Harry Kane has spoken out in defence of new Bayern Munich team-mate Nicolas Jackson, with the odd question being asked of why the Senegalese striker has been drafted in by the Bundesliga giants. Kane has pointed out that the lively frontman put in plenty of encouraging Premier League performances for Chelsea when leading the line for an often inconsistent outfit.
Jackson embracing new challenge in Germany
Jackson helped the Blues to Conference League and FIFA Club World triumphs in 2024-25, but is now embracing a new challenge. He bid farewell to Stamford Bridge late in the summer transfer window.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesWill £70m purchase option by triggered?
He has a contract in England through to 2033, with it considered to be unlikely that a £70 million ($95m) purchase option in his season-long loan will be triggered – through the number of appearances he makes – or taken up by Bayern.
Jackson provides alternative to Kane
Jackson will find himself filling back-up duties behind prolific England captain Kane for as long as Bayern’s talismanic striker is fully fit and firing. He will, however, provide useful competition and a rotation option for Vincent Kompany to draft in when required.
GettyKane supportive of new Allianz Arena colleague
Kane – who knows all about life in the Premier League from his record-breaking spell at Tottenham – has said of Jackson, who made his Bayern debut off the bench in a 5-0 demolition of Hamburg: "If you follow the Premier League, you can see that he has many good attributes. He creates a lot of chances. And he's here to help the team. We're already working together in training and finishing together.
"I feel he can have a big impact for us this season, with his speed, his movement, and his goals. He's a great addition for us. I didn't know him very well. We played against him in the summer [England vs Senegal], and he made a very good impression, he played a really good game."
It might still be early doors, but Chelsea look like they are back on track in 2024; following their pitiful display in the Premier League against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Christmas Eve, they have been almost faultless – just don't think about that League Cup semi-final first leg.
Mauricio Pochettino has overseen five wins and a draw from their last seven games and guided the Blues into a cup final, something that seemed a million miles away just a couple of months ago.
However, for as good as the Pensioners have looked over the last month or so, their misfiring frontline will remain a problem for the rest of the season, lest they do something about it in the dying embers of the transfer window.
The two-time European Champions have the second-worst underperformance in the league by Understat's expected goals model, and the fact that they have scored nine goals fewer than they should have could come back to bite them in May.
This is obviously a concern for Todd Boehly and Co as numerous number nines who could replace Nicolas Jackson have been touted for a move to Stamford Bridge this month – let's take a look at three of them.
1 Callum Wilson – Newcastle United
Newcastle striker Callum Wilson.
The first name on the list is a relatively recent development and potentially represents the most straightforward transfer to complete: Newcastle United's Callum Wilson.
The Englishman was linked to the west Londoners earlier this week, and while the Toon would rather keep a hold of one of their most effective players, FFP is forcing their hand somewhat regarding the future of several key players.
The Magpies reportedly value the former Cherries man at around £18m and would prefer a straight transfer if he were to leave this month, while the Blues are after a loan, although with a price as reasonable as that, their approach could change very quickly.
Whatever the fee, signing the "ruthless" Wilson, as journalist Chris Waugh described him, would be a massive upgrade on Jackson, as despite multiple injury problems throughout his career, the 31-year-old professional has remained a clinical Premier League striker, something that is reflected in his brilliant top-flight career statistics.
While the aforementioned injuries and age would usually be a pair of massive red flags in a player, for £18m, it seems well worth the risk, especially if the money saved by signing the Toon forward could be spent on a new long-term striker in the summer window.
Ultimately, with 86 goals and 23 assists to his name in just 215 appearances, this seems too good of an opportunity to pass up for the Pensioners.
215
86
23
0.40
74
89
52
2 Lautaro Martinez – Inter Milan
Inter Milan's Lautaro Martinez
The second name on the list is a World Cup winner, currently the top scorer in Serie A, who came agonisingly close to winning the Champions League last season; that name is Inter Milan's Lautaro Martinez.
The Argentine sensation was linked to the club earlier this month and would reportedly be available for a sum of £80m-£100m as he is still yet to sign a new deal with the Italian giants.
