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Moeen Ali’s unbeaten 155 was the sort of innings to make hearts beat faster, as well as a reminder that statistics only tell half a tale

George Dobell at Chester-le-Street28-May-2016Do you remember the moment you fell in love with cricket?Everyone will have a different experience but, for those of us of a certain age, the sight of David Gower playing a cover driver was the gateway drug to a lifelong affair that has endured long after other loves have dulled or departed.Gower didn’t really drive the ball. He didn’t even persuade it. With the most gentle forward movement, he more suggested the ball might like to speed to the boundary and, as enamoured with him as everyone else, it seemed only too happy to oblige. If you judged Gower by stats you missed the point; you judged him more by the purrs of pleasure he generated. Was he great or very good? Who cares: he was beautiful.But there is a danger, in the business of analysing a day’s cricket, that we forget such fundamental pleasures. There is a danger that, with our caveats and our context, we crush the joy out of the moment and lose sight of the bigger picture: cricket is entertainment; it’s meant to be fun.Moeen Ali reminds us of this. It is perfectly reasonable that critics look at his statistics – a bowling average approaching 40 and a batting average that was, before this match, under 30 – and presume he is, by the lofty standards of Test cricket, a relatively mediocre player.But then he plays like this. He drives and cuts and pulls with such sweet timing, he brings up his century with a gloriously uncomplicated lofted drive for four over mid-off, he brings up his 150 with a flicked six over midwicket. And he tells you afterwards with a bashful grin that “it was nice”.His first fifty, coming with England in danger of being dismissed for somewhere between 300 and 350, took 109 balls. His second took 43 and his third just 41. Despite eight men on the boundary, despite turning down singles, he played with such overwhelming dominance, timed the ball so crisply and demonstrated such an array of strokes that it seemed preposterous that he has scored so few Test runs.

“I am quite loose but I don’t really care”Moeen Ali

Yes, he was dropped twice. Yes, on this docile pitch he was hardly tested by the short ball that has caused him discomfort in the past. And yes, there are probably quite a few batsmen in county cricket who, given 25 Tests, might score a couple of centuries.But not many of them would have taken 65 wickets with their offspin. And not many of them would have lit up a dispiritingly uncompetitive day’s cricket – Moeen rated Sri Lanka’s tactics as both “strange” and “perfect” for England – in a dispiritingly uncompetitive series with such a glorious display of strokeplay. On an increasingly sluggish pitch on which nobody else can time the ball, Moeen evoked memories of Gower. There isn’t much higher praise.And, just as you don’t want to be person at a wedding who mutters “40% of these things end in divorce, you know; the rest of them end in death,” so you don’t want to be person who applies reason to rainbows and sunsets and Moeen’s batting. Modern sport hasn’t become so results oriented that all the joy has been driven out.His fragility is part of the charm of Moeen. Oh, yes. It will infuriate at times. But, what’s that line about never feeling more alive than when you’re on the brink of death? Well, there’s an element of that to Moeen’s batting. He will probably always have a weakness outside off stump in the way that George Best always had a weakness for a night out. The slip cordon will always be in business; the bowler will always feel he has a chance. As he put it: “I am quite loose but I decided today, I don’t really care.”Can you imagine Alastair Cook saying that? But while Cook is all about the bottom line and practicalities, Moeen is all about feel and touch. He is the DeLorean to Cook’s Volvo. His batting offers charm more than security; joy more than insurance. In a pragmatic world, he bats like an artist.He doesn’t mean to, of course. When he made a century in his second Test, he impressed with his discipline outside off stump. Steeped in the skills of a top-order batsman from the moment he was old enough to pick up a bat, he batted like the No. 3 he is for Worcestershire.But, somewhere along the way, he has learned some bad habits. Knowing he will often be left with the tail, knowing he has limited time to make runs, he has lost the rhythm that defines so many good batsmen and instead started searching for the ball. Often he has not given himself time – or circumstance has not given him time – to build an innings. So instead of the elegant drives or effortless pulls, he has fallen to some ugly heaves and unworthy hacks.He believes the mentality of batting at No. 8 has been responsible for his decline. That and the decision to demote him in the limited-overs side after he had scored two centuries as opener. Confidence undercut by batting with men who grew-up as bowlers, he has increasingly batted like a tailender. Just as Ben Stokes was backed for the No. 6 position in the belief that he would react positively to the extra responsibility, so Moeen has reacted negatively to the lack of responsibility. The promotion to No. 7 for this match “definitely” helped him, he said. “It’s just not the same.”A lot may be made of his average at No. 7 – an eye-watering 276.00 – compared to his average at No. 8 of 29.33 from 18 innings. But he has batted just three times and been dismissed only once at No. 7. It is too small a sample size to draw conclusions. Besides, he averages just 21.00 in 11 innings at No. 6.Moeen Ali’s second Test hundred left England in complete control•Getty ImagesThere is little scope for promoting him at present. Jonny Bairstow looks a more complete batsman and Ben Stokes is a special cricketer who can win games with bat or ball. His average may never show it but then Stokes is a far from average cricketer.Realistically, Moeen has to get used to batting at No. 8. While it might not help England get the best out of him, it is a team game and individuals have to compromise for the general good. Perhaps, in Asia later this year, he may move up the order again to make space for another spinner. But, generally, this isn’t such a terrible dilemma for England. They have wrestled with far more troubling problems in recent years than a surfeit of good middle-order batsmen.It may pain Sri Lanka supporters to know that Moeen credits watching Kumar Sangakkara for his improved form. Struck by Sangakkara’s high back lift and “rhythm” of his trigger movements earlier this season, Moeen went home that night and practised in front of the mirror using the same technique. “I watched two balls and just tried to copy him, really,” he said.”I feel like I’m getting it back,” he said. “I owed the team a score. But, coming in at No. 7, you can put your batting mind on and contribute with a big score.”He is quietly putting together a decent career. During the day, he became the fifth-fastest England player to reach the milestone of 1000 runs and 50 wickets in Test cricket. All four of those who did it quicker – Ian Botham, Tony Greig, Trevor Bailey and Ben Stokes – are widely respected allrounders. He’s in pretty good company.Cricket isn’t just about winning. And it’s not just about stats. It’s about joy and feeling and pleasure every bit as much. And, one day way in the future, long after they have forgotten the scores, the drops or even the result, those fortunate enough to have been at Chester-le-Street on Saturday will look back and be glad that they saw Moeen Ali bat.

