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Nottingham Forest are reportedly interested in signing Manchester City full-back Issa Kabore, according to The Athletic. 

The lowdown: Kabore profiled

Signed from Belgian top-flight club KV Mechelen in 2020, Man City immediately allowed the right-back to return on loan before sanctioning a temporary spell at French Ligue 1 side Troyes last season.

As things stand the 21-year-old is yet to make a single senior outing for the Premier League champions but remains a highly-rated prospect, having been named the best young player at this year’s Africa Cup of Nations.

Now as Forest boss Steve Cooper seeks an alternative to the reportedly Tottenham-bound Djed Spence after the youngster enjoyed a glittering loan spell at the City Ground, Kabore could be the chosen one…

The latest: Reds keen

As per The Athletic, Forest are believed to be ‘monitoring’ Kabore ahead of a potential summer swoop.

It’s claimed that the 27-cap Burkina Faso defender is viewed as a player with ‘similar character to Spence’ and is ‘hungry to prove himself’ to the top level.

The report makes no mention of a fee for the youngster hailed as ‘outstanding’ by European football expert Antonio Mango, who even tipped him as a potential Kyle Walker successor.

The verdict: Test the water

Valued at just £3.6million but under contract until 2025 (Transfermarkt), Kabore is expected to spend time out on loan once again next season due to being behind two world-class right full-backs in Walker and the versatile Joao Cancelo in Manchester.

During the 2021/22 season, the right-back earned a 6.60 Sofascore rating whilst winning 4.7 duels and completing 1.5 successful dribbles on average per league game, less than Spence’s 5.8 duels and 1.8 completed dribbles.

Capable of operating as a right-sided midfielder as well as a right-back, Kabore appears ideally suited to play in Cooper’s system as a wing-back and as such the City Ground hierarchy should perhaps test the waters with a temporary move, including an option to buy in case he shines in Spence’s shoes next season.

Journalist Pete O’Rourke has offered an exciting update regarding Aston Villa’s interest in Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder, Yves Bissouma.

What’s the word?

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, the transfer insider has claimed that Steven Gerrard and co will be in for the Mali international again this summer, having seen a bid rejected for the 25-year-old back in January.

Having already brought in Boubacar Kamara this summer on a free transfer, O’Rourke revealed that Villa could look to bolster their midfield ranks even further: “We all know Villa have held a long-term interest in Yves Bissouma. They tried to sign him in January, but Brighton managed to hold on to him. I would expect Villa to be considering a move again for him in the summer transfer window.

“If they were to get him and Kamara in the same window, I think we’d definitely see an improvement in that Villa midfield in general.”

This follows a report from 90min last week that stated that the Midlands side were keen on rekindling their interest, with a bid of around £30m seemingly on the cards for a player who is out of contract next summer.

Imagine him and Kamara

With Kamara’s arrival already confirmed, NSWE are seemingly set on a total revamp of the club’s midfield, with Bissouma’s potential capture only set to add increased quality in the centre of the park alongside the promising Frenchman.

Having made the move to the Amex from Lille in 2018, the Seagulls star has been an integral asset to manager Graham Potter, emerging as one of the most coveted midfield players in the Premier League following his impressive displays in recent seasons.

A “Champions League level” player, in the words of his manager, the £31.5m-rated gem has the ability to impact the game at both ends of the pitch, while also driving his side forward with an unerring calmness in possession.

Capable of a spectacular strike from distance, the £29k-per-week powerhouse is perhaps most widely-regarded for his defensive ability, notably averaging a remarkable 2.9 tackles, 1.9 interceptions and 1.8 clearances in his 26 league outings in the 2021/22 campaign.

Not only an imposing midfield presence, however, the 18-cap maestro also possesses a silky quality with the ball at his feet, ranking in the top 10% for dribbles completed and the top 9% for pass completion among midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues.

With Kamara in tow – who also ranks in the top 4% for pass completion and the top 3% for attempted passes – Villa would have a midfield duo capable of keeping the ball out of the reach of the opposition, but a partnership that also has the defensive instinct to win back possession if needed.

That combination would no doubt be the envy of clubs far higher in the league table, with – as O’Rourke suggested – Gerrard’s men set to enjoy a rapid improvement if the pair are unleashed at the start of next term.

The signing of the 22-year-old Marseille man is already in the bag, it now requires Villa to make their interest concrete in Brighton’s “phenomenal” star – as dubbed by pundit Lee Hendrie.

A Kamara-Bissouma midfield axis is simply a mouthwatering prospect.

