Pakistan, however, repeated the surface was not out of the realm of challenges a professional cricketer can expect to face

Andrew Fidel Fernando in Christchurch20-Nov-2016

The pitch was a vivid green and had spent a damp day under covers before the toss even took place, so it was little surprise that it was the most seam-friendly strip he had played international cricket on, Azhar Ali said.Pakistan have refused to blame conditions for the loss at Hagley Oval. They have repeated the Hagley surface was not out of the realm of challenges a professional cricketer can expect to face.Yet it is clear that even by New Zealand’s standards, the surface was especially kind to quicks.Never before, for example, have all 30 wickets in the first three innings gone to seamers, in a Test in New Zealand. And neither Yasir Shah – the No.5 Test bowler in the world – nor Todd Astle, who took a five-wicket haul on this ground three weeks ago, could pose a threat. They collectively bowled 17.3 overs and emerged wicketless. Azhar’s part-time legbreaks did claim one scalp, but this was after the scores had been tied, and the result was a foregone conclusion.”Maybe this is the most seam-friendly pitch I’ve played on in my international career,” Azhar said after the match. “It reminds of one or two pitches in Sri Lanka where the ball moves for a couple of hours on the first day or two but it starts to settle down. Here the movement is there for longer. It’s New Zealand’s home conditions so we, as a professional team, just have to play on whatever we get, and that’s it.”That their three-day practice match at Nelson had been washed out, exacerbated difficulties for Pakistan, though they did play a long Test series in England earlier this year. That tour had been played in England’s late summer, however, while this loss has come in New Zealand’s spring. Pakistan were also more effective on the drier tracks in London.”You usually don’t see in Australia, New Zealand or England a pitch that supports the seamers so much,” Azhar said. “There was no pitch was like this in England. It swings around there, but not as much grass as that. But this is the pitch we got, and New Zealand played better than us.”In what may be a worrying sign with a tour of Australia on the horizon, the short ball proved particularly effective against Pakistan in the second innings. Younis Khan, Babar Azam and Misbah-ul-Haq all fell to short-pitched bowling – though in dissimilar ways. The bouncer barrage on day three had been perhaps the definitive period of play in this Test.”If you come to this part of the world, you do expect that,” Azhar said. “You expect sub-continent teams will be tested with that short stuff and we all knew that. But as time goes on, we’ll get better, and we’re hopeful to turn things around quickly.”Though he only made 31 runs, Azhar had played the longest innings of the Test, surviving for over four hours, to face 173 deliveries. Having had an outstanding series in West Indies, he said he felt his own form was holding up.”As a batsman, I was applying myself and trying to battle out the conditions when it was tough,” he said. “The New Zealand bowlers held their plans really well, and held their lines long enough to create chances. We couldn’t get the flow of runs going at any stage, so that’s why sometimes it’s hard as a batsman. You’re trying to play well and do everything right, but the opposition sometimes doesn’t allow you to score runs.”But I’m confident that everything in my game is going alright. It’s just a matter of time until you start playing fluently and the runs start coming.”

Glasgow Rangers head coach Michael Beale has been a busy man so far this summer in an attempt to bolster his playing squad for the 2023/24 campaign.

The club have already confirmed deals for Jack Butland, Kieran Dowell, Sam Lammers, and Dujon Sterling to improve their options across the pitch after they failed to win a single trophy last season.

Lammers is the most recent arrival to date as the Light Blues confirmed the signing on a four-year deal from Serie A side Atalanta earlier this week.

However, Beale could make further improvements to his forward line as the Scottish giants have also been linked with a swoop for Hearts centre-forward Lawrence Shankland in recent weeks.

Would Lawrence Shankland be a good signing for Rangers?

The 27-year-old whiz has the potential to be a phenomenal addition to the squad in this summer's transfer window as his form in 2022/23 indicates that the deadly marksman could be an instant upgrade on Lammers in the number nine position.

Shankland is coming off the back of an incredible season in the Scottish Premiership and has proven himself to be a lethal player at that level.

He averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.11 across 37 matches in the division and chipped in with 24 goals and four assists, whilst the former Dundee United ace also found the back of the net three times in eight European matches for his club.

