أوضح هاني أبو ريدة، رئيس الاتحاد المصري لكرة القدم، موقف الجهاز الفني بقيادة حسام حسن، من الاستمرار في التواجد على رأس القيادة الفنية للفراعنة في بطولة كأس العالم حال الاخفاق في كأس أمم إفريقيا القادمة.
منتخب مصر، يقترب من التأهل بشكل رسمي إلى نهائيات كأس العالم 2026، إذ حقق الفوز في مباراة جيبوتي القادمة المقرر لها يوم الأربعاء المقبل في الجولة التاسعة من مباريات تصفيات إفريقيا المؤهلة إلى المونديال.
ومن المقرر أن يشارك منتخب مصر بالقيادة الفنية لـ التوأم حسام وإبراهيم حسن في بطولة كأس أمم إفريقيا 2025 التي تقام بالمغرب نهاية العام الحالي.
وقال أبو ريدة في تصريحات عبر الصفحة الرسمية للإعلام لاتحاد الكرة: “أتحدث دائمًا مع حسام حسن عن خطة الأعداد لكأس العالم”.
وأضاف: “أنا أقف خلف أي مدير فني، دايماً أضحك معهم وأطمنهم وأقولهم: (يا ابني إحنا النتائج اللي مقعدانا أنا وأنت)”.
طالع | مستعينًا بلاعب الأهلي السابق.. تكتيك جديد لـ حسام حسن في مباراة مصر وجيبوتي
وبسؤاله هل نتائج منتخب مصر في كأس الأمم القادمة ستحدد مصير الجهاز؟، أكد قائلًا: “هذا ليس من أسلوب إدارتي، أقول لـ حسام دائمًا نحن لدنيا هدف في كأس العالم، لا أنظر لمرحلة واحدة فقط، وأتحدث معه حتى في الإعداد ما بعد البطولة الإفريقية”.
وأكمل: “حسام حسن مستمر مع المنتخب، كما قولت أنا حديثي مع الجهاز الفني حتى نهاية المشوار بطولة كأس العالم وليس أمم إفريقيا”.
وأتم: “الشارع يقدر يجيب ويقدر يمشي، وأضحك مع الجهاز دائما وأقول (خدوا بالكم اتغلبنا في 2019 الناس كلها مشيت، اشتغل وأنا في ضهرك)”.
Manchester City are now keen on hijacking Manchester United’s move for an “incredible” player, who is set to be available for £35m this summer, according to a report.
Man City's summer rebuild continues
Pep Guardiola has made major changes to his squad this summer, with the Man City boss looking to reclaim the Premier League crown from Liverpool, and Phil Foden believes the rebuild was necessary after a disappointing 2024-25 campaign.
Foden said: “It is needed after last season, bringing in fresh legs and the new additions have done well. They have settled very quickly.
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“We can all see their quality from the Club World Cup and what they bring to the team. We have got a big squad at the moment but I think it is definitely needed. I’m looking forward to the season and linking up with players that I like to play with and enjoying it really.”
Bad news for Doku: Man City preparing £87m bid for "world class" forward
As Manchester City seek to reclaim the Premier League title, they are preparing an £87m bid to sign a “world class” attacker who’s better than Doku.
ByBen Gray Aug 6, 2025
It is certainly true that Guardiola is blessed with a large squad, and having added Nico Gonzalez in the winter, before bringing in Tijjani Reijnders this summer, there are plenty of options in the middle of the park.
However, according to a report from Takvim, Man City are now keen on signing Galatasaray midfielder Gabriel Sara, who is also being targeted by Man United, with the Red Devils even set to make a formal offer for his services in the coming days.
The Turkish club are reluctant to sanction Sara’s departure this summer, but they could be tempted if they receive an offer of €40m (£35m), amid widespread interest from the Premier League.
AZ Alkmaar's Ernest Poku and Seiya Maikuma in action with Galatasaray'sBarisAlperYilmaz
Leeds United, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Nottingham Forest, Everton and Aston Villa are also credited with an interest in the Brazilian, although United’s interest appears to be the most advanced, with an offer in the works.
"Incredible" Sara could flourish in the Premier League
The 26-year-old has experience in England, performing remarkably well for Norwich City in the 2023-24 campaign, picking up 13 goals and 12 assists in 46 Championship outings.
