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Football expert Daniel Oliveira has issued a rather large statement regarding one of Manchester United’s defensive transfer targets in Goncalo Inácio.

What’s the word?

The 20-year-old Portugal starlet is one of the most sought after defenders in the world as we step ever closer towards the summer transfer window.

And according to a report from A Bola, as per The Sun, Manchester United are in the best position to sign the Sporting CP defender.

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According to the report, Sporting will not consider any offer that is less than Inácio’s £38m release clause as the Red Devils prepare to launch a bid.

Better than Dias

Per playmakerstats.com, football expert Oliveira gave a statement that will have Manchester United fans ecstatic at the thought of signing Inacio this summer.

He was asked: “Man City’s Ruben Dias is an example of a Portuguese central defender who has thrived in the Premier League…can comparisons be made between Dias and Inácio?”

Oliveira replied: “It’s always difficult to compare players.

“One obvious difference is that Dias joined Manchester City when he was 23, so he was further along in his development than Inácio, who is still only 20.

“It is unlikely, therefore, that Inácio could have the same impact as Dias, who was crowned the Premier League’s best player at the end of his first season. Dias was always a natural leader and Inácio’s communication may be one area in which he can improve.

“Like I say, it’s hard to make comparisons. I’m 100% sure about one thing: the 20-year-old Inácio is a better player than Ruben Dias was at the same age.”

If he was to make the switch to the Premier League, 20-year-old Inácio would indeed be ahead of his compatriot, and senior by three years, Dias.

With similar defensive metrics to Maguire this season, the best move would see United buy the starlet and loan him back to Sporting for what would be another season of regular minutes, with the Portuguese featuring in 82% of Sporting’s domestic games this season.

Though, the majority of his metrics are surpassed by the Manchester City captain, especially in terms of possession, with Dias registering an average of 86.47 touches and 62.32 carries per game amidst his average completed passes total of 73.73 per 90.

Although these metrics are boosted as a direct result of Pep Guardiola’s high-possession philosophy, they are miles ahead of Inácio’s average of 51.27 touches, 32.14 carries and an average of 37.77 passes completed per game.

There is no doubt that Inacio is “underrated” in comparison to other defenders and would most certainly improve Manchester United in the long run, but taking a leaf out of Dias’ book and biding his time may be the best option for a 20-year-old centre-back entering one of the most physical and high profile leagues in the world.

In other news: Decision made: Man Utd eyeing move for £130m-rated genius, just imagine him & Ronaldo

Rising operational costs, extra events, and the addition of two new Full Members have eaten into the projected revenues

