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Nathan Lyon has defended his controversial pre-Ashes comments about Matt Prior and wanting to end England players’ careers

Brydon Coverdale at the Gabba24-Nov-20171:45

‘I thought you guys were smarter than to fall for that’ – Lyon explains trash talk

Australia’s spinner Nathan Lyon has defended his controversial pre-Ashes comments, joking that he had successfully diverted attention and pressure from debutant Cameron Bancroft and wicketkeeper Tim Paine, who is playing his first Test for seven years.On Monday, Lyon suggested that he would be happy if Australia ended the careers of some of England’s players during this series, and claimed that former England wicketkeeper Matt Prior had wanted to go home during the 2013-14 Ashes because he was “scared”. Prior called Lyon’s comments “laughable”.”Well, I took a lot of pressure off Tim Paine and Cameron Bancroft, so I thought you guys were a little bit smarter than that,” Lyon said after the second day’s play in Brisbane. “It is what it is. I’m not going to stand back from what I said.”Lyon declined to be drawn on whether his comments about Prior in particular were unkind. “Let’s go, next question,” he said.Whatever the case, the storm around Lyon’s comments did no harm to his bowling form. Despite finishing with only 2 for 78 in England’s first innings, Lyon bowled outstandingly, turning the ball sharply from his first ball on day one. England managed only 2.16 an over off Lyon, whose sky-high confidence was also shown by his sharp direct-hit run-out of James Vince on the first day.”My confidence has grown a large amount over the last 14 months,” he said. “I’ve worked hard in the nets with John Davison and I’ve really nailed down my consistency and knowing my game inside out, and knowing what works really well for me. The comments that I said before the match, it has nothing to do with the way I’m bowling now. It’s a team game. I know my role in the Australian cricket team.”I know I’m a leader, I know I’m one of the most experienced guys in that change room. If I can go out there and share my experience with the younger guys, then hopefully we can put Australian cricket in a good place. I’m very confident with where my bowling is at, at the moment. I feel like I’m bowling very well. The way it’s coming out of my hand, it’s probably coming out the best it’s ever come out. I know my role and I’m looking forward to the rest of this series.”Lyon said he had been surprised by the spin and lack of pace in the Gabba surface from the first day. Although he has had success at the Gabba in the past, rarely has he found such assistance from so early in the match.”I’ve never seen the Gabba spin this much,” he said. “I’ve seen it spin before, but not the amount I was able to generate out there. It’s probably a tad softer to what we’re used to. Today was probably more like a typical day one wicket for the Gabba, so hopefully it will harden up over the next couple of days, there’ll be more pace in the wicket.”The lack of pace in the pitch also had the effect of negating Australia’s plans to pepper England’s batsmen with short bowling, as Mitchell Johnson had done in 2013-14. When Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood did dig the ball in, it rarely reach head height, but Lyon said it was still pleasing to see the way the fast men had operated to prevent England from getting away.”Our bowlers have taken a lot of confidence out of that, especially on a slow wicket, that we were able to stick to our plans and not go away from that as a bowling group. I think the boys are pretty proud, but they’re also pretty excited to hopefully come across some fast decks around the summer to really see how the plan goes.”

Borussia Dortmund's Diant Ramaj has declared he will not return to the German club just to be second choice goalkeeper next season.

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• Ramaj makes bold statement after impressive spell with Copenhagen
• German goalkeeper not interested in a backup role at Dortmund
• Calls himself the 'best goalkeeper of the young generation'

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Riding high in confidence after a stupendous spell with Copenhagen, Ramaj made some bold claims in an interview with . The German goalkeeper is demanding a regular role at the club next season, claiming he's the best young goalkeeper available.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  After completing a move to Bundesliga in the 2024-25 winter transfer window from Ajax, Ramaj was loaned out immediately to Danish club Copenhagen. The German's loan spell worked wonders for both the player and club as they went on to complete the double, winning the league title and Danish Cup. Now, with his loan spell ending, he has voiced his opinion on his future making it clear that he wants regular football.

