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Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsAzhar Ali and Sami Aslam put on an opening partnership of 215•AFP

Pakistan dominated the first day of their 400th Test, piling on 279 for 1, after Misbah-ul-Haq won the toss and opted to bat. Openers Azhar Ali and Sami Aslam made the most of the batting-friendly conditions in Dubai, sharing a double-century stand, before Asad Shafiq came in at No. 3 and lent his weight to a batting effort that deflated West Indies.In theory, both teams were in uncharted territory, playing their first day-night Test – and the second overall – at a time when the concept is still new, with the behaviour of the pink ball under scrutiny. In practice, the ball did not do much in the afternoon heat and, while there was a bit more for the West Indies bowlers under lights, they did not do enough to threaten the batsmen for sustained periods.The pink ball offered very little swing to the new-ball bowlers and very little reverse-swing as it got older. On both counts, West Indies did not help their own cause. At the start of the day, both Shannon Gabriel and Jason Holder were too short to give the new ball a chance to swing. Miguel Cummins bowled fuller, but not consistently enough. As the ball grew older, West Indies seemed uninterested in keeping one side shiny to extract reverse-swing.Azhar was fluent almost from the outset, marrying a tight defence with a number of sumptuous drives. One such drive, wide of mid-off off Roston Chase’s bowling, brought up his 11th Test century, off 184 balls. He didn’t stop there, walking off at stumps on an unbeaten 146. His opening partner, Aslam, was the more circumspect of the two, but both batsmen were very strong on the cut when the bowlers dropped short.Aslam often skipped out to the spinners to hit them down the ground, but was equally impressive when leaving balls outside off. He also used the sweep shot quite effectively, but it was that shot that led to his eventual downfall – he got a bottom-edge onto the stumps off Chase to depart for 90 and end a 215-run opening stand.That brought Shafiq to the crease at No. 3. Though Shafiq has mostly batted at the No. 6 position in international cricket, he is a regular No. 3 in domestic cricket. Moreover, the adjustment from No. 6 to No. 3 is minimal when the openers have consumed more than 67 overs and the pitch has no terrors. Shafiq took his time to settle into his innings and calmly accumulated 33 runs, before walking back undefeated at stumps.While the first ball held its shape for the full 80 overs, it was quite discoloured and tattered by the time the second new ball was due. Holder, who had looked increasingly unimpressed with the state of the older ball, took that new ball immediately. Like the first new ball, though, it did not offer much in the way of swing and the second-wicket partnership steadily swelled to 64 by the close of play.It was Gabriel who had generated the first of two half-chances for West Indies in the first session. In his second over, he seamed one away from Azhar to induce an outside edge, but the ball fell short of Kraigg Brathwaite at second slip. Cummins generated the other in his second spell when Azhar slashed a short, wide delivery towards Leon Johnson at gully; the ball burst through Johnson’s hands and raced away to third man for a boundary.If the bowling was not sufficiently penetrative, the decision-making was also puzzling at times. West Indies used six bowlers before tea, but there was no discernible logic in the manner in which they were used. Brathwaite bowled three overs of gentle offspin before either Devendra Bishoo or Chase was introduced. By the time Bishoo was called upon, in the 21st over of the chase, Azhar and Aslam had grown in confidence and were finding the boundary with increasing regularity, pouncing whenever the bowlers erred.The one spell that came close to being penetrative was Holder’s spell immediately after the tea break. With a bit more bounce and carry under lights, Holder bowled with more intensity, troubling Azhar with some well-directed bouncers. Azhar fended a few of those in the air, but got away with it due to the lack of close-in fielders.When Holder went up for a big lbw shout against Azhar and reviewed the not-out decision, West Indies lost their first review. Replays showed ball would have missed leg stump. Thereafter, Gabriel and Cummins also found more pace, the former bowling some good bouncers to Aslam. Bishoo also created his closest opportunity under lights, wrapping Aslam on the pads, but the not-out decision was upheld upon review when HawkEye indicated that the ball would have gone down leg with the angle.Such fleeting moments of encouragement were all West Indies had to cling to on a deflating opening day in which the pink ball did not misbehave and the bowlers were largely unthreatening.

Arsenal remain firmly in the race to bring a key component of one of the Premier League's feel-good stories of the season to the Emirates.

What's the latest on Moises Caicedo to Arsenal?

That's according to transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano, who offered an update on the Moises Caicedo saga on his YouTube channel. The Gunners were once again name-checked, thus reinforcing their continued efforts to tempt the Ecuador international to north London.

The Italian claimed: "Brighton hope for a bidding war for Caicedo; so they hope that other clubs like Arsenal, who really wanted him in January, but also Manchester United, can jump into the race.

"The Caicedo situation remains open."

The £90m price tag that Brighton and Hove Albion have reportedly slapped on him remains.

Would Moises Caicedo improve Arsenal?

Given their shared interest in Declan Rice too, all signs do seem to be pointing towards a remarkable double swoop to revolutionise Mikel Arteta's engine room.

Should Arsenal pull this off, the combination they would surely strike up would them even stronger title challengers for next term, boasting two of the division's top central midfielders and backed up by the experienced Thomas Partey.

Also, not only are both enjoying rich veins of form, but their attributes complement one another perfectly. Young and full of defensive steel, their creativity still manages to shine through despite the varied respective levels of their teams.

