Ahead of one of the biggest games of the Premier League season, Mikel Arteta has provided an update on the injuries of three key Arsenal stars, with the Spaniard left desperately hoping for their return ahead of their title decider against Manchester City.

Arsenal injury news

The March international break has few fans, with clubs left hoping for their players to come back injury-free in the middle of the most important stage of the season. Gary Neville even admitted on The Overlap's Stick to Football show recently that Sir Alex Ferguson had previously pulled him and others out of England duty while in the middle of a title race:

We may have seen something similar in the most recent break too, with Kevin De Bruyne pulling out of the Belgium squad and Ederson failing to travel with the Brazil squad before both were seen in Manchester City training recently.

When it comes to Arsenal, meanwhile, we saw Bukayo Saka travel before dropping out of Gareth Southgate's squad, whilst Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Magalhaes also didn't travel with the Brazil squad. Unfortunately, Arsenal fans may be in for some bad news on the injury front.

Arsenal keen on "fantastic prospect" ahead of Manchester United – report

But the two sides might be pipped to the post.

By
Ben Browning

Mar 29, 2024

Arteta admitted in his press conference ahead of the game that it's not clear whether any of the three players will make the City game. When quizzed on the fitness of Gabriel and the attacking duo, the Arsenal boss said (via Goal): "Yeah, there is a chance. They haven’t trained. Tomorrow we have another session, but there is a chance they can be available."

It would be some blow for the Gunners if they were to be missing not only two of their three starting forwards, but also one of their starting central defenders in a game that could make or break their title hopes. The fact that none of the doubts had trained until Friday at the earliest is undoubtedly cause for concern.

"Outstanding" Gabriel is crucial for Arsenal

Not many can stop Erling Haaland, but a defender of Gabriel's quality would stand a better chance than most, making him vital for Arsenal's clash against Manchester City. As important as Martinelli and Saka are, if Arsenal's strongest defensive duo is broken up at the Etihad, then the Gunners could find themselves in trouble.

Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand singled out the duo for praise earlier this season, saying on FIVE (via HITC): "The two centre-backs, I think, have been outstanding. To be fair, I called out Gabriel last season, at the back end of the run-in, because I thought he made a few rash decisions, penalties etc. I said at the time, if he doesn’t clear that up in his game, that’s gonna be something to be looked at.”

Now better than ever, Gabriel's fitness may be crucial to where the Premier League title ends up come May. By the end of this weekend's action, the picture will no doubt be clearer than ever if Arsenal secure victory at the Etihad, too.

Manchester United's Alejandro Garnacho has been spotted holding a vape while getting a new tattoo. The 21-year-old, who has fallen out of favour under Ruben Amorim, is waiting to see if a move to Chelsea materialises before the transfer window closes. This comes just two years after a similar vaping controversy involving the Argentine.

• Garnacho spotted holding vape while getting tattoo
• Chelsea maintain interest
• United ready to sell for reduced £50m transfer fee

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Garnacho was pictured in a tattoo parlour clutching what appeared to be a Hayati Pro Ultra vape, according to the Daily Mail. A vape was previously seen in one of his Instagram stories, although it was denied that it was his.

  Instagram (@pauldtattoo)

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Chelsea remain keen on signing Garnacho despite his turbulent summer and off-field controversies. The winger has been told by Amorim to find a new club after growing frustrated with limited minutes at Old Trafford. A £50 million ($67.2m) move is now on the table, down from the £70 million ($94m) United initially demanded.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Garnacho made his senior debut for Manchester United in April 2022. Since then, he has racked up 144 appearances, scoring 26 goals and providing 22 assists. However, alongside those, have also been disciplinary issues and reports of bad attitude.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR GARNACHO?

  With the transfer deadline looming, Garnacho’s future is expected to be decided in the coming days. Chelsea are confident of completing the deal, with no issue on personal terms. United, meanwhile, appear ready to move on from the winger.