That season alone proved the maestro is more than ready to make the step-up to the Premier League, but he has since gone on to prove himself in Turkey too, amassing 11 league goal contributions last season as Galatasaray went on to win the title.
As such, Sara could flourish at the Etihad Stadium, although there are some doubts over whether he would be a necessary signing for Man City, given that Guardiola is already well-stocked in central midfield.
Counties will be increasingly discerning in issuing No-Objection Certificates (NOCs) to their players as the number of franchise leagues “encroaching” on the English summer grows. That is the view of Daryl Mitchell, the interim chief executive of the Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA) which represents the interests of English players.The number of overseas leagues clashing with the English summer has grown significantly in the last five years. English players have featured in leagues in India, Sri Lanka, the US, the Caribbean, the Cayman Islands and Zimbabwe this year, while a late start to the Pakistan Super League (PSL) will add to the logjam next season.Fourteen English players made appearances in PSL 2024, including white-ball specialists Sam Billings, Alex Hales and David Willey who are all likely to return in 2025. But other players will not be available, with the tournament running parallel to the IPL for the first time, and with counties reluctant for their players to miss the start of the season.Liam Dawson, who has featured in five PSL seasons, will not play in the tournament next year. “I’ll be playing for Hampshire at that time,” Dawson said at Tuesday night’s cinch PCA awards, where he was named men’s player of the year primarily for his performances in the County Championship.Alec Stewart, Surrey’s departing director of cricket, told the on Wednesday that the ECB should take the lead. “Money talks, and if they are earning five times what they earn at our place, their heads will get turned,” Stewart said. “We need the ECB to stand firm on this and not say, ‘It’s up to the counties’, and to bring in regulations.”As things stand, counties have the power to withhold or withdraw NOCs for players who are not centrally contracted – as Surrey did earlier this year, to pull Jamie Overton out of the PSL. But others believe that if they do not meet players’ demands in the middle, then they will lose them altogether – either to other counties, or to the franchise circuit.”The global landscape and how things are shifting there is obviously pretty important to our members – or at least, the top 20% of our membership, who go around playing global tournaments,” Mitchell said. “NOCs are always on the agenda as well, and how that’s going to look moving forwards.Related
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“It’s a challenge, isn’t it? That’s something we are going to have to work through. It’s a bit too early to say what that will look like by the time we get to April next year. The challenges are there. Obviously there’s a lot of tournaments that encroach onto our season now, and we have to work through that, possibly on an individual basis, to see how that aligns.”Daniel Gidney, the Lancashire chief executive, said last month that NOCs and standard county contracts have been “diluted” over the last decade and criticised player agents, saying they “don’t care” about the Championship. Mitchell said he was “confused” by the criticism: “Some of that didn’t actually make sense, particularly around the NOCs.”Instead, Mitchell predicted that counties will increasingly look to wield their power to ensure that the best English players are available throughout the season, rather than skipping Championship games in order to play overseas.”At the moment, they’ve got the right to [deny NOCs] within the summer months – and actually, for some of the smaller competitions in the winter as well… They probably haven’t used their rights as much as they could have done, which is obviously to the benefit of some players when they do go away.”It’s up to the counties, and their discretion… The global landscape is shifting so quickly and the game, players, counties, the ECB – we have to evolve with it and try to find the best fit that works for everyone.”Mitchell said that the PCA’s other main focus during the English winter will be lobbying on the players’ behalf in a bid to resolve the long-running debate around the domestic schedule, with an ambitious aim to have a plan in place for the 2026 season by the start of next summer. “The debate needs to start pretty quickly, in truth,” Mitchell said.”Counties ideally would like to know exactly what they’re playing for. If there are going to be any structural changes come 2026, they want to know what they’re playing for in ’25, I would imagine. It’s really challenging. There’s loads of moving parts in there, and ultimately, the counties will decide what they want the structure of the county season to look like.”Recent changes to the IPL’s regulations are likely to encourage a swathe of English players to enter the mega-auction for the league’s 2025 season. Where, previously, players have been able to pick and choose whether they will enter a certain season, the BCCI have now stipulated that a failure to register for a mega-auction will make that overseas player ineligible for the following season too.
