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Zimbabwe batsman Sikandar Raza talks about his late start in cricket, being independent, and what Test cricket means to him

Interview by Mohammad Isam21-Jan-2016You have played international cricket for a few years now. Has it been enjoyable?
It has certainly been very enjoyable. The best part of this journey has been the different challenges any international cricketer would come across. It certainly hasn’t been easy. Going forward, I hope it will be even more enjoyable. Different sorts of challenges will come in, different sorts of performances you have to put in for the team to win the game.What have the challenges been?
I think settling into international cricket was difficult for us. In my opinion, our domestic structure hasn’t got the quality of spinners or pacers you come across in international cricket. You regularly come across 140-145 clicks, and in domestic cricket we only had one guy who bowled 140. International cricket is a big step up, not just for me but any Zimbabwean coming into international cricket, and that’s why it takes some of us a lot longer to adjust and bring out the performances than the other guys. I am not trying to use that as an excuse. I think if I am realistic, I wouldn’t want to put them under pressure. For me they must come up and enjoy international cricket, work on their game and get better.One of the best days in your short career was leading Zimbabwe unexpectedly and winning that T20 game against India.
I think the game was starting at one o’clock and I was told at about 12.10 in the afternoon that I will be captaining. I think that’s why I didn’t overthink it, which was a good thing.We got the team sheet wrong as well. I didn’t want the opposition captain to be waiting for me because we were hoping Elton [Chigumbura] would be fit. He is one of our best players. The analyst and I had to write in a different team sheet. It was a lot of pressure at that time, but now when you look back you enjoy those moments.

“I felt for the people of Pakistan. For a country whose people love the sport not to have international cricket for six years – I had goosebumps because of how they treated us”

And when you got on the field?
The emphasis was that I was captaining Zimbabwe. I do not care who I play against, but the most important thing for me is to represent Zimbabwe, and I do that with a lot of honour. It was great to lead this great bunch of boys.A captain has to start from the bottom of the queue. You have to take everybody forward. To win an international game, you have to do everything necessary. I was fortunate that most of the guys were playing well. To be honest, the job was made a lot easier because [Graeme] Cremer bowled well. [Taurai] Muzarabani and [Chris] Mpofu finished the game well. I thought it was one of those days when everything happened for us.What did you take away from the game?
I think the game put a sense of responsibility in me that this is how I am looked at by the board and senior players. I wasn’t the senior most but I was asked to captain. My players respected that decision and backed me 100%. I started to bowl a lot more and bat longer after that game.When I became a father, I realised that sense of responsibility even more. In cricketing terms, that game helped me in a lot of ways that I didn’t even know.”I’ve learnt a lot of cricket from the four Tests than the 50 ODIs that I’ve played”•AFPHow do you prepare?
I do homework on who I will be facing. If I am not going to be facing 140kph in the matches, there’s no point in facing 140kph in the nets. I prepare for different tours differently. Some have seam and some have spin challenges. On some tours I may be batting down the order, which means I have to hit out most of the time instead of building an innings. If I can be brutally honest with you, I think one of the reasons I haven’t performed in the last five to seven games is because I haven’t prepared well. I think it is something for which I have to look in the mirror and say, this is what I need to do to prepare myself for the next tour if I am given the honour to be picked in the Zimbabwe squad.Since you are not from Zimbabwe, did it take a lot of time to get to know your team-mates?
It has been 13 years since we moved to Zimbabwe as a family. I was away in Scotland for my studies for a lot of those years. I only started playing cricket in 2009.I think it depends on the sort of person you are. I think culturally, Zimbabwean people are very warm. Their doors are open for you. If you don’t have the right attitude towards others, it will be difficult for them to accept you for who you are. It was never made difficult for me. You expect some differences, because if you don’t then there’s something wrong. I guess in Zimbabwe, in our changing rooms and our culture, everybody is ready to accept everybody.How was it playing in Pakistan?
In the first game we certainly had some goosebumps. I felt for the people of Pakistan. For a country whose people love the sport, not to have international cricket for six years – I had those goosebumps because of how they treated us. The amount of love they showed. Some of the Pakistani players were quite emotional as well. I felt their pain.

“I still watch programmes about fighter planes with a lot of interest. It gets me emotional”

