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The proposed tournament – with a fourth team participating – could become an annual affair

Daniel Brettig23-Dec-2019India, England and Australia may overturn the delicately balanced global cricket calendar and play an annual limited-overs tournament among themselves – with one other nation – from 2021 onwards, according to BCCI president Sourav Ganguly.In a possible indicator as to how the new BCCI administration would like to see the game’s schedule shape up in the future, Ganguly is reported to have revealed that the Indian board has been in discussion with the ECB and Cricket Australia about staging a four-nation tournament, hosted by rotation, every year. The arrangement could run against the ICC’s intentions – agreed to in principle by member nations earlier this year, albeit with a host of caveats – to add an extra 50-over tournament to the ICC events cycle beginning in 2023, so there is a global event providing revenue to member nations in each year of the cycle.”Australia, England, India and another top team will feature in the Super Series, which begins in 2021, and the first edition of the tournament will be played in India,” Ganguly was quoted as saying by Kolkata-based newspapers at an event organised by a fantasy cricket app over the weekend. This was soon after he had returned from a trip the UK along with BCCI secretary Jay Shah and treasurer Arun Singh Dhumal to meet ECB officials.ALSO READ: Earl Eddings – from the frying pan into the fire?Other details for the event purportedly include potential windows for each of the three nations to host it – October/November for India, September for England and October/November or February/March for Australia.There have been plenty of discussions lately about the future shape of the global game, with CA chair Earl Eddings and chief executive Kevin Roberts recently hosting ICC chief executive Manu Sawhney for a meeting in Melbourne, in addition to Ganguly’s visit to London. Eddings and Roberts are set to sit down with Ganguly and the BCCI in January, during Australia’s ODI tour of India.Some discussion is also believed to have surrounded arrangements for warm-up matches ahead of next year’s men’s T20 World Cup in Australia. It is understood that Australia are currently set to play India and West Indies in two series of warm-up matches ahead of the tournament proper.When contacted about the BCCI’s plans, a CA spokesperson declined to comment. Eddings, however, has previously expressed to ESPNcricinfo his reluctance to see the world’s major financial powers again separate themselves from the rest of member nations, who depend largely upon revenue from ICC events for their financial health, as had taken place in 2014.”I don’t think that did cricket any favours,” Eddings said of the Big Three plan. “I think there’s a balance, you find that balance between looking after your own backyard and understanding your responsibilities as a custodian of the global game, and I think that’s always a challenge.”But certainly we walk into those conversations saying we need to look at bilateral cricket, but we also, as members of the ICC, have a responsibility and accountability to maximise it and make it work for everyone.”

16-year old Naseem Shah charged in without reward after he had Warner caught behind off a no-ball

Daniel Brettig in Brisbane22-Nov-2019Naseem Shah was denied a first Test wicket by the calling of a no ball after the fact, but he had consolation in a generous assessment by David Warner, who made the most of the second chance to bat through day two of the Gabba Test for Australia.”He’s quite skiddy, got a nice fluent action, but he won’t get a harder Test debut than out there and bowl at the Gabba,” Warner said of 16-year-old Naseem. “To keep coming back in, having to back up the overs, that heat. You ask any Test fast bowler who’s played here and had to keep coming back, it’s very challenging out there, and our job as batsmen is to try and keep them coming back. I think he kept his speed up quite a lot throughout the whole day. The back end he cramped up a little bit, but that’s obviously going to happen.”He charged in, and there’s a superstar there. Like when Mohammad Amir came on the scene, the first time, he was rapid and had us all in a pickle. He was a world class bowler, and if you add him to the Test lineup as well, their depth is ridiculous, and having these other young guys like Musa and Hasnain as well, who I faced in the T20s. If Waqar Younis can get a hold of them and get their lines and lengths and their engines going, they’re going to be a force to be reckoned with in the future.”Naseem Shah sends down his first delivery in international cricket•Getty Images