For example, for a side that has just secured their spot in the Europa League for next campaign, Caicedo has had his 7.09 average rating maintained through 1.2 key passes, 1.5 interceptions and 2.8 tackles per game, via Sofascore. However, at 5 foot 10, he is hardly the most imposing star, even though performance analyst and sports scientist Dr Rajpal Brar suggests he is still a "monster".

Therefore, one would probably say that his perfect partner would need to act as more of a hulking dictator, enforcing their will on the game by quietly breaking up play and keeping the tempo ticking. That way, the 21-year-old can be free to be his usual workmanlike self.

This arguably describes Rice perfectly, who stands at 6 foot 1 and has adorned such a role in east London for many years now. However, just this season he has started to add creativity from deep that is making him the perfect all-around midfield general.

His 7.20 rating makes him comfortably the best performer at his club, and his six goal contributions are supplemented by an 88% pass accuracy and 2.2 tackles per game, via Sofascore.

Having both enjoyed standout years down south, a relocation to north London could see them immediately strike up one of the league's best midfield pairings. Their physicalities complement one another, and their attributes are perfectly aligned to make them both a creative force and an unstoppable defensive unit. Manchester City should be fearful if these moves come to fruition.

Former BCCI president explains the reservations he has against a complete overhaul of the board’s constitution, as suggested by the Lodha committee

