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Following their gritty fight in the second innings in Dubai, Jason Holder, the West Indies captain, has said his team is confident of dealing with Pakistan at their “fortress” in Abu Dhabi

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Oct-2016

Following their gritty fight in the second innings in Dubai, Jason Holder, the West Indies captain, has said his team is confident of dealing with Pakistan and their key bowler, legspinner Yasir Shah, at their “fortress” in Abu Dhabi. However, they would have to clean up their fielding and bowling going into this Test, he said, and readjust to playing in the daytime.”We are obviously very confident as we played a very good Test match in Dubai and it was very competitive,” Holder said. “We had some great positives coming from that game, and for me, it is just to transfer it to this game. Abu Dhabi maybe a fortress for Pakistan, but we have shown that we can compete in this series.”They have heavily depended on Yasir Shah and I think we coped with him very well. He was not that effective even on a day-five pitch.”Pakistan have not lost in any of the eight Tests they have played at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium, winning four of them. For West Indies to challenge that record, as Holder said, they would have to improve on their catching in the first match, where eventual triple-centurion Azhar Ali was dropped on 17 and again on 190. No-balls were also an issue, particularly for fast bowler Shannon Gabriel, who overstepped 11 times in the game. Fellow pacer Miguel Cummins also bowled two no-balls, even getting a wicket off one – Babar Azam on four in the second innings; he eventually scored 21.”We need to sharpen up on the mistakes we made in the field,” Holder said. “And we should cut out on those no-balls as it cost us. We need to improve on small areas in fielding and tighten up when we bowl, and stick to our plans for lot longer.”The wicket was very good, both sides struggled to get wickets with their seamers. Spinners dominated in the Test. In such a situation, you [as a seamer] have to be very patient and accurate.”The main readjustment with regards to going from a day-night Test to a day Test, Holder said, would relate to the players’ body clock and not the ball. “We are accustomed to the conditions. However, our body needs to get accustomed to the clock, from bowling in the night and the afternoon start. Now, we have [to play] the whole day and it is a small adjustment. Playing red ball from pink will not need any major adjustment.”

