All posts by h716a5.icu

A teenage trickster from Afghanistan, an explosive opener of indigenous Australian descent, a fast-bowling allrounder from Barbados who currently lives in England, and two highly promising Indian players

Nagraj Gollapudi28-Jan-20184:33

Agarkar: Archer was going to command such a price

Jofra Archer – Rajasthan Royals (USD 1.125 million)Jofra Archer announced his arrival in the Big Bash League with a double-wicket maiden on debut for the Hobart Hurricanes and ended the season as the find of the tournament. Archer is a right-arm fast bowler who consistently clocks close to 150kph. Franchise scouts have kept an eye on the Bajan, who plies trade at Sussex, and point out that he isn’t just extremely quick but also a complete fast bowler. Pace, swing and variety make Archer dangerous in all phases of a T20 innings.Archer, who is 22, is a brilliant fielder and a character to the boot. His silent celebration after taking a stunning return catch of Ben Cutting in his follow-through generated awed applause from not just fans but even fellow cricketers. When in the mood, he can also hit big, and scouts believe he can turn into a decent allrounder if he puts some work into his batting. At Royals, Archer is likely to slot straight into the first XI.Numbers: Archer’s economy rate in the last two overs of innings in this season’s BBL was 6.92. He bowled 26 balls in this crucial period, taking five wickets and only giving away three boundaries.Ishan Kishan – Mumbai Indians (USD 968,000)In 2016-17, Jharkhand wicketkeeper-batsman Ishan Kishan smashed 273 against Delhi in the Ranji Trophy, hitting a stirring 14 sixes. Domestic bowlers and coaches talk about the sound that Kishan’s bat makes when it tonks the ball to all parts. Kishan is rated among the best young wicketkeeper-batsmen in India, a group that also includes Rishabh Pant. Both are left-hand batsmen, and both hit a lot of sixes. There’s also a sense of a baton being passed down since Kishan plays for the same state as MS Dhoni.Mumbai might feel they could have netted Kishan for less – possibly around half a million dollars – but his price was driven up by rival franchises, particularly since the defending champions were desperate for a wicketkeeper who can bat in the top order and possibly left-handed. Mumbai had opted not to bid for Parthiv Patel, who has kept wickets and opened for them in recent seasons. While valuing Parthiv for his experience, Mumbai were bothered by Parthiv’s inability to hit out outside the Powerplay overs and bat at least halfway through an innings. All this made Kishan the most suitable choice. He was Mumbai’s second-most expensive player at the auction behind the uncapped allrounder Krunal Pandya.Numbers: Kishan had a strike-rate of of 145.98 in eight innings in the recently concluded Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (domestic T20 tournament).Getty ImagesD’Arcy Short – Rajasthan Royals (USD 625,000)A left-handed opener who combines consistency with a high strike-rate: in short, D’Arcy short has ticked all the boxes that franchises look for in a prospective signing. Short’s quick runs at the top of the order is one of the main factors behind the Hurricanes’ run to the Big Bash semi-finals this season.What singles out Short is his phenomenal ball-striking ability. Against fast and slow bowling, Short stands with a still head and times the ball cleanly, and with a fluency that is eye-catching. Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting, the head coach at Delhi Daredevils, had recently predicted Short would be a key player at the IPL auction. Ponting was not far off the mark with Royals bidding hard to buy him.Short is a also complete T20 package: a top batsman who is a safe and brilliant fielder and capable of bowling left-arm wristspin. Given the form he is in, the Royals management will have a difficult decision to make with regards to who to leave out among Short, Archer, Steven Smith, Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes.Numbers: Short has set the record for the most runs scored by a batsman in a BBL season. He was the first to cross the 500 mark for a season. His unbeaten 122 against the Brisbane Heat is also the highest individual score in BBL history.K Gowtham – Rajasthan Royals (USD 968,000)Like Washington Sundar, Gowtham is an offspin-bowling allrounder. Unlike Sundar, Gowtham can hit the ball hard and out of the ground. Gowtham is 29 and plays domestic cricket for Karnataka. Mumbai Indians signed him last year for INR 1.5 crore (USD 236,000 approx). Mumbai wanted him back, but were not willing to cross the limit they had set for Gowtham during the auction.Though not a big spinner of the ball, Gowtham can defend or be aggressive. He is capable of batting at any position, and the Royals could be tempted to push him up the order as a pinch-hitter.Numbers: In the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy this season, Gowtham’s economy rate was 6.5 or less in four of the seven matches he played for Karnataka. As a T20 batsman his career strike rate is 159.79.Mujeeb Zadran – Kings XI Punjab (USD 625,000)Ask him if he is an offspinner or a legspinner and Mujeeb Zadran will tell you he can bowl the offbreak, the carrom ball, the legbreak, the googly, and any other variation you want. It is no shop talk. Mujeeb, who comes from the eastern Afghanistan province of Khost, is only 16, but has managed to befuddle batsmen in Under-19 tournaments with his trickery. What puts instant doubt in the batsman’s mind is the inability to read Mujeeb’s action. That is the same reason behind his compatriot Rashid Khan becoming the world’s best wristspinner in T20 cricket.Another unique fact of Mujeeb’s bowling is that he has predominantly bowled with the new ball. He also became the first international cricketer born in the 21 century when he played for Afghanistan against Ireland in December and won the Man-of-the-Match award on debut. He has also been one of the match-winners for Afghanistan on their route to the semi-finals of the Under-19 World Cup.With R Ashwin and Axar Patel in their squad, it remains to be seen how Kings XI will use Mujeeb.Numbers: Mujeeb took 4 for 24 on ODI debut for Afbhanistan in December last year.