Those words of encouragement were as good as it got for Pakistan on an otherwise barren day, as Warner, Joe Burns and Marnus Labuschagne were so supreme as to prevent the Ashes dominating Steven Smith from even getting a bat. Yasir Shah, who continued his own personal battle to try to find the right way to bowl in Australia, was blunt in assessing how the pace bowlers had used the new ball in the absence of Mohammad Abbas.”The wicket played very differently to the way it did on day one. The kind of moisture we saw wasn’t there,” he said. “We bowled badly with the new-ball. We didn’t use it well. That allowed them to get set and they played well.”We’ll have to see how tomorrow goes. There was a little bit of help later on. I didn’t get too many breakthroughs but there was quite a bit of bounce on offer. Our bowlers have used the second new-ball well. So I hope that we come back tomorrow and bowl well.”Yasir, who may have been close to losing his place for the match, explained how he had tried to experiment with pace and line to find a way past Warner. “I changed and mixed my pace around quite a bit today,” he said. “I bowled slow and also at times a bit fast. You have to do that on these pitches. Your ball can skid with the faster one and bring you a wicket. I tried my best to bowl at one spot, which I’ve done in the past and they played me well.”Today I did the same, but also with some variations and they played me well again. There wasn’t much support from the wicket. It’s just the second day of the Test. You just need to find the right spot from where you can get the ball to jump and get you wickets at short-leg and at close-in positions. And if the ball breaks even a bit off the pitch, there’s a chance of getting an edge to slip.”That’s what I tried but without much success since there wasn’t much turn off the wicket. But I’ll try to do the same tomorrow morning and hopefully it’ll work out.”

On a still-placid track, New Zealand were victims of some incisive Pakistan bowling but let themselves down through some equally inept batting

The Bulletin by Siddhartha Talya09-Jan-2011
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Abdur Rehman strangled New Zealand•Getty Images

What Pakistan inflicted on New Zealand on a dramatic third day in Hamilton was nothing short of an embarassment. On a still-placid track, the hosts were victims of some incisive Pakistan bowling but let themselves down through some equally inept batting, transforming a Test that had been closely-fought on the first two days into a hopelessly one-sided contest in just one session.Pakistan’s build-up to this Test had been hijacked by the spot-fixing hearings in Doha but they managed to infuse plenty of significance to a Test that otherwise appeared as a sideshow. Missing several of their first-choice players, for reasons ranging from allegations of corruption to indiscipline and fitness, Pakistan were propelled to victory on the back of strong performances from their inexperienced players under a fresh captain. Misbah-ul-Haq’s team had held South Africa to two draws in the UAE, but this win, for all the distractions off the field and though against a less prominent opposition, would go miles in restoring some pride after a turbulent few months.For New Zealand, who had challenged India in their Test series there, it marked another low, and a dispiriting start – discounting the Twenty20 series prior to this – to John Wright’s tenure as coach.Pakistan’s lower order, including its bowlers, had played a crucial role in stretching the first-innings lead to 92 after the loss of two early wickets in the day. And the confidence with which they went about extending their team’s advantage with the bat, showed in the way they attacked on the field in the session after tea.While New Zealand dropped catches, Pakistan hardly gave anything away. While New Zealand’s seamers often overpitched to the tailenders, the Pakistan bowlers backed their superior pace by varying their lengths. And while Daniel Vettori was negotiated safely, his left-arm spinning counterpart Abdur Rehman never seemed far from taking a wicket.Rehman was the pick of the Pakistan bowlers in the first innings, strangling New Zealand’s run-flow with a spate of maidens in the session after lunch on the first day. It was no surprise then that Misbah turned to him as early as the ninth over in New Zealand’s second attempt.Rehman doesn’t rely too much on spin but plenty on alterations in place and length. He should have had Brendon McCullum out lbw almost immediately with a quick straighter one, but just an over later he fooled Tim McIntosh, who stepped out to a flighted delivery that was held back, played inside the line and was stumped. The psychological edge he had gained over Martin Guptill in the first innings, tying him down with five straight maidens, reaped rewards in the second, as the batsman top-edged an ill-planned slog-sweep. The icing on the cake was the wicket of Vettori, done in by a bit of turn from the footmarks and trapped plumb.Rehman had been the beneficiary of three dropped catches during his stand of 72 with Adnan Akmal that took Pakistan in to the lead, but, barring an early lapse from Taufeeq Umar at slip, the visitors were ruthless on the field. Ross Taylor had begun his innings with a couple of confident drives but he was unable to beat a direct-hit from Misbah while attempting a risky single. And when Kane Williamson inside-edged Wahab Riaz onto his pads, the spontaneous appeal for an lbw did not distract Azhar Ali at slip from diving low to claim a catch that was later upheld.In the interim, Riaz was fortunate to get a caught-behind decision against McCullum – the ball deflected off his thigh – and his extra pace accounted for Jesse Ryder first ball as he failed to bring his bat down in time against an inswinging yorker. Umar Gul wrapped up the innings; he had debutant Reece Young caught at deep square leg off a short delivery, and then bounced Chris Martin not long after he had completed 100 runs in Test cricket. From 60 for 2, New Zealand collapsed to 110 all out, including losing four wickets for one run and the humiliation was only 19 runs away.New Zealand had tried hard to even things out on the third morning, but as has been the trend throughout this Test, Pakistan pulled them back to surge ahead. Williamson and Southee’s resistance in the first innings ended quickly on the second day, Misbah and Shafiq led the team’s recovery after they had been reduced to 107 for 4, and Adnan’s counterattack today compensated for the early departure of the overnight duo.When the seamers strayed on the pads, Adnan flicked them elegantly to the fine-leg boundary; he cut powerfully when they dropped short and drove when they pitched up. His boundary-filled 66-ball stay not only gave Pakistan the lead but eased the burden off those who followed, and their carefree batting yielded more runs. His approach rubbed off on Rehman, who broke a 30-ball runless drought with two sixes off Vettori, while Gul and Tanvir Ahmed did their bit down the order, including smacking Brent Arnel for 15 in an over. The last four wickets added 111, and by the time Martin claimed Ahmed as his 500th first-class victim, the foundation for victory, as it turned out, had been firmly laid.