The Scotland international, therefore, ended the campaign with 28 goals and four assists in 47 appearances in all competitions and his exceptional return in front of goal was far more impressive than what Lammers has displayed in recent seasons.

During the 2022/23 campaign, the Dutchman played in 33 Serie A matches for Empoli and Sampdoria combined across two loan spells from Atalanta and plundered just two goals and two assists.

His poor form in Italy came after the 26-year-old forward managed one goal and zero assists in 15 outings in the Bundesliga on loan at Eintracht Frankfurt in the previous term, in which the misfiring attacker also scored once in seven Europa League clashes.

Lammers is, therefore, coming to Ibrox in terrible form in front of goal and it may take time for him to be able to rediscover his touch in the final third, if he ever does, and that is why bringing Shankland in could be an immediate upgrade as the Hearts sensation is full of confidence and in sublime form.

The £3k-per-week goal machine, who was once hailed as "clinical" by journalist Josh Bunting, is a proven Premiership performer who knows what it takes to be a consistent scorer in Scotland, which could allow him to hit the ground running and offer more than the ex-Atalanta dud straight away.

Tottenham Hotspur may elect to loan out striker Troy Parrott this summer to give him some more first-team experience to develop, according to journalist Dean Jones.

What's the latest news involving Troy Parrott?

As per Transfermarkt, Parrott spent the 2022/23 campaign out on loan at Preston North End and endured a difficult time of things at Deepdale, where he never really got going, registering just four goals in 34 appearances across all competitions.

Despite this, Republic of Ireland manager Stephen Kenny has recalled the 21-year-old for their crunch Euro 2024 qualifiers against Gibraltar and Greece and has backed the £12k-a-week ace to get back to his best, stating in an interview quoted by The Irish Sun: “Troy hasn’t backed that up this year. He had a hamstring injury during the middle of the season and it was bad. I had a long conversation with Troy in Bristol [at a national team training camp] — and his next move is important for him. “He knew in the last camp because I left him out of the last game, he wasn’t at the level he had been. He’s honest and he’ll say, ‘I’m missing chances I should be scoring, I wanted to be better and further on than I am now."

According to Football London, there are question marks over whether Parrott will have a long-term future at Tottenham and young striker Jamie Donley is believed to be ahead of him in the pecking order in N17.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Jones thinks that Parrott is likely to exit Spurs on a loan basis once again this summer while he believes that boss Ange Postecoglou may give an opportunity to youngster Dane Scarlett to stake a claim for first-team action.

Jones told FFC: "There has to be a consideration to loan these players out. I think Parrott probably will go out on loan, but I think there'll be more temptation to give Scarlett a chance."

Will Tottenham Hotspur give Troy Parrott a chance under Ange Postecoglou?

Right now, it looks doubtful; however, Postecoglou does have a knack of reviving players' fortunes when coming into a particular club that many punters may not expect to have a prayer of becoming first-team regulars.

One of his most recent examples of this was at Celtic, where he gave forgotten right-back Anthony Ralston, who was previously completely out of the picture at the Scottish giants, a chance to stake his claim for senior involvement, eventually culminating in the 23-year-old becoming an important contributor for Celtic and also earning international recognition with Scotland.

Of course, this isn't related to Tottenham in any way, shape or form, though it is an indication of the type of manager Postecoglou is and how he can turn around the fortunes of fringe stars.

His main priority will be trying to keep hold of star man Harry Kane, who has been linked with Real Madrid and Manchester United; nevertheless, he will need an understudy or two to help deputise in attack when needed.

