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India Women’s captain Mithali Raj on the team’s recent success going into the World T20, and utilsing opportunities to raise the game’s profile

Interview by Gaurav Kalra05-Mar-201611:30

‘The BCCI should support our participation in the Women’s Big Bash’

The Indian women’s team has been on a high in recent months. After a historic T20 series win in Australia in January, they have continued their impressive form at home by whitewashing Sri Lanka in both the ODI and T20 series. Speaking to ESPNcricinfo, captain Mithali Raj reflects on the reasons behind the team’s strong performances, the emergence of top-class young players, the improvements at domestic level, and the steps needed to raise the profile of the game in the country.Things have been going well of late for India.
The Australia tour was very important and all of us knew that it would be very challenging to beat them at home as very few of our players had experience on those fast tracks. Winning the T20 series was a good experience for the whole team and it has given a lot of confidence to the players. We have come good as a unit. Winning before the World Cup was good timing as well. Can you elaborate on the transformation that has taken place in the last few years? And what do you put the team’s improved performances down to?
The team has been together for two years and most of the players have played for Indian Railways, who I captain [in domestic cricket]. We are together round the year. That develops a bond and I don’t have to work too much. Earlier, our batting never clicked in T20s. Only one or two players would score and the team was dependent on them. Now, we have every player contributing to the team’s performance and that has made a lot of difference. Our top order scored runs in Australia and our fielding was really good.

“Since we have done well against Australia and Sri Lanka, the people’s expectations have risen, and it is important that we use this platform to promote women’s cricket in India”

There was a time when England and Australia were far ahead of the pack. Do you think the field has evened out after your win against Australia?
I think it has, after our wins in the last two series. We are strong contenders for the World Cup. Earlier, it used to feel like those two teams are way ahead of the rest, but now with the transformation in the Indian team – West Indies has been doing well and New Zealand have done well against Australia – the gap is closing.Do you feel a lot more younger girls are now pushing for national honours?
Yes, because we have our domestic structure in place and the ICC Championship has done a lot of good. We get to play every team before the World Cup, touring in different conditions besides a few series at home. It gives a lot of opportunities to the youngsters. As we play more, we get to see who a quality player is and what plans and strategies would work for the team. Whenever you undergo transformation, a couple of good players always emerge, like Smriti Mandhana and Anuja Patil, which will only increase the depth for the team.Players are centrally contracted now. Has that made a difference?
Yes, because there are players who come from middle-class or lower middle-class backgrounds and struggle to buy a kit and earn a living. They completely depend on the state association. With central contracts, you are very well looked after by the board. You do not have to be bothered about anything else. Just put in the hard work and do well for the country.The World T20 is in India. You have done so well on tours. Suddenly there is pressure that you will be holding the trophy at the end of the tournament. Is that the kind of pressure you’re coming to terms with since you’re one of the favourites?
The World Cup, as an event, carries a lot of pressure, irrespective of the number of caps you have earned, and the pressure doubles when you play at home. Since we have done well against Australia and Sri Lanka, the people’s expectations have risen, and it is important that we use this platform to promote women’s cricket in India, because it is the best opportunity. The team has good momentum and all the players are confident, so it is the right time for us to play a good brand of cricket for people to appreciate in India and to market the sport.”Winning the T20 series [in Australia] was a good experience for the whole team and it has given a lot of confidence to the players”•Getty Images Do you think playing your matches besides the men has helped, as will be the case in the World T20?
The double headers generated a lot of viewership and promoted women’s cricket around the globe in a better way. I think the Big Bash or an IPL-style tournament would give an impetus to women’s cricket. Women’s cricket can stand alone as a brand, but right now it needs men’s cricket to support it. One aspect of television coverage is that in the men’s game you get a lot of information about your rivals. In your case, is it harder to tactically plan against opposition?
It is when you haven’t played an opposition for a long time, like we didn’t know much about the South African team when we played them a couple of years back, because we last played them in 2009. We struggled then but with the ICC Championship, we play every team. So we have a video analyst coming with the team and we have the footage, but it’s difficult when you play a team after a long time. In terms of the support staff, apart from the video analyst, there is also a strength trainer. Have things changed dramatically since you first started playing?
Yes, the approach to fitness is a lot more professional and there is a physio who deals with rehab and injury. The player’s knowledge of their body and how to go about in and outside a competition is far better than what it was when I started.