Asad Shafiq is a vital cog at No. 6 for Pakistan but he isn’t interested in the limelight. He just wants to keep getting better

Melinda Farrell27-Jul-2016

The Pakistan travelling show is a billboard bursting with shiny headline acts: a chorus line of sexy quicks belting out their best swing numbers, a legspinner with more razzle dazzle than Catherine Zeta-Jones; Misbah-ul-Haq, the noble leading man with a stirring solo; Sarfraz Ahmed grabbing centre stage for a dashing cameo; and, of course, Younis Khan – mesmerising the audience with footwork that would have flabbergasted Bob Fosse himself.Among the noisy and entertaining flamboyance it’s easy to miss Asad Shafiq: Pakistan’s Mr Cellophane, quietly accumulating runs in the wings with a purer technique than any of his flashier team-mates. Shafiq plays an unselfish role; coming in at No. 6, he often provides stability when Pakistan’s batting crumbles and guides the tail with the authority of a batsman who, in many other teams, would be at three or four. If not for the longevity of Misbah and Younis, he almost certainly would fill one of those roles for Pakistan.Shafiq is currently the 13th ranked Test batsman in the world. He is almost certainly the least famous in the top 20, despite playing 43 Tests over a period of nearly six years. He lives with his wife and two young daughters, and looks after his widowed mother, in Karachi. While others at his level have been endlessly profiled, their backstories told and retold, their personal lives treated as public property, he has remained refreshingly enigmatic.”I’m not that person that I want to really go out and express myself as a celebrity,” Shafiq tells ESPNcricinfo. “I just want to do things very simply and very quietly.”It was on the suburban back streets of Karachi that Shafiq simply and quietly began his cricketing journey. His mother was kept busy looking after ten children while his father worked at a cement factory. Shafiq, the youngest and smallest, would often be found with his friends and neighbours, pretending to be Sachin Tendulkar as he faced a taped-up tennis ball on the street outside his front door. He would bowl a few deliveries, too, the lightweight ball allowing him to bowl faster than his small frame would normally allow.But it was while batting that he made people sit up and take notice. Enough to stand out as a 12-year-old and be invited to play against much older boys at the local cricket ground. Enough to be singled out to join Karachi’s Jalaluddin academy.”I started playing with the big boys in the ground,” Shafiq says, “and then I found the love of cricket inside me. The love took me to my first trial of hard-ball cricket at the Under-19 regional academy in Karachi. That’s how I found the love for the game and the start of my career.”Once cricket became a serious career path, Shafiq looked closer to home for inspiration, settling on the elegant and prolific Mohammad Yousuf as a role model.”I watched Mohammad Yousuf when he scored 1000 runs and broke the world record for number of centuries in a calendar year,” Shafiq says. “The way he was playing, especially in that year, it was amazing and I just can’t forget his drives and his cuts. I really liked him after that.”Yousuf is now one of Shafiq’s batting mentors, a group that also includes Javed Miandad and Rashid Latif. While his technique may be widely praised, Shafiq is on a never-ending perfectionist’s quest to hone his already considerable skills.”I’m always thinking about my batting and my front foot and my back foot and I always like to talk about it with Grant Flower, our batting coach,” Shafiq says. “I discuss with him what I should do to get it better every time. What to do and what not to do. I want to sit with him and talk about my batting, about my stance, about my grip, about my head position.”

