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He delivered more overs than any other bowler, was faster and better than any other, but was the most expensive of the three specialist quicks

Danyal Rasool27-Dec-2024Like blindly following the recipe book for an exotic dish, it was hard to say what Naseem Shah was cooking up at first this morning. He began groggily, throwing the ball up in search of swing as if this was a Rawalpindi winter day and not a Centurion summer one. He barely broached 135kph, and was much too wide, so any away movement only meant an extra lunge for Mohammad Rizwan. If something was brewing, it was difficult to tell what that might have been.But it was that kind of morning session, a bowling effort on psychedelics, balls just floating into the ether, hovering there briefly as if the laws of gravity had briefly been suspended, and barely kissing the surface before dancing away into the wind. On a pitch where banging the ball into the surface has been the most proven way to get results, Naseem was rejecting conventional wisdom, no discernible logic behind this iconoclasm. Mohammad Abbas, 13 years his senior, tried following the rulebook to a tee, bless him. But at his pace, with little work going into the ball off his wrist, even the Centurion surface struggled to give him a leg up.So Shan Masood took him off after a four-over burst. Naseem has built up quite the oeuvre of glorious failure, the universe seemingly conspiring to refuse to give him what he was owed. But he knows, better than most, how frugal with the distribution of joy the world can sometimes be, and he will have known that on this occasion, his empty-handedness was well-deserved.Related

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“You have to learn to adjust in new conditions,” Naseem admitted after the match. “It’s not easy but you have to be disciplined and adjust to different conditions quickly. The pitch here is at a bit of a height and the ground at a depression, so I think you have to adjust as a bowler, and it took me a few overs to do that.”But there was something Test cricket saw in Naseem, something it liked. In a country that has recently seen its express quick either lose their pace, or their interest in Test cricket, or both, Naseem still has it all.By his second spell, he was pushing up as high as 145.9kph, he had dragged his lengths back. The rebellious streak was gone, the spell was beginning to come of age, and the recipe book was being faithfully followed. When it still wouldn’t produce a wicket, Naseem dealt with the setbacks with wistful smiles rather than visible agitation. After all, he had seen from the dugout the fickle nature of Test cricket’s generosity; Kagiso Rabada had bowled better than any of the Pakistan bowlers without being rewarded for it.David Bedingham had ridden his luck against Naseem, surviving a review off the first ball of Naseem’s return spell. Pakistan, to be fair, managed their reviews about as efficiently as many lottery winners do their prizes, but it did signal a shift in intensity from a bowler whose ceiling remains a formidable force to handle. Bedingham soon paid the price for his insouciance when a shade of extra bounce, thanks to improved lengths and higher pace, became too hot to handle, and Naseem had begun to put a spell of proper old-ball Test match fast bowling together either side of lunch. Kyle Verreynne was goaded into a similar shot, and outdone by a similar delivery.By now, the crowd by Castle Corner had broken out into a chorus of grudging respect; South African spectators cannot help, it would seem, but respect a fast bowler operating at the top of his game. Chants of “Naseem! Naseem” began to go up every time he walked back to the mark, but it was the afternoon, and they were well lubricated by now, so you may be able to put some of the generosity down to that. Apparently, SuperSport Park sold more than 1 million Rand worth of alcohol on day one; the eye test would suggest day two wasn’t far behind.

“You have to learn to adjust in new conditions. It’s not easy but you have to be disciplined and adjust to different conditions quickly.”Naseem Shah