On a square turner, Kolkata Knight Riders out-spun Kings XI Punjab to move to become joint leaders on the point table

The Bulletin by Sidharth Monga30-Apr-2011
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were outIqbal Abdulla picked up two big wickets for Kolkata•AFP

On a square turner, Kolkata Knight Riders out-spun Kings XI Punjab to move to become joint leaders on the points table, although the other team, Mumbai Indians, have a game in hand. Iqbal Abdulla and Yusuf Pathan took the big wickets – Adam Gilchrist, Paul Valthaty and David Hussey – for 43 runs in eight overs, exploiting the conditions to the fullest. Eoin Morgan and Gautam Gambhir, two of the best players of spin on show tonight, made sure the chase was smooth.It took Gambhir just the three overs to realise that there was no point offering the batsmen pace on this track. In fact it was a track where even medium-pacer Rajat Bhatia turned his slower legbreaks appreciably. Gambhir’s fielders complemented their slow bowlers, Punjab’s indecisive running compounded their woes. At 22 for 0 after three overs, Abdulla immediately started turning the ball at right angles. Valthaty succumbed to the pressure, hitting Yusuf straight to long-on. Gilchrist, pulled back from 18 off 14 to 26 off 26, looked to manufacture a pull off a length. This was the straighter delivery from Abdulla, and snuck through Gilchrist’s legs.Either side of Gilchrist’s dismissal, Shaun Marsh and Abhishek Nayar were run out: Marsh caught ball-watching when hit on the pad, and Nayar slow off the blocks when trying a tight single. At 53 for 4 in the 10th over, Gambhir’s captaincy shone through. He was not content with the early wickets. Almost every new batsman walked out to a slip and a silly point. Gambhir himself stayed under the helmet.While the wickets didn’t come, they always lurked around the corner. The cautious batsmen couldn’t do much about the poor run-rate. Bhatia cannily played the role of the third spinner, dealing almost exclusively in slower legcutters. The 18 runs off his four overs included four overthrows.A 33-run stabilising stand between Dinesh Karthik and Hussey threatened much, but Abdulla came back to end it in the 15th over. Three overs after he had survived a shout for a plumb lbw, Hussey was now given out to a delivery that could have perhaps slid down the leg side. Karthik nudged and swept his way to 42 off 42, but couldn’t provide that final kick. Only 33 came off the last five overs, which meant that the run-rate never crossed six an over after it slipped under the mark in the seventh over.It was a chase that could have easily gone wrong on a difficult track. Al least it threatened to when Jacques Kallis got out to the first ball of left-arm spin of Bhargav Bhatt, who opened the bowling. Morgan, however, took out whatever enthusiasm the Punjab side might have had. He judged lengths early, moved feet decisively, and his 15-ball 28 made sure there was no run-rate pressure on the rest.Gambhir negated the spinners expertly, showing off his version of quick footwork. Perhaps because he is the captain, he was less flashy than Morgan. He relied on pressing forward, then waiting for the bowler to bowl short for a nudge into the leg side. If the bowler didn’t pitch short, like Piyush Chawla tried, he chipped him well over the infield. With support forthcoming from Manoj Tiwary, the rest was an evening walk at Eden Gardens.

