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Rangers boss Gio van Bronckhorst is set for a busy few months working alongside Ross Wilson in his first summer transfer window in charge of the Glasgow giants.

The Dutchman joined after the end of last summer’s market and was backed in the January window as Aaron Ramsey, Amad Diallo, James Sands and Mateusz Zukowski all came in.

One of the first pieces of business he may need to worry about is the possible departure of defender Calvin Bassey.

Daily Express journalist Ryan Taylor has backed the Nigeria international to reunite with his former manager Steven Gerrard. He recently told GIVEMESPORT: “Bassey is clearly highly rated by Villa. I think that deal will happen; I can see it happening. Obviously, [Diego] Carlos coming in might change the picture, but it’s clear Villa rate him highly, and for me, it’s just a no-brainer.

“The way he played in the Europa League, he looks like a player that’s just naturally ready to step up and perform.”

Unearth Bassey 2.0

If the defender does end up at Villa, Rangers could unearth Bassey 2.0 in a deal for left-back Matthew Sorinola, who was touted with a move to Ibrox last year.

Like the current Gers man, who came through the ranks at Leicester, he is eligible to play for England or Nigeria at international level and can come in as a full-back option for van Bronckhorst, which is why the club must now return for his services and agree a deal.

He spent the 2020/21 campaign in the first team at MK Dons in League One and caught the eye with a string of impressive displays.

In 34 appearances, he registered four assists and created an eye-catching eight ‘big chances’ as he showcased his ability to provide an attacking threat from left wing-back.

This shows that he has the ability to burst forward down the left flank in attack, which is something Gers fans have been able to watch with their own English/Nigerian defender this year as Bassey registered three assists in the Premiership.

Former Dons manager Russell Martin once took the time to hail the gem’s talent, saying: “He’s technically right up there with anyone in the squad – he wants to play. I love his calmness too – for a young lad, he’s so composed.

“He defended really well. People may question his size but when you’re as brave as he is to play with the ball and get in people’s faces and shut them down, he has so much ability and potential.”

At the age of 21, he has plenty of time left ahead of him to develop and he can join with a view to him improving over time, rather than being expected to be the finished article straight away.

Rangers have already enjoyed success in bringing Bassey over as a young left-back from an English club in a similar deal and they can now repeat that trick by signing Sorinola, albeit he would be arriving from Belgian side Royale Union Saint Gilloise after joining them from MK Dons.

Van Bronckhorst can take his time with Sorinola and help him to fulfil his potential and become a first-team regular at Ibrox, with the gem potentially following in Bassey’s footsteps at left-back.

AND in other news, Imagine him & Weston: Rangers can form deadly future duo in deal for highly-rated teen…

An update has emerged on Rangers and their pursuit of bringing a fresh central midfielder to Ibrox during the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

BBC reporter Ian Dennis has claimed that the Gers are among a number of clubs who are showing an interest in soon-to-be free agent Joe Rothwell ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

He tweeted: “Fulham are looking to rival Bournemouth’s efforts to sign Blackburn midfielder Joe Rothwell. #AFCB had a bid turned down in Jan. Rothwell is out of contract this summer. Rangers and a host of Championship clubs are also understood to be interested in Rothwell.”

Gio van Bronckhorst would love him

The Light Blues head coach would love to have Rothwell at Ibrox next season, as he would be an excellent addition to the team.

The 27-year-old enjoyed a stellar campaign in the Championship for Blackburn and would add a new dynamic to the Gers midfield, as he has the ability to drive forward and create chances in the final third.

His Rovers boss Tony Mowbray previously lauded the player’s ability, saying: “He’s an exciting talent, he’s exceedingly fast, he keeps the ball really tight. We want him running towards the opposition goal rather than across the pitch.”

In the 2021/22 season, Rothwell averaged a sublime SofaScore rating of 7.08 across 41 matches as he maintained a high standard with his performances. He was directly involved in 13 goals, chipping in with three strikes and 10 assists, also creating 10 ‘big chances’ and providing 1.7 key passes per match.

The 27-year-old has proven that he can contribute in attack, while he also got stuck in defensively with 2.1 tackles and interceptions per game. This suggests that he would be a brilliant box-to-box option for Van Bronckhorst to call upon next term.

Meanwhile, Joe Aribo – who has also played out wide – was the only Rangers central midfielder with more than three assists in the Premiership. He set up five goals – half as many as Rothwell created for Blackburn in the English second tier – and this indicates that the Gers lack a midfielder capable of consistently providing creativity.

This suggests that the Rovers gem would be a superb signing for the Light Blues and a much-needed one because of the ability he possesses on the ball. Therefore, Van Bronckhorst would surely love to have him at Ibrox and will now be hoping that Ross Wilson can snap him up on a free transfer in the coming weeks.