Scorecard1:17

Mixed feelings about missing out on record – Gugale

An immense record – the highest partnership in all first-class cricket – could have been broken at the Wankhede Stadium if Swapnil Gugale, Maharashtra’s stand-in captain, had been aware of what he and Ankit Bawne were on the verge of achieving. Their third-wicket stand of 594 was just 30 short of Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jaywardene’s record, when Gugale declared Maharashtra’s inningsMaharashtra had amassed 635 for 2 before the captain – Gugale was leading the team for the first time – decided to give his bowlers five overs at the Delhi batsmen before stumps. He had struck his maiden triple-century – his 351 was the seventh highest score in the Ranji Trophy – and Bawne’s 258 was his first double-century.Gugale said he was made aware of how close they were only after he switched on his phone after play. “I had nearly 100 missed calls and 200 messages,” he told ESPNcricinfo. “It was only as I went through them one by one did I realise we were 30-odd short of the world-record partnership in first-class cricket. So there’s a tinge of regret. Maybe I could have declared after the record, but the decision was mine alone so I can’t complain.”Maharashtra had begun the second morning on 290 for 2 with Gugale and Bawne – on 152 and 120 – having added 249 on the first day. By the end of the innings, Gugale had batted 521 minutes and struck 37 fours and five sixes, while Bawne batted 500 minutes, hitting 18 fours and two sixes. They had added 345 on the second day.” (The Delhi team asked us, ‘aren’t you bored? We are bored of bowling to you guys.’ I said, ‘who gets bored of batting?'”This is a batting beauty to be honest,” Gugale said of the surface. “If you can see off the new ball, batting is a lot easier. If we could bat 170 odd overs, I’m sure we have to be prepared to bowl at least 120 overs. That said, scorecard pressure is a different thing. As a batsman, noticing 600 runs on the scoreboard, it is always in the back of your mind. Even if you are playing, you obviously have to score at a proper rate and that’s not easy on this track. It is a third-day track, you never know when the ball might spin or bounce.”Gugale and Bawne batted together for close to nine hours and put on the highest partnership in the Ranji Trophy, surpassing Vijay Hazare and Gul Mohammad’s 577 for Baroda against Holkar in the 1946-47 final. They had begun with Maharashtra 41 for 2 in the first hour after opting to bat. Gugale also joined Hazare, BB Nimbhalkar and Kedar Jadhav to become only the fourth triple centurion for Maharashtra.It was a significant knock given the circumstances. Gugale had made 11 and 25 in a six-wicket loss to Jharkhand in their Ranji Trophy opener last week, and Maharashtra’s captain Jadhav was unavailable for the second round after being picked in India’s ODI squad for the series against New Zealand. Maharashtra didn’t have a ready replacement. Rohit Motwani, who led them to the final in 2013-14 and to the semi-final a season later, had fallen out of favour.”I was told of the captaincy on the eve of the game,” Gugale said. ” I have a good previous record as captain at Under-19 and Under-25 level. It was a proud feeling as I was not expecting this considering I’m still less than 20 matches old. It was very early. I’ve been a regular for just three seasons. I was surprised, but very happy. Maybe I’ll realise the pressures of captaining only when we are out on the field making things happen. For now it’s all too pleasant.”Frustration has been a common theme in Gugale and Bawne’s careers. From once being considered certainties for India U-19, both were surpassed by their contemporaries. Gugale missed selection in 2010 despite scorching the age-group circuit while Bawne, set to captain India at the 2012 Under-19 World Cup, was pulled out because of a discrepancy in his age, which he says was because of carelessness of the agent who got him his passport. Since then, while they have gone on to make careers with Maharashtra, they have not had any higher recognition.On Friday, Gugale said “everything changed.””I hope this knock pushed me onto the next level in the first-class scene,” he said. “It’s an unbelievable feeling. As cricketers, you want to be recognised. But it’s only when you are recognised that it sinks in. So I’m enjoying this attention. My family and friends have gone crazy. I heard our feat was talked about a lot on Twitter too. The phone hasn’t stopped buzzing. It feels like I’m celebrating Diwali one month early.”

Jason Holder, the West Indies captain, has said he is focused on performing the role assigned to him in the side with bowling as his “first priority”, but has admitted he would prefer batting higher up the order

Karthik Krishnaswamy in St Lucia09-Aug-20163:29

‘I’d love to bat up the order’ – Holder

Jason Holder, the West Indies captain, has said he is focused on performing the role assigned to him in the side with bowling as his “first priority”, but has admitted he would prefer batting higher up the order. Holder has taken 22 wickets in 15 Tests at an average of 44.27 and scored 675 runs at 29.34, with a century and four fifties. So far, he has played all his Tests as a bowling allrounder, and has never batted higher than No. 7.In his most recent Test, against India in Kingston, Holder bowled 34.2 overs, conceding only 72 runs but picking up only one wicket, and scored an unbeaten 64 to help West Indies save the match on the last day.”For me, I just try to do whatever the team requires,” Holder said on the eve of the third Test against India in St Lucia. “Currently, I’m playing as a bowling allrounder, I think my first priority is to bowl. I was very pleased with the way I bowled in the last Test, particularly. I didn’t think I got enough wickets, the wickets column wasn’t as fruitful as I wanted it to be.”Having said that, the beauty about my spell, for me, was remaining patient. I think on another day, you may get two or three more wickets. For me, [it’s important] just contributing to the team’s cause, just make sure every time I bat I score some runs, at least steady the ship. Most of the times, when I’ve batted in recent times, I’ve been under a bit of pressure, I think that brings out the best in me. I like those situations when I am being heavily relied on. You just knuckle down and play a memorable innings.”Ideally, I would love to move up the order and bat higher up for the West Indies in the future. I guess I have to just keep doing my job and when I get the opportunity, make the most of it.”Expecting the pitch in St Lucia to provide pace and bounce, Holder said West Indies were likely to play an extra seam bowler.”If you look at the pitch here, there seems to be a little bit of grass,” Holder said. “There’s a strong possibility that we may have a change in terms of our bowling department, we may think about the extra seamer. That’s pretty much it.”This wicket here, over the years, has played quicker than most pitches in the Caribbean. For me, I think it’s the best cricket pitch in the Caribbean in terms of carry and assistance for the quicker bowlers. So, there’s a strong possibility that you may see an extra seamer.”In West Indies’ second innings in Jamaica, each of the batsmen occupying the four slots from No. 5 to No. 8 went past 50, with Roston Chase scoring an unbeaten hundred. The top order, though, failed – and not for the first time in the series – leaving West Indies 48 for 4 at one stage.”For me, if I look back at the first two Test matches, the difference is that the top order hasn’t really been getting in,” Holder said. “I think they need to work a little harder in getting in. Once they get in, the likes of [Darren] Bravo and [Kraigg] Brathwaite and [Marlon] Samuels, we all know what they can do once they get a start. It’s just about just getting a start, and get themselves going and carry it on from there.”