“Earlier, it used to feel like Australia and England are way ahead of the rest, but now with the transformation in the Indian team, the gap is closing”

The women’s Big Bash League was a huge success and England is looking to follow suit. As one of the leading players in the world, would you like the opportunity to be part of such leagues?
Yes, because when you play with the best and interact with them, there are cultural interactions. You learn a lot by just mingling and it gives the young players – someone like Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur or Veda Krishnamurthy – the chance to develop as cricketers and mature very quickly, which is what India needs at the moment. So that is something for you to tell the BCCI?
I think the BCCI will definitely be very supportive, because we don’t have the IPL. If the Aussies or England want us in the tournament, the BCCI should be positive enough to support us, because it will benefit them and help the players get experience. When you see them in the next T20 World Cup, they’d be different players. You see a lot of young Indian girls do really well these days, like Sania Mirza, Saina Nehwal. Do you hope to see the profile of women’s cricket reach that level?
It should, and there is a possibility if our matches are televised. That attracts a lot of brands and corporate sponsorships for individual players. If only a few games are televised and you don’t have a follow-up, like no live coverage of the Sri Lanka series after the Australia series, where we did so well, things will not improve.”If only a few games are televised and you don’t have a follow-up, like no live coverage of the Sri Lanka series after the Australia series where we did so well, things will not improve”•Getty Images You have played only ten Test matches. Would you like to see more Test cricket for women?
I definitely want to play them as it is the ultimate challenge for any cricketer to excel in that format. It challenges your skill, mental ability and physical endurance.Are there any changes you would like to see at the domestic level?
I think Star Sports covered the T20 Super League and got a good response. If the domestic T20 Super League or the one-day Super League is televised, it will get a lot of attention. What should we expect from the Indian women’s team at the World T20?
With the kind of momentum we have, we should at least qualify for the semi-finals. From there, it’s anyone’s game.

Julen Lopetegui’s time at West Ham United hasn’t gone exactly to plan, taking over from David Moyes this summer, and aiming to transform the Hammers from a counter-attacking side, into a more control-based, possession-heavy team.

West Ham sit 14th in the Premier League after 14 games played, winning four times, drawing three, and losing seven already this season.

Lopetegui’s side are averaging 46.4% possession, the eighth lowest total in the division, are taking 14.7 shots per game (6th highest), and are conceding 15.8 shots per game (4th most).

Lopetegui’s future seems to be in trouble, as West Ham are already drawing up shortlists of new candidates to take over from the 58-year-old Spanish coach, one of which has been out of a job since the 2022/23 season.

Graham Potter to West Ham

According to journalist Ben Jacobs, one name on the West Ham manager shortlist is Graham Potter, who was sacked by Chelsea in the 2022/23 season, having only taken charge of 31 games as manager, averaging 1.42 points per match.

The English coach had Chelsea averaging around 58.8% possession, taking 12.7 shots per game (only scoring 38 goals that season), and conceding 11.5 shots per game.

Whilst the numbers were not terrible, their league position was, finishing 12th that campaign after sacking Potter, trying to navigate turbulent times under new ownership.

While he is still considered a top manager, and is clearly taking his time to pick the right job before jumping back in, the one concern that could be had around Potter is the fact he hasn’t had a job since that tough Chelsea time, and how he will bounce back from it.

But perhaps the best name on the short list isn’t actually Potter but instead is Sergio Conceicao, the most experienced of the three names discussed by the Hammers board, and an option that could bring real stability to the club in a season of struggle.

Manager Focus

Who are the greatest coaches in the land? Football FanCast's Manager Focus series aims to reveal all.