Uncertainty reigns after Paarl cancellation with possibility England party could face 10 days in quarantine

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Dec-2020What is the current state of the tour?
Having completed the three-match T20I series with relatively little drama, issues surfaced ahead of the first ODI, scheduled for Friday in Cape Town. The game was initially postponed, after a positive Covid-19 test in the South Africa squad, and the Newlands fixture pushed back. However, two more positive tests among staff at the Vineyard Hotel, where both teams are staying, led to Sunday’s ODI in Paarl being delayed and then cancelled.Have there been any further positive tests?
The England camp subsequently revealed that they had returned two “unconfirmed” positives after a round of retesting on Saturday evening. These are awaiting independent ratification, after which the ECB will consult with CSA about the fate of the tour – although no decisions are expected until Monday.Could the remaining ODIs still be played?
In theory, yes. The rearranged fixture at Newlands has already been moved again, and won’t now be played on Monday. But should England’s two unconfirmed positives come back negative, then it is possible the ODIs could be played as back-to-back games on Tuesday and Wednesday.What happens if England’s two positive cases are confirmed?
The England players and staff are currently self-isolating in accordance with South African guidelines. Should the presence of Covid-19 be confirmed, those who tested positive would be required to remain quarantined at the hotel for a 10-day period, along with anyone deemed to have come into close contact with them. That would in turn mean missing the chartered flight that is due to take England home on Thursday.Would that have any knock-on effects?
Aside from unwanted stress and missing out on family time in the run-up to Christmas, some players might find deals to play in the Big Bash League at risk. Sam Billings, Tom Curran, Lewis Gregory, Liam Livingstone and Jason Roy are due to fly to Australia at the end of the series, but already face serving a 14-day quarantine period on arrival. With the BBL starting on Thursday and running through until early February, delays to their departure from South Africa could curtail availability for the tournament.For those players who are also likely to be in the England Test squad, there is also the looming prospect of a tour to Sri Lanka at the start of next year, scheduled to depart on January 2. If their return to the UK was put back until December 17, they would have little more than two weeks at home before being asked to travel to another bio-bubble for the two-Test series.How did individuals contract Covid-19 in a bio-secure environment?
This remains unclear. Although South Africa produced two positive tests ahead of the T20I series, those infections likely occurred before the squad came together. Thursday’s positive was “a more recent case that occurred within the bio-secure environment,” according to CSA medical officer, Dr Shuaib Manjra. CSA said subsequently it had investigated and discounted the possibility of a breach of protocol by the players. However, it is understood that not all of the hotel staff have been staying on site.What might be the implications for South Africa’s summer?
The whole tour was worth around US$4.2m in broadcasting money to CSA, and the loss of half of the fixtures would mean a significant financial hit. Equally damaging, confirmation of a bio-security breach could cast doubt on whether upcoming tours by Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Australia will go ahead as planned.Will there be any impact on the World Cup Super League?
If the series is cancelled due to the coronavirus, there is the potential for the three fixtures – worth 10 points each – to be rearranged (although few windows in which to squeeze another tour). In the case that the games go down as abandonments, then points would be shared, with South Africa and England taking 15 each.

