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The players’ body has warned of administrative ‘dysfunctionality that threatens the existence of the game in our country’

Firdose Moonda19-Aug-2020

The South African Cricketers’ Association (SACA) has issued a stern warning about the state of the game in the country and warned that its existence is under threat following the departure of the CEO and the president of Cricket South Africa (CSA). SACA has called on Chris Nenzani, who resigned as president over the weekend, to offer an explanation for stepping away three weeks before his tenure ended and for CSA to show leadership in matters relating to the suspended CEO Thabang Moroe and the season ahead.”SACA has engaged directly with players over the past few weeks, and there is a growing realisation amongst players that their careers as professional cricketers are being threatened by the very organization that should be nurturing them,” a SACA statement read.It further asked that CSA work appropriately to resolve the issues of discrimination that have come to light following Lungi Ngidi’s stance on the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement, and the resumption of the domestic and international season and Moroe’s disciplinary situation. Most pressingly for SACA, South Africa’s players, both men and women, have no indication of when they will return to play following the Covid-19 hiatus, both as a result of international borders being closed and because no domestic fixtures have been finalised.ALSO READ – Graeme Smith ‘shocked’ after threats on supporting Black Lives Matter movement”CSA must show leadership in dealing with the various crises facing the game; the transformation and discrimination crisis that has come to the fore over the past two months; the resumption of domestic and international cricket under COVID-19; the finalization of the disciplinary matter of the suspended CEO; the forensic investigation; and the forecast deficit which has the potential to financially cripple the game,” the statement read.Franchise teams have returned to training and there is talk of the season starting in November but there is no clarity on whether the franchise T20 tournament, the Mzansi Super League (MSL), will take place or who will lead CSA through the next few months.An Acting CEO, Kugandrie Govender, was named this morning and will hold the post until the Moroe case is finalised. Only then can CSA begin the search for a new CEO. CSA is also operating under an acting president, Beresford Williams, with a new president set to be elected at the AGM on September 5. Nenzani has undertaken to engage with the media after that but SACA CEO Andrew Breetzke would like answers from him immediately.”Mr Nenzani owes all stakeholders an immediate explanation as to why he has stood down a mere three weeks before the CSA AGM, after he had refused to do so over the previous eight-month period despite calls to do so from key stakeholders within the game,” Breetzke said. “Together with the sudden resignation of Dr Jacques Faul as acting-CEO, one can only deduce that the Board of Directors has yet again reached a level of dysfunctionality that threatens the existence of the game in our country.”SACA has consistently led calls for Nenzani and Williams to step down, following last year’s administrative meltdown and again pointed to the board as being responsible for the troubles in the game. SACA continue to point at CSA’s inability to resolve its myriad problems as being due to lack of corporate governance and warned the game may face “total collapse” if issues are not dealt with.”CSA is embroiled in destructive politics at Board and Management level. It is evident that cricket is unable to self-correct,” Omphile Ramela, SACA’s president said. ” Many of the administrative challenges confronting the game are as a result of administrators failing to adhere to principles of corporate governance. Before we see the total collapse of the game of cricket there needs to be a leadership intervention at Board and Management level that is able to stabilise and transform both the game and the business of cricket.”

كشفت وسائل إعلامية إنجليزية عن تطورات جديدة حول مستقبل لاعب فريق ليفربول خلال الفترة الحالية من الموسم.

ويحتل ليفربول صدارة ترتيب الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز برصيد 12 نقطة بشكل مؤقت.

اقرأ أيضاً.. سلوت عن ثلاثية ليفربول أمام بورنموث: أمر طبيعي.. وأرنولد سيسعدني إذا فعل ذلك الأمر

وأفادت شبكة “caughtoffside” بتقدم في المحادثت بشأن تمديد عقد مهاجم الفريق، لويس دياز، خلال الفترة المقبلة.

وتابعت الشبكة أنه وبالرغم من عدم حسم مصير ثلاثي ليفربول، محمد صلاح وفيرجل فان دايك، بالإضافة إلى ترينت ألكسندر أرنولد، إلا أن إدارة الريدز لديها رغبة قوية في تمديد عقد الجناح الكولومبي

جدير بالذكر أنه سينتهي عقد اللاعب الكولومبي لويس دياز مع فريقه ليفربول في صيف 2027.

وارتبط دياز بالرحيل عن صفوف ليفربول في فترة الانتقالات الصيفية الماضية.