Well, there goes the FA Cup. Heavy-rotated Liverpool were deservedly beaten by Plymouth Argyle, bottom of the Championship, to close up premature murmurings of the quadruple.

Such talk was only ever going to be a hindrance and Liverpool will now have a less congested run through the business months of the campaign, but these are feeble excuses that scarcely detract from a dreadful display.

Arne Slot will be dismayed that his attempts at reshuffling – after the Champions League tie against PSV Eindhoven – have ended in defeat once again, this time resulting in the first competition exit of the campaign.

Ten changes were made and Curtis Jones and Darwin Nunez were the only recognised senior players among the substitutes. It was a wretched 1-0 defeat, but not quite so unexplainable as the surface would suggest.

How Liverpool were beaten by Plymouth

Slot’s decision to enforce wholesale changes was always going to knock the finely crafted cohesion out of kilter. Signs of this were showcased in Holland, but Slot, so rarely ruffled in the face of adversity, got this one wrong.

Even though Liverpool shuffled the pack, there’s no excusing the performances of the prized members on the field. The caveat was that Liverpool’s leader still fielded a frontline with abundant talent. Diogo Jota was flanked by Federico Chiesa and Luis Diaz, and Harvey Elliott was tasked with applying creative support from behind.

Those forwards managed to hit the target just once between them, as per Sofascore, Plymouth goalkeeper Conor Hazard coming up trumps with a fine save from Jota before spectacularly parrying substitute Darwin Nunez’s header.

All flattered to deceive, none will be confident over their starting berths heading into the crunch months of the term. It was a match that has turned a glaring spotlight on Diaz, whose long-term future at Anfield has already been subject to speculation.

Chalkboard

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

Luis Diaz's performance in numbers vs Plymouth

Notable omissions: Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah. Of course, the dearth of Liverpool first-team regulars at Home Park was far greater but the absence of these two in-form forwards was keenly felt against The Pilgrims.

Ryan Hardie returned a salute to the euphoric host crowd as he calmly dispatched a second-half penalty to clinch the game. The only goal of the game was a by-product of Elliott’s leap inside the box, attempting to block a hoofed connection but meeting the ball with a flailing arm.

Elliott’s chances to impress under Slot’s wing have been limited, fracturing his foot in September to ruin his chances of building on a productive finish to the Jurgen Klopp era and since scraping for chances.

But the 21-year-old playmaker did himself few favours against the second tier’s bottom-placed side, criticised by Liverpool writer Leanne Prescott, who said that the midfielder had “had a shocker” against Plymouth.

Luckily for him though, he’s got many years ahead of him to put things right. The same perspective candidly doesn’t stand for Diaz, who was branded with a lowly 4/10 match rating by The Liverpool Echo’s Ian Doyle, lamented for his ‘inconsistent involvement’ and failure to overcome the home side’s physicality.

Diaz’s electric pace and mazy dribbling skills have made him an effective centre-forward for Slot over the past several months of the game, enabling Gakpo and Salah to seek out hordes of goals. We’ve seen such an attacking system at Liverpool before.

But you have to wonder whether he is producing the goods at the level that his skill set demands. Diaz is not Roberto Firmino, and neither is he Liverpool’s first-choice left winger any more, with the 25-year-old Gakpo striking at a prolific rate.