Nagraj Gollapudi21-May-2016Former BCCI president Shashank Manohar has said the board is happy to implement 75% of the recommendations made by the Lodha committee. There are five recommendations Manohar is against and he elaborated on them at a media briefing in Mumbai on Saturday afternoon.”I respect Justice Lodha very much because he was one of the finest judges this country has produced. He is a very honest, upright person,” he said. “The report, which he has given regarding the functioning of the board, 75% of the recommendations are very good and out of that most of them are already implemented. However, I have my own reservations with regard to few recommendations, which according to me are not in the interests of this board.”Advertisements between oversLodha committee: All existing contracts for Tests & ODI matches be revised and new ones ensure that only breaks taken by both teams for drinks, lunch and tea will permit the broadcast to be interrupted with advertisement.”Manohar: That would destroy the financial structure of this board. The recommendation says there should not be any advertisements except during lunch and tea breaks. But the board does not sell time. The board sells the live feed. And during the lunch and tea breaks, they go back to studios and there are no advertisements.The BCCI has appointed an agency to monitor the telecast [and ensure] all the six balls are shown. There is a penalty clause in the contract itself which says termination of the contract can be inflicted in case all six balls are not shown.The board generates its revenue through advertisements. Today, the broadcaster pays about INR 43 crores per game – ODI or a T20I or a Test match. The board revenue would come down drastically, to about 15% of what it is getting now. The broadcaster would then fetch money only from the home connections. There is an expenditure for the broadcaster for uplinking, downlinking and distributing the signals.When the Justice Lodha committee came out, Star India, the official broadcaster for BCCI, had written a letter to me saying that they would like to renegotiate the contract because they said it is impossible to pay INR 43 crore if advertisements can’t be shown. If the financial structure collapses, according to me, the board would be relegated to the ’80s when there was no money. The board has started a lot of schemes for the benefit and welfare of the players, all those schemes would have to be shut down.If the board’s income today is INR 2000 crore, it will come down to INR 400 crore. Out of that, if we have to pay 30% tax, we are left with INR 300 crore. For organising matches and tours, the expenditure incurred by the board is about INR 90 to 100 crore. We distribute to the players about INR 125 crore. Even to maintain the infrastructure at the association level, it requires a minimum of INR 2 to 3 crore per year. Then there are matches which are played at Under-15, Under-17, Under-19, Under-23 [levels]. About 900-1000 games are played in every state association. It requires expenditure. If the board’s income comes down to INR 400 crore all these things would not be possible.Today the board has a clout internationally. That clout would disappear. So it would not be wise to stop the advertisements during games.One State – One Member – One VoteLodha committee: It is not proper for only one or two states to have multiple members when all other states have single memberships (in fact, while many states have no representation).Manohar: It is also not a correct recommendation. It is easy to say the North-Eastern states also exist and therefore they should be Full Members of the board. Even in our political system, when the Members of Parliament are elected, the number is not the same from all states. If you have to give equal representation to everybody, then you should have the same number of MPs from every state.The Supreme Court has judges from various states but if you check the records, judges from Mumbai, Kolkata are more in number, and there might not be any judge from the North-Eastern states. So when you talk about effective representation, it has to apply to everything.There is another aspect [to the issue]. There are many members like Maharashtra, Vidarbha, Baroda, Saurashtra, Railways, Services, Universities, National Cricket Club and Cricket Club of India, which have been told to be removed from BCCI by the Lodha committee. Many of these are founding members. The board was founded in 1932. The States Re-organisation Act came into force in 1956. So these members were the regions which came together and formed this board.Take the case of Maharashtra. When the board was formed, the Bombay presidency extended from Karnataka upto Gujarat. Maharashtra was rest of Maharashtra, while Vidarbha was Central Provinces & Berar. So the initial membership was CP & Berar, Maharashtra and Bombay Presidency. They have been in existence for 85 years. They have stadia at all three venues – Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur. Huge investments have been made; Ranji Trophy teams represent these places.’I respect Justice Lodha very much because he was one of the finest judges this country has produced. He is a very honest, upright person’ – Manohar on Justice RM Lodha•Getty ImagesNow, the Lodha committee has said the other two associations are allowed to [have teams that] play [in the Ranji Trophy]. I fail to understand how because the constitution prepared by the committee says out of these three associations, they have to choose one as a Full Member. Suppose Mumbai is chosen as a Full Member, that automatically means Maharashtra and Vidarbha will become Associate members. The report says that we [Vidarbha, where Manohar has been president] are allowed to play Ranji Trophy. However, in the constitution it is stated that the Full Member’s territory would be the entire state boundary. So the entire state of Maharashtra would be under the jurisdiction of Mumbai. So from where are we supposed to get our players? Are they going to fall from heaven?I have no area of operations. I can’t even conduct a domestic game as I would have to seek permission of my Full Member. So there cannot be a team of Vidarbha and Maharashtra, likewise Saurashtra and Baroda if full membership is given to Gujarat.There are three associations in Maharashtra. Mumbai is the cricketing hub which has won Ranji Tropy 41 times. Maharashtra has the maximum districts. Vidarbha has the maximum infrastructure because we have two stadiums and an indoor academy. So on what basis do we decide who should be given Full Member status?Two members from IPL franchises on IPL governing councilManohar: This entire matter went to the Supreme Court over an issue of conflict of interest because Mr [N] Srinivasan, who is the owner of Chennai Super Kings, was sitting on the IPL governing council. Now this [recommendation] creates a clear conflict because there will be decisions taken relating to the franchises by the IPL governing council. I should not judge on a matter when I have an interest in it. That is the basic rule of law.Before the Lodha recommendations were submitted to the Supreme Court, I had made a suggestion that we should have three independent persons of repute in the IPL governing council, who have expertise in finance and administration. I had even shortlisted three people and obtained their consent. However, at the meeting it was felt we were not sure what the Lodha Committee would do, and therefore that was kept in abeyance. It was neither accepted nor rejected.How can you have an IPL franchise [official] sitting on the governing council? They [the Lodha committee] said, by rotation, two franchises should sit on the council every year. So are the franchises which have been debarred for misconduct going to sit on the IPL governing council? It is a clear case of conflict which cannot be implemented by the board.Apex councilLodha committee: There shall be an apex council for the BCCI which shall be primarily responsible for the governance of the affairs of the board.Manohar: I have no difficulty with regards to a shorter committee. It can be called working committee, managing committee or you may call it as an apex council. But the issue is nowhere in the world do players sit on the board of directors.It is wrong to tell the board to find an association created by players. If you take the Federation of International Cricketers Association, it was formed by the players themselves. They share their revenue, they shared their prize money to FICA, they pay their subscriptions to FICA and that is how it runs. FICA do not hold a management position in a cricket board. They are consultants. In our constitution also we have various committees since the last so many years which are headed by cricketers. We don’t interfere with cricketing matters.Another issue is with regards to the number of people on the national selection committee. We have a five-man selection committee. Lodha committee says three. This is an operational matter. Tomorrow a scenario can arise where all three selectors come from the same place. Also, there are so many matches simultaneously held all over the country. It is physically impossible for the [three] selectors to travel to all these places and watch the games.Tenure of office bearersLodha committee: The terms of these office bearers (president, secretary, one vice-president instead of the current five, treasurer and joint-secretary) continue to be three years, but with a maximum of three such terms regardless of the post held, with a cooling-off period after each such term.Manohar: I have no difficulty with the nine-year tenure, but the issue is with the cooling-off period. There will be no continuity in the system. You will have five different people each time. Suppose there is a person who is doing very well and the board wants him to continue, he can’t because there is a prohibition. So for a nine-year term the candidate has to come for 15 years because of the cooling-off period.It is also wrong to suggest you cannot hold a post in your state association if you are an office bearer in the board. It is like saying if you become a minister you will have to resign as MP because otherwise you would play favourites. There is no favouritism, there is no conflict. You are here in this board because of your position in your state association. You are not chosen in the board independently.

Liverpool target Ryan Gravenberch is keen on a move to Anfield after a positive meeting regarding a deal was held, according to reports.

What's the latest on Gravenberch to Liverpool?

The Bayern Munich midfielder’s contract at the Allianz Arena isn’t set to expire for another four years, but having made just one start in the Bundesliga this season, has fallen out of favour and could therefore be looking to secure a move elsewhere this summer, potentially to the Premier League.

Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg has reported that the Netherlands international is on a shortlist of central targets compiled by Jurgen Klopp with 90min having since claimed that the Reds have made contact to ask for regular updates on the 20-year-old’s situation.

Now, according to De Telegraaf (via Voetbal Primeur and Sport Witness), Liverpool recently sent chiefs to hold “talks” with Gravenberch’s representatives to discuss a potential move to Merseyside. The Dutchman’s camp, including his father, “sat down” with the key figures from Anfield to discover what a deal would look like, and the meeting must have gone swimmingly because it’s stated that the midfielder is “interested” in completing the switch.

