Former West Indies spinner Sonny Ramadhin dies aged 92

A hero of West Indies’ first Test victory in England in 1950

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Feb-2022Former West Indies spinner Sonny Ramadhin has died aged 92. Details of his passing are to be confirmed.A bowler who could make the ball turn both ways, Ramadhin played 43 Tests between 1950 and 1961 for 158 wickets at 28.98. He was instrumental in West Indies’ first Test win in England, at Lord’s in 1950; West Indies won that game, the second of the series, by 326 runs with Ramadhin bamboozling the batters to take a match haul of 11 for 152.Related

Those two little pals of mine …

Ramadhin and Valentine – little friends of mine

Let's hear it for the unorthodox

West Indies would go on to register huge wins in the third and fourth Tests as well, to complete a landmark and wholly unexpected series victory. Ramadhin along with his spin partner Alf Valentine led the wickets charts by a mile. Bowling right-arm offspin and legbreaks with no obvious change in his action, Ramadhin finished the series with three five-wicket hauls and a ten-for, his 26 wickets coming at 23.23.Spin twins Sonny Ramadhin and Alf Valentine•Getty ImagesRamadhin, “a small neat man whose shirt-sleeves were always buttoned at the wrist” to quote ESPNcricinfo’s profile of him, got the call-up for that England tour at 21 after just two first-class games. Both he and Valentine were surprise picks for the series but would go on to bowl a lot – 377.5 and 422.3 (with the next highest being 181) overs respectively. The pair’s exploits on that tour sparked the famous Calypso song “Cricket, Lovely Cricket”.”On behalf of CWI, I want to express our deepest sympathy to the family and friends of Sonny Ramadhin, one of the great pioneers of West Indies cricket,” board president Ricky Skerritt said. “Mr Ramadhin made an impact from the moment he first stepped onto the field of World Cricket. Many stories are told of his tremendous feats on the 1950 tour when he combined with Alf Valentine to form cricket’s ‘spin twins’ as West Indies conquered England away from home for the first time.”This iconic tour is part of our rich cricket legacy, which was pioneered by Mr. Ramadhin and others of his generation. His English exploit was celebrated in a famous calypso – and is still remembered more than 70 years later. Today we salute Sonny Ramadhin for his outstanding contribution to West Indies cricket.”

He’s like Declan Rice: Spurs could end up signing amazing duel-monster

Tottenham Hotspur were never expected to be active on transfer deadline day with the Lilywhites satisfied that they have everything they need after the big £65m addition of Dominic Solanke.

The striker is already injured and looks set to miss matchweek four of the Premier League but is an exciting signing, alongside the likes of promising Archie Gray and Wilson Odobert.

There may well be a concern that Spurs haven't done enough to improve their starting XI but Ange Postecoglou certainly has an exciting crop of youngsters at his disposal.

So, despite their lack of late activity in the window, they have still been active in some sort of way.

Tottenham's activity on transfer deadline day

There isn't much to report from a Spurs perspective but they have been working behind the scenes on a couple of things

Giovani Lo Celso's exit has finally happened with the midfielder heading back to Spain where he will join former loan side Real Betis.

It's hardly exciting news, but there has been an element of fun attached to the deal. That's because Spurs have sealed a deal that gives them an option to buy Betis star Jhonny Cardoso in the future.

That's according to Fabrizio Romano who provided the information in post on X this Friday evening.

Spurs' answer to Declan Rice

A midfielder, Cardoso is someone who has an exciting future in the game and if Spurs do eventually exercise that option to buy the player, they could well unearth their answer to Arsenal sensation Declan Rice.

The £105m man has been sensational since signing for the Gunners and was named in the PFA Team of the Year for last season. Thus, Spurs surely wouldn't turn their noses at signing a player in a similar mould.

Cardoso, aged just 22, has similar qualities. Those are outlined by analyst Ben Mattinson who once hailed the player, suggesting he is "great at winning aerial duels and progressing play from deep." That certainly sounds like Rice.

