أعلن الاتحاد المصري لكرة السلة، عن عقوبات وغرامات ضد ناديي الأهلي والاتحاد السكندري بعد مباراة النهائي لبطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز، التي أقيمت بين الفريقين، الأربعاء الماضي.

وكان الأهلي توج بطلًا لبطولة الدوري 2024، على حساب الاتحاد السكندري، بعد الفوز بنتيجة 83-80.

ووقع الاتحاد المصري لكرة السلة، غرامة مالية ضد ناديي الأهلي والاتحاد السكندري، حيث جاءت قيمة عقوبة الأهلي 75000 جنيه، بينما الاتحاد 25000 جنيه، نتيجة أحداث السباب الجماعي الذي حدث من جمهور الفريقين.

كما وجه الاتحاد المصري لكرة السلة، تحذيرًا للناديين في حالة تكرار الأمر. وجاء بيان الاتحاد المصري لكرة السلة بشأن عقوبات الأهلي والاتحاد السكندري على النحو التالي:

بشأن الاحداث التي وقعت خلال مباراة الأهلي والاتحاد السكندري في نهائي بطولة الدوري الممتاز أ رجال والمرتبط تحت 16 سنة بناء علي احداث مباراة الاهلي والاتحاد والتي اقيمت يوم الاربعاء ٢٠٢٤/١٢/٢٥ بصالة استاد القاهرة وتقرير مراقب المباراة من أحداث السباب الجماعي الذي حدث من جمهور الفريقين.

طالع | اتحاد السلة يكشف لـ”بطولات” عقوبة عمرو الجندي بعد أحداث مباراة الأهلي والزمالك

توصى لجنة المسابقات بالآتي:

1- توقيع غرامة مالية قدرها ٧٥٠٠٠ (خمسة وسبعون الف جنيهاً ) على جمهور نادى الاهلي للسباب الجماعي للفريق الآخر وحكام المباراة قبل واثناء وبعد المباراة.

2- اخطار شركة تذكرتي باغلاق حجز تذاكر لجمهور الأهلي الحاضر في المباراة لمدة شهر من تاريخ المباراة.

3- توقيع غرامة مالية قدرها ٢٥٠٠٠ (خمسة وعشرون الف جنيهاً ) على جمهور نادي الاتحاد السكندري للسباب الجماعي قبل وبعد المباراة رداً علي جمهور النادي الأهلي.

4- تحذير الناديين انه في حالة التكرار سيتم تغليظ العقوبة.

Rafiq and Jason Gillespie were part of Cricket Australia’s latest episode of Cricket Connecting Country

Daniel Brettig26-Oct-2020Azeem Rafiq, the former England Under-19 captain who alleged systemic racism at Yorkshire that is currently under investigation, doubts he will ever be able to have another role within cricket and does not want to introduce his children to a bat and ball without seeing genuine, lasting change in the English game.As part of Cricket Australia’s latest Cricket Connecting Country webinar, to be broadcast on the governing body’s digital channels on Tuesday evening Australian time, Rafiq spoke frankly about the toll of raising his voice on the issue of racism within cricket and his many painful experiences with Yorkshire. Appearing alongside his former coach, Jason Gillespie, Rafiq was visibly emotional when he described how he had stood back from introducing his son to the game because of how much pain it had caused him.”We don’t even know how many people are out there suffering, and that’s a worry, everyone is going to heal in different ways. But to actually start the healing process it needs to start now – we can’t keep arguing and trying to show people there’s a problem,” he said. “That needs to stop, it needs to be about how can we stop it happening. My worry is what’s going to happen to our kids, are they going to be in the same position.ALSO READ: Azeem Rafiq was ‘on brink of suicide’ after experiencing racism at Yorkshire”The thing that really upsets me is that I love the game of cricket and I’m not sure I want my son to go anywhere near a cricket ground. That is really, really upsetting for me, because as Dizzy knows, I love the game, but I haven’t even got him a bat or a ball yet. And that really, really upsets me. I think it’s time we need to stop talking about and trying to show people there’s an issue, it’s time to move it forward, do something about it and get some solutions.”Reflecting on the problems he had witnessed, Rafiq also spoke about how he felt his card was already marked in terms of further involvement in cricket, and for that reason he understood why others were so reticent to speak without the cloak of anonymity.

