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“Tamim will continue to be one of the best batters but nobody wants to see him lose form by playing T20s forcibly,” Mashrafe said

Mohammad Isam02-Sep-2021Tamim Iqbal’s decision to drop out of the upcoming T20 World Cup has been met with praise from two influential names in Bangladesh cricket. Former captain Mashrafe Mortaza wrote a long message on his personal Facebook account, calling Tamim’s choice a visionary one. BCB president Nazmul Hassan, meanwhile, revealed that Tamim was in Bangladesh’s World Cup squad, but had to be withdrawn after he informed the board of his decision.In a video message on his social media platforms on Wednesday, hours before Bangladesh’s first T20I against New Zealand, Tamim announced that lack of T20Is this year and the fact that other openers are tried in his place, were some of the reasons for his decision to withdraw from the world tournament.Tamim had been a regular in the T20I side for 12 years. Between his debut in September 2007 and the end of 2018, he missed only 13 of the 84 T20Is Bangladesh played, but since 2019, he has featured in only three out of 23 T20Is, and none this year. He cited personal reasons for missing the three-match series against New Zealand in March, before a knee injury forced him to miss the three T20Is against Zimbabwe and last month’s Australia series.Mashrafe said that Tamim avoided unnecessary pressure on his good form in Tests and ODIs, by skipping the T20 World Cup.”Everyone should respect Tamim’s decision,” Mashrafe said. “There’s no doubt that Tamim is one of the best batsmen in Bangladesh. His statistics says so. He had every qualification to play in the T20 World Cup, and it is well know that the cricket board and team management would keep him in the squad.”Tamim will continue to be one of the best batsmen but nobody wants to see him lose form by playing T20s forcibly. Tamim has a lot more matches to win for Bangladesh. There were reasons behind his decision. His injury being one of them. He hasn’t played the last 16 (sic 12) matches. He would create a lot of pressure on himself when playing after such a long break. It could affect his form in Tests and ODIs.”Hassan, for his part, said that Tamim took a good decision by considering all sides of the situation. He confirmed that they had selected Tamim in the World Cup-bound squad.Related

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“He was our first choice. He was in the T20 World Cup squad. But after he informed us, he is no longer in the team. He will play more World Cups in the future. It was a brave decision, not as easy one.”Everyone wants to play the World Cup, but he thought about it and then spoke to us. He thought there would be injustice if he gets to play ahead of those playing now,” said Hassan.Mashrafe praised Tamim for respecting the incumbents Soumya Sarkar, Mohammad Naim and Liton Das after they were severely criticised for their form. These three players, he predicted, will in turn have tremendous commitment when they next play ODIs under Tamim.”They are playing on wickets where nobody except (Mahmudullah) Riyad has touched fifty. It would be unfair to judge Soumya, Naim and Liton before they get to play on true batting wickets. These boys have worked hard in the (home) series.”Some decisions change people’s lives. After this decision, Soumya, Liton and Naim will give their all when they next play an ODI under Tamim. This is because whatever anyone else thought, Tamim valued their hard work,” he said.Mashrafe, however, suggested Tamim may have felt the pressure even in the dressing room had he walked into the playing XI after missing at least 12 T20Is this year. “Tamim is well liked in the dressing room but maybe he thought deeply about how he would be welcomed into the side after he missed 16 (sic 12) matches in the format,” he said.Tamim was predictably kept off the list of contracted players for T20Is when the BCB announced the central contracts for all three formats.

Liverpool defeated Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux last weekend, but it wasn’t a performance to write home about. Ah but what is it they say? Winning without playing well is a mark of a champion.

This is true, to a degree, and Liverpool have blown several teams away so far under Arne Slot. Manchester United were silenced at Old Trafford; the Champions League opener against AC Milan at the San Siro; West Ham United were flattened like so many ants at Anfield in the Carabao Cup.

Liverpool host Bologna in the Champions League on Tuesday before travelling to Crystal Palace in the Premier League ahead of another boring international break. Then it’s Arsenal and Chelsea, which is fear-inducing.