How Sergio Conceicao compares to Graham Potter

Possessing a brand of “heavy metal” football in the words of scout Antonio Mango, Conceicao could well be the perfect manager for West Ham, being adaptable – much like Potter – in his ability to go from a control-based 4-2-3-1, into a deeper 4-4-2 block, and change game plans based on the opposition and scoreline in a game.

This is a huge factor in such a competitive league, especially for a club like West Ham, who have a squad capable of controlling games against the bottom half of the table, but perhaps need a different approach when facing top-half sides, who possess slightly more on-ball quality. That was particularly evident when the Irons were dispatched 5-2 by Arsenal a few days ago.

Olhanense

34

1.26

Coimbra

39

1.28

SC Braga

45

1.80

Vitoria Guimaraes

31

1.10

FC Nantes

26

1.69

FC Porto

368

2.29

Conceicao’s best period was clearly at FC Porto, managing there from 2017-2024, winning three Primeira Liga titles (2017/18, 2019/20 and 2021/22), four Taca de Portugal’s (2019/20, 2021/22, 2022/23 and 2023/24), one Taca da Liga (2022/23), and three Supertaca Candido de Oliveira’s.

During the 2023/24 season, Porto averaged 63.6% possession (the most in their division), and only conceded 8.3 shots per game (the 2nd fewest in their division), showing Conceicao’s ability to coach a defensive unit and control games with more of the ball, two factors West Ham wish to improve upon since moving on from Moyes. Those numbers are also far better than the ones achieved by Potter when he was at Stamford Bridge.

With Lopetegui’s struggles already this season, West Ham need to ensure this next appointment can provide stability to their current squad and drag them away from the relegation zone.

Conceicao seems the best fit to do this, bringing extra defensive stability compared to Potter, and therefore making him the ideal appointment for the Hammers.

West Ham dud may have cost Lopetegui his job after a 4/10 performance

West Ham fell to yet another defeat in the Premier League last night.

1 ByEthan Lamb Dec 4, 2024

Mills replaces Topley for England while UAE’s Nawaz is pushed up to the main squad after Fahid fractured his left foot

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Oct-2022Right-arm fast bowler Kasun Rajitha has replaced fellow speedster Dushmantha Chameera, who suffered a grade two tear in the calf of his left foot, in Sri Lanka’s T20 World Cup squad. Rajitha, who last played a T20I in October 2019, is in Sri Lanka and will travel to Australia as soon as possible.In addition to Chameera, batter Danushka Gunathilaka has also been ruled out of the T20 World Cup due to a hamstring tear. Ashen Bandara, one of the travelling reserves, will replace him. Gunathilaka had missed the match on Tuesday.Chameera winced and walked out of the field after bowling the last over of his spell in Sri Lanka’s win over UAE. The injury is connected to his ankle and calf issue that kept him out of the Asia Cup last month. Arjuna de Silva, head of SLC’s medical advisory committee, confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that Chameera will be undergoing an ankle surgery and said, “The previous injuries were on the anterior part of the ankle, but this is in the calf. It’s a grade-two tear.”Rajitha was called up to the T20I squad for the home series against Australia in June but did not get a game. He then picked up a sole wicket in three outings for SLC Blues in the SLC Invitational League in August, which was his last T20 outing. His last international match, though, was the Test against Pakistan in July this year.Meanwhile, Tymal Mills has replaced Reece Topley, who injured his left ankle, as a like-for-like in England’s squad. Topley had suffered the injury after standing on the boundary cushion during a fielding drill ahead of England’s warm-up match against Pakistan.For UAE, travelling reserve Fahad Nawaz replaced Zawar Farid, who fractured his left foot.

Sky Sports have sent their top pundits some advice ahead of the verdict on Manchester City's 115 FFP charges being announced.

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Verdict on Man City charges due soonSky Sports pundits handed adviceBroadcaster wants to avoid controversyFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Manchester City are expecting a verdict from the independent commission shortly over the club's alleged breaches of more than 115 rules relating to Financial Fair Play. Ahead of the verdict, broadcaster Sky Sports has issued advice to its top pundits including Gary Neville, Jamie Carragher and Roy Keane about how to discuss the subject on air, according to the .