ScorecardPaul Stirling’s century eased Middlesex to victory•Getty Images

Paul Stirling and Eoin Morgan both scored attractive hundreds as Middlesex eased to a comfortable six-wicket victory against Kent in the Royal London One-day Cup at Lord’s.Stirling hit 112 and Morgan 103 not out as Middlesex chased down Kent’s 50-over total of 238 for 7 with 5.1 overs to spare, but also central to the home side’s success was the brilliant bowling of new-ball pair Steven Finn and Tim Murtagh.Finn, a fearsome prospect particularly in an intimidating opening spell, finished with 2 for 31 from his ten overs while Murtagh even bowled a maiden, his third, in the 46th over of Kent’s innings on his way to figures of 2 for 28.Irishmen Stirling and Morgan put on 214 in 39 overs for the third wicket after Ryan Higgins edged Matt Coles’s first ball to first slip in the second over and Middlesex were reduced to 16 for 2 when Nick Gubbins was caught behind off Mitch Claydon in the fifth over.When Stirling eventually fell, chipping Joe Denly’s leg spin to short extra cover, only nine more runs were needed for victory. Morgan saw Middlesex home at 239 for 4, despite the further loss of George Bailey to Coles. Both Stirling and Morgan struck a six and 13 fours.Both teams came into this South Group tie with two wins from four matches but, for such an important game in the eight-fixture group stage, both also had to do without two players chosen in the England Lions squad for their Tri-Series against the Pakistan and Sri Lanka A teams.Kent’s total, though below-par, was almost entirely due to a fighting third-wicket stand of 135 in 26 overs between Sean Dickson, whose 99 from 126 balls was a career-best in what was only the 24-year-old’s sixth List A appearance, and the veteran Darren Stevens, who scored 61 off 70 balls.Finn deserved more than just the scalp of Kent captain Sam Northeast in a blistering new ball spell of 6-2-13-1. Running in hard from the Pavilion End, he beat Dickson several times early on and almost had him caught at midwicket from a miscued clip off his pads.Northeast, on 2 and trying to work a fast, rising ball to leg, succeeded only in lobbing it back at Finn, who moved to his right and leapt high in his follow-through to take the return catch.Murtagh was also a handful in his own impressive and probing opening spell of 8-2-26-1, and the seamer had Denly lbw for 4 in the third over of Kent’s innings. At 12 for 2, when Finn sent back Northeast, it looked as if Kent – with the England Lions pair of Daniel Bell-Drummond and Sam Billings missing from their top order – were in big trouble.It was a moot point, and one not lost on Kent supporters, whether Bell-Drummond and Billings, despite his magnificent 175 for the Lions against Pakistan A at Canterbury, would have learned more as prospective senior England batsmen had they instead been up against the fiery Finn and the wily Murtagh. Certainly, Kent could have done with Billings’ capacity for explosive run-making in a match central to both teams’ ambitions of earning quarter-final qualification.Middlesex followers, meanwhile, were wondering about the absence from their attack of Toby Roland-Jones, with the in-form fast bowler left out of the Lions team, led by Dawid Malan, chosen to face Pakistan A.Somehow, Dickson and Stevens managed to see off Finn and Murtagh and, against the change bowlers, they began to build their fine partnership. An extraordinary upper-cut six off a suffering James Fuller by Stevens, with a vertical bat, helped to change the momentum of the innings.Stevens also drove Ollie Rayner’s off spin straight for six while Dickson played some quality strokes including a classical off drive for four against left-arm seamer James Franklin and a reverse-slapped boundary against Rayner.When Stevens slog-swept Rayner straight into deep square leg’s hands in the 32nd over, the 40-year-old all-rounder slumped down on his bat in disappointment and Finn’s return, to bowl the 36th and 38th overs, brought Middlesex right back into the game.Dickson, having edged Finn through a vacant first slip to go to 99, chopped the next ball into his stumps and only Alex Blake, with 23, and Callum Jackson, who hit Fuller over long on for six in a 24-ball unbeaten 28, made much impression after that.