“That was the team requirement [batting at No. 6] so I think whatever the team wants me to do, whatever role they want me to play, I really take it as a responsibility”

Shafiq’s promotion to the national side in 2010 came with a demotion from his usual top-order batting position. He had never batted at No. 6 until his first Test but he has made more of his role there than most; his tally of eight Test centuries is the joint highest by a number six, a record he shares with Garry Sobers.The best of those innings came during his first tour of South Africa, in 2013. On a hard and bouncy Newlands wicket, facing a fearsome pace attack boasting Dale Steyn, Vernon Philander and Morne Morkel, Shafiq and Younis combined for a 219-run partnership. It wasn’t enough to win the match but it did give Shafiq the confidence that he has the skills to survive and score in any conditions, although he has yet to categorically prove that against England in this series.There are certainly fewer opportunities to rack up big scores when primarily batting with the tail. But rather than being frustrated at the limitations it places on his batting, Shafiq relishes the responsibility of shepherding his team-mates in the lower order.”That was the team requirement, so whatever the team wants me to do, whatever role they want me to play, I really take it as a responsibility,” Shafiq says. “I want to do more with my batting at No. 6. It was difficult in the beginning because I’d never batted with the tail. It’s very difficult, you have to give confidence to the tail, to the bowler who cannot bat like a batsman. You have to give them the belief that they can bat, that they can contribute because these contributions are the most hurtful to the opposition. They think they’ve got all the batsmen out and after that, if the partnership builds between me and a tailender, that’s the most frustrating thing for the opposition.”With Misbah and Younis in the latter phase of their careers, when one – or both – of them eventually retires it will be a natural progression for Shafiq to move up the order. But while he has ambitions to bat higher, he is as patient for a promotion as he is at the crease.His attitude is born of a deep respect for Misbah, which is hardly surprising. Shafiq made his debut in late 2010, the end of an that left Pakistan cricket’s reputation in tatters. Shafiq was a key member of Generation Restoration.”It was a difficult time but I would like to give credit to Misbah for that,” he says. “He really took on the responsibility and showed the correct way and put his belief in every player. Whatever had gone on had gone. We had to move forward, we had to forget all the things we left behind. We needed to look forward every time and show the world that we were good cricketers who could play in any conditions and beat any team in the world. So that’s the belief we carried from there and each and every day it got better and better. After that we rebuilt our reputation. Every player was good after that.”When you go on any tour with the star on your chest, then it is your responsibility to take all of the things that belong to your country and that’s my belief: I shouldn’t do anything that would hurt my people back home, that would reflect anything negative on my country. That’s a personal thing.”Shafiq’s approach to batting is generally a conservative one; to be patient in spending time at the crease, to leave confidently and defend neatly while summing up the conditions. He was impressive in Pakistan’s win at Lord’s, with diligent scores of 73 and 49, but his dismissals at Old Trafford were frustrating: tempted into a loose drive to the man at backward point in the first innings he was then the last recognised batsman to fall as Pakistan tried to dig in defensively second time around, missing a straight delivery from James Anderson to be given out lbw on review.Perhaps one answer for Shafiq and his team-mates can be found in push-ups; not the ones performed in celebration on the Lord’s outfield but in the 300-400 they ground out of their boot camp in Abbottabad. Such resilience and stamina were missing from their batting in Manchester.With the series levelled after a bruising defeat, Pakistan must now regroup and rebuild before Edgbaston. For a team whose top order is proving brittle, a record-breaking century from their No. 6 – a command performance from Mr Cellophane – would be most timely.

تحدث أشرف صبحي، وزير الشباب والرياضة، في المؤتمر الصحفي؛ لتقديم المدرب الإسباني خافيير باسكوال مديرًا فنيًا لـ منتخب مصر الأول لكرة اليد للرجال، بحضور كمال درويش رئيس اللجنة العلمية وخالد فتحي رئيس الاتحاد.

خافيير باسكوال أحد أبرز المدربين في تاريخ كرة اليد الأوروبية، وسبق له تحقيق بطولات كبرى مع أندية ومنتخبات عريقة، ما يجعله إضافة قوية لمسيرة كرة اليد المصرية.

طالع| موعد مباراة مصر القادمة في كأس العالم لكرة اليد للشباب بعد الخسارة أمام ألمانيا

وأكد أشرف صبحي في كلمته خلال المؤتمر، أن التعاقد مع خافيير باسكوال يأتي ضمن رؤية الدولة لتطوير المنظومة الرياضية، لا سيما في الألعاب الجماعية التي حققت نجاحات كبرى في السنوات الأخيرة، مشيرًا إلى أن كرة اليد المصرية باتت من القوى الكبرى عالميًا، وتستحق جهازًا فنيًا على أعلى مستوى.

وقال صبحي: “نتطلع من خلال التعاقد مع مدير فني كبير بحجم باسكوال إلى تحقيق طموحات الجماهير المصرية، وبلوغ منصات التتويج العالمية، خاصة في بطولة العالم المقبلة وأولمبياد لوس أنجلوس 2028.”

وأعرب المدرب الإسباني خافيير باسكوال عن سعادته الكبيرة بتولي مسؤولية تدريب منتخب مصر، مشيدًا بالإمكانات الكبيرة التي يتمتع بها المنتخب الوطني، وبالروح القتالية للاعبين، مؤكدا عزمه على تقديم كل ما لديه من أجل قيادة “الفراعنة” لتحقيق طموحات الشعب المصري.

A £25 million ace prefers a move to Manchester United over Arsenal and wants a three-year deal at Old Trafford, according to a new report.

The January transfer window is around five weeks away from opening, and the Red Devils are being linked with plenty of potential targets, as it will be the first window with Ruben Amorim in charge.