As per Sofascore, the Colombian saw plenty of the ball – taking 61 touches – but failed to make much of his chances, firing just one shot all game, which was blocked, creating one key pass, winning just four of nine duels and losing possession 14 times, having also failed to chip in with any recorded defensive contributions (tackles, interceptions, clearances).

One Liverpool content creator even remarked that Diaz “again looked useless” for the Premier League leaders, struggling to prove that he can take matches by the scruff of the neck on his own accord.

Looking at the larger picture, Diaz ranks among the bottom 28% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for assists and only the top 26% for progressive carries and successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref. He could be doing more with the tools at his disposal, for sure.

Given that Diaz is about to enter the penultimate year of his Liverpool contract having also turned 28 last month, questions are going to be made regarding his future in the Liverpool squad, with Barcelona known to have a long-standing interest in the Spanish-speaking star.

24/25

33

12

3

23/24

51

13

5

22/23

21

5

3

21/22

26

6

5

Moreover, Liverpool were at least intrigued by the possibility of signing Newcastle United’s Anthony Gordon last summer before mulling over a winter move for Khvicha Kvatakskhelia before the Georgian sensation transferred from Napoli to Paris Saint-Germain.

This all points toward Diaz leaving. He’s popped up with some big moments this season and has scored 12 goals against all competitions, but the £55k-per-week ace has also blanked across 17 of the 22 Premier League fixtures he’s played in this term and has indeed seen his left-wing spot swiped from him by Gakpo, a robust talent who doesn’t look likely to fade into obscurity any time soon.

Ultimately, Slot made his priorities clear by enforcing so many alterations in the FA Cup. Remember, the Reds have just reached the Carabao Cup final with an emphatic win over Tottenham and could extend the gap at the top of the Premier League to nine points with victory in next Wednesday’s Merseyside derby.

But this one stings all the same and serves as a stark reality to the calibre of some of Slot’s more peripheral members.

Diaz is not a player on the Liverpool fringes, however, and is beginning to change the narrative around his place in the squad. It might be worth cashing in while FSG still can, and then directing the bucks toward a new, Slot-picked replacement.

Slot has hit gold on Liverpool "superstar" who's worth more than Gakpo

He’s one of the biggest unsung heroes of this high-flying Liverpool team.

ByAngus Sinclair Feb 7, 2025

Dimuth Karunaratne has gone from regularly being on the verge of getting dropped to becoming one of Sri Lanka’s most consistent batsmen of 2017 – and shown the stomach for a fight while at it