IN other news, Gerrard can land AVFC’s next Southgate with move for “outstanding” £120k-p/w warrior

Rangers rounded off their Premiership campaign with a comfortable 3-1 victory, ensuring that they go into their two finals next week on a positive note.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst majorly rotated his team from Wednesday night, resting the likes of James Tavernier and Allan McGregor ahead of the upcoming Europa League final next Wednesday.

The manager handed debuts to Adam Devine, with substitute appearances by Tony Weston and Cole McKinnon showing that Van Bronckhorst trusts the academy stars, and some could have bright futures at Ibrox.

This afternoon, Hearts took the lead through Peter Haring midway through the first half before Rangers fought back through forgotten man Cedric Itten and academy sensation Alex Lowry to head into the interval with a 2-1 lead.

The Light Blues scored a third goal late on, a first in senior football for McKinnon, to round off a straightforward win as the biggest week in the club’s recent history approaches.

While some of the precocious young talents made their mark today, one of the standout performers was a member of the Rangers old guard.

Steven Davis may be 37 years of age but he ran the show against Hearts today. In what may be his last league match for the club as his contracts ends over the summer, the veteran won six of his eight duels (75%), the joint-most of any Gers player, along with completing 63 of his 68 passes (93%).

Davis – who pundit Stephen Craigan once described as a “joy to watch” – also made six tackles and two interceptions, earning an overall performance rating of 7.4 on SofaScore, which was the joint-second highest in the team behind Lowry.

The 37-year-old midfielder could add a European medal in midweek when the Gers take on Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League final, and what an end to a wonderful Rangers career it would be. A similar performance to today could go a long way to potentially inspiring Van Bronckhorst and co to glory in Seville on Wednesday night.

AND in other news, Wilson heading for big Rangers disaster on “ridiculous” £6.4k-p/w tank, GvB needs him…

Twice in this tournament, not changing the way they have batted for the conditions, or state of the game, has cost them

Jarrod Kimber14-Jun-2019The West Indies’ first two was in the 17th over of the innings.Some of that is down to the fact that Chris Gayle is ancient, and they have replaced his hamstrings with biscuits. They are stiff, but they also crumble. But it’s also about the way the West Indies play. Since Javed Miandad hit the ball over short cover’s head and Dean Jones turned ODI batting into a 10,000-metre race, teams have used the two as a safe option to score quickly. But the West Indies’ newer style of batting is not as much about twos, or even running at all; it’s about the power. By the time their first two came today, they’d already scored several boundaries and a six.And it’s not that their style isn’t right – batsmen take a risk with twos for a low return. They’re playing an attacking shot, if not checked, and then hustling for a run that may not always be entirely there. If you are going to take a risk, you might as well take it when there is four or six runs on offer. It just wasn’t the right style for today.Watch on Hotstar (India only) – West Indies lose 5 for 24Since the last World Cup, West Indies score a two every 20.39 balls, third slowest. England leads the world with a two every 16.69 balls.But it isn’t just twos that the West Indies don’t bother with, they also score off fewer balls than most teams. Since April 2015, the West Indies have a dot ball percentage of 57. Only Afghanistan faces more dots. England is down at 49%, which means that on average the West Indies face 24 more dot balls than England each game.Not all of this matters if your players are waiting for the ball to be in their zones and hitting it out of the stadium. But today the pitch was not that conducive to swing through the line, and this is the biggest ground in the tournament. The smallest boundary here is 76 metres, the largest boundary at Taunton is 68 metres. It’s not that you can’t hit sixes here, but you can’t hit them consistently.Eoin Morgan had talked about this before the game. “The parameters of the ground here are a lot bigger than the West Indies.” He also mentioned the pitch may not be ideal for swinging through the line. That seemed like a warning to the West Indies players before the game, but they didn’t seem to listen. Gayle and Andre Russell both were caught on the boundary with hits that would have been sixes anywhere else in the tournament, and in most places in the world.It’s not that their attacking style isn’t right, but West Indies must adapt for different stadiums•Getty ImagesIf there is any pitch in England to bat in the more traditional ODI way, it’s the Rose Bowl. In the first ten overs they scored 41 runs, and had 41 dots. In the following ten, with the field out, they still managed 33 dots. Gayle hurts in that, but they don’t have many great strike rotaters. And in truth, they don’t have many traditional batsmen at all. They are not set up for this ground.Shai Hope is their only frontline batsman who has a well-rounded game suited to ODI cricket, and even he struggles with strike rotation. Of the 36 batsmen from the teams in this World Cup who’ve faced at least 1000 balls in the last couple of years, Shai Hope has the ninth worst dot ball percentage with 55%. There’s no reason for a player like Hope not to rotate the ball more; he’s the fourth worst boundary hitter in this World Cup. He’s physically fit and talented. He should be able to score regularly with no risk.On Friday, he batted at three and was followed by Nicholas Pooran and Shimron Hetmyer. Both are incredible talents and ball strikers, but neither are strike rotaters. Pooran played a very mature innings, his best for the West Indies in his short career. At the other end, Hetmyer was scoring his boundaries by moving his front leg and heaving the ball even in the middle overs. They scored some twos, but they always appeared to be mis-hit boundaries rather than special placement.They didn’t look like they were playing the same ODI cricket as other teams in this tournament. And maybe that’s because they don’t play as much of it. India has four top-order batsmen with over 60 ODIs in the last four years. Jason Holder is West Indies’ only top seven player with over 60 matches, Shai Hope is at 58, and then Evin Lewis has played 37. Gayle has been largely unavailable. Hetmyer is still relatively new. And Pooran only made his debut earlier this year. And it’s not like these players have a lot of one day domestic cricket either.Obviously it’s not like ODI cricket is a foreign concept; they’re not like aliens trying to learn a new game. And a lot of their T20 strengths are now part of ODI cricket. But twice in this tournament, not changing the way they have batted for the conditions, or state of the game, has cost them. Against Australia they turned a near run-a-ball chase into a solid loss by over-attacking. And here they made a weak total on a pitch where Chris Woakes batted at three and made 40. They didn’t even get much of a bat against Pakistan; so the two times they have batted this tournament, they’ve failed.At six today was Andre Russell. Expecting him to look for twos when he’s borrowed his gran’s knees seems like a stretch. But also hoping for him to become a batsman when he has spent his entire life being a hitter is asking a lot. Not that he is in this side for plucky rearguard innings when the top order have failed either. He is made for T20 and death hitting.And in reality, this team is the same.The talent is there, but while they have the team to score 400, they might also not be for all conditions. If you look at their results, one win, one draw and two losses, you’d have to wonder if they are the right team for this tournament.Holder said, “There’s still a lot of cricket left to be played in this tournament”. But if they keep playing like today, it’ll be over sooner than they want.