Man Utd going all in to sign Chelsea "monster" for Amorim in £50m transfer

INEOS look determined to land a player for Ruben Amorim in January.

ByBrett Worthington Nov 24, 2024 Man Utd transfer news

There have been a host of names linked with a move to Old Trafford since Amorim’s appointment was announced, and it has continued to be the same as January gets ever closer as the weeks go on.

United are interested in signing Atalanta midfielder Ederson and have held internal talks about a potential move for him. The Red Devils are looking for reinforcements in midfield as early as January, according to this latest report, and Ederson is one the club has discussed. The Brazilian has been a key performer for the Italian side, and his performances have put him on the radar of a few Premier League clubs.

As well as Ederson, Man Utd are also interested in a move for Real Madrid’s Eduardo Camavinga. The Premier League side have reportedly made an approach for the French international, and he is said to be “flattered” by it, as he is still yet to nail down a regular starting spot in Spain. The talk of signing a midfielder doesn’t stop there for United, as they have now received a transfer boost from a player they know well.

Angel Gomes prefers Man Utd move over Arsenal

According to Caught Offside, Angel Gomes would prefer a return to Manchester United over a move to Arsenal and other interested sides in what is a boost for Amorim. The English international is expected to leave Lille at the end of the season when his contract ends after spending four years with the French side.

Gomes, who is rated at £25 million, has been a key player for Lille since joining, and his performances in Ligue 1 and the Champions League have now earned him four caps for England. The 24-year-old came through the academy at Old Trafford, and he now could be set for a return.

It was reported a few days ago that Amorim had given the green light for United to go after Gomes. Now this new report states Gomes, who has interest from the likes of Manchester City, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United, Atletico Madrid and Napoli, would prefer a move back to United at the end of the season.

Apps

129

Goals

9

Assists

19

As well as preferring a move back to United, Gomes would also like a three-year deal at Old Trafford with the option of another year. The attacking midfielder played 10 times in United’s first team before leaving, but his arrival in 2025 could see him become a key player in Amorim’s team, as Gomes is able to operate in central midfield, as well as a number 10 and even out wide if needs be. That may make him a perfect player for the Portuguese, as he looks to have versatility in his side.

Everton have several players representing their countries during the international break. Not only is the UEFA Nations League reaching its climax, but qualifying for the Africa Cup of Nations is ongoing and the South American World Cup qualifiers are over halfway completed..

Sean Dyche will be hoping a few of his players can return to Merseyside free from any injuries as they look to move away from the Premier League relegation zone.

He will be buoyed by a few of the performances that have been delivered by his players, however.

The Everton players who have shone on international duty

Jordan Pickford kept another clean sheet for England during their 3-0 victory over Greece. The goalkeeper made five saves and won 100% of his total duels during the game.

Iliman Ndiaye and Idrissa Gueye both started for Senegal in their AFCON qualifier against Burkina Faso, which ended in a narrow 1-0 win for Senegal.

Gueye was in superb form, finishing the game with a 96% pass success rate, making four key passes, winning six of his eight ground duels and making four tackles as he ran the show from the heart of the midfield.

Ndiaye was deployed in a more advanced role, just behind Nicolas Jackson, and he was fairly solid too. He made two key passes, registered two shots and attempted four dribbles, succeeding with two.

Dyche will be hoping the trio can maintain these levels of performance for Everton’s next match in the league. There was one player who gave an underwhelming display on international duty, however, as Beto failed to shine for his nation.

Beto's stats vs Guinea-Bissau

The striker has scored two goals for Everton this term, including one in the Premier League, but he was poor for Guinea-Bissau as they drew 1-1 with Eswantini in the AFCON qualifiers on Friday night.

He was tasked with leading the line, yet Beto managed to take just 20 touches during his time on the pitch, while losing the ball nine times and losing ten of his 11 contested duels as he struggled to get a foothold in the game.

Goals

0

Total shots

1

Touches

20

Completed passes

5/7

Pass accuracy

71%

Possession lost

9x

Ground duels won

1/9

Fouls made

5

Aerial duels won

0/2

Big chances created

1

Key passes

2

Beto also committed five fouls during the match and completed only five passes. Yes, he may have had a hand in the equalising goal – with his cross eventually finding its way in courtesy of Carlos Mane – but overall, it was a dismal showing from the Everton player.

Given Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s dropoff in form in recent weeks, Dyche would have been hoping for a more promising showing by Beto.

On the evidence on yesterday’s showing, however, It looks like he could find himself on the bench again when Everton take on Brentford following the conclusion of the international break next week.

His sole Premier League goal has come from the bench, which suggests he is perhaps better off being utilised midway through a game.

This was his chance to impress Dyche, however, but the 26-year-old failed to showcase his true talents, that’s for sure.

Everton sold a star who's now outperforming Salah & Palmer in one key area

Everton sold a star under Dyche’s management and now he’s outperforming Salah and Palmer in one key area.