Naseem knew, though, that this day had been generous to Pakistan; none of the other bowlers had come close to matching his quality, and yet South Africa were suddenly seven down; the woefully out of form Marco Jansen was meat and drink for Naseem. By then Naseem’s second spell was a match-turning one: 3 for 28 in five overs, and the question turned from the size of South Africa’s lead to the possibility they may not get one at all.On other occasions, in other countries, that might have been work done for a brittle, express pace bowler, but Masood felt Pakistan had no other well to turn to. He tied Aiden Markram up at one end, inducing him into a false shot against Khurram Shahzad at the other end. And still Naseem bowled, him powering on from the media end blending into the background of the day. Drinks came and went, and Naseem was still there, pace slightly down, but banging it into the pitch and asking the same questions.”Fast bowling is not easy but you have to be ready. I always try to work hard and bowl more in the nets and even in domestic cricket.”The team needed it, and obviously when the captain asks you, you have to be ready. That is my habit as a fast bowler, to accept the ball when needed. I hadn’t known it would happen, but the captain thought about which bowler would be more impactful, and asked me to bowl. My body’s fine.”However, the good balls were no longer producing edges, and the occasional loosener that crept into his spell was being put away by Corbin Bosch, exactly the sort of player who Pakistan tend to allow dream career starts. There were five overs between Naseem getting a break, and the captain turning right back to him, but now, Test cricket was playing hard-to-get with him once more.The field had been spread out for Bosch, the sniff of optimism from the early afternoon had gone. The crowd, too, began to treat Naseem as the figure of heroic failure he was becoming as the innings dragged on, playfully booing every appeal, and then shouting “review it” once Pakistan’s profligacy had squandered them all.South Africa had added 88 for the last two wickets, and, despite delivering more overs than any other bowler, faster than any other bowler, better than any other bowler, Naseem’s figures showed he was the most expensive of the three specialist quicks. It is a wonder Naseem plays Test cricket with a smile on his face, but Pakistan are fortunate he does. And perhaps, a pleasant festive afternoon when Test cricket briefly smiles back is all the reward he needs.

Garrett Crochet had a pretty nice night against the Yankees on Sunday. The Red Sox starter went six full innings and struck out 12 batters to help Boston snap a three-game losing streak and salvage the final game of a weekend series against New York.

He also fell down on a play that probably terrified fans.

Facing Jose Caballero with two outs and a runner on first, Crochet went to deliver the 0-1 pitch and completely lost his footing. His left foot turned towards second and he slipped. His right foot came down and then he threw the ball away as he took a seat.

Jazz Chisholm advanced to second while Red Sox fans held their breath. Luckily, Crochet was able to get up, dig back in at the rubber and strike out Caballero a few pitches later.

Crochet would give up a home run to Aaron Judge the next inning, but still escaped with the incredibly important win. Boston is currently in position for the second AL wild card with 12 games remaining in the season.

England’s key batter won’t dwell on Perth dismissals, despite poor head-to-head record

Vithushan Ehantharajah30-Nov-2025England’s first training session at the Gabba on Sunday, ahead of the second Ashes Test, featured a couple of unfamiliar “dog-throwers”.With the Lions taking part in the Prime Ministers’ XI match in Canberra, Matthew Potts and Josh Tongue with them, and the bowlers resting up after Saturday’s session at Allan Border Field – only Ben Stokes sent deliveries down – net bowlers and coaches were working overtime. As were two new faces in England stash.They were drafted in from the Sunshine Coast by bowling coach David Saker as reinforcements. And it was no coincidence there was a left-hander in there.After Mitchell Starc blasted through England in the first Test at Perth to put Australia 1-0 up, the extra focus was a no-brainer. The tourists had no answers for Starc’s brilliance as he finished with 10 in the match. They will need to find some ahead of the day-night Test, because no one does it better than the 35-year-old in this novelty off-shoot of the longest format.Related