AND in other news, Imagine him & Lundstram: GvB can form scary Rangers duo by signing £4.5k-p/w machine…

The Oval was been witness to many famous retirements over the years, but few can have matched the ovation for Alastair Cook

George Dobell at The Oval10-Sep-20181:34

‘The most surreal four days of my life’ – Cook

And they all lived happily ever after.It wouldn’t quite be true to say you couldn’t script Alastair Cook’s farewell – have you seen Attack of The Killer Tomatoes? – but, had seven dwarves, a fawn and a princess welcomed him back into a dressing room made of candy, it could hardly have proved more fairytale.The Oval has been the scene of many remarkable events. It hosted the first football international and the first FA Cup. It was the birthplace of the Ashes and, towards the end of WW2, was fitted out as a prisoner of war camp. It’s witnessed rock concerts from The Who, Rod Stewart and Genesis.But it can rarely have witnessed an ovation like the one that greeted Cook’s century here. Without invitation or organisation, without any need to implore them to ‘make some noise,’ the crowd rose as one and gave Cook an ovation so heartfelt and sustained that you wondered, for a while, if it would ever stop. Britney Spears had a marriage that lasted less time than this; Brian Clough a spell at Leeds.At one stage, the umpire, Kumar Dharmasena, tried to wrap things up. At another, Cook, who had already raised his bat to the crowd in all corners of the ground, shrugged to the India fielders who were in position and waiting the next ball. But still it continued. An expression of relief that Cook’s struggles should be rewarded at last and gratitude for the times he has put himself in the line of fire – both on the pitch and off – for the good of the team.How long did it last? Well, someone, somewhere will no doubt have measured it in minutes and seconds. But the real answer is until Cook knew, knew for certain and for ever, that he would go into retirement appreciated by the supporters of the team he has served with such distinction. It was a long goodbye, for sure, but it was also a perfect one.”They wouldn’t shut up,” he said with a smile afterwards. “It was phenomenal. It’s been the most surreal four days of my life. Every reception has been incredible.”I’ve had bigger innings in more important games that have meant more but, on a purely emotional level, with so many friends and family here, I couldn’t have asked for a better week for me.”People have said that the pressure is off. But, in a funny way, thinking about not getting out for nought or not getting out early every morning, has brought a different type of pressure. It’s a nice way to go.”The manner in which he reached the milestone – Jasprit Bumrah gifting four over-throws after Cook jabbed a cut to point – probably added to the elation of the moment. It was so unlikely and, for most of a crowd who had been living and breathing every ball, such a relief that it added a layer of hilarity and drama.

I’ve spent all my life trying to play for England so to give it up is obviously a big thing. Chasing my dreams and playing for England is all I’ve ever knownAlastair Cook on retirement

Few would begrudge Cook the bonus. After a summer of trying to negate the Duke’s ball and a career trying to negate the fastest and freshest bowlers, he had probably earned a bonus. This was a sort of a ‘buy 12,000; get four free’ deal; a loyalty reward; a tip.In registering a century in his final Test innings, Cook managed what Sir Jack Hobbs, Sir Viv Richards and Sir Don Bradman – all of whom also finished their Test careers at this ground – could not. He finished, as he had begun, with a century.But it wasn’t just his score that impressed. It was the manner in which he made the runs and, most importantly, the fact his batting has laid the platform for victory (barring a miracle, anyway) against the world’s No. 1 ranked Test side. If he has ever batted with such fluency, it can only have been on that 2010-11 Ashes tour. At times his cover drives bore a hint of David Gower. And there’s no higher praise than that.There will, no doubt, be those who look at the 218 runs he has scored in this game and conclude that he is retiring too early. He’s only 33, after all, and it’s not as if there are a throng of obvious successors pushing him for his place. But he’s having none of it.”It absolutely confirms the decision in my mind,” he said. “My decision was not just the culmination of three or four bad games. It’s been coming for 12 to 18 months. It’s not just about a bit of bad form; I’ve been through that before.”I’ve spent all my life trying to play for England so to give it up is obviously a big thing. Chasing my dreams and playing for England is all I’ve ever known. But it was actually a really easy decision for me. Over the last 18 months, things have started to creep into my mind. Once I lost that edge, which has definitely happened in training, that decision was made for me. It’s a bit like the captaincy: when you know it’s right, it’s right.”It’s just time. It’s time for me; it’s time for my family. It’s always nice when people want you just a bit more rather than kicking you out. To go out on my own terms makes it perfect.”Of all the ovations he has received during this game – and a conservative estimate is that he has had 15 standing ovations – there were two that he said stood out. The first was for that century. The other, in the last hour of the day, was led by the Barmy Army trumpeter, Billy Cooper and featured a succession of songs – notably their version of KC and The Sunshine’s Band ‘Baby Give It Up’ – reworked as a tribute to Cook. Lyrically uncomplicated (“Ali, Ali Cook, Ali Cook, Ali, Ali Cook” is about the sum of it), it nevertheless struck a chord for the man at whom it was aimed.Alastair Cook drives•AFP”Their support means so much to the players,” Cook said. “Hearing your song on one of those tough away days – where we might be in the dirt for 150 overs – is amazing. They know how much we try whether we have a good day or a bad day. I’ve had unbelievable support from the Barmy Army and those last few minutes were very special.”And that’s the key with Cook. Everyone knows there have been those days in the dirt. Months of them at times. Days when he couldn’t find a run; days when his team couldn’t take a wicket. Days when it seemed English cricket would rip itself apart in a civil war as ugly as it was unnecessary. And on them all, Cook went out first, scratched his guard and tried to lead the way. Cook wasn’t the most talented, he wasn’t the most flamboyant and he didn’t always succeed. But he was decent, hard-working, honest and loyal. He was the old man who never cheated, never doubted. And somewhere along the line, the cricket-loving people of England seem to have connected with those values.We live in an age when some celebrities hire PR firms to confect a public image; to create a short-cut to respect and popularity. When fame can be achieved by appearing on reality TV and success is measured in the number of Instagram followers. Cook’s not like that. He’s not on social media. He’s not seen at club openings – unless they’re cricket clubs – and he’s most unlikely to go on Celebrity Big Brother. He married his childhood sweetheart and, on their wedding day, drove her from the church in a tractor. He’s more about substance than style.And, on the ground where Boris Johnson had been soundly booed the previous day, Cook received the sort of standing ovation of which any politician would dream. This grand old ground has witnessed many heartfelt goodbyes to many fine cricketers. But this was special and probably unique. Nobody present will ever forget it.