There are now many cricketers like yourself, uprooting themselves from where they were born and brought up, and playing cricket for another country. When you come across anyone like that, do you exchange notes?
For me it was destiny. I was never meant to play cricket. In my heart I wanted to be a fighter pilot. After that dream didn’t come true, I wanted to be a software engineer. That also didn’t come through. I think this shows that God has a better plan for you than you do for yourself. Some guys may have migrated to other countries to play cricket. I didn’t, so when I actually meet some of them, the only word we say is destiny – here we are.I still watch programmes about fighter planes with a lot of interest. It gives me goosebumps. It gets me emotional. It was my dream. The idea was never planted in my head by my family.In Pakistan they have two Air Force cadet colleges. I was lucky enough to go to PAF Lower Topa, which is in Murree, from Grade 7 to 12. Unfortunately, I was medically unfit after the 10th. I couldn’t go to the reunion in the first week of July last year, but I would love to go back there.How many times have you watched ?
Just once, but see, it is just a movie. I am quite a realistic person. Some of my friends who were with me are now fighter pilots. Some of them are on F-16s and some are flying instructors. I feel quite happy and blessed. Some of them were [martyred] trying to protect people. Everyone is going to die, but what better way is there? There was something wrong with their planes, so it was either that they ejected and saved their lives and the plane crashed into a populated area or they tried to take the plane away from that area. Two of my friends were blessed with such a beautiful death.Has the experience of having stayed away from home from the time you were young helped you as a cricketer?
It certainly helps you in making decisions. You have to live by it, whether it is wrong or right. You can’t give credit or blame anyone. My family supported me throughout my time in the boarding schools, studying in Scotland, and now I am playing cricket, which is also like a boarding school.I am never home. I think my son gets affected the most. I think he will understand that the things that I did were for the family and the country who gave me this honour.”Culturally Zimbabwean people are very warm. Their doors are open for you. In our changing rooms, everybody is ready to accept everybody”•AFPDoes the lack of Test cricket affect you in any way?
I think it does affect all of us. Test cricket teaches us the game. I don’t want to take the limelight away from T20s but I’ve learnt a lot of cricket from those four Tests than the 50 ODIs that I’ve played. I think the little success I have had is because of Test cricket. We may not see the side effects this year but not playing Tests certainly has taken the shine out of our ODI and to some extent, T20 cricket.Does it bother you that cricket is a game where one bad performance can take it all away?
I have moved past that insecurity. I will use this tour as a perfect example. I was dropped for the last game [second T20 against Bangladesh]. I haven’t performed in the last five or six games. I deserved to be dropped, and playing for Zimbabwe is something you have to earn. You can’t expect things to fall into your lap. The decision to drop me didn’t hurt me but what hurt me was that I hadn’t been doing well. Sometimes it is not a bad thing to take a step back and watch it from outside. You can see where you’ve gone wrong.Last year I played all 42 games for Zimbabwe. I played the first six games this year, so I have played nearly 50 games in a row, and I feel blessed to have done so. When the selectors came up to me and the coach and said they were going to drop me, I didn’t have any bad feelings. I took it on the chin. I just want to prove it to myself – you have to get back and score runs, take wickets and catches.Keith Miller once said, “Pressure is a Messerschmitt up your arse. Playing cricket is not”. You are someone who can actually relate to it.
I used to train to be a pilot. Now that I am training to be a cricketer, it could be slightly easier. I think training for a pilot would be a lot more difficult. ()

Stats highlights from the first day of the fourth Test between India and Australia, in Sydney

Bishen Jeswant06-Jan-20154 Number of Australian openers who have made five consecutive scores of 50 or more. Chris Rogers has made back-to-back scores of 55, 55, 57, 69 and 95 in this series. The other Australian openers to do this are Mark Taylor, David Warner and Phil Jaques.0 Number of Australian openers who have made five or more fifties in a series without making a hundred. If Rogers does not get a hundred in the second innings, he will become the first Australian opener to have done this. The only openers to have done this across countries are Michael Atherton and Conrad Hunte, who made six fifties each in 1993 and 1965 respectively.200 The opening partnership between Warner and Rogers, the ninth-highest by any team against India. The last 200-plus opening stand by an Australian pair was between Warner and Ed Cowan, also against India, in Perth, in 2012. That was also the last instance of any team posting such a stand against India.4 Number of hundreds scored by Warner against India, including today’s. The only Australian opener to score more Test hundreds against India is Matthew Hayden, who scored six.33 Number of Test matches played by Virat Kohli, the most by any of the players in the current Indian team. The last time that India fielded a team with its most experienced member having played less than 50 Tests was against Sri Lanka in 2001. Rahul Dravid, 48 Tests, was the senior-most member of that team. India lost that game by an innings and 77 runs.1 Number of times that Australia’s top four batsmen have all made 50-plus scores against India at home before today. Australia did this against India once previously, away from home, in Delhi in 2008.79 Runs scored by Australia in the first fifteen overs of the first innings. Since 2001, this is the most runs scored by any team in the first 15 overs of the first day of a Test in Sydney. During this series, India have, on average, conceded 52 runs in the first ten overs of the first innings.