ويأتي هذا القرار من إدارة ليفربول بهدف الحفاظ على مستقبل دياز مع الفريق، وإغلاق الباب أمام كل فريق يحاول التعاقد معه.

وقدم دياز بداية مثالية مع ليفربول هذا الموسم، حيث تمكن من تسجيل 5 أهداف في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز ليصبح ثاني هدافي البريميرليج خلفاً للمهاجم النرويجي إيرلينج هالاند.

Liverpool have agreed a deal to sign Giorgi Mamardashvili, with the Valencia goalkeeper arriving in 2025.

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• Georgian starred at Euro 2024
• 23-year-old will arrive in 2025
• Becomes Arne Slot's first signing

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Liverpool have reached an agreement to sign Giorgi Mamardashvili from Valencia, with the goalkeeper set to spend the 2024-25 season with the La Liga club before arriving at Anfield ahead of the 2025-26 campaign.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Mamardashvili earned widespread attention for his performances for Georgia at Euro 2024, with his display in the 1-1 draw against Czechia a particular standout. Liverpool's desire to sign a new goalkeeper this summer was increased by Saudi interest in current number one Alisson, though the Brazilian eventually rejected a proposal.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Mamardashvili has been imperious since joining Valencia from Dinamo Tbilisi in 2021, keeping 31 clean sheets in 102 appearances. Liverpool have reportedly paid £29 million (€34m/$38m) for the shot-stopper.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MAMARDASHVILI

  The stopper will be looking to put together a strong season for Valencia in the hopes of providing Alisson with a genuine threat to the No.1 spot at Anfield upon his arrival next year.

“Time is the biggest healer,” says batsman in newspaper interview

ESPNcricinfo staff09-May-2020Alex Hales has claimed he has “matured as a player” since his deselection from England’s 2019 World Cup squad after a failed recreational drugs test, and declared that the past six months have been “the best I’ve played in my career” as he presses his case for an international return.Hales has not played for England since it became public in the weeks before the World Cup that he had been serving a 21-day ban due to a second violation of the ECB’s recreational drugs policy, which caused the England limited-overs captain Eoin Morgan to publicly lambast his “lack of regard” for his international team-mates, citing a “complete breakdown of trust” for his omission from the World Cup squad.This week, Morgan said that the “door is still open” for Hales, but reiterated that the crucial element would be rebuilding that trust. “I don’t think you can put a time limit on gaining back that trust, and that’s not just with me; that’s with every member of the squad, the backroom staff, the selectors,” he said.ALSO READ: ‘Door not shut’ on Hales, says Morgan in T20 World Cup build-upIn an interview with the , Hales said that he has matured in the last 12 months, but admitted it would be difficult to address his relationship with the rest of the England squad while outside the squad. Since the start of the 2019/20 Big Bash League, Hales has averaged 42.89 in a combined 22 T20 innings for Sydney Thunder and Karachi Kings, and said that he has never played better across his career.”Like Morgs has said, I guess time is the biggest healer,” Hales said. “I just don’t know how long that is going to go on for, that’s the only thing. I honestly have no idea. Obviously, I’d love to get my place back. Playing international cricket is the highlight of any player’s career and I still think I’ve got a lot to offer, particularly in T20.”I certainly feel I have matured, as a player and away from the game, and hopefully I’ll get the chance to show that in the group environment again. It can be tough to rebuild that trust when you are not in the close-knit circles.”This is the best I’ve played in my career. My England career has been pretty good so far in T20 and that’s not even playing to the best of my ability. I’d love to get that chance again. I’ve moved on and grown from the mistakes I’ve made in my private life and, hopefully, people can forgive and forget. Hopefully, I get that chance again because I feel I’m in a good head space.”ALSO READ: Fines doubled but 21-day ban scrapped as ECB update recreational drugs policyThe fact that the reason behind Hales’ ban was kept confidential last year led to a change in the ECB’s recreational drugs policy ahead of the 2020 season, under which Hales’ fine would have been doubled for his second violation, but he would not have had to miss any games. Hales’ absence was explained by Nottinghamshire as a break for “personal reasons”, but the trail was laid for reporters, and the reasons became public after the broke the story.Under the new regulations, which the ECB said took into account “the important consideration of player welfare”, Hales’ fine would have been doubled but he would not have been banned, suggesting that the second failed test would have remained under wraps.Hales said that his involvement in the Bristol incident and the resulting trial and Cricket Disciplinary Commission hearing “took a lot out of me mentally”, and suggested that he had struggled to cope with the public spotlight surrounding the case.”Stuff like that, you maybe don’t appreciate at the time but it took an awful lot out of me mentally,” he said. “I’m not blaming that on some of the mistakes I made off the field, but it certainly didn’t help with how I felt away from the game. It was mentally exhausting. It put me in a really dark place.”I feel on top of everything and the chapter of Bristol and its aftermath is firmly closed now. I am just looking forward to enjoying the next few years of my career and, more importantly, my life, and just see where it takes me. If you speak to any coach I’ve played under in the last 12 months, I feel I’ve matured as a player.”Hales also said that while he never managed to get tested for Covid-19, he was “pretty sure” he had contracted the virus. Hales had told Pakistan Super League officials that he had developed symptoms upon his return to the UK, which led to the tournament’s semi-finals and final being postponed indefinitely.”There was a point when it was 5am and I was lying in bed, drenched with sweat, feeling sorry for myself. But I knew deep down it wasn’t enough to put me in hospital. I never managed to get a test but speaking to a couple of doctors, they were 99 per cent sure it was Covid.”