Andrew Fidel Fernando in Colombo06-Aug-20171:50

Dasgupta: Despite loss, this Test should give SL hope and confidence

When play begins on day four, Dimuth Karunaratne is in the nineties, and he is tentative. Of that there is little doubt. Second ball, he is beaten by a Mohammed Shami ball that straightens. Four overs later, a similar Shami delivery beats another of his drives. At the other end, where Ravindra Jadeja is bowling, deliveries fizz past his inside edge, and make conniving lunges at his stumps. He taps one tamely to short leg, but is dropped. He flicks, he scratches, he survives, he fights. For once, it was not for his place.So much of Karunaratne’s past 18 months have been an exercise in dodging the drop. Having made one half-century in four innings in New Zealand in December 2015, he went to England, collected scores of 0, 7, 9 and 26 in the first two Tests, before hitting 50 and 37 not out in the draw at Lord’s. While team-mates had the party of their lives against Australia last year, he averaged 6.83 across the three Tests, then scored heavily against Zimbabwe in the next series to ensure he was kept around. A bleak South Africa tour was absolved by his 212 for Sri Lanka A against the visiting England Lions, and later, scores of 30, 32 and 7 in the first three innings against Bangladesh was followed up by a fourth-innings 126 at the P Sara Oval.At times he is almost pranking the selectors, who have gained a reputation for devouring careers whole. Just when Karunaratne has tied himself up with strings of low scores and the selectors having fired up their chainsaw, he blows a dustbowl-hundred in their face, and lopes off laughing. Just when they feel they have him cornered in an alleyway, he cloaks himself with a gritty half-century and they assault someone else instead. The likes of Kaushal Silva and Milinda Siriwardana have been cut down while Karunaratne has had a consistent run. Dhananjaya de Silva top scored against Australia, and only barely makes his way into this XI.No one, however, can say that Karunaratne’s dodging has not been artful. The century against Bangladesh came on an always-testing P Sara track, after Sri Lanka had given up a first-innings lead of 129. He was the only Sri Lanka batsman to hit a half-century at the Wanderers too, where the ball had basically leapt off a length and done mocking circuits of his team-mates before seeking out the edge of the bat and then a pair of hands in the cordon. His place had not been in question when he played his 152 in Christchurch, but with Sri Lanka following-on on a green deck, and Trent Boult and Tim Southee in smouldering form, there was adversity – the kind that seems to coax the best from this batsman.Karunaratne earned his sixth Test hundred against two top spinners on a turning track•Associated PressIt is possible that this 141 on a spin-bowling inferno was of even higher quality than that New Zealand knock. The ball here was basically turning out of the next district. Even off the straight, at times, it pounced and hissed and snarled. Against R Ashwin, the top-ranked offspinner on the planet, Karunaratne took 63 off 123 balls, playing intently for the straighter one, rarely failing to pick the carrom ball, and – crucially – refusing to let the balls that spat past his bat bother him. To the top-ranked left-arm spinner Jadeja, he gave a little more respect, and also two chances. But he had fearlessly reverse-swept Jadeja against the turn, in the first half of his knock. From him, Karunaratne collected 30 off 70. Through many challenges here – presented by the hopeless match situation, as well as the spinners and pitch – Karunaratne’s positivity persisted. Only in those tetchy nineties, with a hundred already having been missed in this series, did Karunaratne’s innings become laboured.”It was a special innings that Dimuth played,” captain Dinesh Chandimal said after the match. “As an opener we expect that kind of innings from him, so we’re very happy with that knock on a very tough deck like this one. Of the innings that I’ve seen over the last three or four years, this was one of the best – both from our team and from the opposition. I think he always goes to the crease looking to score runs, and that must have helped him get these runs.”From the edge selector’s abattoir to “one of the best” – it has been a narrative-changing year for Karunaratne. Less than six months after he was forced to play for his place in that Sri Lanka A series, he has now become Sri Lanka’s most consistent batsman of 2017. With 614 runs at an average of 43.85, he is the third-highest run-scorer for the year. With some luck, and with seven further Tests to come before the year ends, it could turn out to be a long-awaited coming of age.As it was in this innings, so it has been through his career. Karunaratne has flicked, he has scratched, and by some magic he has survived. But when he fights, it is not for his place.

Kohli’s 189-run third-wicket stand with Ajnikya Rahane was also the third-highest ODI stand for any wicket against South Africa

Bharath Seervi01-Feb-2018Virat Kohli scored yet another hundred in a chase, his 20th, 18th in a successful chase and 33rd of his career. This was his first in South Africa and with that he completes a unique set.Virat Kohli now has ODI centuries in all countries he has played•ESPNcricinfo LtdHe has played in nine countries, all full-members, and has centuries in all of them. Sachin Tendulkar and Sanath Jayasuriya are the only other players to score centuries in nine of the first ten full-member nations. Tendulkar did not manage a century in West Indies and Jayasuriya in Zimbabwe. Kohli misses one in Pakistan where he has not played yet.Kuldeep, Chahal beat all others
Kuldeep Yadav with his career-best 3 for 34 and Yuzvendra Chahal’s 2 for 45 halted the South Africa batting. They picked 5 wickets in their 20 overs conceding just 79 runs at an economy of 3.95. All other Indian bowlers managed just one wicket in 30 overs giving 187 runs, at economy of 6.23. The two wristspinners gave only four boundaries while others conceded 23 of them. This was also only the second time India spinners picked five or more wickets against South Africa in South Africa.ESPNcricinfo LtdSouth Africa’s spinners were incomparable to India’s spinners. They bowled 12 overs, conceded runs at 6.21 and picked no wickets. Imran Tahir, the wristspinner, gave 51 runs in his 10 overs and part-timers JP Duminy and Aiden Markram bowled four overs between them for 36 runs, economy of nine.Ajinkya Rahane’s record run
The 79 in the first ODI is his fifth-consecutive fifty for Ajinkya Rahane. Before this, he had hit four fifties in last four ODIs against Australia at home. He is only the third batsman to hit five consecutive fifty-plus scores for India. Kohli did this twice, in 2012 and 2013, and Sachin Tendulkar in 1994. Rahul Dravid had also done it, which had one fifty for Asia XI.Kohli and Rahane shared 189 runs for the third wicket which is the third-highest for any wicket against South Africa. This is also the highest third-wicket stand by any pair against South Africa going past the 180 added by Martin Guptill and Ross Taylor in Hamilton last year.South Africa’s success streak ends
South Africa had won 17 consecutive ODIs at home before this loss. Their last defeat at was about two years back against England. Since then they won three ODIs against England, one against Ireland, handed 5-0 whitewashes to Australia and Sri Lanka and 3-0 against Bangladesh. This was also their first loss against India in Durban. They had won all of the previous six encounters with India.