Whether Parrott, who was hailed as a "leader" on loan at Preston last season, can be that man remains to be seen, though he will need to take his chance in pre-season to have any opportunity to feature under the Australian boss in 2023/24.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details1:20

Isam: Broom made all the difference

Ninety-somethings from Kane Williamson and Neil Broom ensured New Zealand whitewashed Bangladesh with a crushing eight-wicket victory in the third ODI in Nelson. Their fluent 179-run stand, which came after Martill Guptill had retired hurt on 6 because of a hamstring strain, helped the hosts ace their chase of 237 with 52 balls to spare.New Zealand were also aided by poor shot selection from Bangladesh, who suffered a collapse of 7 for 77 after opting to bat on a slow surface. After Tamim Iqbal and Imrul Kayes put on 102 for the first wicket, their middle and lower order fell away. That the visitors lasted 50 overs and reached 236 for 9 was down to rookie Nurul Hasan’s cameo of 44 off 39 balls.Mustafizur Rahman then trapped Tom Latham in front in his first over, and Bangladesh might have sensed an opening when Guptill retired hurt for 6 at the start of the third over in the chase.Imrul Kayes, an iffy choice at slip, then dropped a dolly and reprieved Broom on 0. Broom and Williamson combined to slam the doors on Bangladesh. After playing out a few quiet overs, Williamson kick-started the chase when he struck Shakib Al Hasan for back-to-back fours through point in the 10th over. Four overs later, the New Zealand captain lofted Shakib for a straight six.Taskin Ahmed wasn’t spared either and was taken for back-to-back fours. Williamson moved to his fifty off 56 balls and continued to pepper the point boundary.Broom, meanwhile, reached his fifty off 66 balls. He profited from pulls, drives, and sweeps and raced towards a second successive century. He moved into the nineties with a pulled four, but fell three short of a century when he was caught by Mashrafe at gully off Mustafizur in the 35th over.With him needing six to reach his ninth ODI hundred and the team three for the series sweep, Williamson took a single off the first ball of the 42nd over before Jimmy Neesham completed the win with a four over mid-on.Broom had sparkled on the field earlier in the day. He ran back from short third man and pulled off a stunning one-handed catch to send Imrul Kayes back for 44 off 62 balls. Luke Ronchi, the wicketkeeper, took a good catch and effected a crucial run out of Shakib, while Jeetan Patel, playing his first ODI after more than seven years, also made his presence felt with a fine running catch at long-off.Kane Williamson and Neil Broom put on a 179-run stand to deflate Bangladesh•Getty Images

Sabbir Rahman had an eventful 14-ball stay in which he struck four boundaries, copped a blow on the chest, and then got strangled down the leg side. Two overs later, Mahmudullah pulled Southee to short midwicket to finish the series with only four runs, rounding off the worst ODI series of his career.Tamim was next to go in the 31st over when Broom ran back from point and tracked a top-edged slog. The shot encapsulated his frustration; he had not scored a boundary in ten overs leading up to the dismissal. The wickets of Shakib, Mosaddek Hossain and Tanbir Hayder then hastened the collapse.Mashrafe and Nurul negotiated the next 6.3 overs for the addition of 33 runs. The stand ended when Mashrafe holed out to long-off. Nurul, however, boosted his team with sensible batting before opening up in the slog overs. He moved Matt Henry over midwicket at the start of the last over of Bangladesh’s innings, then hooked him over square leg. He fell to an excellent return off the next ball, but proved a bright spot for Bangladesh amid the gloom in New Zealand.

Tottenham Hotspur could be set to revisit an old acquisition, seeking to make a questionable loan permanent.

What's the latest on Clement Lenglet to Tottenham Hotspur?

That's according to Spanish publication Sport, who suggest that Ange Postecoglou is keen to add Clement Lenglet to his squad for the foreseeable future, despite the French defender having struggled in north London.

The club have reportedly reaffirmed in recent months their satisfaction with his performances in a Spurs shirt, and therefore their willingness to strike a deal with Barcelona.

With three years left on his whopping £200k-per-week deal at the Spanish club, and the Catalan giants once again strapped for cash, they are seeking out a figure of around €12m (£10m) to recoup a portion of the €36m (£31m) they first invested.

Would Clement Lenglet be a smart signing for Tottenham Hotspur?

Whilst such a small fee would represent good value to add some depth to the squad, his performances for the Lilywhites were nothing short of abysmal in their most recent term.

Although it had been claimed so back in 2020, he really proved journalist Roy Nemer correct this season, who had branded him a "defensive liability". It could even be argued that the 27-year-old was even worse than Eric Dier, who acted as something of a lightning rod for criticism under Antonio Conte.