The IPL has pulled all stops to engage India’s cricket-watching public over the years, and while we can argue over the extent of their success, there has been no want of trying

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Apr-2017CheerleadersAt the World T20 in 2007, cheerleaders and fireworks by the boundary-side were a feature across stadia, and the IPL saw no reason why they couldn’t have their own. With the American notion of franchises imported into the shortest format of cricket, the introduction of cheerleaders followed suit: Royal Challengers Bangalore got themselves a cheerleading troupe from the Washington Redskins, while Kochi Tuskers brought in an ensemble of Ukrainian models. However, it was Pune Warriors who added an ethnic touch to the phenomenon, with the introduction of Indian-classical dancers, who broke into Bharatnatyam or Kuchipudi routines every time Pune Warriors cleared the boundary or picked up a wicket.Strategic time-outsThe IPL’s marketing mavens have consistently invented new dimensions to the T20 game, while managing to garner sponsors to christen them with. One such commercially successful innovation was the strategic time-out, which, in the words of the league’s founder Lalit Modi, was designed “to help teams re-strategise and confer among themselves”. The time-out in its original avatar lasted a snooze-worthy seven-and-a-half long minutes at the half-way stage of the innings, but was split into two sets of two-and-a-half minutes each, after the completion of the inaugural edition.The trumpet tuneOr, as its Spanish originators know it, of Paso Doble fame. From a tune that was part of a Spanish music composition popularised by French DJ-producer John Revox, the IPL’s trumpet tune has become the go-to for DJs at every other stadium, apart from being transformed into the casual fan’s ringtone of choice. A peppy piece of music without any linguistic affiliations, the tune is now played at most limited-overs international fixtures and franchise T20s the world over.Umpire Simon Fry models the umpire cam•Getty ImagesHelmet cams, umpire cams and spider camsWhile the IPL cannot claim to have introduced any of these sports-broadcast innovations, it can, at the least, boast the bragging rights for having revolutionised the way cricket is viewed in the drawing room. The spidercam, came to India via the Indian Cricket League, whereas the helmet cam found its way into the game about 45 years after American sport had introduced it. Regardless of their context of origin, these bits of remodelled video-recording equipment provide breathtaking live shots of what may be otherwise deemed routine occurrences in a cricket field. Run-out decisions and emphatic shots down the ground look more real than ever before, courtesy the cameras attached to the umpire’s hat that follow the movement of their eyes and give the TV viewer a whole new perspective on close calls.MaximumAnother of IPL’s additions to the cricket vocabulary, this Latin term, previously only a favorite of math nerds working out calculus, made its way into the mainstream to describe sixes. After a few seasons with different sponsor plugs, TV commentators have now come to apply it to sixes of all manners and distances. The word, an embodiment of the IPL’s success in wedding commercialism with hyperbole, perfectly corresponds to the inversely-proportional relationship between shrinking sizes of boundaries in the modern-day game and the hunt for new philological varieties of existing cricketing terminology.Fan umpiresIn a move to “increase involvement of viewers”, the think-tanks behind the showpiece event, came up with an innovation in 2016 that allowed fans in the stands to express their views on decisions referred to the third umpire. As part of this exercise, fans could participate in the decision-making – albeit only to the extent of holding placards that carried ‘out’ and ‘not out’ – while letting the cameras pan around and show the most animated ones on the screen. Given that the decision of the umpires was final and binding regardless of the fans’ verdict, the hype around this innovation quietened as the season progressed.Fan ParksAmong the IPL’s newer ventures, fan parks have taken the tournament to India’s second- and third-tier towns, attracting massive turnouts that are known to shoot up to 300,000, as per the organizers’ estimates. Fans turn up to not just watch the game on large screens, but regale in the entertainment that accompanies the visual experience offered by any IPL match. From covering just 16 cities two years