كشفت تقارير صحفية عن قيام الألماني يورجن كلوب مدرب ليفربول السابق، بعقد اجتماعات من أجل العودة للتدريب رغم تصريحاته التي أدلى بها.

كلوب ترك منصبه كمدرب لليفربول موضحًا أنه بحاجة إلى أخذ استراحة من كرة القدم، بجسب ما أعلن في يناير الماضي.

وأكد كلوب بعد إعلانه، أنه سيبتعد عن التدريب لمدة عام على الأقل قبل التفكير في العودة مجددًا.

على الرغم من ذلك، صحيفة “ذا أثليتيك” ذكرت في تقرير لها، أن هناك اجتماعات متعددة عقدت مع كلوب، لكنه اختار في النهاية التمسك بقراره بالبقاء خارج التدريب في الوقت الحالي.

واجتمع كلوب مع مسؤولي الاتحاد الأمريكي لكرة القدم، حيث رغبوا في التعاقد معه ليتولى تدريب منتخب أمريكا، استعدادًا لمونديال 2026 الذي تستضيفه أمريكا والمكسيك وكندا.

ولقد انتهى الأمر بتعاقد منتخب الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية مع المدرب الأرجنتيني ماورسيسيو بوتشيتينو، حيث تم تأكيد مدرب تشيلسي وباريس سان جيرمان وتوتنهام السابق كمدرب جديد لهم أمس الثلاثاء.

أما بالنسبة لكلوب، فإن خطوته التالية لا تزال غير واضحة، لكنها لن تكون العودة إلى الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

وفي حديثه إلى الموقع الرسمي لليفربول في يناير، قال: “إذا سألتني، هل ستعمل كمدير فني مرة أخرى؟ ، فسأقول الآن لا، ولكن ما أعرفه بالتأكيد هو أنني لن أتولى إدارة نادٍ آخر في إنجلترا بخلاف ليفربول، بنسبة 100%”.

كشف مصدر خاص داخل نادي الزمالك عن اقتراب حسم صفقة جديدة لتدعيم صفوف الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بالقلعة البيضاء.

ونفى المصدر لـ”بطولات” تعثر صفقة التعاقد مع المغربي محمود بنتايك، الظهير الأيسر لفريق سانت إيتيان الفرنسي.

طالع ايضًا..بعد عرضي نيوم والعربي.. زيزو يعلن موقفه من الاستمرار مع الزمالك

وأشار إلى أن بنتايك تمكن من اجتياز الكشف الطبي تمهيدًا للانضمام إلى الزمالك، والتأكد من جاهزيته من الناحية الطبية.

وأوضح أنه سيتم التوقيع على العقود وإنهاء كافة إجراءات التعاقد عقب الاتفاق على جميع التفاصيل المتعلقة بالعقد.

وأفاد بأن بنتايك سينضم إلى معسكر الفريق المقرر انطلاقه غدًا الجمعة في برج العرب بالإسكندرية.

وينتظم فريق الزمالك في معسكر مغلق يتخلله ثلاث مباريات ودية أمام الشعلة السعودي والأنصار السعودي والشرطة العراقي استعدادًا للموسم الجديد.