Described as a "mix of Aguero & Falcao" for his "great close control & technique" by talent scout Jacek Kulig, the 26-year-old would instantly elevate Pochettino's middling strike force.
Just this season, he has netted 22 goals in 24 starts for the Nerazzurri across all competitions and is showing no signs of slowing down.
His underlying numbers are just as impressive, with FBref, which compares players in similar positions across Europe's top five leagues, placing him in the top 1% of strikers for interceptions, the top 3% for non-penalty goals, the top 5% for total shots, the top 9% for non-penalty goals all per 90.
Interestingly, Jackson does rank a little higher for non-penalty expected goals and non-penalty expected goals and assists, but this, combined with the number of non-penalty goals the pair have scored this season – Jackson has seven, Martinez has 17 – just further proves that the Inter star is clinical and the Senegalese international is not.
Martinez
Stats vs CFs in Europe
Jackson
Top 1%
Interceptions
Bottom 28%
Top 3%
Non-Penalty Goals
Top 10%
Top 5%
Total Shots
Top 37%
Top 9%
Non-Penalty Expected Goals
Top 6%
Top 9%
Tackles
Bottom 45%
Top 12%
Non-Penalty Expected Goals + Assists
Top 9%
Top 14%
Blocks
Top 36%
Top 15%
Shot-Creating Actions
Top 19%
3 Dušan Vlahović – Juventus
The third and final name on this list is another striker having a brilliant personal season in Italy this year, Juventus' Dušan Vlahović.
The Serbian international was linked to Chelsea earlier this month when journalist Simon Phillips revealed that the club had been holding internal discussions about the former Fiorentina ace and the possibility of signing him this month.
The 24-year-old "goal machine", as u23 scout Antonio Mango described him, took some time to adjust to life in Turin but has been like a man possessed this season, with his 12 league goals only bettered by Inter's Martinez.
However, where the Argentine could cost the Blues anywhere up to £100m, reports at the start of this month revealed that the Old Lady would be willing to listen to offers for their number nine starting in the region of €60m, which is about £51m.
Player
Goals
Club
Assists
Lautaro Martinez
19
Inter Milan
2
Dušan Vlahović
12
Juventus
3
Olivier Giroud
10
AC Milan
7
Domenico Berardi
9
Sassuolo
3
Hakan Calhanoglu
9
Inter Milan
3
While that isn't cheap by any stretch of the imagination, it would represent a good deal in a January window, especially considering that Jackson cost the club £30m.
Three midfielders Chelsea could sign to finally move on from Gallagher
The Blues could sell their homegrown talent this month.
ByJack Salveson Holmes Jan 30, 2024
Ultimately, while the league campaign might just about be beyond saving for Chelsea this season, they have a genuine chance to win two trophies, and signing any of these strikers to start over the profligate Jackson would be a surefire way to improve their chances of success.
da bwin： Unbeaten now in their last 20 Championship games, Southampton are showing no signs of fading away in the second tier automatic promotion race.
da bet sport： In all competitions, the remarkable Saints have now set a new groundbreaking club record with 21 games on the spin without defeat and a win on Saturday away at Swansea City even saw the South Coast outfit jump up to second spot in the division for the time being.
Championship: Top 6
#
P
W
D
L
GD
PTS
1. Leicester
27
21
2
4
34
65
2. Southampton
28
17
7
4
21
58
3. Ipswich
27
17
7
3
16
58
4. Leeds
28
16
6
6
24
54
5. West Brom
28
13
6
9
13
45
6. Coventry
28
11
10
7
13
43
To really put down a marker about their automatic promotion intentions, Russell Martin's men should continue persisting with this swoop in January despite worrying recent developments.
Southampton battling it out for major deal
Football journalist Sacha Tavolieri reported on Southampton's initial interest in Burnley winger Manuel Benson earlier this month, but an emerging transfer tussle with Leeds United means the Saints have now unfortunately lost any momentum on their side in sealing a deal for the Belgian's signature.
Football Insider revealed, in a report late last week, that Daniel Farke's Whites are in 'very advanced talks' to land the Clarets attacker at the expense of Martin's on-fire Saints.