Ravi Bopara, who replaced the injured Eoin Morgan in the England squad, has said that he is ready to seize his opportunity.

Sriram Veera in Bangalore24-Feb-2011Ravi Bopara, who replaced the injured Eoin Morgan in the England squad and is fighting with Michael Yardy for a place in the playing XI, has said that he is not thinking about his competition and is ready to seize his opportunity.”It is a big opportunity to get back into the side,” Bopara said ahead of the game against India in Bangalore. “I have got two opportunities so far, one in the warm-up game and then in the opening match. I haven’t thought about that competition [with Yardy]. I am just trying to do my best in every practice session. If you are doing well in the nets, batting well and bowling well, I have got a good chance of making the side.”Bopara said his IPL experience will stand him in good stead and also spoke about his Ashes debacle in 2009 that cost him his place in the team. “I know what the pitch is likely to do in the subcontinent. IPL has definitely made me a better player and more confident.” It was after the 2009 IPL that he scored the last two of his three successive hundreds against West Indies, but everything went pear shaped for him in the Ashes series that followed. Bopara put his Ashes debacle down to anxiety.”I played that Ashes after scoring three successive 100s and I expected too much from myself and it didn’t work out. I have done a lot of work since Ashes not only on Test cricket but ODIs as well. Playing in different countries makes a massive difference – South African conditions, New Zealand and obviously India. I have not put too much pressure on myself now.”England struggled in their opening game of the World Cup against the Netherlands before squeaking home at the end, Bopara, who made an unbeaten 30 in that game, said England weren’t their “usual self” but can still draw positives from chasing down a big total. “293 is a big score against any side, especially in India where the wickets get slower and lower. It is harder to bat. We batted brilliantly, especially our top [order].” Bopara said his aim was to remain unbeaten and guide England through to the target. “We always knew we were going to win the game but I had to ensure that I was there till the end to finish it off. It does help the confidence. The warm-up against Pakistan also helped. Match practice is the best thing you can get.”He was also realistic enough to recognise that his breezy 30 was not enough to move him up the order. “Obviously I love to bat high up in the team. My ambition is to get higher and higher. At the moment, we are playing well at the top order and it is hard to get in there. To win the World Cup we need the guys at the top to fire.”England play India in Bangalore next and the talk has centred on the number of spinners the hosts might play. Bopara said England won’t fuss about it. “If it is a spinning deck we have got our own spinners who can cause problems. A pitch that spins is going to cause trouble for any team. It is going to cause problems for India as well. And if the conditions don’t suit spin we don’t have to worry about it. We know in places like Bangalore, there can be high totals 270-300.”It is a good wicket to bat on especially against the seamers. It slides on to the bat quite nicely. Last time I played in Bangalore it did not spin. It’s going to be a good game.”