Osman Samiuddin and Nagraj Gollapudi26-Oct-2019Discontent is imminent in cricket’s global boardroom as all member boards face the prospect of a reduction in their share from the ICC’s central revenues.The reduction is likely on account of – among other factors – ICC’s rising operational costs, hosting extra events, and the addition of two new Full Members. In quantum, the BCCI stands to lose the most, with its projected revenue for the ICC having dipped to US$372 million from the US$405 million that had been originally forecast – the former figure was what new BCCI president Sourav Ganguly referred to on the day he took over. But smaller boards, more dependent on the ICC pay-out, might feel the squeeze more; six boards were forecast revenues of US$128 million over eight years, which has now dipped to approximately US$115 million.Ganguly has made it clear he will fight for India’s share of ICC revenues, and together with the BCCI’s objection to the ICC plan of an extra event in the calender’s post-2023 cycle, a showdown between the ICC and BCCI is gaining momentum.The ICC and its members agreed upon a new financial model in 2017, which rolled back changes in revenue distribution worked out by the cricket boards from India, England and Australia, referred to as the Big Three, who had granted themselves a larger share of the global revenues.The way the ICC’s rights deals work means that these are not final but only projected figures. The original targets could still be hit, and it’s important to note that the revenue distribution model is based on percentage, and not actual figures. And those percentages remain the same. The calculations for the 2017 model were based on the projection that the ICC earns US$2.7 billion from the 2016-2023 rights cycle. Those earnings include money from broadcast rights and also commercial rights – it is these commercial rights deals that are variable and could change, resulting in a change in actual (not percentage) distribution.The other variable is the costs the ICC incurs, in hosting its events and in running itself – and this is something the BCCI flagged as a concern back in 2017. “The ICC operation and production costs are ballooning and that has taken a hit on the ICC distribution to members,” one official told ESPNcricinfo.A view of the ICC Board Meeting in session•Getty ImagesPartly, this is a problem of accountancy. The costs projected in the 2017 model are thought by some officials to be too low – not as unrealistic as those projected in the Big Three model in 2014, but still low. So as real costs have turned out to be higher, the distribution of funds has been hit.But costs are also projected to be higher because of the introduction of an extra ICC event in this cycle – the first U19 Women’s T20 World Cup, to be played in Bangladesh in 2021. And switching the Champions Trophy to a T20 World Cup in 2021 also has an impact: with twice the number of teams, a T20 World Cup is considered to have twice the cost of a smaller event like the Champions Trophy. There could, additionally, be another qualifying event for the 2021 T20 World Cup to factor in.Further, since the 2017 financial model was confirmed, two new Full Members have arrived, in Ireland and Afghanistan, and though their shares are lower at US$40 million each, it is still a share from the Full Member pie – which was projected to be US$1.536 billion (out of the US$2.7 billion total rights earning) – that wasn’t accounted for.The thing to bear in mind is the fluidity. After a successful men’s World Cup in England earlier this summer, the ICC is optimistic about further commercial growth in the remaining three men’s world tournaments in the current cycle (the T20 World Cups in 2020 and 2021 and the World Cup in 2023). Commercial deals around those tournaments are yet to be closed, especially the latter two, both of which are in India.It is those two tournaments that Ganguly referred to when he spoke about the revenues being “heavy at the back-end” of the cycle. The ICC pays out members their revenues twice every year in the rights cycle (in January and July) but because the value of each tournament is different (both from a broadcast and commercial perspective) the pay-outs vary. So any tournament in India will always be worth more in a rights deal and as a result the pay-outs are greater once those tournaments are over. One estimate has the BCCI receiving as much as 75% of their total due only across these two tournaments.

One estimate has the BCCI receiving as much as 75% of their total due from the ICC only across the T20 World Cups in 2020 and 2021. This is what Sourav Ganguly referred to when he said revenues were “heavy at the back-end” of the cycle.

But that members, and especially the BCCI, are talking about potential reductions will assume greater importance in coming months. Ganguly has already said earlier this month that he will push for a greater share in ICC revenues for the BCCI. And in its briefings with member boards, the ICC is understood to have repeatedly pointed out it remains among the leanest organisations in global sport and that its operations costs do not eat into overall profits and affect member distributions. Rising ICC costs, or the BCCI’s irritation with them, was one of the key drivers behind the Big Three takeover.The BCCI is now freed of its post-Lodha compulsions and is back in proper administrative form. The objection to the extra tournament is a sign that muscles are getting ready to be flexed. Later in November when the BCCI holds its first annual general meeting since 2016, it is believed that a firmer and clearer stance vis-à-vis the ICC will also emerge.

It tells you much about the current state of world cricket that Edgbaston had only budgeted for a three-day Test