Australia’s marks out of ten, for the Test series against India

Brydon Coverdale25-Mar-20138
Michael Clarke (286 runs at 47.66)
The only Australian to score a century on this tour, Clarke showed from the first day in Chennai how nimble footwork is key to handling Indian conditions. He scored 130 in that innings, and in the second innings was only done in by a nasty ball that stayed low and turned viciously. That was followed by 91 in the first innings in Hyderabad, which could have become another ton had he not tried to hit out when running out of partners. His move up the order to No. 3 in Mohali failed in the first innings, and in the second he was severely hampered by his back pain. Clarke was such a lone beacon for most of the series that India knew if they could get him, they had won half the battle.6.5
Steven Smith (161 runs at 40.25, 1 wicket at 63.00)
Smith only played in Mohali because of the so-called homework sackings, but the Australians were immediately glad of his inclusion. His 92 in the first innings of that match showed that Clarke was not the only batsman in the side capable of using his feet. Smith was busy against the spinners and always looked confident, which couldn’t be said for most of his team-mates. A mature 46 in the first innings in Delhi added to his value, but given how comfortable he looked, the Australians really needed him to go on and turn one of his innings into a big hundred. His part-time bowling was at times awful, but he produced one perfect legbreak to have Sachin Tendulkar caught at bat-pad in Mohali.Peter Siddle (9 wickets at 33.88, 139 runs at 17.37)
Siddle had little impact in the first two Tests, but became an important player in the second half of the series. His 5 for 71 in Mohali prevented India from stretching their lead into triple figures, and in Delhi it was his batting that provided the greatest value. In his previous 40 Tests, Siddle had not scored a half-century, but he dug in to make 51 and 50, top scoring in both innings. Consequently, he became the first batsman in Test history to score half-centuries in both innings at No. 9. His efforts showed up his batting team-mates, and kept Australia in the contest.6
Ed Cowan (265 runs at 33.12)
Although Cowan didn’t build the big scores required of a Test opener, he at least showed his ability to learn. Early in the series he thought the best approach was to attack India’s bowlers, but dancing down the wicket, attempting to go over the top, got him stumped in Chennai. In the next two Tests his scores and time at the crease grew as he changed tack, and chose to occupy time, forcing the Indians to get him out rather than getting himself out – although a poorly judged sweep in Delhi went against that reasoning. M Vijay was the only player from either team to face more balls in the series than Cowan, and his steadiness was admirable given the carnage that often took place around him.James Pattinson (9 wickets at 27.77, 68 runs at 17.00)
The stand-out Australia bowler in Chennai with his 5 for 96 in the first innings, Pattinson used his pace through the air to challenge India’s batsmen in spite of the slow pitch. There was no question that Pattinson was the most sorely missed of the four men dropped in Mohali for failing to complete a homework task set by coach Mickey Arthur, and when he returned in Delhi he didn’t have quite the same impact. Like all of Australia’s tail, he also showed plenty of fight with the bat.In the final Test in Delhi, Nathan Lyon showed that he had learnt how to bowl in India•BCCINathan Lyon (15 wickets at 37.33, 54 runs at 18.00)
The axing of Lyon for the second Test in Hyderabad was one of the most surprising selection strategies of the tour, for although he leaked copious runs in Chennai, he did pick up five wickets, and nobody could have controlled MS Dhoni in such an unconstrained frame of mind. In the final Test in Delhi, Lyon showed that he had learnt how to bowl in India, avoiding too full a length, and adopting an around-the-wicket line to the right-handed batsmen that brought lbws firmly into play. He collected nine wickets for the match, and it should have been ten but for a dropped catch by Matthew Wade. His resilience with the bat at No.11 showed up some of his top-order teammates as well.5
Moises Henriques (156 runs at 31.20, 2 wickets at 77.50)
Chosen for his first Test in Chennai, Henriques showed remarkable resolve with the bat in both innings, and scored 68 and an unbeaten 81. Although he ran out of partners in the second innings, and missed the chance for a hundred on debut, he was the first Australian since 1979 to score a half-century in each innings of his first Test. However, his batting in Hyderabad and Mohali did not live up to his Chennai promise, and as a bowler he lacked penetration.Mitchell Starc (2 wickets at 100.00, 145 runs at 36.25)
This may seem a generous mark for Starc given his failure with the ball, but it is a reflection of the fight and skill he showed with the bat in Mohali. In the first innings he very nearly became the second Australian centurion of the tour, but was caught behind for 99. His 35 in the second innings almost got Australia into a position from which they could dream of preventing an Indian win. His two wickets for the series came in one over during a spell of outstanding swing bowling, but when the ball wasn’t moving, he was of little threat to India’s batsmen.4.5
Brad Haddin (51 runs at 25.50, 4 catches, 1 stumping)
Given another chance in Test cricket due to Wade’s ankle injury in Mohali, Haddin was clean behind the stumps, and even found himself acting as on-field captain when Clarke was off having his sore back treated. He made starts in both innings but was unable to go on.4
David Warner (195 runs at 24.37)
Despite making two half-centuries, Warner had the worst series of his short Test career. His 59 on the first day of the tour was scratchy, and his only innings of real note was 71 in Mohali, when he and Cowan put on 139 for the opening stand. Two edges from loose flashes outside off with no footwork in the first couple of overs in Mohali and Delhi, were especially ugly.Glenn Maxwell (7 wickets at 27.57, 39 runs at 9.75)
The so-called “Big Show” had no impact with the bat, despite being promoted to open in the second innings in Delhi. He did manage to collect four wickets in Hyderabad, and three in Delhi, but has a long way to go before he can be considered a Test batting option.3.5
Phillip Hughes (147 runs at 18.37)
For two and half Tests, Hughes was mesmerised by India’s spin and the conditions, and at one stage had a drought of 58 deliveries against India’s spinners without scoring a run. A new, more aggressive approach helped him in the second innings in Mohali, and he was unlucky to be lbw for 69 to a ball clearly missing leg. In Delhi he contributed 45 in the first innings.Matthew Wade (113 runs at 18.83, 4 catches, 1 stumping)
One decent score – 62 in Hyderabad – was not what Australia needed from Wade after deciding he could serve as a top six batsman on this trip. He had an up-and-down time behind the stumps, sometimes making impressive saves, and on other occasions letting through byes that could have been stopped. Keeping wicket in India is tough, but his lack of footwork did not help his cause. Wade dropped a regulation chance when Dhoni edged Lyon in Delhi, and missed a couple of difficult stumping opportunities.2
Shane Watson (99 runs at 16.50)
This was a hugely disappointing tour for Watson, who chose to embark on it as a specialist batsman in the hope of avoiding bowling injuries. Twice he was out pulling, which is risky on pitches with variable bounce, but found a number of other ways to lose his wicket as well. The homework saga and his reaction to it was Australia’s off-field low point, and although he returned and was given the captaincy in Delhi, overall this series could hardly have gone worse for Watson.Xavier Doherty (4 wickets at 60.50, 24 runs at 24.00)
A limited-overs bowler with limited weapons in the longer format, Doherty played in Hyderabad and Mohali, as the Australian selectors struggled to find their best attack. He was tighter than the other spinners but also far less of a threat.0
Mitchell Johnson (0 wickets, 3 runs at 1.50)
Johnson’s tour consisted of one Test, figures of 0 for 60, a golden duck, an innings of 3 that featured two close lbw shouts, a near run-out, and ended with a leave to a carrom ball that took off stump. He was also sloppy in the field, costing Australia a couple of boundary overthrows, and failed to complete a homework task. Enough said.