Ollie Pope will become the 82nd man to captain England’s Test team when they face Sri Lanka on Wednesday, standing in for the injured Ben Stokes. Stokes is with the squad in Manchester and will remain with them throughout the three-match series, with Pope conceding on Tuesday that “it’s still Stokesy’s team” as he pledged to deliver “the same messages from a different voice”.Pope has only captained one match in his first-class career, a high-scoring draw in the County Championship, but led Surrey in eight T20 Blast matches this season. He has been England’s official vice-captain since the start of last summer and with Stokes out of the series after tearing his hamstring in the Hundred, Pope will have three Tests to find his feet in the role.”When I got appointed vice-captain, there was always a chance that something like this would happen,” Pope said. “It’s not necessarily something you dream about, but it’s one of the greatest honours I see in English cricket. It’s exciting for me, and it’s a chance for us as a team to try and to take a step forward.”Stokes has been at both of England’s training sessions at Emirates Old Trafford and Pope has welcomed his presence. “It’s still Stokesy’s team,” he said. “Everyone’s pretty clear how they want to go about this week, and this series in general. I think having Stokesy in the changing-room is great.”If I want to lean on him, I can lean on him, and I think he’s going to let me do my own thing for the course of this Test series as well. I know how well he’s managed our bowlers especially, and I’ve picked his brains a little bit on that. It’s a lot of the same messages from a different voice, and in my own way… He’s going to let me go and do my thing over the course of this series.”Stokes, who has started his rehabilitation as he targets October’s tour to Pakistan, will be one of a number of influential voices within the dressing-room, alongside Brendon McCullum, James Anderson, and the rest of England’s staff. “He’s obviously going to be watching, chatting with Baz, and I can have those conversations in the intervals if I think anything needs to change and [we can] bounce a few ideas off each other,” Pope said. “I think it’s only a positive having him around.”Related
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Pope had a productive series against West Indies in July, scoring 57 at Lord’s and then 121 and 51 at Trent Bridge. But he has only faced 39 balls in competitive matches since that series ended, scoring 35 runs in five innings for London Spirit in the Hundred, and said that he has learned in his brief experience of captaincy that he will need to compartmentalise his batting.”Hopefully, it’s almost a positive on my batting,” he said. “I’ve still put in the hard work in the nets with the bat like I do for Test cricket. I’m still at No. 3 when it comes to batting and my job for the team is still to go out and score big runs… when I had a bit of a stint in the T20 for Surrey, the first thing I reminded myself was, when it’s batting time, it’s batting time.”Then, the rest of the time, you can be the captain and think a little bit more about the team. I’ve got some great guys to lean upon on the pitch as well, obviously Brooky [Harry Brook] being vice-captain, he’s got a great cricket brain, and guys like Rooty [Joe Root] out there on the pitch too. There’s plenty of experience to bounce off a few ideas.”Pope missed England’s most recent Test in Manchester through injury, when they were thwarted by the rain during last year’s Ashes series, and the forecast is poor again this week. “I’ve not looked too closely at the weather,” he said, when asked if England would consider setting the game up for a result. “Whether it takes us five days or however long, the aim is obviously to go and win the game.”Sri Lanka lost their only warm-up match against an inexperienced England Lions team last week, but recently beat India 2-0 in an ODI series. Pope – who has never played against Sri Lanka before – is targeting a series whitewash, but insisted that they are not taking their opponents lightly on their first tour to England since 2016.”I know they’ve won [against] India, but I think the main focus for us is on ourselves. We know that if we can go and play our best cricket then hopefully, that’s enough. We’ll respect them as a team. We don’t underestimate anyone … Our target is to go out and win 3-0 but at the same time, we realise that Sri Lanka have got some good experience.”
Leeds United have now made an initial approach to sign a £17m midfielder, with talks over personal terms currently ongoing, according to Sky Sports reporter Sacha Tavolieri.
Leeds eyeing attacking midfielder amid doubts over Aaronson
It is clear that Leeds want to bring in at least one new central midfielder this summer, having now made offers for both Strasbourg’s Habib Diarra and Besiktas’ Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, and the 49ers were willing to bet heavily on the former, submitting a £22m bid.
The eagerness to strengthen in the engine room comes amid Paul Robinson’s suggestion that one of Daniel Farke’s midfielders may not be good enough to make the step-up to the top flight: “Leeds are going to have to replace players.