George Dobell20-Aug-2017It tells you much about the current state of world cricket that Edgbaston had only budgeted for a three-day Test.Little was expected of West Indies but they disappointed nevertheless. And just as David Gower joked that West Indies would be “quaking in their boots” ahead of the 1985-86 tour following his side’s success in the Ashes, so it seems fair to suggest few in Australia gulped, crossed themselves and whispered prayers when they saw the scorecard from Birmingham.Before reaching conclusions over West Indies’ future it is worth remembering a few things. It is not so long since England succumbed to whitewash defeats in Australia (2006-7 and 2013-14), the UAE (2012), India (1992-93) and West Indies (1984, 1985-86). West Indies won the previous Test between these sides – in Barbados in May 2015 – and this series remains live. It is probably sensible to postpone the firmest of judgements.This was, however, a desperately lame performance from West Indies. Arguably not since an inexperienced Bangladesh team were brushed aside in 2005 – England lost only six wickets in the entire series; winning both Tests by an innings – has such weak opposition played in a Test series in England. The difference is that Bangladesh side was at the start of its journey in Test cricket; this West Indies side has no such excuse and no such hope for the future.Coming on the heels of a series of other one-sided encounters – there have been more than a dozen series (of three matches or more) whitewashes this decade alone including the recently-concluded thrashing of Sri Lanka by India – it is a reminder that it will take more than a pink ball and some floodlights to save Test cricket. Such novelties worked in encouraging record crowds to Edgbaston over recent days (the ground has never seen a higher single day attendance for a non-Ashes Test than it did on the second day) but once that wears off, it will become tough to retain the numbers in the grounds or the numbers watching on television.The solution? If players are well compensated for their work – at least as well compensated as they are for their appearances in T20 leagues – and if greater context can be added to such games (ideally the introduction of promotion and relegation in Test cricket) the format can be saved. But the water is rising fast now and, with more players from South Africa and West Indies exploring their options away from international cricket the situation will, if not confronted, only worsen.All of which renders it hard to gauge what progress England have made. In winning three Tests in succession for the first time since 2014 (when they defeated India), they demonstrated admirable ruthlessness. They also gained some experience of pink-ball cricket, albeit with a different ball to that to be used in Adelaide, and the confidence gained from such performances may prove beneficial. They will know, though, that far tougher challenges lie ahead.Mark Stoneman has precious little time to prepare for a potential Ashes tour•Associated PressRoot made a point, after the match, of praising his “record breakers.” In Alastair Cook, England’s leading Test run-scorer, James Anderson, England’s leading Test wicket-taker and Stuart Broad, who overtook Ian Botham to move into second place in the list of England’s greatest Test wicket-takers, he has an extraordinary bank of experience in his dressing room. Add to that the all-round depth offered by Ben Stokes and Moeen Ali and he has the basis of what could be an excellent team.Anderson may have lost a little pace but he has compensated with exemplary control this summer. He has hardly bowled a poor delivery and, after five Tests, almost a third of the overs he has bowled (47 out of 147) have been maidens. His economy rate – 2.22 runs per over – and average – 13.12 – in that period are not too shabby, either. It is also hugely encouraging that he has managed five successive Tests without fitness issues. Trevor Bayliss suggested he would have his head bitten off if he suggested either Anderson or Broad be rotated out of the team ahead of the next two games. Besides, Chris Woakes – while in the 13-man squad for the second Test – may well find himself playing another Championship match next weekend as he seeks a return to Test levels of fitness and consistency.But we knew Anderson and Broad were fine bowlers before this match. And we knew Cook and Root were fine batsmen. None of them taught us anything new by bullying a soft West Indies team.What Root didn’t learn was the readiness of Mark Stoneman for Test cricket, the ability of Tom Westley to add substance to his obvious style or whether Dawid Malan can cut it as a Test match batsman. It was Stoneman’s ill-fortune to receive perhaps the best delivery of the match, while Westley (who looks so like John Crawley you half expect his hair to fall out and then have a ferocious disagreement with Lancashire) may have to play straighter if he is to sustain a career at this level. Malan survived some nervous moments early on to register his first half-century in Tests, but may yet come to regret not compiling the sort of score that makes an irrefutable case for his retention. All three will have another chance at Headingley.That, in itself, is an issue. There are now only two Tests left until the Ashes start. If Stoneman and co. are unable to find their feet in those next two games, it leaves England with no chance of blooding anyone new before Australia. There’s no time for a Plan B now.In time, though, you suspect England may omit one of the specialist batsmen, shuffle their talented middle-order up a space each and bring in both Chris Woakes – who is a more than capable batsman – at No. 8 and find room for a second spinner.Yes, that would leave England with six bowlers and yes, that would be harsh of Toby Roland-Jones who has had a terrific start to his Test career. But with three of those bowlers more than decent allrounders – Woakes, Stokes and Moeen – it would not much weaken the batting and would mean the burden on the bowlers could be lessened a little. On tough days in Australia and with a couple of those bowlers carrying a few miles in their legs, that would be no bad thing. It’s not as if that extra batsman has contributed a great deal, anyway.The test for England now is to retain the intensity they have shown since The Oval for the rest of what promises to be a mis-match of a series. While they do not have a great record in such situations, the level of hunger palpable in Root does appear to have instilled a new edge in the side. And, if the newer players in the side can settle and gain some confidence, it may yet prove a valuable experience.