The numbers will help us do the talking too. According to FBRef, the Betis star ranks in the top 6% of positionally similar players in Europe for tackles per 90 and the best 1% for interceptions. He's also in the top 4% for aerials won, suggesting his reading of the game – like Rice – is first-class.

Here's how he stacks up when we compare some of those statistics to Arsenal's club-record signing.

Cardoso vs Rice: 23/24 League Stats

Stat (per 90 mins)

Cardoso

Rice

Goals

0.07

0.20

Assists

0.14

0.22

Progressive passes

3.04

7.77

Pass success %

84.2%

88.9%

Tackles attempted

3.24

2.32

Successful tackles

1.96

1.42

Blocks

1.35

1.03

Aerials won

2.57

1.09

Successful take-ons

0.74

0.59

Stats via FBRef.

So, while Rice evidently contributes more in the final third, there is a layer of similarities to be seen in the defensive phases of play. They are successful with a similar number of tackles and blocks and while Cardoso reigns supreme in the air, they are both highly competent in physical duels.

You've also got a similar number of take-ons there, suggesting they manoeuvre the ball past players at a similar rate.

Spurs wanted to sign a midfielder this summer and although Cardoso isn't one for now, in 2025 they could see their own Rice walking through the halls of the training ground.

"Now that is ambition" – Spurs podcaster loves Romano's deadline day update

The Lilywhites have made their move ahead of time…

By
Tom Cunningham

Aug 30, 2024

São Paulo fatura quantia milionária com vaga nas oitavas da Copa do Brasil; veja valores

MatériaMais Notícias

da betcris: O São Paulo avançou às oitavas de final da Copa do Brasil após vencer o Juventude por 2 a 0, com gols de Arboleda e Igor Vinícius. Com isso, o Tricolor paulista já acumulou uma quantia milionária.

RelacionadasSão PauloAutor de gol, Igor Vinícius fala sobre classificação do São Paulo na Copa do Brasil e elogia Rogério CeniSão Paulo12/05/2022São PauloATUAÇÕES: Com gol e assistência, Igor Vinícius é o destaque na vitória do São PauloSão Paulo12/05/2022São PauloSão Paulo vence o Juventude em Barueri e se classifica para as oitavas da Copa do BrasilSão Paulo12/05/2022

da 888casino: GALERIA
>ATUAÇÕES: Com gol e assistência, Igor Vinícius é o destaque na vitória do São Paulo

TABELA
> Veja tabela da Copa do Brasil

Com a sua classificação para a próxima fase da competição, a equipe de Rogério Ceni já garantiu R$3 milhões logo nesta quinta-feira (12). Porém, o clube já havia acumulado um valor alto devido às fases passadas.

Na primeira, ganhou R$1 milhão e 270 mil. Na segunda, R$1,5 milhão. Já sua classificação para a terceira fase garantiu mais R$1,9 milhão. Ao todo, até o momento, foram embolsados R$8 milhões e 670 mil.

Além do título inédito, o São Paulo busca tirar bom proveito da competição, já que é um dos campeonatos que mais paga em premiação.

Caso chegue a equipe seja campeã, o total de ganhos será equivalente a R$71,9 milhões. Tal valor seria de bom grado para o São Paulo sanar algumas de suas dívidas ou até mesmo ajudar com novos reforços.

O’Hara thought Spurs ace was really "bad" last season, now he’s undroppable

da apostaganha: After a pretty dismal start to the season that saw them drop points to Leicester City and lose to Newcastle United and Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur finally look to be on the right path again.

da apostebet: Following their imposing away victory against Manchester United on Sunday, Ange Postecoglou’s side are on a four-game win streak, and with Hungarian side Ferencvaros their next opportunity, that streak will likely continue.

There were a number of excellent performers for the Australian on Sunday afternoon, but the standout player was someone who was heavily criticised last season but now looks utterly undroppable, Dejan Kulusevski.

Kulsevski's underwhelming 23/24

So, the first thing to say is that, no, Kulusevski was not terrible for Spurs last season, not even close. Still, you would be hard-pressed to find a fan who wasn’t slightly underwhelmed by his displays last year due to the incredible ability we all know he possesses.

