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In what would be one of the most interesting moves of the summer, Wolverhampton Wanderers are reportedly battling clubs in Saudi Arabia to sign a new winger who was once worth over £70m.

Wolves likely to have Cunha fee to spend

In Vitor Pereira’s first summer in charge, it seems likely that he will have the chance to welcome a number of arrivals or, at the very least, a couple of star names to replace Matheus Cunha. The Brazilian forward reportedly has a release clause worth around £63m in his current deal and has attracted the likes of Manchester United as a result.

If triggered, Wolves will receive that hefty fee before potentially turning towards the transfer market themselves. To that end, a number of names who could arrive to ease the Cunha blow have already been mentioned in recent weeks, from the likes of Samuel Lino all the way to Liverpool’s Harvey Elliott.

Pereira is certainly well aware of the quality that he’ll need to replace if Cunha does depart this summer, having told reporters after the Brazilian’s decisive display in a victory over Leicester City: “He is a special player.

“When he feels the happiness inside, when he is himself, he can create. He played a fantastic game. It shows he is committed with us, with his team-mates, with everyone.”

Wolves want "incredible" 25 y/o Atletico Madrid star who may replace Cunha

The Brazilian forward could depart this summer.

ByTom Cunningham May 4, 2025

Alas, no matter how special Cunha is, Wolves are likely to have the task of finding the heir to his Molineux throne this summer. Just who that might be remains to be seen, but that hasn’t stopped a fresh option from threatening to steal the headlines as of late.

Wolves join race to sign "great" Nicolas Pepe

According to FootMercato, Wolves are now battling clubs in Saudi Arabia to sign Nicolas Pepe from Villarreal this summer. The former Arsenal winger has shown glimpses of his quality during his time in Spain and could now find himself on his way back to the Premier League in a shock move this summer. Once worth a reported £72m when he joined the Gunners, Wolves may well land what would once be considered a bargain deal in the coming months.

That said, if Pepe is to replace Cunha, then Wolves must consider the risks. With two goals and four assists in all competitions in Spain this season, the winger still struggles for output just as he did in Arsenal colours. And that’s something which is unlikely to undergo a dramatic improvement at the age of 29 years old.

A player who skipped past Virgil van Dijk on his Arsenal debut at a time when doing exactly that was a task deemed almost impossible and a player once praised as “great” by manager Mikel Arteta, Pepe’s return to the Premier League would certainly be interesting to watch.

The drop-in pitches at the venue haven’t produced ideal T20 cricket, and the relentless schedule of eight matches in ten days isn’t helping

Nagraj Gollapudi08-Jun-2024 • Updated on 17-Feb-20254:23

Rohit: Even the curator is confused how the pitch will behave

First, what is a drop-in pitch?A drop-in pitch is the same as a normal 22-yard cricket strip, but is prepared and kept encased in a steel tray and not developed at the ground, as is traditional. It is prepared in favourable conditions – it can be outside the ground or at a turf farm – and comprises layers of soil, clay and grass that are bedded in together for a period of time. Once it is “dropped in” on the main square, the pitch gets the same care as a traditional pitch. This includes rolling, watering, and cutting the grass before match days.Related

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Why were drop-in pitches chosen for New York?While the ICC had cast the net wide to identify the right big venue for the World Cup in 2021, it was only in September 2023 that the Nassau County venue, located in Eisenhower Park in Long Island, was finalised. Mindful of the tight timeline, the ICC decided on drop-in pitches as a turnkey solution. Accordingly, ten drop-in pitches – four for the main ground and six for the practice facility in Cantiague Park, a few miles from the main venue – were used.The original trays were prepared in Adelaide by Adelaide Turf International, which also oversees the preparation of the drop-in pitches at Adelaide Oval. The trays were shipped in December 2023 to Florida because it is sunnier and warmer there compared to New York, which has freezing temperatures from December to March. The pitches were then moved to New York at the end of April before being fixed in the main square and practice venue in early May.Is it usual for international cricket to be played on a drop-in pitch before any trial games?Usually, a fresh, relaid pitch at a stadium’s main square will be tested with several practice matches and even domestic games before international cricket is played on it.In the case of the New York project, the organisers had to raise the entire venue from scratch in just 106 days between January and May before South Africa played Sri Lanka on June 3. Two days prior to that, Bangladesh and India played a warm-up match at the venue – it was the first proper match there.Eight of the 16 matches in the USA leg were allotted to the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York•ICC via Getty Images