• WHAT DIANT RAMAJ SAID

  The shot stopper said: "I really enjoyed the season in Copenhagen; what we've achieved is fantastic. And one thing's clear to me: I have to keep playing, get minutes, and match practice. Therefore, one thing's clear to me: I'm not sitting on the bench in Dortmund! It's clear to me that I won't be coming to Dortmund to line up at the back, that I have no chance of playing behind Gregor Kobel. I have to play."

  He added: "I said I'm the best goalkeeper of the young generation. And I think I've proven that in the past few months!"

• Getty Images
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR DORTMUND?

  First choice goalkeeper Kobel has reportedly been a transfer target for Chelsea, but after Dortmund's Champions League qualification under Niko Kovac, the German saw a resurgence and is expected to stay. That could see Ramaj push for a summer transfer.

The Daniel Levy era at Tottenham Hotspur has been a total rollercoaster, one that’s not just been encapsulated by years of mediocrity on the pitch, but their dealings off the pitch too.

While their recruitment is getting better, notably preparing for the future by bringing the likes of Archie Gray, Lucas Bergvall and highly-rated defender Luka Vuskovic to the club, they have still wasted several hundreds of millions on players who simply haven’t cut it.

In recent years we’re talking about the likes of £60m Richarlison, £25m Yves Bissouma, £25m Emerson Royal and £55m Giovani Lo Celso.

One of the worst, however, was the ill-fated Tanguy Ndombele move.

Why Ndombele's Spurs move was such a disaster

The year was 2019 and the month was July. It was the summer window and Levy knew he needed to spend to take Spurs to the next level.

Spend he did, splashing out a club-record fee at the time of £55m on Ndombele. The Frenchman arrived from Lyon with some suggesting he was the dream replacement for the much-loved Mousa Dembele.

You could see why such a comparison was being made. Ndombele was a powerful carrier, his technical ability was first-class and he could affect games in both boxes.

He moved from Ligue 1 having scored three goals and supplied eight assists in the 2018/19 campaign. The Frenchman – capped seven times – never replicated those numbers in the white of Spurs, however.

In fact, across 91 outings for the club, he only amassed nine assists and netted ten goals. He wasn’t explicitly signed for his ability to contribute in the final third but for the price tag and the hype, you’d expect better.

So, why did it not work out? Well, not only did he suffer from injuries, missing several games through a groin problem, but he didn’t particularly work hard enough. That was the view of many people, chiefly Jose Mourinho.

“We had to start with him as a No 10,” the former Spurs boss explained. “He didn’t have the discipline, the strength or the stamina to be a midfield player.”

2019/20

29

2

4

2020/21

46

6

4

2021/22

16

2

1

One training ground source encapsulated it perfectly. Speaking to the Athletic, they said at the time: “Tanguy is the maverick of the team, he can do stuff that nobody else can do. Incredibly talented, incredible ability, just sometimes you just want to be like, ‘Tanguy you’re so good, just do the basics’.”

Well, after never really making the grade in north London, he finally left England behind in June 2024 when his contract was cancelled.

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

Spurs haven’t exactly done great things in the market since then, and that’s typified by Timo Werner’s move.

Spurs' worst signing since Ndombele

While the likes of Richarlison, Lo Celso and Bissouma – all signing since Ndombele – haven’t exactly set the world alight, they have at least made positive contributions.

The Brazilian scored 12 goals in all competitions last term, while Lo Celso had some memorable moments, netting against Manchester City in 2023/24 and playing an important role in the team through the middle stages of Ange Postecoglou’s debut year at the helm.

However, for Werner, he hasn’t had many memorable moments at all. While Ndombele is certainly the worst of the bunch, the German has flopped in a similar way.

Of course, being a loan move, there hasn’t been a whole wad of cash wasted here but if anything has been wasted, it’s time and effort to get a deal over the line.

The former Chelsea attacker initially signed in January of 2024 on loan and did make an impact in the back end of that season, scoring twice and supplying three assists in 13 outings.

As a consequence, his loan move in England was extended over the summer, keeping him at the club until the end of the current campaign. Sadly, it just hasn’t been worthwhile.