It’s two cultures and you’re trying to fit in them both and you end up fitting in nowhere, but you shouldn’t have to. There should be a respect for everyoneAzeem Rafiq

“Knowing why it was allowed to happen is something that will help me heal,” Rafiq said of the investigation currently underway at Yorkshire. “But I think more importantly it is for me about how we can stop it happening moving forward really. In my experience it is worse now because it’s done in such a way that it’s really difficult to open up and speak about it. What’s happened will help to get a few answers on that for my healing, but I’m not so much really bothered about myself anymore because I think my time’s gone.”Especially since I’ve come out, I think it’s going to be really difficult for me to play any part within the game, but I think moving forward if I can help anyone – that’s been the sad thing, I’ve had a lot of messages reaching out from kids as young as 14-15, and that worries me, because right until the end I didn’t want to believe it was racism. I didn’t want to think it was that, I wanted to try and, as we’ve been brought up, fight through everything, let it go, let it go.”If you pulled anyone up on it, it was like ‘well, can you not take a joke’ and a lot of times it was disguised as banter, but there was a lot of feeling in the banter. I don’t know [if it’s] coincidentally or not, a lot of the comments following on from that, they were acted on. So, the comment about ‘there’s too many of you lot’, I don’t think the four of us played a game together again. Whether that’s just banter or not is questionable really and a lot of times it is disguised as banter, but it’s quite simply not funny.”Gillespie said Rafiq’s testimony had been “heartbreaking” and explained to him many of the problems he had witnessed in what he thought at the time had simply been a young cricketer wrestling with his game and the demands of professionalism. He now saw Rafiq’s Yorkshire career in a new and more unsettling light.”When I saw this interview Azeem gives, that was quite confronting and quite heartbreaking for me as a coach, because some of those experiences happened when I was at the club,” Gillespie said. “A lot of those experiences happened when I wasn’t around, but still quite heartbreaking to listen to that.Jason Gillespie’s time at Yorkshire spanned both of Azeem Rafiq’s spells at the club•Getty Images”I remember there were a couple of times when I saw Azeem struggling, and I didn’t know there were these undertones of things going on regarding racism, because I remember Azeem, there were some issues with his cricket, but listening to that interview on Sky really opened up my eyes that there was a lot more to that period at the club when his game was suffering and he was battling off the field, and in turn there were battles on the field. Everything almost meshed together, and that’s why it was heartbreaking for me to watch that.”Rafiq noted the complexity of the issue was shown by how the current England national team has proven itself to be a safe and welcome space for cricketers of colour, even as problems at county and club levels remain largely unaddressed in his view.”The England team, and all due respect to them, knowing quite a few of them personally as well, I don’t know whether it’s happened by plan or by luck, but they don’t have this sort of issue in that dressing room, and that’s from speaking to a few friends of mine,” Rafiq said. “A couple of them say it’s the most comfortable they’ve felt playing cricket, they’re allowed to be themselves and they’re respected for their cultures, there’s no pressures on them to fit in in any way, shape or form.”That comes from the leaders a lot, I think Eoin Morgan’s outstanding, I think Trevor Bayliss from what I’ve heard was really instrumental in that as well. But I think if you do strip it back, it’s just a rosy picture at the top currently. That’s not to say the England team hasn’t had this problem before and it won’t happen in the future.”When you do ask the question, you get stuff thrown at you, like there were 50% in our academies from a south Asian background. You go into coaches I’m pretty sure it’s minimal, three out of 96 or something. There’s a lot of challenges you face when you go into that. It’s two cultures and you’re trying to fit in them both and you end up fitting in nowhere, but you shouldn’t have to. There should be a respect for everyone.”The case of Andrew Symonds’ racial abuse case in 2008 was among other issues discussed, and the Aboriginal activist Tamika Sadler pointed out that the toll of his premature loss from the international scene was to deprive Australians of colour of a rare non-white member of the national team to follow.”I was only a young girl but that was the only person of colour, other than other international teams, that I would see that was on an Australian side, and as a young person growing up as well, Australia, we’re supposed to be so multicultural and multifaceted, yet why is there very few people of colour playing the sport,” she said. “Predominantly it is a very white privileged sport as well, and white society sport. When these situations happen, it can’t just be a situation and then nobody is learning from that, we can’t just keep having case study after case study, there has to be some action taken. It is up to clubs to take initiative with that as well.”