What is the nature of the drop-in pitches at Eisenhower Park?Damian Hough, the head curator at Adelaide Oval, who made the drop-in pitches for the New York project, explained that strips usually need high clay content to facilitate good pace and bounce. In this case, for the soil, Hough used the local American variety of soil called BlackStick, which has a clay content of over 60% [considered high], similar to the Adelaide Oval. Bermuda grass has been used both for the pitch and the outfield, which is commonly used for cricket grounds.Was there an ICC inspection before the venue got the go-ahead?As part of its protocol, the ICC sends an expert team to carry out due diligence at all their venues – including the ground itself, the pitches and practice facilities – before granting them international status. While there was no formal announcement of the New York venue getting international status, on May 15, the ICC launched the stadium for the World Cup.Is the scheduling an issue?Yes. Eight of the 16 World Cup matches of the USA leg of the T20 World Cup were allotted to New York, and these have been scheduled across ten days between June 3 and 12, with the last six matches – including the marquee game between India and Pakistan on June 9 – on consecutive days. Such a schedule is unprecedented at an ICC event. This has been the biggest challenge for Hough and his team, because it is not just one pitch, but the entire square comprising all four strips that need attention at all times.India will play Pakistan in New York on June 9•ICC/Getty Images

How many pitches have been used so far?Three*. Pitch No. 4 has been used for three matches so far: Bangladesh vs India warm-up (June 1), India vs Ireland (June 5) and Canada vs Ireland (June 7). Pitch No. 1 was used for the South Africa vs Sri Lanka game on June 3. Pitch No. 2 was used for the Netherlands vs South Africa game on June 8. Pitch No. 2 was a more true pitch than the others, but fast bowlers still had a bigger say.Has the ICC identified any factor(s) contributing to the variable bounce?ESPNcricinfo has learned that Hough had spotted lines of grass sprouting in the cracks in some spots on the pitch, which he suspected could have contributed to the uneven bounce that frequently caused distress to batters in the South Africa vs Sri Lanka and India vs Ireland matches. Another contributing factor was the overcast conditions – the moisture played a role in the exaggerated sideways movement, and the swing the fast men generated.Was any remedial work carried out?It is understood that ahead of the Canada vs Ireland match on Friday, Hough covered the areas where grass shoots were growing under the cracks with topsoil and rolled it to make the surface much flatter.Did it make a difference?On Friday, while the odd ball did keep low, the surface was much truer, albeit a bit sluggish as a consequence of overnight rain. Ireland captain Paul Stirling pointed out that the pitch looked totally different to the one used for the India match, with much of the greenish tinge wiped away.

Still searching for their next manager, RB Leipzig have now reportedly set a deadline and narrowed their candidates down to two in a development that should leave Crystal Palace concerned.

Glasner focused on Tottenham game

Whilst his side may be just one week away from the FA Cup final, Oliver Glasner took the time to reiterate this week that both his and Crystal Palace’s focus is on the next game at hand, which comes against London rivals Tottenham Hotspur this weekend.

A game between two sides with more important games ahead, it may well prove to be one of the toughest London derbies to predict all season.

Crystal Palace now plotting summer hijack to sign "elite" £17m defender

He’s a rising star.

ByTom Cunningham May 10, 2025

Glasner assured reporters that the Eagles will be putting their best foot forward, saying in his pre-match press conference: “It’s not so difficult here, ahead of the cup final. At our training ground we work day by day. We talk on the pitch, we have our meetings and we prepare for the next game. It’s just business as usual.

