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AC Milan striker Tammy Abraham was in complete awe of Rafael Leao after the Portuguese put on a splendid display in the Champions League.

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• Abraham heaped praise on Leao
• Duo helped their team beat Slovan Bratislava 3-2
• Winger scored Milan's second goal

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Tammy Abraham was full of praise for his AC Milan team-mate Rafael Leao following his exploits in the team's nervy 3-2 win over Slovan Bratislava in the Champions League on Tuesday evening. Leao came on as a substitute and scored the goal that put the Rossoneri ahead in the game.

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  Leao had a sensational 45 minutes against Slovan Bratislava, coming on at half-time for Noah Okafor and scoring the goal that gave them a 2-1 lead in the 68th minute. Shortly after Leao's goal, Abraham made it 3-1 to give AC Milan some breathing space in their eventual 3-2 win.

  It was a performance that will surely boost the Portuguese winger's confidence, given that he has found himself falling in the pecking order lately under coach Paulo Fonseca. Abraham, though, believes that Leao has no idea how impactful and effective he can be for Milan.

• WHAT TAMMY ABRAHAM SAID

  Abraham spoke to Sky Sport following the game and heaped praise on Leao. “Leao is a very important player for us," Abraham claimed (h/t Calciomercato). "I don’t think he knows how good he is. He can win games on his own, on his day he is unstoppable. We have to fill him with confidence and bring him on our path.”

• DAZN
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR RAFAEL LEAO?

  Over the past few months, Leao's future at AC Milan has become increasingly uncertain, with reports emerging of the rift between the player and Fonseca widening. Therefore, the club is contemplating Leao's future at the club amid strong interest from Barcelona.

  Leao will hope to build on his performance in the Champions League in Milan's upcoming game, in which they welcome Empoli at the San Siro on Saturday, November 30.

Four-match tour to Australia won’t go ahead due to NZ not being able to secure MIQ space

Alex Malcolm19-Jan-2022New Zealand’s upcoming limited-overs tour Australia has been postponed due to uncertainty over when the squad could return home due to the managed isolation and quarantine rules.The tour was scheduled to begin in Perth although that would have had to change due to Western Australia’s hard border. That trip included three ODIs, which were due to be part of Ross Taylor’s international farewell, and a one-off T20I in Canberra. New Zealand’s ODI series in Australia in early 2020 was abandoned when the pandemic first arrived and a series last season postponed.Travel into New Zealand is still capped due to Covid-19 and all travellers, including citizens, have to do 10 days of MIQ on arrival. Due to those rules, New Zealand were planning to send a squad to Australia without their Test players who would be preparing to face South Africa.New Zealand Cricket and Cricket Australia drew up a proposal for the tour to be lengthened to allow the team to return to do their MIQ at a manageable time but New Zealand’s government confirmed on Wednesday it had no capacity to meet the request. It’s understood they were also denied an exemption to undertake home quarantine.NZC chief executive David White said the tour was initially scheduled after the New Zealand government signalled its intention to relax MIQ restrictions relating to the Trans-Tasman border.”As we now know, the advent of Omicron prompted a change of strategy from the government, resulting in a hard 10-day mandatory isolation period being imposed on all incoming travellers,” White said.”NZC and CA had explored a proposal to expand the tour and to push out the date on which the squad might return to New Zealand, in the hope that might be more achievable for the government. But we received advice this morning that they could not provide certainty over this, either.”NZC and CA are set to begin discussions on when the tour can be rescheduled.”We are extremely disappointed that we won’t be able to play the scheduled matches against New Zealand as planned, however we will continue to work with New Zealand Cricket to reschedule the series.” CA CEO Nick Hockley said.”We thank NZC, who made every effort to make the series happen, however because they were unable to get certainty over return quarantine arrangements, it is simply just not possible at this time.Australia are still scheduled to head to New Zealand for three T20Is from March 17 to 20 although under the current regulations that would appear unlikely to take place. The upcoming tours to New Zealand that had MIQ already booked – South Africa, India’s Women, Netherlands and the Women’s World Cup – remain on track.

It seems unlikely that Leeds United are already done with their summer business, as Daniel Farke and Co worryingly wait it out until next month's deadline when it comes to a number of stars leaving.