ByAngus Sinclair Nov 16, 2024

Rory Burns leads Surrey’s response after record-breaking sixth-wicket stand

David Hopps12-Jul-2022They know their history in Yorkshire. When Adam Lyth and Jonny Tattersall broke Yorkshire’s sixth-wicket batting record, prolonged applause burst across North Marine Road the moment that Lyth flicked the ball off his hip. Such momentous achievements have always been met by an outbreak of White Rose pride but these days there is a touch of defiance, too – a statement that the much-chastised County Championship is deep-rooted and forever worthy of protection.Fortunately, by the time Lyth and Tattersall broke the record, the spectator vainly trying to come to terms with his new yellow-plastic rain-protector had decided that the risk of a shower had receded and removed it. He had become so entangled in it, failing to find the arm holes in several futile attempts, pulling it backwards and forwards over his head at various angles, that he would have found it impossible to clap.As far as the main stage was concerned, it was less about contortions than skill and concentration. Lyth and Tattersall had logged 239 runs on the first day and they had extended that to 305 in 77 overs when Lyth pulled Conor McKerr to deep square leg to fall for 183, an innings that spanned nearly eight hours and his highest score in his home county. Tattersall, on his Championship return, was left with an unbeaten, career-best 180 as Tom Lawes took three quick wickets after lunch and Yorkshire were dismissed for 521.Related

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But they are not yet on solid ground and Surrey, the Championship leaders, 191 for 1 at the close, will imagine that they have the batting prowess to put Yorkshire under pressure on the final day. Dom Bess can anticipate a heavy workload and the offspinner took the only wicket to fall when he drew Ryan Patel down the pitch with one that dipped and turned a shade and Tattersall completed a straightforward stumping.There had still been life in the surface on a cloudy morning, for Dan Worrall in particular as he came down the hill, but Yorkshire’s attack rarely threatened. Rory Burns was calmness personified as he closed the second day on 93 not out. He was assured square of the wicket on both sides and his commitment to the long game was illustrated when he made only 10 runs in the last 12 overs of the day, from which he faced 33 balls. He had one moment of fortune, caught at first slip on 72 only to be reprieved because Shannon Gabriel, the West Indian quick who has joined Yorkshire on a short-term contract, had overstepped.Considering the overpowering nature of Yorkshire’s cricket history, it is instructional to reflect that five of the highest batting partnerships for each wicket have been made this century. Holmes and Sutcliffe are famously there for their 555 for the first wicket at Leyton in 1932 – the world record that wasn’t thanks to a faulty scoreboard – and Geoffrey Boycott makes an appearance for his 10th wicket stand of 149 with Graham Stevenson at Edgbaston in 1982 when he memorably remarked, with a lopsided grin, that was down to “his brawn and my brains”. But there are many names of modern vintage – Jonny Bairstow and Tim Bresnan, Bairstow again with Joe Root. Lyth broke his own sixth-wicket record, too, a stand of 296 in league with Adil Rashid in the Old Trafford Roses match eight years ago. Flatter pitches for sure – markedly so – but Lyth, too, and the rest will enter Yorkshire folklore.Major renovations are in progress at North Marine Road•Matthew AllenFor Scarborough to protect its place in history, however beloved it is, the ground must remain solvent. Crowds here have been a little above 3,000 on the first two days which are reasonable, but well down on pre-Covid days and not entirely in keeping with the esteem in which the ground is held. A recent 10-year staging agreement with Yorkshire helps in an age when outgrounds are permanently under pressure but it is also ambitious to become an established centre for women’s cricket. It would have to address primitive broadcasting facilities to achieve that. But anyway, changes are afoot and that can only be positive.The very thought will have been enough to leave Yorkshire traditionalists on red alert because they routinely insist North Marine Road is perfect and want no messing with their memories. The last time it was suggested the place needed a revamp, a Yorkshire supporter on the wooden-benched banking took umbrage on and countered: “You don’t need a sofa to sit on”.Rest assured there are no unwelcome fripperies in a £500,000 upgrade. The first two phases – improved toilet facilities, better communications and new practice net facilities – are largely completed. The final phase, subject to planning approval, is a refurbishment of the incongruous West Stand, which will have new seating and a new ground-floor frontage which will also house a heritage museum and improved catering facilities – or, as they are known these days “innovative places to linger”.Scarborough is also an unusual place to linger for Clean Slate Filmz, Yorkshire’s main sponsor, which is making a biopic of Jhulan Goswami, the great champion of India women’s cricket, in September.Also attracting interest was Yorkshire’s 2nd XI match against Derbyshire at Chesterfield where Gary Ballance is continuing a low-key return to action after missing the bulk of the season with mental health issues. Ballance has made back-to-back hundreds so it appears from afar that he is feeling his way back successfully. He is one of seven people charged – and the only current player – by the ECB after their investigation into Azeem Rafiq’s racism allegations. There is no regulation that stops Yorkshire selecting him, but there is no suggestion that any 1st XI return is imminent and that seems to be the most sensible approach.Yorkshire’s fast-bowler injuries are also relenting. Ben Coad is also involved the 2nd XI fixture, although he is following a programme of limited workload and has yet to bowl, and Matthew Fisher has not given up hope of a match or two at the back end of the Championship season. He has been undertaking fielding drills during the lunch interval on the last two days as he recovers from a stress fracture.

As one of the biggest clubs in English football, Arsenal have been blessed with a whole host of sensationally gifted players over the years.