Australia took the extra half hour, much after the scheduled close, in anticipation of a win. But at the end of an everlasting gobsmacker of a day, Pakistan dared to dream

Brydon Coverdale in Brisbane18-Dec-2016When this day began, stumps was meant to be 8pm.Then it rained, and an hour was added to make up the overs. Stumps was meant to be 9pm.Then Australia failed to get through their overs, so an extra half hour was added. Stumps was meant to be 9.30pm.Then Steven Smith thought ‘I reckon we can win this tonight’ – Australia needed three wickets for victory. So he asked the umpires for the extra half hour. Stumps was meant to be 10pm.But the wording of the ICC’s playing conditions is such that the extra time allowed to achieve a result is “30 minutes (a minimum of eight overs)”. Australia failed to bowl their extra eight overs within half an hour.And so, stumps was finally called at 10.09pm.Australia had not won. Not just that, they also allowed the match to reach a stage from where Pakistan could dream of victory. That was as unthinkable at the start of this day as the idea of Test cricket at 10pm would have been to WG Grace.Nothing in the preceding 150 minutes suggested an extra half hour was warranted. In the previous 27 overs, Australia had claimed just a solitary wicket, and Pakistan had added 111 runs. A chance had been let off when Smith put down a catch at slip, and the momentum was with Pakistan.Not even Australia’s coaches wanted the extra time taken: they would have preferred their fast bowlers to rest, rejuvenate, and return fresh on day five. It was, assistant coach David Saker said, “a bit frustrating”.When extra half hour was granted, a cynic in the press box suggested that the umpires wanted a day on the golf course on Monday. It was meant as a joke, but later Ian Gould was seen at square leg practising his golf swing.The umpires had granted the time, but Smith must have asked for it. The wording of the ICC’s playing condition 16.2 is that extra time may be granted “if requested by either captain” and if “in the umpires’ opinion, it would bring about a definite result”.A definite result.Smith thought Australia would win. Not win. win. The umpires thought Australia win.Pakistan disagreed. Pakistan had fought tooth and nail throughout this day. Pakistan had earned respect. No objective observer would have viewed the situation at 9.30pm and said that a result would be achieved with eight more overs.So Pakistan said “f*** you”. Metaphorically, of course.Wahab Riaz helped Pakistan score at more than a run a ball in the extra eight overs bowled•Cricket Australia/Getty ImagesWahab smashed Nathan Lyon through square leg for four, and next ball slogged a six over long-on. In Lyon’s next over he deposited him over midwicket for six more.Asad Shafiq, the well-set batsman on 77 when the extra time was granted, used it not block out the day’s play, but to move calmly to his ninth Test century at No.6, breaking the all-time record held by Garry Sobers.Only in the eighth over of the eight overs of extra time did Australia finally take a wicket, when Smith held a chance at slip off Jackson Bird to remove Wahab for 30.But Pakistan scored 51 runs in the extra eight overs. That, for the mathematically challenged, is more than a run a ball. Pakistan started that period needing 159 more runs to win, with three wickets in hand. They ended it needing 108 more to win, with two wickets in hand.Make no mistake, with Shafiq at the crease, this result is far from a certainty.To win, Pakistan need a total of 490, which would smash the previous record for the highest successful run chase in Test history. But already they have equalled their highest fourth-innings score in all of Test cricket. Pakistan have always been unpredictable, and therefore dangerous.They walked off at the eventual stumps time – 129 minutes later than the originally scheduled stumps time – with hope.The amazing, ballooning final session had finally ended. This everlasting gobsmacker of a day – eight hours and nine minutes from first ball to last – had given Pakistan a chance.Only 4890 fans turned up on the fourth day, a Sunday, a flaccid figure after the huge crowds of the first three days. Entry is free on day five. Perhaps Australia will take only two balls to wrap up a win. But remember this: at Edgbaston, in 2005, the last day opened with Australia needing 107 runs and England two wickets. Here, Pakistan need 108 runs and Australia two wickets.One thing is certain: day five will bring a result. But which result is anyone’s guess.