Of course, incomings into the building won't be wrapped up by any stretch of the imagination just yet either, as the Whites aim to strengthen all over the pitch, with central midfield one priority as was revealed by the Leeds boss recently.

Leeds could now press on and sign this desired target in the centre of the park, therefore, with Farke potentially raiding the German leagues again for a top talent if a move gets off the ground.

Leeds bidding for Bundesliga midfielder

According to German outlet BILD, Leeds are very keen on bringing in FC Koln ace Dejan Ljubičić to the building this summer, with Ilia Gruev just one success story in the Whites camp who was purchased from the Bundesliga, away from the new target.

Leeds have already faced a stumbling block in their early pursuit of the 27-year-old, however, as a £3.3m bid has been reportedly rejected – with Ljubičić's valuation nearer to the £4m mark, according to Football Transfers.

Leeds won't just give in here though, knowing that the new Championship season is gradually coming more and more into view now, and the fact the likes of Oliver Skipp and more potentially coming in to strengthen the central midfield spots are dead deals.

Therefore, Farke and Co could bid more for the Austrian star shortly, with the very real possibility that the current Koln number seven could be Leeds' next Kalvin Phillips, if everything goes smoothly.

How Ljubičić could be Leeds' next Phillips

Leeds have sorely lacked a similarly aggressive and tenacious spirit to the one that Phillips used to give them week in, week out since their homegrown product left for Manchester City in 2022, a bumper move that now he must really regret putting pen to paper on.

There was some speculative talk in the air that the former Whites great was planning a dramatic return to Elland Road this summer, but Leeds falling short of their promotion goal stopped that dream move from ever coming to fruition, with Ljubičić now their desired choice to sign centrally.

Although Ljubičić struggled last season for Koln as his side were relegated, the table above indicates he has shone brightly in the past for his German employers in the top division to warrant Leeds being intrigued, with five goals and one assist managed during the 2022/23 campaign by the Austrian.

Yet, even when everything was stacked against Koln, Ljubičić would battle away to try and make a difference last season, with three duels won on average per game last campaign, as the now German second-tier outfit succumbed to their relegation fate.

Phillips had to play in a similar manner for Leeds towards the back end of his glittering time with the Whites, winning 4.9 duels on average per game during his final swansong campaign, as the West Yorkshire side constantly stared dropping down to the Championship square in the face that same season.

Yet, the 28-year-old also showed he had an eye for goal too, like Ljubičić has shown away from the English game, with 14 goals and 13 assists mustered up from his extensive Whites back catalogue of 234 games.

The £14k-per-week talent joining this off-season would surely see Leeds improve in their midfield spots, therefore, alongside the recent addition of Joe Rothwell on loan from AFC Bournemouth.

He will have to really excel moving to the Championship side to be as engrained into the Elland Road masses' hearts as Phillips is, but he will be adored away from any outlandish comparisons if he can help Farke's men return to the Premier League on his arrival.

Farke can forget about Szmodics after Leeds star's 9/10 Hannover display

Daniel Farke could now be prepared to give this Leeds United gem more chances in the spotlight next season.

By
Kelan Sarson

Jul 25, 2024

Manchester United will have to encounter a fighter jet pilot during their Europa League clash against Bodo/Glimt.

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• Man Utd up against a fighter jet pilot
• Bodo/Glimt's mental coach dropped bombs in Libya
• Amorim set to manage United in his first home game in Europa League

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Bjorn Mannsverk, who works as a coach at Bodo/Glimt specialising in meditation, mental preparation and mindfulness, served in the Royal Norwegian Airforce and was part of a squadron that dropped bombs during the Libyan conflict in 2011. After leaving the Airforce, Mannsverk joined Bodo/Glimt in 2017 and since then has done wonders with the club, who have won three league titles and are one game away from adding a fourth trophy to their cabinet.

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  Mannsverk explained his early challenges at the Norwegian club and how he helped the players overcome their mental issues and converted them into a winning unit. Speaking to , the coach said: "In 2017 they called it a mental collapse collectively in the club. They didn’t have any way of training that. There’s a lot of friction or resistance towards mental training because that’s associated with mental health.