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The pundits have been sent a factfile of the case and warned against "jumping to conclusions on air and on social media" and to ensure they "stick to the facts." The broadcaster is eager to avoid any controversy on the topic and wants to be seen to be "accurate, fair and balanced in its reporting." Staff have also been reminded that both sides could claim victory and that any potential punishments may be subject to an appeal.

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The saga has already drawn plenty of headlines and prompted much speculation about potential punishments if City are found guilty. Pep Guardiola's side are believed to be confident they will avoid tough sanctions, while speculation persists that the club could be hit with a fine, a hefty points penalty or even relegation from the Premier League.

GettyWHAT NEXT FOR MAN CITY

A final verdict has long been expected in March, meaning fans may not have too much longer to wait to discover the outcome. In the meantime, Manchester City are back in action after the international break against Bournemouth in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup.

After posting no century partnership in Tests in 2015, South Africa had three in an innings in Cape Town, Stats highlights from another batsman-dominated day at Newlands

S Rajesh05-Jan-20160 Instances, before this game, of both teams getting 600-plus totals in the first innings of a Test in South Africa. In fact, there has been only one other instance of both teams getting 500-plus: ten years ago at the same venue, New Zealand declared at 583 for 8, and South Africa replied with 512. Had South Africa scored three more runs before declaring, this would have been only the fourth instance of a team taking the first-innings lead when chasing a 600-plus total: it has happened in the Pakistan-Sri Lanka Test in 2009, Sri Lanka-India in 2010, and West Indies-England in 2009.627/7 South Africa’s total, their fifth highest in any Test innings, their third best against England, and their best against England at home. The 211 overs they played is also the fifth highest for them in any Test innings.97.84 The average runs per wicket in this Test so far, the fifth highest in Test history, and the highest by far in South Africa.477 Balls faced by Hashim Amla for his 201, the third highest in any Test innings in South Africa. The only higher ones are 642, by Gary Kirsten against England in Durban in 1999, and Michael Atherton’s 492-ball unbeaten 185 in Johannesburg in 1995. Both those knocks came in the team’s second innings, and helped save the game from tough positions.0 Instances of South African captains playing a longer innings – in terms of balls faced – than Amla’s Cape Town effort. His 477 balls is comfortably higher than the previous record of 388, by Graeme Smith against Pakistan in Dubai in 2013. The top 11 instances of most deliveries played by a South African captain are all by either Smith (8) or Amla (3). Amla’s 201 is also the seventh double-century by a South African captain in Tests.3 Number of times Amla has faced 450-plus deliveries in a Test innings. It has only been done nine times by all South African batsmen, with Gary Kirsten being the other player to achieve this three times.50 The difference between Amla’s aggregate in 12 Test innings in 2015, and his score in his first innings of 2016. He totaled 251 at an average of 22.81 last year, an aggregate he threatened to surpass in just one innings in Cape Town.4 Double-centuries for Amla in Tests; among South Africans, only Smith, with five, has more.14 Instances of three century partnerships in an innings for South Africa in Tests. They didn’t have a single such partnership in all of 2015, but in their first innings of the new year they’ve had three, with Amla-AB de Villiers, Amla-Faf du Plessis, and Temba Bavuma-Chris Morris all putting together century stands. The last such instance was in the Boxing Day Test of 2013 against India in Durban.167 The partnership between Bavuma and Morris, South Africa’s third highest for the seventh wicket in all Tests, and their best against England.7 Bowlers who have conceded 100 or more runs in the first two innings of this Test – this has never happened before in a Test in South Africa. The previous highest was five. In fact, there have only been 14 instances ever of seven or more bowlers conceding 100-plus runs in the first two innings of a Test match; the previous such instance was the Perth Test last year between Australia and New Zealand.18 Instances of five or more 50-plus scores for South Africa in a Test innings. Excluding the openers, though, there have been only three such instances: the previous one was in 1966, against Australia.9 Instances of England bowling 200-plus overs without a single no-ball in a Test innings. The last such instance was in 1987 at The Oval against Pakistan, which is also the last time they bowled more overs than the 211 they did in South Africa’s first innings at Newlands.

