matter.”Related
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Hales’ county club, Nottinghamshire, said it had “commenced the appropriate internal process” following Rafiq’s claims.”Following on from the testimony provided to the DCMS Select Committee regarding Alex Hales, we have commenced the appropriate internal process and will continue to liaise with Alex and his advisers accordingly,” a club statement said.The club also encouraged “anyone who wishes to share concerns or discuss their experiences to come forward and speak freely” either directly or through the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket (ICEC).”Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club remains totally committed to making cricket in our county, at every level, welcoming and accessible for all,” the statement said. “We have always tried to create positive and fulfilling cricketing experiences for people from a wide spectrum of backgrounds, and we will continue to do so.”We acknowledge that, given the experiences recently being shared within the wider game, individuals may not have felt comfortable in voicing their concerns in the past.”We would encourage anyone who wishes to share concerns or discuss their experiences to come forward and speak freely… it is vital that individuals do so, in order for the game of cricket to learn and move forward together.”Alex Hales says he will cooperate with any investigation into racism claims•Getty ImagesDuring the hearing, before the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Select Committee, Rafiq was asked by Julian Knight MP, the committee chair, about references to the word “Kevin” in Yorkshire’s controversial report into Rafiq’s allegations of institutional racism at the club.Rafiq replied that it was a derogatory word used by Ballance to describe non-white team-mates. “It was an open secret in the England dressing room,” he said. “Anyone who came across Gary would know that was a phrase he would use to describe people of colour.”Rafiq then alleged that Hales had picked up on the word and named his dog ‘Kevin’ because it was black. “It’s disgusting how much of a joke it was,” Rafiq added.
The hosts will have to make tough selection calls for the second Test in Mumbai
Shashank Kishore02-Dec-20219:39
Kimber: How Ashwin devours the souls of left-handers
Big pictureMumbai returns to host Tests for the first time since 2016. But you will have to rewind as far back as 1988 for the last time these two sides met in the city. Just for context: Virat Kohli was just three weeks old then; Kane Williamson wasn’t even born; Richard Hadlee was Test cricket’s leading wicket-taker and West Indies the team to beat.Watch live cricket on ESPN+ in the US
India vs New Zealand is available in the US on ESPN+. You can subscribe to ESPN+ and tune in to live coverage of the 2nd Test in English or in Hindi.
New Zealand’s Test tours of India over the years have been rather one-sided; the closest the visitors came to a series win was in 1969. However, they’ve always shown signs of competing well, even if they haven’t gone on to win. Having fought their way through to eke out a draw in fading light in Kanpur, a series win isn’t beyond them, even if history may be against them.Unseasonal rains have hampered much of the lead-up to this Test. While India trained at the Mumbai Cricket Association’s indoor facility at the Bandra Kurla Complex, New Zealand opted for some much-needed rest for the two days they’ve been in the city.Related
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Kohli returns to take over the India captaincy from Ajinkya Rahane, whose prolonged bad patch has raised question marks over his place in the side from several quarters, not as much from within the team management though.Kohli may have not played any competitive cricket during his three weeks away, but he was spotted at the CCI nets, working with former batting coach Sanjay Bangar.One thriller in, you can’t help but think why this India-New Zealand series, a contest between the top two Test sides, is a two-match series. But in these Covid times, short tours are perhaps a blessing for the players as most of them have been on the road for the better part of the last five months. One final bout then for these two sides, whose rivalry is fast becoming an intriguing one.3:32
What should teams do after winning the toss in Mumbai?