Still, nothing is set in stone until Benson officially pulls on a Leeds strip and so Southampton won't just roll over for a promotion rival to significantly strengthen.
A deal to bring Benson to St. Mary's until the end of the season could allow the Saints to sail towards an immediate return to the Premier League, with the 26-year-old a promotion winner himself from the second tier just last campaign with dazzling display after dazzling display for the title-winning Clarets.
How Benson fits into the Southampton team
Martin could have the best possible Saints selection headache if Benson joins this month, adding another high-quality attacker to his already talented group up top.
Benson could, however, edge players such as Ryan Fraser out of the side completely and form a ridiculous partnership with Saints sharpshooter Adam Armstrong in the process.
In his last full season at second tier level, the agile 5 foot 7 forward tore the division apart with blistering attacking performances becoming second nature – scoring 12 times and assisting a further three times across the full campaign that concluded in Vincent Kompany's men being crowned outright champions.
A typically audacious screamer from Benson's back catalogue that season sealed the title away at arch rivals Blackburn Rovers last May, a clutch player for the Clarets who could be a similarly effective hero in a Southampton kit if signed.
This unbelievable individual campaign saw football journalist Josh Bunting refer to Benson as a "beautiful" footballer, with reporter Dean Jones describing Benson joining the Saints as a potentially "game-changing" capture in terms of the complexion of the automatic promotion race with Southampton possibly gaining an upper hand.
Coming in at an astonishing 15.75 progressive passes received per 90 minutes over the last year, with Fraser falling just behind with 14.86, Benson could be the missing piece of the puzzle the Saints need to make that second coveted automatic promotion spot their own to usurp Kieran McKenna's Ipswich Town.
Manuel Benson
The Saints will watch tonight's game between the Tractor Boys and table-toppers Leicester City with giddy anticipation, hoping McKenna's men slip up on the big occasion at the King Power Stadium.
After that, Martin will hope luck remains on their side once more and the buoyed-on Saints can somehow pull off a deal for Benson even with Leeds currently in pole position.
Half-centuries for Heather Knight and Fran Wilson backed up by Freya Davies four-for
ECB Reporters Network20-Aug-2019
Heather Knight flays one away through cover point•Getty Images
Western Storm 170 for 3 (Knight 61, Wilson 50*) beat Southern Vipers 155 for 9 (Wyatt 56, Davies 4-18) by 15 runsHeather Knight and Fran Wilson scored half-centuries and staged a magnificent stand of 115 for the third wicket as Kia Super League title favourites Western Storm defeated nearest rivals Southern Vipers by 15 runs at the Bristol County Ground.Knight won the toss, elected to bat first and top-scored with 61 from 48 balls, while England team-mate Wilson contributed 50 not out as the hosts posted a formidable 170 for 3 in 20 overs.Danni Wyatt played an explosive innings of 56 and dominated a stand of 73 for the second wicket with fellow England batsman Tammy Beaumont to keep Vipers in the hunt. But consistent off spinner Claire Nicholas claimed the key wickets of Wyatt and overseas star Stafanie Taylor to turn the game in Storm’s favour, while England seamers Anya Shrubsole and Freya Davies weighed in with figures of 3 for 39 and 4 for 18 respectively as Vipers came up short.Still unbeaten this season, Storm have now registered seven straight wins, lead second-placed Vipers by 10 points with three group games to play and are now guaranteed a place at Finals Day in Hove on Sunday, September 1.Their latest victory was founded upon a superb partnership between the experienced Knight and Wilson, who came together at 54 for 2 in the seventh over and took the game away from the Vipers.They were afforded a solid platform by in-form openers Rachel Priest and Smriti Mandhana, both of whom posted 24 runs from 18 balls in a stand of 43. Priest was pinned lbw by Lauren Bell having accrued five boundaries and Mandhana fell to Amanda Wellington’s legbreaks, held at long-on in the act of trying to clear the boundary.If Vipers believed that double breakthrough would herald a spell of dominance, they were made to think again as Knight and Wilson combined deft placement and frenetic running between the wickets to keep the scoreboard moving.Having advanced the score to 104 for 2 by the end of the 14th over, the third-wicket pair launched a concerted assault which yielded 66 from the final six overs as Vipers, under sustained pressure, wilted in the field. Knight was first to reach 50, attaining that landmark via 40 balls with seven fours. The England captain then carved Bell high over midwicket to register the only six of the innings as she sought acceleration in the closing overs.Wilson was still there at the end, scampering a quick single off the final ball to raise an unbeaten 50 from 36 balls, an innings adorned with 7 fours. Of the bowlers, only offspinner Taylor emerged with credit, the former Storm allrounder having Knight caught at long-on to finish with 1 for 