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Graeme Smith’s men are clinically, methodically achieving what many thought impossible in 20-over cricket

Alex Brown at The Oval13-Jun-2009

Twenty20 cricket is reputedly a fickle beast, empowering the weak and constricting the strong to create an air of unpredictability non-existent in the game’s longer formats. That might very well explain the Netherland’s defeat of England, or even West Indies’ triumph over India, but what of South Africa, who are trumping all-comers with a degree of consistency bordering on the inevitable?Graeme Smith’s men are clinically, methodically achieving what many thought impossible in 20-over cricket. Saturday’s 20-run victory over West Indies secured South Africa a record-breaking sixth consecutive win in the format, and maintained their unblemished record in this year’s World Twenty20. A win over India, the defending champions, on Tuesday would guarantee them a semi-final berth, and render them nigh-on unbackable in the betting market. So much for unpredictability.It might just be that we are witnessing the first team – internationally or domestically – to have mastered the Twenty20 format. With a powerful and versatile batting line-up, wily spinners, disciplined seamers and all-rounders the envy of the cricketing world, South Africa have assembled a team capable of adapting to any surface, any condition, any opponent. Factor in a well-drilled fielding unit and a textbook veteran-to-rookie ration, and it becomes readily apparent how far South Africa have gone towards upset-proofing their team in a format notorious for fluctuating fortunes.Of course, there are no guarantees in sport, and South Africa’s lamentable reputation as big-tournament chokers will hound them until some form of ICC silverware sits in a Johannesburg trophy cabinet. But short of a complete and utter meltdown from a side resilient enough to claim a Test series victory in Australia earlier this year, South Africa look every bit the champions-in-waiting entering the final week of the World Twenty20. India and Sri Lanka have quite the mountain to climb.”I’m very comfortable with where we are,” Smith said. “You can’t argue with the performances or the results we’ve turned out in this competition so far. As a team we are always trying to challenge ourselves and improve on certain areas – whether that’s emotionally, handling ourselves well at key times, performing to our best skills.”I really believe we can (win the tournament), but there’s still a long way to go, a lot of cricket to be played, and a lot of other good teams in this competition who can challenge anyone on their day. We’ve got to make sure we’re at our best.”South Africa went close to achieving that aim at The Oval on Saturday, comprehensively outplaying a West Indies side that, barely 15 hours earlier, had dethroned the highly-rated Indians. The Windies’ trumps, Chris Gayle and Dwayne Bravo, were effectively muzzled by the brilliant bowling of Wayne Parnell (4-13), who has shelved his favoured outswing for a bang-it-in approach at this tournament, and strong cameos from Dale Steyn (2-30) and Rudolph van der Merwe (2-30)Parnell, at just 19, is the latest all-rounder to roll off South Africa’s world-class production line, and could well be the most exciting prospect in international cricket at present. He could do worse than emulate the focus and consistency of Jacques Kallis who, at 33, is still considered by his international peers to be the finest all-rounder in all forms of cricket.Kallis’ 45 off 31 deliveries at the top of the South African innings set the tone for the afternoon, and provided a solid platform from which Herschelle Gibbs (55 off 35) launched. At one stage, the South Africans appeared on course for a total in excess of 200, but their eventual 183 for 7 always looked a winning score.”I just think for a lot of players, especially Jacques who has played international cricket for a very long time, this is obviously a new format,” Smith said. “It’s about finding his way to be successful, and I think he’s found it. He’s had two opportunities of IPL to learn and think about the game, he’s developed a few other skills that he was hoping for. I think the added bonus for us beside his batting is that he is bowling with really good pace and bowling really well for us.”At the corresponding stage of the 2007 tournament, India, the eventual champions, had tied with Pakistan and lost to New Zealand. The current day South Africans, on the other hand, have defeated Scotland (130 runs), New Zealand (one run), England (seven wickets) and, now, West Indies (20 runs). The formguide suggests they will enter Tuesday’s Super Eights match against India at Trent Bridge as favourites. The juggernaut rolls on.”I think India hadn’t really been tested in the competition until (their loss to West Indies),” Smith said. “I think they probably would have taken a lot of lessons out of yesterday in terms of the competitive nature of the tournament. It’s going to be interesting from our perspective to see how they go before we play them on Tuesday.”