“They came out of the Premier League with a similar squad, and players in that squad weren’t good enough. To mention two: Brenden Aaronson and Junior Firpo weren’t good enough for the Premier League.”
Aaronson regularly featured in an attacking midfield role last season, but it now appears as though the Whites are keen to bring in another number 10, who could be capable of pushing for the American’s starting spot.
According to Tavolieri (via Sport Witness), Leeds have now made an initial approach to sign RSC Anderlecht’s Mario Stroeykens, who could be available for around €20m (£17m) this summer, as per reports from elsewhere.
Sky Sports: Leeds now make approach for £17m striker who's keen on PL move
The Whites have made contact to sign a 25-year-old, with bringing in a new striker now a priority.
1
By
Dominic Lund
Jun 10, 2025
Farke’s side are yet to make an offer for Stroeykens, but talks over personal terms are currently ongoing, so there is serious interest on their behalf, although there may be competition from soon-to-be Premier League rivals West Ham United.
With the attacking midfielder’s contract set to expire in 2026, the Belgian side may be forced to cash-in this summer, as they will be eager to avoid losing him on a free transfer, potentially opening the door for a move to Elland Road.
"Absolute hero" Stroeykens impressing in Belgium
The Anderlecht youngster is still only 20-years-old, but he has been impressing in the Jupiler Pro League for quite some time, with scout Jacek Kulig singling the starlet out for praise after scoring two goals as a substitute.
Since then, the Belgian has managed to kick on, collecting five goals and seven assists for Anderlecht in all competitions last season, featuring regularly as his side went on to finish in fourth place.
Stroeykens is yet to prove himself in a major European league, which may be a cause for some concern, but he is still very young, and the maestro’s performances in Belgium suggest he could soon be capable of pushing for Aaronson’s starting spot.
Arsenal could now make an opening bid for a Gabriel and William Saliba “hybrid” in the coming days, according to a report.
Gunners eyeing new centre-back amid Saliba uncertainty
Gabriel has recently reaffirmed his commitment to Mikel Arteta’s project by agreeing a new deal, but Saliba is yet to sign a new contract, amid widespread reports that Real Madrid are interested in signing the Frenchman.
Arsenal's WilliamSalibaapplauds fans after the match
Despite signing AFC Bournemouth defender Dean Huijsen, Madrid retain an interest in Saliba, with the 24-year-old thought to be a dream signing, and they remain attentive to his contract situation.
As such, while Arteta will surely be determined to keep hold of the centre-back, it may be a wise move to start thinking about potential replacements, and the north Londoners could soon make an opening bid for a Liga Portugal star.
Twist: "Extraordinary" £60m+ star now plans to snub Man Utd to join Arsenal
The Gunners have received a boost in their pursuit of a forward, who Andrea Berta has already held talks to sign.
1 ByDominic Lund Jun 8, 2025
Indeed, according to a report from A Bola (via Arsenal News), the Gunners may submit a proposal for Sporting CP defender Ousmane Diomande in the coming days, having recently learned that he will be available for a fee below his release clause.
Although Diomande has a £67m release clause in his contract, Sporting recently informed Crystal Palace they would be willing to sanction a departure for £51m, but there are a number of other top clubs in the race for his signature.
Liverpool, Manchester United and Bayern Munich also said to be ‘very attentive’ to the 21-year-old’s situation, highlighting just how highly he is regarded.
Diomande could be a Gabriel and Saliba "hybrid"
Gabriel and Saliba have struck up quite the partnership at the heart of the Arsenal defence, although Jamie Carragher has suggested the France international is not the same when playing alongside Jakub Kiwior.
Arsenal's WilliamSalibareacts
Carragher said: “I think Saliba is the better player but Gabriel is the better leader, and he needs to bring that to his game if he wants to get to the levels of Virgil van Dijk. Saliba needs Gabriel. Since Gabriel has come out of the team, that’s not the same Saliba I’m watching.”
Given that the two defenders complement each other, it should be exciting news that the Gunners are in the race for Diomande, as he has been described as a “hybrid between Gabriel and Saliba” by data analyst Ben Mattinson.
Despite being just 21-years-old, the Ivorian already has 101 first-team appearances to his name for Sporting, indicating he could slot right into Arteta’s backline, while journalist Zach Lowy has been left very impressed by his performances in the past.