Alviro Petersen returns while fast bowler Marchant de Lange has been called up, but the selectors could have done more to test the bench strength

Firdose Moonda06-Dec-2011There are very few times in professional sport when the opportunity for experimentation presents itself. On the training ground, where time and creativity permit, trial and error has its place. In warm-up matches, combinations can occasionally be shuffled and strategies can be tested. But, in match situations, there is little room for any of that and teams are expected to go in with clear tactics, solid game plans and a settled unit. For the upcoming series against Sri Lanka, South Africa had that opportunity.Given the current form of the Sri Lankan side – who last won a Test in July 2010 and have not won away from home since January 2009 in Chittagong – there was room to juggle. While balance had to be maintained between treating the opposition with due respect and fielding a strong enough team to keep consistency, the window for introducing wild-cards and rewarding accomplished domestic performers was also open and the selectors have only crept through it.South Africa’s squad has one old name and one new added to it from the group who faced Australia – and have left many other names behind.Alviro Petersen has been recalled, amid calls about the unfairness of dropping him after just nine Tests, in which he scored over 500 runs. Petersen was a victim of the impossible-to-ignore form of Jacques Rudolph, whose bat was the King Midas of the pitch.So strong was the belief that Rudolph would turn the international stage to gold that Petersen was shunned. Rudolph was unable to replicate the magic, and the alarming ways in which he was dismissed – with clumsy and often reckless strokeplay – has resulted in Petersen being brought back to being some old-fashioned sobriety to the batting line-up, if he plays.For Petersen to play, either Rudolph will have to be dropped, which would be harsh, given that he has only played two Tests since making his comeback, or moved down the order, which would also be harsh, given that it is not his preferred position. Some will remember that Rudolph batted in the middle order when he started at Yorkshire and will question why he can’t do that again. They will forget that Michael Vaughan was still playing and Rudolph had little say regarding where he could bat.A No. 6 batsman – which is only position Rudolph could occupy- rarely has the liberties to play a shot a ball, like Rudolph has been doing. Often, as Ashwell Prince has proven on numerous occasions, that batsman has to have the temperament to weather a storm. Rudolph’s performances against Australia do not suggest he is ready to do that.Prince remains under pressure, as has always been the case, with his only saving grace the half-century he scored in the Wanderers Test against Australia. It was an innings that helped drag South Africa off the cliff and his partnership with AB de Villiers put them onto steadier ground. Prince did not enjoy the best of series and should he fail again the reality of being dropped will become starker, but he was one of the few batsmen who, at times, showed the composure required to craft a Test innings. More importantly, with Mark Boucher out of form and South Africa’s tail having grown, with the inclusion of Imran Tahir, a solid No. 6 is a must.If Prince is to be replaced, JP Duminy has been touted as his likely successor. Duminy was dropped from the Test squad with questions about his technique still being asked but he would be a better choice than Rudolph for the middle order, given that is his regular playing position. Another option, overlooked on numerous occasions, is Dean Elgar.Elgar, the Knights batsman, has averaged over 50 in the two seasons prior to this one and has shown the maturity required to play in the longest form of the game. With fast-tracking creeping into the selection strategy, particularly in the Marchant de Lange case, it remains a mystery why Elgar has been strung along with no reward so far.de Lange’s pacy rise up the ranks has come as something of a surprise, given his first-class experience is only 14 matches. He is genuinely quick and his raw talent has given the management reason to be excited but even his franchise coach, Matthew Maynard, admitted that, like any tearaway, de Lange needs to be taught about control and consistency. Those are skills he will learn, to some extent, while spending time with the national squad but to a greater degree from experience in the first-class game. Vernon Philander is testament to that.de Lange’s inclusion in the national squad will aggrieve the likes of Wayne Parnell. The left-armer has been on the fringes for the last three years, been included in tours, been injured, been discarded and eventually been left to do what Philander had to. There is reason to think the same will happen to de Lange.South Africa’s fast-bowling reserves have expanded, after initial concern that they were dwindling. Lonwabo Tsotsobe, who missed out on selection because he is still recovering from a side-strain, provides ample competition for Philander at Test level and Rusty Theron, who has long been in the queue, does the same for the third-seamer’s spot in the shorter version of the game.While de Lange’s inclusion is a tick in the column of fuelling young dreams, how he is handled going forward will be the real Test of the management’s commitment to developing the next generation, something they have failed in, in the most concerning department – wicket-keeping. While a back-up wicket-keeper is unheard of in a home series, it would have been crucial for this one. Boucher’s cricket mortality is becoming an unavoidable topic and the need to find a replacement is ever-pressing. Talk during the Australia series was that a successor would be found and groomed by the man himself but that idea appears to have been shelved.Thami Tsolekile, who will play in the Invitation XI, Heino Kuhn, who has featured in previous A team matches and Daryn Smit, who is growing in confidence and competence, have all been identified but not nurtured. Without a focused plan for who will take over, none of them can be blamed if they chose to follow in the footsteps of Nic Pothas and Kruger van Wyk, and make their futures outside of South Africa. The selectors have left possibility of adding to the squad open and would take a giant leap in the right direction by adding a gloveman to the squad, even if he does not play.With tours to New Zealand, England and Australia in the coming 12 months, the window for experimentation opens and closes with the series against Sri Lanka. Like many windows of opportunity, it needs to be flung open and enjoyed and, so far, it has not.