Leeds picked up their second win of the Premier League season to move out of the relegation zone on Sunday as they beat Norwich 2-1 at Carrow Road.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side are now on ten points after as many games, as they bid to stay up in their second season in the top-flight after promotion in 2020.

The Argentine is in his fourth campaign in charge of the club and has achieved great success at Elland Road, with a Championship title and a top-half Premier League finish in the first three terms.

Bielsa masterclass

Bielsa arrived at Leeds after they finished mid-table in the Championship and inherited a squad lacking in Premier League experience, but has been able to bring a number of players along for the journey with his excellent coaching – one of them being Poland international Mateusz Klich.

The ex-Lille manager has produced a masterclass with the central midfielder over the last three years. Klich joined Leeds from FC Twente in 2017 and played a measly five Championship games before being sent out on loan to Utrecht in January 2018

At the end of his loan spell, which coincided with Bielsa’s arrival, Klich was valued at just £1.58m by Transfermarkt. Instead of heading away from Elland Road again, he remained in Yorkshire and quickly became an influential member of the squad.

He played 91 of Leeds’ 92 Championship regular-season matches under the Argentine, scoring 16 goals and providing 13 assists. His form earned high praise from Bielsa, who has held him in high esteem. He said: “Klich for me is a player that can play in all the best teams in the world.”

The central midfielder then played 35 of the club’s 38 Premier League games last term, chipping in with four goals and five assists. This shows that the manager relied upon him week-in-week-out in the top-flight, which highlights the immense progress he has made since failing to make the grade in England in the second tier in his first year at the club.

To that point, David Prutton called him the ‘epitome’ of Bielsa’s work with the club in terms of improving players whilst moving up the football ladder. Prutton told the Yorkshire Evening Press:

“You can look at what Leeds have got out of maybe an unsung hero in Mateusz Klich which has been wonderful.

“Klich has been a player who has been the very epitome of what Marcelo has done with Leeds United in making him better.”

At the time of writing (02/11/21), Transfermarkt value Klich at £3.5m. This means that his price has rocketed 127.8% from when Bielsa was appointed in 2018 and illustrates the development he has undergone under the 66-year-old’s coaching. Therefore, it has been a masterclass in management and, hopefully, more players will follow in Klich’s footsteps in the coming years.

AND in other news, Viduka 2.0: Leeds could land new goalscoring sensation with “technically-gifted” beast…

MatériaMais Notícias

Poucos times comemoraram tanto a pausa de 13 dias do Brasileirão (devido às Eliminatórias para a Copa do Mundo) como o Santos. A felicidade se deve ao fato da folga anteceder dois jogos importantes: o clássico contra o Corinthians pelo Brasileirão e o jogo de ida das quartas de final da Libertadores contra o Barcelona (ECU) fora de casa.

O que mais alegra o técnico Levir Culpi é a grande possibilidade de recuperar todos os jogadores desgastados e, inclusive, esvaziar o departamento médico, com exceção de Vitor Bueno, que rompeu o ligamento do joelho e só volta no ano que vem.

O mais aguardado para deixar o DM é o meia Vecchio, que substituiu Renato no período em que teve a mesma lesão que o argentino, dores musculares na coxa direita. No empate em 1 a 1 com o Cruzeiro, Levir teve à disposição pela primeira vez o time titular que considera ideal.

-Acho ótima essa parada, principalmente porque a pressão é grande e são muitas viagens, desgastes grandes. Essa pequena parada serve para respirar e ficar com a família. Pensaremos no Corinthians e na Libertadores. Teremos quase 100% do time em condição do jogo. Temos folga de três dias, mas com o pensamento voltado para as competições. Voltaremos mais fortes e temos condições de chegar – disse, se referindo à decisão da Libertadores.