Beuran Hendricks was the other top performer of the round with the ball

Firdose Moonda12-Nov-2020The Titans celebrated coach Mandla Mashimbyi’s 40th birthday with a resounding win over the Warriors in Port Elizabeth. They have created significant daylight between themselves and the other teams in the group, which includes the Warriors.The Warriors were still missing players from last week’s Covid19 incident, which saw six of their squad forced to sit out. South Africa’s franchise players are tested every two weeks which means that even if any of the six have recovered, they could not rejoin the Warriors for this round. Again, their depth was challenged as they were bowled out for 231 by the Titans, with Lizaad Williams’ 4 for 64 leading the way. Half-centuries from Dean Elgar, Heinrich Klaasen and Sibonelo Makhanya gave the Titans a 62-run lead but their performance in the field in the second innings pressed home their advantage. The Warriors were shot out for 124, thanks largely to Tabraiz Shamsi’s 8 for 32, leaving the Titans with 63 runs to win, which they polished off before lunch on the final day.In Bloemfontein, the Knights pulled away at the top of Pool A beating the Dolphins by 227 runs. The Knights were in control throughout this fixture throughout, posting 424 in their first innings built and dismissing the Dolphins for 162. The seam bowlers Alfred Mothoa (4 for 35) and Migael Pretorius (3 for 50) did the bulk of the damage. Rather than enforce the follow-on, the Knights batted again and declared on 208 for four, to set the Dolphins and improbable 471 to win. The Dolphins batted past lunch on the final day but it was in vain as the Knights’ bowlers plugged away to reach the inevitable conclusion. Pretorius picked up four for 52 to finish with seven wickets in the match and is the competition’s leading seamer so far.And at the Wanderers, the Cobras clung on for a draw after starring down the barrel of a second successive defeat this season. The Lions’, led by Beuran Hendricks’ ripped through the Cobras on a wet first day with a seven-for and skittled them out for 107. The hosts them built on their advantage with a total of 324, and had enough of a lead to push for an innings win. Half-centuries with Tony de Zorzi and Kyle Verreynne allowed the Cobras to bat deep into the final day and build a lead, which the Lions did not get the opportunity to chase. George Linde hit a fifty late on the day too. Hendricks also completed a ten-for for the match in the course of the second innings.On the National Radar Beuran Hendricks’ career-best 7 for 29 in the first innings against the Cobras at his home ground, the Wanderers (where South Africa will play one of their two Tests against Sri Lanka this summer) will not have gone unnoticed. Although Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje and Lungi Ngidi are likely to be the first choice quicks, South Africa may go all-pace and Hendricks has put his hand up to be in the attack.In Port Elizabeth, Shamsi showed why South Africa may not want to consider unleashing their firepower alone. He claimed a Titans’ record, beating Dale Steyn’s 8 for 41 in the 2007/8 season, to bowl the Titans to victory and leads the wicket-takers’ list after two rounds.Pieter Malan’s twin failings (9 and 1) and Markram’s inability to get going with 17 may mean the selectors have to look elsewhere for a partner to Elgar, who is now the frontrunner to be named Test captain. Sarel Erwee, who sits atop the run charts, has made a strong case for consideration. Temba Bavuma (32) and Rassie van der Dussen (22) have also struggled to set the stage alight, but Kyle Verrerynne (51 and 72) and Heinrich Klaasen (68) are showing signs of strong form setting up an interesting tussle for middle-order spots.Top Performers Raynard van Tonder topped up on his 85 last week with a daddy hundred in this round to bat the Dolphins out of Bloemfontein from day one. Van Tonder scored 119 on the first day and turned into 166 by midway through the second and shared in partnerships all the way through the Knights’ innings. Though he is usually referred to as one for South Africa’s future, for someone with such a penchant for run-scoring, that future may start this summer. Dominic Hendricks was the other centurion from this round, with 130 opening the batting for the Lions.