One or two players need to step up a level, with Dominik Szoboszlai the most notable.

Why Dominik Szoboszlai is underperforming

Szoboszlai was shoehorned into a deeper-lying role than he might have liked under Jurgen Klopp last year, but it worked, by and large. Still, Slot’s system calls for a number ten, and the Hungary captain fits the bill and has been deployed on new ground.

He brings plenty of energy and positivity to Liverpool’s attack and contributes toward the fluency, but Szoboszlai is not producing the kind of numbers that Slot and the Reds fanbase will crave.

Indeed, seven matches into the campaign, the 23-year-old has scored one goal and added one assist across seven matches, with his indifferent display at Molineux encapsulated by a horrible miss in the first half, firing point blank at Sam Johnstone after an excellent whipped delivery from Diogo Jota.

Perhaps, against Italian opposition on Wednesday, it’s time for something to change. Slot might be tempted to make a change or two, and he must start Curtis Jones in Szoboszlai’s place.

Chalkboard

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

Liverpool's best Szoboszlai replacement

Slot has demonstrated a ruthless streak already at Liverpool, and while Szoboszlai is a highly talented player, he’s not performing to the level that perhaps he can yet reach this term.

A demotion to the bench for the forthcoming Champions League tie might prove to be the kick up the backside that the vibrant playmaker needs. With Jones waiting in the wings, it seems like a no-brainer.

Jones has the perfect – on paper – skillset for ‘Slotball’, prioritising control and slickness in possession. As per FBref, he ranks among the top 13% of midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for assists, the top 9% for pass completion, the top 5% for progressive carries, the top 4% for successful take-ons and the top 22% for shot-creating actions per 90.

He played a starring role throughout Liverpool’s pre-season but was unfortunately injured in August in what has disrupted his early-season performances. He’s featured off the bench in each of Liverpool’s past three Premier League games but received his first starting berth against West Ham in the Carabao Cup last week, impressing in a hybrid-like and roaming midfield role.

Minutes played

90′

Assists

1

Touches

60

Shots (on target)

4 (1)

Big chances missed

2

Accurate passes

42/44 (95%)

Key passes

1

Dribbles (completed)

2 (2)

Total duels (won)

7 (2)

The Liverpool Echo’s Paul Gorst issued a glowing endorsement after the display, writing: ‘Always wanted the ball and was constantly showing for it. Brilliant piece of play at the beginning and end of the move that created the second goal, it was his threaded pass to Jota. Unlucky not to have a goal of his own.’

He’s mobile and enterprising, willing to drive forward and leave backlines riven in two with a well-placed pass. Praised for his “truly special” style of play by one analyst, Jones’ passing accuracy and intelligence on the ball make a telling comment on his future success under Slot’s wing. He’s worthy of a starting berth.

Sorry, Szoboszlai, but it’s time to head to the bench.

Liverpool struck gold with £0 star who's now worth as much as Gravenberch

Liverpool £0 man is now worth as much as Gravenberch

ByConnor Holden Sep 29, 2024

The American bagged a brace as the Canaries secured a crucial three points in Championship action

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Norwich defeats Swansea 5-1Josh Sargent scores braceAmerican's first start since return from injuryFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

U.S. international Josh Sargent scored two goals Saturday as Norwich City defeated Swansea City 5-1 in a thrashing in the English Championship.

The American forward opened the scoring on the brink of halftime in the 44th minute, and added a second in the 63rd minute, responding well after Swansea had drawn level in the 62nd. It was his first start for the since Oct. 27, after he was ruled out for two-plus months due to injury shortly thereafter. He returned to the pitch on Jan. 11 in an FA Cup clash against Premier League side Brighton, and followed it with two more Championship appearances over the last week, before being handed the nod from the start on Saturday.

Following his second goal, he was removed from the match, and the bagged three more strikes to close things out, securing all three points for just their second victory of the calendar year across all competitions.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Sargent was one of the Championship's top performers in the 2023-24 campaign, and began this season in fine form before succumbing to injury. He's now scored six goals and recorded five assists in 15 matches this season, averaging .73 goal contributions per Championship match this season.