Of course, Arsenal fans will be hoping that Saliba commits his future to the club, but there is no doubt that Diomande could be an exciting long-term heir.
Manchester United have reportedly reached an agreement to sign a new forward in a similar transfer to the one that brought Paul Pogba to Old Trafford over 15 years ago.
Man Utd prepare for Europa League semi-final with Athletic Club
All of Ruben Amorim’s focus for the remainder of the season will be on the Europa League, with the Red Devils in the bottom half of the Premier League table.
A 1-0 defeat to Wolves at Old Trafford last time out included a side which had 20-year-old Tyler Fredricson and 18-year-old Harry Amass in the starting XI.
Amorim was true to his word by playing some inexperienced Red Devils youngsters from the off in the top flight as they prepare for a semi-final with La Liga side Athletic Club, looking to reach the final in Bilbao.
Following Man Utd’s Europa League quarter-final win over Lyon, Amorim said: “It’s not the best moment or the best season to put some kids to play because they need a strong base to really show what they can do, but in this moment we need to do it.
“And sometimes you have surprises. Ayden just played – and I can be honest, because we had a lot of injuries at that moment – but today I think of Ayden as my player. So when he’s ready – and of course he’s facing competition in the team to do so – he’s ready to play, so you don’t know.
“Amass did really well [against Lyon]. Chido, when he played he played quite well. It’s a difficult moment, it’s not the right moment for the kids to play, but if we have to do it we will do it.”
Top target: Man Utd pushing to sign "incredible" £313k-p/w Barcelona star
The Red Devils are willing to make a huge bid for a Barcelona player this summer.
By
Dominic Lund
Apr 23, 2025
The club appear to be planning for the long run with deals for Chido Obi, Ayden Heaven and Patrick Dorgu over the last 12 months, and by the looks of things, they are close to signing another talented teenager.
Man Utd reach agreement to sign forward in transfer similar to Pogba
According to reports from France, Man Utd have reached an agreement with Le Havre striker Enzo Kana-Biyik ahead of a cut-price move to Old Trafford this summer.
Le Parisen state that after ‘very advanced discussions’, Man Utd have ‘obtained the agreement of the player and his family’ to move to England. However, for the 2025/26 season, Kana-Biyik is set to be loaned out to FC Lausanne-Sport, a Swiss club also owned by INEOS.
Kana-Biyik’s stats for Le Havre U19s
Games
17
Goals
9
Assists
1
Kana-Biyik is a centre-forward who, like Pogba, looks set to join Man Utd from Le Havre’s academy. He appears to be a future star, with Man Utd Forever on X stating that the 18-year-old is a ‘Christopher Vivell kind of a signing’, while hailing the forward’s “composure in front of goal”, “instinctive finishing” and “technical skills”.
Chelsea are growing in belief that they’ll seal the signing of a key target this summer, following a decision from European heavyweights Real Madrid which has caused them to change their transfer strategy.
Chelsea expected to go 'big' on the signing of a centre-back
Enzo Maresca welcomed back centre-half Trevoh Chalobah to the Chelsea squad in January after Stamford Bridge officials elected to trigger his loan recall clause, but the Englishman isn’t viewed as a long-term solution behind-the-scenes.
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ByEmilio Galantini Apr 1, 2025
Chalobah is expected to leave Chelsea again when the transfer window reopens, and reliable journalist Simon Phillips is among the credible media sources to report that the west Londoners want to invest signifcantly in a new central defender.
Indeed, Chelsea are expected to go ‘big’ on the signing of another centre-back, which has led them to target a few interesting names. Bournemouth starlet Dean Huijsen, who has seriously impressed at the heart of Andoni Iraola’s backline this term, is among the options they’ve been considering.
Tottenham (home)
April 3rd
Brentford (away)
April 6th
Ipswich Town (home)
April 13th
Fulham (away)
April 20th
Everton (home)
April 26th
The 19-year-old’s contract includes a £50 million release clause which will be active this summer, and this has reportedly piqued interest from a host of elite Premier League sides, including Chelsea.
Recent rumours have claimed that Chelsea will make a push for Huijsen’s signature, but the Spain international isn’t their only key target.