The semifinal, third-place and championship games will all be played at SoFi, while Hollywood Park will host festivities around tournament

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CONCACAF Nations League finals at SoFi Stadium in 2025, 2027Stadium will also host 2026 FIFA World Cup matchesFan activities to be held in Hollywood Park areaFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

CONCACAF has awarded the 2025 and 2027 Nations League final hosting rights to SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. Hollywood Park and the surrounding areas venues will serve as locations for fan activities, which will include concerts and a fan zone.

SoFi Stadium is also a venue for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and home to the NFL's Los Angeles Rams and Chargers.

AdvertisementAFPTHE BIGGER PICTURE

SoFi Stadium made its CONCACAF debut in 2023, hosting the Gold Cup final between Panama and Mexico. The match was a sellout, with El Tri defeating Los Canaleros 1-0 thanks to an 88th minute strike from Santiago Gimenez.

The 2025 Nations League finals will be the fourth edition of the tournament, with matches being played March 20-23.

Festivities will begin with the semifinal matches, which will be followed by a performance from a "top artist" at YouTube Theatre in Hollywood Park. Fan experiences will take place over the following days in the surrounding area.

WHAT CONCACAF SAID

“We are extremely pleased that SoFi Stadium – one of the best venues in the world – will host the next two editions of our CONCACAF Nations League Finals and that Hollywood Park, in which the stadium is based, will host a range of fan activities to celebrate this tremendous competition. The CONCACAF Nations League has transformed men’s national team football in our confederation, providing opportunities for all our federations to thrive and compete to reach their next level,” said CONCACAF president and FIFA vice president, Victor Montagliani.

“These compelling events, alongside our 2025 Gold Cup and men’s and women’s club competitions, will take place at a pivotal time for the growth of the game in the region. We look forward to welcoming fans to engage with all of these tournaments and to follow and enjoy the beautiful game in Concacaf,” added Montagliani.

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR CONCACAF?

The 2025 Nations League quarterfinals begin this November, while the Group Stage wraps up during this October international window.

The final rounds of Group Stage matches begin Wednesday.

Melbourne teams in the WBBL, the Renegades and Stars, will venture a little into the unknown this weekend when they begin their tournaments having done the majority of their preparation amid strict Covid-19 lockdown in Victoria.Although Victoria-based players, who were not part of the Australia squad for the recent series against New Zealand, have been able to train during Melbourne’s stage 4 restrictions it has been a far from ideal lead-in for the competition that will be staged in a Sydney-based hub over the next five weeks.There have been some protocols other teams have needed to follow, specifically those in Sydney, but far less restrictive than Melbourne over the last three months while the Perth Scorchers, Adelaide Strikers, Hobart Hurricanes and the defending champions Brisbane Heat have largely been able to train as normal in their home states.The teams have all been in Sydney this week so have been able to train at full tilt ahead of starting the competition on Sunday, but Renegades head coach Lachlan Stevens knows it has been a tough build-up.”It’s a really difficult question to answer,” he told ESPNcricinfo about how ready the Victoria-based players would be. “First and foremost we are very grateful to everyone who has gone out of their way and helped us come into the tournament, helped us train before the tournament even though it was with restrictions and a lot of protocols because of what was going on down in Melbourne.”We are all really lucky to be here, both the girls in the Stars and the Renegades teams. It’s certainly been a challenge and I’ve certainly felt for them in that regard so I’m really hoping once they get out there, and I know they will, they compete as hard as they can but it’s been a difficult preparation.”While Stevens expected the will to win to be as strong as usual, he conceded that the pandemic and the challenges of the last seven months brings a different outlook”It’s not that we are not here to try and compete and everyone will be doing their best to win matches,” he said, “but certainly I think you’d be a pretty harsh judge if you walked away from a tournament where everyone was safe and happy expecting any more than that. We want to provide an environment where they can do the very best they can and then whatever comes of that. Priorities have changed a little bit as they have for everyone in the last 12 months.”There will be challenges on the field for the Renegades from the outset with New Zealand pace bowler Lea Tahuhu not set to feature for at least the first half of the competition due to the side injury she picked up against Australia and is doubtful for the whole tournament. Stevens hopes to cover her absence from within the squad rather than dipping into the replacement-player pool that is available.They will also have to contend with missing last season’s leading run-scorer Jess Duffin following her pregnancy, but do have the return of Amy Satterthwaite as captain plus a potent spin attack of Georgia Wareham, Sophie Molineux and Molly Strano.”With Lea and Jess being out they [the spinners] are our ace in the pack,” Stevens said. “If we can get them enough runs on the board to be able to do what they do well, and likewise if we are bowling first hopefully they can take some wickets for us and be restrictive, then it gives us an opportunity in the game. They are certainly holding a large key for how we go about our work over the next few weeks.”Wareham and Molineux were both outstanding in the recent internationals against New Zealand in Brisbane and Strano is the leading wicket-taker in WBBL history with 96 in 72 matches at 17.10. She was a late addition to the T20 World Cup squad after injury to Tayla Vlaeminck, but given the strength of Australia’s resources can’t command a regular place.”She’s just one of the most wonderful team people in the history of cricket,” Stevens said. “She brings energy, enthusiasm and competes as hard as she possibly can every time. And with a smile on her face. I love watching her play.”What she does well is understand where batters’ strengths lie and how she can control them. She reads the play and batters very well and that goes a long way towards her record.”