The top run-getters in IPL history

ESPNcricinfo staff18-May-2016Suresh Raina Runs: 3985
Hundreds: 1, Fifties: 26, Average: 33.48, Strike-rate: 138.75•BCCIRohit Sharma Runs: 3844
Hundreds: 1, Fifties: 29, Average: 33.71, Strike-rate: 131.46•BCCIGautam Gambhir Runs: 3582
Hundreds: 0, Fifties: 31, Average: 30.87, Strike-rate: 124.54•AFPChris Gayle Runs: 3340
Hundreds: 5, Fifties: 19, Average: 43.94, Strike-rate: 153.14•BCCI

Plays of the day from the World Cup Group A match between Bangladesh and Afghanistan in Canberra

Abhishek Purohit in Canberra18-Feb-2015Afghanistan’s DRS reluctanceAfghanistan are not used to playing with the Decision Review System in place, and as early as the third over of the game they were required to make a call when the umpire struck down an appeal for caught behind against Tamim Iqbal. Mohammad Nabi and his team-mates got into a huddle and discussions went on till the time available to refer ran out. There was a sound on replays, and Snicko registered a spike too, but Afghanistan did not question Steve Davis’ not-out decision. Afghanistan received another opportunity in the 41st over when Davis turned down a leg-before shout against Mushfiqur Rahim. Replays again indicated the impact was pad before bat, but they failed to utilise the review again.Sarkar’s change of planMirwais Ashraf had tied down Bangladesh with his accurate medium-pace, his first eight overs costing only 17 and bringing two wickets too. Second ball of his ninth, though, Soumya Sarkar finally did what Bangladesh could have tried earlier – unsettling Ashraf’s line and length. He stepped out and hammered a length ball over the wide long-on boundary and the bowler’s run-tally almost doubled in that over, to 32.Zazai’s acrobaticsAfsar Zazai was picked ahead of the experienced wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Shahzad for the World Cup, and Afghanistan’s first wicket in the tournament’s history owed a lot to him. Tamim tried to dab Ashraf fine, and went a touch too close to the Zazai, who dived quickly to his left. He’d got to the ball with one hand, but even as he was coming down, it threatened to fall out. Zazai showed superb reflexes again, using his right hand while still in motion to keep the ball from slipping away.Shakib’s third-man travailsSamiullah Shenwari upper cut Taskin Ahmed high in the air towards third man in the 11th over. Shakib Al Hasan steadied himself and decided not to run forward for it. He may or may not have made it had he tried, and took it on the bounce in the end. Four overs later, Nawroz Mangal guided the same bowler towards the same fielder in the same position. This time Shakib made a dash for it, took the dipping ball as he dived forward, but it burst out as he fell on to the ground.Rubel’s tumbleMangal had helped rebuild Afghanistan’s chase from 3 for 3 when he swept Mahmudullah hard in the 23rd over. The connection was good enough for the ball to rush to Rubel Hossain at deep square leg. The fielder tumbled hard on to the outfield after taking a difficult high catch, but there were no celebrations. He simply remained on the ground for several moments before being helped off the field. As it turned out that he had hurt his left leg before taking the tumble. He returned, though, to start his second spell in the 33rd over.

New Zealand prime minister suggests sinister motives might be afoot in the assault on Jesse Ryder, amid a flood of well wishes and expressions of shock at the attack

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Mar-2013″It sounds quite sinister to me. I mean the fact that there would be four guys attacking him, [from] the media reports I saw looked somewhat unprovoked, and there must be something behind that. The assault seems very vicious so obviously we wish him a speedy recovery, and I’m sure the police will be working to get to the bottom of it.”
“We don’t need security. This is a nice suburb. We run security, we run doormen on the weekend, purely to make sure we have no intoxicated [people] and no underagers at the venue. It’s not about having bouncers on the door. We have doormen that meet and greet and say farewell to the guests … the bar runs very well, we have got nice clientele, and we don’t need security early in the week.”
“Thanks for the calls and msgs of support for Jesse. Just heading to Chch to see him.”
“We are all shocked by what has occurred and extremely concerned for Jesse. New Zealand Cricket’s thoughts are with him and his family.”
“This is very unfortunate. He was looking forward to come, and he was supposed to board the flight for Delhi tomorrow [Friday].”
“We are extremely saddened by the incident, we’re very concerned for Jesse’s well-being of course. He’s been a big part of the team and the organisation for a long time now. Our primary focus right now is Jesse’s welfare, and that involves supporting his family and his management as much as we can, hospital staff as well. We’re also working very closely with the police in terms of their investigation.”
“Come on @DijaRyder show the fight you have within thinking of you brother.”
“Thinking of you mate @DijaRyder”
“I am devastated. I just hope he pulls through, I don’t know what else to say.”
“Lots of positive thoughts for your recovery @DijaRyder… To those cowards, you are not cantabrians or even NZ’ers, you are disgraceful.”