20 from four overs.Storm struck a crucial blow in the second over of the chase, England seamer Davies inducing Suzie Bates to edge a catch behind for 2.Unperturbed by the loss of her skipper, England opener Wyatt took the game to Storm, adopting the aerial route to smash eight fours and two sixes in a whirlwind innings of 56 from 32 balls. While she remained at large in a stand of 73 with Tammy Beaumont for the second wicket, Vipers were in with a chance.Urgently requiring a breakthrough, Knight called Nicholas back into the attack to bowl the tenth over, with immediate results. The wily Welsh offspinner forced a mistake from Wyatt and Deepti Sharma, stationed at backward point, took a brilliant diving catch to dismiss the England opener and reduce the visitors to 76 for 2.Taking the pace off the ball proved an effectove tactic during the middle overs as spinners Knight, Nicholas and Sharma sought to restrict the run rate and build pressure from both ends. Beaumont succumbed when, having raised 25 from 31 balls, she hoisted England team-mate Shrubsole to Sharma at long-on with the score on Nelson.Heavily depndent upon the experienced Taylor, Vipers suffered a further blow when the West Indies international played across the line to Nicholas and was caught by Wilson on the midwicket boundary for a 24-ball 28 with the score on 120 in the 16th over.The game was effectively up when Davies and Shrubsole combined to remove Maia Boucher, Marie Kelly, Paige Schofield and Wellington in quick succession as Vipers’ reply lost crucial momentum at the death.
The England & Wales Cricket Board has pledged a funding boost for women’s cricket of £20 million over two years, and plans to invest £50 million in the next five years, in a bid to make cricket into a gender-balanced sport.The challenge of transforming women’s and girls’ cricket was one of six priorities within the ECB’s ‘Inspiring Generations’ strategy for 2020-2024, and part of the new remit is a commitment to the funding of 40 full-time professional, domestic contracts, in addition to the existing central contracts for England Women’s elite players.A ten-point action plan was unveiled by Clare Connor, the ECB’s managing director for women’s cricket, at an event in London, with a focus on five key objectives:Participation: To increase the number of women and girls playing cricket recreationally Pathway: To develop aspiring female cricketers (U11-17) as players and people Performance: To drive the performance of England women’s cricket through a new semi-professional, eight region structure Profile: To elevate the profile of women’s cricket through The Hundred, the England Women’s team and the elite game People: To increase the representation of women across the cricket workforce”Cricket has been an integral part of my life, as a player and in my role of Managing Director of Women’s Cricket. I have never been more excited by the opportunity in front of us right now,” said Connor.ESPNcricinfo Ltd
“Recent initiatives have given women and girls more opportunities to play, such as All Stars Cricket for 5-8-year-olds, the South Asian female activators programme, and the Kia Super League for our most talented domestic cricketers. But to truly transform women’s and girls’ cricket, we must now move from targeted standalone programmes to addressing the whole pathway as one.”We have an amazing opportunity to make cricket the sport we want it to be – a sport that is modern, innovative and inclusive. I have been so heartened by the level of enthusiasm, commitment and support for this plan from everyone involved in cricket.”Tom Harrison, the ECB chief executive, added: “During the development of Inspiring Generations, and extensive conversations and research across the game, the strong appetite to transform cricket’s relationship with women and girls was abundantly clear.”There is tremendous energy across the cricket network to pursue the game’s largest growth opportunity and to increase the number of women and girls playing, watching and volunteering at every level of the game.”This plan, formed in collaboration with the whole cricket network, and supported by our commercial and media partners, represents a crucial step in achieving our ambition of making cricket a gender-balanced sport.”The plan was produced following two years of consultation with all 38 Counties and Cricket Wales, and detailed analysis of thousands of survey responses from the recreational and elite game.To test some of the recommendations for the recreational game, ECB has run pilot programmes with over 600 cricket clubs to better understand the essential criteria in creating the most sustainable women’s and girls’ clubs.”This action plan is a really exciting next step in the continued growth of women’s cricket,” said Heather Knight, England Women’s captain. “We need more young girls to be inspired to play and those young girls need to be able to see a clear pathway above them that encourages them to continue pursuing the game.”As England players we’re fortunate enough to meet lots of young girls who love the game and it means so much to us to see how much they love cricket. Much of this plan is about normalising the game for women and girls and I’m excited to see how this increased opportunity takes the game forward.”