“Of course, there is a little bit more to do with the media, with interviews for the players, for myself. You can view this as a stress, but I think it’s the best we can have. We want to play the final. We want to have this positive stress. There is a lot of positive energy we can get from it.

“This is what we can show at Tottenham. Again, the better our performance is at Tottenham, the better our confidence will be for the final. It’s always the performance that influences the next game a little bit.”

Following this weekend’s meeting with Spurs, though, it will be all eyes on Wembley and an attempt to shock Manchester City in the FA Cup final to qualify for the Europa League in the process. Alas, whilst such a win would create history, it’s not absurd to suggest that it could be Glasner’s final act as Crystal Palace manager.

Glasner included in final two Leipzig candidates

According to Sky Sports’ Philipp Hinze, RB Leipzig have now narrowed their managerial candidates down to Glasner and Cesc Fabregas. The Como boss has impressed in Italy and represents an exciting option compared to the more experienced Glasner.

The Bundesliga club are reportedly wasting little time, either, having set a deadline of the end of May to find their next manager after sacking Marco Rose earlier this season.

Those at Selhurst Park are already preparing for the worst too, having reportedly set their sights on hiring Sheffield Wednesday boss Danny Rohl in the event that Glasner departs in the coming weeks.

Whether the Austrian would accept the Leipzig job is, of course, another question. To leave after just one full season in the Premier League would be quite the decision, especially after how successful Palace have been throughout a tenure that many hope is only just getting started.

Azeem Rafiq has criticised the expected return of Colin Graves as Yorkshire chair and urged sponsors to walk out on the club if he is reappointed.Rafiq – who spoke out against the racism he experienced as a Yorkshire player, leading to the club being fined £400,000 and docked 48 points in last year’s County Championship, in addition to sanctions against six individuals – said in a Sunday newspaper column he feared “nothing had changed” in the 40 months since he first raised the issue and that “all we have are empty words and broken promises”.Graves has reportedly been in talks with Yorkshire about a return, having previously been chair between 2012 and 2015, presiding over part of a period in which the club has subsequently admitted to an ECB charge of failing to address the systemic use of racist or discriminatory language. Graves refused to appear as a witness in November 2021 at the parliamentary hearings which followed Rafiq’s complaints and sparked controversy in a TV interview last June when he described allegations of racism – which he said were never raised with him at the time – as “banter”.Related

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• Colin Graves insists he witnessed no racism during his tenure at Yorkshire

“Maybe there is still time to act, still time to show some backbone, but it’s running out fast,” Rafiq wrote in the “I cast my mind back to November 2021, when under intense political pressure the England and Wales Cricket Board suspended Yorkshire from hosting international cricket because of its slow and substandard response to my testimony. In the hours that followed dozens of companies ended their associations with the club.”My question now is for Yorkshire’s current sponsors… Does Colin Graves reflect your values? Is it acceptable to describe racism as banter?”Sponsors found their moral compass before, and they need to find it again, because any organisation supporting this is complicit in it. There is still time for them to act, to leave now and stop Yorkshire stepping back in time and undoing what progress they have made in the past three years.”In 2002, Graves bailed the club out with a multimillion-pound loan, of which some £14.9 million is still owed to the Graves Family Trust. Graves revealed last week that a new ownership offer had been accepted and his consortium was in exclusive negotiations until January 5. Depending on the result of those negotiations, club members could be asked to vote on his proposal at an extraordinary general meeting.”I still believe that everyone deserves a second chance,” Rafiq said. “If Graves wants to lead the club and the game in a positive direction he can’t just say the right things, he needs to do the right things – not just words, but action.”He has to show he has accepted what has happened in the past, and is ready to take substantial action and offer clear direction now and when difficult decisions are necessary in the future. It is fair to say there has been no sign of any of this yet.”