Stats highlights from the first ODI between Bangladesh and South Africa in Mirpur.

Shiva Jayaraman10-Jul-20156/16 Kagiso Rabada’s bowling returns in this match – the best by a South Africa bowler in ODIs and by any debutant. Rabada’s effort bettered Makhaya Ntini’s 6 for 22 against Australia in 2006, which was South Africa’s best haul in an ODI before this. Before Rabada’s 6 for 16, Fidel Edwards’ 6 for 22 against Zimbabwe in 2003 was the best by an ODI debutant.1 Number of bowlers to have taken a hat-trick on debut in ODIs before Rabada. Taijul Islam got a hat-trick against Zimbabwe on his debut in December 2014. Rabada is also the fourth youngest bowler to take a hat-trick in ODIs, and the third South Africa bowler to achieve this after Charl Langeveldt and JP Duminy.4 Number of players younger than Rabada who have made their debut for South Africa in ODIs. At 20 years and 46 days he is the fifth-youngest player to make his debut for South Africa. Victor Mpitsang, who was 18 years and 314 days when he made his debut against West Indies in 1999, is the youngest.2 Instances where three of Bangladesh’s top four batsmen have been dismissed for a duck, including this match. The previous instance came against Sri Lanka in the 2003 World Cup when Chaminda Vaas dismissed Hannan Sarkar, Mohammad Ashraful and Ehsanul Haque for ducks. Like Rabada, Vaas too took a hat-trick on that occasion. Overall, out of nine such instances, six have involved Pakistan.1991 The last time a South Africa bowler took a five-for on ODI debut – Allan Donald took 5 for 29 against India. Rabada is only the second bowler from South Africa to achieve this. Overall, Rabada is the 11th bowler to take a five-for on debut.2034 Runs scored by Shakib Al Hasan in Mirpur – he is the first Bangladesh batsman to score 2000-plus runs at any venue. Shakib has made two hundreds and 17 fifties from 63 innings and averages 39.88 at this venue.9 Number of times, in 14 ODI innings, that Soumya Sarkar has got out without getting a fifty after scoring at least 20 runs. Only once has he failed to get a start, falling on 2 against Scotland in the World Cup. Sarkar has made 514 runs at an average of 39.53. He has hit one hundred and two fifties.16.91 Average runs scored by South Africa’s first wicket in 12 ODIs since their last century opening stand, which was a record 247-run partnership between Hashim Amla and Rilee Roussouw. After that partnership, 12 innings have produced all of 203 runs with a highest of 40.5 Fifty-plus scores by Faf du Plessis in his last ten ODI innings. He has scored 463 runs at an average of 57.87 with one century and four half-centuries.

A lot of people have commented on Ahmed Shehzad’s mild facial resemblance to Virat Kohli, but there’s also a bit of Kohli about the way he sets up at the crease