The major tournaments on the women’s calendar for 2022 now include the ODI World Cup, the Commonwealth Games and the Ashes
ESPNcricinfo staff19-Nov-2020The ICC announced on Thursday that the next women’s T20 World Cup, originally scheduled to be held in South Africa in November 2022, has been postponed to February 2023. Therefore only two multi-team major women’s events will be played in 2022 – the ODI World Cup in New Zealand followed by the Commonwealth Games in July, with the multi-format Ashes scheduled for the latter half of the year.According to an ICC release, the decision was made taking into consideration that there are “currently no major women’s events scheduled to take place in 2023, [so] the board confirmed the switch for the T20 World Cup to better support player preparation and to continue to build the momentum around the women’s game beyond 2022.ALSO READ: Six teams to qualify via ICC rankings for 2022 Commonwealth Games Speaking on the development, ICC CEO Manu Sawhney said: “Moving the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup to 2023 makes perfect sense on a number of levels. Firstly, it will provide a better workload balance for players giving them the best possible opportunity to perform to the highest levels on a global stage. Secondly, we can continue to build the momentum around the women’s game through 2022 and into 2023. We are committed to fueling the growth of the women’s game and today’s decision enables us to do that over the longer term.”In August, the ICC had announced that the 2021 women’s ODI World Cup, originally scheduled for February-March 2021 in New Zealand, was deferred by a year, with an eye on maintaining the “integrity of the tournament” in the wake of the disparity in the level of preparedness of the teams caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.The governing body, however, is yet to make an announcement on the fate of the inaugural Under-19 women’s World Cup, which Bangladesh are due to host in January 2021.
While the 32-year-old Brazilian is reminding everyone of his quality, his supposed successor is having to apologise for his poor form
Harvey Elliott wasn't the least bit surprised by Alisson Becker's history-making heroics at Parc des Princes last Wednesday night – but he was still blown away by them. "I've got no words, to be honest," the forward told while standing alongside Liverpool's No.1. "This guy, he's just unbelievable, the best in the world. Each and every game he shows it, [he] keeps us in so many games. Without him, I don't know where we'd be."
They certainly wouldn't be going into the second leg of their last-16 tie with a 1-0 lead over Paris Saint-Germain, who peppered the Reds goals with shots for 90 minutes. Alisson made nine saves in a shockingly one-sided first leg and, as a rueful Luis Enrique admitted afterwards, five of them were "amazing".
"Their best player was the goalie," the Spaniard said. "Alisson decided which way this game went." Peter Schmeichel wholeheartedly agreed, as the Manchester United legend said on that Liverpool would have lost 3-0 had it not been for "one of the best goalkeeping performances I've seen in my life."
Given Alisson is only 32 – relatively young for his particular position – it feels a little strange that there is a chance that he could be usurped as Liverpool's first-choice shot-stopper this summer – or even leave the club. After all, the Reds have already put a succession plan in place, with Giorgi Mamardashvili set to belatedly arrive at Anfield this summer from Valencia. However, while the presumption was that the Georgian would immediately take over in between the posts from Alisson, their contrasting form right now could well prompt a rethink…
Getty Images Sport
Not a priority, but prudent
Liverpool's recruitment team are rightly copping an awful lot of flak for allowing key trio Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold to enter the final year of their respective contracts. However, they were praised for moving so quickly to agree a deal with Valencia for Mamardashvili that will see him move to Merseyside at the end of the 2024-25 campaign.