Dejan Kulusevski.

For example, the former Juventus ace made 39 appearances for the North Londoners, and yet in those 2964 minutes of football, he could only muster up eight goals and provide three assists, which equates to an average of a goal involvement once every 3.54 games, or every 269.45 minutes.

Now, while that level of output is good enough to play in the Premier League, it is not elite, and the fact that Richarlison both scored more goals and provided more assists than him in fewer games demonstrates that he wasn’t playing well enough to be included in conversations with the leagues best.

Kulusevski’s 23/24

Appearances

39

Minutes

2964′

Goals

8

Assists

3

Goal Involvements per Match

0.28

Minutes per Goal Involvement

269.45

All Stats via Transfermarkt

In fact, it was pundit and former Spurs player Jamie O’Hara who claimed that the Swede “had a bad season” in May, and based on his underwhelming metrics and inability to impose himself on games throughout the campaign, it’s an opinion that feels more than fair.

However, while all of that might sound unfairly harsh, it is only because of the raw talent Kulusevski has in his locker, and fortunately, he has taken a massive step in the right direction this season.

Kulusevski's recent form

After his somewhat disappointing campaign last year, there was more pressure than ever on Kulusevski’s shoulders to get back to his best this season, and while it is still early doors, he looks like he has.

So far, the Stockholm-born maestro has featured in eight games, in which he has already scored once and provided two assists, but it’s not necessarily his raw output that has seen him receive such rave reviews, but his overall game, and most crucially, his relocation to the midfield.

Postecoglou has started the former Juventus star in the middle of the park five times so far, and each time, he has looked like the player so many fans knew he could be, someone who helps to control games, keep the ball, and most importantly, create chances, and plenty of them.

For example, in his utterly sublime display at Old Trafford, the “criminally underrated” 24-year-old, as dubbed by journalist Ben Haines, became the first away player to create nine or more chances in a single game for twenty years, and on top of that, he scored an excellent goal of his own.

There may be some out there who would say that it’s too soon to start describing him as a midfielder, but after watching him play in both positions over the last season and a bit, it is crystal clear that when he is playing in the middle of the park, he’s far, far more effective.

Ultimately, Kulusevski is an undeniably talented player, and while he was underwhelming last season, his new role has now made him undroppable, and it’ll be exciting to see how good he can be for the rest of the year.

Spurs wanted to sign £400k-p/w UCL star but got Kulusevski instead

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ByJack Salveson Holmes Oct 2, 2024

الزمالك يرد عبر "بطولات" على أنباء ضم يسري بوزوق

أفادت وسائل إعلامية أن الجزائري يسري بوزوق، لاعب فريق الرائد السعودي، دخل قائمة اهتمامات الزمالك، تمهيدًا لضمه خلال فترة الانتقالات الصيفية المقبلة.

وكانت صحيفة “الشرق الأوسط” السعودية قد ادعت أن الزمالك توصل إلى اتفاق مع إدارة الرائد لشراء المدة المتبقية من عقد أحد لاعبيه، لدعم صفوف الفريق الأبيض في الموسم الجديد.. طالع التفاصيل

ويبحث الزمالك، عن تدعيم صفوف الفريق الأول لكرة القدم، في الموسم المقبل من أجل المنافسة على البطولات.

طالع أيضًا | رسميًا | الزمالك يرفض عقوبات رابطة الأندية بشأن مباراة المصري ويوجه طلبًا

وأكد مصدر في الزمالك لـ بطولات أن الجزائري يسري بوزوق ضمن المرشحين على طاولة لجنة التخطيط لضمه لصفوف الفريق.

ونفى المصدر، ما تردد في وسائل الإعلام بخصوص إنهاء التفاوض معه بشكل رسمي في الساعات الأخيرة.

وأوضح أن إدارة الزمالك تمتلك العديد من اللاعبين المرشحين في نفس المركز.

Ange must finally axe Spurs star who earns more than Udogie & Van de Ven

It’s been a tough few years for Tottenham Hotspur, with managerial, stylistic, and personnel changes galore, but things may now be on the up and up.