ago, the runaway success of these parks is touted to spread its reach to 36 cities across 21 states in the tenth edition.Danny Morrison, up to one of his gags, during an IPL game in Mohali•BCCIDanny MorrisonIn Morrison’s own words, his commentary career post-IPL can be summarised thus – . Team names and player initials, all became spelt-out acronyms, as “Double G”s and “Double R”s rang out at tens of decibels louder than cricket fans were used to. A mix of on-the-spot analogies, pantomime gags and an all-too-ready approach to embracing local flavour, Morrison’s idiosyncrasies have made him every franchise T20 tournament’s commentator of choice.BlimpDebates over the classification of the flying object aside, the hot-air balloon, which was sold as a ‘blimp’ on air, was yet another consumerist trope experimented with in the IPL that died down after a solitary season in the spotlight. Commentators, throughout the 2010 edition, could not stop themselves from going on about the object every IPL stadium, often invoking and praising the sponsors for being at the forefront of technological innovation. However, when the 2011 edition hit us, the much-vaunted object above the stadia vanished quietly into thin air, contrary to the manner in which it first appeared.Mic’d up players and umpiresMic’d up players, often a feature of Channel Nine’s broadcasts in Australia, predate the IPL by a few years. However, the tournament has taken the concept to a whole new level; be it Billy Doctrove speaking in Tamil with a Caribbean accent to launch the 2011 edition, or Faf du Plessis doling out insights on coconut water in its natural and bottled forms – these hilarious moments were nothing short of live-broadcasting gold.

Stats highlights from the second ODI in Wellington where Australia levelled the series 1-1 against New Zealand

Bharath Seervi06-Feb-2016282 Target successfully chased by Australia – their highest in ODIs in New Zealand. They have not won chasing 250 or more even once in the past. Overall, this is Australia’s third-highest successful run-chase against New Zealand.5 Man-of-the-Match awards for Mitchell Marsh in ODIs since his debut. Only Steven Smith and Mitchell Starc have more such awards (6) in this period. His unbeaten 69 in the second ODI is his first half-century while chasing, with his previous highest score being only 17.4 Number of fifty-plus scores for Kane Williamson in ODIs at the Westpac Stadium in Wellington, most for him at any venue. He has scores of 55, 88, 54, 9*, 33 and 60 in the six innings at this venue.25.71 Steven Smith’s batting average outside Australia in ODIs, in 29 innings including in this game. He averages 56.91 in ODIs in Australia in the same number of innings.86* Unbeaten stand between Mitchell Marsh and John Hastings – Australia’s second highest for the seventh-wicket in successful chases. Highest was the unbroken 91-run stand between James Faulkner and Adam Voges against India in Mohali in 2013-14. Hastings’ 48 not out is also the second-highest in wins for Australia at No.8 while chasing; highest was Faulkner’s 64 not out in the Mohali ODI of 2013-14.0 Previous instances of a New Zealand player scoring 45 or more and taking three or more wickets in an ODI against Australia. Mitchell Santner scored unbeaten 45 and took 3 for 47 in this match. There has been only one other similar all-round performance against Australia in the last ten years – 70 and 4 for 38 by Ben Stokes at the WACA in 2013-14.2013 Last time Australia’s Nos.3, 4 and 5 were dismissed for single-digit scores in ODIs – against Sri Lanka at the Gabba. In this match, Steven Smith scored 2, George Bailey 0 and Glenn Maxwell 6. Last such instance for them outside Australia was also at this same venue, Westpac Stadium in Wellington.7 Number of New Zealand batsmen who hit at least one six in this match – the most for them in an ODI. There have been five ODIs where six of their batsmen hit at least a six, including the first ODI of this series in Auckland.122 Runs added by the opening pair David Warner and Usman Khawaja – Australia’s joint third-highest opening stand in ODIs in New Zealand. The top two were by the same pair at the same venue – Mark Waugh and Adam Gilchrist at AMI Stadium in Christchurch.0 Dismissals in the 90s for Warner in International matches till the last year in 206 innings. He has got out twice – 93 and 98 – in seven innings this year; both of those in ODIs. He is only the fourth Australia batsman to get out twice in the 90s in ODIs in a calendar year, and the last to achieve this feat was Mark Waugh in 1997.