أخطر كريم العراقي، لاعب فريق المصري البورسعيدي، إدارة ناديه برغبته في الرحيل بنهاية الموسم الكروي الجاري، في حال عدم حصوله على راتب مُعين.

علم “بطولات” من مصادره الخاصة أن كريم العراقي قد وقع بالفعل على عقود الانضمام لنادي الزمالك لمدة 4 سنوات ونصف.

طالع أيضًا | عبد الله السعيد يمهد طريقه لـ الزمالك بقرار جديد وبيراميدز يحدد مطالبه لحسم الصفقة

وطلبت إدارة المصري لاعبين من الزمالك، بالإضافة إلى مبلغ مالي من أجل الموافقة على رحيل اللاعب.

الأمر الذي دفع كريم العراقي لمُطالبة المصري براتب الفئة الأولى، وإلا فإنه سيرحل بنهاية الموسم.

وتواجه المفاوضات بين إدارة الناديين بعض التحديات، أهمها طلبات المصري من الزمالك، ورغبة كريم العراقي في الحصول على راتب الفئة الأولى، وسيتضح الأمر خلال الفترة القليلة المُقبلة.

When Arsenal locked horns with Manchester City a few days ago the difference in class and quality was clear for all to see.

Mikel Arteta's men may have been leading the Premier League for the vast majority of the season but it is his former employers who still hold a firm grip over everyone else in the top flight.

Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne evoke memories of Dennis Bergkamp and Thierry Henry at Highbury many moons ago, and even if Arsenal do have plenty of quality in attack, they are not quite ready to reign supreme yet.

Reinforcements will be required next term, particularly with the Gunners ready to dine out in the Champions League again, with a bigger squad now a necessity.

Who could Arsenal sign this summer?

Sourcing a replacement for Rob Holding – someone who can deputise at William Saliba's expense – will be key, but they also require fresh faces in midfield.

Declan Rice and Moises Caicedo are two notable names, while a move for Chelsea star Mason Mount is thought to be in the pipeline.

Fresh reports suggest Edu and co are even preparing an offer. Bringing in a player with over 50 goal involvements in the Premier League would certainly not be a bad move, particularly if the idea is for Mount to succeed Granit Xhaka in the number 8 role.

That said, there may well already be a player in Arsenal's squad who could thrive in that area of the pitch; Emile Smith Rowe.

What's happened to Emile Smith Rowe this season?

This has been a troubling campaign for the £40k-per-week earner in north London.

Last term, Smith Rowe was the club's second top scorer in all competitions but in 2022/23, he has been resigned to a watching brief.

The 22-year-old hasn't started a single game in the Premier League this term, has appeared only ten times and is yet to score across just 133 minutes of top-flight football.

Much of that is owed to a groin injury that required surgery in the opening stages of the campaign but even since his return, Arteta has ignored the budding youngster.

There is a degree of the Gabriel Martinelli treatment here. The Brazilian took a while to get back into the side after a previous injury but is now Arsenal's top scorer this term with 15 strikes.

What is Emile Smith Rowe's playstyle?