Following a 72-ball 87 that lifted New Zealand out of the depths of 55 for 5, Glenn Phillips said his mantra for dealing with the demanding Dhaka pitch was simple: use your bat as much as possible. His counterattacking half-century, his second in Test cricket, meant New Zealand took an eight-run lead over Bangladesh in a low-scoring affair that was in the balance by the end of day three.Phillips struck 13 boundaries all around the dial, but his slog-swept sixes were especially effective. It caught the Bangladesh spinners by surprise and forced them to shorten their lengths, allowing Phillips to attack the ball even more.”I was just trying to play with my bat as much as possible and picking my poison effectively,” Phillips said after the day’s play. “[It was about] understanding that they’re going to bowl really good balls and what do I want to have in my court to be able to counteract those balls. I guess just trying to stick to my game plan as clear as possible. I accepted the fact that the pitch is going to have a little bit of turn and bounce in some stages, and [I was] not getting too caught up in that and just trying to stay calm and as clear as possible.Related

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“For me, it is about using my bat as much as possible. I’m generally not looking to leave many deliveries. I will defend balls that are there to defend and that are really well bowled. But on pitches like this, understanding that sometimes being a little bit more aggressive is almost the best remedy. If you can put a bowler off their length a little bit, then you can get them to bowl in the area that you would feel a bit more comfortable with.”How did Phillips prepare for this innings, having had a full day of rain to see out before resuming on the third morning on 5? Being interested in playing as much as possible, he analysed how the rest of the New Zealand batters made contact with the ball, but did not let that get in the way of his own technique.”I saw a graphic about the different contact points of our batters. Everybody has their different way of going about it. Some guys come a lot further forward, some guys go a lot further back. It’s just understanding what works best for that individual. For me, trying to stay a little bit leg side of it and use my bat as much as possible was probably the key.”Phillips could not go on to a hundred, however, and had seemed visibly upset about something when he nicked behind on 87. He explained what had happened: “Just at the last second when Shoriful [Islam] got into his delivery stride, someone walked out from the side of the sight screen. I should have pulled away but it was also in my head. It’s probably a bit too late and then I didn’t watch the ball and I didn’t pull away; I did neither and I nicked it off.”Phillips said that New Zealand would not want to be chasing much more than 180-200 heading into the fourth innings. “Obviously we had a bit of a tough start in our first innings and a couple of great catches from the Bangladesh boys, which put us on the back foot quite quickly. I think if the pitch doesn’t change – which I think with the time it has had under covers it will be pretty similar throughout the whole game – I would probably say anywhere around that 180-200 mark is going to be a good score and tough to chase.”Not impossible to do, but obviously it’s going to take some work, and we’re going to have to stick to our game plans really well. But if we can keep them to anything under 200 we’ll be really happy.”

قلّص فريق نيوكاسل يونايتد الفارق مع فريق ليفربول بعدما سجل هدفًا في شباك الريدز، في مباراتهما الجارية حاليًا، في بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، 2025/26.

ويستضيف ملعب “سانت جيمس بارك” مباراة فريقي ليفربول ونيوكاسل يونايتد، في الوقت الحالي، في الجولة الثانية من الدوري الإنجليزي.

وتمكن نيوكاسل يونايتد من تسجيل هدف أول في شباك ليفربول، في الدقيقة 56، حيث جاء الهدف عن طريق برونو جيماريش، بعد ركلة ركنية نفذها ليفرامينتو، حيث وصلت الكرة إلى زميله الذي سددها برأسه في شباك ليفربول، ليهز مرمى أليسون بيكر. هدف برونو جيماريش في مباراة ليفربول ونيوكاسل

وتشير النتيجة في الوقت الحالي إلى تقدم ليفربول بهدفين مقابل هدف، حيث سجل ريان جرافنبيرخ وهوجو إيكتيكي هدفي كتيبة آرني سلوت، مع العلم أن أصحاب الأرض يلعبون بـ10 لاعبين فقط بسبب طرد أنتوني جوردون في نهاية الشوط الأول.

The striker position at Manchester City has been full of heritage since the successful silverware-laden days at the Etihad.