Zimbabwean cricket has seen a few false dawns, but perhaps the board’s non-confrontational treatment of Tatenda Taibu’s potentially inflammatory statements is a sign that things are different this time

Liam Brickhill04-Aug-2011Zimbabwe did more than simply survive their first day of Test cricket in half a decade, they bossed it. This may well be the rebirth of cricket in Zimbabwe, but the leitmotif of this new chapter still retains the rough edges of what has come before. Certainly, some of the main characters are familiar, though the setting has undergone a dramatic transformation since Dave Houghton’s amateurs took the field as a Test team 19 years ago.There had been a noticeable shift from hope to expectation for followers of Zimbabwe’s cricket team as the return to Tests drew near, and though Zimbabwe slowed in the afternoon after Vusi Sibanda and Tino Mawoyo’s bolting start, it’s safe to say that those expectations have already been exceeded. The common, or garden, Zimbabwe cricket fan is a dogged sort, by need rather than choice, sustained by hope of a better future, and a hopelessly-optimistic streak. Today, that optimism seemed founded.Unyielding positivity is a trait that has been handed down through the generations; that much is obvious after a glance at David Lewis’ foreword to Jonty Winch’s seminal work on the history of cricket in Zimbabwe. “Zimbabwean cricket stands breathtakingly on the threshold of an exciting future from which point it may gaze out,” it reads, “in high anticipation but also with the necessary sense of proportion, at the potential glories and hopes which are attendant upon Test cricket.” Despite the passage of 28 years since those words were penned, they are as florid, haughty, and apt now as they were then.The view from the outside looking in is rarely quite as upbeat. “Against expectation…” began report of Zimbabwe’s inaugural Test against India, when the rookie Zimbabwe team surprisingly took a first-innings lead and the illustrious visitors were spared much embarrassment by Sanjay Manjrekar’s marathon century. Zimbabwe captain Dave Houghton became the first player to score a century on his country’s debut since Charles Bannerman and although in the end they had to settle for a draw, Zimbabwe were the first new member of the Test-playing community ever to avoid defeat in its inaugural Test match.Zimbabwe managed to hold their own, just about, in those first few years, and a celebratory tone greeted their first Test win in their 11th Test three years later, by an innings and 64 runs against Pakistan at Harare Sports Club. Zimbabwe “not only created history”, wrote , but did so “with style”.Fast forward a decade, to 2005. A depleted side started the year by handing Bangladesh their first Test victory, by 226 runs in Chittagong. “Misery”, “nightmares”, and “wickets tumbling like ripe mangoes” are three phrases that stick out from report of that match, but what followed was even worse. Zimbabwe were shot out for just 54 by South Africa at Newlands in March, South Africa then racked up a hefty 340 for 3 in reply, and the Test was over in two days. Zimbabwe had become embarrassing, Tatenda Taibu called the first day “the worst day since I started playing for Zimbabwe”, and the calls for Zimbabwe’s removal from the Test arena began to grow louder.Another two-day flattening at the hands of New Zealand and a couple of thrashings from India later, that was that. Cricket in Zimbabwe appeared to be sinking into oblivion, as the Logan Cup – which had been staged since 1903-04 – wasn’t played in 2005-06 against a backdrop of chaos and strife both in the country and its cricket. By January 2006 the government had replaced Zimbabwe Cricket’s strife-ridden board with an interim committee, which announced a further 12-month withdrawal from Test status of a team with an average age of 20.And here we find ourselves, five years on, a rejuvenated team having dipped their toes into testing waters once more and apparently finding it to their liking. The players are older and wiser, the downward slide of cricket in the country has been arrested, and Zimbabwe insist they can hold their own once more. And yet, questions about how much has really changed remain.Doubtless, a great deal of work has gone into reviving the structures that had descended into catastrophe, but if anything Zimbabwe Cricket have sweated even more to get their public image heading in the right direction. Though it wasn’t quite on the same scale as Andy Flower and Henry Olonga’s black armband protest at the 2003 World Cup, Tatenda Taibu’s slamming of the board on the eve of the Test might well have descended into recrimination and scandal. After the lively conversation between Taibu and national selector Alistair Campbell on the outfield in Harare on Wednesday afternoon, Zimbabwe Cricket’s conciliatory response thus caught one off guard – and happily so. Perhaps things really have changed.As in the cricket, so it is with the rest of the country. After the political tumult of the last decade, Zimbabwe struggles on. While the tortuous end-game for kingmakers and cohorts continues, potential, resilience and laidback courtesy remain part of the common character of the people. Having switched to the US dollar as the de facto national currency, inflation is no longer an issue, but the supplies of electricity and water, even in the capital, remain unreliable. And if the water doesn’t poison you, the politics will.This is the world inhabited by Zimbabwe’s cricketers, and the supporters of cricket in that country. Against an uncertain – but hopeful – backdrop, on a unique day in their cricketing history, as much as their skill or anything else the Zimbabwe players’ character has been tested on the first day in Harare. Though they could yet slip up in this one-off entrance exam of a Test, we now know a little more about who they are and what they may be capable of. A great deal more will be learned over the next few days.