A new goalkeeper didn't feel like it should have been a priority for the Reds at the time – particularly as they arguably have the world's best No.2 in Caoimhin Kelleher – but it was hard to argue with the level of prudence at play.
If the decision had already been made that Kelleher wasn't quite good enough to be Alisson's heir, then the club was right to line up an alternative sooner rather than later, and Mamardashvili was unquestionably a strong candidate to become Liverpool's next No.1.
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AFP
Injury issues
At just 24, Mamardashvili had already made a name for himself at Mestalla and was also coming off the back of a string of sensational showings for Georgia at Euro 2024. For an initial £25 million ($32m), he undoubtedly had the makings of a bargain buy – and that's still the case, in fairness.
Furthermore, while there were few doubts over Alisson's form, his fitness was an increasing cause for concern, with his injury-enforced absences becoming frustratingly frequent. By contrast, Mamardashvili had already racked up an impressive amount of appearances for Valencia. His best years were clearly ahead of him, while Alisson was showing signs of wear and tear.
Consequently, much was made of the fact that whereas Mamardashvili finished seventh in the voting for last year's Yashin Trophy, Alisson didn't even make the shortlist. Out with the old, in with the new and all that…
Getty Images Sport
Dramatic dip in form
As it stands, though, Mamardashvili doesn't look like an upgrade on Kelleher – let alone Alisson.
It obviously needs to be acknowledged that Mamardashvili is not playing for a strong side. In La Liga, Valencia are just two places and one point above the relegation zone. Only basement boys Real Valladolid (62) have conceded more goals than Los Che (45) so far this season, which goes a little way towards explaining why Mamardashvili (five) has fewer cleans sheets to his name than Kelleher (eight) in 2024-25 despite playing six more games than the Ireland international.
However, there is no disguising the fact that the quality of Mamardashvili's performances have dipped dramatically since his move to Liverpool was announced just before the close of the last summer transfer window.
AFP
'Not in my best moment'
Goalkeepers lining out for relegation-threatened teams are nearly always much busier than those representing title challengers, meaning they usually have the higher save stats. That's not the case with Mamardashvili, though.
He's actually averaging fewer saves per game (2.4) than Alisson (2.6), while his save percentage is an incredibly worrying 57.61 percent – that's the third-worst ratio in Europe's 'Big Five' leagues among goalkeepers to have made 20 or more appearances so far this season. To put it further into context, Alisson's tally is 75.58%.
Mamardashvili has also made three errors leading directly to goals, the most recent of which came on Saturday, with the Tbilisi native gifting Valladolid a 40th-minute equaliser by passing the ball directly to Juanmi Latasa. Valencia still went on to win the game thanks to Umar Sadiq's second-half goal, but Mamardashvili nonetheless felt compelled to issue a public apology afterwards.
"I know I'm not in my best moment now, but I'm convinced that challenges make us stronger," he wrote on social media. "I'm putting in my best effort to be the best version of me as soon as possible."