O Peixe enfrenta o Corinthians no dia 10, domingo, e viaja na mesma noite para o Equador. Em Guayaquil, treinará apenas na terça-feira e joga na quarta-feira.

Até a pausa para as Eliminatórias, o Peixe vem de quatro empates seguidos no Brasileirão e está a 12 pontos atrás do líder Corinthians. Se vencer o clássico, a diferença cai para nove pontos.

RelacionadasSantosLevir acredita em empate justo e não descarta título para o SantosSantos27/08/2017SantosDavid Braz recebe terceiro amarelo e abre disputa na defesa do SantosSantos27/08/2017BrasileirãoATUAÇÕES: Rafinha recebe a maior nota de Cruzeiro x SantosBrasileirão27/08/2017

استبعد الاتحاد المصري لكرة القدم، الثنائي وجيه أحمد وعزب حجاج من قائمة المرشحين لمعاونة الإنجليزي مارك كلاتنبرج المسؤول عن منظومة التحكيم المصرية خلال الفترة المقبلة.

وتولى مارك كلاتنبرج مهمة قيادة منظومة التحكيم المصري بجانب رئاسة لجنة الحكام بعد استقالة عصام عبد الفتاح، من منصبه.

وعلم بطولات أن قرار مجلس الإدارة جاء بسبب الفترة الطويلة التي عمل فيها الثنائي داخل لجنة الحكام، حيث أن المجلس يرغب في تعيين وجوه جديدة خلال الفترة المقبلة، وتم الاتفاق مع كلاتنبرج على ذلك.

طالع أيضًا.. اتحاد الكرة يواجه أزمة مع الأندية وفيتوريا يواصل الضغط بسبب نظام الدوري

وطلب كلاتنبرج تعيين مساعد له مصري مع بداية الموسم الجديد، وهو ما وافق عليه اتحاد الكرة، ويتم حاليًا المفاضلة بين عدد من الأسماء المرشحة لمعاونة كلاتنبرج مع الموسم الجديد.

Faisal Iqbal says he is “heartbroken” after being overlooked for a series of three practice Twenty20 matches in Lahore starting from Wednesday

Osman Samiuddin20-May-2009

Faisal Iqbal says he is “heartbroken” after being overlooked for a series of three practice Twenty20 matches in Lahore starting from Wednesday.The board named two teams for the warm-up games designed to help Pakistan’s 15-man squad to prepare for next month’s World Twenty20 in England. Though he was part of the 30 probables named initially for the squad, Iqbal was dropped and then wasn’t picked for the practice games. And he says he doesn’t understand why he is being typecast as a Test player only.”We are centrally contracted players so I can’t say too much obviously, but I don’t understand what’s happening with me,” Iqbal told Cricinfo. “I’m not criticising anyone but I’m really hurt by this. I thought, fine if I don’t make the World Cup squad, at least I can prove myself in the practice matches but I haven’t even been picked for that. I believe that being part of the preliminary squad for the Twenty20 World Cup, I deserve a chance to at least play the practice matches.”Though Iqbal averages nearly 40 in domestic limited-overs matches, he has become – much to his own frustration – a Test specialist to a succession of selection committees. He played the last of his 18 ODIs against West Indies in December 2006 even as Pakistan’s ODI batting has often suffered since then after the exits of Inzamam-ul-Haq and Mohammad Yousuf; he has yet to play a Twenty20 international. In contrast, he has been a regular in the Test set-up since January 2007.”I’m performing in Tests because I am getting a chance to play them,” he said. “If you don’t give a guy a chance in another format how will you know how good he is or not? Anyway I feel totally comfortable in any format. Twenty20 cricket is in my veins anyway because that is what we grow up playing in Karachi’s streets, these 5-10 over, or 20-over matches. I am confused – how do I prove myself to them?”Barring exceptional circumstances, Iqbal will not be playing in the World Twenty20 in June, but he will have a chance to show selectors what they might be missing in the RBS Twenty20 Cup, due to start on May 25. “I was looking through some old stuff recently and found an old ODI green shirt of mine. It just made me wonder when I’ll be wearing it again. I am heartbroken about it.”