Michael may have been the one in focus till now, but the younger Hussey is storming to the fore on the back of some smashing Twenty20 performances and an IPL valuation to match

Brydon Coverdale08-Apr-2008

Limited-overs legend: Hussey during his near two-runs-a-ball FR Cup hundred for Victoria in February © Getty Images
The problem with a nickname like “Mr Cricket” is that it’s hard to surpass. If the personification of the sport, Michael Hussey, fetchedonly $350,000 in the Indian Premier League auction and his younger brother David was paid $625,000, what possible title is suitable for the more expensive man? “Sir Cricket”? “Lord Cricket”?Perhaps “Mr Twenty20” would be the most appropriate option. It is the only format where David Hussey has been handed an international debut, although in his sole match he was not required to bat. Kolkata did not care. They forked out more for Hussey, who does not even hold a Cricket Australia contract, than for Ricky Ponting ($400,000).Without doubt the money is more important to Hussey than to the amply remunerated Ponting. If you include match fees, the maximum Hussey could be paid by Cricket Victoria is around $150,000 a season. His IPL deal means the ability to wipe out his mortgage swiftly; it also gives him long-awaited bragging rights over Michael.The news of his price tag was relayed to Hussey in the SCG change rooms soon after he had demolished New South Wales in a one-day match. “We were all just sitting around celebrating the win and just chatting away,” he said. “Peter Siddle was on the internet and he blurted out Cameron White’s price ($500,000) and I was thinking, ‘Wow, that’s amazing’. I got blurted out about an hour and a half later and, well, I was just gobsmacked and really didn’t know what to think. It’s pretty exciting times.”Whether the Kolkata bidders had watched Hussey dismantle the Blues attack is unknown, although it is possible, as FR Cup matches are broadcast in India. If they had tuned in, they would have seen him hammer a 60-ball hundred, the second fastest in Australia’s domestic one-day history. The innings was typical of Hussey, whose batting style could best be described as urgent.His Twenty20 nickname is “Bomber” and he frequently demolishes opposition attacks, sending spectators ducking to avoid the leather-and-cork shrapnel that rockets out of the battle zone. He is not a fine technician like his brother, but his front-foot, bottom-hand methods are startlingly effective. If the siblings each made a century on the same day, it would be David’s that children would try to replicate inbackyard games, perhaps with oversized helmets rattling around on their heads, just as his own still does.That would be fitting, as it was in the family’s own garden, in Mullaloo, on the outskirts of Perth, that Hussey first learnt the game.Backyard matches between the brothers typically finished with arguments over a dismissal, which in turn often led to the younger Hussey locking himself in the family car in pouty protest.At the time, Michael probably seemed like a giant, but now Hussey is really starting to play with the big boys. In the IPL he will be in thesame side as Ponting, Chris Gayle, Brendon McCullum and Sourav Ganguly. He hopes it will help bring his goal of playing Test cricket a step closer, and believes working under the franchise’s coach John Buchanan will be an extra plus. “The IPL I’m really looking forward to,” he said. “For me it’s a massive bonus to learn off the world’s best. My team is Kolkata, with Ricky Ponting, so I’m really looking forward to playing with him and seeing how he prepares, so hopefully I can get a little bit of experience which improves me as a cricketer.”He is still signed with Nottinghamshire but his IPL participation and his call-up for Australia’s one-day tour of West Indies will limit hiscounty output this year. It was in that first-class arena that Hussey initially made his mark, before his move from Western Australia toVictoria paid off. He has just completed his most successful state season, scoring 1008 Pura Cup runs at 56, and being named Victoria’s player of the year in all three formats.