While that infamous move for Robinho – the club’s very first marquee signing during the Mark Hughes era – didn’t turn out too successfully, the same cannot be said for a certain Sergio Aguero.

The Argentine is now known as one of the greatest foreign imports the Premier League has ever seen, scoring that title-winning goal which was just one of 260 goals he scored in City blue. He is a legend in these parts, a true icon of English football.

Well, they’ve now found someone capable of usurping Aguero’s record. Yep, you guessed it, it’s the relentless Erling Haaland.

Already a treble-winner, the Norwegian has found the back of the net on 118 occasions in 135 outings. He is certainly one of the best forwards of the modern era.

That said, he should watch out for Omar Marmoush who’s enjoyed a fine start to his time in English football…

What makes Marmoush so good

This January was an important one for the Citizens. For the first time in his tenure, Pep Guardiola was fighting for his life, seemingly unable to turn the tide on a run of form that saw them win just once in 13 matches. It was unheard of.

So, over the winter, they did their due diligence and splashed the cash to bring in the likes of Vitor Reis, Abdukodir Khusanov and Egyptian superstar Omar Marmoush.

The forward had scored 15 Bundesliga goals in 17 matches before switching Germany for England in a £59 move. Since then, he’s continued his menacing form.

The 26-year-old has so far featured off the left, up top and when Haaland has been fit, behind him.

That level of versatility is a key part of why Guardiola wanted to bring him to the Etihad over the winter and he’s rewarded the faith shown, notably scoring a hat-trick in the 4-0 win over Newcastle.

That remains the sole game in which Marmoush has contributed with goals but his general play has been eye-catching with teammate Haaland declaring that “you can see he has something special.”

However, the transfer may never have happened if City’s transfer strategy last summer headed in a different direction.

Man City have already sold a Marmoush upgrade

Marmoush’s signing was needed. Haaland, of course, is a man possessed but behind him, they lacked a certain degree of firepower with Kevin De Bruyne now in the latter stages of his career and Phil Foden – the Premier League’s Player of the Season for 2023/24 – failing to meet the same standards. He’s scored just ten times in 36 outings this season, a far cry from his 27-goal exploits of last term.

Where Are They Now

Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast’s Where Are They Now series.

In many ways, the sale of Julian Alvarez didn’t help. It certainly benefited the club’s coffers, raking in an enormous sum of £82m. Since then, he’s showcased why City should regret selling him.

This wasn’t your Gabriel Jesus level of back-up striker. He was a constant threat and helped himself to 19 goals and 13 assists last season. Replacing an output like that wasn’t going to be easy.

Marmoush will no doubt help over the forthcoming seasons but Alvarez has now proven himself as one of the finest forwards in European football.

He showcased that in the Champions League this week, taking his tally in the competition this term to seven in nine games – just one behind Haaland – with a breathtaking strike against rivals Real Madrid.

Alvarez danced past Eduardo Camavinga on the left, cut inside and then bent a delicious effort into the far corner. It was postage stamp stuff. Quite brilliant.

That goal means that the Argentine now has 22 for the season and it was hardly a surprise to see pundits and journalists alike wax lyrical.

Minutes played

90

Touches

35

Accurate passes

18/21 (86%)

Goals

1

Shots

1

Successful dribbles

1/3

Key passes

1

Ground duels won

3/8

Tackles

2

Joe Cole suggested that “he’s a Ballon d’Or winner of the future” while Spanish football expert Neal Gardner simply stated that he is “the most complete striker in the world right now.”

That was corroborated by Argentine journalist Roy Nemer who even before this goal suggested that Alvarez was the “best forward in the world” this season.

It’s hard to dispute that claim considering he ranks inside the best 7% of positionally similar players in Europe’s big five leagues for progressive carries, the best 11% for progressive passes and the top 15% for tackles, underlining the fact that he can do most things incredibly well.

Usually, City get things spot on when sanctioning sales. However, in a campaign where they will miss out on the Premier League and Champions League, they did get this one wrong.