The £165k-per-week earner has only scored once all campaign – a goal in the Carabao Cup – and has three assists in the Premier League.

The nadir of his time at the club was definitely against Tamworth in the FA Cup back in January. Spurs nearly lost the game and Werner notably underperformed with podcaster and content creator Will Reyner suggesting “he looks comfortably the worst player on the pitch against a non-league side.” Damning words indeed.

He’s not just frustrated supporters but he’s also annoyed Postecoglou who notably laid into the Germany international back in December after a performance against Rangers, suggesting his performance was “not acceptable”. Tell us how you really feel, Ange.

Also described as a “weird” signing by ESPN pundit Don Hutchinson, is it really a surprise that Spurs are set to pass on their option to buy the 29-year-old at the end of his loan this summer?

It was reported that Levy could exercise a £8.5m buy option but it’s suggested that he will head back to RB Leipzig in the summer.

That is certainly the right decision for a player who has flopped just as hard as Ndombele did in Spurs colours.

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ByJack Salveson Holmes Mar 21, 2025

da betcris： Leeds United are looking to sign a “world-class” goalkeeper to replace Illan Meslier next season, according to a new report.

Leeds pushing for promotion with Meslier struggling

da mrbet： The Whites head into the final eight games of the Championship following the international break top of the table, however, there is still plenty of work to be done if they are to secure automatic promotion back to the Premier League.

Daniel Farke’s side have four home games against Swansea City, Preston North End, Stoke City and Bristol City, and away, Leeds have to travel to Luton Town, Middlesbrough, Oxford United and Plymouth Argyle.

One player who looks set to start all those games is Meslier, who has been backed by Farke all year, despite the Frenchman making some costly mistakes. Talking about the Frenchman’s errors in a 3-3 draw with Hull City at the start of the year, Farke said:

“When the goalkeeper makes one or two mistakes it is natural to talk about changes. We don’t change a goalkeeper quickly like a full-back. There is no rule that a player is not dropped. If a centre-back was to score loads of own goals he would be dropped. But straight after the game I am not going to finger point.”

Goalkeeper (Championship 2024/25)

Club

Goals prevented

1. James Trafford

Burnley

+11.4

2. Viktor Johansson

Stoke City

+10.8

3. Jamie Cumming

Oxford United

+7.8

4. Michael Cooper

Sheffield United

+6.2

18. Illan Meslier

Leeds United

-2.7

Now 25 years of age and out of contact in 2026, Meslier has made more than 200 appearances in a Leeds shirt but his place could be at risk next season.

Leeds looking to sign £25m goalkeeper compared to Pickford

According to Give Me Sport, Leeds will look to sign Liverpool’s Caoimhin Kelleher this summer, should they win promotion.

The Reds goalkeeper is expected to cost around £25m and Leeds are eyeing the Republic of Ireland international ‘due to the uncertainty’ around Meslier.

Compared to Jordan Pickford by FbRef, Kelleher has interest from ‘a host of other clubs’, so it could be tricky for Leeds to seal a deal, even if they do go up.

An ambitious target, Kelleher previously came in for praise from Virgil van Dijk, who claimed the goalkeeper should have got the Player of the Match award following the Reds’ EFL Cup final win over Chelsea in 2024.

“He should have got it. I’m probably one of his biggest fans, I think. I have always said he is world class and he stepped up today, again. It’s good to see. He’s a good boy, good goalkeeper and that’s what we need at a club like Liverpool.”

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A move to Elland Road could be one to watch, but Leeds and Farke have to do the job on the pitch before the 49ers Enterprises can make any sort of moves for players like Kelleher.

da leao： Arsenal’s injury crisis in recent weeks has highlighted the need for reinforcements in the summer to prevent such an issue from plaguing Mikel Arteta in the future.

da pinnacle： The forward line has been the area most greatly affected in the past few matches, resulting in players such as Mikel Merino having to operate in an unnatural centre-forward role.

Gabriel Martinelli returned during the draw with Manchester United last weekend, potentially easing the blow endured by the boss in the last few months.