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No bowler has anywhere near as many as Starc’s 81 pink-ball wickets at 17.08, nor his experience of 14 Tests with various iterations of the lighter Kookaburra. Like cocktails on a beach, he is a class apart when the sun sets. And with half of each day’s play expected to take place under lights, there is unlikely to be a period not suited to his game.As is England’s way, the onus is on individuals to work out their own ways of combating Starc. And it was noteworthy that one of England’s greatest problem-solvers, Joe Root, hogged a left-handed thrower during the afternoon session, trying to workshop a method against a familiar foe.The pair have played each other 23 times – red and pink – and Starc has the slight upper hand in their ongoing battle.Test cricket’s second-most productive run-scorer averages 34.9 against Starc, who has removed Root 10 times in Tests, including twice last week.”I think the first innings, to be honest, it was a pretty good ball,” Root said of his dismissal for a duck on day one, twisted around and edging to third slip. “Nipped across you from straight in. I wasn’t looking to whip it through square leg or anything like that. It was just one of those things you can get on a lively wicket. In England that probably doesn’t carry, it drops short with soft hands. It’s just one of the things you have to wear.”In the second innings, Root felt he started well “being quite busy and proactive” before edging a drive onto his stumps for 8 from 11 deliveries. The third batter dismissed in a run-less six balls that turned the Test on its head. “I just made a slight error of judgement and it costs you. You could play and miss at that, or it goes between stumps and keeper and goes for four, and you never think about it again.”Joe Root trains at the Gabba•Getty ImagesFine margins? Or, whisper it – does Root have a Starc problem? Both can be true, of course. Likewise, the fact that since adding the wobble seam delivery to his repertoire, Starc has been able to challenge both edges of the bat, regardless of whether he is faced with a right- or left-hander. Supplemented by his pace, angle and swing, he was able to cover for the loss of Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood in the first Test, and may do again in the second.”Clearly the more he’s played, the more experience he’s getting, and the more skills he’s developed,” Root said. “He’s a fine bowler and has been for a long time – and that’s never changed. They’ve had a couple of injuries, and he’s had to step up and he did that very well in the last game. Our challenge will be, can we counter that this week?”Root is optimistic solutions can be found, even in Starc’s day-night domain, and sees no reason why the bowler’s strengths cannot be managed to a degree. It is worth noting, Starc’s average with the pink ball at the Gabba is a solid yet unspectacular 29.00, with 14 dismissals across six innings.”It’s understanding all of the different tools he might have and then how are you going to counter that both in a positive manner and in allowing yourself to do it for a long period of time. Just being clear individually in how you want to go about scoring your runs and readying yourself as best you can is going to be the key.”With two days of practice, and information due to come their way from Canberra, England are fairly happy with the current batch of pink balls, even if Root thinks day-night matches are unnecessary for an Ashes series. Having played in all seven of England’s previous ones, he will need to draw on that experience, and share it with team-mates, if the tourists are to dent Australia’s impressive record in the side-format, which currently reads 13 wins out of 14. That one loss came here at the Gabba, against West Indies in 2024.”It felt pretty good when facing it. I think it’s [the black seam] actually a nice way of really focusing on the ball. Look hard at that seam and give you as many cues as you can from that point of release.”Of course, it’s going to have its different challenges and nuances from the red ball, but that’s all part and parcel of it. Can we be better at it than Australia? That’s the question and the challenge ahead of us.”

يلتقي منتخب قطر، اليوم الأحد، مع نظيره تونس، ضمن دور المجموعات من منافسات بطولة كأس العرب 2025 المقامة على أرض الأولى.

يواجه منتخب قطر نظيره تونس ضمن منافسات الجولة الثالثة من دور المجموعات بكأس العرب، على أرضية استاد البيت.

يدخل المنتخبان المباراة بشعار “لا بديل عن الفوز”، بعد نتائج مخيبة في الجولتين الأولى والثانية، فالمنتخب القطري خسر في مباراته الافتتاحية أمام فلسطين بهدف نظيف، ثم تعادل مع سوريا 1-1.

طالع.. ترتيب مجموعات كأس العرب 2025 بعد نهاية الجولة الثانية

أما المنتخب التونسي، خسر مباراته الأولى أمام سوريا وتعادل مع فلسطين بهدفين لكل منتخب في الجولة الثانية من البطولة.

قطر تحتاج إلى الفوز على تونس مع انتظار تعثر سوريا أمام فلسطين، بينما تونس لا بديل أمامها سوى الفوز بفارق هدفين أو أكثر مع فوز سوريا على فلسطين، وفي حال انتهاء مباراة سوريا وفلسطين بالتعادل، سيودع كل من تونس وقطر البطولة من الدور الأول. موعد مباراة تونس وقطر اليوم

وتقام المباراة في تمام الساعة السادسة مساءً بتوقيت تونس، والسابعة بتوقيت مصر، الثامنة بتوقيت السعودية وقطر. القنوات الناقلة لمباراة تونس وقطر

تُبث المباراة عبر قنوات beIN Sports HD، ودبي الرياضية، والشارقة الرياضية، وعمان الرياضية، والكويت الرياضية، وقناة الكأس، ومنصة شاشا الرقمية. معلقون مباراة تونس وقطر

يتولى المعلق أحمد البلوشي التعليق على أحداث اللقاء عبر قناة beIN Sports، ورؤوف خليف عبر قناة دبي وموسى عيد عبر قناة الشارقة.

ويمكنكم مطالعة مواعيد ونتائج جميع المباريات لحظة بلحظة عبر مركز المباريات من هنا.