Daryl Mitchell and Mitchell Santner have been called into the Test squad while Santner has also been named captain for the third T20I

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Nov-2020Colin de Grandhomme has been ruled out of the Test series against West Indies due to bone bruising to his right foot and left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel will miss the opening match as he continues to recover from a calf injury.Allrounder Daryl Mitchell, who made his Test debut against England last year, has been called up as de Grandhomme’s replacement while Mitchell Santner will cover for Patel.Santner has also been named captain for the third T20I against West Indies when Tim Southee, who was standing in for Kane Williamson, will depart the squad to link up with the Test team in Hamilton. Santner and Mitchell will join the Test squad on December 1, two days ahead of the start of the opening match.”The unavailability of Colin and Ajaz has obviously had a flow on effect to our T20 squad who are providing the replacement players for the Test squad,” New Zealand coach Gary Stead said. “I highlighted last week how tight and complex the schedule was – so when you throw in some injuries, it really begins to challenge how you juggle your resources.”Mitch and Daryl will be available for the final T20 game, before linking up with the Test squad on Tuesday where we will monitor them closely to ensure they’re fit and fresh ahead of the first Test on Thursday.”I’d like to acknowledge Mitch Santner for taking on the responsibility to captain the T20 side. It’s a great honour to lead your country and I know his calm demeanour along with the sheer amount of international experience he’s amassed in the past five years will hold him in good stead.”It’s disappointing for Colin to be ruled out of the Tests completely and he’ll now target being fit and available for the Boxing Day Test at Bay Oval. Ajaz will join the team in Hamilton to have treatment and train. We will make a call on the second Test in Wellington closer to the time.”Meanwhile, all the New Zealand and West Indies players who arrived from the IPL have cleared their third and final Covid-19 tests meaning they are on track to leave managed isolation on Thursday, the day before the opening T20I at Eden Park.

Julen Lopetegui is striving to build up his West Ham United side after David Moyes' tenure reached its culmination. Luis Guilherme has already been signed to add some exciting depth and potential to the flanks.

However, with Mohammed Kudus pushing for a move away from the London Stadium and Lucas Paqueta's footballing future uncertain, more depth is needed up top.

Moreover, likely defensive exits have led to a concerted effort toward signing Max Kilman from Wolverhampton Wanderers, with Fabrizio Romano confirming that talks are being held to sign him.

However, West Ham would be wise to seek out alternatives, indeed fixing upon another talented defender.

West Ham transfer news

As per Football Insider, West Ham are rivalling newly-promoted Premier League rivals Ipswich Town for Hull City's Jacob Greaves, having held talks ahead of a possible deal.

The Athletic have revealed that the Tractor Boys have presented a £10m proposal to Hull but this will be swiftly rejected. Others, seemingly West Ham, are monitoring.