It often happens that a batsman chooses to play on after being hit, but that is not a good thing

Varun Shetty at Eden Gardens23-Nov-2019Cricket’s newly-introduced protocols for concussion testing and substitutions were in the spotlight on the second day of the Kolkata Test, with two batsmen – Mohammad Mithun and Mushfiqur Rahim – continuing to bat after being struck on their heads by bouncers.Two other Bangladesh batsmen had already been diagnosed with concussions in the first innings and substituted. In the second innings, Mithun was tested and showed no signs of concussion before coming back out and being dismissed soon after. Bangladesh confirmed that Rahim also showed no early signs of concussion. He batted through to stumps and is currently unbeaten on 59.Had either batsman been diagnosed with concussion, Bangladesh had only one player – Mustafizur Rahman, a bowler – available on the bench to act as substitute.Concussion protocols were introduced into the ICC playing conditions on August 1 this year, after years of deliberation following Phil Hughes’ death in 2014 and a deeper understanding about brain injuries in the broader world of sports. About two weeks after the playing conditions were amended, Australia’s Steven Smith became the first player to be substituted in a Test match with a diagnosed concussion.While it’s common for batsmen to continue to bat after passing initial concussion Tests, in most cases at international level, they have been found later to have batted with a concussion. This was true of Smith during the Ashes, as well as Hashim Amla during the World Cup this year.In New Zealand, Henry Nicholls was hit on the head but continued batting after two concussion tests – one when he was hit on Friday evening and another just before play on Saturday. The story was a little different last week though when Hamish Rutherford batted on for New Zealand A after being struck, made a fifty, then missed the rest of the match after failing follow-up tests.Henry Nicholls is hit by a delivery from Jofra Archer•AFP / Getty Images

In the absence of strong mandatory procedures, a lot of power still rests with the players, who would naturally prefer to go on batting. The topic was briefly front and centre as the physio spent a long time chatting with Mithun before he saw the over through and went in unbeaten at tea. Other injuries such as the one Mahmudullah suffered – a hamstring strain – are often readily apparent. The player feels pain immediately and the case for treatment is clear. Concussions and brain injuries though are hard to gauge as the onset of symptoms may be delayed for up to 48 hours.Cricket’s protocols depend on the appointed medical representative of a team – usually the physio – to run standardised tests and submit a report to the match referee in case a player fails the tests. But, as mentioned in the examples earlier, players can sometimes show no signs of trauma until the next day, which means they play on at less than 100% and at great risk of being struck again with the bowlers under no obligation to not bowl bouncers again. To avoid this circumstance, a sport like rugby, for instance, decrees that a player hit on the head has to compulsorily go off and is not allowed back on till he is proven to have no signs of concussion.Another crucial element of the blows sustained by the Bangladesh batsmen is that this was the first time many of them were playing an international match under lights with the pink ball. Fast bowler Al-Amin Hossain said there were no issues with the visibility as such, but India batsman Cheteshwar Pujara said otherwise.”I thought light and pink ball had a role to play,” Pujara said after the second day’s play. “Because as a batsman it’s not easy to pick the ball, especially short balls, the kind of pace our fast bowlers have. I think it (the batsmen being hit) is because of the pink ball and playing under lights, because their batters, as far as I know, they haven’t even played any first-class games with the pink ball. It’s not easy.”Of the four Bangladesh batsmen that were hit during the Test, Mithun and Rahim were the only ones to be hit after sunset, under completely artificial lighting. Mahmudulllah, meanwhile, has been “walking around” in the dressing room and could come back out to bat on Sunday.

Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone was sent off for his involvement in an altercation with Liverpool fans after his side fell to a 3-2 loss in the dying minutes of the Champions League clash. The Argentine admitted that his reaction was not justifiable, even though he claimed to have been on the receiving end of insults throughout the match at Anfield.

Simeone shown red card against Liverpool

Simeone was sent off in the penultimate minute of the game after an altercation with a group of Liverpool fans. Earlier, Virgil van Dijk had headed in from a corner to give Liverpool the lead against Atletico. Simeone was then seen protesting to the fourth official about insults he claimed to have received from the fans, and despite continuing his protests, he was eventually shown a red card.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportSimeone reacts to Liverpool fans

Simeone however downplayed the incident in the post match interview saying he should have kept his cool and his actions weren't justified: "Let's start with my part. We're in a position where we don't have the right to react. It's not right when we react, because we're the protagonists."