West Indian captain Kraigg Brathwaite did not ignore the elephant in the room, but did not hide behind it, either. He said straightaway that Pakistan “prepared a dry spinning pitch from day one”, while acknowledging it was their right to do so, and challenging both his batters and his bowlers to adapt to it better in the second Test.”We expect the same type of pitch in the second Test and we’ve got to come better,” Brathwaite said at the post-Test press conference. “It was a difficult pitch to bat on for sure. But it’s their decision how they want the pitch. We’ve just got to come good.”What encouraged Brathwaite was West Indies’ ability to, for the most part, match their hosts toe-to-toe. While Sajid Khan and Noman Ali found themselves in the wickets, the best bowling figures of the Test belonged to West Indian left arm spinner Jomel Warrican, whose figures of 7 for 32 in the second innings are the third best ever by a visiting bowler in a Test in Pakistan. With the bat, too, West Indies’ efforts of 137 and 123 weren’t worlds removed from Pakistan’s second innings score of 157, with a first innings fifth wicket stand of 141 between Saud Shakeel and Mohammad Rizwan the sharpest point of difference.”It’s great to see. Jamal has worked extremely hard over the years and it’s good to see he got his first five-wicket haul. His hard work has paid off. He bowled well; he was consistent. I wish him all the best in his second test match.”I do think we could improve bowling wise. We gave them 50-60 runs too much in the first innings because the pitch spun from ball one and we could have created enough pressure on the batters to get more wickets. Saying that, we also didn’t bat as well as we could. I think Alick [Athanaze, whose fourth innings 55 was West Indies highest individual score] showed us today how easy it can be. You’ve got to be braver in your shot selection. But I think a better all-round performance and we could win the second Test.”Jomel Warrican took 10 for 101 in the match•AFP/Getty Images

With the pitch tricky and the Test match short, smaller differences were always going to prove decisive, and Brathwaite was keen to stress that, despite the margin of victory, he felt the disparity between the two sides was small. With Pakistan’s strategy certain – both captains effectively confirmed they expected a similar turner for the second Test – which also takes place in Multan, starting on January 25 – surprise is not something that can catch West Indies out.”I think we could be better with the ball in the first innings. We gave them 50 runs too much, and on top of that, we didn’t bat as well as we could have, especially in the first innings. Both innings the top order didn’t get any runs. So I think batting wise the top six should be able to bat at least a session.”Pakistan only batted one session in their second innings, too, and I think bowling wise once we stay consistent in bringing batters onto the front foot, we’ll have a better chance of limiting that first innings total. And we’ve got to bat better, we’ve got to find a better way.”While he didn’t commit to that strategy, perhaps judicious aggression, a measure of which West Indies began to introduce into their batting as each innings wore on, is something West Indies might look to do more of next week. Some batters found the use of reverse sweeps from outside the line a fruitful scoring option, while West Indies’ most destructive phase with the bat came when the tenth wicket partnership put on 46 in 21 balls, taking the spinners on when they flighted the ball.”The ball was ragging, so one is going to have your name on it regardless. The pitch was difficult as you could see. It was very dry before even the game started. So I’m not surprised with the game finishing early.”

da prosport bet： Celtic are plotting a move to sign a "world-class" talent who is earning £10,000-a-week with his current club.

Celtic eye new goalkeeper

da dobrowin： Earlier this year, Celtic no.1 Joe Hart announced that he would be retiring at the end of the Scottish Premiership season, ending his career on a high after the Hoops clinched yet another title.

"I wanted to get the message out, as of June I am going to stop playing football", Hart explained in February. "This is something that I have thought about for a while, there's no right or wrong time is there?

"There is obviously a conversation around the goalkeeping position for next season and I think it's really important that with the blessing of the club we get the message out and it takes one thing out of what people are going to speculate over.

"I have gone down every avenue to keep myself in the best possible shape to give my all on game day and I do really think I am at that peak, but I am aware time waits for no man and I don't want my body to be retiring me. That was one of the key factors, thinking I can smash through the finish line."

Following news of Hart's impending exit, the Scottish champions have been linked with a number of new keepers heading into the summer. Celtic have reportedly made an offer of around £6.4m for the services of Trabzonspor goalkeeper Ugurcan Cakir, who has been a long-term target for the Scottish outfit. Southampton shot-stopper Alex McCarthy is also being monitored ahead of him becoming a free agent this summer.

Elsewhere, Middlesbrough shot-stopper Tom Glover appears to be of interest, while Motherwell goalkeeper Liam Kelly is said to be on Celtic’s list of summer targets, although rivals Rangers are also keen.