Recent formIndia DWLWD New Zealand DWWDWIn the spotlightWriddhiman Saha has had to make peace with being India’s second wicketkeeper, behind Rishabh Pant. But at 37, he isn’t getting younger. A stiff neck in Kanpur allowed his replacement KS Bharat to make a case for himself, and he did an outstanding job. Saha the batter has also struggled lately, but his fighting second-innings fifty in Kanpur may have given him some breathing space even as the case for a younger understudy to Pant grows by the day. If he gets another crack, Saha would want to show why he’s still the best gloveman in the country.Ajaz Patel will be playing in front of his parents and extended family for the first time, in an away Test at “home”. How’s that for a setting? The left-arm spinner batted out of his skin, along with Rachin Ravindra, to save New Zealand the Kanpur Test but it’s his primary skill with which he’ll want to make a statement.Team newsKohli’s return leaves India with a selection headache. How do they leave out Shreyas Iyer after his Kanpur efforts? Do they drop Rahane? Or do they try to find a stop-gap solution by leaving out Mayank Agarwal, as harsh as it may be on him? Also, do they bring in a fitter and faster Mohammed Siraj for Ishant Sharma? Decisions, decisions. There’s no way we’re finding the answers until the toss.India (probable): 1 Shubman Gill, 2 Mayank Agarwal, 3 Cheteshwar Pujara, 4 Virat Kohli (capt), 5 Shreyas Iyer, 6 Ravindra Jadeja, 7 Wriddhiman Saha (wk), 8 R Ashwin, 9 Axar Patel, 10 Mohammed Siraj, 11 Umesh YadavIndia and New Zealand played out a gripping Test in Kanpur•Associated PressNew Zealand may consider playing an extra seamer on a red-soil surface that aids bounce and carry. If so, it could potentially come down to Neil Wagner, the workhorse, replacing offspinner William Somerville.New Zealand (probable): 1 Will Young, 2 Tom Latham, 3 Kane Williamson (capt), 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Henry Nicholls, 6 Tom Blundell (wk), 7 Rachin Ravindra, 8 Kyle Jamieson, 9 Tim Southee, 10 Neil Wagner, 11 Ajaz PatelPitch and conditionsKohli believes it’s a typical “Wankhede wicket” that will have bounce and carry thanks to a red-soil base. Rain in the build-up could mean it may not be as dry as you’d expect an Indian pitch to be.Stats and trivia Last time India failed to win at least one match in a home Test series was back in 2003 against New Zealand. Both matches in that series ended in draws. Since the start of 2020, Rahane has only three fifty-plus scores in 29 Test innings. All three of those knocks came in the second Test match of the series (MCG 2020, Chennai 2021, Lord’s 2021).Quotes”We have explained it to the individuals, and they have understood the mindset behind going in with a certain combination. It is not a difficult thing to do when there is collective trust and belief in the group that we are working towards the same vision.” “I have got a lot of flashbacks – leaving Mumbai for the first time and coming back to Mumbai for the first time, coming to Mumbai for a wedding and stuff like that. For me, it’s going to be a very, very special moment.”
Arguably one of England’s most famous draws came against Greece back in 2001, where a last-gasp David Beckham free-kick at Old Trafford booked the Three Lions’ spot in the 2002 World Cup.
England needed to match or better Germany’s result in the final round of matches to qualify automatically. Things didn’t go to plan when Angelos Charisteas – who would become Greece’s Euro 2004 hero – put the visitors into a shock half-time lead.
Teddy Sheringham’s equaliser gave England hope as Germany continued to be held by Finland, but Greece were back in front just minutes later through Demis Nikolaidis.
It looked as if England would need to go down the play-off route of qualifying after finding themselves trailing with seconds remaining before Beckham’s stunning long-range effort. The two sides haven’t played a competitive game against each other since then, but will soon face off twice in the UEFA Nations League.
But can you remember the squad from that famous encounter in 2001? We’ve got you covered by listing all 14 players who featured that day.
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ByLewis Thompson Jun 15, 2024 1 Nigel Martyn Goalkeeper, Leeds
In goal that day was Nigel Martyn, who was the first-choice ahead of Richard Wright and starring for a Leeds United side at the top of the Premier League at the time.
His Three Lions debut came back in 1992 and his final England appearance came in a World Cup warm-up clash against Cameroon that ended 2-2.
Nigel Martyn’s England career
Caps
23
Goals
0
First cap
v CIS (D 2-2), April 1992
First goal
n/a
Last cap
v Cameroon (D 2-2), May 2002
Last goal
n/a
2 Gary Neville Defender, Man Utd
Now known for his role as a pundit, Gary Neville was a regular at right-back for England in the early 2000s.
The Manchester United legend won 85 caps for his country and played the entirety of the qualifier on his home club ground.