The German giants’ star is “becoming dejected” about his lack of minutes at his current club which is why a move “appeals to him”, and as for the price tag, the hope is that FSG wouldn’t have to pay “more” than the €18.5m (£16.3m) Bayern initially coughed up for him.

Should Liverpool go for Gravenberch?

Gravenberch admitting that he wants to join Liverpool will be a huge boost for Klopp and something that the board should take advantage of by splashing the cash to secure his services during the upcoming window.

The Adidas-sponsored gem has posted 69 goal contributions (36 goals and 33 assists) in 215 appearances throughout his career, with this impressive return for a midfielder having seen him dubbed “indispensable” by talent scout Jacek Kulig. As per FBRef, the £152k-per-week also ranks in the 95th percentile for shot-creating actions per 90 and the 92nd percentile for shots, which shows that even if he’s not always on the scoresheet, he’s constantly looking to try and make the magic happen in the final third.

Finally, Gravenberch knows what it takes to be successful having secured six senior trophies over the course of his time at Bayern and former club Ajax, so will be able to match the winning mentality of the current squad already on Merseyside.

Mahela Jayawardene has praised the character shown by England’s young batsmen after they pulled off the second-highest successful run chase in T20 internationals

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Mar-20163:26

Jayawardene: It was something special

Mahela Jayawardene has praised the character shown by England’s young batsmen after they pulled off the second-highest successful run chase in T20 internationals. Led by Joe Root’s 83 from 44 balls, England achieved a target of 230 to beat South Africa with two balls to spare in Mumbai and Jayawardene, who has been working with the team as a batting consultant, called it a “special” performance.Jayawardene, who was part of the Sri Lanka side that won the previous World T20 in 2014, has now concluded his part-time role with England and joined ESPNcricinfo’s Match Day analysis line-up, and he played down his part in their success.”To be honest, I haven’t done much,” he said. “When you work with a talented group of players, and when they do something like that, everyone thinks you had a huge role to play… but I’ve really enjoyed working with the England boys, they’re a young team with not much experience in international T20s but they want to play a brand of cricket which they have been playing for 12 months and they are still finding their way.”It was a great win last night, I really enjoyed it. In the dressing room it was nervous moments at points and at the halfway mark obviously everyone was disappointed. But they showed a lot of character to regroup and go out and the way they played was something special.”A former Sri Lanka captain, Jayawardene retired from international cricket for good after last year’s World Cup and first worked with England on their tour of the UAE before returning for the World T20. His relationship with the coach, Trevor Bayliss, goes back to their time together with Sri Lanka and Jayawardene credited the Australian with helping to change England’s approach.While chasing down 230 requires a capacity for powerful ball-striking, Jayawardene identified the “smartness” of Root and the captain, Eoin Morgan, as a key factor, as well as a degree of freedom and flexibility that has allowed the rest of the top six – openers Jason Roy and Alex Hales, as well as Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler – to flourish.”This is something that they have developed since Trevor Bayliss has taken over, they have put a lot of emphasis on white-ball cricket, not just T20 but one-day cricket as well,” Jayawardene said. “They’ve managed to get a group of young cricketers, looking towards the next 50-over World Cup as well. It’s not just power hitting, the way Joe batted in that middle period and the way Buttler controlled a tough situation when they lost Morgan. They’re still finding ways of doing things, they definitely have the power if they need to use it but [they are] trying to be much more structured going about things.”They have given licence to Jason because that’s the way he bats, Alex Hales still hasn’t really found his rhythm but he showed something yesterday. They can use Stokes anywhere because the flexibility is there, he plays pace and spin well. What they have got is the smartness of Joe Root and Eoin Morgan, who’s got the experience of playing in the subcontinent, in that middle. Jos Buttler has been in great form as well, so they’ve got six batsmen who can change a game and they do bat deep as well, so they’ve got the freedom to go out and express themselves.”While acknowledging there would be challenges ahead if England were to progress, Jayawardene was impressed by the players’ willingness to improve. Chief among them is Root, described by Morgan as “the most complete batsmen we’ve ever had”. Despite having played just 14 T20I innings – and 39 in the shortest format overall – he has become central to their World T20 plans and Jayawardene was impressed by his attitude to batting, calling him a “very skillful cricketer and a very bright cricketer as well”.”He wants to learn new things and to evolve as a cricketer,” Jayawardene said. “What you have to understand is that Joe hasn’t played that much T20 cricket, he hasn’t had that much experience of playing in the subcontinent, he’s still finding his way.”So for him to go out in a tough situation – probably the situation dictated the way he had to play, started slowly but to keep up with the run rate he had to be innovative. But he just kept his cool, made sure the guys around him do a bit of work as well, so when you look at the bigger concept, he’s the guy that England would want to do that kind of role for them in this tournament.”Jayawardene added: “[He is a] good all-round cricketer, there are about four-five young good players in this tournament that everyone is going to look out for and he is one of them.”