Karthik Krishnaswamy07-Mar-2014On Tuesday, with a single to long-off off Abdur Razzak, Ahmed Shehzad became only the fourth Pakistan batsman to score five centuries as opener. He had taken 43 innings to reach that mark. Aamer Sohail, with whom Shehzad drew level, scored five centuries in 132 innings as opener.It was a significant moment. Since the days when Sohail opened with Saeed Anwar, Pakistan haven’t just struggled to settle on an opening pair. They haven’t even managed to settle on one name as a long-term option. They have given a bunch of candidates a large number of opportunities, putting them together in various combinations in the hope that they would work. They didn’t, usually.Shehzad, however, might be different. For one, there’s something about how he bats, how he looks at the crease. A lot of people have commented on a mild facial resemblance to Virat Kohli, but there’s also a bit of Kohli about the way he sets up at the crease.He has got a similar upright stance, and, in recent times, has added a back-and-across trigger movement that takes him almost to off stump by the time the bowler delivers. From that position, like Kohli, he often plays the off-stump ball into the leg side off the quicker bowlers.Shehzad’s follow through isn’t as wristy as Kohli’s, though, and his drives through the off side are achieved with a full-faced punch rather than a bottom-handed swish. At this stage of his career, he doesn’t have the range of strokes Kohli does, and his strike-rate isn’t nearly as impressive, but all of this, perhaps, might come in time.But apart from the way he looks, Shehzad has done enough in his still young career – even though he made his ODI debut way back in 2009 – to suggest he’s different from other Pakistan openers of recent vintage.There have been two other openers in Pakistan’s recent history who have averaged over 35 and scored multiple hundreds. Both of them, however, have been India specialists. Five of Salman Butt’s eight centuries as opener came against India, and two others against Bangladesh.All three of Nasir Jamshed’s centuries, meanwhile, have come against India. He averages 45.52 in Asia and 22.47 elsewhere. Jamshed probably deserves more chances at this stage in his career, but we don’t know yet if he’ll make it or not.With Shehzad, though, you get the feeling he will. His five centuries so far have come in four different continents, against five different opponents. It’s a good-looking list: New Zealand in Hamilton, West Indies in Gros Islet, South Africa in Port Elizabeth, Sri Lanka in Dubai, Bangladesh in Dhaka.He took a while to get going against Bangladesh. When he reached his half-century, off the 87th ball he had faced, Pakistan were 127 for three. At that point, they needed exactly 200 runs to win from 133 balls.From there, Shehzad accelerated with a flurry of boundaries, and took just 30 balls to go from 50 to 100. After the match, when everyone was asking him about the Shahid Afridi blitz that powered Pakistan over the line, Misbah-ul-Haq had to remind them that other batsmen had played a role too. “After his fifty, the way he [Shehzad] picked up the run rate, it was almost 10 an over and he brought it down to eight. In the end it was a great combination of all these batsmen who really won us the game.”Afridi does that to cricket matches, and to entire tournaments. It’s sort of slipped under the radar that Shehzad is Pakistan’s highest run-scorer in the Asia Cup, so far, and that he stands a chance to finish at the top of the pile overall. But if he keeps scoring runs as he has been, over recent months, Shehzad won’t stay under the radar for too much longer.

Plays of the Day for the Super Eights game between India and Pakistan in Colombo

Andrew Fernando at the R Premadasa Stadium30-Sep-2012The drop
The match was already slipping away from Pakistan in the 10th over, but had Umar Akmal held a thick edge from Virat Kohli on 42, there might have been a chance for a fightback. Akmal threw himself to his left, and caught it with both feet off the ground, but could not hold the catch when his elbows hit the turf. The bowler Yasir Arafat did not initially see the ball pop out, and had to stop himself mid celebration when Akmal got up and the ball was still on the ground.The statement
Shahid Afridi has been in poor form with the bat, and maybe as a result, even more manic at the crease than usual. Against South Africa he slogged his first ball and was caught at long-off, so it was surprising that he was sent out at first drop in the next match.If anyone had hoped the promotion would inspire a more measured approach from Afridi, they would have been disappointed from the very first ball. Pathan overpitched, and Afridi swung wildly again, but this time managed to hit it harder and flatter, past mid-on for four.The statement II
Virender Sehwag has also had much made of his form, but allayed those fears in the fourth over when he blasted his first four past point in the fourth over. It wasn’t all that bad a delivery, if a little wide, but after that one signature stroke, it was hard to believe he was still struggling.The shot
Pakistan would have had an inkling it was going to be Virat Kohli’s night when he advanced to hoist Afridi into the stands over long-off in the seventh over. What was remarkable about the stroke was not Kohli’s power or timing, but that Afridi actually beat him in the flight and Kohli still hit him for six. Given the ball was a googly turning away from Kohli’s bat, it had all the makings of a stumping chance. But although he couldn’t get to the pitch of the ball, Kohli was good enough to have read the direction and degree of turn and adjusted his shot to send the ball over the ropes.The walk
Kamran Akmal’s edge to the keeper off Yuvraj Singh was thin enough that the umpire might not have noticed it, but though he wore the expression of a man who wanted to stand his ground to try his luck, his balance stepped in for his conscience and he stumbled backwards towards the dressing room. When he steadied himself, he again hesitated to depart – but the India players were all well into their celebration, and the moment to make a stand was gone.

A cricket-starved fan in Dubai watches Pietersen and Morgan take it away from Pakistan – once she manages to find the stadium, that is

