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ESPNcricinfo previews the second Test between Pakistan and South Africa at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi

The Preview by Liam Brickhill and Sahil Dutta19-Nov-2010Match FactsNovember 20, Dubai
Start time 10:00 (6:00 GMT)Pakistan will be hoping for an improved showing from their spinners on what could be another slow, low pitch•AFPThe Big PictureSince Pakistan cricket was plunged into scandal during the Lord’s Test three months ago, it seems not a week has gone by without some new twist to the controversy. Yet after their Younis Khan-inspired draw in the first Test at Dubai the Pakistan camp has been remarkably quiet. The clamour surrounding Zulqarnain Haider’s shock departure from the side has died down – for now at least – and, against the odds, Pakistan will go into the second Test under Misbah-ul-Haq’s leadership believing they have the potential to upset the South Africans and win their first Test series since 2006.At 36, Misbah’s tenure is surely not a long-term option but he showed the value of experience and a calm head in the course of his defiant 186-run stand with Younis and has at least done enough to justify his selection to the team. However, while Pakistan’s batting resilience was admirable their bowling – already dented by the loss of Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir – has been further hit by Wahab Riaz’s injury. Much will depend on the spinners, Abdur Rehman and Saeed Ajmal, who struggled for incisiveness in the first Test but were not helped by the batting-friendly conditions.South Africa’s spinners were also not as effective as hoped after both teams went into the match with two slow bowlers. With conditions likely to be similar in Abu Dhabi – another venue hosting a Test for the first time – it will take something special from either team to force a result in the game, and South Africa will look to their new-ball pair of Morne Morkel and Dale Steyn to give them that spark. Morkel’s five-wicket haul set up South Africa’s first-innings lead at Dubai, and while Steyn is not quite back to his best after his return from injury he could have given his team the crucial breakthrough had Mark Boucher held a chance off Younis’s bat early on the fifth morning.With wins in the one-day and Twenty20 series, Graeme Smith and his men have made no secret of their intention to wrap up a clean sweep with victory in the Tests too. As the No. 2 Test side in world cricket, there’s every reason to back South Africa to do just that but, as always, Pakistan are impossible to predict and simply refuse to be written off.Form guide(most recent first)
South Africa: DWDWL
Pakistan: DLWLLWatch out for…He may not be the most magnetic player in the side – he’s probably the least – but Azhar Ali has brought an ugly toughness to Pakistan’s batting. Since coming into the side earlier this year against Australia he has played an important role in two Pakistan victories – scoring a crucial second-innings half-century in the nervy runchase to beat Australia at Headingley and setting up Pakistan’s first-innings with an unbeaten 92 in the Oval win over England – and survived 322 deliveries in the first Test of this series to hold off South Africa. In a line-up partial to collapse his flinty presence has become crucial.
Pinging the ball down from the skies, Morne Morkel generated enough bounce to rough up Pakistan’s lower order and help them lose their last eight wickets for 72 in the first innings at Dubai. In combination with Dale Steyn he has become a potent force with the new ball in the last year, taking 42 wickets at 24.07 from 10 Tests. South Africa’s spinners are not good enough to lead the attack and with Steyn still feeling his way back after injury the responsibility rests with Morkel to try and force a South Africa win.Team newsAs they look to wrap up the series, there’s no reason for South Africa to tinker too much with their line-up.South Africa (possible): 1 Graeme Smith (capt), 2 Alviro Petersen, 3 Jacques Kallis, 4 Hashim Amla, 5 AB de Villiers, 6 Ashwell Prince, 7 Mark Boucher (wk), 8 Johan Botha, 9 Paul Harris, 10 Dale Steyn, 11 Morne Morkel
After his rash shot in the first innings at Dubai, Pakistan may well drop batsman Umar Akmal and give a Test debut to Asad Shafiq. Also expected to make his belated debut is paceman Tanvir Ahmed, in place of the injured Riaz. The other, perhaps less likely, option would be to go with a five-man bowling attack in an effort to secure 20 wickets on a flat pitch.Pakistan (possible): 1 Taufeeq Umar, 2 Mohammad Hafeez, 3 Younis Khan, 4 Azhar Ali, 5 Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), 6 Asad Shafiq, 7 Adnan Akmal (wk), 8 Abdur Rehman, 9 Umar Gul, 10 Tanvir Ahmed, 11 Saeed Ajmal
Pitch and conditionsBy the end of the first Test in Dubai the lifeless pitch befitted the desert setting perfectly. Conditions will be no less hostile for fast bowlers in Abu Dhabi. This will be the first Test to be played at the ground but it hosted this year’s English domestic season opener, with Durham thrashing MCC by 311 runs. Scott Borthwick’s raw legspin picked up eight wickets in that game which suggests there will be plenty of work for the slow bowlers.Stats and triviaTanvir Ahmed was the leading wicket-taker in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy last season, picking up 85 scalps to bowl Karachi Blues to the title.
Mohammad Sami, Tanvir’s rival for the second seamer’s spot, doesn’t have the greatest record against South Africa. He’s played five Tests against them, between December 2002 and January 2007, and taken nine wickets at an average of 61.11.
The last year hasn’t been Paul Harris’s best in Test cricket. In nine matches in the last 12 months, he’s managed just 23 wickets at the bloated average of 52.30. He seems to enjoy playing against Pakistan, however, and in six Tests against them he’s helped himself to 20 wickets at just 24.35.The Sheik Zayed Stadium has never hosted a Test before, but five first-class games have been played at the ground. Eoin Morgan hit 209 not out here for Ireland in 2006-07 – still his highest first-class score – and Bermuda seamer Kevin Hurdle took what remains the only 10-wicket haul of his first-class career in a match against UAE in 2007-08 here.Quotes”Hopefully there will be more life in the pitch in Abu Dhabi.”