Glamorgan still need 64 to avoid follow-on target of 305 against Worcestershire

ECB Reporters Network07-Sep-2022Glamorgan 241 for 8 (Gill 92, Byrom 67) trail Worcestershire 454 for 9 dec (Roderick 172*, Leach 87, Barnard 75, Pollock 54, van der Gugten 4-81) by 213 runsIndia batter Shubman Gill was the star performer between the rain breaks at Sophia Gardens, despite falling eight runs short of a century on debut as Worcestershire kept alive slim hopes of forcing victory.Glamorgan still need 64 to avoid the follow-on target of 305, finishing on 241 for 8 thanks to Gill’s classy 92 – falling lbw to Ed Barnard two balls before play stopped for bad light on a day when only 50 overs were possible.Glamorgan were happy chasing the batting bonus points that would take them past the follow-on target and also potentially past Middlesex into second place in the table, with those two teams meeting next week at Lord’s.Worcestershire need a win to boost their chances of joining that promotion race, but that will take quite a turnaround given more rain is forecast in Cardiff on the final day.There was a little under two hours of play possible before lunch, then a lengthy break before the players returned after tea for a truncated evening session with 44 overs having been lost and a further 10 because of bad light.Gill had shown the previous evening that he was a different class to any other batsman on this pitch and picked up where he had left off by hitting his first ball through mid-on in classical fashion.Nightwatchman Timm van der Gugten had a bit of fun before departing on 18 but, while the ball regularly went past the edge of the other batters, the speed of Gill’s foot positioning meant he was comfortable against all the bowlers and hardly played and missed.Sam Northeast would have been confident coming to the wicket on the back of breaking the Glamorgan county batting records in both red-ball and white-ball cricket, but an off-cutter from Dillon Pennington saw him depart for 10.Worcestershire’s hopes were well and truly raised when Pennington’s next ball found the edge of Kiran Carlson’s bat and Ed Pollock took the catch at slip to make it two wickets in two balls.Billy Root has a good record against Worcestershire and he was able to avoid the hat-trick and then keep Worcestershire at bay until the rain came.Resuming after tea, Glamorgan slipped deeper into trouble despite gaining their first batting bonus point of the game. Root was lbw aiming through midwicket to give Ben Gibbon his third victim.Then came the big wicket of Gill, also lbw aiming through midwicket – this time Ed Barnard was the bowler. Gill will count himself especially unlucky as two balls after his departure all the players were walking off for bad light.The players did return for a final 10 overs, James Harris being bowled by Pennington on what proved to be the last ball of the day.Gill said afterwards that he had enjoyed his innings. “It was a great experience for me to come here and play county cricket and spend some time in the middle so it was a good outing for me today,” he said. “The conditions are different to back home, especially with the rain – you stop, you start again, you stop, you start again, which is challenging when you are in the zone. It is also part of the experience when you play in the UK.”They bowled some decent spells, hit some good areas. We should be able to give them a good competition in terms of saving the match. Our first target is to get over 250 and a batting bonus point, once we are over that then even if we follow on I think we could save the match.”It is obviously disappointing to get out, it does not matter if it rains after that or not. And I was quite disappointed, especially to be out on 92, but I was pretty satisfied with my own performance because I wanted to spend some time out in the middle and I got that. Hopefully when I bat next for Glamorgan I will be familiar with the conditions.”

Manchester City’s horrendous run of form continues following a disappointing 3-3 draw at home to Feyenoord in the Champions League. Pep Guardiola’s side have now failed to win in six games, but have put an end to a five-game losing streak against the Dutch side.

They have now conceded seven goals in their last two home games, including their humbling 4-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur last weekend.

It seemed like the Cityzens were in cruise control, and were 3-0 up with 20 minutes or so left of normal time. Two goals from Erling Haaland, including a penalty, either side of an Ilkay Gundogan strike gave Guardiola’s men a handsome lead. It was a scoreline which seemed unassailable at one stage.