However, the setbacks have come at a cost, all but ending the club’s Premier League title ambitions, with the 15-point gap more than likely too large to close in the last 10 matches.

As a result, it’s pivotal that the board back the manager in the summer, handing him the funds to land his targets, with one player potentially moving to the Emirates at the end of the campaign.

Martin Zubimendi's move to join Arsenal in the summer

Back in the January transfer window, it was confirmed that Arsenal were plotting a summer move for Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi.

The Spaniard was on the radar of fellow Premier League side Liverpool last summer, but the 26-year-old decided to stay put in LaLiga for another season.

However, journalist David Ornstein confirmed that the Gunners have been in long-term talks to sign the midfielder this summer, following in the footsteps of Merino, who also moved from Sociedad at the start of the campaign.

The likes of Jorginho and Thomas Partey are both out of contract this summer, highlighting the need for added reinforcements in the midfield department, with Zubimendi still appearing to be the number one option.

Despite the rumours over recent months, the club may regret allowing one player to depart North London, especially considering his form elsewhere after he left a couple of years ago.

The former Arsenal star who’s outperforming Zubimendi in LaLiga

Countless Arsenal players have moved to Spain after plying their trade in England, with the likes of Thierry Henry moving to Barcelona after his successful spell as a Gunner.

Another player who followed in the same vein is midfielder Dani Ceballos, who spent multiple years on loan in North London before returning to parent club Real Madrid.

The Spaniard spent two years at the Emirates between 2019 and 2021, but they decided against a permanent move after he featured 77 times during his temporary stint.

He’s since been a regular under Carlo Ancelotti’s side, featuring 122 times since he returned to the LaLiag giants ahead of the 2021/22 campaign.

This year alone, the 28-year-old has made 31 appearances for Madrid as they sit second in the league behind Barcelona, producing various key stats along the way.

Ceballos, who’s previously been dubbed “incredible” by Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, has outperformed Zubimendi in various key areas – highlighting the mistake Arsenal made in not signing him permanently.

How Ceballos compares to Zubimendi in LaLiga (2024/25)

Statistics (per 90)

Ceballos

Zubimendi

Games played

15

26

Minutes played

832

2149

Shot-on-target accuracy

40%

29%

Pass accuracy

95%

83%

Shot-creating actions

4

1.5

Tackles won

2

1.3

Interceptions

1.5

1.3

Stats via FBref

The former loanee has registered a higher shot-on-target rate along with more shot-creating actions per 90 – showcasing his impressive ability in the final third.

However, the Gunners are crying out for a deep-lying option to regain possession, with Ceballos winning more tackles per 90 than Zubimendi, along with more interceptions, having the defensive quality to operate in the desired role.

Given his form since leaving North London, the club may regret not keeping hold of the 28-year-old, with the Spaniard having numerous key qualities that would bolster the current side.

He will remain as a case of what could’ve been, starring at the top level of European football for Madrid, with Arteta needing to put such a mistake behind him and focus on the future as he aims to end the club’s two-decade wait for a league triumph.

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South Africa-born batter Sybrand Engelbrecht is also part of the 15-member squad; Fred Klaassen out with injury