MatériaMais Notícias

Nelsinho Baptista viu o trabalho em seu quarto clube no Japão esvair. Nesta quarta-feira, o treinador de 67 anos foi demitido doVissel Kobe, equipe onde atua os brasileiros Nilton, Wescley e Leandro da Silva e o astro alemão Lukas Podolski, recém-contratado.

Baptista deixa o comando do Kobe, onde estava desde 2015, após derrota para oFC Tokyo.Ex-Corinthians, São Paulo e Cruzeiro, o técnico trabalha no Japão desde 2009, quando assumiu o Kashiwa Reysol, e lamentou o adeus.

– Como profissional, sinto-me muito responsável por não poder atender às expectativas de todos – comentouNelsinhoBaptista.

O último clube de Nelsinho no Brasil foi o Sport, quando saiu em 2008. O experiente treinador sai doVissel Kobe com três derrotas consecutivas na bagagem, deixando o clube na 11ª posição do Japonês, após 22 rodadas.

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With just one win in the Premier League all season, today’s clash against Norwich City already feels like a significant moment for Leeds United.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side have been desperately short of form during the early months of this campaign, and injuries have no doubt played their part, with the likes of Kalvin Phillips, Raphinha and Patrick Bamford all missing chunks of the campaign.

However, one man who looks set to be back for the game today is Junior Firpo.

The Athletic’s Phil Hay confirmed on Friday that, along with Raphinha, the summer signing would be fit to make his first-team return against the Canaries, and Bielsa should surely be throwing him straight back into the starting line-up.

While Firpo may not have been a regular starter at the Camp Nou last season – he played just 18 times in all competitions – he is the kind of attacking left-back who seems to be a perfect fit for Bielsa’s Leeds.

He was once tipped for big things by French defender Eric Abidal, who told Diario Sport (via Tribuna): “He’s a player with a lot of potential. He could be one of the best left-backs in the world. I always tell him that he must work hard and be aware of the (style of) play. He’s going to get better, for sure. It’s always difficult to get started at Barca.”

A profile piece done by Sky Sports back in December 2018 revealed: “Standing six feet tall, Firpo has a rangy stride that he uses to power himself down the flank and make infield incursions. He is also no stranger to yellow cards, having picked up four in 13 matches this season.

“Spanish publication Marca describes him as ‘effervescent’, and he perfectly fits Betis coach Quique Setien’s attacking philosophy. He also possesses the versatility to step into a back three on the left.”

The £12.5m-rated machine is exactly what Leeds need to help break down the Canaries and get their attacking play firing on all cylinders.

While most eyes may be on whether Raphinha will be able to start given the Brazilian’s electrifying early-season form, Firpo could yet be the man to terrorise Norwich with his powerful running and directness from left-back.

Meanwhile, Leeds are eyeing this South American ace…

تأهل المنتخب السعودي تحت 23 عامًا إلى نهائي دورة التضامن الإسلامي بالفوز أمام الجزائر مساء الأحد بهدفين لهدف في نصف النهائي.

دخل الأخضر بقيادة المدرب سعد الشهري اللقاء بتشكيل مكون من ؛ نواف العقيدي، خالد دغريري، محمد اليامي، مشعل الصبياني، زكريا هوساوي، عوض الناشري، فيصل الغامدي، هيثم عسيري، زياد الجهني، أحمد الغامدي، ومحمد مران.

اقرأ أيضًا.. الإعلان عن جوائز الأفضل في كأس العرب للشباب 2022

وتمكن هيثم عسيري من تسجيل الهدف الأول في اللقاء للمنتخب السعودي في الدقيقة 14، وبعد 6 دقائق نجح أحمد الغامدي في اضافة ثاني الأهداف بالدقيقة 20.

ومن ركلة جزاء في الدقيقة 36 قلص منتخب الجزائر النتيجة، بتسجيل هدفه الوحيد في المباراة التي انتهت بفوز الأخضر بهدفين لهدف.