From the likes of Liam Brady and Charlie George in the 1970s to David Roecastle and Ian Wright in the 1980s and 1990s, but it was during the early 2000s that the Gunners saw perhaps their greatest-ever crop of superstars.

Patrick Vieira, Dennis Bergkamp, Robert Pirès and Sol Campbell all helped to define a generation with their incredible football and achievements, but without a doubt, the king of them all was Thierry Henry.

The magical Frenchman is still considered the greatest Premier League player of all time by many today, so when a signing under former manager Unai Emery was compared to him, there was more than a little excitement among the fanbase.

Thierry Henry's Arsenal career

Titi completed his £11m move to Arsenal, a club record fee at the time, in the summer of 1999, and while he had been a part of France’s World Cup-winning squad the summer prior, there was an element of doubt over how he would get on in North London following his underwhelming six-month spell with Juventus.

As we know now, such reservations were proven demonstrably wrong, as over the following eight seasons, the Les Ulis-born phenomenon would score an incredible 226 goals in 370 appearances while also providing 98 assists to boot.

This meant that the world-class attacker maintained an average of a goal involvement once every 1.14 games across eight years, during which he helped the Gunners lift two Premier League titles, three FA Cups and two Community Shields.

Appearances

377

Goals

228

Assists

98

Goal Involvements per Match

1.15

The 123-capped international would eventually leave for Barcelona in the summer of 2007 but would briefly return to the club for a month in January 2012, during which time he scored another two goals in seven substitute appearances.

Overall, it’s impossible to overstate the importance of Thierry Henry to the story of Arsenal football club, so when comparisons were made between the legendary Frenchman and one of the club’s most exciting signings in the summer of 2019, expectations were raised.

Unfortunately, such comparisons could not have been more misplaced.

The Arsenal signing compared to Henry

So, as Emery wasn’t given the chance to make too many signings, you can probably guess which player of his was compared to the Arsenal legend.

Yes, before he would go on to be considered a costly flop for the Gunners, £72m signing Nicolas Pepe was being likened to the French legend for his incredible form in France with LOSC Lille, where he had just scored 32 goals and provided 12 assists in 41 games.

For example, journalist Robin Bairner highlighted these comparisons in July 2019, describing it as “fitting” that he’d end up at the Emirates.

Jamie Redknapp then highlighted the similarity in how the winger opened up his body to strike the ball just a month later.

Lastly, even though he was starting to struggle at this point, former Liverpool icon Graeme Souness once again made the comparison following the Ivorian international’s goal against Newcastle United in February, arguing that Henry “didn’t have a great first season” either and that the Gunners’ new number 19 was set to become “a star here.”

Unfortunately, as we know, that didn’t happen. Instead, the transfer “mistake,” as dubbed by journalist Charlie Watts, continued to struggle and, following a loan back to France, would eventually leave the club for nothing after his contract was terminated by mutual consent in September last year.

In all, the Mantes-la-Jolie-born ace made 112 appearances for the club, in which he scored 27 goals and provided 21 assists, all while making £100k-per-week.

Ultimately, while Pepe is far from being the worst player Arsenal have signed over the years, there can be no denying that he was massively disappointing, and as such, the comparisons to Henry now look absurd.

Arsenal must rue selling £34m star who now ranks alongside Palmer & Salah

The incredible talent would have helped Arsenal so much this season.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 15, 2024

The team’s success over the last few years has been built around a group of youngsters who have stepped up in times of dire need and crisis