The England international may have been poor, but his 6.86 average rating was a far cry from the left-footed flop that Lenglet turned out to be. This figure was upheld by his 86% pass accuracy and 1.1 interceptions, 0.9 tackles and 3.3 clearances per game in the league, via Sofascore.

For comparison, the former Sevilla stopper saw his average rating plummet to 6.65, made worse due to his positional culpability and failure to dominate as expected. He would only muster 0.7 interceptions and 2.6 clearances per game in the league, also per Sofascore.

Even at the Nou Camp, his most recent year saw an average rating of 6.67 maintained too.

Despite this, it was the former Everton youth product that was most often lambasted, with talkSPORT pundit Darren Ambrose grouping him up with others who were "not good enough" for the club. He has become an easy target for ridicule in recent years.

It seems an easy excuse to rush at Dier for his failures, forgetting that the 29-year-old has been an ever-loyal servant to this club, making 361 appearances and enjoying some truly impressive spells. As recently as the 2021/22 season did he record a 7.01 average rating.

For all his shortcomings he at least deserves some credit, especially ahead of this loanee whom he actually outperformed during their most recent torrid campaign.

Lenglet could mark a bargain, but if he performs consistently like he did last term, at a level way below one of the club's most polarising figures, then it is a deal not even worth spending £10m on.

تحدث الألماني يورجن كلوب، المدير الفني لليفربول الإنجليزي، عن لاعبه المصري محمد صلاح، وعودته لتدريبات الفريق مجددًا بعد غياب للإصابة، متطرقًا لإمكانية استدعائه من قبل منتخب مصر في فترة التوقف الدولي القادمة.

وأصيب محمد صلاح خلال مشاركته مع منتخب مصر في كأس الأمم الإفريقية أثناء مواجهة منتخب غانا في شهر يناير الماضي، وعاد إلى ليفربول.

وظهر محمد صلاح في تدريبات ليفربول اليوم الأربعاء، قبل مباراة الغد أمام سبارتا براج بمنافسات الدوري الأوروبي بذهاب دور الـ 16.

طالع | قائمة منتخب مصر لمعسكر مارس.. موقف محمد صلاح وضم مصطفى شوبير

وقال كلوب في مؤتمره الصحفي: “محمد صلاح سافر معنا، لقد تدرب لمدة يومين وهو مليء بالطاقة، علينا أن نرى ولكن من الجيد جدًا أن يعود وهذا أمر جيد بالنسبة لنا”.

وأضاف: “إنه سعيد جدًا وكان الوضع غير متوقع حيث غاب لفترة طويلة، ولعب مباراة مذهلة أمام برينتفورد ثم خرج، هذا هو الحال”.

وأكد كلوب: “نريد أن نكون حذرين ولكن هذه فترة مكثفة للغاية من الموسم، نريد الاعتماد عليه، إنها أخبار جيدة”.

وعن استدعاء محمد صلاح لمنتخب مصر، أفاد مدرب ليفربول: “سيتم تحديد ذلك من قبل قسم مختلف”.

وأشار: “دعونا نرى كم من الوقت يمكن لصلاح اللعب الآن، مر يومان فقط في تدريبات الفريق، بعد فترة طويلة غاب اللاعبون عنا بشكل طبيعي ولكن هذا هو الوضع، مباراتان مع مصر… الأمر ليس بيدي”.

وشدد كلوب: “نحن لسنا متورطين في الأمر، دعني أقول ذلك بهذه الطريقة، يمكنك المناقشة في الأقسام الأخرى”.

وهناك أزمة دائرة في الوقت الحالي بين منتخب مصر وليفربول بسبب محمد صلاح، حيث توجه النادي الإنجليزي بطلب للمنتخب لمنع استدعاء اللاعب لمعسكر مارس.

ومن المقرر أن يخوض منتخب مصر مباراة ودية، يوم 22 مارس الجاري، ضد منتخب نيوزيلندا.

Bayern Munich have hijacked Manchester United’s move for Napoli defender Kim min-jae, according to reports.

What’s the latest Man United transfer news involving Kim?