Still, Marmoush is here now and they will get to enjoy the fruits of his labour before too long.

Savio upgrade: Man City may regret selling 'the best winger in the world'

Man City might rue selling a player who has shone for his current club since leaving.

ByRoss Kilvington Mar 3, 2025

Sune Luus, Hayley Matthews and Chamari Athapaththu also named as the first nominees for the inaugural WBBL overseas draft

Alex Malcolm02-Aug-2023Five international captains in Harmanpreet Kaur, Sophie Devine, Sune Luus, Hayley Matthews and Chamari Athapaththu are the first players unveiled as nominees for the inaugural WBBL overseas draft to be held on September 3 ahead of the upcoming season.Four of the five players have been regulars in the WBBL with Devine and Harmanpreet both winning Player of the Tournament awards. Devine is the only player in WBBL history to have been named Player of the Tournament twice doing it in back-to-back seasons in 2019-20 and 2020-21 for two different clubs in Adelaide Strikers and Perth Scorchers, where she is currently the captain.Previously, WBBL clubs have been free to recruit overseas players privately but for the first time this season the WBBL will have an overseas player draft after it was introduced in the men’s BBL last season. Both drafts will be held on the same day on September 3 and will have the same format. Sydney Thunder have the first pick in the draft following the draft lottery on July 13.ESPNcricinfo LtdInternational players will nominate for various salary bands with WBBL Platinum players to earn AUD$110,000 to be paid by the clubs from the AUD$732,000 salary cap. Gold players will earn AUD$90,000, Silver AUD$65,000 and Bronze will earn AUD$40,000.Harmanpreet and Devine will almost certainly be Platinum players available to be selected in the first round. Four of the five will be eligible to be retention picks. Harmanpreet will be available to be retained by Melbourne Renegades as will Matthews and Athapaththu. Matthews only spent one edition there last year, having played five seasons previously with Hobart Hurricanes, but captained Renegades in two matches last season. Athapaththu played two seasons at Renegades in 2017-18 and 2018-19 but played in 2021-22 for Scorchers before returning to Renegades last year.Sophie Devine latches on to a cut•Getty ImagesDevine can be retained by Scorchers but not Adelaide Strikers having been captain of the Scorchers for the past three seasons. Luus did play nine games with Brisbane Heat in 2018-19 but WBBL rules state that a player who was not on a team in the previous season can only be retained by a club if they have played at the club for a minimum of two seasons and haven’t been contracted to another team. Luus has only played for one season at Heat.Each club is only allowed one retention pick, meaning Renegades will need to choose between Harmanpreet, Matthews and Athapaththu as to which player they would like to retain. They can opt not to retain any of them. They could also re-draft all three if no other club chooses to take them when they are available.The WBBL will announce further draft nominations in the coming weeks.

أعرب علي معلول ظهير أيسر النادي الأهلي السابق، والصفاقسي التونسي الحالي، عن سعادته بعد عودته مرة أخرى لفريقه الأسبق، موجهاً رسالة شكر إلى جماهير القلعة الحمراء.

وأعلن نادي الصفاقسي التونسي، ضم علي معلول رسمياً، في صفقة انتقال حر، بعد نهاية عقده مع النادي الأهلي.

وقال علي معلول في تصريحات صحفية: “أنا سعيد لأنني متواجد مرة أخرى وسط عائلتي، الفرصة جاءت في وقت مهم بالنسبة لي، إن شاء الله ستكون عودة جيدة لي وللجميع”.

طالع أيضاً.. فيديو | “الأسطورة رقم 10”.. الصفاقسي يعلن ضم علي معلول

وتابع: “جمهور الصفاقسي ليس غريبا علي ولا أنا غريب عليهم، وما حدث اليوم أظهر المعدن الحقيقي للجماهير، وإن شاء الله سنسعد الجماهير، ونكون على قدر المسؤولية، وأتمنى أن يكونوا متواجدين معنا دائماً ويساندوننا”.