The MLB playoffs have officially begun and with it, the quest for some fortunate clubs to capture a championship. But for the other unfortunate clubs who missed out on October baseball, the month can bring change, particularly in leadership at the manager position.

Already, MLB has seen some clubs part ways with managers. To help keep track of the comings and goings, here's a running list tracking the manager status of every MLB team eliminated from the postseason.

Which MLB managers have been fired?

Bob Melvin

San Francisco endured a disappointing campaign that saw the Giants race out to a 41-29 start and seem poised for the postseason, only to stumble to a 40-52 record the rest of the way to miss out on October. And unfortunately for Melvin, the underwhelming finish cost him his job. The Giants, after seemingly endorsing him by picking up his option for 2026 in July, made an about-face and opted to instead fire the three-time Manager of the Year. In two seasons managing San Francisco, Melvin went 161-163.

Rocco Baldelli

Rocco Baldelli's tenure in Minnesota started out with a bang, as the then first-year manager led the slugging Twins to just the franchise's second-ever 100-win season back in 2019. While the Twins never again eclipsed the century-win mark under Baldelli's stewardship, the club did go on to win two more American League Central titles, bowing out in the first round of the playoffs in each year while missing out on the postseason in his four other seasons at the helm. The firing of Baldelli, who had his 2026 option picked up earlier in the year, signals a reset on the field for a Twins team that gutted its roster at the trade deadline during the summer.

The "parted ways" category

Bruce Bochy

Bruce Bochy, a four-time World Series champion who led the Rangers to the franchise's first and only championship in 2023, mutually agreed with the club to part ways. Texas reached the pinnacle of the sport with Bochy perched on the top stoop of the dugout in 2023, but limped to 78-84 and 81-81 records in 2024 and 2025, respectively. Bochy himself even acknowledged that the club "underachieved" in '25, perhaps appreciating his and the club's shortcomings. But after coaxing him out of retirement, the Rangers can't look back at Bochy's tenure as anything but a smashing success.

Ron Washington

The Angels on Sept. 30 declined to pick up the 2026 options of manager Ron Washington and interim manager Ray Montgomery, a disappointing end to the Washington tenure. The 73-year-old Washington, who led the Rangers to two AL pennants in the 2010s, stepped away from managing duties on June 20 due to a health issue, which he later revealed to be quadruple bypass heart surgery, a procedure he underwent on June 30. Washington had hoped for the opportunity to return to manage the club in 2026, but it was unfortunately not to be. Washington went 135-189 in two seasons managing Los Angeles.

Brian Snitker

It was reported on Oct. 1 that Snitker, who was mulling a potential retirement, informed the Braves he would not be returning to manage the team in 2026. In a press release, the club announced that the veteran manager will be transitioning to "an advisory role" within the organization, adding that he'll be inducted into the Braves Hall of Fame next season. Snitker led Atlanta to six division titles, a pair of 100-win seasons and managed the club to a World Series title in 2021. Snitker, the 2018 Manager of the Year, won the third-most games in franchise history. But the '25 campaign, an injury-riddled season in which the Braves started 0-7 and never fully recovered, was undoubtedly a disappointment.

Which MLB managers have been retained?

Don Kelly

The Pirates on May 8 fired Derek Shelton and named then-bench coach Don Kelly the interim manager. Kelly led the club to a 59-65 record, including a winning record at home, while overseeing a pitching staff that recorded the fourth-best ERA in all of baseball since the All-Star break. The Pirates were obviously not pleased that the franchise endured its 10th straight losing season, but they were impressed enough with Kelly to extend his contract on Sept. 29.

Carlos Mendoza

The Mets, despite enduring one of the most inexplicable collapses for a seemingly postseason-bound club, on Sept. 29 announced that manager Carlos Mendoza would be returning as the skipper in 2026. It's not too surprising, given that president of baseball operations David Stearns had multiple times expressed his confidence in Mendoza in August. Despite the team's stunning fall from grace in 2025, Mendoza and the Mets are still just a year removed from reaching the National League Championship Series, and Stearns expressed his belief that the skipper is a "very good manager." However, Mendoza's coaching staff will be further "evaluated", suggesting there could be changes coming.