It would be sensible not to judge Peter George on the basis of this one performance, but after coming through when his team needed him most, he’ll certainly feel less of an outsider

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Oct-2010Two other Australian cricketers have dismissed Sachin Tendulkar in their debut Test. One, Cameron White, will probably not play Test cricket again. The second, Peter Siddle, has to start from scratch, after a back injury that’s kept him out for nearly a year and forced him to remodel his action. Peter George, as awkward as the ugly duckling when first thrown the ball, will hope that he has better luck after showing signs that he has a big role to play in Australian cricket’s future.After the skittish start, the coltish-looking George finished with an impressive return of 2 for 48 from 21 overs. It’s unlikely that George will be waxing eloquent to his grandchildren about the wicket of Zaheer Khan, but it’ll be hard to stop him talking about the first scalp: a swinging delivery that induced an inside edge from a bat that had appeared to be a feet few wide until then.”I definitely wasn’t giving up hope,” he said after the day’s play. “It just came down to patience. We had to keep plugging away and trusting in the plans we had. To get Sachin was just great … a shock. I was elated.” When asked how his team-mates had responded, he grinned. “Most of it was just ‘congratulations’ and ‘well done’. Just relief from most of the guys to see the back of Sachin after a lot of hard work.”After just 19 first-class games, he admitted that it had taken him a while to find his Test-match feet. “I’ve felt a lot more comfortable each day,” he said. “I had a bit of a nervous start. Today, there was a bit of swing in the air and it made me feel more a part of the game.”My first over the day before was especially nervous. I hadn’t really experienced something like that. I definitely calmed down [during] my next spell back. This morning, I felt comfortable. I could run in and do my own thing, without worrying too much about trying too hard.”A raucous crowd was part of the learning experience and for a young man asked to bowl his first over to Sehwag, it was nearly too much. “The crowd was something I’ve never experienced,” he said. “When Sachin brought up his 14,000th Test run, it was an unbelievable experience … all those screaming Indian fans going nuts. It was quite deafening to be out in the middle and it’s something I’ll always remember. To make my Test debut in front of such a crowd is special for me.”He was responsible for a couple of humorous moments too, with the super-slow bouncer that had both batsmen and team-mates staring in disbelief. “I told a few of the boys about that the night before [the game] and they looked at me like: ‘what’s he talking about?'” he said a smile. “So I bowled it and went: ‘there you go’. On a wicket like that, without too much bounce, I thought it was an opportunity to try it and see what happens.”Australia were on the rack on Monday morning, with the Indians leading by eight runs and five wickets still to take. Tendulkar’s wicket changed the game completely, with the tail offering next to no resistance. But with the pitch now playing tricks and Australia poised to set a target of 200 or more, George was confident that a series-levelling win wasn’t beyond his team.”It looks like the wicket is getting harder to bat on. We’ll try and make as many as we can in the morning and we’ll be confident of defending that.”We learnt a lot from the last game and how we played. We did a lot of things right. A narrow defeat like that can be a learning experience, and hopefully we can turn it around this game.”Had he been a more seasoned pro or more of an extrovert, he would probably have scoffed at the suggestion that he might be the next Glenn McGrath. But as it was, the question just prompted another half-smile and a soft-spoken answer. “To be compared to McGrath is a great honour for me,” he said. “If my bowling action’s similar, it’s because I watched him as a child, growing up. Kids generally resemble their favourite cricketers in the way they bat or bowl, so there’s a fair bit of McGrath in my action. If I do half as well as he did in his career, I’ll be a very happy man.”McGrath finished with 3 for 142 in his debut Test, and no one marked his card for greatness. It would be sensible not to judge George on the basis of this one performance, but after coming through when his team needed him most, he’ll certainly feel less of an outsider, going into a final day when Australia has the chance to pull off one of its greatest-ever victories.

Reaching the summit is one challenge, staying there is something entirely different