Plenty in the fanbase are worried about Smith Rowe's development and it would mean a great deal to them and the player if Areta put his faith in the former Huddersfield Town loanee over Mount.

After all, they have similar qualities. First and foremost, the pair are capable of playing in a wide array of roles, whether it's out on the flanks, as a 10 or deeper as a forward-thinking central midfielder.

13 of Mount's goals last term may have come from a wide area but this term, although he has just three goals to his name, he has popped up in more central areas.

Coincidentally, Smith Rowe has thrived in both roles, scoring eight from the flanks last term, and popping up with three from an advanced central area.

The "exciting" ace – as dubbed by Jamie Carragher – is simply a "special talent" and has to be unleashed more next season.

His ability to create and score fairly equally, just like Mount, are enviable qualities, not to mention "he's the best player in the Premier League running the ball" as per Carragher.

Arsenal will need to spend in the summer, but perhaps a degree of faith must also be shown in those who have got them to this point.

Newcastle United media members have been left buzzing over the news that the club have bought back Strawberry Place.

The Lowdown: Newcastle buy Strawberry Place

As per The Daily Mail, Newcastle have bought back Strawberry Place, the land behind St. James’ Park’s Gallowgate End which was sold under Mike Ashley.

The new ownership plan to expand the stadium in the long-term, and buying back this piece of land will help them in doing that.

There were previous concerns from supporters after Ashley sold Strawberry Place, worrying that the site would be lost to offices and residential apartments, as well as blocking an iconic view of the stadium.

The land can now be used to expand the ground, with every home game being sold out so far this season, and demand for tickets continuing to rise.

The Latest: Media buzzing

Member of the North East media have been left buzzing after hearing the news, with Magpies podcaster Taylor Payne hailing it as ‘incredible’, and Newcastle World writer Jordan Cronin labelling it as ‘massive, massive news’.

The Verdict: Needed

With demands from fans to go and watch the team at St. James’ Park seemingly increasing with every win, an expansion of the stadium is certainly needed in the long-term.

Under the new regime, the club have much loftier ambitions than what they had under Ashley’s ownership, and could even welcome UEFA Champions League football to the stadium next season given their current league position.

Buying back Strawberry Place also wipes out any further tainted memories of the old regime, and shows that the club is continuing to move in the right direction.

Tottenham Hotspur will allow Harvey White to depart on loan before the transfer deadline, according to Football Insider.

The Lowdown: White’s career so far

The 21-year-old has made just one appearance for Spurs in the Premier League this season, appearing off the bench for four minutes, and he is at the stage where he should be starting to push for a place in the first team.

The youngster previously played for Portsmouth on loan during the 2020/21 season, but that is his only prolonged taste of senior football, and Spurs are now eager for him to have another spell somewhere else where he would get regular game-time.

The Latest: White allowed to leave

According to Football Insider, Spurs have told the midfielder that he is free to complete a loan move before Tuesday’s transfer deadline, amid interest from Championship and League One clubs.

Blackpool had made an enquiry about the starlet but they are now believed to be out the race as they are prioritising a defensive signing, so it is unclear where he may end up.

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The Verdict: Right call

If the youngster is ever going to stake a claim for a starting berth at Spurs, Antonio Conte needs to ensure that White has experience in men’s football rather than just youth games, and the aim should be to find him a move as soon as possible.

Hailed as a ‘brilliant player in the making’ by journalist Ben Haines, the left-footed midfielder has been showing some promising signs in Premier League 2, with five goals and six assists in 18 outings at that level last season.

However, he is unlikely to get any game-time in the Tottenham first team at present, considering that Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg has been fantastic this season in boasting the squad’s second-highest Sofascore performance rating, and a loan departure is the right move for White at this stage.

Liverpool are among the prominent pool of suitors considering a swoop for Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Moises Caicedo, who has been a revelation since his introduction to regular Premier League football on the south coast.

With Jurgen Klopp’s Reds failed to unearth the free-flowing cohesion and intoxicating intensity that have so often gone in tandem with the German manager’s footballing philosophy, question marks have been raised high above Anfield with the onus now on finding a solution to steer back on course.