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Sep-2023Colin Ackermann, Paul van Meekeren and Roelof van der Merwe have returned to Netherlands’ squad for the 2023 ODI World Cup. The trio had missed the World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe earlier this year because of their county cricket commitments.South Africa-born batter Sybrand Engelbrecht was also named in the 15-member squad. Engelbrecht, who will turn 35 next week, first came into the limelight for electric fielding for South Africa during the 2008 Under-19 World Cup. He has played 58 List A games, scoring 1275 runs at an average of 45.53 and a strike rate of 78.89, and 54 first-class games and 45 T20s. The last of those matches, on the South African domestic circuit, was in 2016.From the World Cup Qualifier squad, Michael Levitt, Vivian Kingma and Clayton Floyd were left out, while Noah Croes was named as a travelling reserve, alongside Kyle Klein.ESPNcricinfo LtdTim Pringle, who was listed originally to travel with the squad for the pre-tournament camp in Bengaluru between September 19 to 28, has been withdrawn.* “There’s actually been a development with Tim Pringle: He’s picked up a couple of niggles, so he actually won’t be coming to the pre-World Cup camp in Alur,” head coach Ryan Cook said. “He’s obviously coming back from quite a big operation and we have been tracking his progress.” Pringle, 21, who played for Netherlands in the T20 World Cup last year in Australia, last played this March, turning up for Northern Districts in the Plunkett Shield. According to Cook, Pringle had suffered a fracture, but the nature of injury is not known.Left-arm seamer Fred Klaassen did not make it due to stress fracture. Klassen was also part of the set of players who missed the World Cup Qualifiers in Zimbabwe due to county commitments. Cook said that Klassen’s strengths as a new-ball bowler and left-am quick would no doubt be missed in India.”Fred Klassen’s a true performer for the Netherlands. He has shown through all the formats, whether that be one-day cricket or T20 cricket, so he’s a big one for us and would’ve formed a good part of our bowling attack there (in World Cup).Fred Klaasen misses out due to injury•Getty Images”Obviously, Fred would be gutted to miss out, but it was the right decision taken by himself. It is disappointing to not have him, but I’m pretty confident that most of the bowlers will be able to take up that slack that he probably leaves – his left-arm angle and swing and stuff up front is something that we really enjoy having in our side. Having said that, at the Qualifiers, those guys weren’t available either and the bowling attack fared well.”Asked whether it was a risk to include just four fast bowlers in the 15 during a long World Cup, Cook said he was content with the combination.”Some of the teams are obviously picking different combinations of players in their team,” he said. “I think India have also gone with that sort of four seamers plus some allrounders. I don’t want to give away too much in terms of what we’ve got up our sleeve going forward.”Cook also pointed out that it was a “fantastic initiative” by the KNCB to send Croes and Klein as development players, but they were not travelling reserves which would mean they could be drafted in as replacement for any injured player.Cook added that Netherlands’ goal was to make the semi-finals. “Any team that goes to a World Cup is looking to make the next stage of a World Cup, and in this case, that’s the semi-finals. So we are obviously looking to try and win as many games as we can to put ourselves in position to compete to get into those semi-finals. I believe that’s something that we can do and something that the guys are willing to put the work into to get that outcome.”From the Qualifier tournament held in Zimbabwe in June-July, Netherlands and Sri Lanka were the two teams to make it to the main event, ahead of the likes of West Indies, Ireland and Scotland.”Naturally, our planning and preparation for the World Cup started soon after our qualification in Zimbabwe,” head coach Ryan Cook said. “Having no bilateral fixtures after the qualifiers enabled us to plan for various scenarios for the duration of the summer. Over the past few months the players and staff have been hard at work with the full squad being very dedicated and detailed towards achieving our objective in the World Cup.”We have an exciting mixture of youth and experience and a unified, cohesive culture which allows those to express their best selves within the group.”Netherlands last played in an ODI World Cup in 2011. Wesley Barresi is the only member of the current squad to have featured in that edition. This will be their fifth appearance in the tournament.Netherlands squad for World CupScott Edwards (capt, wk), Colin Ackermann, Shariz Ahmed, Wesley Barresi, Logan van Beek, Aryan Dutt, Sybrand Engelbrecht, Ryan Klein, Bas de Leede, Paul van Meekeren, Roelof van der Merwe, Teja Nidamanuru, Max O’Dowd, Vikram Singh, Saqib Zulfiqar
: Noah Croes, Kyle Klein

Torrential rain brought an abrupt end to the Hundred match at Headingley between Northern Superchargers and Birmingham Phoenix with just 62 balls possible in Phoenix’s first innings. With puddles forming on the outfield the umpires were left with no choice but to call a halt to proceedings after a heavy shower engulfed Leeds.It was frustrating for the hosts who had got themselves into a decent position during the play that was possible with Reece Topley removing opener Jacob Bethell for 0 in his opening set of deliveries.That brought England star Ben Duckett to the middle and he introduced himself with a ramped shot for six before hitting an unbeaten 34 off 26 balls before the rain came.Spin also played its part with Matthew Short removing Dan Mousley and Shadab Khan in quick succession with England’s Adil Rashid claiming the wicket of Jamie Smith who was bowled for 13 with the visitors 84 for 5 at the close.England batter Harry Brook was also involved after making himself available for Superchargers’ opening fixture, following the conclusion of the Ashes on Monday.