The horrific Queensland weather held off long enough to allow the Bulls to dismantle Tasmania to post their first victory of this year’s Big Bash

The Bulletin by Alex Malcolm 07-Jan-2011Queensland 2 for 119 (Hopes 65*, Carseldine 28*) beat Tasmania 8 for 118 (Bailey 37, Rimmington 2-23) by 8 wickets
ScorecardJames Hopes starred in Queensland’s victory with an allround performance•Getty ImagesThe horrific Queensland weather held off long enough to allow the Bulls to dismantle Tasmania to post their first victory of this year’s Big Bash.Gabba curator Kevin Mitchell Jr conjured a miracle to prepare a playable surface given the apocalyptic rains that have drowned the state over the past three weeks.James Hopes won the toss and sent Tasmania in. It proved to be the correct decision as the hosts bowled and fielded superbly right through the Tasmania innings to restrict them to a below-par 8 for 118 from their 20 overs. The visitors were on the back foot when they lost newly named Australia Twenty20 vice-captain Tim Paine, who played on for 3 in the third over, with just 11 runs on the board.The Tigers also contributed to their own downfall with two needless run-outs. Mark Cosgrove miscalculated while attempting two to Michael Neser running in from deep square leg. An outstanding direct hit found Cosgrove miles short. Then Travis Birt committed cricketing suicide in the next over calling George Bailey through for a single when his captain had merely defended back to the bowler.Bailey tried to mount a rescue mission, top scoring with 37 from 30 balls, including two sixes. He and James Faulkner (24) put on 41 for the seventh wicket to take Tasmania past 100. But Bailey was undone by a clever slower ball from Nathan Rimmington, who bowled brilliantly to finish with 2 for 23, including the wicket of Faulker.The Bulls had one eye on the weather in their chase as opener Chris Simpson got them off to rapid start, clubbing 20 from 11 balls after Michael Lumb fell early. However, he failed to capitalise on his start, as he was bowled by Xavier Doherty in the third over to leave the Bulls at 2 for 25. But Hopes (65 not out) and Lee Carseldine (28 not out) dashed any hopes that Tasmania might have had of a Queensland collapse. They smashed 94 runs off 68 balls to make a mockery of the Tasmanian attack and reach the target with 37 balls to spare. In one stretch of eight deliveries, the experience pair thumped six fours and a six between them.Hopes, who also affected a run-out and took a one-handed catch to dismiss Ryan ten Doeschate, was declared the Man-of-the-Match.Queensland move level with Tasmania on the table with the four other sides playing their second matches across the weekend.