In winter Delhi often hosts multiple first-class matches at the same time. Can one fan watch them all? Our intrepid correspondent gives it a shot

Sidharth Monga07-Dec-2008

The locals sometimes don’t realise it, but with three teams based in the capital Delhi is the place to be for a cricket fan in winter.You can take your pick: a Delhi or Railways game, or perhaps a Services one. If you know the place, you can shuttle between three matches in a day. If you don’t want to miss any action, you can hope for a round like the one that concluded this week, when Delhi and Orissa finished their game in two days, allowing the focus to shift to the other matches.Feroz Shah Kotla was my first stop for two reasons: Virender Sehwag, Gautam
Gambhir and Ishant Sharma had returned to help Delhi out of the rut they
found themselves in. Also, the track that was laid out, a green carpet because Delhi desperately need an outright win, promised a lot of action.The Kotla could be a beautiful ground. It’s located in the walled citadel of the emperor Feroz Shah Tughlaq, with fortified gates, barbican towers, and open spaces all around. But for years the stadium has been neglected by administrators. When they recently rebuilt it, they got it even more wrong. The massively ugly concrete Jaypee Stand (named after a local cement manufacturer) has a feel of the industrial areas on the outskirts of Delhi rather than the peaceful immediate surroundings. During international matches, supremely vulgar advertisements adorn the concrete, for, among other products, indigestion pills and mouth freshener – the ads for the latter featuring lots of cleavage. The players’ balcony is situated at extra cover. An open toilet welcomes one at the point beyond which police won’t let vehicles pass.It’s different during a Ranji match. There are no advertisements, no police, and at least no users of the toilet. The press box does not function during this game because the scorers want to sit in the sun.The first day of the match happens to be election day in Delhi. That’s close to 20 fewer votes cast: everyone in the Delhi team is eligible to vote – apart from Pradeep Sangwan, perhaps, who turned 18 only a month ago. Polling day is a holiday, so there is quite a first-day crowd – that’s about 200 people. Some are even able to sit on the grass between the boundary rope and the boundary boards. It’s the closest one can get to watching cricket from grass banks in India. With the winter sun, and tea, it is quite an experience.The scoreboard operator at the Kotla sits in the scoreboard, a wheeled unit, which affords him some shelter as he goes about his work, watching the game from the window-like slots for the scores.Sunil Dev, the secretary of the sports committee that runs Delhi cricket, is a businessman who always makes time to watch Delhi play. On this pitch, where if you blink you miss a wicket, he gets restive if a wicket doesn’t fall for ten minutes – when Delhi are fielding that is. He doesn’t rest easy until Ishant Sharma has clean-bowled Orissa’s No. 11, Dhiraj Singh, just after tea on the second day to get Delhi a 52-run win. That after Delhi managed 78 in the first innings.