The Red Devils appear to be in the market for a new centre-back this summer and have made Kim their top target in defence.

The South Korea international has a release clause in his contract that can be activated next month, with previous reports claiming that United have agreed to pay the €60m clause and have also agreed on personal terms with the player. However, there seems to have been a twist in the transfer race, in what will come as a blow to Erik ten Hag and co.

Football Insider shared a story in the last 48 hours, claiming that the Red Devils are now worried they could lose out to Bayern in the race for Kim’s services.

The report adds that United made enquiries over a transfer but ‘Bayern have now hijacked the deal and are now moving to seal a quick agreement with Kim’.

Who else have Man United been linked with?

United appear to be on the search for a new centre-back as the futures of Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof appear to be up in the air. It was claimed earlier in the year that Ten Hag was willing to part ways with the pair this summer, which could leave United with just Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez as the only senior centre-back options.

Should Kim opt for a move to Germany over England, United would need to look elsewhere, and one player who has recently been linked with a move is Leeds United’s Robin Koch.

Loose talks have already taken place over a move for the German defender, according to Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg, so he could emerge as a real option if United can’t land Kim.

Even if they do somehow secure Kim’s services, another defender could be of use if Maguire and Lindelof departs, but with a new midfielder and striker also wanted at Old Trafford, it could be a busy few months, especially with the ongoing takeover saga still yet to be resolved.

Leeds United are working behind-the-scenes to make the important decision on who will become the next manager to lead the club back to the Premier League and now a new claim has been made by a reliable source.

What's the latest on Leeds' interest in Brendan Rodgers?

According to The Athletic's Phil Hay, Brendan Rodgers would "suit" the 49ers if they can complete a takeover and secure the former Leicester City coach's signature this summer.

Hay claimed on Twitter:

"Someone like Brenden Rodgers would suit 49ers Enterprises down to the ground – but the likelihood of him being drawn into the Championship is minimal."

Would Brendan Rodgers be a good fit for Leeds?

After a dreadful campaign in the Premier League, Leeds will be hoping that they can follow in the footsteps of Burnley and achieve an instant bounce back to the top flight, so bringing in a manager who can comfortably achieve that will be no easy task for the club's hierarchy.

Whilst it might seem far-fetched that the former Liverpool boss could make a move to Elland Road this summer, it could be an incredible appointment if the 49ers can give the Northern Irishman the freedom to not only bring in some much-needed quality reinforcements but present a project that provides a clear plan for returning to the Premier League.

The 50-year-old manager – who was hailed as "unbelievable" by West Ham striker Michail Antonio – has tallied up a number of honours in his career with two Scottish Premiership league titles and three Scottish league cups earned at Celtic, alongside a monumental FA Cup victory with Leicester City.

One of the most attractive traits that Rodgers boasts is his longevity in managerial positions – with his average term 2.17 years – an attribute that would be massively advantageous to the West Yorkshire club who have suffered constant instability in their appointments since the departure of Marcelo Bielsa.

Indeed, the former Leicester boss struggled in his final weeks and months at the King Power Stadium, however, there is no denying that during the majority of his four-year tenure at the Midlands club he laid vital foundations to continue the success of those before him and competitively challenged in the top half of the table with ease.

With that being said, should the opportunity arise to snap up Rodgers' services this summer it should be a no-brainer for the Leeds hierarchy, as he could make the instant impact needed next season to transform the nightmare that has unfolded at Elland Road in the last few months.

Fast bowler Kamrul Islam Rabbi will replace Shafiul Islam who has been ruled out of the limited-overs matches against New Zealand