Sabah Ibrahim20-Feb-2010The match
I don’t get to see much (all right, any) live cricket, so this was a no-brainer. I would have gone no matter who was playing. As for a prediction, England’s dire performance against the Lions in Sharjah made me favour Pakistan.Team supported
I’m an Indian who supports New Zealand, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, but I do have a soft spot for Pakistan. That said, most of my cricket-loving friends are English, so it averaged out to about neutral. Once the match began I was rooting for England, purely because they were playing better.Key performers
It was a tie between Kevin Pietersen and Eoin Morgan. England were wobbling at the start of their innings after losing a couple of quick wickets – including that of captain, Paul Collingwood run out for a duck – but they soon took complete control.One thing I would have changed
Having the stadium – which is excellent, as are the facilities – moved to somewhere more accessible than the wilds of Dubai Sports City, and having the whole event be better organised. Finding the stadium, even for someone like me, who has lived here for over a decade, is a herculean task, and there are no proper parking arrangements once you’ve managed to decipher the inadequate directions and circumvent the lack of road signs to get there.Also, I would have liked to see Joe Denly get some runs. He’s had an awful season so far, and I think he’s so much better than this.Wow moment
A small interlude involving Stuart Broad and an advertisement made me laugh out loud. Matt Prior fumbled behind the stumps and Broad stood with both hands on hips. The big screen camera zoomed in on his incredulous expression and then cut to a brief ad for Head and Shoulders shampoo. Classic.Player watch
Jonathan Trott, Denly, and briefly, Graeme Swann fielded closest to where I was sitting, but they were more or less left alone by the crowd, who were mostly supporting Pakistan. Broad, fielding further along, got a steady stream of what I hope was just banter. When Trott failed to catch the six Fawad Alam hit to deep square-leg, the Pakistani fans went wild and let him have it for a good few minutes. One even leaned out over the barrier to clap Trott on the back as he picked up the ball. What was stranger was a security guard watched the fan lay hands on the England player about two feet in front of him and didn’t even blink. When Pakistan fielded, Umar Gul got a lot of encouraging yells when he took up a position right in front of me, but it didn’t seem to help.Shot of the day
Morgan’s six over fine leg to win the match. He had hit Gul’s previous two deliveries for consecutive fours, and from where I was placed – at roughly deep-cover region – the six seemed to explode off the bat.Accessories
I had brought my camera, with a 250mm zoom lens, both to take pictures with and to use as a substitute for binoculars. It did give the security palpitations, though, and I was twice asked to stop using it altogether, and once told flat-out that I couldn’t take pictures of the players’ balconies.Crowd meter
The crowd was overwhelmingly pro-Pakistan, which you would expect from the number of subcontinental immigrants Dubai has. There was never a moment of silence, between the rhythm of the drums and the constant chanting and stentorian bellows of “” and “” There was also a healthy English presence in the stands. There were at least two giant England flags in evidence, and a vocal group of young girls who cheered and shouted “Go England!” Pietersen got the biggest cheers, by a long shot. Even the Pakistan fans got vocal when he walked out to bat.Fancy-dress index
Given that Pakistan were playing, I had expected lots of green flags and painted faces, and there were plenty of those, but it was sequins that formed a big part of most costumes. I tried to think what these fans were possibly thinking when they designed the outfits: “We’re playing England in Twenty20s. I shall start putting together my ensemble right away! Floor-length black velvet robe and floppy hat covered entirely in bright yellow and gold sequins? Perfect. Oh, I do hope the guys wear their black stovepipe hats wrapped in bright green Christmas tinsel again, I love those!”Also seen: fake Afros of all colours, little girls in made out of Pakistani flags, and, utterly inexplicably, three huge Bedazzled stuffed animals – two dogs and a teddy bear covered from head to toe in red, gold and yellow rhinestones and sequins.There was a sliver of support for England•AFPEntertainment
The ubiquitous Twenty20 cheerleaders were there, presumably trying not to think about the hideous white-and-blue shiny outfits they’d been made to wear. There was lots of upbeat Bollywood music for Pakistan, and oddly, lots of Latin-infused R&B for England. Pitbull’s “I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho)” must have been played at least a dozen times. Maybe Ryan Sidebottom’s hair or Alastair Cook’s Maybelline-ad eyes misled the organisers into thinking one or both of them had Latin roots.Banner of the day
A little boy of about eight months was wearing a massive bib/cape/Jedi robe with his name on it followed by the words: “Pakistan’s Next Big BOOM BOOM!”Overall
Pakistan losing the plot slightly was disappointing, but some fine performances from Pietersen, Morgan and the England bowlers made up for it. Twenty20s are like cricket soufflé anyway – light, pleasant, insubstantial, and leave you kind of craving the actual sustenance of a Test or even an ODI – so the actual cricket was secondary, for most, to seeing some big-name performers and having fun.Marks out of 10
7. Great atmosphere, and the fans were for the most part entirely supportive, cheering players of both teams, and once there, the Dubai stadium is fantastic. Even the ridiculously-named Ring of Fire lights do an excellent job. But the overall experience was definitely marred by how hard it was to get to there, and then to leave.Want to do a Fan Following report? Read our FAQ here

Andrew Miller speaks to Martin Corry about the winning habit

Andrew Miller22-Aug-2005Cricket in England is currently enjoying the sort of media coveragethat is usually reserved for football and football alone. Only one othersporting side knows that feeling – the England rugby team who won theWorld Cup in 2003. Martin Corry, the England captain and Leicester Tigers stalwart, was a member of thatsquad, and he spoke to Cricinfo about the similarities between the games,and his own passion for cricket.