Ross Taylor, the New Zealand batsman, has said it would be “very hard to bet against India” going into the 2011 World Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Dec-2010Ross Taylor, the New Zealand batsman, has said it would be “very hard to bet against India” going into the 2011 World Cup. Despite the absence of several first-choice players, India have dominated New Zealand to run up a 4-0 lead in the ongoing five-match series, prompting Taylor to make his prediction ahead of the last game in Chennai.”The team is young but has experienced players,” Taylor said. “They go in as favourites for the World Cup, not only because of the home conditions but also on account of their experience. They are a very talented bunch of players. Virat Kohli and Praveen Kumar are still inexperienced but they have been very successful in their international careers.”New Zealand were completely outplayed in the first three matches of the series before their batting clicked in Bangalore. That could not stop India from winning, thanks to a blinder from Yusuf Pathan, but Taylor hoped his side would draw from the batting gains and get a consolation win to round off the tour.”We take confidence from our last match when for the first time we really played well,” he said. “We back ourselves to restrict India with the ball as well here. In the last match, we really stood up with a batting performance by posting 315, but we didn’t field as well.”Daniel Vettori and Brendon McCullum are the only guys who have played in India before. For the rest of the side, it is a learning experience. Hopefully it would help our players in the World Cup.”Apart from inexperience, New Zealand’s chances have also been hampered by the inability of their top order to convert its starts, while India have had centuries in each of the four games. Taylor said he hoped to make amends and push on to make a big score in the final game.

In an exclusive interview with The Transfer Tavern, Steve Howey, who made 100 appearances for Manchester City, has claimed that on-loan winger Jack Harrison will want to sign for Leeds permanently.

Harrison is currently on his third successive loan spell with Leeds and after helping them win the Championship title last year, he has been handed his first chance in the Premier League despite signing with Man City in 2018.

The £15,000 per week winger has made 124 appearances under Marcelo Bielsa and it has been reported that Leeds will eventually make his move a permanent one this summer.

Speaking on how much he has been impressed by Harrison this season and if the player will want to stay at Leeds, Howey told The Transfer Tavern:

“He has impressed me because he’s proved himself and he wasn’t going to get an opportunity at City, but he’s been given a chance at Leeds and fair play to him because he’s done brilliantly.

“He’ll be delighted to sign permanently because he’s been there a couple of seasons and now he’s had that first taste of the Premier League he’ll want more, and not only that but playing week in week out helps massively.”

Leeds have impressed going forward this season with their regular front three of Harrison, Raphinha and Patrick Bamford combining to score almost 30 goals.

Before his first loan move to Leeds, Harrison had a spell at Middlesbrough in the Championship but he failed to impress while on Teeside as he managed just four appearances.

Steve Bull has exclusively told Football FanCast that Patrick Bamford could be England’s “wildcard” for this summer’s European Championships.

Despite scoring just one Premier League goal during spells with Burnley, Norwich, Crystal Palace and Middlesbrough, the Leeds striker has taken been in scintillating form for the Elland Road outfit from the get-go this term.

Bamford has struck 14 times in the league this season, including goals against Liverpool, Chelsea and Leicester, with Harry Kane the only player in Gareth Southgate’s current squad to have scored more than the former Chelsea man.

Marcus Rashford, Ollie Watkins, and Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who’ve netted 10, 12, and 14 respectively were all named in the recent squad for World Cup qualifiers against San Marino, Albania and Poland, with Bamford once more overlooked.

However, like he was at the 1990 World Cup, Bull told Football FanCast that Bamford could be England’s secret weapon for the finals:

“I think he’s learning, he’s only a baby in football. He knows where the net is, he’ll shoot from anywhere.

“It’s the same as Watkins, one of them might go as a wildcard.

“They took me to the World Cup as a wildcard, nobody knew who I was. Whether they know Bamford or Watkins or not, one of those two could be the surprise coming off the bench and say ‘come and grab us a goal’.”

For a brief moment earlier this week, it had seemed as if the sport of football that we all know and love was under serious threat.

Six Premier League clubs – Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur – announced their intentions to join a European Super League alongside Real Madrid, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, Juventus, AC Milan and Inter.

This led to a huge backlash from football fans around the world, who were rightly angry at the club’s disregard for loyal supporters, with the decision to join clearly based on the huge financial incentives rather than the benefit of the team.