Having done it twice in Rawalpindi, he stepped up once again in Dhaka, this time in Jaker Ali’s company

Mohammad Isam23-Oct-2024Mehidy Hasan Miraz projects an air of confidence, perhaps even bravado, when he walks to the crease. He thrusts his chest out, and his eyes in his stance are wide.Early in his innings, though, the viewer doesn’t always share that confidence. He plays the odd airy drive, followed by one or two shadow-leaves. Then he’ll leave the ball a few times, before edging one through the slips or driving uppishly past point. When his team is tottering at 26 for 6 or 112 for 6, your nerves are in shreds.Once you start to get used to Mehidy’s batting – scratchy at the start before rapidly gaining in solidity – you understand the confidence he projects. His footwork and strokeplay become assured. An air of calm descends, much needed in a Bangladesh batting line-up that keeps collapsing.Related

Mehidy pulls up Bangladesh's top order after home Test defeat to South Africa

Taijul's light shines bright even as Shakib shadow looms large

Mehidy 87*, Jaker 58 help Bangladesh fight back on truncated third day

Maharaj credits Tamim for helping him work out the Dhaka pitch

Mehidy is batting on 87 after the third day of the first Test against South Africa, his highest score in 2024. It’s his fourth fifty this year, all made from Nos. 8 or 7. He is Bangladesh’s highest run-scorer in 2024, having overtaken Mominul Haque to that position, and now averages above 50 this year.Time after time, Mehidy has walked into difficult situations and built big stands. In Dhaka, he came in at 106 for 5 in the third innings, which quickly became 112 for 6. From there, he proceeded to add 138 for the seventh wicket with Jaker Ali. When Litton Das was sixth out on the third morning, caught behind off Keshav Maharaj, Bangladesh had no hope. They were 90 runs away from avoiding an innings defeat, and that was a good measure of the distance between the two sides over the first two days and a bit at the Shere Bangla National Stadium.When Jaker joined Mehidy, nobody really expected a repeat of Rawalpindi. On that historic Pakistan tour, Mehidy had featured in two landmark seventh-wicket stands – with Mushfiqur Rahim and then Litton – to turn the fate of successive Tests. The partnership with Litton came in a particularly precarious situation, with Bangladesh 26 for 6.This situation wasn’t dissimilar. Bangladesh were fortunate that they had Jaker, a debutant but a specialist batter, joining Mehidy at the crease. The seventh-wicket pair didn’t look scratchy for long, and quickly understood the pace of the wicket. Jaker later said that they knew they didn’t have to do too much but just stick around and get settled at the crease.”It was a crucial moment in the morning, we had lost three quick wickets,” Jaker told the host broadcaster . “We planned to bat normally. We didn’t want to think about what had just happened. We just tried to stick to our process. We didn’t want to rush. Our plan was simple. I am a specialist batter but I am batting down the order. He believed in me.”Jaker comes with a strong reputation as a middle-order batter in domestic cricket but was under pressure after a rash dismissal in the first innings. It had played on his mind, which Mushfiqur had picked up in the team hotel on the second evening. Mushfiqur reassured Jaker, and Jaker reminded himself of the senior pro’s words when he batted in the second innings. He made 58 off 111 balls, hitting seven fours.Jaker Ali scored a half-century on Test debut•AFP/Getty Images”[Getting the fifty] was a special moment, especially this being my first Test,” Jaker said. “Mushfiq actually calmed me down last night. He said don’t worry about the runs. I made only two in the first innings, so he said that I should enjoy my Test debut. He kept saying that I should bat in my own process. If I get out in my own process, it will be okay. This was my plan. I wanted to stick to my plan, and if I get out, I will be okay.”Mehidy had told Jaker one other thing.”He just told me we are going to have a big partnership,” Jaker said. “‘You just stay focused. Bat normally.’ I think we were mentally ready, and then we enjoyed the pressure moment.”That wasn’t arrogance from Mehidy, but just the confidence of a man who has seen this situation play out before. Mehidy is aware of the fragility of this Bangladesh top six, and knows how important he is with the bat.Mehidy is reaping the rewards of a long training period in May and June, when he wasn’t involved in Bangladesh’s T20 World Cup campaign or its build-up. He also got a chance to have an off-season in July and August, before the tour of Pakistan. He didn’t score too many runs in the two Tests in India, but he remains in form, as Dhaka has shown.It’s a blessing for a Bangladesh side that has struggled for top-order contributions. There have been no century partnerships for the first two wickets this year, and only two half-century stands. There have been three century stands for the seventh wicket, meanwhile, and Mehidy has featured in all three.Thanks to the latest of them, Bangladesh find themselves leading by 81 at the end of day three in Dhaka, with Mehidy still at the crease. There’s some rain forecast, but if he can coax the last three wickets to extend that lead to at least 150, Bangladesh can start hoping again. It is a bit of a stretch, but if anyone in this line-up can pull off such a feat, it’s most likely going to be Mehidy.