Ange Postecoglou has a season under his belt, and while he struggled in his first few games this year, the win over Brentford on the weekend felt like it could be a turning point.

However, as plenty of Spurs fans will attest, there is a long way to go until the club are back at the top, and that includes signing more exciting talents and parting ways with several squad members who just aren’t good enough anymore, including one who earns more than Destiny Udogie and Micky van de Ven.

Udogie and Van de Ven's salaries

The North Londoners paid Serie A side Udinese an initial fee of around £15m for Udogie in the summer of 2022 before immediately sending him back to the Italian side on loan for the following season, where he seriously impressed and ended the campaign with 34 first-team appearances, in which he scored three goals and provided four assists.

Destiny Udogie

This brilliant showing led to a lot of excitement about his potential impact in N17, but it would probably be fair to say that in his debut season for Spurs, the Verona-born ace eclipsed any such expectations.

In all, the 21-year-old dynamo made 30 appearances for Postecoglou’s ultra-attacking team, racking up two goals and three assists and earning the club’s first-ever Premier League Young Player of the Season nomination in the process, making it hard to argue that the young full-back isn’t deserving of his £75k-per-week wage.

Likewise, Van de Ven has proven to be more than worth the £50k-per-week he’s been earning in the year following his £43m move from Bundesliga side Wolfsburg.

The flying Dutchman has made 33 appearances for the team so far, and while he has suffered a few injury setbacks, he has become arguably the most important player in Postecoglou’s team, as his record-breaking speed allows the manager to play his trademark highline.

However, while it’s easy to justify the salary Udogie and Van de Ven earn, it’s harder to do so for one of their more senior teammates.

Ben Davies' salary at Spurs

Yes, the senior player in question is Welsh international Ben Davies, who is on a surprisingly high wage of £80k-per-week, or £5k more than Udogie and a massive £30k more than Van de Ven.

Tottenham's Ben Davies

In his defence, the 31-year-old has been at the club for over a decade, joining in July 2014 from Swansea City. In that time, he has proven to be an incredibly useful squad player, making a grand total of 331 appearances for the club, in which he’s scored nine goals and provided 23 assists.

However, over the last few years, the squad has improved dramatically, and now the manager has several incredibly talented young full-backs to choose from and at least three centre-backs, Van de Ven, Cristian Romero, and Radu Dragusin, who are firmly ahead of him in the pecking order as well.

Appearances

331

Points per Game

1.84

Goals

9

Assists

23

Goal Involvements per Match

0.09

So, it would make sense for Daniel Levy and Co to thank the Welshman for his service to the club and look for a way to move him on in January before his deal expires next summer.

The good news for the North Londoners, is that there is supposedly interest out there, as just earlier this month it was reported that Turkish giants Galatasaray were keen to sign him, and given his vast Premier League experience, we would be surprised if more clubs didn’t come knocking in the January window as well.

Ultimately, Davies has been a loyal servant for Tottenham over the years, and an effective one at that. However, given his place in the squad, his wages, and the fact that his contract expires next summer, Postecoglou and Levy should look to move him on in January.

Conte wanted Spurs to sign star now worth £62m but got Richarlison instead

The Premier League star would be incredible under Postecoglou.

1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Sep 25, 2024

Arteta must drop Martinelli and unleash Arsenal’s "incredible" star

After an international break that saw them lose Martin Odegaard, Arsenal resumed their Premier League campaign over the weekend with a brilliant 1-0 win over fierce rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

It wasn’t a vintage performance from Mikel Arteta’s side, but they managed to nullify their opponent’s hyper-attacking style of play and claim all three points courtesy of a Gabriel Magalhães header in the second half.

However, while the fans should still be basking in their club’s derby win, the team have to prepare for their first match of the Champions League tonight, away to Atalanta.

With the format being changed to a league competition, the Gunners have to get off to a winning start. As such, Arteta needs to put out another strong lineup, although he should make a few changes, one of which is dropping Gabriel Martinelli.

Gabriel Martinelli's recent form

Over the last 18 months or so, Martinelli hasn’t been in the greatest form. He ended last season with eight goals and five assists in 44 games, a far cry from the 15 goals and six assists he racked up the campaign prior.