  "So they were very cautious. When I met the squad for the first time it was total silence. Then I understood they are not trained to talk together. I asked them, ‘How is the dialogue with the coaching team?’ There is no dialogue. It’s a monologue."

• WHAT MANNSVERK SAID ABOUT MAN UTD

  When asked about his strategy to motivate his players ahead of the clash against European giants United, Mannsverk replied: "If we do the same thing, it keeps the pressure down."

• TELL ME MORE

  Mannsverk visited Afghanistan on two tours before being added to the unit that raided Libya during the conflict. The coach revealed that his experience during the conflict gave him clarity over the benefits of mental training. He continued: "It gave me an extra dimension in being prepared before going down there, reflecting on what is my motivation, what is the risk, what can I contribute? It was a big change from Afghanistan.

  "We were based in Crete, staying in a hotel where people go on vacation. You fly your war mission and then you are in shorts and sunglasses eating ice cream by the pool and I was not prepared for that. I could deal with it because I recognised what it did to me."

  He added: "My first mission was the first time I dropped bombs in a war. I felt I had a really strong feeling when the bombs left the aircraft. I felt joy and when they exploded in the target I was even more happy. And it surprised me.

  "I took time when I was back in the hotel in the morning to reflect on it. I figured out the one thing I feared was to miss my target and kill innocent people. That was my biggest fear, and that I felt responsible for my bombs because, if I hit the wrong target, I could ruin the campaign, the political message."

After twin tons, Khawaja could replace Harris as opener in Hobart

Andrew McGlashan09-Jan-2022Australia captain Pat Cummins has indicated Usman Khawaja should retain his place for the final Ashes Test in Hobart after his stunning comeback with twin centuries at the SCG.Cummins is not on the selection panel – which consists of George Bailey, Justin Langer and Tony Dodemaide – but called Khawaja someone who is in “total command of their game”.However, speaking after the second of his centuries on Saturday, Khawaja said he remained resigned to this being a one-off comeback with Travis Head, who made 152 in the opening Test in Brisbane, assured of a return after missing Sydney due to testing positive for Covid-19.The only option remaining to the selectors is to drop Marcus Harris and install Khawaja as an opener. Harris has made 179 runs at 29.83 in the series which included a fighting half-century in tough conditions at the MCG but he twice gave away starts in Sydney.Related

• Khawaja vs Head vs Harris – Australia selectors set for 'challenging conversations' ahead of Hobart Test

• Head waits for selectors' call after Khawaja's stunning comeback

• A twist in the tale of James Anderson vs Steve Smith

• England cling on for thrilling final-over draw

• Jos Buttler to return home with broken finger

“I’ll preface it by saying I’m not a selector, but when someone comes out and hits twin hundreds, it’s pretty hard to go past them for the week after,” Cummins said. “So we’ll work through that, the selectors will work through that the next few days. But when someone’s running hot, has got a heap of experience like Uzzy, the way he plays is fantastic.”Khawaja has only opened in first-class cricket on three occasions in the last three years and in total in 24 of his 166 matches but does have two centuries in the role in Test cricket. His versatility was one of the key reasons behind him being the spare batter in the Ashes squad and he would have replaced David Warner in Adelaide if his damaged ribs had prevented him playing.”Felt like he could replace any batter from one to six,” Cummins said. “I know there’s been question marks historically on him playing over in Asia but you see how well he’s played spin recently – reverse sweeping, sweeping – he’s just someone who’s in total command of his game. That’s why you love experience.”There may also be changes to the pace-bowling attack for the final Test with Jhye Richardson and Michael Neser in contention but whichever line-up Australia go with in Hobart, hosting its first Ashes Test after replacing Perth in the schedule, they will not be aiming for a whitewash after being thwarted by England’s lower order.It was the second year in a row they had not been able to take victory from a strong position at the SCG but Cummins believed he had got his calculations correct. Seven overs were lost to rain on the final day and Australia had 64 balls to claim the last two wickets after Jonny Bairstow fell.”I wanted about three-and-a-half an over, though the wicket still wasn’t playing too many tricks,” he said. “I thought if they batted well 350 is pretty achievable. Thought 110 overs was enough time… but in the back of our mind we knew it could be a bit of a grind.”I think this year compared to last year we have made some improvements, we probably stuck at some plans a little bit longer. When you are that far ahead of the game of course you want to win it but I thought England played well. I was really proud of how everyone went, got close just not close enough.”