Plays of the Day from the third ODI between India and Sri Lanka in Hyderabad

Andrew Fidel Fernando09-Nov-2014The backfiring PowerplayAkshar Patel once again struck during the middle overs•BCCIMany negative themes have plagued Sri Lanka’s innings this series, but two of the more telling have been their poor use of the batting Powerplay, and Akshar Patel’s ability to make crucial breakthroughs. Both these features were brought together in emphatic fashion in Hyderabad, as Akshar came on as soon as the Powerplay was called, to remove Angelo Mathews, then Ashan Priyanjan, and Chaturanga de Silva in each of his following Powerplay overs. All three batsmen had been attempting aggressive strokes.The grouchy centurionMahela Jayawardene’s often makes his cricket seem joyful, but not when he reached his 17th ODI ton with a six over midwicket on Thursday. Jayawardene had helped set Sri Lanka on the path to a competitive score before four middle order batsmen got out within seven overs, and plunged the innings into disarray. Having turned down singles into the outfield as early as the 38th over, Jayawardene’s expression conveyed frustration and disappointment, even as he acknowledged the applause for his hundred.The mix-upBut even Jayawardene’s dissatisfaction was no match for the look of absolute contempt Ambati Rayudu shot at Shikhar Dhawan, after the latter had effectively sealed his run-out. Batting on 35, and having seemed completely at ease with the bowling, Rayudu pushed Tillakaratne Dilshan just wide of mid off, and called Shikhar Dhawan through for a quick single. Dhawan though, not only didn’t respond to Rayudu’s call, he also appeared late to send his partner back. Rayudu’s mistake was watching the ball, and paying no attention to his partner, and in the end, both batsmen ended up at the non-striker’s end, and Sri Lanka completed the simplest of run outs.The déjà vuKumar Sangakkara had been out to a thigh-high full toss in the second ODI, but it took two terrific, almost identical balls to dismiss him in the other two matches. On this occasion, Umesh Yadav dug one in short of a length on about middle stump, and managed to hit the seam, moving the ball away. Facing his first ball, Sangakkara pushed at it and did well to even connect, sending the ball to first slip off the edge. Ishant Sharma had been the bowler to get him out in similar fashion in the first game.

Welcome back, Confectionery Stallers, just in time for the official Confectionery Stall preview of the end of the 2011 Indian tour of England