There was some hope that the former Ituano gem would return to his best at the start of this season after a reasonably impressive showing in preseason.

However, after four appearances, three of which have been starts, he still hasn’t scored or assisted a single goal and has amassed a paltry expected goals figure of just 0.25, which is seriously underwhelming.

In his defence, while he missed that big chance against Spurs on Sunday, he was lively and kept Pedro Porro on his toes while also providing some defensive cover to Jurrien Timber, but it is starting to feel like last year all over again.

Overall, the Guarulhos-born gem is clearly a talented player, but it would make sense for Arteta to take him out of the spotlight, give him a rest for tonight’s important game, and start another winger who has an awful lot to prove in his place.

Why Raheem Sterling should start

Now, the first thing to say is that, yes, Raheem Sterling is in a similar boat to Martinelli at the moment in that his stock has fallen quite dramatically over the last couple of years.

However, there are two key differences. The first is that the Englishman’s struggles have come in the context of a massively dysfunctional Chelsea side, where Kai Havertz was also struggling before he moved to North London.

Second, while he’s not been at his best, the 29-year-old has still been productive.

Appearances

43

Minutes

2759′

Goals

10

Assists

8

Goal Involvements per Match

0.41

Minutes per Goal Involvement

153′

For example, in his 43 appearances for the Blues last season, the “incredible” winger, as talent scout Jacek Kulig dubbed him, scored ten goals and provided eight assists, meaning he averaged a goal involvement every 2.38 games.

Moreover, with a must-win clash away to Manchester City coming up on the weekend, the 82-capped international might not get another chance to start a game until next week, which in turn could make him less sharp when called upon in other matches.

Ultimately, despite putting in a useful performance against Spurs on Sunday, Martinelli’s struggles in front of goal continue, and even though his reputation has taken a hit, Sterling was surprisingly productive last year.Therefore, the Brazilian should be dropped from the starting lineup for the Englishman this evening.

Arsenal already have their next Gabriel in "insane" Hale End teen

The talented “beast” has a bright future ahead of him.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Sep 17, 2024

Explained: Why ex-Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp did not attend Salzburg's humbling 6-0 friendly loss to Bayern Munich after officially starting work as Red Bull's global head of soccer

The reason for Jurgen Klopp’s absence from Salzburg’s heavy friendly defeat to Bayern Munich has been revealed, with a new role taken on at Red Bull.

Article continues below

Article continues below

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  • Left Anfield in summer of 2024
  • Has stepped away from management
  • Taking on new role with Red Bull
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  • Getty

    WHAT HAPPENED?

    The former Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund boss brought his distinguished coaching career to a close, at least for now, when bidding farewell to Anfield in the summer of 2024. Klopp has since been appointed as Head of Global Soccer at Red Bull.

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  • THE BIGGER PICTURE

    Klopp is now officially working in that capacity, but his presentation is not due to take place until January 14. With that in mind, the 57-year-old is reluctant to provide any kind of distraction to those that are charged with the task of delivering positive results on the field.

  • GOAL

    DID YOU KNOW?

    Salzburg suffered a 6-0 defeat to Bundesliga giants Bayern in a friendly contest intended to help ready both teams for the resumption of competitive action after mid-season winter breaks. According to , Klopp did not attend that fixture as he “does not want to attract media attention and does not want to distract attention from the sporting aspect”.

  • WHAT NEXT?

    Klopp is ready to get to work, though, having enjoyed a post-Liverpool break with his family and will be charged with the task of shaping Red Bull’s strategy in football circles – with it his responsibility to manage international networks and identify potential coaches.

Rodgers must cash in on Celtic midfielder who’s played less than Palma

Celtic head coach Brendan Rodgers was heavily backed by the board during the recent summer transfer window, as the club smashed their transfer record for the Northern Irishman.

The Hoops agreed a club-record fee of £11m to sign central midfielder Arne Engels from Bundesliga side Augsburg to bolster their options in the middle of the park.