وكان الأخضر تأهل لنصف النهائي بالفوز أمام المغرب بهدفين دون رد، في ثاني مواجهاته بالبطولة الإسلامية المقامة في مدينة قونية بتركيا.

وينتظر الأخضر خوض المباراة النهائية أمام الفائز من مواجهة تركيا أمام أذربيجان.

If Mumbai have an edge on recent form, Rajasthan are under the added pressure of winning back a place in the top four

The Preview by Siddhartha Talya14-May-2009Match factsMay 14, 2009
Start time 16.30 (14.30 GMT, 20.00 IST)
Big PictureDwayne Bravo has shone with the bat, but needs to contribute more with the ball•Associated Press

The IPL’s league stage is in its last leg, but who will make it to the final four is still anybody’s guess. Delhi Daredevils and Chennai Super Kings appear to have sealed a semi-final berth. But the other two spots are up for grabs in a five-way battle and the results of today’s games will provide a better indication of who will progress from the league stages.Mumbai Indians and Rajasthan Royals have both had an erratic run thus far but their recent results have been contrasting. Mumbai shrugged off three consecutive defeats to win their last two games fairly convincingly while Rajasthan squandered the momentum of three wins in a row to lose their last two games, both by sizable margins. If Mumbai have an edge on recent form, Rajasthan are under the added pressure of winning back a place in the top four. A victory for either team will push them to No.3 while a loss will put them below the safe zone and it will all come down to their last two matches.Rajasthan have major worries. Two of their main strike bowlers, Kamran Khan and Amit Singh, have been referred for suspect actions, denting their pace attack; their middle order has performed woefully in their last two games; but most importantly, they are likely to be without Shane Warne, who suffered a hamstring injury against Deccan Chargers. Mumbai, on the other hand, have had Sachin Tendulkar return to form in the eight-wicket win against Kings XI Punjab, experimented with changes in the batting order – promoting Dwayne Bravo to open – which proved successful, and have been boosted by the performance of their spinners. No doubt about who start favourites, but that doesn’t count for much really.Form guide (completed matches, most recent first)Mumbai Indians: WWLLL
Sanath Jayasuriya needs to get firing at the top. His form has been patchy, and though he’s displayed flashes of his destructive play, he’s been lacking in consistency, averaging 19.44 in nine innings. JP Duminy has been their best batsman and Ajinkya Rahane’s half-century after a torrid run in the early phase will ease their No.3 worries. The most encouraging factor has been their spin attack, led by Harbhajan Singh, who’s been highly economical, conceding just three-an-over at an average of 8 in his last two games.Rajasthan Royals: LLWWW
Rajasthan’s middle order shares a bulk of the blame for their two successive losses. Nos 3 to 10 have averaged just 15.5 in the previous two games, in totals of 140 and 113. Yusuf Pathan has had two failures with the bat and so has Naman Ojha. Especially worrying is the form of Lee Carseldine, who has managed 9, 9 and 8 in his last three innings.Watch out forDwayne Bravo: Left out of the West Indies touring squad to England, Bravo has answered his critics, scoring 168 runs in his last four innings at an average of 84. He adapted well to his promotion to the opening slot, making a 59-ball 70 against Punjab, and that innings has propelled him to second place among Mumbai’s highest run-getters this season. It remains to be seen if Mumbai retain him as opener if batting first, or when the target is more imposing than the 120 set by Punjab in the last game. Also, he’s only managed three wickets in his last six games, and will want to do more to live up to his role as an allrounder.TeamsIf Warne is absent, Graeme Smith is most likely to step in as captain. Rajasthan may look to Tyron Henderson to fill in as a replacement and boost an ailing middle order. They also have the option of playing their latest recruit, Johan Botha, who’s been drafted into the squad in place of the injured Shaun Tait. Though he can’t bowl his doosra – he was reported for a suspect action in the recent ODI series against Australia – he is a welcome addition to a team that is without the services of some of its key bowlers, namely Tait, Shane Watson and Sohail Tanvir. Rob Quiney hasn’t done much to win a call-back but Carseldine’s poor form means his return cannot be entirely ruled out.Rajasthan (probable): 1 Graeme Smith (capt), 2 Swapnil Asnodkar, 3 Naman Ojha, 4 Lee Carseldine/ Rob Quiney, 5 Yusuf Pathan, 6 Ravindra Jadeja 7 Abhishek Raut, 8 Tyron Henderson/Johan Botha, 9 Morne Morkel, 10 Siddharth Trivedi, 11 Munaf Patel.Given their performance against Punjab, it is unlikely that Mumbai will tinker with their line-up. Rohan Raje, who replaced Chetanya Nanda, bowled just one over and the two players could swap places once again.Mumbai Indians (probable): 1 Sanath Jayasuriya, 2 Sachin Tendulkar/ Dwayne Bravo, 3 Ajinkya Rahane, 4 Sachin Tendulkar/Dwayne Bravo, 5JP Duminy, 6 Abhishek Nayar, 7 Harbhajan Singh, 8 Rohan Raje/ Chetanya Nanda, 9 Yogesh Takawale (wk), 10 Dhawal Kulkarni, 11 Lasith Malinga.Stats and triviaMumbai’s opening stand has managed just 59 runs in its last seven innings, averaging 8.43.Jadeja and Yusuf have shared 13 wickets in ten games at 24.2.Head-to-head recordThe previous game between the two teams in Durban was washed out. Last year, the first game between these two was a one-sided affair, with Mumbai easing to a seven-wicket win after bowling out Rajasthan for 103. The second match was a last-ball thriller, one of four for Mumbai, who lost after having limited Rajasthan to 77 for 5 chasing 146. Niraj Patel saw his team through, making 40 off 29 and stealing two off the final delivery.