Internationally, Sargent started two matches for the USMNT in October in Mauricio Pochettino's first games in charge of the program, but he missed the November camp in the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinals.

If he can stay fit and continue scoring for Norwich, his odds of being a part of the Argentine's March camp in the Nations League semifinals go up.

DID YOU KNOW?

Norwich reportedly turned down an offer of $20M for Sargent's services over the summer from an MLS side. Eastern Conference heavyweights FC Cincinnati were reportedly the team interested.

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR NORWICH?

The return to action next weekend against Watford as they look to secure their second win in as many matches in Championship action. They currently sit on 39 points, three points out of a promotion playoff spot in ninth place, while eight of the name teams ahead of them have a game in-hand, too.

Kieran McKenna will be using this international break as a way of building up ways to improve his side, contemplating any rejigs or reshapes that could finally land Ipswich Town their first win in the Premier League.

It’s very unlikely that McKenna will stick with the exact same XI that fell to a dire 4-1 defeat to West Ham United before top-flight football temporarily stopped, as the Suffolk outfit just ended up rolling over for the Hammers to collect a comprehensive win.

It’s also looking slimmer and slimmer that one Ipswich attacker, in particular, will be able to stake a claim for a starting spot, regardless of his side’s woes at the London Stadium, after struggling to ever get going for his nation in a flat Nations League tie.

Szmodics' performance vs Greece

Sammie Szmodics, the current Golden Boot holder in the Championship, has also found his early time at Portman Road tricky to date, despite scoring his side’s only dramatic goal away at Manchester City right at the start of the campaign.

Since then, he hasn’t been able to nail down a concrete position in his manager’s first team plans, and that doesn’t look like changing anytime soon based on his display in the Republic of Ireland’s poor 2-0 loss to Greece.

Still, the Greeks have just beaten England so perhaps it’s not a horrific result for Szmodics’ Irish side. Either way, he certainly wasn’t at the races on Sunday evening.

Minutes played

73

Goals scored

0

Assists

0

Touches

19

Accurate passes

6/9

Shots

0

Successful dribbles

0/1

Total duels won

2/5

Only managing a lacklustre 19 touches of the ball, on top of only six accurate passes, the ex-Blackburn Rovers star struggled down the left wing for his country all night before hooked in the 73rd minute, with zero shots also registered at the Greek net as his nation fired blanks.

Szmodics picked up a low 5/10 rating after the game by Irish Independent journalist Niall McIntyre, with the reporter describing the 29-year-old as never looking ‘comfortable’ with being selected down the left flank.

In the end, it would prove to be a rather straightforward victory for Greece travelling to Dublin, as the visitors inflicted a third defeat in the Nations League on Szmodics and Co.

McKenna will just hope he can get the 29-year-old attacker firing on all cylinders on his return to Suffolk shortly, knowing what he can be capable of in striking fear into opposition defences for fun.

Szmodics' time at Ipswich

Of course, his main highlight so far was that aforementioned strike against Man City, which gifted the Tractor Boys a shock 1-0 lead against the reigning Premier League champions.

Away from that, however, the former Riversiders man has been in and out of his manager’s main lineups, averaging just 44 minutes of action per clash in the top flight, as McKenna attempts to shoehorn in all of the new faces he picked up this summer.

It’s very clear that based on his brief time at Portman Road to date and his struggles on the international stage for the Republic of Ireland that Szmodics isn’t best suited to playing down the wings, with the sharpshooter far more well-versed in playing just behind the lone striker in an attacking midfield role.

From this spot is where Szmodics fired home an unbelievable 27 goals last campaign in the Championship, but so far in his new Ipswich colours, he’s been shoved down the left wing much like he has been for his nation.

Therefore, with plenty of time to ponder what his Ipswich side could look like back in league action versus Everton, there could be a possibility that the Ipswich number 23 is given his wish to start in a more central role versus the Toffees.

Of course, McKenna could just decide to keep Szmodics on the substitutes bench, with the 29-year-old not exactly banging down the door for more chances.