Adam Idah, Paulo Bernardo, Viljami Sinisalo, Kasper Schmeichel, Alex Valle, Auston Trusty, and Luke McCowan were also brought in to add depth to the squad.

The new additions have pushed some players to the fringes of the group and one dud who has struggled for game time so far this season is Luis Palma.

Luis Palma's struggles at Celtic

The Honduras international joined from Greek side Aris in the summer of 2023 and enjoyed a promising debut campaign with the Scottish giants.

Palma showed plenty of signs of promise in the 2023/24 campaign in the Scottish Premiership, with a return of seven goals and nine assists in 28 appearances.

Celtic forward Luis Palma.

Unfortunately, the 24-year-old forward has not done enough to convince Rodgers that he deserves a place in the starting XI ahead of Daizen Maeda on the left flank, and has only played 37 minutes in the league this term.

The Honduran star, who scored two goals in the Champions League last season, has shown that the potential is there for him to be a key player for the Hoops if he can recapture his previous form, though, so there may still be a future for him at Parkhead.

One player who Rodgers should brutally ditch, however, is central midfielder Odin Thiago Holm, who has played even fewer minutes than Palma.

Why Celtic should cash in on Odin Thiago Holm

It was reported that the Hoops splashed out a fee of £2.6m to sign the central midfielder from Valerenga on a permanent deal in the summer of 2023.

The 21-year-old flop has reportedly been earning £4.8k-per-week – £250k-per-season – and this means that he has earned roughly £300k in wages since his move to the club last year.

What have Celtic got in return for the £2.9m they have spent on Holm so far? He has produced one goal and one assist in 16 matches in all competitions, and has only started two league games in total – both of which came last term.

Francis Turley

1

0

Mikey Johnston

16

0

Hyun-jun Yang

22

0

Odin Thiago Holm

25

0

Luis Palma

37

0

As you can see in the table above, only Yang, Johnston, who has since left the club, and academy graduate Francis Turley, have played fewer minutes in the league this season.

Celtic have signed Engels, McCowan, and Bernardo in his position, on top of already having Callum McGregor and Reo Hatate, and Holm has not made a matchday squad in the league since Engels and McCowan arrived on deadline day.

At the age of 21, he is the same age as the Belgian starlet and one year younger than Bernardo, which does not suggest that his development is likely to see him outgrow them – as they are already ahead of him at a similar age.

Rodgers must drop Hatate for Celtic star who made a "massive difference"

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ByDan Emery Oct 7, 2024

Therefore, Rodgers must brutally ditch Holm from the squad and cash in on him in the January transfer window, with £2.9m already sent down the drain on him so far.

DRS for wides? Chahal says yes; Taufel says no

Shastri wants questionable wide and no-ball calls to be directly dealt with by specialist TV umpires

Nagraj Gollapudi24-May-20225:04

Taufel: The definition of wides is somewhat opinion-based

Simon Taufel, the former ICC Elite Panel umpire, is not in favour of wides and height no-balls being referred as part of the two DRS reviews teams have in T20 cricket. Taufel’s opinion is in contrast to that of India and Rajasthan Royals legspinner Yuzvendra Chahal, who believes bowlers need a “bit more help” and that teams can “take a chance” by reviewing a wide call as it can potentially be pivotal.Talking with ESPNcricnfo, Chahal said he was at the receiving end of a potential wrong call on a wide this IPL during the April 10 league match against Lucknow Super Giants. Off the fourth delivery of his fourth over, the 18th of Super Giants’ innings, Chahal bowled a wide legbreak which pitched outside the off stump of Dushmantha Chameera. It was called a wide. Chahal disagreed and even had a word with the umpire.Related

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Vettori and Tahir call for wides to come under DRS umbrella