Andrew McGlashan in Durban30-Dec-2009Reaching the summit is one challenge, staying there is something entirely different. When South Africa took Australia’s crown as the No. 1 Test team in the world, they seemed to have the makings of a side to hold that spot. A strong-willed captain, a mighty batting order, a great allrounder and a fearsome strike bowler.They couldn’t do much to prevent the mace being handed over to India at the start of this month as they hadn’t played Test cricket for eight months, but after an innings-and-98-run thrashing at Durban, they look anything but world-leaders. It’s the nature of the defeat that is causing the greatest alarm. South Africa have always been beatable, but they rarely get hammered.Overcoming Australia on their home soil proved such a pinnacle for Graeme Smith’s team. It was the fruition of two years’ building and followed a victory in Pakistan, a draw away to India then an historic series win in England. Each of those achievements was memorable in its own right, but when Neil McKenzie and Hashim Amla knocked off the runs at the MCG that was the moment a generation (and more) had waited for. Since then, alas, there has been a steady slide.Defeat in a dead rubber at Sydney could be excused – particularly as it came with just 10 balls of the match remaining – but the loss of the return series in South Africa was a real shock to the system. Questions were asked about how the team had prepared, while familiar differences of opinion emerged between the captain and the selectors.The eight-month hiatus from Tests allowed that particular dust-cloud to settle, but South Africa’s performances in limited-overs cricket also suffered. After a crushing defeat in the semi-finals of the World Twenty20, they flopped at home in the Champions Trophy, with a first-round exit, and went on to lose the one-day series against England. Now this innings defeat at Durban has ensured that a year that began with so much promise has turned into one to forget.Mark Boucher troops off as South Africa’s last hope departs•Getty Images”We have to honest with ourselves and look in the mirror. We represent a lot of people’s hopes in South Africa and just weren’t good enough,” Smith said of his team’s capitulation. “We haven’t played the same amount of Tests as we did in 2008, but 2009 really hasn’t lived up to the hype we managed to build last year, and that’s disappointing.”As a team we reached a point and haven’t been able to go to the next level. That’s something we need to address as a team and maybe as a leadership group. From a coaching perspective we need to look at why we haven’t been able to take the next step, and that’s something hopefully we can reassess in 2010 and make it a better year.”The similarities between South Africa’s post-Australia blues and England’s post-2005 Ashes hangover are stark. Under Michael Vaughan, England reached their zenith during that memorable summer and seemingly had a team to dominate for years to come. But it wasn’t to be. They just couldn’t reach those levels of intensity again for consistent periods. The could be becoming true for South Africa.Injuries, too, played a part, perhaps more so in England’s case but the recent problems for Dale Steyn and Jacques Kallis haven’t helped the hosts. Then there’s the loss of form and confidence. Steve Harmison was never the same after 2005, while Makhaya Ntini is now a shadow of his former self.And what of the coaches? Duncan Fletcher backed his players to the hilt until it got too much during the 2006-07 Ashes drubbing, when the performances were indefensible and relationships reached breaking point, not least between Fletcher and his captain, Andrew Flintoff. Things are not as dire for Mickey Arthur, but the warning signs are there. He has the utmost faith in his players and his game plans – however, sometimes the call to change becomes too loud to resist.Smith, though, is cautious of knee-jerk reactions. “We’ve had one collapse and as disappointing as that is, I don’t think it’s a call to make massive changes,” he said. “It’s disappointing when it does happen, it never looks good, but generally the top six have been solid even in this series. Maybe we got a little tentative and didn’t commit to our shots as well as have.”The guys have got good records. It’s always important to have these wake-up calls, but disappointing when it does happen. In this series the guys have batted well and handled conditions well, even in the first innings here, 340 was a good effort but we have to go away and improve.”However, his support of Ntini sounded less fulsome than in the days leading up to this Test when he had made it clear there was never a chance of him being omitted despite Friedel de Wet’s impressive debut at Centurion. Former players have been critical of the decision, and public opinion may even be swaying against Ntini.”Makhaya would be the first one to put his hand up and say he’s disappointed with the way he has bowled,” Smith said. “He comes with a lot of experience and has performed well over a period of time. We have given him all the support we can from behind the scenes and he is an important cog in the line-up. We need to look at all those aspects going into Cape Town and see what we can do.”We’ve got a crucial Test starting out the year and we need to make those decisions and move forward pretty quickly. We can turn it all around in a few days time.”Newlands is a stronghold for South Africa and their three previous Tests against England since admission have been crushing victories, including two by an innings. The difference, though, is that on each of those occasions they have entered the New Year Test on the back of a draw, not a confidence-sapping defeat. The force is against them and they will have to dig deep. Smith will be glad there’s only one day of 2009 remaining.

They say never judge a book by its cover. The same should apply to cricket pitches