ESPNcricinfo presents the plays of the day from Sri Lanka v New Zealand in Pallekele

Andrew Fernando in Pallekele27-Sep-2012Catch of the day
New Zealand’s hopes were still alive after four balls in their Super Over, with eight runs required to win. A four would have kept them in the hunt, and a six would have turned it slightly in their favour. Martin Guptill got low and attempted a hoick off a full Lasith Malinga delivery, and though he got plenty on it, the ball ballooned high off the top half of the bat. It hung in the air for what seemed an eternity, but Tillakaratne Dilshan got under it at long off stretched his arms out and snatched the ball from beyond the boundary, where it would have landed, sealing the match for the hosts.Fumble of the day
After Lahriu Thirimanne’s boundary, Sri Lanka needed one to win off the last delivery. Having bowled almost two overs of nothing but pinpoint yorkers, Tim Southee surprised the batsman with a short ball, and it deflected off Thirimanne’s torso towards point. James Franklin swooped in, took aim and sent a bounce throw to Ross Taylor at the non-striker’s end, but Taylor fumbled the throw, and judging by Taylor’s headshaking and Thirimanne’s jubilance, Sri Lanka appeared to have got home. Not so. The decision was sent to the third umpire, who ruled after an eternity that although the ball had fallen out of Taylor’s hands, it had dislodged a bail on the way to the ground and Thirimanne was short.Pep talk of the day
Mahela Jayawardene has championed Akila Dananjaya’s inclusion in the World Twenty20 squad and had picked him for his Sri Lanka Premier League side as well, guiding the 18-year-old as he moves from tier-three school cricket to international cricket in under three months. Before Dananjaya’s first ball at the top level, Jayawardene made a trip to the bowling crease and spoke to the youngster at length, discussing field positions and seemingly offering encouragement. Three balls into his career, Dananjaya had Guptill caught at long off. Jayawardene, predictably, was the first person over to congratulate the beaming debutant.Blow of the day
Dananjaya’s debut wasn’t totally painless, and not just because Brendon McCullum tonked him for two sixes either. Rob Nicol drove the first ball of Dananjaya’s third over back at the bowler, and though Dananjaya got his fingers up, partly in an attempt to complete a caught-and-bowled but mostly to protect himself, the shot was too powerful and Dananjaya wore it in the face. He went down immediately, the physio came out, and after several hair-raising close-up replays, Dananjaya emerged from the huddle of concerned onlookers with cotton up his left nostril, and apparently, fine to continue bowling.Collision of the day
You would put your money on Nathan McCullum in a fistfight with almost anybody, but Tillakaratne Dilshan took him out in the second over, when the two collided near the bowler’s end. McCullum was moving in to collect the return throw from mid-on, but had moved into Dilshan’s way as he completed his quick single. The batsman ploughed on through, adding insult to injury, after he had carted McCullum for 16 in the previous over.Shot of the day
Jayawardene was typically serene as he unleashed carnage on the New Zealand bowlers, but his best shot was not the cover drive off Kyle Mills or the sweep off Daniel Vettori, but the six over midwicket played off the front foot to a length ball. In the hands of any other batsman, it might have been a filthy heave across the line, but when Jayawardene advanced and let the stroke fly, it seemed as graceful and correct as anything played with the full face of the bat.

Glasgow Rangers slumped to a 2-1 friendly defeat at the weekend as preparations for the 2024/25 campaign get underway.

Only one summer signing featured in the Gers starting XI – Jefte – while Connor Barron and Liam Kelly made appearances from the bench, but it was hardly the most encouraging of results for the Ibrox side.

With just three weeks until the start of the Premiership campaign, Philippe Clement has yet to offload any of his high earners, while failing to really bring much experience to Rangers either.