The early finish takes me to my next stop, the Karnail Singh Stadium, about
seven kilometres away, next to the New Delhi railway station. Having lived in Delhi, I never imagined there could be a first-class ground just outside the chaos of the rail station. The transition is seamless: from the station crowd to ticket touts to shops selling fake sunglasses to cheap hotels to other frauds looking for tourists heading to the stadium.At the stadium what you see is what you get, unlike at the other establishments on the road. It is a humble ground, but quaint, and almost beautiful. It is a multi-sport venue and there are trees around the ground, broken up by the boxing hall, the badminton hall and the gymnasium. Akhil Kumar, the maverick boxer who almost won India a medal at the Beijing Olympics, is training at the ground. His physio, Heath Matthews, is a cricket buff. Is boxing the tougher sport? Matthews points out how, in comparison to cricket, boxing bouts, in airconditioned indoor rings, finish in half an hour.When UP are in town, quaintness takes a back seat. At 8.45am loud music blares just outside their dressing room. At the end of the match I realise that the music system is Praveen Kumar’s: he carries it back. Ferociously funny leg-pulling – most of it unprintable – is the UP players’ favourite pastime, and they treat team-mates and opponents alike to it.The scoreboard at the Karnail Singh is the old wooden green-boards type, with
nails to hang the score digits on – also wooden. The operator sits near the board and gets up to change scores every time a run is scored, unlike at some grounds where scores on manual boards change in multiples of ten. Diwan Singh has been doing the job here for close to 30 years. He gave up a good bank job to work as an announcer with the Railways so he could get days off to watch cricket. He remembers the celebrations here in 2001-02 when Railways won the Ranji Trophy – avenging their loss to Baroda in the final the previous season. He distributed sweets worth Rs 2000 that day. He makes Rs 100 a day managing the scoreboard.The proceedings are slow, with Yere Goud playing a typically painstaking innings to save the follow-on. Diwan will recover by watching some Australian domestic Twenty20 at home. “I watch just about any cricket on TV.”A Railways fanatic, a fixture of sorts at the ground, wants to sit near the players, almost each of whom he knows. Security doesn’t let him in, but he tries to run through. The officials catch him and start beating him up. Maninder Singh, who happens to be there, intervenes, saves the young man, embraces him, and convinces him that nobody is allowed near the players. “See, they all know me,” the fan, who wears a Railways tracksuit, boasts to the security men.On the final day UP give themselves close to three sessions to bowl Railways out. It seems like too much time when Railways slip to 33 for 6 quickly. The probability of a facile result gives me time to move on to the third match, at the faraway Air Force Station, where no journalist goes. The reasons are not tough to find: on my way, I am made to divert from the direct route, which is off limits to the press because it passes through a defence area. Even if one manages to get to the ground, there is no conveyance back.When I finally reach the ground, less than a kilometre from the airport, I see, for the first time, a first-class match not being watched by anybody. Not a single party not directly involved with the teams. The only two “spectators” are from Modern Office Systems, the company contracted to move the cameras (for the umpire review), the laptops and computers required, and to look after the power requirements at the ground. These two gentlemen are seen at the Kotla too. They say they wouldn’t come to watch the game at the Palam A Stadium if it wasn’t part of their job, but they are interested enough in cricket to remember the warm-up game South Africa played here before the 1996 World Cup – about the only remotely high-profile game at the ground.

It is a scenic ground, with plenty of trees about, but the frequent noise of planes taking off spoils things a bit. The only other problem is the “A” in the name. It means there is a “B” ground too, right next to A. There are no boundaries between the two, so midwicket is where you want a fielder all the time. If the ball goes through there, there’s no stopping it from going as far as it can on its momentum.Services have four wickets left, and have to bat out two sessions to draw and get on the board this season. Madhya Pradesh have controlled the game throughout, but on a
benign pitch they can’t eke out a result. Jasvir Singh scores a four-and-a-half hour unbeaten century to take Services home.A call to another journalist at the Karnail Singh tells me I have to rush back.
Mahesh Rawat and Sanjay Bangar have got a partnership going, and the game
there seems headed towards a thrilling draw. When I get there Suresh Raina
pulls off a stunning catch to dismiss Rawat – who has scored 80 despite
viral fever – and bring UP back into the game. That’s as far as they get,
though: led by the broad bat of Bangar, and a courageous Anureet Singh,
playing in his first season, Railways survive the remaining 47 minutes. Bangar
has batted through the 87 overs of the innings for 70 runs and a point.UP are disappointed they haven’t slammed the door shut. Five minutes later,
though, loud Punjabi music emanates from their dressing room. That’s
how they play their cricket. It is a good note on which to end a satisfying
week of cricket.

There was an unsavoury moment during Sunrisers Hyderabad’s innings against Lucknow Super Giants when an object was thrown from the stands, forcing the umpires to intervene.The incident took place in the 19th over of the innings, shortly after a decision by the third umpire to overturn a no-ball call – off the bowling of Avesh Khan – given by the on-field umpire for a full toss. Heinrich Klaasen and Abdul Samad were the batters at the crease and they both made their displeasure evident, Klaasen more than Samad.Klaasen hit the next ball for four, but after that there was a stoppage when the object was hurled at Super Giants batter Prerak Mankad, according to Jonty Rhodes.Related

• Mankad 64, Pooran 13-ball 44 take LSG back to No. 4

• Pooran: 'If it's your match-up, you need to make it count'