He then spoke about the insults he received: "I'm not going to go into detail about the insults. But in the same way we fight against racism and insults directed at players, the benches are packed, and it's not easy to take insults all game. The third goal came, and besides the insults, there was a gesture, and I'm a person.

"From my perspective, I have to maintain my position, deal with everything that happens behind the bench, and until society can resolve it, any coach has to live with it because it happens all the time."

Liverpool get the job done after losing two-goal lead

Liverpool raced into a 2-0 lead through goals from Andy Robertson and Mohamed Salah. Atletico, however, refused to give in and fought back with Marcos Llorente netting twice, including an 81st minute equaliser to make it 2-2. But Van Dijk struck deep into added time to restore Liverpool’s advantage and seal the win.

Simeone reacted to the narrow defeat saying that he was proud of the team after coming back from 2-0 down, saying: "The spirit was what we needed. There are a lot of new players adapting. We played on a difficult pitch, against a brave opponent, with a 2-0 lead at the start. It wasn't a good sign, but we were able to work, fight, and take the game to the limit. If we have to lose, let's lose like this."

Getty Images SportBack to La Liga action for Atletico

Simeone and Atletico will be back in action on Sunday as they travel to face 19th-placed Mallorca.

Sri Lanka fancy their chances chasing “anything around or below 300,” on a wicket that is “playing really well,” at St George’s Park, according to former captain Angelo Mathews.Though he acknowledged South Africa, at 221 ahead with seven wickets in hand, have the advantage, Mathews brought fighting talk to the third day’s post-play press conference, with Sri Lanka looking for a win to keep themselves in contention for next year’s World Test Championship (WTC) final.”We are not giving up. Obviously they are in front of us, but if we can get a couple of early wickets tomorrow, we can still push them back,” Mathews said. “And if we can, you know, get through the new ball, if we can push them back into second and third spells and make them tire a little bit, then we have a chance.”Related

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The highest score successfully chased at Gqeberha was 271 by Australia, 27 years ago and that sort of history may not be of much use to either side.Instead, the evidence of the last three days is that it remains good for run-scoring which has given Sri Lanka hope that they can tackle a big chase.”It’s playing pretty well. It’s just the odd one, keeping low and taking off, but it’s playing pretty well. There’s something always for the seamers and also a couple of balls also turned,” Mathews said. “It’s a good, even wicket and even contest with bat and ball on this wicket so it’s a great wicket to play on.”Likewise, Sri Lanka’s batters have acquitted themselves fairly well so far. The 42 all out aside, Sri Lanka have batted well on this tour, scoring 282 in their second innings in Durban and reaching their fourth highest total in the country, 328, in their first innings at St George’s Park.Marco Jansen has been nothing but trouble for Angelo Mathews and the other Sri Lanka batters this series•AFP/Getty Images

What they may regret is that that could have been much higher. At 242 for 3 overnight, they were eyeing a first-innings lead but Mathews conceded Sri Lanka were “unable to capitalise,” because of a “couple of good balls.”Mathews was on the receiving end of the first of those: a snorter from Marco Jansen that kicked up off a length and brushed the glove as he tried to fend it off. Jansen continued to generate good bounce thanks to his height and is the series’ leading wicket-taker, with an innings to come in which Sri Lanka will have to be especially cautious.”The ball is coming off six foot nine or something. Obviously, he gets bounce on any wicket,” Mathews said. “The Durban wickets also, he got a lot of bounce. We couldn’t really handle him in the first innings of the Durban Test. And also here he keeps troubling our batters. We played him pretty well this time around, but still he keeps troubling us. We need to come up with some more plans to try and combat his bounce. That’s what’s worrying: the odd one takes off on a good length as well because of his height.”Jansen aside, Sri Lanka will have to contend with Kagiso Rabada, who was South Africa’s best bowler on the second day but only got one wicket, and Dane Paterson, high on confidence after his first five-for and operating on a pitch suited to his style of play.”He [Paterson] reminds me of Vernon Philander. It’s really hard to score off him, and he’s just landing it on the spot consistently. So, yes, there’s a lot of hard work to put in, but yeah, we are willing to do that.”Sri Lanka also have fond memories of a successful chase at this venue. They hunted down 198 with eight wickets in hand five years ago. While that may sound like a doddle, Sri Lanka resumed the third day on 60 for 2 after 19 wickets fells on the second day.Kusal Mendis, who is in this team too, scored an unbeaten 84 off 110 balls to seal a series win. That can’t be done this time, but Sri Lanka could square the contest 1-all and keep themselves in the running for the WTC final.If they lose one of their three remaining Tests, including this one, in this cycle, they will be depending on several other results to go their way. Their last series of the cycle is against Australia at home early next year.