Related Report: Celtic ahead of Rangers in bid to sign 24 y/o who "does everything"

What an addition this could be at Parkhead.

Posts ByHenry Jackson May 24, 2024

Now, however, another name, arguably of a much higher quality, has seemingly caught the eye of those at Celtic Park.

Celtic plot move to sign £10,000-a-week player

According to Football Insider, Celtic are long-term admirers of Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher and are plotting their move. Crucially, it is added that the goalkeeper views this summer as the ideal time to move if he is to become the first choice at another club and also the first choice for the Republic of Ireland.

Kelleher, who earns £10,000-a-week on his current deal, which runs until 2026, was handed a more regular starting berth for Liverpool across the 2023/24 season following injury issues with Alisson. He made 26 appearances across all competitions for the Reds, keeping five clean sheets in the process and there have been claims recently that he is pushing to leave Merseyside.

Said displays earned the 25-year-old high praise from Liverpool and Netherlands stopper Virgil van Dijk. Speaking alongside Kelleher after being named man of the match in the League Cup final versus Chelsea, the Dutchman said:

“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.”

Nottingham Forest's dealings in the transfer market have been hit-and-miss, to say the least, with many of the new additions since promotion failing to make an impact at the City Ground.

One player who's been extremely disappointing is goalkeeper Matt Turner. The American shot-stopper arrived for a fee in the region of £10m – an absurd amount of money for a player who had been a number two behind Aaron Ramsdale during his time at the Emirates.

He was seen as first choice under former boss Steve Cooper, but a catalogue of errors has seen him drop back down the pecking order once again.

In the Premier League this season, the 29-year-old has a goals prevented xG of -5.45, meaning he's conceded at least five more goals than he should've given the chances he's faced between the sticks.

He's subsequently been replaced by Belgian international Matz Sels, failing to make a single Premier League appearance since the 2-1 defeat against the Gunners at the end of January.

Despite his exploits in the East Midlands, one other player has disappointed in recent weeks, despite being one of the club's best performers in one aspect.

Chris Wood's stats at Nottingham Forest in 2023/24

Having managed 12 goals in the league so far this campaign, experienced striker Chris Wood remains Forest's top scorer this season – but he's failed to add to his tally since the 3-1 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur at the start of April.

He'd previously enjoyed a run of four successive games in which he had scored, but has recently taken a hit on his form producing some worrying numbers under Nuno Espirito Santo.

The New Zealand international has missed 12 big chances this season, the most of any Reds player, with ten of the opportunities squandered coming within the last six matches.

Whilst his goals have certainly enabled Forest to all but secure their Premier League status for another season, the 32-year-old could've easily walked away with nearly 20 Premier League goals this campaign had he maintained his consistent finishing in front of goal.

Whilst he's 9th in the league for most chances missed this season, the players above him play for much bigger sides who like to control possession, therefore allowing them to have more opportunities in front of goal.

Erling Haaland

33

7

Darwin Nunez

27

3

Nicolas Jackson

23

6

Ollie Watkins

21

2

Alexander Isak

18

5

Brennan Johnson

16

7

Mohamed Salah

15

3

Jarrod Bowen

13

4

Chris Wood

12

10

It's not just Forest that have suffered as a result of his carelessness in front of goal, Wood has too, with his market value taking a nosedive in recent weeks.

Chris Wood's market value in 2024

Over a year on from his £15m move to the City Ground, Wood has seen his value drop to just £1.8m, as per Football Transfers – a drop of over £13m, a staggering amount.

His subsequent drop sees him be valued below goalkeeper Turner who's still valued at £3.9m despite his lack of form and game time in recent months.

Given Wood's drop in value and recent form, the club should look to offload the striker in the summer and replace him with a forward who can push the club further up the Premier League table next season.

His current deal expires in 2025, with this summer – which has been predicted as a possible time to part ways with Wood – the last opportunity for the Reds to sell and recoup as much of the extortionate £15m fee as possible.