Hussey picks up his Player of the Year gong at the State Cricket awards © Getty Images
He has been mentioned as the prototype Twenty20 player thanks to his combination of explosive batting, better-than-handy offspin, andacrobatic fielding. However, it is an unwelcome tag. “I definitely don’t want to be pigeonholed as a Twenty20 player,” Hussey said. “My ultimate goal is to play Test cricket for Australia. That’s what I’m working towards.”I get the feeling that I’m reasonably close. But there’s certainly good players floating around. Simon Katich’s name is up in lights again.There’s Chris Rogers, there’s Adam Voges, there’s just so many good players floating around, so you’ve just got to be scoring runs at theright time.”The Caribbean limited-overs trip will be his first tour with the national squad and he is desperate to force his way into the startingline-up. His Twenty20 international debut came at the MCG against India in February and although his involvement amounted only to a catch and a wicket, the team experience was enough to whet his appetite.”I loved every minute of the Twenty20. Walking out in front of a home crowd MCG, in front of 80,000 was an amazing buzz. It has motivated me to play a little bit higher. I desperately want to play international one-day cricket and then Test cricket. I was pretty disappointed, I really wanted to walk out and bat and show my skills in front of my home crowd but to be honest I was just happy the Australian boys got the win.”One of those boys was Hussey’s old backyard opponent. Because David had to move to Melbourne to find a Pura Cup position, he and Michael have rarely played together in adult life. The Twenty20 international was their first match together since a couple of Australia A games several years ago. There should be more to come, but until then Hussey can at least claim to be the most expensive Twenty20 cricketer in Mr Cricket’s family. “I think the score is 20 to 1,” Hussey said, “so I’m glad I’ve finally got one up on him.”

Heather Knight hopes Dukes ball will aid England’s quest for 20 wickets

Valkerie Baynes21-Jun-2023

She brings an element of the unknown to the opposition, but it was Lauren Filer’s abilities as an impact bowler that have earned her an international debut for England in the Women’s Ashes Test.With nearly 15,000 people set to attend over the course of the five-day contest against Australia at Trent Bridge, this is some stage for Filer, who beat another young but more experienced quick in Issy Wong for a place in the side. But Heather Knight, England’s captain, expressed plenty of faith in Filer on match eve.”It’s hugely exciting for her,” Knight said. “We’ve gone for her because we think she’s a real impact bowler. I guess she’s a bit of an unknown but she bowls wicket-taking deliveries and for me she’s, if not the quickest, one of the quickest in the country. She gets bounce, and she’s got skills, moves the ball both ways, and ultimately we need a team that’s going to take 20 wickets and we feel like she gives us that. She can bang the ball in as well, there’s not too many people queueing up to face her in the nets. I’m really excited for her to see how she goes.”Related

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Lauren Filer to make England debut in Women's Ashes Test

Alyssa Healy nervous but excited for 'most hyped Women's Ashes'

Filer has taken eight wickets for Western Storm from four matches in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy so far this year at an average of 28. 62 and she took five wickets from as many matches in the Charlotte Edwards Cup at 24.80. Last season she claimed 11 wickets at 22.63 in the RHFT and one wicket in two Charlotte Edwards Cup appearances.On the flipside of the career spectrum, Danni Wyatt will make her Test debut after 245 white-ball games for her country. Wyatt adds firepower to an England top seven all capable of scoring quick runs.”I think probably at one point Danni probably felt like she was never going to get a Test cap,” Knight said. “We picked her because we want her to play exactly how she does in the middle order in ODI cricket. She’s one of the best players, and the best attackers, of spin in the world game for me and she makes it very tricky to set fields, she scores in quite unusual areas. That’s exactly how I want her to play, how she does in white-ball cricket, have a little bit of a counter-punch and use her experience there as well.”Knight hadn’t spoken to men’s counterpart Ben Stokes since his side lost their opening Ashes Test to Australia by two-wickets in a last-evening thriller at Edgbaston on Tuesday. But she has picked the brains of seam spearhead and Nottinghamshire native Stuart Broad in the build-up to this game.”I’ve spoken to Stuart about the conditions, he’s played a lot of cricket here and this is my first ever game at Trent Bridge,” Knight said. “Lots of really useful stuff on how to bowl on this pitch, how the pitch changes over the course of the cricket that he’s played here.”Danni Wyatt prepares to make her Test debut after 245 appearances for England•ECB via Getty Images