Andy Zaltzman25-Feb-2013Welcome back, Confectionery Stallers, just in time for the official Confectionery Stall preview of the end of the 2011 Indian tour of England. The final match in a damply curious ODI series will bring the curtain of mercy down on one of the most unsuccessful tours ever to fail to grace these shores. It might be a good game, it might not be, and either side could win it and/or lose it. Duckworth-Lewis, in fine form after their spectacular win at Lord’s, cannot be ruled out. No one will mind very much either way, I imagine. The schedule of the English international summer is specifically designed to maximise the chances of a prolonged anti-climax, and the weather has chirped in this year to assist the achieving of this oddly conceived goal.On then to the official Confectionery Stall review of the 2011 Indian tour of England.At the start of the summer, there had been rich anticipation for a titanic showdown between two of Test cricket’s leading forces. Titanic showdowns, however, as early-20th-century maritime historians will vociferously testify, can end with something that was widely lauded as indestructible and magnificent sinking rapidly and disastrously. The good ship India rammed repeatedly into Iceberg England, and the rest is now statistically alarming history that will be sifted over by curious students in decades to come. (If there are any curious students of Test cricket in decades to come.)Back in April, as India briefly celebrated their iconic triumph in Mumbai before looking at their fixture schedules and thinking that they had better get some kip whilst they had the chance, and England recuperated from their Ashes megavictory and their barking-mad World Cup campaign, some mesmerising contests loomed – Zaheer against England’s batting machine; Sehwag against England’s demon swing attack; Tendulkar versus Statistical History.The first flickered tantalisingly on the first day at Lord’s before Zaheer’s not overwhelmingly well-honed body rebelled. The second began (a) too late, as injury ruled out the Evel Knievel Of Opening The Batting from the first two Tests, and (b) too early, as he rushed back with insufficient preparation to face brilliant, in-form swing bowlers in swingy conditions. I am sure even Albert Einstein after a prolonged break from science needed to ease himself back into things with some basic physics – a couple of frames of snooker, at least, or juggling some tomatoes – before launching into the serious quantum stuff. The third saw Statistical History fighting a brave rearguard against the Little Master (whilst taking its eye off the majestic Dravid, allowing him to put on one of the finest displays of batsmanship in a losing cause and become only the second player after Bradman to twice score three centuries in a series in England).India were underprepared, knackered and unlucky, but their response to their misfortunes is unlikely to have the world’s poets wielding their quills in excitement, ready to poet out some stirring tales of steadfast heroism in the face of adversity.Consequently, as a contest it has been strange and unsatisfying, like eating a plate of high-quality filet steak lathered in a once-delicious lemon mousse that had been left out of the fridge for a couple of weeks. For England, the Test series was unremittingly glorious. Players reached or maintained peaks that a year ago had seemed inconceivable. They were ruthless, dazzling, thrilling. Those are three adjectives that have not always been applicable to English cricket over the last 30 years. They have slap-hammered their opponents for seven innings victories in 14 Tests over 12 months – one more than England managed in 211 Tests over 20 years in the 1980s and 1990s. England have averaged 59 runs per wicket with the bat in 2011 – the best year ever for England batting, and the best by any team that has played more than six Tests in a year. Their pace bowlers have collectively averaged 24 this year – the second-best such figure by England since 1979, behind 2000, when Gough, Caddick, Cork and White eviscerated the hapless West Indians.England had an almost supernaturally stellar Test summer, to follow a similarly successful winter, and ascended to the official top of the Test rankings with ease. Reaching summits is often considered tricky in mountaineering circles (I am reliably informed). England scaled the ICC Rankings Peak in the the manner of Hillary and Tensing unicycling the last few hundred metres up Mount Everest whilst juggling apples and singing Viking drinking songs.It is hard to know exactly how good this England team is currently and can become in the future – they have had a happy knack of playing opponents who are in transition, meltdown or need of a holiday, and have exploited weakness, misfortune and fatigue with merciless power and precision. A winter in various parts of Asia will give further evidence, and next summer’s annoyingly brief showdown with South Africa could prove to be the crucial exhibit.EXTRASLancashire clinched a staggering triumph in the County Championship, with two bone-jangling late victories in their final two matches. Last time Lancashire won the championship outright, in 1934, it heralded a 19-year spell in which Britain fought a World War, saw a king abdicate, and presided over the collapse of its empire, and in which, more importantly, England failed to win the Ashes. So whilst this extraordinary and long-overdue triumph will be rightly celebrated across Lancashire, the rest of the country and the government may be understandably more muted in its response.When I was a cricket-obsessed boy, I patiently endured a four-year period from 1986 to 1989 when my country won three Tests out of 40. Fortunately, two of those wins were in one Ashes series, so the late ‘80s seldom get the credit they deserve as the absolute nadir of English cricket history. It was often said at the time that county cricket was not producing Test-quality cricketers. This was not entirely true. It was producing them, but they were mostly playing for England’s opponents. County cricket is still producing Test-quality cricketers, and England’s opponents, too busy to allow their players be properly schooled in English conditions, as they once were, are suffering the consequences, trying to learn on the hoof in the Test arena, like schoolchildren trying to cram in some desperate post-last-minute revision after a crucial exam has already started.Following the trial of a pink ball in a County Championship game, the ICC has announced that in the forthcoming Sheffield Shield season in Australia, umpires’ index fingers will be painted fluorescent green, and topped with a flashing light. “We want to make the moment of dismissal a more spectator-friendly experience,” explained the secretary of the ICC Tinkering Around Committee. A further proposal under consideration is forcing batsmen’s helmets to be coated in a bronze casing, to ensure that a bowler clonking a batsman on the noggin with a bouncer makes the metal clang loud and amusing enough to prevent the crowd drifting off and thinking about gardening.Apologies for my lengthy absence, which was caused by a range of factors: (1) spending a month telling jokes at the Edinburgh Festival; (2) taking my wife and children on holiday to compensate for spending a month away from home at the Edinburgh Festival; (3) trying to explain the difference between cricket and football to my two-year-old son; (4) Statsguru asking me for some time apart to think about where our relationship is going; and (5) a rest and recuperation period advised by my doctor to help adjust psychologically to the fact that England are now officially the universe’s leading Test Match cricket team, a state of affairs for which cricket supporters in my age bracket in this country have not been adequately conditioned. In fact, medical staff at cricket grounds have reported cricket fans complaining of a range of previously unimaginable ailments, including disbelief, delirium, smugness, an unshakeable suspicion that it is all an elaborate trick, terror that England’s ascent to the summit of the world’s greatest sport is an unarguable sign of impending apocalypse (it is all in The Book Of Revelations, if you read it backwards in John Arlott’s accent), and in several cases “feeling disconcertingly Australian”.