Of course, he is limited in what he can spend this summer if he cannot raise funds through player sales, but time is running out and the Ibrox faithful fear that they might see some of the same underperformers from last season in the first match of the new term.

Several transfer targets were earmarked for moves to Ibrox, but they failed to materialise for the likes of Damian Garcia and Jose Córdoba a few weeks ago.

Although disappointing, it is perhaps an attempted move for a current Scotland international which could be one of Clement’s biggest failures this summer…

Rangers fall short of signing Scottish international

Norwich City midfielder Kenny McLean emerged as one of Clement’s targets just a few weeks ago and a move for the player looked like a sensible one.

He featured 52 times for the Canaries last term as they narrowly missed out on promotion to the Premier League, but the Scot proved he was one of their most important players throughout the Championship season.

Indeed, among his teammates, McLean ranked third for big chances created (seven), first for accurate passes per game (54.7), second for accurate long balls per game (4.2) and fourth for tackles per game (2), showing his quality across varying performance metrics.

In June, it was reported that the Light Blues were showing interest in McLean in a bid to add some experience to their midfield area. It is no secret that the player is a supporter of the Gers, which meant convincing him to join the club wouldn’t be an issue in the slightest.

With two years left on his contract, any potential move would have required Clement to pay a fee for the midfielder, yet at the start of July, a swoop for the Norwich City midfielder fell through due to a disagreement between the player and club surrounding wages and length of contract.

Although this is yet another transfer disappointment, might the Belgian forget about the 32-year-old by making a swoop for someone who played in La Liga last season?

Rangers eye move for perfect McLean alternative

According to Fabrizio Romano last week, Rangers had an offer rejected for Sevilla midfielder Joan Jordan, with the Spanish side not willing to pay any of his salary with regard to a potential loan agreement. As such, the deal looked dead in the water.

A fresh report from Seville-based insider Fernando Serrano claims that Rangers are set to make a new offer for the player, although the La Liga side won't be paying any more than 50% of his salary, which means the Gers will be forced to stump up a decent fee to bring him to the club.

In the past, the Gers have signed plenty of players for inflated wages, but Jordan could break the trend by offering some much-needed experience and class in the starting XI next season.

What Joan Jordan could offer Rangers

The 30-year-old has spent his entire career in his homeland, turning out for Espanyol, Real Valladolid, SD Eibar and most notably, Sevilla.

He has made over 300 club career appearances during that time period, scoring 21 goals and grabbing 23 assists. Playing at such a consistently high level in one of the best leagues in Europe proves that Clement should be doing all he can to lure the Spaniard to Glasgow this summer.

What the Light Blues need is a player who can control the game from the heart of the pitch, with the club regularly losing the midfield battles in important matches last term. According to WhoScored, Jordan’s main strength is his passing ability, which will come in handy next season should he join.

Last season, the Spaniard played just eight La Liga games, which was a surprise given that he had made 23 appearances in the same competition just a season before.

During the 2022/23 campaign, the 30-year-old averaged an 88% pass success rate across the entire term, along with making 1.4 tackles per game, losing possession just 7.1 times per match and winning 2.6 total duels per outing, hardly spectacular, but solid in a highly demanding league.

Rangers will make new bid for "complete" Ryan Jack replacement

The Light Blues have already failed with one offer for the central midfield talent.

By
Dan Emery

Jul 14, 2024

A loan move would be the best course of action for the midfielder, but it looks as though Clement still has some work to do in order to bring the experienced player to Glasgow.

Rangers Journal founder Kai Watson heaped praise on Jordan following the recent links with the player, saying: “I’ve watched a lot of Joan Jordán in the last twelve hours and I believe he would be a great loan signing.

“He would add quality and experience to a midfield that severely lack it currently. Almost 200 games for Sevilla and a two-time Europa League winner.”

Signing the likes of Barron, Clinton Nsiala and Jefte means the club are establishing a player-trading model which will allow Clement to make substantial profits on these young talents should they live up to their potential.

While Alan Hansen once famously said “you cant win anything with kids” in 1995 before Manchester United and Sir Alex Ferguson proved him wrong, Clement is in a different boat altogether.