Reliable journalist Dean Jones has revealed that a group of Leeds players approached Marcelo Bielsa over the possibility of adapting his style of play.  

The Lowdown: Bielsa gone

Leeds fell to another heavy defeat on Saturday, shipping four goals against Antonio Conte’s Tottenham at Elland Road.

Reports following the loss suggested that the Argentine was on the brink of leaving the club, with talkSPORT suggesting on Saturday evening that Bielsa had indeed left Leeds United by mutual consent.

Leeds officially confirmed the news on Sunday morning, with Fabrizio Romano revealing that Jesse Marsch is one step away from being named as Bielsa’s replacement.

The Latest: Jones’ comments

Speaking to The Transfer Tavern, Jones revealed that Bielsa rebuffed an approach from a ‘group’ of Leeds players in regards to a change of style. He said:

“Bielsa was a bit too stubborn for his own good – I was told a group of players approached him about adapting the style of play but he wouldn’t listen to them. Moments like that go against you if results are bad.”

The Verdict: Interesting…

The Whites have made a huge gamble by sacking Bielsa with just 12 league games to go this season. Although the team was going through a woeful run of form, they have been without three key players in Patrick Bamford, Liam Cooper and Kalvin Phillips since December.

What is interesting is that a group of players apparently wanted him to make a tweak to his system, something to which Bielsa understandably wasn’t willing to agree.

Leeds always struggled in January and February during Bielsa’s time in charge, so if Marsch (or whoever is appointed) doesn’t lead the club to survival after the exit of the much-loved Argentine, you’d expect that the Whites board will have plenty of questions to answer in the summer.

In other news: ‘I’m told’ – Phil Hay drops hint of possible return date for injured Leeds duo

New Zealand fast bowler Daryl Tuffey has announced his retirement from all forms of cricket, ending a 12-year international career

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Sep-2012New Zealand fast bowler Daryl Tuffey has announced his retirement from all forms of cricket, ending a 12-year international career. Tuffey, who last played for his country in 2010, lost his central contract the following year, but was handed a domestic contract for 2012-13 with Auckland Aces last month.Tuffey, 34, said he had decided to retire because he had missed the most of last season due to injury.”I’ve had a few different injuries recently and they do get tougher to come back from,” Tuffey said. “It’s probably been my one major regret in cricket that I haven’t spent as much time on the field as I would have liked but it’s part and parcel of playing the game.”There aren’t many people who get the chance to get paid for playing the game they love and I feel really lucky that I’ve been able to do that. It’s been an honour to represent my country and to be able to do so in some great places around the world has been a bonus.”Tuffey made his Test debut during the home series against Australia in 1999-2000. His best performance was 6 for 54 at Eden Park to help New Zealand square the Test series against England in 2001-02. He was New Zealand’s regular opening bowler in the Test and ODI sides but had his share of breakdowns, including a damaged shoulder in 2005 which kept him out of the side for the best part of two years. He lost another two years when he signed for the rebel Indian Cricket League in 2007.He returned to New Zealand’s Test squad for the tour of Sri Lanka in mid 2009, but was plagued by injuries thereafter – he suffered broken bones in his hands twice in the following six months, before straining a bicep during a one-day series in India in November 2010.He played the last of his 26 Tests in 2010 against Australia, taking 77 wickets with two five-wicket hauls. He played 94 ODIs and took 110 wickets. In a 16-year first-class career, he took 288 wickets.He began his first-class career for Northern Districts in 1996-97 before moving to Auckland in 2008-09. Paul Strang, the Auckland coach, said Tuffey would be missed. “Daryl will be a huge loss to us because he brings so much to the side,” Strang said. “He’s been fantastic for us, especially in the short form and contributes a lot both on and off the field.”