• Pooran comes alive at the death to show what SRH missed

Rhodes, the Super Giants fielding coach, tweeted that the object hit Mankad on the head while he was fielding at long-on, close to the Super Giants dugout.Speaking to the broadcaster after the innings, Klaasen said that the episode broke the Sunrisers batters’ momentum, and added his criticism of the umpiring.”Disappointed with the crowd. That’s not what you want from a crowd. It broke a lot of momentum,” Klaasen said. “Hopefully the umpires stay consistent. Not great umpiring.”He was later fined 10% of his match fees for breaching the IPL code of conduct. The official IPL statement didn’t specify the reason for the penalty, only saying, “Klaasen admitted to the Level 1 Offence under Article 2.7 which states the use of public criticism/inappropriate comment in the IPL’s Code of Conduct.”Super Giants’ Amit Mishra was also found guilty of breaching the code of conduct, but he just faced a reprimand. “Mr Mishra admitted to level 1 offence under Article 2.2 of IPL’s Code of Conduct which states abuse of equipment during the match. Mr Mishra accepted the sanction,” the statement said.A similar incident had taken place very early in IPL 2023 when R Ashwin expressed his displeasure about the umpiring during a Chennai Super Kings vs Rajasthan Royals game, and was fined 25% of his match fee.Klaasen scored 47 to help Sunrisers reach 182 after opting to bat. But a half-century from Mankad and explosive knocks from Marcus Stoinis and Nicholas Pooran helped Super Giants win the game in the last over.

Lucas Paqueta’s rollercoaster battle with the Football Association has reached its climax and the West Ham star has avoided the nightmare of a suspension. Instead, the Brazilian midfielder will reportedly be forced to swallow a six-figure fine after being found guilty of failing to cooperate fully with the governing body’s investigation.

• Paquete to be fined after misconduct probe
• Cleared of spot-fixing charges
• Man City move collapsed amid FA probe

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The saga began with explosive allegations last year when he was accused of deliberately picking up bookings to aid suspicious betting patterns. That spot-fixing case hung like a dark cloud over his career and even halted an £85 million move to Manchester City.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  In July, Paqueta was officially cleared of the most damaging claims, that he intentionally sought yellow cards for gambling gains. That verdict brought immense relief for West Ham, who had been bracing for the possibility of losing their playmaker to a lengthy ban. But while the spot-fixing charges were dismissed, two lesser accusations stuck. The FA determined that Paqueta had failed to provide full and proper answers during questioning and had not handed over all information requested.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  According to the independent regulatory commission has now ruled that Paqueta will not serve any suspension but will instead pay a hefty penalty, believed to be around £150,000. Sources close to the player insist Paqueta was simply following advice from club-appointed lawyers throughout the process, limiting the detail of his responses.

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• WHAT PAQUETA SAID

  After the verdict was out, Paqueta released a statement: "Since the first day of this investigation, I have maintained my innocence against these extremely serious accusations. I can’t say anything more at this time, but I would like to express how grateful I am to God and how eager I am to return to playing football with a smile on my face. To my wife who never let go of my hand, to West Ham, to the fans who always cheered me on, and to my family, friends and the legal team who have supported me – thank you for everything.”

MatériaMais Notícias

Aos 35 anos, Luis Suárez foi apresentado nesta quarta-feira como novo centroavante do Grêmio.Logo depois do contato com a torcida, o uruguaio compareceu à sala de imprensa da Arena. Vestido com o manto tricolor, Suárez deixou claro que desafio foi o principal fator ao topar a proposta do time.

– Gosto dos desafios difíceis. É um desafio que me move porque (o Grêmio) veio da Série B e é um lugar que nunca deveria ter estado. É uma forma minha junto com o Grêmio de mostrar que posso continuar jogando num grande clube da América. Os amigos sempre estão para ajudar, aconselhar e apoiar nas decisões – afirmou.

+Suárez é tricolor: confira a recepção da torcida do Grêmio ao craque uruguaio no aeroporto

RelacionadasGrêmioEm festa histórica, Luis Suárez é apresentado ao torcedor do GrêmioGrêmio04/01/2023Fora de CampoWeb relembra meme após apresentação de Suárez no Grêmio: ‘Usaram as caixas de som’Fora de Campo04/01/2023VascoPalácios recebe proposta do Colo-Colo, e Vasco tem interesse em negociarVasco04/01/2023

Sincero, Luisito também falou que não precisa de adaptação ao futebol brasileiro e aposta na sua forma física para projetar a estreia.

– Creio que a melhor preparação, tanto física e médica, é o dia a dia. Falar com os médicos e treinador. Hoje, me sinto muito bem. E, obviamente, não necessito de uma adaptação em futebol brasileiro. Nunca acreditei nas adaptações do futebol. Sou assim. Sim, necessito tempo para ficar bem como eu quero ficar. Não posso dizer quanto tempo -.

Por fim, Suárez falou sobre a recepção da torcida, onde transfere a responsabilidade para si na hora de render em campo.

– Me confirmaram 100% a decisão que eu tomei. Agora, está em mim pessoalmente assumir essa responsabilidade e conviver com essa pressão. Toda minha carreira foi assim, com a crítica, eu assumo essa responsabilidade e é assim que eu mais rendo -.