Nottingham Forest were rinsed by Cooper signing who cost £2m per game

He endured a torrid time at the City Ground.

ByEthan Lamb May 9, 2024

The former allrounder, now president of the ACA, believes outside investment can bring fresh ideas and approaches

Daniel Brettig16-Feb-2021Shane Watson, the Australian Cricketers’ Association president, believes Cricket Australia should re-examine the notion of private ownership of BBL clubs, a decade after the governing body’s initial “float” of stakes in the T20 league met a quiet end.Private ownership of BBL clubs, the tournament model favoured by a large portion of overseas domestic leagues including the IPL, PSL, CPL and BPL, was a contentious issue at the time CA elected to move towards new identities for eight T20 teams, with a prospectus drawn up and a business mission taken to India to gauge private interest in the idea. Some of the initial structures of the BBL clubs, namely the independent boards and chief executives of the Melbourne Stars and Melbourne Renegades, were drawn up partly with private investment in mind.CA’s executives, led by the then CEO James Sutherland and former head of strategy Andrew Jones, were cooler about the idea than some members of the CA board, and the idea fizzled out as the league was launched on a trajectory towards securing a far larger slice of an A$1.2 billion broadcast rights pie in 2018. Three years on, with CA embroiled in a battle with Seven West Media over the network’s campaign for a discount to its fees and Covid-19 affecting events more broadly, Watson reckons the concept should be revisited.Related

• Australian cricket ponders private investment options

• Shane Watson retires from all cricket

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• Team rumblings are a 'wake-up call' which Langer won't ignore

• Smith: Langer seeking improvement just as I am

“Yes, it 100% needs a revisit, and it’s a way to continue to get a cash injection as well,” Watson told ESPNcricinfo. “Obviously they’d need to set things up to put things in place to make sure CA still have control that they desire across the franchises and the playing group, but absolutely, it’ll bring in an influx of different people, new money as well, to be able to continue to grow the game. So I think that absolutely would be a big step forward.”There are plenty of other backers of private investment around the ACA board table: chairman Greg Dyer and director Neil Maxwell – also a Cricket New South Wales board member – have both publicly advocated for the concept in the past. Others with considerable knowledge of the area include the NSW Cricket chairman John Knox, who in his former role with Credit Suisse drew up the prospectus when privatisation was first mooted in 2010-11. Much of the opposition to private investment focused on differing priorities between team owners and governing bodies.Other models are emerging however. Private equity investment, as is currently being explored by New Zealand Rugby to exploit the All Blacks brand, presents the opportunity to somewhat tilt the balance in negotiations over a whole range of commercial areas for a club or tournament.”I’ve seen it in a lot of the tournaments I’ve played in, one thing when you have private owners is it brings in a new type of person, a new type of industry, new money streams into a very traditional cricket environment,” Watson said. “It’s the same sort of sponsors, the same people who’ve always been around cricket in Australia for example, so if you open it up to privatisation it means you’re getting some very successful people or business with different ideas on how to be able to expand things, make them better, challenge the status quo.”Not just from a financial point of view but also just from a brand and evolution point of view. I’ve always been very surprised it hasn’t been something that CA have looked at, and gone for. I’ve seen it work so incredibly well in the IPL and the PSL for example, because it brings in new, successful people, new money into something that’s been, in CA’s case, the same sort of status quo for a long period of time.”Speaking on other issues around the game, Watson expressed his disappointment that dressing room questions about the mentoring style of the coach Justin Langer had reached the public domain, but said that it was incumbent on administrators to be “proactive” about how the national team’s leaders were operating relative to the ever-changing nature of the dressing room.”The biggest thing is having the right person at the right time, the right coach or the right captain at the right time,” Watson said. “People retire, people come in and out of the team and as soon as a couple of people move in and out of the team, that can change the whole dynamic of what’s required from a coaching or leadership perspective. That’s where we have to make sure we are really proactive, because when the decision-makers aren’t proactive around what’s required right now, that’s when we can get into trouble.”Watson noted that it was vital for the game’s custodians to be aware also that – whatever might be said publicly – leadership roles in Australian cricket were highly sought-after as prizes with rich rewards for their holders, meaning that it was critical that open discussions were had about whether anyone might be hanging onto them for too long.”That is one of the biggest things – are the people who want to be the captain of Australia doing it because that’s just been their whole goal and that’s all they want, and they’ll do anything they can to get to the top, and that’s not just in the Australian cricket team, that’s leadership in general,” he said.”What are the reasons why you want to be in the top position, is it because it’s all about you and you’ve always wanted that and you’ll just make sure you get there and then you make sure you stay there. For all different reasons, whether it’s sponsorship or marketing, whether it’s just because you love being the main man.Or whether it’s the other side of things: you love helping people, you love getting the best out of them, you weren’t chasing it, but once you got an opportunity, then you loved helping people out and guiding people. The person who stands out straight away to me there is Ricky Ponting; he was never chasing the captaincy, a great team man, but then when he got it, yes he was a leader, but he still cared about others, it wasn’t just about him.Shane Watson has branched out into producing cricket equipment•T20stars