A proud occasion for the visitors will inevitably be overshadowed by what has gone before, and what is still to come

The Preview by Andrew Miller23-Jul-2019

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Well, how do you follow that? The Greatest Game at the Greatest Venue. The Greatest Day for English cricket in, at the very least, a generation. And if Liam Plunkett’s telling comments in the aftermath are anything to go by, the Greatest Comedown imaginable for a band of England cricketers who, last Sunday afternoon, reached the highest high of them all – an unforgettable World Cup triumph at Lord’s.Well, in keeping with the sport’s ever-grinding treadmill, the only fit and proper follow-up is to march onwards, ever onwards, to a very different slice of cricketing history. Three strips north of the patch of grass laid out for that epic encounter with New Zealand, England and Ireland will do battle for the very first time in Test history, in a contest that offers a very abrupt change of pace from everything that we’ve so far witnessed this summer.First things first, let’s pay tribute to the visitors, for – with respect to their first overseas Test against Afghanistan in Dehradun in March – this is unquestionably the biggest occasion for Irish cricket since their inaugural Test against Pakistan last May. And in so many ways it is bigger still than that emotional home unveiling in Malahide.Will Porterfield takes a drink during training•Getty Images

Just try to imagine the huge pride that Ireland’s players will feel as they walk through the Long Room for that very first time tomorrow, to compete in a Test match at Lord’s, no less. There is no more fitting ceremony to mark the completion of their journey from Associate obscurity to Full Member acceptance, and coming so soon after a World Cup from which they were forced to look on enviously from the sidelines (and watch a former team-mate raise the trophy on England’s behalf), the occasion is sure to be all the sweeter.But let’s be frank, the timing is not exactly ideal. In fact, it utterly sucks. Schedules are no-one’s friend, and the ECB are entitled to say, if not now, then when could they possibly have issued that maiden invitation? But there are only two contests on English cricket’s minds this summer – the World Cup that has already been, and the Ashes that are looming large in barely a week’s time. Everything that occurs in the next four days (and that in itself is a telling detail) will be viewed through a light blue filter, a green-and-gold filter, or both.Of course, that in itself will throw up some intriguing subplots. England have confirmed two debutants in their ranks for Wednesday morning – the familiar face of Jason Roy at the top of the order, and the lesser-exposed Olly Stone in the pace attack – and while both men will be justifiably proud when they receive their maiden caps before the toss, they will also know that this is just the pre-amble, an audition for a far more prestigious role in August and September.And Roy aside, what of the other World Cup survivors – the captain Joe Root, the keeper Jonny Bairstow, and the seamer Chris Woakes, whose chronic knee problems have been managed so efficiently that he is now back to being a front-line Test option after not featuring in the side for almost a year? How do they manage the emotions of returning to the scene of that triumph? Should they hold anything in reserve, pacing themselves for stiffer tests to come, or should they throw themselves wholeheartedly into the fray, and honour the occasion as an equal, even when pragmatism says that it is not?Of course they’ll give it their all. Root is the Test captain, and rightly proud of the honour; Bairstow doesn’t get out of bed with anything less than 100 percent commitment. Woakes was a centurion in his last Test at Lord’s and has missed enough matches in his six-year career to know never to take anything for granted. But it doesn’t make it right to expect them to be able to dredge up another performance so soon after playing their hearts out on the biggest stage of all. As shown in the new film, The Edge, which charts the rise and fall of England’s 2009-14 team, the dangers of burn-out are all too real and all too easily ignored.But, the show must and will go on, and it’s fair to say that Ireland won’t care too greatly if their opponents’ minds are caught in no-man’s land. Even eight years on, there are enough survivors in Ireland’s ranks from that mighty victory in the 2011 World Cup to know how sweet it can be to fell a giant when they are least expecting it. They’ve spent enough of their careers punching upwards to give it one last heave for glory.That said, there is a certain poignancy about Ireland’s international fortunes at present. They are not so much a team in transition as a team basking in the last sunbeams of a golden generation. Kevin O’Brien, Tim Murtagh and Boyd Rankin are closer to their 40th birthdays than their 30th; Ed Joyce and Niall O’Brien have already retired since that inaugural Test. Will Porterfield has been captain for a remarkable 11 years and counting.That said, England are missing a raft of key performers – not least the ever-green James Anderson – and if their new-look top-order suffers a familiar wobble on another grass-tinged deck, the circumstances are ripe for an almighty World Cup comedown. But for that to happen, Ireland may require a new generation of heroes to make their presence known. That faithful old guard can’t be expected to do the job every time.