Martin Corry knows a thing or two about winning © Getty Images
In the autumn of 2003, everyone in England was a rugby fan, now all ofa sudden, cricket is the sport of the moment. Are you experiencing astrange sort of déjà vu?
To be honest, because we were on the other side of the world [inAustralia], we weren’t really aware of the phenomenal interest back home.It was only when we arrived back at Heathrow that we understood just howgripped the nation must have been. This Ashes series has been fantasticand it just goes to prove what we found in 2003. The country just wantsits national sides to be successful, because it’s a chance to share thepride and get behind the team.Is it a help or hindrance for the cricketers to know just how manypeople are willing them to succeed?
It can only help them. Just listen to the crowd and you’ll know what’sgoing on. I don’t think England have ever been supported as well as theyhave been in this series, and so far, the lads have risen to thechallenge. It must be a huge help for them.I hear you were down at Edgbaston for the second Test
Yep, I managed to find a window in my training schedule and went downthere on the first day, and it was a brilliant experience. That day reallyepitomised everything that has been going on, because England really tookthe game to the Aussies and you could see the confidence coming out oftheir pores.Have you ever played the game yourself?
I’m a mad-keen fan and I love watching cricket, but I’ve never played thegame to a great standard. In fact, I had the dubious pleasure of facingMatthew Hoggard in the nets on the Tuesday before the match, and I thinkhe did a good job of showing up all the flaws in my batting!In 2003, you were an ageing side at the very peak of your powers – muchlike the Australian cricket team, in fact. All of a sudden, there aresuggestions that the Aussies have hit the slippery slope. How did you dealwith similar carping Down Under?
When everyone starts criticising you, you have to use it as a spur, andtake on an “I’ll show ’em” kind of mentality. I happen to read a lot ofthe press about cricket, but absolutely none on rugby, because that wayyou can cocoon yourself in your own world. Obviously we all hear stuffthat’s being said, so if it’s negative and it’s someone having a pop, youhave to use that to your advantage. That’s what any professional sportsmandoes – he’ll use any motivation he can get, be it positive or negativecriticism.What makes a great team?
First and foremost, you have to get into a winning mentality, because onceyou’re there, it’s very easy to think like winners and act like winners.Once you’ve done that, you tend to find that you’ll nick the games thatend up in the balance, because you have the confidence of having done itin the past. Presumably that situation arises more in cricket, becausewhen a game gets tight, when it looks like one side might have to bat outfor a draw, there will be someone on hand to pull it out of the bag.That’s what you’ve found with the Australians over the years. They’veoften secured victories when they shouldn’t.

The allrounder Andrew Flintoff is doing a hero’s job for England, says Corry © Getty Images
Is Andrew Flintoff turning into the sort of totem that Martin Johnsonwas for England’s rugby team?
As spectators you always want your heroes to stand out, and Flintoff isdoing that job. Not only is he producing the goods, but he is a greatcharacter with it, and whenever a team-mate takes a wicket, he is alwaysthe first to congratulate him. You always need people like that in theside to give you a lift and make you feel good about yourself. I’ve beenimpressed with not only the way he’s played, but the way he’s become acomplete team man – every successful side needs someone like him.There is a suspicion that this tour will mark the end of Australia’sera of dominance. As we saw with England after the World Cup, the declinewhen it comes can be pretty swift …You’re not going to have world-class players like McGrath or Johnsonaround forever, so the key thing is to give the guy who steps into hisshoes enough opportunities, so that when he does retire, there’s a guywaiting in the wings who’s an experienced Test player. When Jonno wasplaying there was always a squad mentality, because we recognised the needto bring on and give time on the training pitch time to his successor. Andso, when he did retire, straightaway we had a Test-class stand-in. Nobodycan play forever.What is it that keeps great sides at the top?
For the past few years there has been an aura of invincibility surroundingthe Aussies, and that counts for so much in professional sport. If you gointo a match thinking “can we really beat them”, then you’re beatenalready. The great thing about this summer is that, regardless of whathappens in the rest of this Ashes series, England have done themagnificent thing and sent messages around the world. We are really goingfor these Australians, and they are beatable. That is the single mostimportant thing, they have chipped away at that aura.Both cricket and rugby have tended to labour under football’s giantshadow in recent times. How important is it to have periods like these, inwhich they are the only sports anyone is talking about?
It is of massive importance – cricket’s a little bit different to rugby,because it’s predominantly a summer game and so is not competing for thosecolumn inches in the broadsheets. I’m no marketing man, but the aim is toget the sport out as many people as possible, and the best way to do thatis to win the major games.