Vishal Dikshit16-Mar-2015Staying unbeaten for 28 first-class matches in a row can’t just be attributed to favourable conditions, flat pitches or lack of competition in the domestic circuit. For Karnataka, it isn’t merely a reflection of the culture and environment that exists in their dressing room, or the special bond the players have formed over the years. It is the kind of core they have built the team around – a core made of youngsters that stepped up in times of dire need and crisis.Eleven players from their squad are aged 25 or lesser, only four are above 30, and their oldest player – Vinay Kumar – is yet to turn 31. Karun Nair, the star of the Ranji Trophy final, is 22; Shreyas Gopal, their upcoming allrounder, is 21, Abhimanyu Mithun, their highest wicket-taker last season and among their top three this time, is 25; R Samarth, with two hundreds and two fifties in seven matches this season, was 21 when the season started; and KL Rahul, who scored over 1000 runs last season, and averaged 93 this season along with a Test hundred under his belt, is only 22.It is the core of this young brigade which propelled them towards success, salvaged them from difficult situations, dominated the oppositions and it is this core, the team believes, which will help them dominate the next five to seven years.There were times during the season when the team stuttered – the opening pair was not particularly consistent, the team started to concede first-innings leads and wins started becoming draws. The difference compared to the other teams was that the youngsters came forward, and revived the team’s confidence, helping them get back to winning ways.”One of the main reasons is the attitude we have as individuals,” Rahul told ESPNcricinfo. “We are all very very aggressive people and we’ve never taken a backward step or never feared anybody, be it a youngster coming into the team or a player who is a permanent member in the team. It’s a very thin line between being confident and overconfident, but we found that right balance for the team and everybody knows their responsibilities and roles very well.”They play it out to the best of their potential every single time they go out onto the field. That’s the biggest advantage our team has. If someone goes for national duty there are three other people who can do the same job that he’s doing. That’s what this team is made of.”When Rahul was in Australia for the Test series, Kunal Kapoor, who had played only 10 first-class matches before the season started for Karnataka, scored fifties against Tamil Nadu and Railways, and later against Mumbai in their last league game.When Rahul returned in January, a string of single-digit scores from opener Mayank Agarwal upset the top-order’s stability. That’s when they decided to try Samarth. He opened with Robin Uthappa against Madhya Pradesh and scored a patient 57. He could not convert the starts he got against Baroda and Uttar Pradesh, but came good against heavyweights Mumbai with 180, against Assam with 178 in the quarter-final and with a fifty against Mumbai again, in the semi-final.Karnataka had to let go of another key player when Stuart Binny was selected for the tri-series in Australia and the World Cup.This gave an opportunity to Gopal, who came into the team as a legspinner but has taken up the role of an allrounder, the chance to fill Binny’s position. Gopal made his debut only last season and had played only seven first-class matches when the season began. He ended up playing all 11 games, took 28 wickets and struck two hundreds.KL Rahul – “We are all very very aggressive people and we’ve never taken a backward step or never feared anybody”•PTI “The young players are willing to do anything the team requires,” Gopal says. “Samarth opened, went at No. 3 and 4, I batted from No. 6 to 8. So as long as the team needs someone, we were all more than willing to perform. There was a lot of hard work put in by us. Even when we were put in a spot by Baroda, the seniors, support staff…everyone stepped up to support each other and put up a strong performance.”Baroda surprised the defending champions when they took a first-innings lead, set a target of 288 and then reduced Karnataka to 50 for 6 before CM Gautam and Gopal rescued them. While Gautam scored a patient 30 off 119 balls, Gopal stuck it out with an unbeaten 51 to steer his team to a draw with three wickets in hand.”This season I got runs under my belt, I got to bat in different positions and was happy to contribute whenever it was required,” says Gopal who accumulated 663 runs at an average of 55.25.The environment and atmosphere in the dressing room is such that even when the younger brigade is not able to perform, or the law of average catches up on any of them, the seniors always set an example, be it with the bat or ball, and the numbers clearly show that.”All the senior players set great example for youngsters coming in, like Vinay and Robin,” Rahul says. “Both are the highest wicket-taker and highest run-getter this season and they’ve set the standard really high. So the youngsters sitting outside or looking up to them know what they have to do to play for the country or play higher level of cricket. They set amazing examples and standards for all of us…and all of them are young, the average age is 23-24.”So even a youngster coming into the team doesn’t feel like it’s a different atmosphere because we’re all the same age, same batch so they never felt the pressure because we all backed them very well and to get into this Karnataka team you really should be someone who’s performed extremely well because if you’ve to break into our team you’ve to put in some amazing performances. I am sure someone who puts in performances like that is a very confident individual. So once he comes into the team he feels at home.”Abhimanyu Mithun – “Our youngster put their hand up because they know the name comes out very well when they perform against the big sides”•PTI Karnataka made sure they made a statement against the big teams right from the beginning. They beat Tamil Nadu by 285 runs, thrashed Bengal by nine wickets, and even though they drew against Mumbai in a league match, in their second clash in Bangalore they sent Mumbai packing for 44. That performance was followed by an innings win against Tamil Nadu in the final.”Youngsters put their hand up because they know the name comes out very well when they perform against big sides,” Mithun says. “They have been putting in hard work and they wanted to perform and see the results. They are already like us, actually. Everyone plays together and wants to push skill-wise, they practice very hard, they look up to the seniors and want to step up. Every player is taking it like a challenge. Whoever gets a chance performs and comes up for the team.”Vinay knows very well who is suitable for what situation and acts accordingly. He knows everyone’s strengths. Robin also leads from the front and gives pep talks, talks to the younger players on the field when the team is feeling down.”After five consecutive draws – four in the league stage and one in the quarter-final – Karnataka got their momentum back with the confidence-boosting win in the semi-final which made them clear favourites for the final. By then the team had made it clear that they were at least a notch or two above the others, that too for the second season in a row.”There are many juniors in the team and they all stepped up and performed,” Vinay says. “I never saw any tension on their faces, they always seemed confident. And the results you can see – Karun and Rahul performed so well in the finals.”We are all enjoying each other’s success, something you will rarely see in other teams. We’re like a family. The players always step up, like Mithun went up and scored 89 against Mumbai so now I’m confident of sending him up the order in the future. There is no fear in our team, that’s the main point.”Going into the Irani Cup starting Tuesday, another advantage this family has is that they will be playing at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, the same ground where they beat Rest of India last season by an innings and 222 runs, a win that was sealed by a hat-trick from Gopal.

MatériaMais Notícias

da luck： Após a vitória do São Paulo contra o América-MG neste domingo (12) por 1 a 0, Miranda falou sobre sua sequência de jogos no Tricolor paulista e situação de Luan – que saiu de campo aos 28 minutos do primeiro tempo de maca.