In order to remedy the glaring issues, the overarching consensus is that a midfielder of top-class quality must be clinched to re-establish the stability, and prodigious talent Caicedo has indeed been distinguished, with CBS Sports reporter ben Jacobs confirming the Reds’ interest earlier in January.

Recently Chelsea had a £55m bid for the star rejected, with Albion reluctant to part with their prized asset just yet, touting him at a whopping £75m, and should Liverpool want to clinch his signature, it does appear that they will have to wage transfer war with the opulence of Todd Boehly’s Chelsea.

The phenom, who Enrico Castro-Montes heralded as “eye-catching” and a “crown-jewel”, has been dubbed a tenacious and ubiquitous presence in midfield; a disruptor and tactically astute player, and it is this burgeoning and expansive skill-set that has indeed left Klopp with a glimmer in his eye.

The fact is, much of Liverpool’s lacklustre season boils down to the lackadaisical collective efforts of the floundering midfield, with Thiago Alcantara the only senior central signing since the 2018/19 campaign – and while the Spaniard’s ball-playing pedigree is unrivalled within Merseyside, he is not the physical machine Liverpool yearn for.

The “leader” that is Caicedo, as lauded by talent scout Jacek Kulig, could effectively replace Gini Wijnaldum, who departed Liverpool at the culmination of his contract in 2021, signing for Paris Saint-Germain after making 237 appearances for Liverpool and notably winning the Premier League and Champions League.

Hailed as an incredible athlete and supreme box-to-box gem, Wijnaldum boasts much of the talent Caicedo does, with the South American perhaps more physical, if a little more unrefined on the ball.

But with age on his side, the 21-year-old Caicedo must find himself in Liverpool red this year if the prestigious outfit are indeed to land a player capable of taking them right back to the very top of the game.

Considering Caicedo’s emphatic introduction to life in the Premier League, the centrepiece to all the good work that the Seagulls have forged, it is a no-brainer that he must be considered for transfer by Liverpool.

Much like the signing of Wijnaldum in 2015, he already plays his trade in the English top-flight with Klopp no doubt now hoping to repeat that trick by delving deep into the market and emerging with a catalyst to pump vibrant life into the side.

Tim Vickery once said that he is the “real deal”, and Julian Ward must now push any caution aside and pounce. 

Transfer insider Dean Jones has said that Lille forward Jonathan David is ‘another option’ for Aston Villa in the final days of the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Another attacker on the cards?

It could well be a busy end to the month at Bodymoor Heath, with Unai Emery on the lookout for up to three more signings before Tuesday’s deadline.

A new centre-forward, winger and midfielder are on the 51-year-old’s wish list, with the club parting ways with Danny Ings earlier this month. Lyon’s Moussa Dembele is one attacker who has been linked with a move to the Midlands, but Jones thinks that David could also be one to watch.

The Latest: Jones’ comments

Speaking to GiveMeSport regarding Villa and their hunt for a new forward, Jones hinted that David could be ‘another option’ alongside Dembele but said that it may be an ‘expensive’ one to complete.

The journalist stated: “Jonathan David is another option but probably quite a more expensive one. He’s going to cost quite a lot of money, whereas Moussa Dembele won’t because of his contract situation and that’s what I imagine Villa will try and tap into now.”

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The Verdict: Transfer coup?

David is just 23 years of age but has already scored 82 goals at club level and 22 times for Canada. He is capable of playing in a variety of central attacking roles and has been dubbed a “phenom” and “one of the best strikers in the world” by radio host Tony Marinaro.

The forward doesn’t have a stronger foot (as per Transfermarkt) and has netted 10 or more league goals for four seasons running. He has been in fine form during the current campaign, averaging a Ligue 1 match rating of 7.32/10, comfortably higher than any Villa player in the Premier League (as per WhoScored).

You’d like to think that still he has room to improve even further before hitting his prime, so if Villa manage to secure a move for David, it could prove to be a major coup both in the short-term and the long run.