The three players will link up with the senior squad in Zimbabwe on June 23

Madushka Balasuriya20-Jun-2023Dilshan Madushanka, Dunith Wellalage and Sahan Arachchige are set to link up with the senior squad on June 23, after Sri Lanka Cricket announced that the trio would be flown in to Zimbabwe for the World Cup Qualifiers as “standby options”.The inclusion of Madushanka, a left-armer able to swing the ball at pace, follows impressive recent outings against South Africa A, where he picked up nine wickets across three 50-over games and then another four in a four-day encounter, and comes on the back of him becoming the most expensive signing at $92,000 at the inaugural LPL auction. It also makes sense considering the fragility of Sri Lanka’s seamers. Lahiru Kumara has a recent history of breaking down mid-game, while Dushmantha Chameera’s work load is being carefully managed. This leaves just Kasun Rajitha and the raw Matheesha Pathirana as reliable seam-bowling options.In Wellalage, meanwhile, Sri Lanka cover several bases, with the Under-19 captain a capable left-arm spinner – an option currently missing in the squad – while also offering an extra batting option lower down the order. He is also one of the better fielders in the Lankan setup.As for Arachchige, he was another that sparked a bidding war at the LPL auction, eventually being sold for $28,000. It was an impressive fee for a player that has yet to make his debut for the national side, but the aggressive 27-year-old is highly rated, has recent performances in the bank – three fifties in his last five one-dayers, including two against South Africa A – and looks on the cusp of making the step-up to the international stage.Sri Lanka won their opening game in the World Cup Qualifier against UAE by 175 runs. They next play Oman on June 23 in Bulawayo.

حسم مجلس إدارة نادي الزمالك، برئاسة حسين لبيب، مصير البلجيكي يانيك فيريرا المدير الفني للفريق الأول لكرة القدم بعد تراجع النتائج الفترة الأخيرة.

وفشل الزمالك في تحقيق الفوز خلال آخر 4 مباريات في مسابقة الدوري المصري الممتاز، حيث خسر أمام الأهلي وتعادل أمام غزل المحلة والجونة والبنك الأهلي.

وعلم بطولات من مصادر خاصة أن إدارة الزمالك أخطرت جون إدوارد، المدير الرياضي بالنادي، بقرار عدم استمرار فيريرا في منصبه.

طالع.. عقوبات الجولة الثانية عشر من الدوري المصري.. غرامة على جماهير الأهلي ومدرب الزمالك

ومن جهته، طلب جون إدوارد استمرار المدرب لحين نهاية السوبر، لكن إدارة الزمالك أخبرته باتخاذ القرار.

وأوضحت المصادر أنه لم يتم إبلاغ فيريرا بالقرار حتى الآن، وقد تشهد الساعات المقبلة الإعلان الرسمي من جانب النادي.

ويستعد الزمالك لمواجهة طلائع الجيش، الأحد المقبل ضمن منافسات مسابقة الدوري المصري، قبل ملاقاة بيراميدز في كأس السوبر الخميس.

Fast bowler looked a shadow of himself in the game against India but that’s not the case anymore

Danyal Rasool12-Nov-202218:37

Shaheen Shah Afridi: the rise of the falcon

As Shaheen Shah Afridi trots in to bowl to Virat Kohli, it’s difficult to imagine a more favourable scenario for Pakistan. The premier T20 fast bowler in the world – his prime years ahead of him – faces up to Kohli, whose prime years are almost certainly behind him. By his lofty standards, Kohli’s had a torrid time of it of late, especially so in this shortest format, where the refinement of his game increasingly looks like an anachronism in the age of power hitting. India need 48 off three overs, and Afridi’s been brought on to kill off the game.But there’s something not quite right here. Afridi lumbers in as if encumbered, and when he gets into his stride, appears to labour through his delivery motion. There’s little intensity or heat to the deliveries themselves, as if only getting the ball down the other end is the priority right now. He misses the short ball, he misses the yorker, and he misses his line. He doesn’t hit 140 kph once. And Kohli smashes three boundaries off him, India help themselves to 17 in the over. The momentum swings away from Pakistan, and India end up winning a classic.Related