The various clubs involved were clearly desperate to re-establish themselves as the footballing elite, as it seems remarkable that the likes of Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal were afforded an invitation despite their domestic struggles in recent seasons, as participation was based on finances alone.

Fortunately, thanks to millions of football fans voicing their concerns over the league, as well as the proposed sanctions from UEFA, the clubs were quick to withdraw, with Chelsea and Manchester City among the first to back out of the European Super League.

Thankfully, Man City chairman Sheikh Mansour saw sense and listened to the concerns of fans and players alike, with City talisman Kevin De Bruyne one of many Premier League players to post their feelings about the league on social media.

Considering that UEFA reportedly threatened to kick Manchester City out of the Premier League and Champions League as punishment for their actions, there is no doubt that Pep Guardiola is also delighted with the club’s eventual decision to withdraw, as his side have enjoyed a superb campaign and are on the cusp of glory on three fronts.

The Spaniard voiced his own concerns on the league in a press conference earlier this week, saying (via Sky Sports): “I have said many times, I want the best and strongest competition possible, especially the Premier League

“And it’s not fair if one team fights to make it to the top and then cannot qualify because success is just guaranteed for a few clubs.”

Therefore, considering that UEFA are now unlikely to punish the clubs so harshly now that they have withdrawn, Guardiola will undoubtedly be delighted that his team can get back to focusing on the rest of the season, where they will hopefully earn all the success which comes their way.

In other news… Forget Foden: “Exceptional” Man City beast ran the show at Villa Park

West Ham are leading the race to sign Sam Johnstone this summer, according to emerging reports…

What’s the word?

That’s according to ESPN, who claim that the Irons are the front-runners to land the coveted West Brom goalkeeper due to manager David Moyes previously working with the 28-year-old at Manchester United.

The Red Devils are also said to be interested in bringing him back to the club. with David de Gea’s future in doubt, whilst Spurs are thought to be admirers, too.

Albion are said to value their no.1 shot-stopper at around £18m after an impressive season between the sticks for the Midlands strugglers.

An eye on the future?

It wouldn’t be the biggest surprise to see Moyes sign a new gloveman in the summer as by the time the new season swings around, first-choice goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski will be 36 and his backup, Darren Randolph, will be 34.

Despite his side possessing the worst defensive record in the Premier League, Johnstone has actually been a commanding presence in goal for the Baggies and without him, they’d probably be officially relegated already. At 6 foot 4, he has proven to be one of the division’s best shot-stoppers – hardly a surprise given they face so many attempts each game.

As per FBRef, the £32.5k-per-week Hawthorns star makes 4.27 saves per 90 minutes, the most in the Premier League. And his success-rate of 71.2% ranks slightly ahead of Moyes’ current no.1 (68.5%).

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-latest-west-ham-news-transfer-rumours-and-the-latest-gossip-moyes-gsb-london-stadium” title= “Read the latest West Ham news, transfer rumours, gossip and more!”]

Johnstone has earned high praise throughout the campaign, as a result of his fine performances.

“He’s one of the best [goalkeepers],” explained manager Sam Allardyce to talkSPORT. Whilst Glenn Hoddle told the Evening Standard: “I have seen him four times this year and he has been outstanding.”

He has kept some big names at bay with his imposing stature between the sticks, too – mooted Irons target Danny Ings couldn’t score past him despite two shots, and in that game, Johnstone rated as SofaScore’s top player and similarly, not even Edinson Cavani could find the net either, with the shot-stopper among Albion’s best-performers again.

Recently he was called up to Gareth Southgate’s England squad but did not feature on the pitch, though that is an encouraging sign for him ahead of this summer’s European Championships.

Also lauded as a “diamond” to work with by Steve Bruce, Johnstone would be an interesting candidate to push Fabianski and become Moyes’ next first-choice.

It’s a move that former Hammers man Frank McAvennie would like to see happen too. Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast this week, he said: “I think it would be really good business,” before adding: “It’s right up West Ham’s street.”

GSB, Moyes and the club should absolutely seal a swoop for Johnstone this summer. At £18m, it could prove to be a steal.

AND in other news, West Ham could find perfect Rice replacement in “exceptional” £30m-rated beast…