“For some of these coaches, [Australia] is a huge job. You’re the one who’s pointing the ship of Australian cricket in one direction, you’re making the call, that’s your vision filtering down through all the layers. You’re dealing with the media, with the board, with the playing group to get the best out of them, and then your coaching staff as well. So of course, the coach of Australia does get paid incredibly well, and there’s no question that’s going to be one of the reasons why some people hang in a bit longer, because it’s such a big carrot dangling in front of them.”In addition to his ACA role, Watson has ventured into the bats and equipment game, arguing he is trying to “break the model” of established brands and high overheads with a direct-to-customer model based largely upon online sales under the T20 Stars umbrella with which he has also launched a podcast.”I’ve always been a cricket gear tragic since I was a kid, so I’m very particular about every little detail of my gear,” he said. “When it comes to challenging the pricing model that’s out there, it’s just something that when I really started to dig into it I had the realisation of just how expensive cricket gear has got from when I first started playing in my early years. My parents certainly weren’t wealthy, they just got together enough money for me to be able to feel like I never went without.”But nowadays there’s no way they could’ve afforded the top of the range gear. So when I dug into why things have got so expensive, there is a really simple way to be able to break that model down, which is going direct to consumer…and that means the people buying the equipment because they want to get into the game, can actually get it more affordably, just because it’s going directly to them.”The biggest challenge is that everyone’s used to going to cricket shops to try the gear and feel the bats. Absolutely there has to be a way for people to touch and feel the gear as well. I’m getting some guys I played cricket with around the states to be like the agents to get gear into people’s hands, and in Sydney I’ll be getting out to schools and clubs to allow them to see the products.” Shane Watson’s cricket equipment is available at shop.t20stars.com

South Africa’s failure to adapt their approach to the unexpected threat posed by India’s bowlers led to their collapse in the first innings