Jonny Wilkinson: his example has been an inspiration to children everywhere© Getty Images
What is the trickledown effect of a World Cup win or an Ashessuccess?
It is massive. All you’re looking to do is give the youngsters a reason toget up, go out and play the sport. I got a lovely letter from someone theday after the World Cup win. They were driving through town, it wasraining heavily, and they saw a kid with the exact same Jonny Wilkinsonstyle, kicking a rugby ball against a garage door. Things like that makeall the difference, all you want is for this to be their introduction tothe sport. Once they get going they’ll find they love the sport andthey’ll stay hooked. Everyone has stories about how they first got intotheir sport, and if it takes a World Cup win or an Ashes Test victory toget a child playing sport, then that’s a fantastic achievement.So much of rugby and cricket is tactical – are they similarities in theway a captain must approach a game?
To a certain extent, yes. The greatest coaches in the world can give youall the tools and make sure your preparation’s right, and that is whatthey are there for, but as soon as you step onto the park, you’re on yourown and have to make decisions on the hoof. If things aren’t goingaccording to plan, you have to change tactics, and that’s the majorsimilarity. The need to change things around and make something happen.And I find that is particularly evident in the way that Michael Vaughancaptains.What are your memories of astonishing open-top bus-ride after the WorldCup win?
That was a surreal moment. I remember driving down wandering who was goingto turn up. We got on at Marble Arch and there was no-one around, and thejoke among the lads was that we would just be waving at the shoppers onOxford Street. Then we pulled round the corner and the streets were justlined, absolutely packed with supporters waving flags. This country isfull of nationalistic pride, and it was wonderful to be able to see that,especially when we pulled into Trafalgar Square. Looking back now Isometimes think: “did it really happen? Did it happen to that magnitude?”Because it was just such an immense day – the whole occasion wasphenomenal.Two years on, do you feel the rugby excitement has died, and is thatlikely to happen to the cricket as well?
To a certain extent, we’ve got ourselves to blame because we haven’tperformed as world champions since. We haven’t played at the standard towhich we aspire, and while a lot of that is down to our rebuilding phase,we know what’s it’s like to win and be at the top, and we want to stay atthe top. The recent world rankings tell a pretty accurate story because weare quite a long way down. But we’ve had a taste of what it’s like at thetop, and we’ve got to make sure we keep that as our target.

Leus du Plooy and Wayne Madsen carve out a sizeable advantage

ECB Reporters Network05-May-2023

Leus du Plooy and Wayne Madsen batted Derbyshire into a dominant position against Leicestershire on a rain-interrupted second day of the LV=Insurance County Championship match at Derby.The pair shared a stand of 122 from 184 balls with du Plooy failing by six runs to become Derbyshire’s first century maker of the season.Madsen continued his prolific run against Leicestershire with 67 and although 42 overs were lost to the weather, Derbyshire closed on 326 for 7, a lead of 204, and with two days remaining threaten to end the Foxes’ bright start to the season.Leicestershire’s bowlers struggled until Wiaan Mulder struck with the second new ball to end the day with figures of 5 for 55 from 24 overs but his side have a lot of work to do to save the match.Leicestershire’s head coach Paul Nixon said: “Wiaan has been a groove machine in practice. He has come back this year and his action has been more consistent and he’s really confident about his bowling which is wonderful.”Madsen’s latest productive shift against Leicestershire bowlers proved that even in uncertain times, there are things you can rely on.He came into the game averaging 60 in first-class cricket against one of Derbyshire’s neighbours so Leicestershire knew they needed to dismiss him quickly to have a chance of staying in the game.Opportunity knocked in the third over of the morning when Madsen had added only four runs to his overnight total but Colin Ackermann fluffed his lines. Madsen’s edge off Chris Wright was regulation as slip catches go but Ackermann standing at second spilled it.That looked a big moment in the game and by the time a storm swept across the ground shortly before midday, Madsen and Du Plooy were set and ticking along nicely.At least the break gave the visitors time to regroup but when play resumed in bright sunshine, there was little to trouble the fourth wicket pair. The bowlers were unable to build any pressure with a consistent line and there were too many wide balls for Madsen and du Plooy to score off.Madsen was first to his fifty which came off 96 balls and when England all-rounder Rehan Ahmed was brought on in the 60th over, du Plooy completed his half century from 74 balls.Ahmed did almost get through Madsen with a ball that scuttled through but there was nothing else in his three overs which cost 25 runs to threaten the batters.When the breakthrough did come, it was down to a rash shot from Madsen who dabbed at a ball from Tom Scriven and was caught behind. But by tea, the lead was 177 with du Plooy on 94 and after rain forced a 90-minute delay, he fell to the second ball after the restart.Leicestershire’s decision to claim the second new ball paid off as Finan had du Plooy caught behind off what looked an inside edge which was well taken by Peter Handscomb.Matt Lamb played on to Mulder and Luis Reece was bowled attempting to hit him back over his head which suggested Derbyshire may declare overnight with further rain forecast to take more time out of the game on Saturday.