Why West Ham are pursuing Jacob Greaves

Greaves has been described as a "top-class" player by Championship-centred podcast host Ryan Dilks, even being crowned Hull's Player of the Season after his exemplary 2023/24 season.

As per FBref, the 6 foot 1 star ranked among the top 8% of centre-backs in the Championship last term for assists, the top 11% for shot-creating actions, the top 10% for passes attempted, the top 25% for tackles and the top 4% for aerial battles won per 90.

It's no wonder that football writer Alex Osborn hailed him as "the best CB in the Championship last season", having played a significant role in the Tigers' albeit unsuccessful push for promotion.

Jacob Greaves vs Max Kilman: 23/24 Stat Comparison

Statistic

Jacob Greaves

Max Kilman

Matches played

43

38

Matches started

43

38

Goals

2

2

Assists

4

0

Clean sheets

11

5

Pass completion

89%

86%

Key passes per game

0.5

0.4

Tackles per game

1.8

1.2

Clearances per game

4.3

4.7

Ball recoveries per game

4.4

4.7

Duels won per game

7.3 (69%)

4.2 (63%)

All stats via Sofascore

While Lopetegui hopes to sign Kilman after spending a season with the 27-year-old at Molineux, Greaves is capable of emulating the Wolves captain in creativity, combativeness and sharpness, with the table above really highlighting the myriad similarities between the respective stars.

Kilman, moreover, is not going to come cheap. Valued as high as £50m by Wolves, he would exhaust significant resources at a time of pressing need for additions across the board.

Greaves has all the skills to succeed in east London and he could be a real bargain for a West Ham side in transition, clearly aligning with Lopetegui's preferred style given his striking similarities to Kilman.

Related West Ham lining up "world-class" £40m Kudus replacement

This talented winger would mark a stunning piece of business for the Hammers.

Posts ByAngus Sinclair Jun 25, 2024

قال محمد إبراهيم لاعب فريق الكرة الأول بنادي البنك الأهلي إن فريقه يعاني من سوء توفيق خلال الفترة الماضية بالرغم من أن المستوى جيد.

وكان البنك الأهلي قد حقق فوزًا صعبًا علي غزل المحلة بملعب الأخير في سابع جولات الدور الأول من عمر الدوري المصري الممتاز “النيل”، بهدف دون رد.

فيديو | البنك الأهلي يفوز على غزل المحلة في الدوري المصري

وأضاف إبراهيم في تصريحات تلفزيونية بفضائية “أون تايم سبورتس”: “اللاعبون يبذلون جهدًا جبارًا والنتائج لم تكن في صالحنا ببعض الأوقات”.

وأردف: “هدفنا كان واحدًا وهو الحصول على الثلاث نقاط ولا نفكر في أي شيء اخر ووفقنا في تحقيق ذلك”.

واستكمل: “مركزنا لا يليق بالبنك الأهلي أو إمكانيات لاعبيه والجهاز الفني، كنا تحدثنا سويًا بشأن حزننا على مركزنا”.

وأتم: “حصدنا 3 نقاط يضعونا في مركز أفضل من ذلك ولكن طموحنا أن نحتل مركزًا جيدًا”.

ويحتل البنك الأهلي المركز العاشر في سلم ترتيب الدوري المصري برصيد 8 نقاط حصدهم من انتصارين وتعادلين فيما نال 3 خسائر.

In search of their replacement for Raphael Varane, Manchester United are now reportedly in pole position to sign a European star for Erik ten Hag in this summer's transfer window, having been given the green light by the player this week.

Man Utd transfer news

Whilst they're yet to officially get their summer business underway, Manchester United have been linked with plenty of names, including Joshua Zirkzee and Manuel Ugarte. Both players would instantly help Ten Hag solve two major problems in his current side, with Casemiro struggling in defensive midfield and United's attacking options far from thriving last season.

Replacing Casemiro is particularly important this summer, given that he sits at the heart of Ten Hag's side. The Brazilian, now 32 years old, began to show signs that he's past his best last season and has since been linked with a move to Saudi Arabia. Even without that move, however, United should prioritise welcoming a replacement in the form of Ugarte in the coming months.

Imagine him & De Ligt: Man Utd scouting "electric" Shaw replacement

The impressive full-back could be a game-changer for United.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Jul 3, 2024

Casemiro isn't the only player who will need replacing, either, following the departure of Varane at the end of last season. The Frenchman left as a free agent to create a gaping hole in United's defence that one European star could now fill.