Yuvraj Singh has thrilled fans over the years. Which of his ODI performances is your favourite?

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Jun-2017

The captain has been India’s kingpin at No.3 in ODIs, but he sees a new role for himself now that the cavalry has arrived

Nagraj Gollapudi at Old Trafford04-Jul-2018Should Virat Kohli, the king of chases in ODIs, bat anywhere other than one-down in next year’s World Cup? It is a no-brainer, you might assume, considering Kohli has scaled unrivalled peaks in the 50-over format when chasing down targets from his habitual No.3 position.But the king now wants to empower the rest of his cavalry, so that in any given situation, other Indian batsmen will be able to perform different roles with equal aplomb. In a chat on Tuesday evening with the Sky Sports presenter Ian Ward, Kohli said India cannot afford to be “one-dimensional” anymore, having just watched Kuldeep Yadav and KL Rahul silence England in the first match of the T20I series.Rahul, who blasted a century in his very match in England, had been promoted to that No. 3 position, the first experiment of a “phase”, leading up to the World Cup, in which the Indian think-tank wanted to try out new guys in different positions.Since he took over as India’s captain in January 2017, Kohli has looked for players who can force the issue and create panic in the opposition. Rahul is high on that list, although he has been unlucky to miss out on recent opportunities due to injuries. Nevertheless, every time he has been fit, he has been part of the Indian squad.Despite sitting in the dug-out on Tuesday, Kohli was as impressed as the India fans at Old Trafford by Rahul’s dazzling strokeplay, which he described as “unbelievable” and “so clean, so crisp”.Now he wants Rahul to strengthen his spot in the middle order. “We want guys like him to step up and bat even more strongly, so we have flexibility for the other guys to move around and play with more freedom and go up and down the order,” Kohli said. “We don’t want to be one-dimensional. This guy the way he is batting, he gives us so much flexibility and allows the other guys to bat the way they want to around him. As you saw there, he has great shape, he has good technique, he has got a great temperament. And he is very hungry. He was very hungry today.”In his post-match analysis on ESPNcricinfo, VVS Laxman noted that it was a selfless move by Kohli to allow Rahul to play the No. 3 role that the Indian captain had made his own. Kohli, however, pointed out it was actually a strategic move.And even if might not work all the time, he wanted the youngsters to know that senior players like him and MS Dhoni would be the “cushion” for them to play their role with freedom.”I am batting 4. I used to bat 3. It allows me to control the innings a bit more, when you have someone as good as KL in the Powerplay, the minute he gets in or after that as well, he just keeps going after the bowlers, knowing that he has senior batsmen behind him.”That sort of mindset is something that we want these youngsters to experience and just go and play free cricket and be fearless. Absolutely enjoy themselves in the middle. The way he batted and the way Kuldeep bowled is exactly how we want them to play. There are going to be days when it is not going to come off, but we don’t want them to chase their mindset. We want to be that cushion behind them that sort of gives them the freedom to go out and express themselves.”

It’s just been one thing after another for Arsenal this season.

Just as fans were coming to terms with the news that Gabriel Martinelli would spend some time on the sidelines following the knock he picked up against Newcastle United, news broke, revealing that Kai Havertz had picked up a hamstring injury in Dubai.

The German international is now set to miss the rest of the season, meaning Mikel Arteta’s attacking options are perilously thin.

However, to help ease the blow and prevent the remaining attackers from being played into the ground, the manager could and should turn to one of the academy’s best players this term.

The latest on Arsenal's injury crisis

While the likes of Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu are still out of action, the latter for quite some time, the major crisis for Arsenal is in attack, as they are missing four of the six first-team forwards they started the campaign with.