At least three or four experienced signings are required between now and the end of the transfer window if the club want to qualify for the Champions League proper, thus bringing in a much-needed financial boost.

The next few weeks will be vital indeed in terms of new signings, as bedding players in ahead of the season could be vital for Clement.

They will also play West Indies for a bilateral series in December before the global event

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Nov-2021Warriors batter George van Heerden will lead the South Africa Under-19 side in the World Cup early next year in the Caribbean. They will also take part in a pre-World Cup bilateral tour against West Indies in December to prepare for the global event.The squad of 15 also features Titans batter Dewald Brevis, who had impressed recently in the CSA Provincial T20 Knockout competition, and Western Province’s Asakhe Tsaka, who finished with an economy rate of 6.42 in the tournament.van Heerden recently led the Under-19 squad in the CSA Provincial T20 Cup when they took on Easterns, North West and Dolphins.”The process of putting this group of players together is only the pinnacle of the work that started as far back as three years ago when some of these players were exposed to the CSA Talent Acceleration Programme (TAP) for the first time,” South Africa Under-19s convenor of selectors, Patrick Moroney said.”All these players played in the CSA Cubs week hosted in January earlier this year. Covid has played a big part in things being different, especially taking into account the schools cricket programme where schools play each other on a week-to-week basis that could not take place because of Covid. But taking all into account I believe that we have managed to select a team that will be competitive at the World Cup in the West Indies.”Head coach Shukri Conrad said: “We have a lot of exciting players in our group, and I am certain they will be well-led by George van Heerden.”I want us to have the courage of our convictions. Have the courage to play the way we have practised, to follow the philosophy that we have set out and, hopefully, we can adapt, depending on what conditions are prevalent in the West Indies, both on the tour and the World Cup.”The World Cup is the priority, but we also have a series to the West Indies that we’d like to win. It is also great preparation for the boys. I would like to see our boys continue the work; we still have a little bit of work to do before we get there and once there, to go out and have the courage to play the way we want to play.”Ultimately, I believe if we do that enough, then we will be victorious. We are certainly not going there as a side who wants to just compete, or a side just thrilled to be there, we want to not only give a good account of ourselves but also get into the play-off stages and win tournaments.”That’s a long way away, but if we follow the building blocks, we will be alright.”Squad for World Cup: George van Heerden (capt), Liam Alder, Matthew Boast, Dewald Brevis, Michael Copeland, Ethan Cunningham, Valentine Kitime, Kwena Maphaka, Gerhard Maree, Aphiwe Mnyanda, Andile Simelane, Jade Smith, Kaden Solomons, Joshua Stephenson, Asakhe Tshaka. Travelling reserves:
Hardus Coetzer, Ronan Hermann, Caleb Seleka.Squad for West Indies bilateral tour: George van Heerden (capt), Liam Alder, Matthew Boast, Dewald Brevis, Michael Copeland, Ethan Cunningham, Valentine Kitime, Kwena Maphaka, Gerhard Maree, Aphiwe Mnyanda, Andile Simelane, Jade Smith, Kaden Solomons, Joshua Stephenson, Asakhe Tshaka.

Brighton defender Jan Paul van Hecke has opened up on the conversation he had with Pep Guardiola after his side's win against Manchester City.

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• Brighton beat Man City 2-1 in the Premier League
• Guardiola and Van Hecke seen in heated discussion
• Defender has explained what was said

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The City manager and the Dutch centre-back were seen having an animated discussion following the final whistle of the Premier League clash on November 9, which the Seagulls won 2-1.

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  Guardiola was asked about the exchange, and explained that he praised the Netherlands international's strength against star striker Erling Haaland and gave him some advice. A week later, Van Hecke has given his recollection of the encounter.

• WHAT VAN HECKE SAID

  "After the game, City manager Pep Guardiola came to me. It was a nice conversation: he congratulated me on the win and said we had played well," he told . "Then he talked about my last duel with Haaland, where he thought I should have stayed on my feet. I replied that I went down but I got up again straight away – and that was it. We continued talking quietly in the players' tunnel.

  "Because the conversation on the pitch was in full view, everyone asked about it. Fellow players made jokes about it, everyone wanted to know what exactly had been said. But Guardiola was also very complimentary, he said I was a good player. So I thought it was fine."