England are supposed to arrive in South Africa on November 17 and will spend 10 days in quarantine
Firdose Moonda16-Oct-2020Cricket South Africa (CSA) are waiting on the home affairs ministry to give the England squad permission to enter the country for three ODIs and three T20Is in November-December. South Africa is still in a “state of disaster,” in response to the coronavirus pandemic and is currently at the most lenient stage of lockdown – stage 1 of 5 – which means most activity has been able to resume and borders are open in limited capacity. Anyone who wants to enter the country requires a rubber stamp from home affairs with particular focus on those from high-risk countries, which include the United Kingdom.”We have received the request from Cricket South Africa but it has not been processed yet,” Siya Qoya, a spokesperson from the ministry of home affairs told ESPNcricinfo. “We will communicate with CSA once a decision has been finalised.”Qoya confirmed that decisions “do not take too long” to be made and that some individuals from high-risk countries have been allowed into South Africa. Should approval be given, England will arrive in South Africa on November 17 and will spend 10 days quarantined at a hotel in Cape Town, while being able to train at Newlands. The South African squad will stay in the same hotel – creating a bio-bubble – with matches to be played at Newlands and Boland Park in Paarl, behind closed doors.The series will be the first for the South African men’s national team since they returned home from India in March, when the coronavirus pandemic hit. They have had series in Sri Lanka and West Indies postponed and have been unable to host India for three T20Is, which would have provided CSA with a much-needed financial shot in the arm. For now, the England tour will fill the gap, with CSA estimated to earn R70 million (US$4.2 milllion) from the series. CSA are expected to pay for all accommodation and transport fees for a touring party of about 50 members, the ECB have agreed to carry the costs of a charter flight.If the England series is given the go-ahead, it will take place under the cloud of sports minister Nathi Mthethwa’s intent to intervene in CSA’s affairs unless CSA can provide him with a reason not to by October 27. On Wednesday, Mthethwa issued a statement in which he said he had been left no choice but to act according to the National Sports and Recreation Act on allegations of mismanagement, because CSA had refused to comply with the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee’s (SASCOC) request for the board and executive to stand down while an investigation is held. Mthethwa has the power to no longer recognise CSA as the governing body for cricket in South Africa. CSA have been in administrative crisis throughout 2020, and are currently operating under an acting CEO, an acting president and postponed their AGM from September to December.Apart from the England tour, no other international fixtures are confirmed for the season. Domestic cricket in South Africa is set to get underway on November 2, but the schedule has been reduced as a cost-cutting measure. The six franchises will only play seven first-class matches (instead of their usual 10) and a single-round T20 tournament (rather than matches home and away), with the Mzansi Super League cancelled for this summer.
David Gordon worked at Auckland Grammar School as a teacher and cricket coach for over 25 years
ESPNcricinfo staff18-Jul-2019
Jimmy Neesham smashes a six in the Super Over•Getty Images
Jimmy Neesham has paid tribute to his former high-school cricket coach who passed away during the closing stages of the World Cup final on Sunday when Neesham carried New Zealand to the brink of the title.David Gordon worked at Auckland Grammar School as a teacher and cricket coach for over 25 years, with Lockie Ferguson one of his other pupils. Neesham acknowledged the influence he had on him.”Dave Gordon, my High School teacher, coach and friend. Your love of this game was infectious, especially for those of us lucky enough to play under you. How appropriate you held on until just after such a match. Hope you were proud. Thanks for everything. RIP,” Neesham posted on Twitter.Gordon’s daughter, Leonie, said her father passed away when Neesham was batting in the Super Over which ended up a tie with England taking the World Cup on boundary countback.”You know, I think Jimmy Neesham had just hit that six and he took his last breath,” she told . “He has a quirky sense of humour and he was a real character and he would have loved the fact that he did that.””It was lovely, you know, he’s kept in touch with Jimmy and he is friends with Jimmy’s father. He always had a soft spot for Jimmy Neesham, he was very proud of him. He would definitely be following his career.”