Bukayo Saka, who has nine goals and 13 assists this season, was the first to go down, suffering a hamstring injury against Crystal Palace in late December that required surgery and is set to keep him out until mid-March at the very earliest.

A few weeks after the Hale End icon was ruled out, Gabriel Jesus suffered an ACL injury in the FA Cup defeat to Manchester United that will keep him out of action until next year.

Before his injury, the Brazilian centre-forward had racked up a reasonable haul of seven goals and two assists in 27 games.

Then, it was Martinelli, who has seven goals and four assists this season, who went down with another muscular injury, although the good news, if you can call it that, is that he should be back in action by early April at the latest.

Havertz

34

15

5

Saka

24

9

13

Martienlli

35

7

4

Jesus

27

7

2

Total

38

24

Finally, Havertz is the latest forward to suffer from a hamstring injury and is set to miss the rest of the campaign, which is a serious problem; as for all the criticism he receives, the German is the team’s top scorer, with 15 goals and five assists to his name this season.

Altogether, Arsenal’s injured attackers have scored 38 goals and provided 24 assists so far this season, so it would be apt to describe the current situation as a crisis, one which might require Arteta to play one of the academy’s best players this season to ensure the likes of Ethan Nwaneri, Leandro Trossard and Raheem Sterling aren’t overplayed and injured as well.

The Hale End star who has to play this season

Fortunately, with players like Khayon Edwards, Ismeal Kabia, Andre Harriman-Annous, and Charles Sagoe Jr, Arsenal have several promising youth stars who can potentially provide cover for the injured first-teamers.

However, suppose the manager wants someone to step up from the youth teams and potentially make an instant impact.

In that case, he might be better off calling up Nathan Butler-Oyedeji, as, unlike some of the other options, he has just turned 22, so the physical demands of senior football should be less of a step-up.

Moreover, while he hasn’t exactly impressed on his previous loan spells, he has been in electric form for the academy this season.

For example, in just 13 games, totalling 1126 minutes, the “dangerous” attacker, as dubbed by journalist Layth Yousif, has scored eight goals and provided six assists.

Appearances

13

Minutes

1126′

Goals

8

Assists

6

Goal Involvements per Match

1.07

Minutes per Goal Involvement

80.42′

That means the 5 foot 10 dynamo is averaging a goal involvement every 0.92 games, or in other words, every 80.42 minutes, which is a pretty impressive rate of return regardless of the level.

In The Pipeline

Ultimately, Arteta shouldn’t be looking to hand Butler-Oyedeji a ton of minutes over the coming months, but given the situation the club find themselves in, he should be giving him enough to ensure the rest of the first team are not completely run into the ground in Havertz’s absence.

Arsenal flop is now outscoring Trossard after leaving on a free transfer

The talented forward is still well-liked at Arsenal.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Feb 12, 2025

Saad Nasim, captain of the Lahore Blues, continued his stellar form, scoring his second hundred in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy

30-Oct-2017FATA claim their first winFATA finally got a torrid campaign off the mark with their first win, for which they had to wait six matches. The 31 year-old opener Mohammad Naeem set his side up in both innings, scoring 70 and 65 as FATA scored 275 and 234 to set Karachi Whites a daunting (on these pitches, anyway) target of 249.Much depended on one-time Pakistan international Faisal Iqbal, who had dragged his team to 261 in the first innings with an unbeaten 100. But he fell for a golden duck, a victim of fast bowler Sajjad Hussain, who took 6 for 75 and toppled Karachi Whites for 141. It might be too late for FATA to mount a resurgence, but there’s never a bad time to notch up a win.The innings that lasted one ballWe’ve all heard of short fourth innings, and to have one at the Quaid-e-Azam trophy, where the pitches have been called into question by none other than Misbah-ul-Haq wasn’t a surprise. But a one-ball innings?It all began with Lahore Blues taking a first-innings lead of 188, thanks to their in-form captain Saad Nasim, who has put in several stunning all-round performances this season. He scored 121 – his second hundred of the campaign. Then his side dismissed Faisalabad for 188, meaning at the end of three innings, the scores were level.That meant the Blues batsmen needed to come out for a target of 1. It was as pure a formality as could be imagined on a cricket field, and Waqas Saleem treated it as such, smashing the first ball for four to wrap up a ten-wicket win.SSGC lose ground to SNGCPFawad Alam-captained Sui Southern Gas Corporation (SSGC) were on top of Pool A, one point ahead of Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGCP) at the start of the round. But while SNGCP completed a 206-run win over National Bank of Pakistan, SSGC could only manage a draw against Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA). The contest boasted several high-profile names, including Wahab Riaz, Salman Butt, Zulfiqar Babar, Mohammad Asif, and Kamran Akmal, but produced the only stalemate of the round.SSGC batted first and scored 270, with Asif taking four wickets. They managed a lead of 56 with 26-year old seamer Azhar Attari taking five wickets. In the second innings, SSGC were 330 for 8 – Sami Aslam (84) and Awais Zia (92) the chief contributors – when the game came to its end. The result means SNGCP lead pool A, five points clear of SSGC.Fawad watchThe left-hander struck his third fifty-plus score of the season season, but following his 63 in the first innings he was caught for 20 while the rest of his team-mates had fun pushing the total to 330. Considering the Pakistan selectors’ powers of indifference, he will have to do a lot more to catch their eye.