Oliver Marmol

Cardinals new president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom on Sept. 30 announced that manager Oliver Marmol will return in 2026. Marmol led the Cardinals to a 93-win season and National League Central title in 2022, but hasn't reached those heights since, as St. Louis has finished below .500 in two of the last three seasons. But the club is transitioning to a new leader in the front office and looking to get younger on the field, so it appears patience is being exercised with Marmol.

Which MLB managers have been hired?

Skip Schumaker

Schumaker, the former National League Manager of the Year award winner with the Marlins, on Oct. 3 was announced as the 21st manager of the Texas Rangers. Schumaker, regarded as one of the best young managers in the game, replaces a legend in four-time World Series champion Bruce Bochy, who led the Rangers to its first World Series title in franchise history.

Kurt Suzuki

The Angels on Oct. 21 hired Suzuki, a former 16-year MLB veteran, to be the club's next manager. The Angels had expressed interest in former MLB star Albert Pujols, whom they interviewed, as the next skipper, but they instead shifted their focus to Suzuki. A former big-league catcher, Suzuki has spent the last two seasons as a special assistant to general manager Perry Minasian. Suzuki, who has never been a manager, will attempt to help Los Angeles end a postseason drought that extends to the 2014 season.

Tony Vitello

The Giants took a leap of faith and hired former Tennessee Volunteers coach Tony Vitello to be their 40th manager. While the hire has raised eyebrows around baseball, Vitello's track record at the college level is for real. He turned the Volunteers into an SEC power, leading the program to the College World Series three times from 2021 to 2024, the final year of which resulted in the program's first national championship. Vitello takes over a Giants club that has missed the postseason in each of the last four seasons.

Craig Albernaz

The Orioles on Oct. 27 announced the hiring of Albernaz as the club's 21st manager in team history. He has never been a manager at any level, but has a wealth of experience to draw from, having began his coaching career with the Tampa Bay Rays, having served as a bullpen and catching coach for the Giants and then a bench coach and associate manager for the Cleveland Guardians. Albernaz inherits a young Orioles core that won 91 games just a year ago.

Derek Shelton

After parting ways with Rocco Baldelli in September, an experienced hand appealed to the Twins. Minnesota reportedly chose former Pirates manager Derek Shelton, who had managed the Pirates earlier in 2025 and served as the Twins bench coach in 2018 and 2019. Shelton compiled a 306-440 record in six seasons as Pittsburgh's skipper. He returns to Minnesota at a time of seeming transition, as the Twins are fresh off of a massive fire sale at the trade deadline and their second consecutive season missing the playoffs.

Blake Butera

The Nationals, like the Giants, opted to take a leap of faith with the club's managerial hire. Washington reportedly hired 33-year-old Blake Butera, a longtime minor league manager in the Rays' farm system, to be their manager. He is the youngest big league manager since 1972. After winning the Word Series in 2019, Washington endured six straight seasons of missing out on October baseball, resulting in the firing of manager Dave Martinez and a parting of the ways with interim manager Miguel Cairo.

Bangladesh cricket seems to always be embroiled with off-field distractions, with Shanto’s reluctance to lead the latest one

Mohammad Isam28-Oct-2024Another Test match for Bangladesh, another major distraction. Shakib Al Hasan’s farewell-that-wasn’t and the messy handling of Chandika Hathurusinghe’s exit dominated the headlines around their previous Test, while the Test prior to this series, in Kanpur against India, had Shakib’s retirement news all over it. And now, they will play the second Test against South Africa in Chattogram with a reluctant captain.The situation is far from ideal – as if being 1-0 down at home wasn’t bad enough.Bangladesh aren’t great at recovering after losing a first Test either. The only time they have done it against a noteworthy opponent was eight years ago, when England were over. For them to get their act together will take a big effort, particularly from that same reluctant captain, Najmul Hossain Shanto.Related

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Shanto has informed the BCB that he wants to give up captaincy, across formats. It was only eight months ago that the BCB appointed him. He has reportedly said that among the reasons for his reluctance to continue is his own batting form. Since February, he has averaged 20.92 in seven Tests with just one half-century.So far, from the BCB, only director Nazmul Abedeen has spoken on the matter. He said that the board is open to discussing the issue with Shanto once president Faruque Ahmed returns to Dhaka on Monday evening.Now, the Test starts on Tuesday. So the discussions between Shanto and Faruque will have to be during the Chattogram Test. This is because Bangladesh have an ODI series against Afghanistan starting November 6 in the UAE, four days after the Chattogram Test’s scheduled fifth day.