From the hungriest captain to a date with fate, here are XI reasons for Pakistan fans to believe

Saad Shafqat12-Feb-2011They have the hungriest captain Beware the carefree man who suddenly decides to become preoccupied. For most of his career, Shahid Afridi has played with such daredevil abandon that Pakistan supporters often wondered whose side he was on. Now he cuts a determined leonine figure, hungrily eyeing prey as he prowls open grasslands. You can see the single-mindedness written all over his face. In the twilight of his career, he can see the greatest of prizes on the horizon, and all he has to do is outrun the competition. He is going to drain every ounce to get it done.Stars are lined up for an Asian team that is not the hostWe often think of Australia as the dominant force of recent World Cup history, but Asian teams haven’t been far behind. In fact, there has been an Asian team in each World Cup final since 1992, which augurs well for an Asian team making it to the last two in 2011 as well. Add to this the well known World Cup adage that the host side never wins, and you can see that Pakistan – the only Asian team that happens not to be the host – is comfortably placed to come out on top.Honesty of effort is guaranteedThankfully, the spot-fixers have now been tarred and feathered. This landmark development will surely motivate the remaining cricketers to play to the best of their potential. Cleared of distractions that have been diluting their efforts, a more linear relationship between Pakistan’s talent and output can be expected to emerge. Everybody better watch out.Their momentum is surgingBy November last year, Pakistan had the poorest ODI record of any team in 2010, worse even than Zimbabwe. Yet they started to pick themselves up bit by bit, and now enter the World Cup with a win-loss ratio that places them ahead of West Indies, New Zealand, Bangladesh, and Zimbabwe. Extrapolated over the next few weeks, this steady trajectory is headed straight to the top of the heap.They know how to hold their nerveKnockout matches in the World Cup can easily become a high-stakes quicksand heading into the final overs, when panic can unravel the best talent and preparation. Pakistanis are famous for squandering and surrendering, but they also know how to handle themselves in a close finish. Of the eighteen matches in ODI history decided by 1 wicket with 1 ball or less to spare, Pakistan has been the winner in six, more often than any other team. Pakistani supporters will be loath to agree, but statistics show that tense endings can bring the best out of Pakistan.They fire best when corneredWe all know the “cornered tigers” story – Imran Khan’s stirring exhortation that transformed his scattered 1992 side into champions. There’s a good reason it has become folklore – it’s utterly true. Squeeze them into a corner and push them against the wall, and Pakistan will explode with the force of a nuclear warhead. Circumstances have lately been pushing and squeezing Pakistan badly – a forfeited Test, doping scandals, an inexplicably dead coach, the stigma of insecurity, and a terrorist attack. The spot-fixing catastrophe may well prove to be the final trigger.The 2011 format favours a mercurial outfitAfter the disaster of the 2007 World Cup, when crowd-pullers India and Pakistan made preliminary exits, the ICC came up with a new formula for 2011, in which wins against unranked teams guarantee a quarter-final spot. After that, it’s a rapid-fire shootout and three wins gets you the cup. This creates a truly open field in which Pakistan’s unpredictability is a potential advantage.Their talent is deceptive and disarmingPakistani players are recognized for world-class talent, but they often apply it haphazardly, getting out to senseless shots and suicidal run outs, and undermining clever bowling by needless wides, no-balls, dropped catches, and erratic ground fielding. The overall effect is to appear attractive but not threatening, like a beautiful cat striking a languid pose. Sharp claws lurk beneath the surface, but you just don’t see them and it can trick you into dropping your guard.They have a seasoned brain trustImagine a Pakistan team meeting, and it immediately inspires confidence. Captain Afridi is at the head of the table, vice-captain Misbah is next to him, and Younis Khan, Abdul Razzaq and Shoaib Akhtar occupy the other senior spots. When tactics are discussed, wisdom and experience flows. There are over a thousand ODIs between them, and invaluable know-how from numerous high-stakes encounters, including a successful World Twenty20 title fight. If and when it hits the fan, these are the guys you want in charge.What doesn’t kill you makes you strongerIt’s one of Friedrich Nietzsche’s most memorable quotes, and it applies unambiguously to Pakistan, a team that has been through hardships of all kinds. Any one of these blows could have proved lethal, but it didn’t. Not only has the Pakistan team lived to tell the tale, it has managed to accumulate the skills for handling adversity that no other team possesses.They have a date with fatePakistan is a team that has been slapped, beaten, shamed, and kicked about. Murphy’s Law states that if anything can go wrong, it will, and for Pakistan this has proven to be a resounding truth. So much has gone wrong for them, in fact, that they are finally due for some much-needed relief. No season lasts forever, it is darkest before the dawn, and nature loves a balance. In short, several pieces of time-honoured wisdom point to Pakistan finally catching a break.