Alastair Cook marked his farewell Test innings with a hundred at The Oval. The cricket world and beyond shared their tributes on Twitter

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Sep-2018

That was a very very special moment … All of us who are privileged to be here today will remember that forever … #Cook #100 … If any person deserves that send off it’s Alastair … Fairytales do happen …

— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) September 10, 2018

Crying like a baby here at the oval and not afraid to admit it #hero

— Niall John O Brien (@niallnobiobrien) September 10, 2018

Bloody hell! Cook 100!

Script written!

Fairytale ending!

Richly deserved having had to face a brand new Duke’s ball for 12yrs!

BRAVO

— Kevin Pietersen (@KP24) September 10, 2018

Congratulations Alastair Cook #Champion Innings

— Saqlain Mushtaq (@Saqlain_Mushtaq) September 10, 2018

Longest standing applause I’ve ever seen! Well done Oval crowd, brilliant Alastair Cook. #FirstAndLast

— Mel 'MJ' Jones (@meljones_33) September 10, 2018

Just seen has got the 100 lad is just quality…good things happen to good people in the end #legend

— Alex Tudor (@alextudorcoach) September 10, 2018

I am part of this piece of history..dropped cookie in his 90s on his debut…now here he is.. what a LEGEND pic.twitter.com/DkhITPocAR

— Harbhajan Turbanator (@harbhajan_singh) September 10, 2018

Thanks for the memories Cookie @englandcricket
A class act !
It certainly was a pleasure to play against you#farmer #greatbloke

— Brett Lee (@BrettLee_58) September 10, 2018

What a way to say goodbye…test No 33 for Alastair Cook, richly deserved! #topclass #Congratulations

— Tom Moody (@TomMoodyCricket) September 10, 2018

Alongside all his achievements as a player and captain – including this, his 33rd Test century – Alastair has inspired thousands of cricket players and fans across our country. He leaves a lasting legacy to British sport and I wish him all the best for the future. #ENGvIND

— Theresa May (@theresa_may) September 10, 2018

Goodbye, Alastair Cook.
We've had our differences, but it would be churlish not to acknowledge your enormous contribution to English cricket.
You made the very best of your abilities, worked ferociously hard, scored a barrel-load of runs & ended on a high. Congratulations. pic.twitter.com/qJpMJKOQRc

— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) September 10, 2018

What an innings Alastair Cook, the only way it could be more fairytale is if with the final delivery he clobbers a six and the ball lands on @piersmorgan

— Jack Whitehall (@jackwhitehall) September 10, 2018

A century in your last innings. And an ovation that looked like it would never end. It was, as Joe Root said, "written in the stars". What a moment for the mighty Alastair Cook.

— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) September 10, 2018

Brilliant ton from Alistair Cook! What a way to go out!! #ENGvsIND

— Jamie Carragher (@Carra23) September 10, 2018

Fairytales do exist….what a farewell. Well played, Cook. Well played. #EngvInd #Respect #Legend

— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) September 10, 2018

YES Chef!!! What an incredible fairytale last innings for one of worlds greatest batsman! He’s been an inspiration and an example to so many! Nobody deserves it more #ThankYouChef

— James Taylor (@jamestaylor20) September 10, 2018

Well done Cooky ..!!
Absolutely Brilliant …..@englandcricket

— Paras Khadka (@paras77) September 10, 2018

Fitting final innings for Alastair Cook. 100 in his last test innings must be a very fulfilling feeling, along the way also becoming the 5th highest run scorer in test history .

— VVS Laxman (@VVSLaxman281) September 10, 2018

Alastair Cook – talented, mentally strong, modest and a team player. Bravo.

— Brian Moore (@brianmoore666) September 10, 2018