Mohammad Isam07-Dec-2016Fast bowler Kamrul Islam Rabbi has been named as a replacement for Shafiul Islam in Bangladesh’s 22-man preliminary squad that will train in Sydney from December 11 in preparation for the tour to New Zealand.Shafiul was ruled out after he injured his left hamstring while fielding for Khulna Titans in Qualifier 1 of the BPL against Dhaka Dynamites on December 6, just three days before Bangladesh were scheduled to leave Dhaka. Shafiul took 18 wickets in 13 matches during the tournament, and showed rare consistency in form and fitness. But now, he needs at least three weeks to recover from the Grade 2 strain.Shafiul’s injury is the latest blow to Bangladesh, who already lost Mohammad Shahid to a knee injury. However, chief selector Minhajul Abedin said they were still hoping Shafiul would recover in time for the Test series which begins on January 12. “Shafiul is ruled out of the limited-overs matches, but if he recovers early, he will be considered for the Tests,” he said.Rabbi, who made his Test debut against England in October, was picked ahead of pacemen Al-Amin Hossain and Alauddin Babu who are among the standbys. Rabbi was also among the standbys and was not included in the 22-man squad after which he took seven wickets in eight BPL games for Barisal Bulls.Minhajul said that Al-Amin’s disciplinary record also played a part in him not being considered. “We have heard negative things about him from other places, so we didn’t bring him in our discussion,” he said.

Pakistan’s batting coach Grant Flower is confident that captain Misbah-ul-Haq will work himself back into form, after a string of low scores recently

Osman Samiuddin in Melbourne22-Dec-2016

Seven years is a long time as it is, but for Misbah-ul-Haq, it probably feels like a lifetime. Seven years ago he came into the Boxing Day Test at the end of a year in which his second coming was grinding to a halt.He had scored just 261 runs in 11 innings until then and actually been dropped from all of Pakistan’s squads. A day after the exclusion he went back to domestic cricket and made 284, ensuring a swift return for the tours to New Zealand and Australia at the behest of Mohammad Yousuf, who had taken over from Younis Khan.The response was a pleasant and fluent 65 in the first innings, but even then it felt not like an old man raging against the dying light or going gently into it, but just one coming sensibly to terms with a difficult situation. He was out first ball in the second innings, in the first over of the fifth day, then for a two-ball duck in the Sydney chase and dropped. All over, everyone thought, except that it hadn’t even begun.He returns this year short on runs again. Talk of an exit is on the agenda, but some way down and not nearly as vexing as it was in 2009. He was one of the few specialist batsmen who didn’t get runs in Brisbane, though the nature of the innings and dismissals are worth noting more than the scores of 4 and 5.Both times he looked skittish at the crease and was drawn into pokes outside off-stump by Jackson Bird that he has done well to curtail in his third coming. That concluded a run of six innings with just one fifty, against West Indies in Sharjah.At 42, when these little streaks can roll into something bigger very quickly, it is a concern. But it isn’t anything like the pressure he admitted he was under seven years ago.”He doesn’t seem worried,” said Grant Flower, Pakistan’s batting coach, though he said it in the knowing way that suggests what he really meant was that nobody can tell whether Misbah is worried or not.”But he’s always mentally strong and relaxed. He’s got a lot of experience. He’s just going through a bit of a trot but he’s been through these periods before and he’s a class player. He’s got the mental strength and resilience to come back and I’m sure a good innings is just round the corner.”If there was any admission of worry, it came in deed not words. Misbah hung back for an extra half-hour session of batting in the nets with Flower on Thursday, as Pakistan returned to training for the first time after the epic feats of Brisbane.It was a fairly gentle return to work but the jauntiness of mood and spirit was impossible to miss. It is not often Pakistan teams in Australia look this upbeat after the first Test.The other old man, Younis Khan, had what Flower thought was his “best net” for a while and his return to runs will no doubt have assuaged the loss in supply from Misbah.”He did look a lot better [in the second innings in Brisbane],” Flower said. “Obviously the shot he got out to – at that stage what wasn’t the best. But having said that, he scores quite a few runs with the reverse sweep. You’ve got to find the balance regarding how you go about things. But he’s getting into better positions and today he had his best net practice for ages and he looked brilliant.”Mohammad Amir appeared in no great discomfort through the three-hour session, though his right knee is still strapped. He also picked up a nasty bruise just above that knee in Brisbane, after being hit by a Mitchell Starc delivery and it was that, more than the knee that, according to Flower, was causing him to be just a little stiff.Sohail Khan was the only one of the squad not to train. He arrived at the MCG with the team but felt unwell almost immediately and took no part. Pakistan are not, however, treating it as anything more serious than a potentially upset stomach.