The ‘Baby’ Blues have struck again, this time cruising past the Queensland Bulls by 17 runs at the Gabba – the final scoreline flattering the hosts who were never really in the contest during the second innings

The Bulletin by Andrew Fuss24-Jan-2011
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsSean Abbott pulled off an outstanding catch in addition to taking three wickets as the Blues’ teenagers shone in the field•Getty ImagesThe ‘Baby’ Blues have struck again, this time cruising past the Queensland Bulls by 17 runs at the Gabba – the final scoreline flattering the hosts who were never really in the contest during the second innings.On a pitch on which 160 looked like it would be a par score, the New South Wales Blues won the toss and had no hesitation in batting first. The visitors, however, battled to find the boundary and found themselves reeling at 5 for 72 in the 13th over, having broken the record for the lowest number of runs scored in the Powerplay during the season – 1 for 30.Moises Henriques (34 off 27 balls) and Man-of-the-Match Ben Rohrer (47 off 25) then joined forces for a handy 44-run partnership to give the Blues some hope of a respectable total.It was Rohrer – the only batsman to look comfortable on an, at times, two-paced pitch – who did the most damage, helping his side take 38 off the final three overs to reach 7 for 140.The Bulls’ big hope in the run chase – the dynamic Chris Simpson – started terribly, connecting with the ball just once (a top-edged six over third man) in the first ten deliveries he faced, including seven missed pull shots.Captain Stuart Clark (1 for 13) and teenager Patrick Cummins (3 for 24) were superb, bowling the visitors into a commanding position before another teenager, Sean Abbott (3 for 15), finished the hosts off with some good stump to stump bowling to tear through the middle order.Cummins, 17, looks to be a future Australia paceman and was unlucky not to have more economical figures; most of the runs off his bowling coming from edges through the slips.In a sign of just how poorly the Bulls did with the bat, it was No. 10 Nathan Rimmington who top scored for them, blasting his way to 24 off just 11 balls in the final overs.Queensland will play their second game in two days when they host Western Australia in what has now become a knockout match, before they travel south to face New South Wales again on Saturday.

Liverpool secured their place in the FA Cup final by beating Manchester City 3-2 at Wembley Stadium this afternoon.

Reds defender Ibrahima Konate opened the scoring for his side with just nine minutes on the clock with a header.

After 17 minutes, Sadio Mane doubled Liverpool’s lead before adding another goal just before the half-time whistle.

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City duo Jack Grealish and Bernardo Silva then managed to pull a couple of goals back for the Manchester club in the second half, but it wasn’t enough to turn the tide for Pep Guardiola’s team.

With that result, it’s Liverpool who will be in the final this year to face either Chelsea or Crystal Palace.

Despite the victory, not every player in a Liverpool shirt had a particularly successful day in terms of their individual performance.

One player in Jurgen Klopp’s side that was something of a passenger on this occasion was Mohamed Salah.

With the entire 90 minutes under his belt, the winger only had 38 touches of the ball in total, which was 31 fewer than goalkeeper Alisson Becker managed to have.

Having completed just 15 passes throughout the game, the Egyptian gave possession away for his side 13 times, making him a bit of a liability on the ball.

Off the ball, the attacker ended up losing 78% of the duels he was involved in, as well as being caught offside twice and getting dribbled past on two occasions.

This display ultimately earned Salah an extremely underwhelming overall match rating of just 6.3, making him the joint-lowest rated player that started the game for the Reds, alongside Fabinho.

Having been slammed by Alan Shearer for his “awful” first-half display in the 2-2 draw between the two sides in the Premier League last weekend, the 29-year-old didn’t have much impact once more this time out.

Moving forward, with the Reds now having an FA Cup final ahead of them, as well as a final sprint towards potentially winning the Premier League and Champions League, they will undoubtedly need Salah to start firing if they are to have any chance of securing a famous quadruple.