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da brdice： Galeria
>ATUAÇÕES: Mesmo com pressão, Jandrei salva e Patrick garante vitória do São Paulo

Tabela
> Veja tabela do Campeonato Brasileiro e simule os próximos jogos

Mesmo presente nas últimas três rodadas, o veterano jogou somente 16 dos 37 jogos da equipe nesta temporada. O camisa 22 falou sobre falta de sequência e afirmou que está buscando seu espaço.

-Confesso que não estou 100% feliz. Mas é futebol né? Tem que saber esperar e a partir do momento que você não está jogando, tem que procurar seu espaço e é isso que estou fazendo. Trabalhar ainda mais para quando tiver oportunidade, demonstrar o meu valor – disse.

Um dos nomes mais velhos do elenco de Rogério Ceni, Miranda também falou sobre a necessidade de ser visto como exemplo pelo restante dos atletas em situações como esta.

– O grupo sempre esteve do meu lado. Nós temos jogadores espetaculares. Preciso servir de exemplo para os outros. Se eu estava trabalhando em silêncio, buscando meu espaço, nenhum jogador pode reclamar se isso acontecer com eles. Busco servir de exemplo e deixar todos motivados – afirmou.

Por fim, citou sobre o caso do seu colega de elenco, Luan. O jogador teve que deixar os gramados aos 28 minutos do primeiro tempo de maca, após sentir a coxa esquerda. Miranda ressaltou que espera que não seja nada grave.

-Luan é um jogador importante. A equipe necessita dele, teve uma lesão muito séria. Está tentando voltar dessa lesão. É um guerreiro. Espero que não tenha sido nada sério – finalizou.

O São Paulo volta a campo contra o Botafogo na próxima quinta-feira (16), ás 16h, no estádio Nilton Santos.

Bangladesh captain wants to “revive Test culture in the country” and make sure the team starts winning more at home

Mohammad Isam28-Jun-2022

Shakib Al Hasan:’ We weren’t as tough as we could have been, in terms of showing character in this Test match’•AFP/Getty Images

Captain Shakib Al Hasan has said that Bangladesh didn’t show enough character against West Indies in the St Lucia Test. West Indies completed a ten-wicket trouncing of the visitors on the rain-interrupted fourth day. Bangladesh, six-down overnight, lasted just over an hour on the day, getting bowled out for 186 to leave the home side a target of 13 to complete the 2-0 series sweep.Bangladesh came into the fourth day on 132 for 6 after their top and middle order once again caved in against a disciplined pace attack. Shakib said that his side’s inability to hold on to their wickets showed a lack of game awareness at this level.Related

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“Considering this Test, we tended to lose wickets just before a drinks break, a lunch break or before the rain. If we didn’t lose these wickets, things would have been quite different. This is a part of game awareness. We weren’t as tough as we could have been, in terms of showing character in this Test match,” he said.Shakib felt that the Test players must work on their game before they meet India in December. Bangladesh go into their T20 season later this week, leading up to the T20 World Cup scheduled to begin in Australia in October. They will be playing T20Is against West Indies and Zimbabwe, before featuring in the Asia Cup and a tri-series in New Zealand before the global event.”We have to improve in every department to do well in Tests. It is good that a big gap is coming up [before we play the next Test]. Those who are interested in playing Tests can improve themselves during this time. We really don’t have a new set of players who will do well immediately after coming to this level.”If all of us, and a couple of the players from outside, can plan together, we might do well. Otherwise, we cannot expect a lot of changes if we continue to play the same way. We have to bring changes in many aspects, including our thinking.”Shakib believes the team must stop losing matches regularly at home to regain confidence. Bangladesh have now lost three Test series in a row: home series against Pakistan and Sri Lanka , before this away series against West Indies.”Teams are mostly underdogs on away tours. Take New Zealand, for example. They are losing abroad. England lost in the West Indies. Australia are losing when they play abroad. The same for India. Teams lose in India too.”So, we have to make sure that we don’t lose at home. Either we win or draw the matches. This improvement will help us when we are playing overseas. Maybe, we won’t win, but we will be competitive.”Shakib spoke of lack of Test culture in Bangladesh, something that head coach Russell Domingo had also pointed out last year. He said that the team need to plan early and execute well to revive the culture.”You can’t really blame the players. The system in our country is this. Did you ever see 30,000 people come to see a Test match? It happens in every game in England. We don’t have a Test culture in our country. But we can’t give up on it.”We have a responsibility to bring Test culture back to the country. We have to plan ahead, otherwise, we can’t get too far. I wouldn’t say that we don’t value Test cricket. But we don’t have good results. These two go hand-in-hand.”Shifting gearsA challenging series awaits Bangladesh as they begin their preparation for the T20 World Cup with three T20Is against West Indies, starting on July 2. After the T20 World Cup last year, where they were knocked out in the second round, Bangladesh went down to Pakistan 3-0 in November and drew 1-1 with Afghanistan.”It is an important series as far as our preparation for the T20 World Cup is concerned,” Shakib said. “We have the Asia Cup and the World Cup coming up. We don’t have much time left. Playing against West Indies will be a major challenge.”If we do well in the T20s here, it will help us go to Sri Lanka [for the Asia Cup] with a good mindset. The Asia Cup will be tough as we will take on India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka.”