However, the visitors pulled off the unlikeliest of comebacks. Anis Hadj Moussa kickstarted the revival in the 75th minute before striker Santiago Gimenez gave the Dutch team some hope with their second.

Slovakian international David Hancko scored the third in the 89th minute, to complete one of the most iconic games in recent Champions League history. There were some incredibly disappointing performances from the Cityzens, with goalkeeper Ederson one of the players who struggled.

Ederson’s stats vs. Feyenoord

It was certainly a poor night for the City number 31. He was rounded easily for the opening goal, leaving a big gap for Moussa to slot home into an empty net. The second was not necessarily Ederson’s fault, although he failed to prevent a cross from making its way through to Gimenez. However, his error for the equaliser was arguably the worst.

The Brazilian came rushing out of his goal to sweep up a long, searching pass from the visitors. However, normally so composed in these scenarios, the goalkeeper attempted a headed clearance which he missed, allowing Feyenoord to capitalise and grab their third.

The former Benfica man received a 4/10 rating from GOAL journalist Richard Martin. He was critical of the goalkeeper for all three goals, explaining that he ‘appeared to take his eye off the ball late in the game’ as the visitors managed to draw level.

His poor performance was reflected in his Sofascore stats at full-time. The Cityzens goalkeeper had 37 touches of the ball and made two saves on the night. However, he prevented just 0.07 goals and made one error leading to a goal. It was a difficult night’s work for the Brazilian.

There was an outfield player who was arguably just as disappointing as Ederson on the night, however, and could not help prevent another calamitous result for City. That man is Jack Grealish.

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Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Grealish’s stats vs. Feyenoord

It is worth pointing out that England international Grealish was not at fault for any of the goals. However, he did have a frustrating night from an attacking point of view, and could not help add to any goals that might have been decisive for City.

Indeed, there were two really good chances for the Cityzens number 10 on Tuesday night. He had an excellent chance at 3-0 but failed to capitalise, and saw his shot hit the bar after it deflected off Phil Foden. It summed up the night for City.

Grealish’s stats on Sofascore were rather uninspiring. He had 55 touches of the ball, completing 80% of his passes and creating just one chance. The former Aston Villa captain managed to lose the ball 13 times and did not completed a dribble out of an attempted three.

Stat

Number

Touches

55

Pass accuracy

80%

Passes completed

28/35

Dribbles completed

0/3

Number of times possession lost

13

Ground duels won

4/9

Chances created

1

His efforts earned him a slightly better rating than Ederson. Martin gave Grealish a 5/10 for his night’s work, explaining that it was ‘not an encouraging return at all’, and criticised him for squandering ‘a great chance’ at 3-0.

Guardiola will be hoping Ederson, Grealish and their teammates can bounce back quickly. City have an incredibly tough trip to Anfield on Sunday afternoon to play top of the Premier League Liverpool, in what is a vitally important game in the title race.

On the evidence of last night’s display, Grealish should well find himself out of the starting lineup.

Man City may have already sold their next Haaland for just £15m

Manchester City decided to cash in on their long-term Erling Haaland replacement.

ByDan Emery Nov 19, 2024

In what was ACC’s final training course, coaches from various countries took part in a week-long coaching programme