Gary Neville’s England career
Caps
85
Goals
0
First cap
v Japan (W 2-1), June 1995
First goal
n/a
Last cap
v Spain (L 0-1), February 2007
Last goal
n/a
3 Martin Keown Defender, Arsenal
Arsenal centre-back Martin Keown was given the nod at the back in what were his twilight years as an international footballer. The draw against Greece was the defender’s last competitive outing for his country, having retired from Three Lions duty after the 2002 World Cup.
Martin Keown’s England career
Caps
43
Goals
2
First cap
v France (W 2-0), February 1992
First goal
v Czechoslovakia (D 2-2), March 1992
Last cap
v Cameroon (D 2-2), May 2002
Last goal
v Malta (W 2-1), June 2000
4 Rio Ferdinand Defender, Leeds
Partnering Keown was Rio Ferdinand, who at the time was still on the books at Leeds United.
As we know, Ferdinand would go on to play at Old Trafford for Manchester United on a regular basis, signing for the Red Devils a year later in 2002.
Rio Ferdinand’s England career
Caps
81
Goals
3
First cap
v Cameroon (W 2-0), Nov 1997
First goal
v Denmark (W 3-0), June 2002
Last cap
v Switzerland (D 2-2), June 2011
Last goal
v Kazakhstan (W 5-1), October 2008
5 Ashley Cole Defender, Arsenal
Arguably England’s greatest left-back, Ashley Cole was an ever-present figure for the Three Lions for 13 years.
Interestingly, 2001 was actually Cole’s first year as an international footballer while he was playing for Arsenal.
Ashley Cole’s England career
Caps
107
Goals
0
First cap
v Albania (W 3-1), March 2001
First goal
n/a
Last cap
v Denmark (W 1-0), March 2014
Last goal
n/a
6 David Beckham Midfielder, Man Utd
David Beckham, the hero from that memorable day, started on the right-hand side of midfield and captained the side.
His curling free-kick was arguably his most important England goal and he was even voted the BBC Sports Personality of the Year for 2001.
David Beckham’s England career
Caps
115
Goals
17
First cap
v Moldova (W 3-0), September 1996
First goal
v Colombia (W 2-0), June 1998
Last cap
v Belarus (W 3-0), October 2009
Last goal
v Ecuador (W 1-0), June 2006
7 Paul Scholes Midfielder, Man Utd
Paul Scholes was handed the number 8 shirt in central midfield, despite sometimes being used on the left for the Three Lions, and was the only home player booked on the day.
The Manchester United star was in the middle of his international career at the time, eventually retiring from England duty in 2004.
Paul Scholes’ England career
Caps
66
Goals
14
First cap
v South Africa (W 2-1), May 1997
First goal
v Italy (W 2-0), June 1997
Last cap
v Portugal (D 2-2), June 2004
Last goal
v Croatia (W 4-2), June 2004
8 Steven Gerrard Midfielder, Liverpool
Alongside Scholes was Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard, who was a regular for England between 2000 and 2014. He won 114 caps in total for his country but didn’t play in the 2002 World Cup due to injury.
Steven Gerrard’s England career
Caps
114
Goals
21
First cap
v Ukraine (W 2-0), May 2000
First goal
v Germany (W 5-1), September 2001
Last cap
v Costa Rica (D 0-0), June 2014
Last goal
v Poland (W 2-0), October 2013
9 Nick Barmby Midfielder, Liverpool
On the left-hand side of midfield was Nick Barmby, who had swapped Everton for Liverpool just a year earlier. The versatile midfielder was used centrally and out wide during his career but struggled to make an impact at Old Trafford that afternoon.
He was subbed off at half-time and this game would end up being his last in an England shirt.
Nick Barmby’s England career
Caps
23
Goals
4
First cap
v Uruguay (D 0-0), March 1995
First goal
v China (W 3-0), May 1996
Last cap
v Greece (D 2-2), October 2001
Last goal
v Spain (W 3-0), February 2001
10 Emile Heskey Forward, Liverpool
One of two centre-forwards who started that day was Emile Heskey, who netted his most famous England goal in the 5-1 win against Germany earlier in the qualification campaign.
He didn’t have much luck at Old Trafford though, failing to find the back of the net. He did bag at the World Cup in the Three Lions’ last-16 win over Denmark.