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PCA Men’s Player of the Year wants to take form Down Under, but awaits clarity on tour

Andrew Miller28-Sep-2021Joe Root says he cannot yet commit to captaining England in Australia this winter, or taking part in the series at all, even though he is “desperate” to carry his formidable run of form into the Ashes, and so improve his record in one of the few countries where he has yet to score a Test century.Root, 30, has been named as the cinch PCA Men’s Player of the Year after a stellar 2021 in which he has scored six of his team’s seven centuries in 12 Tests, including four scores of 180-plus. With a total of 1455 runs at 66.13 for the calendar year so far, he still has a realistic chance to overhaul Mohammad Yousuf’s record haul of 1788 runs, set back in 2006.However, with one Test postponement already this year, following India’s withdrawal from last month’s series decider at Old Trafford, the prospect remains that Root and England will not play another Test in 2021, as negotiations continue between the ECB and Cricket Australia over the team’s impending quarantine arrangements.Although the ECB is understood to have received an updated brief from CA with “better than expected” guidelines – including an ability to train and move freely within their hotel during their 14-day quarantine period and some flexibility thereafter – the details have yet to be shared with the players. Their confidence in the arrangements is unlikely to have been improved by the overnight news that Tasmania’s Sheffield Shield fixture against Queensland has been postponed indefinitely after four new Covid cases were reported in the state. Brisbane is due to host the opening Ashes Test on December 8.”We are still waiting for some information,” Root said. “Hopefully that will be with us soon. It’s a little bit frustrating but it’s where we are at. It’s so hard to know until we find out what the conditions are going to be like. Hopefully it’ll be coming shortly and we can start moving forward.”Root captained England to a 4-0 defeat in 2017-18, but is keen to put the record straight•Getty ImagesRoot has toured Australia twice in his career, as a rookie in 2013-14 during England’s ill-fated 5-0 whitewash, and again as captain four years later, when he made five half-centuries in as many Tests but a highest score of 83 in the final Test at Sydney, as Australia wrapped up another comprehensive 4-0 win.Given England’s stated aim at the start of the year, of winning back the Ashes in Australia, and Root’s own decision to stay on as captain after the 2-2 home draw in 2019, his conflict is palpable ahead of a series that ought to be a career-defining moment. However, with the squad determined to present a united front, particularly given the likely restrictions on families joining the tour, Root insists it’s hard to make a “definite decision” on whether he will be able to lead the tour.”It’s really important everyone makes a decision that they’re comfortable with,” Root said. “There’s so many different factors that fall into it, so we just have to be patient, and wait until we know what’s happening and then make a decision on the back of that.”I’m very hopeful, and think I speak on behalf of everyone that Ashes cricket – an away tour to Australia – is one of those things that you’re just desperate to be on,” he added. “The position I’m at in my career, it could be the last opportunity I get to go, so of course it’s something you’re desperate to do, to hopefully make history over there and be part of something very special. Until we have information it’s very difficult to know where everything sits.”Although Root’s average in Australia is creditable by most players’ standards – 38.00 from nine matches – it is still his lowest in any Test-hosting country bar Bangladesh, where he has played just twice, while the UAE is the only other country where he hasn’t made one of his 23 Test hundreds. Given his form this year, which has taken him back to the top of the ICC batting rankings, he knows he may never get a better chance to set the record straight.Related