Mohammad Rizwan struck his maiden ODI hundred but a double-century opening stand for Australia made it a one-sided chase
The Report by Danyal Rasool24-Mar-2019It wasn’t just the same venue; the manner in which the second ODI transpired was strikingly similar to the one that panned out on Friday. Deciding to bat first after winning the toss, Pakistan anchored their innings around a hundred from a top order player – this time it was Mohammad Rizwan – and posted 284, four more than the palpably inadequate 280 they had managed in the first ODI. Once more, Australia demonstrated this to be woefully short of what might have challenged them, an unbeaten career-best 153 from Aaron Finch and an opening stand of 209 with Usman Khawaja allowing them to canter to their second consecutive eight-wicket win.The only deviation from the first game was the chase contained even less drama than in the first ODI. Whereas Khawaja had fallen relatively cheaply then, the opening partnership this time was colossal in the face of another uninspired bowling effort from Pakistan. Finch and Khawaja amassed 209 and rarely did Pakistan threaten to break through; the ball spun very little for Yasir Shah and Imad Wasim and swung even less for the quicker bowlers.While Khawaja was the more prolific partner during the Powerplay, Finch came to life from the moment he lofted Yasir for six off the first ball of the sixteenth over. Till then, he had 28 off 43 balls but, as if the effect of a sedative had been neutralised by one stroke, he sprang to life. He completed his half-century just 14 balls later, and bludgeoned Yasir for two sixes and a four in the over that followed, and a further six and four off Imad right after. That put any qualms about the run rate to bed, and the chase was every bit a canter as the first match after that.Khawaja continued to cash in on his fine form, reaching his fifth half-century in seven innings off 60 deliveries. After a strong start he was content playing the steady hand and appeared to be cruising to a hundred until he holed out to deep midwicket 12 runs short. It gave Glenn Maxwell the opportunity to free his arms in an entertaining little cameo, two sixes off Imad quelling any fears of a Pakistan comeback, but he missed the chance to finish the game when he was run out.Aaron Finch and Usman Khawaja added a double-century opening stand•AFP
One of the key points of fascination for Pakistan enthusiasts this game was the performance of teenage quick Mohammad Hasnain, drafted in for his first List A game following a stellar PSL. His introduction was one of the only times a sparse Sharjah crowd came to life, and the cheer after his first ball – a bouncer which forced Khawaja to hastily duck – was louder than perhaps at any point all day.That aside, however, it was a tough initiation for the 18-year old. His pace might have been up, but he lacked the control and consistency that will surely follow as he accumulates experience, and when Finch swatted him for six over cow corner in the 47th over, the game was for all intents and purposes done. For good measure, however, the Australian captain thwacked Faheem Ashraf for another one the following over, bringing up his 150 in 141 balls, and finishing off the game in the same over.Pakistan’s innings had been paced at the same leisurely rate as in the first game. Australia’s bright start put them on the back foot straightaway, thanks to a brilliant opening spell from Jhye Richardson who cleaned up Imam-ul-Haq for a duck in the first over. Maintaining a probing good line, he gave the batsmen little room for error as Pakistan started sluggishly. Even as the boundaries flowed from the other end, with Haris Sohail timing the ball exquisitely, Richardson gave away few runs, and also brought about Shan Masood’s downfall with one pitched slightly short of a length that was chipped to midwicket.His day turned sour, however, when he suffered a dislocated shoulder in the outfield. Diving to save a boundary at midwicket, he landed heavily on his elbow, and his reaction immediately indicated he was done for the game, and very possibly the series.The silver lining for Australia was Finch, who brought himself on to fill the gap Richardson’s overs left behind and was among the pick of Australia’s bowlers. He started off by removing last game’s centurion Haris Sohail for 34, a slight tickle to the keeper giving Finch just his third ODI wicket. So bothersome did he prove for Pakistan he ended up bowling his full quota, and, until his final over went for 12 to bring his overall tally to 41, Pakistan never looked to attack him.Pakistan found themselves in deeper trouble when Umar Akmal holed out when he lofted one slightly short by Nathan Lyon to the square-leg boundary fielder. He had gone for 16, his reaction of desperate disappointment fitting for a man given an unlikely opportunity with little room for error just ahead of a World Cup.But Rizwan and Shoaib Malik got together with Pakistan in strife and kept Australia at bay for nearly half the innings, putting on 127. Rizwan was excellent at working the gaps and using his feet to the spinners, while Malik has been in these situations with Pakistan often over a two-decade career, but his record against Australia isn’t the best. The half-century he brought up off 53 balls was just the second against Australia, and it was one of hard graft rather than cavalier flamboyance.Rizwan is in the side as Sarfaraz Ahmed rests, but looked determined to make the case for World Cup inclusion, even for his batting alone. Promoted to No. 4, he had performed the role many specialists in Pakistan had failed to perform in that position, and when he swept Adam Zampa to bring up a first ODI hundred, Pakistan were ready to launch once more.They never quite got around to doing that, with the pair falling in quick succession and they ended short of 300 again. That wasn’t just well short of 300, but also well short of anything that would have made Australia sweat. But then again, the way Finch batted, one wonders if anything would have proved out of the visitors’ grasp.