Form guide

England WLLWW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Ireland LL—

In the spotlight

Jason Roy is the anointed one. The manner in which he tore into Australia’s bowlers in that crushing World Cup semi-final was all the evidence required. Like David Warner before him, he is all set to complete the transition from white-ball to red-ball opening, and given the purity of the technique that lurks behind his extraordinary power, he is surely as well placed to make a success of the promotion as any player who has gone before him. That said, he didn’t have much fun against the swinging ball in the World Cup final (though he was hardly alone in that). If he can get set, however…If Ireland are to compete on an equal footing, then local know-how is sure to be a factor. Enter Tim Murtagh, 38 next week and still making the ball talk on the Lord’s slope for Middlesex week in, week out. He’s picked up 291 wickets at 23.98 in his Lord’s career to date, including two of his four ten-wicket hauls. The degree to which he can set the agenda could define his team’s prospects.

Team news

Despite some optimistic noises about James Anderson’s calf injury, England’s senior seamer was never going to be risked with the Ashes just around the corner. Which means that Stuart Broad and Chris Woakes are the likely new-ball pairing, with the young gun Olly Stone lurking at first change to unleash his 90mph offerings, in only his third first-class outing since suffering a stress fracture of the back. Lewis Gregory will have to wait his turn after England opted for a twin-spin attack, with Jack Leach’s left-armers set to partner Moeen Ali, who will form part of a familiarly interchangeable raft of allrounders in the middle order, albeit with Jonny Bairstow pushed up to 5. Roy and Rory Burns will form an all-Surrey opening partnership.England 1 Jason Roy, 2 Rory Burns, 3 Joe Denly, 4 Joe Root (capt), 5 Jonny Bairstow (wk), 6 Moeen Ali, 7 Chris Woakes, 8 Sam Curran, 9 Jack Leach, 10 Stuart Broad, 11 Olly StoneThere’s the realistic prospect of as many as three Test debutants in Ireland’s ranks, with the young allrounder Mark Adair and the more seasoned seamer Craig Young in the frame, alongside the spinner Simi Singh, who could yet feature if Ireland ape England’s strategy and opt for two slow bowlers. Will Porterfield was giving little away on the eve of the game, saying only that all 14 squad members were fit, although it emerged later on Tuesday that James McCollum had suffered a back spasm.Ireland (possible): 1 Will Porterfield (capt), 2 Paul Stirling, 3 Andy Balbirnie, 4 James McCollum, 5 Kevin O’Brien, 6 Gary Wilson (wk), 7 Mark Adair, 8 Andy McBrine, 9 Craig Young / Simi Singh, 10 Boyd Rankin, 11 Tim Murtagh

Pitch and conditions

Another lush green offering has been served up at Lord’s, which may give Root a restless night given how strokeless he was rendered on a similar deck in the World Cup final – that one was two-paced and sticky, and favoured the slower seamers. The weather is set fair for at least the first three days, with a threat of rain at this stage for Saturday.

Stats that matter

• This will be the first home England Test match since the 2005 Ashes – 89 Tests ago – in which Alastair Cook has not featured, and the first since August 2006 in which he has not opened the batting.
• This will also be the first Test match to feature numbers on the back of England’s shirts – the captain, Joe Root, will be wearing 66.
• Joe Denly will be making his first appearance in a home Test match, almost a decade after he made his ODI debut in Stormont against an Ireland that still features three of the same names.

Quotes

“It’s right up there – if not the pinnacle for everything that’s been achieved for the last while for Irish cricket. We have got quite a few World Cups under our belt, little things like that. They have been pretty big occasions, but getting to Test cricket and then having the
opportunity to play here at the home of cricket is a pretty special thing.”
Will Porterfield on a special occasion for Irish cricket“They are a side that have always performed well, probably over-performed at times, I hope that doesn’t sound that I am underestimating them or not giving them a fair shout – they have upset sides like England in previous World Cups and they ran us close in the one-day format at the start of the year … it is great for the game that sides like Ireland are getting a chance in this format and I think they have earned the right to get this
fixture. “