• DID YOU KNOW?

  While Haaland scored the opening goal, he was unable to provide a result for his side as Brighton fought back to steal the three points, and Van Hecke's Netherlands team-mates were looking for the Norwegian forward in his pockets days later.

  "A few guys at Oranje looked in my pocket on Monday night as a joke, to see if Erling Haaland was supposedly still in it," he added. "But I have to be critical. We won against City, but Haaland did score, so he wasn't completely in my pocket. It went really well on Saturday. I played well, and when you win 2-1 against Manchester City, you automatically get a lot of compliments."

After a string of defeats since their Test comeback last August, this is a series victory to get Zimababwe cricket going again

Firdose Moonda24-Jun-2012Zimbabwe’s victory in the unofficial Twenty20 tri-series, which included a stunning nine-wicket win over South Africa in the final, is an indication that they are “on the right path” according to their coach Alan Butcher.Zimbabwean cricket started its upward trajectory since they made their Test comeback against Bangladesh last August but hit choppy waters soon after. Tough series against Pakistan and New Zealand set them back but their coup in this competition is an affirmation for Butcher that improvements have been made.”This is a real sign that we are on the right track,” Butcher told ESPNcricinfo. “It can sometimes get hard to convince people that things are going well when we don’t get the results so this has been really good from that perspective.” Since making their Test comeback with a victory over Bangladesh, Zimbabwe have lost to Pakistan and New Zealand in all formats, the latter both home and away.Their 2012 schedule is sparse, with no cricket from January until the World T20 in September. The tri-series was organised at the request of South Africa coach Gary Kirsten, who wanted to give his team match practice and a chance to experiment ahead of the World T20. It was initially supposed to be a bilateral five-match series played over five days. But, after Bangladesh had their tour to Pakistan postponed, they requested to join in. Their participation brought with it television coverage which gave the series a far higher profile, something Butcher said will add to the publicity of his team’s showing, albeit in a series of practice matches.”It didn’t matter that it was unofficial, we took it very seriously,” Butcher said. “We had training camps since the beginning of May and we worked very hard for this, so I’m pretty pleased with the way it turned out. The guys worked well as a unit.”The coach had a few special words of praise for one of his stand-out charges. Hamilton Masakadza was named man of the series after finishing as the tournament’s top run-scorer with 267 runs at 66.75 and notching up four half-centuries in five matches. He also scored a hundred in the tour match against Bangladesh and is enjoying what some like Zimbabwe cricket committee chair Alistair Campbell, have called the form of his life.”I am very pleased for Hamilton. He had his problems and he was even left out of the side but he has worked on them,” Butcher said, referring to Masakadza’s exclusion from the 2011 World Cup squad. “He had an outstanding tournament and he deserved this.”Masakadza’s unbeaten 58 and Brendan Taylor’s 59 not out took Zimbabwe to a comfortable win in the final, but Zimbabwe gained the advantage first-up when their bowlers pinned South Africa down to 146 for 6. “We had a good start, which helped, but generally all the bowlers have worked well as a unit,” Butcher said. South Africa were 6 for 2 in the second over and had lost both their openers, Richard Levi and Hashim Amla.Chris Mpofu was the joint leading wicket-taker in the tournament, with seven wickets and an average of 16.14. He showed good ability on a familiar surface to mix up pace with cutters and performed the role of the senior seamer that he is. Mpofu said he benefitted from being pushed by youngsters like Kyle Jarvis and now has another pace bowler to contend with as well.Richard Muzhange was the find of the tournament. He bowled with control and executed the yorker with perfection, especially at the death of an innings. Jason Gillespie, who coached Muzhange at the Mid-West Rhinos last season, identified him as a future star and Butcher could not be more pleased with what they have found. “He is definitely one for the future. He showed great composure and that he is willing to learn.”That is quality that could be associated with almost all of the Zimbabwe side. They have found that knowledge of what to do in certain conditions and how to play in certain situations has made them a more competitive team and Butcher said it has also had an influence on their mindsets. “The players are growing in confidence and self-belief. Hopefully, we will take that with us into the World T20.”