AND in other news: In talks: Liverpool eye move for “ice cold” £31.5m-rated gem, he’s Klopp’s next “star”

Shahid Afridi, the Pakistan captain, has said that he wanted former captain Younis Khan in the squad for the tour of England but various issues, such as form and discipline, had prevented the batsman’s selection

Cricinfo staff23-Jun-2010Shahid Afridi, the Pakistan captain, has said that he wanted former captain Younis Khan in the squad for the tour of England but various issues, such as form and discipline, had prevented the batsman’s selection.”I wanted Younis to be in the team but, besides the issue of his recent form, there was also a bit of a disciplinary issue with Younis,” Afridi told . “One must understand I don’t pick the team alone. The input of the coach and selectors is also involved in this process.”Younis, whose ban had been overturned by the PCB after an appeal, was not included in Pakistan’s Test or Twenty20 squad for the trip to England. Ijaz Butt, chairman of the board, said last week that Younis’ return would require clearance from the board, an issue that wasn’t deemed to be an issue at all with Shoaib Malik, Afridi and the Akmal brothers, who had all apologised for their mistakes.Afridi also said that fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar, who made a comeback in the Asia Cup, would only play limited-over cricket for now. “We don’t want to waste him or damage his remaining career by playing him in Test cricket,” Afridi said.Although Pakistan made an early exit from the Asia Cup, after beating only Bangladesh, they competed hard against Sri Lanka and India. Afridi’s performances were impressive in the tournament: he scored centuries against Sri Lanka and Bangladesh and took three wickets at an economy-rate of 4.60. “The truth is that in the Twenty20 World Cup, I had taken the pressure of captaincy which affected my individual form as well, but this time I focused on my own performances,” he said.Afridi will make a return to Test cricket after four years when he leads the team in Pakistan’s ‘home’ series against Australia in England this summer.

The Athletic’s Sam Lee has given his verdict following the news that Manchester City defender Joao Cancelo has signed a contract extension.

The Lowdown: Cancelo’s rise at City

The Portuguese defender became the most expensive full-back of all time in 2019 when he signed for Manchester City from Juventus in a deal worth £60m, with Danilo heading the other way for £34m.

Since arriving at the Etihad Stadium, the 27-year-old has played an integral part in Pep Guardiola’s side, having totalled 106 appearances for the Citizens. That includes 22 Premier League outings this season, where he has amassed one goal and five assists in becoming one of the team’s best performers, according to WhoScored metrics.

Cancelo signed a six-year deal when he joined the Sky Blues, keeping him at the club until 2025.

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The Latest: Cancelo signs contract extension

Despite having three years left on his contract, City have been looking to tie down Cancelo on a long-term deal. On Tuesday morning, the club announced that the full-back has signed a two-year contract extension, which will keep him at the Etihad until 2027.

The Athletic’s Man City reporter Lee shared this news on Twitter along with a link to his corresponding article, beaming that it is ‘a fitting reward’ for the 27-year-old’s impressive form.

He proclaimed: “New deal for Joao Cancelo, a fitting reward for his emergence as a key City player and his phenomenal form over the past few months in particular”.

The Verdict: Great business

Cancelo is currently one of the most valuable full-backs in world football, with Transfermarkt estimating his value at a cool £54m.

When the initial lockdown happened, the defender struggled to adapt to life in England and thus wanted to leave the club. However, he overcame this to duly become one of the key components of Guardiola’s side.

Former City midfielder Nigel de Jong has offered some effusive praise of the 27-year-old, saying: “We can have a healthy discussion and debate on who is the best right-back in the world and Cancelo is certainly up there for me. It’s not only his versatility but also the fact he is as strong defensively as any right-back or left-back in the world.”

Taking everything into account, this seems like a brilliant bit of business by City, and it’s no wonder that Lee has voiced his firm approval of Cancelo’s contract extension.

In other news: These Manchester City fans approved of one prospective successor to Pep Guardiola

A big claim has been made on Newcastle United and their transfer plans…

What’s the talk?

Journalist Santi Aouna, along with fellow reporter Dahbia Hattabi, has revealed two players that the club are looking to snap up at the end of the season as PIF attempt to bolster Eddie Howe’s Premier League squad.

Aouna Tweeted: “Info with @DahbiaHattabi: Newcastle wants to recruit two French people next summer: Benoît Badiashile, whose price set by Monaco is around €40m. Moussa Diaby from Bayer Leverkusen.”