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T20 World Cup 2022 final – The parallels with 1992 are alluring, they draw you in

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A few days earlier, sat in his room, Afridi had begun to worry. He’d suffered a ligament injury in his right knee in July during a Test match against Sri Lanka, but fairly inept management of his injury meant it wouldn’t be properly diagnosed until a month after. Even then, somewhat bizarrely, he spent some time travelling with the team before being sent to London for specialist treatment. It saw him miss the Asia Cup and the seven-match series against England.But Pakistan’s record of nursing fast bowlers back to health is far from glowing; just about any injury can end up career-threatening. As recently as 2020, Hasan Ali’s career looked in existential danger thanks to the repeated flare-up of a back injury that never seemed like it was properly diagnosed and treated. Mohammad Zahid’s back injury killed off a fledging career, while inveterate knee troubles brought a premature end to Junaid Khan’s time with the national side.So Afridi’s concern wasn’t just for the length of time he’d be away, but how high he could soar post-recovery. By that metric, his performance against India, and a similarly pedestrian showing against Zimbabwe, might have been his worst nightmares come to life.Shaheen Shah Afridi. Hear him roar•Getty Images”I am trying,” he said after the final group match against Bangladesh. “I can’t say I’m bowling at full tilt, and I can’t say I’m bowling 150 [kph] like Haris Rauf. I used to bowl 135-140 [kph] even before injury anyway. But I used to feel a pinch during my run-up. I’m feeling better, but when you don’t play cricket for two months, just sit in your room focusing on your injury any cricketer or athlete would begin to wonder how you’d come back. On top of that, there’s a World Cup, too so of course you have those doubts.”Rushing a Pakistan fast bowler back from a ligament injury feels like an incredibly reckless move, though it appears Afridi wouldn’t countenance missing out on another shot at a World Cup title. And he only sat there for the press conference after the Bangladesh game because he had turned that form upside down, taking 8 for 55 runs in his last 11 overs, including two top-order wickets against South Africa that see Pakistan storm to victory in a must-win match.But it is against New Zealand in the semi-final that Afridi puts any concerns over a long-term decline to bed. Tearing in with a packed SCG roaring him on, he overwhelms New Zealand’s best hope of victory, Finn Allen, in a moment that will take pride of place among Afridi’s legion of first-over triumphs.Backing his strength, the full, inswinging ball at pace, he doesn’t back down against Allen, even after he’s driven back down the ground first ball. He pitches it up again, getting the inside edge next ball before beating the bat completely off the third ball, felling him lbw. It isn’t just that Afridi takes a first-over wicket, but does so purely on his terms. A mentally weakened Afridi would not have tried that mode of dismissal; a physically encumbered one simply could not have.Even at the death, Afridi no longer seems the sad shadow of himself he appeared to be while bowling to Kohli on that day that took Pakistan to the brink of elimination. In three matches since, his economy rate in overs 16 to 20 is 4.75, and he takes a wicket every 4.75 runs he concedes. That’s not just leaps and bounds better than that Kohli death over – the only one he bowled in the first two games – but also a vast improvement on his career numbers – an economy rate of 8.76 while averaging 17.32. Somehow, impossibly, Afridi seems to have gone from injury rust to purple patch all within the span of a fortnight.Lionising an athlete’s prowess for playing through pain or injury can be problematic, but Afridi’s determination to force his way into the equation for a World Cup campaign was never really in question. When he races in – and it won’t be a lumber this time – to bowl that first ball to Jos Buttler in the World Cup final at the MCG, there’s little doubt in his mind that it’s all been worth it. Shaheen Afridi always seemed to be built differently, but in his return from injury, it looks as if that might almost literally be true.