Chahal did trap the Sri Lankan batter lbw next delivery, but said the extra ball cost him dearly as Marcus Stoinis lofted a six off the final ball of his spell. It nearly affected the match result, too, as Royals managed to win by just three runs.”Definitely. Even umpires are human beings. They can make a mistake, but teams can win by a single run many times,” Chahal told ESPNcricinfo when asked if would want wides referred as part of the two reviews teams had. “That happened with me against Lucknow when the umpire signalled a wide, but when I saw it on replay it was not a wide. But due to that I had to bowl an extra ball and I even got hit for a six off the last ball. It became a seven-ball over and they could score seven runs. As it is T20 is a batsman-dominated game, so if the bowlers get a bit more help, we can do that.”A few weeks later, though, Royals captain Sanju Samson was miffed in the match against Kolkata Knight Riders on May 2, when the on-field umpire Nitin Pandit signalled a wide on three occasions during the penultimate over of the game delivered by Prasidh Krishna. Samson pointed out to Pandit that the batter had moved laterally even before Krishna had released the ball.Sanju Samson has a word with the on-field umpire Nitin Pandit about a few close wide calls, against Kolkata Knight Riders•BCCI

Analysing the incident after the match, which Knight Riders won, ESPNcricinfo experts Daniel Vettori and Imran Tahir agreed that bowlers needed “avenues” to “rectify” umpiring errors through the means of the two reviews.This season, the IPL has added an extra review making it two per innings, something Chahal said was sufficient. “If you want to take a chance, take a chance, but we are giving you only two reviews. We are happy with that.”Taufel, though, remained concerned.”I’m really conscious around trying to turn the art of officiating into a science and seek perfection, whatever that looks like, with decision making,” Taufel told ESPNcricinfo in an interview to be published later this week. “So with wides for example, and here we’re going to, potentially according to you, or according to the player or the debate, take a wide call and throw that back to the third umpire for them to judge on something that might be marginal and is still a judgement call.”Judging a wide, Taufel pointed out, was never an easy job and there are no clear definitions in the laws and playing conditions.”Are you going to be able to overrule as a third umpire what a leg-side wide might look like? That’s a really interesting proposition to throw to a third umpire and say: I definitely think you got that wide wrong. If you look at a ball that cuts across a right-hander from a left-armer (fast bowler), that cuts the wide guideline – that’s a pretty big call to overrule. Can you clearly define for me what conclusive evidence is to overturn a wide both leg-side, off side and height?”And where do you then draw the line as to what a wide is? Because with wides, for example, you still got this opinion around: either could the batsman have played a shot? Has the batsman brought the ball sufficiently within reach? And you are putting them (under) a lot more stress and pressure around those definitions. Of course, if the ball has flicked the bat or the pad, and an umpire’s called a wide – yeah, that’s quite clearly an error. (But) I worry about where this is going to end up. Is everything that an umpire does likely to fall under the Decision Review System?”Former India head coach Ravi Shastri, though, said that questionable calls on wides and height no-balls should be directly dealt by specialist TV umpires and not via DRS review.”I agree totally, because that could be a game-changer,”Shastri told ESPNcricinfo. “The match could go into the last ball and 12-15 runs needed in the last over, a no-ball at that stage could make a lot of difference. You have the third umpire sitting there, you have the technology, use it.”Such an exercise could potentially stretch the match time, which Shastri agreed to, but was not fussed about. “You’d rather have a fair game. If it’s delayed by a minute, so be it. But rather have a fair game so there are no arguments later. Leave it to the third umpire, let him take the decision and let that be final.”Taufel, though, disapproved, saying getting the third umpire involved directly or via DRS, would mean the match would be slowed down and asked if the game was ready for such a “trade off”.”How much time are all these reviews going to take out of the playing time? I remember only last year, some commentators like the late Shane Warne were complaining about how an ODI finished 30 minutes past the scheduled cut off. You cannot have a quick game and also analyse every ball – there is always a trade off.”According to Taufel, bowlers and umpires would find it easier to adjudicate on wides better once the modified MCC Law becomes effective from October 1. Recently, the MCC said it was updating Law 22.1 governing wides to address the increasing challenge batters were posing by moving laterally across the crease.Taufel, who sits on the MCC Laws sub-committee, said the move was to “provide a bit more latitude for the bowler for it not to be called a wide if the batter is going to move their stance while the bowler is running up. And there is more clarity for the umpire about the batter moving in their stance.”

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