اعترف الدولي البرتغالي، برناردو سيلفا، بأنه لا يعرف ما إذا كان سيظل في مانشستر سيتي هذا الموسم في ظل ارتباطه بإمكانية مغادرة بطل الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز هذا الصيف.

ويتواجد برناردو سيلفا على رادار برشلونة، حيث يرغب النادي الكتالوني بقوة في التعاقد مع البرتغالي، كما أن لاعب موناكو السابق يرغب بارتداء قميص نادي أحلامه.

وقال سيلفا في تصريحات نقلتها صحيفة “مانشستر إيفينينج نيوز” البريطانية: “لطالما قلت إنني سعيد هنا ولكن ليس لدي أي فكرة عما سيحدث”.

وأضاف: “سأكون صادقًا، سنرى ما سيحدث، علاقتي بالنادي صادقة للغاية، لقد كنت منفتحًا معهم وهم يعرفون ما أريد”.

وواصل: “إذا بقيت فسأكون سعيدًا للغاية وسأحترم هذا النادي دائمًا وسأبذل قصارى جهدي، إذا لم يكن الأمر كذلك، فهذه كرة القدم وسنرى ما سيحدث”.

اقرأ أيضًا.. دي بروين بعد تمريرته لـ هالاند: سأساعد مهاجم مانشستر سيتي أيًا كانت هويته

وأشار: “مانشستر سيتي ناد كبير ولا يريدون لاعبين غير سعداء بالنادي”.

وأوضح: “يقولون لنا جميعًا دائمًا أنه إذا لم تكن سعيدًا، فيمكنك الذهاب، بالطبع إنهم يعملون في مجال الأعمال التجارية ويريدون المبلغ المناسب من المال للسماح لنا بالرحيل، ولكن شخصيًا لدي علاقة قائمة على الاحترام مع النادي”.

واختتم تصريحاته: “إدارة النادي لطالما كانت صادقة معي وأنا أيضًا، وكما قلت سأحترم دائمًا علاقتي مع مانشستر سيتي ،الجماهير، الجهاز الفني، ومع زملائي في الفريق، لذا مهما حدث، ستكون لدينا علاقة محترمة للغاية”.