According to Fabrizio Romano, Manchester United are now in pole position to sign Matthijs de Ligt this summer and have opened negotiations with Bayern Munich over a potential deal. The Dutchman, meanwhile, has reportedly given the green light regarding a move to Old Trafford in the coming months.

With De Ligt seemingly keen on the move, Manchester United have the chance to sign a defender who is more than capable of replacing Varane and more next season.

"Wonderful" De Ligt can lead Man Utd's backline

Earning a reported £261k-a-week, De Ligt already has plenty of experience at levels that some Manchester United players are yet to even see for themselves, having played in Champions League semi-finals and won league titles at both Ajax and Bayern Munich.

The Dutchman, currently at the Euros with his country, now has the chance to become the defensive leader that the Red Devils are so desperately crying out for next to Harry Maguire, or when fit Lisandro Martinez.

Progressive Carries

16

20

Progressive Passes

98

73

Tackles Won

12

17

Ball Recoveries

73

78

It's a surprise that Bayern Munich have so willingly entered talks with Manchester United, given the praise that former sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic had for De Ligt when the central defender arrived in 2022, saying via the Bundesliga website: “We wanted to bring Matthijs to Munich three years ago. We were convinced of his qualities as a defender then, and we are even more so today.

"With his professionalism, his desire and his wonderful character, Matthijs fits our team as well as our ambitions. He will play an important role at Bayern on and off the pitch. He was already a leading player at Ajax as a youngster, and he is still capable of development at the high level he is at, at the age of 22.”

Former Italy and Bayern Munich striker Luca Toni joked with Pep Guardiola that it was the Manchester City coach's fault he could not find a team.

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• Guardiola met with fellow ex-Brescia star
• Toni joked that coach ruined his career
• Man City boss used Haaland in response

Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The City coach met up with ex-Italy stars Toni and Roberto Baggio at a restaurant in Lombardi. The three former players are united by their connection to Brescia, having each played for the club at some point in their careers.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  However, Toni had a bone to pick with the legendary coach, as he said it was because of Guardiola's revolutionary style at Barcelona, which saw him use Lionel Messi as a false number nine, that classic striker Toni had a hard time finding work before he retired.

• WHAT TONI SAID

  "Pep, you ruined football. With the false nine, I couldn’t find a team for four years. Seriously," he joked in a video with the City boss laughing in the background. "Can you say that you only used the false nine with Messi? Do you even like [classic] centre forwards?"

  Guardiola was quick to defend himself, though, pointing out that he now plays with an old-fashioned striker in the form of Erling Haaland. He said: "I have it, Haaland, 60 goals. We won the treble with that striker, but the centre-forwards must be good! Understand?"

  Toni responded: "Okay, but stop it with false nine now. Big centre-forwards are better."

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR GUARDIOLA?

  Guardiola will hope that his return to a recognised number nine in Haaland will reap him more silverware, with the reigning English champions chasing more Premier League and Champions League trophies this season.

The quick’s five-for won the day for the hosts despite Brendan Taylor’s fighting century

Danyal Rasool30-Oct-2020

Shaheen Afridi sent back the Zimbabwe openers by the fifth over•AFP via Getty Images

Pakistan withstood a stunning fightback led by Brendan Taylor to hang on for a thrilling win in the first ODI against Zimbabwe in Rawalpindi on Friday. Shaheen Afridi was the architect of the victory, carving chunks out of the Zimbabwean batting line-up when the others appeared to have run out of ideas, and finishing with yet another five-wicket haul, while Wahab Riaz chipped in with four wickets to stop the visiting sides 26 short.The result might appear somewhat routine, but it was anything but guaranteed when Taylor was at the crease, on his way to stroking a glorious century that, alongside a fighting half-century from Wesley Madhevere, took Zimbabwe to the brink of a famous win. But, as the final five overs loomed and the asking rate began to creep up, Madhevere chopped Riaz on to end a 119-run fifth-wicket partnership. Taylor was undone by a slower Afridi delivery soon after, and things unravelled quickly thereafter.Zimbabwe were bowled out for 255, and in a game of fine margins, Pakistan’s wagging tail earlier on made all the difference.Set 282 to win, Zimbabwe looked to have a structured sense of pacing the chase, going hard in the powerplay at debutant Haris Rauf, undeterred by the loss of Brain Chari in the first over. While Afridi, who was tremendous throughout the innings whenever called upon, gave them little to attack, some loose deliveries from the other end were all they needed, and Chamu Chibhabha, followed by Craig Ervine and Taylor, made the most of the fielding restrictions, speeding to 56 in the powerplay. It was well over what Pakistan had managed, and set Zimbabwe the base from which they moulded their chase.Brendan Taylor drives on the up•PCB