St James’ supporters will be delighted

The St. James’ Park faithful will surely be delighted with this news as both players would be fantastic additions to Eddie Howe’s squad.

Badiashile is worth roughly £34m – according to Aouna – and Diaby is reportedly valued at £75m by his current club Bayer Leverkusen. This means that the pair could cost as much as £109m to sign this summer, although PIF could work their magic and negotiate more favourable deals to make them both viable targets instead of potentially obliterating the budget on two players.

Diaby, 22, has been sublime in the Bundesliga this season and would add an extra level of attacking threat to Howe’s team. He has produced 12 goals and nine assists in the division as he has been able to show that he can consistently deliver at the top end of the pitch.

Meanwhile, Newcastle’s top scorer in the Premier League has six goals and their top assister has set up four strikes so far. The Frenchman would, therefore, be an upgrade on what Howe currently has to work with in terms of scoring and creating goals.

Badiashile would also be a top signing as he would bolster the centre-back options at the club. The 21-year-old has averaged a solid SofaScore rating of 6.91 across 20 appearances in Ligue 1 as he has shown that he can put in excellent displays on a regular basis despite his young age.

His experience, and performances, at this stage in his career also suggest that he has the scope to develop further and improve as a player in the years to come. This means that Newcastle would be signing a player with potential as well as someone who can make an impact in the immediate future, which is also the case with 22-year-old Diaby.

Therefore, the supporters will be delighted with the club’s interest in both of these players and they will surely be hoping that PIF can get both of them over the line.

AND in other news, 71% duels won: £19k-p/w NUFC titan brought his “passion off the pitch” onto it vs NCFC – opinion

Plays of the Day from the first day of the second Test between Pakistan and Australia at Headingley

Nagraj Gollapudi and Brydon Coverdale at Headingley21-Jul-2010Chalo Chalo Headingley chalo …
…read one of the advertising boards. It was a good slogan, written in the green and white Pakistan colours, urging the fans to fill Headingley. It was fitting, too, considering the Pakistani domination on the first day. Sadly the ground remained 75% empty despite the heroics of Pakistan’s fast bowling pack in the morning. Perhaps that had something to do with the tickets selling for a prohibitive 30 quid, a big deterrent for devoted fans across England.Hilf, the hat-trick halter
When Ben Hilfenhaus strode to the crease to face the hat-trick ball from Mohammad Aamer, it was a familiar feeling. Hilfenhaus is in only his 11th Test but he had already needed to negotiate a hat-trick delivery, at The Oval last year when Steve Harmison was aiming to regain the Ashes with three wickets in three balls. On that occasion, Hilfenhaus blocked the ball solidly away and he also survived this time around, though with a little less conviction. Aamer had just knocked back the stumps of Steven Smith and Mitchell Johnson with the first two balls after lunch, and another delivery on line would have given him a great chance of the hat-trick. But Aamer angled it across Hilfenhaus, who played and missed.Smart move
Salman Butt took a leaf out of Ricky Ponting’s book of captaincy when he introduced Umar Amin, part-time medium pacer, five overs before lunch. It did seem a little strange considering Umar Gul’s short spell lasted just five overs and Danish Kaneria was yet to bowl. But just like Marcus North had struck on the stroke of lunch at Lord’s, Amin got the crucial breakthrough in the penultimate over before the end of the first session when he drew North forward and induced a thick edge off a neat outswinger which was snapped brilliantly by the steadily improving Kamran Akmal.Gul’s bunny
When it comes to long vigils, Michael Hussey has shown on several occasions that he has the mental fortitude necessary to cling, limpet-like, to the crease in a tough situation. But Umar Gul has managed to breach Hussey’s supreme powers of concentration more than anyone else in the past year. Today Hussey was the victim of a rare bad decision by Rudi Koertzen after HawkEye predicted Gul’s inswinging delivery, which hit Hussey flush on the front pad, would miss the leg stump. But in the past 12 months Gul has got the better of Hussey on five occasions across three formats and can proudly hold the Australian as one of his bunnies.