It was a day when bowlers were rewarded for their skills and another set of modern batsmen was found wanting against a rare, but thankfully not extinct, bowling art: swing bowling

Sambit Bal at the WACA17-Jan-2008

Irfan Pathan has regained his pace and swing and was strong enough to bowl 17 overs in the searing heat © Getty Images
This Test began with Australia chasing history, and India, at least in the eyes of cricket fans, looking to chase away the ghosts. They last played a Test here 15 years ago and, though the only survivor from that team would have carried happy personal memories, even he would not have forgotten the ignominy of the final innings when ten wickets fell for 59 runs. This Test has not been won or lost yet but, incredibly, it is now Australia who left playing catch-up.Fifteen wickets in the day would point to some fire or juice in the pitch. That was hardly the case. It was a day when bowlers were rewarded for their skills and another set of modern batsmen was found wanting against a rare, but thankfully not extinct, bowling art: swing bowling. Australia lost the Ashes in 2005 to reverse-swing and today they were undone by traditional swing. It had been a similar story in the first innings of the second Test but, unlike that day, fortune didn’t desert India, who weathered a dangerous sixth-wicket partnership to finish the second day on top.It’s a match that continues to surprise. Australia began the day with joy, yet by lunch they were up against it. On a pitch that was supposedly designed to blow the Indian batsmen off their blocks, it was the Indian pace bowlers, at best sharp but mostly medium, who teased the Australians by floating the ball up and curving it away. By the end of the day, the Australian bowlers, who couldn’t have imagined they would be bowling again in the day, seemed to be gripped by nerves as they sent down a succession of no-balls and wides. Shaun Tait, pushed to hurry through the last over, sprayed a wide off a short run and then lost his run-up the next ball.Apart from those two ill-chosen strokes in the last hour of the first day, India have made all the running in this Test so far. Finally they chose the right batting order – with hindsight it can now be said that the eagerness to accommodate Yuvraj Singh was a great distraction – and they were not deterred at the toss by the reputation of the pitch. It would have been a defensive decision to bowl first. And even Irfan Pathan rewarded the team management with a cameo with the bat and a lovely opening spell that accounted for the openers. He has regained his pace and swing and was strong enough to bowl 17 overs in the searing heat.In the context of what has gone so far, it is easy to miss the significance of the partnership yesterday between Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar. In a Test where most batsmen have played and missed, their performance in the second session can be called commanding. Andrew Symonds and Adam Gilchrist, who scored his first fifty of the series, almost matched them today but, if their rollicking stand was based on adventurism and bold stroke-play, Dravid and Tendulkar provided technical virtuosity.So much has already happened in the Test it is hard to believe only two days are over. But India will know that five sessions don’t win a Test. Some had predicted a three-day finish for this Test but, barring a sensational collapse from India, it is expected to go into the fourth day. India will need three solid sessions to take control of the match. There will rarely be a better opportunity for their dazzling batsmen to set it up for their much more inexperienced bowlers who have, once again, surpassed all expectations.Australia would want to keep the chase down to 300 and wouldn’t want to chase more than 350. India would perhaps feel secure with a 450-run advantage. The battle for those hundred runs would be fascinating. Brett Lee and Stuart Clark have been Australia’s outstanding bowlers but Ponting will expect Tait, who has replaced the man who is not only their main spin option but a handy No. 8, to step up tomorrow.Australia are behind in this match but it is not beyond them. Nothing is. They have not racked up this winning streak with the help of umpires. They will fight like hell to maintain it. Expect another cracking day tomorrow. Perhaps the decisive one.