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Shanto’s drop in form since becoming captain has been stark. He had said earlier this year that he has the ability to detach his leadership role when he is batting. Shanto’s batting during these last eight months hasn’t reflected that.It started in fairy-tale fashion, though. Shanto hit 105 in over four hours against New Zealand in his first Test as captain, in Sylhet last year, leading Bangladesh to a 150-run win. At the time, he was a stop-gap appointment as then captain Shakib was injured and Litton Das was on paternity leave. Shanto was impressive again on the white-ball tour to New Zealand later in the year in December. Hathurusinghe backed him as the permanent captain.

Bangladesh’s players showed that they can ignore distractions and thrive in nothing-to-lose situations, like in Pakistan. If they are to do it again, Shanto, for a last time perhaps, has to show them the way

But then things changed. His form and Bangladesh’s results both went downwards since March this year. Their T20I series defeat against USA was followed by a lukewarm T20 World Cup, and that put pressure on Shanto. The Test series win in Pakistan this year changed things again, and while it might be fair to overlook the team’s performance in India thereafter, the pressure has come right back after the Dhaka Test defeat against South Africa.Shanto made 7 and 23. South Africa got their first Test win in the subcontinent in ten years.For a young man – Shanto is just 26 – everything going on around the team must be tough to deal with. The Shakib saga – his political connections, the murder charge, and now his inability to return to Bangladesh because of security threats – since August has been exhausting to keep up with. Shanto didn’t appear too worried about the political side of things, but he has had to deal with Shakib, Bangladesh’s best cricketer, being mostly unprepared ahead of two major Test series. Shakib’s lack of overs in both the Chennai and Kanpur Tests raised eyebrows. Shanto pointed to the conditions by way of explanation, but Shakib’s bowling form was a concern.Shanto also witnessed Hathurusinghe’s exit up close. Faruque had spoken about wanting a new coach on his first day in office. The pressure on the coach continued until six days before the Dhaka Test against South Africa. BCB suspended Hathurusinghe and appointed Phil Simmons, and then sacked Hathurusinghe two days later. For a captain who was planning the next Test match with the coach, this must have been confusing if not worse. Shanto made the right noises, but that was only for the wider world. It was, like much else, far from ideal.

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The BCB’s main reason for appointing Shanto full time was to lead Bangladesh’s transition from the era of the senior players into the next. Shanto was appointed vice-captain during the 2023 ODI World Cup, amid the messy change of baton between Tamim Iqbal and Shakib Al Hasan. He was Bangladesh’s best batter in 2023, and brought with him calm and composure, so he seemed the natural choice.When Shakib was injured, Shanto stepped up. Litton was the other choice but the BCB said that Litton was reluctant to lead the side. Now, in less than a year, Shanto and Litton are seemingly speaking the same language.Najmul Hossain Shanto’s runs have dried up of late•PTI Much of this is down to the price a Bangladesh captain has to pay.Like Shanto, Mominul Haque lost form after becoming Test captain and nearly lost his place in the team in 2022. He resigned after that. Shakib never really warmed up to the Test captaincy even though he was appointed a few times since 2018. Mushfiqur Rahim was the last captain who enjoyed a favourable Test run as a batter, but his tenure also ended when his batting form dipped.Shanto is also unlikely to be the last to be in the position.The BCB could talk him out of resigning. If they don’t, or can’t, Shanto’s long-time friend Mehidy Hasan Miraz might be the front-runner to take over at least in Tests, while Towhid Hridoy’s name is dong the rounds in the media for the T20I job. There is no clear candidate for ODIs at this stage.But Mehidy has just started to make meaningful all-round contributions in the last 12 months, while Hridoy is quite new to the international arena. Do they have it in them to be Bangladesh’s long-term captain, in one format or another? Questions, debates, discussions… it will all go on parallelly to the Chattogram Test. Bangladesh’s players showed that they can ignore distractions and thrive in nothing-to-lose situations, like in Pakistan. If they are to do it again, Shanto, for a last time perhaps, has to show them the way.