Andrew McGlashan at Centurion16-Dec-2009They say never judge a book by its cover. The same should apply to cricket pitches. Centurion Park’s surface was certainly green when the toss took place, if not quite the peasouper it had been during the airing it received on Tuesday. What actually happened off the surface, however, was far less colourful.Andrew Strauss’s decision to stick South Africa in certainly wasn’t up there with Nasser Hussain’s aberration at Brisbane in 2002 when he asked Australia to bat and watched them rampage to 364 for 2 on the first day. Compared to that indignity, 262 for 4 is vindication in the extreme, but Strauss wouldn’t be human if he wasn’t now having a few second thoughts – especially given that Graham Onions went lame during the afternoon session.A captain’s ideas clearly haven’t gone to plan when your spinner becomes the key bowler after the opposition have been inserted, and when – midway through the second session of the match – a medium-pacer is in action with the keeper standing up to the stumps, as was the case when Paul Collingwood started his spell in the 48th over. For a variety of reasons, Strauss was left juggling limited options, although Graeme Swann’s unbroken 24-over spell at least ensured he wasn’t facing the same sort of nightmares that confronted Hussain when he lost the services of Simon Jones in that debacle at the Gabba.Had Strauss been swayed by the pitch he saw on the previous day? The team selection suggested as much, given that England preferred Ian Bell at No. 6 ahead of Luke Wright, and didn’t give a moment’s thought to the out-and-out attacking route of picking Ryan Sidebottom and promoting Stuart Broad at No. 7. The oddity, though, was not in the team selection but in what followed. Having picked a batting-heavy line-up, Strauss then didn’t trust them to do the job by setting a first-innings score. Instead he gambled on his three-man pace attack having one of those days that captains dream of.Add into the mix that South Africa lost their premier strike bowler, Dale Steyn, moments before the toss, and it adds weight to the theory that Strauss’s call was premeditated – and wrong. It is dangerous to be swayed by what happens in the opposition ranks, but sometimes events make a compelling case for a reaction. With Jacques Kallis unable to bowl and Steyn ruled out, it was a chance to make South Africa labour in the hot sun. Instead, that became England’s tough task.”Having seen the wicket yesterday and this morning, we were well within our rights and justified to bowl first,” Swann insisted. “Certainly the stats on this ground [four wins against three defeats from 10 teams bowling first] seemed to back up the fact that bowling first can be very lucrative here.”Had a couple of the balls that kept low early on – especially from Graham Onions – cannoned into the pads or flicked the bail, we could be sitting here in a very different situation. We could have had them seven- or eight-down, or even bowled them out.”England had a chance with the new ball and didn’t take it. Broad, despite his third-ball removal of Graeme Smith, didn’t make the batsmen play enough and varied his length too often. His economical figures – he went for little more than two an over – disguise the lack of threat that he posed.To make matters worse, Onions, the pick of quicks, had to leave the field with a calf strain, albeit he returned late in the day for a brief burst. After a disrupted build-up, further injuries were the last thing Strauss needed, but it is the risk he was running with the formation he chose. This was also one of the hottest days of the tour which, coming on the back of a damp build-up, meant it wasn’t much of a surprise that the players felt the strain.So it was left to the joker in England’s pack to come to the rescue. It is amazing to think that it was only a year ago, in Chennai, that Swann made his Test debut. Then, as now, he struck in his first over with the memorable double blow of Gautam Gambhir and Rahul Dravid. On this occasion he did for Ashwell Prince with his second ball, drawing him into a drive that ended up at slip.Swann faced a counter-attack from Kallis which left him with the early figures of 3-0-24-1, but he soon remedied his economy rate with subtle changes of pace and flight. There wasn’t much turn off the pitch for him so he had to use his brain instead. He also had to retain his composure after missing out on a caught-behind decision against AB de Villiers – a let-off so blatant, in Swann’s opinion, that he called for an almost-instant review. To his credit, he that frustration behind him, and soon nabbed de Villiers shortly before tea.An offspinner should not be the stand-out bowler on a presumed greentop. Still, Swann bowled more than a quarter of England’s overs, and thanks to his efforts, South Africa’s run-rate hovered around three an over for the day, well below the current average in a fast-scoring era.”As that last session went on, perhaps we lost a bit of the initiative,” Swann said. “But at the end of play, I think we’re fairly happy that they haven’t really got away from us. Ideally, seven or eight wickets would have been the order of the day having bowled first. But I think we’ve stuck to our guns on a very good pitch. We didn’t bowl badly at any point, and the fact we haven’t gone at more than three an over is a positive.”It’s still far too early to make a final judgment on England’s tactics, but they have left themselves an uphill task and will need to pile on the runs when it’s their turn to bat. In truth, they should probably have been doing that today.

England’s win will send a message to the other boards that investment does pay off. Women are traditionally keen students of the game and often to be elite athletes requires a good deal of career sacrifice and understanding employers

Jenny Roesler in Sydney22-Mar-2009

	The contracts have allowed England women to play as much international cricket as they needed © Getty Images

Charlotte Edwards doesn’t have to work five days a week. Nor do Katherine Brunt and Jenny Gunn, among others in the England side. Around a year ago, contracts were handed to the England women, allowing them to focus on their cricket-life-work balance, with the ultimate aim the World Cup final.And now they are world champions, having brought up their side’s third title, and their only one away from home. While the deals are not the sole reason for the side’s dominance and consistency of 17 wins on the run, the investment, backed by the ECB with broader financial support in top-class coaches for example, has strengthened the England side immeasurably.It was also their first win since 1993, back when women’s cricket had a very different complexion. A largely amateur game, it is only in recent times that the game has begun to be heavily invested in.Now, England’s win will send a message to the other boards that investment does pay off. Women are traditionally keen students of the game and often to be elite athletes requires a good deal of career sacrifice and understanding employers. Good bosses can be hard to find and one wonders whether the credit crunch may reduce those numbers further with employers keen to squeeze every last drop out of workers as profits fall.Australia’s women are the latest recipients of deals, with extra financial assistance announced a month or so after England’s – and a recent further boost. Their absence from the final is a shame in that respect, and for the fact that greater home crowds could be expected at the North Sydney Oval for the final. But the end of Australian dominance can be no bad thing to shake up the game.India are another side who receive good assistance and had they reached the final then great support would have come from home, with lots of people tuning into internet coverage or satellite TV.However, neither Australia nor India fully deserve to be there given their overall performance of the World Cup, while nobody would argue that about New Zealand. Coming from a population of 4.5million, the New Zealand women have typically excelled in producing quality cricket throughout the tournament and had they lifted the trophy it would also be merited.New Zealand’s administrators were pioneering last decade when, in 1992, they became the first board to take their women under their wing. The advantage to New Zealand cricket was seen instantly. A strong unit found its way into the World Cup final in 1993 and 1997, and won it in 2000.At the moment, New Zealand are still more than cutting it with the other big girls, but there must be a fear that a gap could open up without more support. They have found vocal support from as far away as Afghanistan, where their troops have been following them.