وواصل: “تواجدت في النادي الأهلي لمدة 9 سنوات وكانت تجربة ناجحة على جميع المستويات، والجمهور أحبني محبة خاصة، وأنا نفس الأمر، في تلك الفترة كان يسودها الاحترام المتبادل، أشكرهم كثيراً على محبتهم وتفاعلهم معي”.

وأتم: “أتمنى أن أكون قد تركت ذكرى غالية وكبيرة للنادي الأهلي، وإن شاء الله ستظل الجماهير تتفاعل معي”.

Former West Indies captain and current assistant coach Carl Hooper has called the team’s current position “distressing”. West Indies are ranked tenth right now in ODI cricket, below Bangladesh and Afghanistan, and will have to compete with nine other teams in Zimbabwe to qualify for the ODI World Cup, which will begin in October in India.Earlier last year, West Indies had failed to make it out of the qualifier to the T20 World Cup proper in Australia, losing to Scotland and Ireland.”The position hasn’t changed,” Hooper said ahead of the ODI World Cup qualifier in Harare. “The point is can we go lower than this? Yes, we can go lower than this and if we don’t qualify, we go a step lower. Never thought that I’d live to see the day where West Indies are trying to qualify for major tournaments. I sat in Australia, and we struggled to get through it in the T20s and here we are in Zimbabwe.Related

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• Associate players are picking county cricket over the World Cup Qualifier. And why shouldn't they?

“No disrespect to the other teams, but we’re playing against the likes of the USA, Nepal and Scotland. Even Afghanistan is ahead of us, and Bangladesh has gone ahead of us. So, this is distressing, and can we go lower? Yes, we can go lower. This game continues to remind you that until you start doing the right things, you can go lower. As I said before, I never thought I would live to see this day, but here I am in Zimbabwe, starting a game on Sunday. We’ve got to try and beat the USA.”After West Indies crashed out of the T20 World Cup in Australia, Phil Simmons decided to step down as head coach and then Nicholas Pooran also gave up white-ball captaincy. Daren Sammy, Shai Hope, Hooper and Co have tuned up for the World Cup Qualifier with a 3-0 sweep of the UAE earlier this month. West Indies have been bolstered further by the return of their IPL stars who had rested during the UAE tour.”We’re ready. I mean you get a feel, and you get a vibe for the energy in the team,” Hooper said. “I think Daren Sammy, as you know, is a fabulous, inspirational leader. Now he has been tasked, trying to get West Indies into the qualification, which will be massive for us. So, the energy so far in Dubai and with the other boys joining us here in Zimbabwe has been great. We’re looking forward to the game on Sunday and I’m sure we will do well.”Nicholas Pooran and Shai Hope are among the senior players in the side•AFP/Getty Images

Hooper was also pleased with how some of West Indies’ players have adapted quickly to the Harare conditions, despite not getting enough game time in the IPL. Allrounder Romario Shepherd, who got just one game at Lucknow Super Giants, hit the ground running in Harare, smacking 53 off 34 balls and then bowling three overs in West Indies’ 91-run victory over Scotland in the warm-ups. Rovman Powell, who played just three matches for Delhi Capitals for the IPL, got cracking with 105 off 55 balls, including eight sixes and as many fours, in West Indies’ 114-run win over UAE.”What we’ve tried to do is guys who are going to be an integral part of our campaign get a chance to spend some time in the middle,” Hooper said. “We’ve had quite a few players coming from the IPL. I believe five or six of the boys…while they’ve been involved in the IPL haven’t played a lot apart from maybe Pooran. So, the important thing was to get them some time in the middle.”Having said that, the games that we’re going to play here in Zimbabwe are going to start pretty early in the morning. So, we noticed that in the two games we bowled, it certainly swung around. So, we’ve addressed that, and we’ve been having conversations, so there’s not much you can do technically but you can I suppose raise an awareness of conditions and how we might approach them to get the best out of the batting group.”