The pitch was showing patches of green grass 24 hours out from the toss, which had given Knight more to think about ahead of the clash which carries four points for a win to kick off the multi-format series. The last time these sides met in a Test, 18 months ago over four days at Canberra’s Manuka Oval in the middle of the series, it ended in a nail-biting draw.”It’s probably a little bit patchier than I expected and probably the groundsman wanted it,” she said. “Actually we asked for a pitch with just good carry. The Canberra wicket was awesome for women’s Test-match cricket, a bit of pace, the bowlers could get a bit out of it but you could also score runs if the bowler missed. So we wanted a similar wicket to that, but generally it’s a pretty good wicket to bat on and I look forward to getting out there.”In terms of the pitch, you want a nick to carry because sometimes we’ve played on softer, duller pitches where actually it’s really hard to score runs if you bowl straight but also really hard to take wickets and that’s not really the pitches, we don’t have as much pace in the women’s game that’s conducive to get a result. The Dukes ball is a really great addition. The bowlers have certainly enjoyed bowling with it and you can get a little bit out of it for a lot longer. Probably the biggest challenge in Women’s Tests has been taking 20 wickets and I think the Dukes will help that.”All of England Women’s recognised batters have scored runs in the lead-up to this match, most notably opener Tammy Beaumont, who retired on 201 not out off 238 balls against Australia A in a three-day warm-up on a lifeless Derby pitch last week, where Knight, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Sophia Dunkley and Amy Jones all reached the 70s and 80s.”The tempo that we went at and the pace we scored at was brilliant without being overly risky and aggressive, that was awesome,” Knight said. “We want to go on and make real match-defining innings, not just get a hundred if you can get a real big one. That puts the team in a great position. I’m really happy with the group and hopefully we can go out and replicate some of that in the next five days.”

The seven-a-side tournament, which will offer a $5 million prize pot, is bringing its second edition to the United States

• World Sevens Football announces United States edition
• Will play tournament in Florida from December 5-7
• Seven-a-side format includes $5 million prize

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Women's Sevens football has lined up its second edition, and will come to the United States in December, the competition organizers announced Tuesday.

  The next edition will take place Dec. 5-7, 2025, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, at Beyond Bancard Field – home of USL Super League side Fort Lauderdale United FC.

  The first iteration of the seven a side tournament was held in Portugal in May, and drew a series of high-profile clubs from across the world. Bayern Munich were crowned champions. The competition offers a $5M total prize pot, with $2M going to the winners, and the rest shared among the participating clubs based on performance.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  This edition will be "bigger and better" than the original tournament, organizers promised. The inaugural competition featured eight European clubs, all of which sent some of their best talents to participate in the two day event.

  There is no confirmation yet on which teams will play, and clubs from outside of Europe have been considered as potential participants. Former USWNT stars Tobin Heath and Kelley O'Hara are among those involved in the planning of the competition after a successful first iteration. 

• WHAT ADRIAN JACOB SAID

  Adrian Jacob, head of W7s and former executive for Chelsea FC women, promised that the second version of the tournament will only improve on the first.

  "We thought it was really successful," he said. This one is going to be bigger and better. We're going to take what we did from the last one, we're going to bring it to the Americas. And we are really, really excited."

  Jacob also pointed out that the United States was the logical next step for the tournament, saying "We want to reach all different corners of the world with World Sevens. Once we had one in Europe, it was always going to be in North America, or Central America, or in the Americas, with all the different clubs there.

  "You know, football isn't concentrated on Europe. The fan base is everywhere, and the way we can elevate the game is globally. There's so much we can do. And obviously, with everything that's going on in the States, in the Americas, women's football is growing hugely, absolutely everywhere."

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  WHAT KELLEY O'HARA SAID

  O'Hara, who registered 160 caps for the USWNT, pointed out that the differentiation of the tournament could be key in its success.

  "We want a place where players can enjoy themselves, have fun, but we want it to be good football. We want it to be competitive," she said. "So that went into the thinking of the clubs that we brought in and how we set it up. Obviously there's a very big prize purse on the line, and that contributes to players taking it seriously and wanting to win.

  "And the reality is, you have top link teams and clubs from around the world like that's bragging rights. People are going in and they're having a good time. They're enjoying themselves. They're, you know, a little bit looser ahead of the games."