While Taylor looked comfortable for much of the innings, Ervine found himself flustered by Pakistan’s tightness in the middle overs, and a rash reverse sweep spelt the end of him. Sean Williams never looked up to the mark on the day, meaning 20-year-old Madhevere was tasked with being the support act for Taylor. He did that with immense class, showcasing an attractive batting technique and, when things got hairier, a certain steel that bodes well for the career that lies ahead of him. The punches off the back foot against pace were especially eye-catching, and out of nowhere, it seemed, he had brought up a half-century.By this time, Taylor had found the zone he occasionally enters, which marks him out as one of the most inventive shotmakers of this generation. The uppercut off the short ball was nigh-on perfect each time, while a scoop over short third-man off a 149kph Afridi yorker is destined to be one of the shots of the series, and when he brought up his 11th ODI hundred, Zimbabwe looked like they were ahead of the chase.That’s when Riaz returned to show why he still remains a firm part of Pakistan’s plans, his sheer pace accounting for Madhevere before the Afridi show took over. Once Sikandar Raza was felled by Riaz, Afridi took charge against the tail, removing Carl Mumba to complete a five-for he richly deserved. By this time, the game was done, and Pakistan would walk away with a win, and a bit of a scare.Earlier, Pakistan won the toss and batted, but the rustiness of not having played an ODI for 13 months was evident. They stuttered their way to 281 for 8, getting there in the end thanks to some untidiness on the part of the visitors at the death after an exceptionally disciplined bowling performance for the best part.Imam-ul-Haq and Haris Sohail finish up at the same end•AFP via Getty Images

Half-centuries from Imam-ul-Haq and Haris Sohail kept Pakistan chugging along without ever really moving through the gears. Zimbabwe picked up wickets quietly from time to time, and, all of a sudden, Pakistan found themselves six down for 205, and facing a battle to post a total their bowlers would feel comfortable defending.They had opted for the more circumspect Abid Ali in place of Fakhar Zaman at the top, and as such, while they made a solid start, there was no evidence of the powerplay aggression that has become the norm for successful ODI sides. It helped Zimbabwe that Richard Ngarava and Blessing Muzarabani – back after two years away from the national side – were very disciplined, giving little by way of extras or loose deliveries to either batsman. And when Ali tried to play across the line to Mumba, he was trapped in front.What would – or should – disappoint Pakistan is their overall approach. For all the talk of this series being the beginning of the next four-year ODI cycle, there are few signs that with it has come a change in their philosophical approach to the format, and the lack of intent in the first ten overs was followed by similar wariness through the middle overs. Only Babar Azam tried to up the ante, but crucially for Zimbabwe, he wasn’t at the crease for long, a poke at an outswinger from Muzarabani bringing about his downfall.Thereon, Zimbabwe were on top as Pakistan went into a shell that they really should have stayed away from for much of the innings. Imam and Sohail began a rebuild that ended in a mix of farce and comedy when they found themselves at the same end, both diving to get ahead of the other and survive at the keeper’s end while Raza whipped off the bails at the other. Imam was the unlucky one, allowing Sohail to anchor the innings as Iftikhar Ahmed and Mohammad Rizwan came and went.Despite all that, Pakistan ended with a decent total, with the late sloppiness from the Zimbabwe death bowlers proving decisive. At 203 for 6, getting bowled out was a keen possibility, but Imad Wasim and Faheem Ashraf ensured a sharp uptick in runs that seemed to ward off any Zimbabwean ideas of aggression, sending them into run-preservation mode instead. That allowed Pakistan to get to their final tally, setting up a win that might provide them more relief than delight.