Mohammad Isam06-Oct-2015Mozhdeh Bavandpour, Iran Women’s national coach, had never seen so many cricketers on one field as she had done at the National Cricket Academy ground in Mirpur. In Iran, she is used to small groups of cricketers taking part in tournaments, which is nothing like the sprawling mass in Bangladesh.Bavandpour had spent the last week in Dhaka attending the ACC’s level-3 coaching course along with 48 other coaches. Tuesday was the last day of the training programme, when the coaches were assessed as they undertook practice sessions by turn. This is the ACC’s last development programme and from now on coaching courses will be different, but no one is really sure of the new direction, which could well be country-specific.In this particular course, there are coaches from Bangladesh (7), Sri Lanka (3), Qatar (2), Iran (1), China (1), Maldives (1), Afghanistan (4), Singapore (3), Bhutan (2), Thailand (2), Kuwait (3), Bahrain (1), Saudi Arabia (2), Oman (3), Malaysia (3), Nepal (4), Hong Kong (3) and UAE (4) in what could be the last such congregation of regional coaches.After finishing her stint, Bavandpour sat with some of her class-mates and with some time in hand, she explained to a few journalists why she chose cricket and how the game is played in her country.”Cricket is not that popular in Iran but I want my country to be interested in the game like Malaysia and Nepal,” she said. “So that’s the basic reason why I wanted to learn about the game and spread it when I go back home.”Cricket is played only in some cities in Iran, maybe around 20 people play this game in a city. In Tehran they play cricket. There it is mainly played on the football ground, not in the schools. When we have a tournament we make a camp for cricket and play the game.”The scenario is slightly different for Ge Tao, the tall Chinese coach who used to play volleyball back home. This is his second trip to Bangladesh, having previously toured with the Chinese women’s team, who conducted a camp in BKSP in 2010. Although cricket is not big in China, some schools and universities have kept cricket in their sporting curriculum. Coaches who have worked in China will tell you that there are some people in certain regions who recognise the game and are interested in playing too.”I like cricket because it involves a lot of team work,” Tao said. “Before I used to play volleyball and by chance I got to learn about cricket back in China and that’s how I started my cricket.”ACC had founded the Chinese Cricket Association in 2004 and they had a foreign coach who taught us cricket. Cricket is being picked up in China at the moment. The game is being developed in the school level at the moment. People are gradually learning the game back home.”Aminul Islam, ICC’s development officer and former Bangladesh captain, encouraged both Bavandpour and Tao to speak to the media. During a break, Aminul said that while it is difficult to have so many coaches in a week-long level-3 coaching programme, the ACC wanted to spend their remaining money on giving these coaches an opportunity.”This is the last course under ACC funding and this is only the third programme,” he said. “We have emphasised on involving coaches from the Associate countries who are, for example, the Under-19 head coach or the assistant coach of their respective national team, with the motive to be upgraded from level 2 to level 3.”It was not wise to bring in so many coaches under one programme but we did that because this is the very last course under ACC so we wanted to give them the opportunity. The result will be given based on their merit and competency.”Aminul, who is credited to have a strong role in introducing cricket to China at the ground level and will continue in his new role as ICC Asia’s development officer, said that the course was to see the efficiency of coaches in areas other than on-field cricket.”We have tried to observe how they run their training, how good they are tactically and mentally,” he said. “We have also tried to find out how they work with individual or the team. They will be given an assignment which is very tough to be honest.”We told them at the beginning that in these six days we cannot make you a good coach. But you can always use the information that you are taking from here when you go back home. It is never possible to make them learn batting in just two and half hours, so what we did is give them as much information as possible.”

Michail Antonio made his return to West Ham for the first time since his horror car crash almost three months ago that left him with a broken leg.

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Antonio suffered a horrific crash in DecemberPresent at the Olympic Stadium ahead of NewcastleFan group unfurl special banner for AntonioFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱GettyWHAT HAPPENED?

Antonio suffered a horrific car crash on December 7 as he smashed into trees and was left trapped in his Ferrari for over 45 minutes before being cut from the wreckage by firefighters. It was later confirmed that the Jamaican international had suffered a broken leg and would require surgery. He has now returned to the Olympic Stadium for the first time since the accident ahead of West Ham's Newcastle United clash.

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Antonio was welcomed by West Ham at the Olympic Stadium in London ahead of the Hammers' Premier League clash against Newcastle United on Monday as Graham Potter's side look to make it three straight wins in the English top-flight.

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West Ham fan group Ironworks Alliance had announced their plans to unfurl a banner in support of Antonio during his presentation at the Olympic Stadium. During the Jamaican international's presentation, the fans in the North stand unveiled a tifo that read: 'Michail Antonio: Our Number Nine'.

WHAT NEXT FOR ANTONIO?