Firdose Moonda at Kingsmead27-Dec-2010When South Africa took to the field for the second time in two days, there was something markedly different about them. For the first nine overs, they walked around like the zombies out of the movie. They appeared shell-shocked, well and truly bewildered that on day two they found themselves bowling again.Even though South Africa had been saying all the right things about expecting India to put up a fight, the knockout punch that the Indian attack dealt them came as a complete surprise. Although South Africa insisted that they respected India and understood the quality of their opposition, they didn’t expect that quality to unleash itself in the way it did – through the Indian bowlers.Graeme Smith, after the first Test in Centurion, stopped just short of saying that he thought India would not be able to take 20 wickets against South Africa. He was asked if he thought the Indian attack was capable of bowling South Africa out twice. This was his answer: “I’d love to say no, but no one wants to touch the money.”Everything about Smith’s expression and body language as he spoke showed he didn’t believe that India’s bowlers could be much of a threat. Today, they didn’t even have to take 20 wickets, it was the ten they skittled for 131 runs that shook South Africa’s usually solid line-up to its core and exposed one of the team’s biggest weaknesses: the inability to regroup once their plans have been bent out of shape by something that is not in their control.Matters became tense when Smith dutifully put on his bunny ears and fell to Zaheer Khan and the anxiety levels rose when Alviro Petersen was dismissed. But it was when bad luck struck and Jacques Kallis was run out at the non-strikers end by Ishant Sharma that plans started disintegrating. Eight balls later de Villiers fell victim to a peach of a delivery from Sreesanth, a ball he could do nothing about, but it was a sign to South Africa to start taking the Indian threat more seriously.They didn’t seem to do that and when Harbhajan Singh came on to bowl, any strategy South Africa may have had rolled away from them like a Turkish carpet. South Africa targeted Singh successfully in the first Test. Smith even had a little dig at him in the post-match press conference. The South Africa captain was smug in his statement that Paul Harris had had more of an impact than Harbhajan, and performed better throughout the game. His statement may have been accurate, but the manner in which he delivered his observation suggested disdain for Harbhajan.South Africa may have thought that the Turbanator would be ineffective on this tour but he proved them wrong in emphatic fashion. Hashim Amla, who is traditionally strong on the leg side, and had faced Harbhajan many times before, played the sweep shot to a delivery that held its line and went straight on. He was given out lbw and initially it looked as though he was unlucky but replays showed that the ball would have gone on to hit middle and leg stump.Harbhajan’s next two wickets came from outrageous catches. First, Rahul Dravid took his 200th catch with an impeccably timed dive to his left at slip to dismiss Dale Steyn and then Cheteshwar Pujara anticipated well at short leg to send Harris on his way. Harbhajan’s wizardry had not been completely exhausted and he took a stunner of a catch himself on the fine-leg boundary to hand Ishant Sharma a wicket. It was those improbable chances that India latched onto that would have stunned South Africa, who were not expecting such a committed display from the visitors.It may be easier for South Africa to blame it on their Durban jinx. Kingsmead has been a particularly problematic venue, where South Africa have been bowled out in the 130s in three consecutive seasons. In the 2009-10 edition, they were bundled out for 133 in the second innings against England to lose by an innings and 98 runs. Graeme Swann was the chief destroyer then, taking 5 for 54 in that innings and nine wickets in the match. The season before, South Africa were all out for 138 against Australia. Mitchell Johnson did the bulk of the damage as he quite literally punctured South Africa’s plans by breaking Smith’s hand and smacking Kallis on the jaw, sending them both to hospital in the space of 16 overs.Durban is becoming the hoodoo venue for the hosts but they can’t blame it for the tailspin they find themselves in after their clinical approach failed. In Kolkata earlier this year, South Africa went from 218 for 2 to 296 all out after an attack from Khan and Harbhajan. It’s not just in Durban where the batting struggles to adjust when the need arises. What Kolkata tells us is that South Africa need to have a more dynamic approach so that they can improvise when things aren’t going according to plan.

MatériaMais Notícias

da realbet： Após um longo e tenebroso turno de Campeonato Brasileiro, a Chapecoense finalmente conquistou a sua primeira vitória ao bater o Bragantino.

+ Veja no aplicativo do LANCE! o resultado dos jogos da rodada

O resultado tirou o grande peso do elenco, que agora espera embalar na disputa do returno e fugir do temido rebaixamento.

Vitória em casa

Agora, com a vitória fora de casa, a próxima meta da Chapecoense é vencer a primeira como mandante e o rival é o Palmeiras.

Pesa a favor do Verdão do Oeste o ‘sacode’ que o rival sofreu no fim de semana diante do Flamengo e pode chegar com a moral mais baixa para o duelo na Arena Condá.

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