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“I’m very aware of [my record in Australia], and it’s something that I desperately want to put right,” Root said. “As a senior batter in the side, you want to be the one scoring the runs, you want to be the one making those big hundreds. I have done that this year so far. But it’s the one place where I feel like I have underperformed, and I’ve not got the best out of myself. So it’s a great driver for me to go and do it this this time round. So hopefully that can be the case.”I certainly feel I’m playing some of the best cricket I’ve played. I’m playing quite nicely, and it’s been one of those years you need to make the most of. I feel I’ve got good rhythm in the way that I’m moving and good confidence at the crease. More than anything you are desperate to keep it going, keep that hunger, keep that drive to make those big scores and contributions.”Regardless of whether the tour goes ahead or not, England’s preparations for the Ashes have already been severely hampered by the ongoing uncertainty – including the likelihood that the Perth Test, currently due to start on January 14, will be have to be relocated given that Western Australia’s border is unlikely to be reopened until February at the earliest.”You look at the last two years, nothing’s really been normal, in terms of planning for anything,” Root said. “You just want to make the best of everything you can. From our point of view, everything we’ve done has been about being ready for when we are due to get to Australia, making sure that we’re as ready as we can be, that we are organised and clear on what we need to do.”How we’re approaching it, from a mental point of view more than anything at the minute, is getting your head around the challenges that a tour like that poses,” he added. “Regardless of what decision they finally make, everyone has to have at the forefront of their thinking, ‘what do I need to do to perform well?’, whether that’s with bat, ball, or collectively, as a group.”We’ve tried to ready the guys, and have conversations leading into this part of going away, so that they have an idea of what to face when we get there. As much as anything, we’ve tried to keep it as close to how you’d want to prepare for any tour, but in particular an Ashes tour of Australia.”Despite England’s own recent struggles – which include a 1-0 series loss to New Zealand, as well as trailing 2-1 against India in a series that may yet be concluded next year – Root still has faith that England can compete against an Australia team in transition, having watched India emerge victorious in their own tour last year.”India have proven [they are beatable],” Root said. “You look at their side in the last Test match in Brisbane, it was far from the side that played against us this summer, it wasn’t their first-choice team, without their captain and some very senior players, so they’ve shown the world that you can go to Australia and we’ll certainly take a lot of confidence from that. We know that when we play like we did at Headingley for example, we’ll beat most sides in the world regardless of where we’re at.”Joe Root was speaking following the 52nd cinch PCA Awards, the biggest awards ceremony in English cricket

Sinha was a father figure in Delhi’s famous Sonnet Cricket Club, which has produced some of the country’s finest international and domestic cricketers

Edited PTI version06-Nov-202112:12

From 2013: The story of how Tarak Sinha shaped Indian cricketers

Tarak Sinha, the renowned coach from Delhi’s famous Sonnet Cricket Club, has died on Saturday morning after a prolonged illness. Sinha was 71.He was unmarried and is survived by his sister. Sinha was a father figure at Sonnet, which has produced some of the country’s top domestic and international cricketers, such as Surinder Khanna, Sanjeev Sharma, Manoj Prabhakar, the late Raman Lamba, KP Bhaskar, Ajay Sharma, Atul Wassan, Aakash Chopra, Anjum Chopra, Rumeli Dhar, Ashish Nehra, Shikhar Dhawan, Rishabh Pant, Nitish Rana, and many others.Sinha was conferred with the lifetime Dronacharya Award in 2018.”It is with heavy heart we have to share this tragic news of Shri Tarak Sinha, the founder of Sonnet Club, has left us for heavenly abode at 3 am on Saturday after a brave battle with lung cancer for two months,” the Sonnet Cricket Club said in a statement.Related

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“He has been the soul of Sonnet Cricket Club which has given India and Delhi cricket so many gems.”We want to thank each and everyone who has been by his side in these trying times and prayed for his recovery. We also want to appreciate the efforts put in by the doctors in Jaipur and Delhi who worked tirelessly to revive him.”Tarak sir’s pride was his students, and his support through this period kept him going. He was only thinking about grooming young talent during this battle. Even at the age of 70, he was enthusiastic about getting to the field and working on young cricketers.”He was in good spirits till his last breath, believing he could still get up on his feet!”It’s a heavy day for all of us at Sonnet Club, the cricket fraternity and most importantly the students who have always seen him as a guardian.”

My mentor, coach, motivator, my biggest critic and my greatest fan. You took care of me like your son, I am devastated. You will always be with me whenever I walk out onto the field. My heartfelt condolences & prayers. May your soul rest in peace, Tarak sir. pic.twitter.com/kLE7qlKMXK

— Rishabh Pant (@RishabhPant17) November 6, 2021