The West Ham star is now back running and has not yet given up hope of making a return before the end of the current campaign. However, his return will fully depend on whether he can be able to handle the amount of stress on his body.

There is no getting away from it; this season is starting to fall apart for Arsenal.

Mikel Arteta’s side came into the campaign with the ambition of finally winning the Premier League at the third time of asking, but after failing to win any of their previous four games in the competition, that goal is looking somewhat unrealistic.

The Gunners have been notably more porous at the back, as evidenced by the fact they’ve already conceded 41% of the goals they did last year, and their attack has been just as underwhelming as six teams are currently outscoring them.

1

Havertz

4

11

2

Martinelli

3

11

2

Saka

3

10

3

Trossard

2

11

3

Gabriel

2

11

In short, things aren’t looking great, but as we all know, the right players can make all the difference, and based on recent reports, the club could be set to land one of the most potent strikers in world football to challenge Kai Havertz, and no, it’s not Viktor Gyokeres.

Arsenal transfer news

According to a recent report from Turkish newspaper Sabah via the Daily Cannon, Arsenal have made contact with Napoli over the potential signing of striker Victor Osimhen.

The report claims that, alongside the Gunners, several clubs, including Chelsea, Newcastle United and Al Hilal, have all spoken to the Italian giants about the Nigerian’s availability next year.

While interest from so many top sides is far from ideal, the good news is that, according to the story, Fenerbahçe Sporting Director was quoted a price of €75m – £63m – by the Neapolitan’s own Sporting Director, Giovanni Manna, for the sensational forward, and that the Serie A side will sit at the table with the club that offers €25m upfront, which is about £21m.

This transfer would still represent a significant investment from Arsenal, but given Osimhen’s form of late and the club’s need for a proven goalscorer, one well worth making, even if it’s bad news for Havertz and ends the chance of signing Gyokeres as well.

How Osimhen compares to Havertz

Okay, so before we get to why Osimhen would be an upgrade on the Gunners’ current starting striker, let’s look at one of the key reasons why he may well be a smarter signing than the other forward heavily touted for a move to the Emirates during the summer, Gyokeres.

Now, as the pair have both proven their goalscoring chops over the last few seasons, the Napoli ace’s main advantage over the Swede is experience.

Unlike the former Coventry City star, he has proven himself capable of playing in a top-five league, and not only that, but leading a sleeping giant to their first league title in decades – sound familiar?.

The Sporting CP star may well be able to do that as well, but until we have seen it, there will always be an element of doubt, doubt that does not hang over the Nigerian phenomenon.

With that said, how does the “world-class” marksman, as dubbed by José Mourinho, stack up to Havertz then? Unfortunately for the former Chelsea ace, it’s not a particularly close contest.

For example, from the start of the 22/23 campaign, the Serie A winner has scored 56 goals and provided 13 assists in just 80 club appearances, meaning he’s maintained an outrageous average of a goal involvement every 1.15 games.

In contrast, the North Londoners’ midfielder-turned-centre-forward has found the back of the net on 30 occasions and provided nine assists in 115 appearances, equating to an average of a goal involvement every 2.94 games.

Appearances

39

47

Goals

31

9

Assists

5

1

Goal + Assists per Match

0.92

0.21

Appearances

32

51

Goals

17

14

Assists

4

7

Goal + Assists per Match

0.65

0.41

Appearances

9

17

Goals

8

7

Assists

4

1

Goal + Assists per Match

1.33

0.47

Moreover, even if we look exclusively at the German’s 32 appearances as a striker for Arteta’s side, his tally of 13 goals and eight assists still comes out at a worse average of a goal involvement every 1.52 games.

Ultimately, if Arsenal want to win the league this season or the next, they are going to need to find a genuinely elite centre-forward to lead the line for them, and while Havertz has been a useful player for them and still could be in the future, he is notably less effective in front of goal than Osimhen is.

Therefore, Arteta and Co should do all they can to bring the Nigerian superstar to the Emirates in 2025 before someone else beats them.

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1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 12, 2024