England batter’s stamina and endurance to the fore during record-breaking triple-hundred

Matt Roller10-Oct-20240:57

England rewrite the record books vs. Pakistan

It was like watching Eliud Kipchoge run: the pace was remarkable enough in itself, but the ability to sustain it across such a long period of time defied logic. Harry Brook batted for seven hours, spending 97.4 overs in the stifling heat and facing 322 balls – all while scoring at a run a ball. This was Brook’s Multan marathon, an epic feat of endurance and stamina.Brook is 25 years old, and this was the first time in his lifetime that an England batter had scored a triple-century; his 317 was the fifth-highest score in England’s Test history. This pitch was desperately flat, offering nothing to Pakistan’s weary bowlers, but Brook put on a batting clinic which laid bare both his singular focus and his hunger for runs.This was not an innings that Brook could have played 12 months ago. He missed England’s tour to India at the start of the year to be with his grandmother, who was on her deathbed, and spent the time away from cricket “trying to lose a bit of weight and trying to get leaner”. It has reaped rewards, allowing him to withstand the physical challenge of batting in these conditions.Related

• Joe Root: Harry Brook's 317 is just the first of his 'monster' scores

• Joe Root: 'Earning the right to win' was England's motivation in historic batting display

• Stats – England's mammoth total, Brook and Root pile on records

• Root and Brook hit big centuries to make Pakistan's 556 look inadequate

• England seize opportunity after Brook triple, Root double flatten Pakistan

“That three-month period I had at the start of the year was massive for me,” Brook said. “I obviously lost a bit of weight, and tried to get as fit as possible by eating well, running and gymming. If I hadn’t done that, I’d have probably got to 150 and just slogged one up in the air. It’s made a difference, for sure.”Brook ran and ran and ran. During Brook’s time in the middle, the vast majority spent alongside Joe Root in a mammoth 454-run partnership, England scored 199 singles, 55 twos and 11 threes: he covered more than four miles running between the wickets alone. He looked utterly exhausted when celebrating his double-hundred, after batting through the first session.Yet after a nutrition shake, some food and plenty of fluids at the interval, Brook found another gear after lunch. He scored 99 runs off 65 balls in the afternoon session as he laid into the occasional spin of Salman Agha and Saim Ayub, whom he swatted disdainfully down the ground to reach 300. It was outrageous batting, and his scoring rate enabled a declaration before tea.Until he miscued a sweep to backward square leg on 317, Brook looked as though he had a realistic opportunity not only to break England’s record score, Len Hutton’s 364, but to overtake Brian Lara’s world-record 401 not out too. He did not offer a genuine chance at any stage in his innings, or even have a review to worry about.ESPNcricinfo LtdHis one scare came on the third evening. On 75, Brook defended a ball from Aamer Jamal into the crease, only for it to bounce up and hit him on the chin. It dribbled past his attempt to kick it away and into the stumps, but was moving so slowly that it did not dislodge the bails. Having seen both Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett give hundreds away, Brook resolved not to.It was only a month ago that Brook was bored out by Sri Lanka’s seamers at The Oval, letting his frustrations get the better of him as they hung the ball wide outside his off stump. His character and mentality were called into question: this innings was an unequivocal response to that criticism.Perhaps Pakistan should have borrowed the same template. “Our plan was to bowl pretty straight – and when we did that, we did quite well,” Jason Gillespie, their coach, said on the third evening. “But on reflection I would’ve just liked us to just sit in a bit longer, be a little bit more patient and just a little bit more disciplined.”They occasionally tested out the perception that Brook has a weakness against the short ball, and proved that the theory is not watertight. When Shaheen Shah Afridi slammed the ball in halfway down, Brook simply ran down the pitch, gave himself room and flat-batted him away for four.Brook at his best reduces batting to its first principles, hitting the ball where the fielders aren’t. It was the theme of how he played on the fourth day: charging down to launch Jamal over cover; standing dead-still to uppercut Naseem Shah’s short ball over third man, and falling over to the off side to scoop over his left shoulder.Harry Brook became the first England batter in 34 years to score a triple-century•Getty ImagesThis innings also extended Brook’s scarcely believable record in Pakistan, the country where he has felt “at home” since playing for Lahore Qalandars in the PSL two-and-a-half years ago. In fact, he has been significantly better there than when actually playing at home: Brook has now scored more Test runs in Pakistan (785 in six innings) than in England (761 in 21).Root was on 82 when Brook came in at No. 5 on the third afternoon; by the time he was dismissed for 262 on the fourth, Brook had 260. Their partnership was the biggest in England’s history and a combination between the two Yorkshiremen who fuse the past and the future of their Test team with the present.After overtaking Alastair Cook on Wednesday, Root will likely put the England record for Test runs out of reach in the next few years. If there is anyone who can catch him from their current batch of young batters, it is surely Brook: this was his first double-hundred in first-class cricket, let alone triple, but he has a rare blend of talent and temperament.Brook will face new challenges next year: his first full series against India, whom he has only played once, and his first tour to Australia. It remains to be seen how he will fare against two of the world’s best attacks on pitches that will pose more issues than this one, but the evidence of his career so far suggests that he should be up to the task.