	In a battle of immense pressure, England’s superior experience allowed the players to hold their nerve when it really mattered. The present is glittering with their new silver and gold trophy and the future looks even brighter

While their captain Haidee Tiffen says it’s not a priority for now – and the New Zealand Cricket board has provided plenty of support in other ways – further financial assistance for the women could help keep them at the top of their game.Winning captain Edwards has publicly acknowledged the role that increased funding has had to play in England’s dominance, not least because it allows for extra cricket. With her team-mates taking time off from work whenever they need to – because that work is within cricket, so they have the most understanding employers of all – England have been able to play as much international cricket as they have needed. Their players have also been able to winter in Australia.In a battle of immense pressure, England’s superior experience allowed the players to hold their nerve when it really mattered. The present is glittering with their new silver and gold trophy and the future looks even brighter. The next tournament is the World Twenty20 on home soil and, while it is a different form of the game, already they are looking good.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has enjoyed a number of huge successes in the transfer market over the years throughout his time at Anfield.

The likes of Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, and Alisson were all signed by the German head coach and went on to become influential players for the club, with some of them remaining key figures to date.

Who are Klopp's most expensive Liverpool signings?

Klopp has not been afraid to splash the cash when provided the chance to do so by FSG and has struck gold a number of times since his move to the club in 2015.

Virgil van Dijk

£73.8m

Darwin Nunez

£69.7m

Dominik Szoboszlai

£61m

Alisson

£54.5m

Naby Keita

£52.3m

Whilst it is easy to focus on the big-money signings who caught the eye and became stars for the club, Klopp also played a blinder with the bargain signing and then sale of winger Xherdan Shaqiri.

He was a solid and reliable performer for the Reds during his spell at Anfield and the German boss went on to sell him at the perfect time before his market value plummeted.

How much did Liverpool pay for Shaqiri?

The Reds reportedly splashed out a fee of £13.5m to sign the Switzerland international from Stoke City in the summer of 2018 after they activated a relegation clause in his contract with the Potters, who dropped down to the Championship that year.

Klopp described it as a "perfect" move and a no-brainer for the club as the talented forward had already proven his quality at Premier League level. Coincidentally, he'd also proven himself to be a little like one former Red. After scoring at Euro 2018, just a month before his move, one football writer Andrew Beasley said: "That Shaqiri goal reeks of Suárez against Everton at the Kop end in 2014."

The Swiss joined Stoke from Italian giants Inter in the summer of 2015 and enjoyed an impressive few years at the club with 15 goals and 15 assists in 92 appearances in all competitions.

His most productive season in a Potters shirt came during the 2017/18 campaign as he contributed with eight goals and seven assists in 36 Premier League starts.

The Switzerland forward averaged a phenomenal Sofascore rating of 7.24 which happened to be the highest score within the squad, ahead of second-placed Kurt Zouma's 7.07.

Shaqiri was unfortunate to end the season with only seven assists as the left-footed winger created a whopping 14 'big chances' for his teammates and provided 2.1 key passes per game, as per Sofascore, 1.2 more per match than any other Stoke player with more than one league appearance.

That sublime form came after the ex-Bayern Munich prospect produced four goals and two assists in 21 Premier League starts during the 2016/17 campaign. In that time, he created five 'big chances' and delivered two key passes per outing.

These statistics show that Liverpool were bringing in a player who had already proven himself to be an effective forward in the top-flight of English football for a relatively low fee.

How many goals did Shaqiri score for Liverpool?

The Switzerland star racked up eight goals in 63 appearances in all competitions for the Reds in three seasons with the club before his exit in 2021.

Shaqiri, who joined as a back-up to the likes of Mane and Salah, caught the eye when called upon by the ex-Dortmund head coach throughout his first season on Merseyside.

The talented attacker scored six goals and provided three assists in 11 Premier League starts for the Reds, which worked out as an average of one goal contribution every 1.2 starts. Evidently, he was a reliable option for Liverpool to bring in when one of the frontline options needed a rest or missed a game through injury or suspension.

Only Roberto Firmino, Mane, and Salah scored more league goals for Liverpool than Shaqiri during the 2018/18 campaign, illustrating how impactful he was in spite of his limited game time on the pitch.

He also provided two assists in two Champions League starts for the club that season as Klopp's side went on to win the competition with a 2-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur in the final.

However, Shaqiri then struggled even more for minutes on the pitch over the next two years as he managed seven Premier League starts in his final two campaigns at Anfield, in which time he chipped in with one goal and two assists.

Where is Xherdan Shaqiri now?

Liverpool ended up playing a blinder with the Swiss gem as they opted to sell him to Lyon in the summer of 2021 after his lack of game time. Since then, his value has plummeted, suggesting a sale was made at precisely the right time.

Football Transfers rated his Expected Transfer Value (xTV) at €11.2m (£9.8m) in December of 2021, shortly after his move to France.

Shaqiri only played 16 matches for the Ligue 1 outfit and contributed with two goals and three assists before a move to MLS side Chicago Fire in 2022.

He has racked up 12 goals and 11 assists in 59 appearances for the American team to date and has scored three goals and produced three assists in 26 MLS outings in 2023 so far.

At the time of writing (25/09/2023), FootballTransfers has his xTV at €2.9m (£2.5m), meaning that his market value has dropped by a staggering 74% in just two years since his move from Liverpool.

Klopp clearly made a terrific decision to cash in on Shaqiri when he did as the 31-year-old has struggled to get back to his best and currently finds himself playing outside of Europe's major leagues with a decreasing market value.

Liverpool picked him up for a fairly cheap price and enjoyed his talents throughout the 2018/19 season and, although they may be disappointed with how the next two years went, have now been able to watch on as he has struggled since moving on from Anfield.