MatériaMais Notícias

Conhecidos da diretoria do Corinthians desde os tempos em que vestiram a camisa alvinegra, os dirigentes da SAF do Cruzeiro têm aproveitado essa aproximação com a cúpula do Parque São Jorge para conseguir reforços. Pelo menos três jogadores do Timão estão em negociações para defender a Raposa em 2023.

>Cruzeiro se aproxima de atacante do Corinthians, Vasco faz reunião por jogadores… o Dia do Mercado!

Quem comanda o futebol do Timão e forma o ‘núcleo duro’ da direção são três profissionais: o presidente do clube, Duílio Monteiro Alves, e Alessandro, gerente e ex-jogador, além de Roberto de Andrade, diretor de futebol e ex-mandatário do Alvinegro.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasCorinthiansEsposa de Mateus Vital ‘esquenta’ saída de meia do CorinthiansCorinthians09/12/2022CruzeiroCom possível saída de Geovane Jesus, Cruzeiro terá que ir ao mercado por lateral-direitoCruzeiro09/12/2022CorinthiansCampeão de Libertadores e ex-zagueiro do Corinthians: quem é Luciano Dias, novo auxiliar-técnico do TimãoCorinthians09/12/2022

Todos esses cartolas têm ‘velhos companheiros’ na diretoria cruzeirense. Dono de 90% da SAF do clube mineiro, Ronaldo foi contratado pelo Timão em 2009, quando o Corinthians era comandado por Andrés Sanchez, com quem tem uma relação de proximidade até hoje. Na época, o vice-presidente eraRoberto de Andrade, atual diretor do Alvinegro.

O Fenômeno comprou as ações do Cruzeiro no início deste ano, por R$ 400 milhões. Em sua gestão, a equipe retornou à elite do futebol brasileiro e foi campeã da Série B. Ele chegou a convidar o próprio Andrés Sanchez para atuar na SAF mineira.

Outro integrante da direção cruzeirense é o ex-atleta Elias, braço direito de Ronaldo. Eles são colegas desde os tempos que atuaram no Timão, em 2009 e 2010. O ex-volante ainda retornou ao Corinthians em 2014, ficou mais dois anos e trabalhou com Roberto de Andrade, presidente do clube de 2015 até 2018.

Ronaldo ainda conta com mais um homem de confiança que é ex-jogador do clube paulista: Paulo André, diretor de estratégia da SAF da Raposa. Ele jogou no Timão por seis anos (2009 até 2014) e também trabalhou com Roberto de Andrade e Andrés Sanchez, além de ter sido companheiro de time de Alessandro.

Além disso tudo, Duílio Monteiro Alves também tem boa relação com Ronaldo. O atual presidente corintiano é próximode Andrés Sanchez e foi diretor de futebol durante o segundo mandato do cartola, o que facilita o contato com o Fenômeno.

AS NEGOCIAÇÕES ENTRE OS CLUBES

Já neste início de janela, o Cruzeiro caminha para ter três jogadores que pertencem ao Corinthians: Mateus Vital, Raul Gustavo e Matheus Davó. O meia e o atacante devem ser cedidos em definitivo, com o Timão mantendo porcentagem dos direitos econômicos, enquanto o jovem zagueiro está envolvido em uma negociação por empréstimo.

continua após a publicidade

أعلن نادي برشلونة الإسباني تعاقده مع صفقة جديدة تعزيزًا لصفوفه، خلال سوق الانتقالات الصيفي الحالي، بحسب ما أوضح في بيان رسمي.

ويستعد برشلونة للموسم الجديد 2025-2026، بعد موسم أول ناجح تحت قيادة الألماني هانز فليك مدرب الفريق الأول.

وتعاقد برشلونة مع لاعب الوسط الشاب روجر مارتينيز، قادمًا في صفقة مجانية، لتدعيم صفوف فريق الشباب “برسا أتليتك”، حيث وقع عقدًا يمتد حتى 30 يونيو 2027.

اقرأ أيضًا | بعد تصرفه المثير للجدل.. تير شتيجن يوضح حقيقة تدهور علاقته بمسؤولي برشلونة

واجتاز مارتينيز (21 عامًا) الفحوصات الطبية بنجاح، وزار مرافق النادي، تمهيدًا لانضمامه إلى تدريبات الفريق الرديف بقيادة المدرب جوليانو بيليتي.

يُعد هذا التعاقد بمثابة عودة ثانية للاعب إلى برشلونة، حيث سبق له اللعب في فرق الفئات السنية للنادي بين عامي 2013 و2016، قبل أن ينتقل إلى كورنيا، ومن ثم إلى إسبانيول خلال مرحلة الناشئين.

مع الفريق الأول لإسبانيول، شارك روجر مارتينيز في مباريات ضمن الدوري الإسباني وكأس الملك، قبل أن يُعار الموسم الماضي إلى نادي لوجو، حيث خاض 34 مباراة وسجّل هدفًا في دوري الدرجة الثالثة (المجموعة الأولى).

ويمتلك اللاعب أيضًا خبرة دولية مع منتخبات إسبانيا للفئات السنية، من تحت 15 عامًا حتى تحت 19 عامًا.