تعادل منتخب مصر مع نظيره الإمارات، في إطار منافسات دور المجموعات من بطولة كأس العرب التي تقام في دولة قطر. 

وواجه منتخب مصر الثاني نظيره منتخب الإمارات، في الثامنة والنصف مساء بتوقيت القاهرة، في الجولة الثانية من دور المجموعات من بطولة كأس العرب.

ويقع منتخب مصر في المجموعة الثانية في مجموعات كأس العرب رفقة منتخبات الإمارات والاردن والكويت. 

طالع.. بالتوقيتات.. مواعيد مباريات منتخب مصر في كأس العالم 2026

وحسم التعادل الإيجابي بهدف لكل فريق مواجهة منتخب مصر مع الإمارات، في المباراة التي جمعت بين الفريقين مساء اليوم. 

وأحرز منتخب الإمارات هدف اللقاء الأول في الدقيقة 60، عن طريق اللاعب كايو لوكاس. 

وفي الدقيقة 85، عادل منتخب مصر النتيجة عن طريق مروان حمدي، بعد عرضية من كريم العراقي ليضعها بالرأس على يمين حارس مرمى الإمارات. 

وفي الدقيقة 90، احرز منتخب مصر هدفًا عن طريق ميدو جابر ولكن ألغاه الحكم بداعي التسلل.

وبهذه النتيجة رفع منتخب مصر رصيده إلى نقطتين في المركز الثالث في جدول ترتيب المجموعة، بينما رفع منتخب الإمارات رصيده إلى نقطة وحيدة في المركز الأخير.  أهداف مباراة مصر والإمارات اليوم في كأس العرب 1-1

ملخص مباراة مصر والإمارات (1-1) كأس العرب

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Stats highlights from Punjab Kings’ victory against Chennai Super Kings

Sampath Bandarupalli08-Apr-20252:37

Jaffer: Hope to see Arya in India colours soon

39 – The number of balls Punjab Kings (PBKS) batter Priyansh Arya took to score his century against Chennai Super Kings (CSK), the second-fastest by an Indian in the IPL behind Yusuf Pathan’s 37-ball hundred against Mumbai Indians (MI) in IPL 2010.4 – Arya’s hundred is also the joint-fourth-fastest in the IPL and the second-fastest for PBKS behind David Miller’s 38-ball century against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in 2013.310.00 – Arya’s strike rate against CSK’s fast bowlers – he scored 62 runs off 20 balls. Only two batters have had a higher strike rate against quicks in an IPL match (minimum of 20 balls) – 348.00 by Suresh Raina vs Kings XI Punjab (now PBKS) in 2014 and 342.85 by Jake Fraser-McGurk vs MI in 2024.Related

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136 – Runs that PBKS scored after the fall of their fifth wicket against CSK – the most any team has scored after that point in an IPL innings while batting first. It is also the joint-fourth-highest by any team in an IPL innings.2 – Number of batters before Arya with centuries in a men’s T20 in which none of the others in the top six got to double-digits.Michael Bracewell scored 141* for Wellington batting at No. 3 against Central Districts in 2022 when 5 was the next-highest from among the top six.Saber Zakhil scored 100* from No. 8 for Belgium against Austria in 2021, where all the top seven batters got out for four or fewer.12 – Catches dropped by CSK in IPL 2025, including five against PBKS on Tuesday – the most by any team in this tournament. Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and PBKS are joint-second with six.9 – Catches dropped in Mullanpur on Tuesday – five by CSK and four by PBKS, the most in an IPL match, according to ESPNcricinfo’s ball-by-ball logs, surpassing the eight dropped catches by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at Eden Gardens in 2023.