Crystal Palace star and former Blues player Marc Guehi is about to enter the final 12 months of his deal at Selhurst Park, and while Eagles chairman Steve Parish rejected a £70 million bid from Tottenham for the defender in the January window, he could be available for less this summer.
Football Insider state Guehi’s new price tag will range from £50-60 million, which is still significant for someone who’ll be out of contract next year, so it appears Palace are sticking to their guns and won’t let their star England international go on the cheap.
Chelsea chiefs "adamant" they'll sign Marc Guehi this summer
Now, GiveMeSport have shared an interesting update on Maresca’s side and their interest in the 24-year-old. The outlet writes that “influential” Chelsea chiefs are “adamant” they’re likely to sign Guehi this summer, with the club growing in confidence when it comes to winning the race for his signature.
England's Harry Kane celebrates scoring their first goal withMarcGuehi
Having left Cobham for Palace in 2021, it is believed Guehi has an “emotional attachment” to his ex-club, and Chelsea believe this will hand them a key advantage as they look “determined” to tempt him with a return.
Chelsea are also now fully prioritising a swoop for Guehi, following Real Madrid’s decision to enter the race for Huijsen, as BlueCo are apparently less confident they can sign the latter defender over Carlo Ancelotti’s side.
RCB’s numbers at home are not impressive. This season question marks persist over their death-overs skills and their spin options – and the Chinnaswamy will not allow slips on either front
Hemant Brar24-Mar-20241:34
Moody: RCB’s batting depth should give confidence
“No place like home, no place like Bengaluru.” Royal Challengers Bengaluru tweeted this ahead of their first home game of IPL 2024, against Punjab Kings.On the eve of the match, Virat Kohli batted for around 40 minutes at their practice session at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. Kohli at his best is as much a batter to listen to as he is to watch. But on the day, the sound off the bat was nowhere close to his best. Most of the time, he did not middle the ball. Alzarri Joseph hurried him with the bouncer. Against the spinners, he tried to come down the ground or use the reverse sweep, but was beaten. A few attempted sixes landed well inside the boundary. In a way, this reflected RCB’s story at their home ground over the years. The numbers suggest they have rarely been fully at home here.Playing in Bengaluru, they have 40 wins and as many losses. Compare this with Chennai Super Kings at Chepauk – 46 wins and 19 losses – or Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede – 49 wins and 29 losses – and the difference is stark. Perhaps it is no coincidence that when they made the playoffs for three consecutive seasons, from 2020 to 2022, they did not play a single match at the Chinnaswamy.Related
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RCB come home, but power-packed Kings might hold the advantage
The match against Kings on Monday is the first of three back-to-back home games for RCB. How they perform in these matches could very well decide their season.They had a similar schedule last year as well, when the Karnataka assembly elections meant six of their first eight games were at home. Most teams would have seen that as an opportunity to get on a roll. But RCB could win only three of those. When they returned for their last home game of the season, they lost again.This has been a recurring theme for them over the years, and the reason is they front load their batting, sometimes at the expense of their bowling. The 2023 season was no different as they continued struggling in the death overs, with both bat and ball. In their seven home games, they scored at 10.60 per over at the death, and conceded 12.07 per over.The main issue with their batting was a misfiring middle order. While that was not specific to the Chinnaswamy, it got exposed at home even more. With Rajat Patidar injured, they tried Mahipal Lomror and Suyash Prabhudessai. In 14 innings, the two scored a combined 170 runs at an average of 14.16.Shahbaz Ahmed and Dinesh Karthik’s lean returns hindered them further. In six innings, Shahbaz scored a mere 42 runs at a strike rate of 107.69. Karthik had a stellar 2022 season, when he scored 330 runs at a strike rate of 183.33. In 2023, he managed only 140 runs at 134.61.
When it came to bowling, RCB were great in the powerplay, thanks to Mohammed Siraj. But it was the same old struggle at the death. Harshal Patel had forced his way into the Indian side on the basis of his death-bowling performances. But even he struggled at the Chinnaswamy, leaking 12 per over at the death. With Kings now, he might be feeling relieved that he has just one game at the Chinnaswamy this season, not seven.The two times the RCB bowlers were able to defend a target at home last season was in afternoon games. In those matches, the usually flat surfaces of the Chinnaswamy did not assist stroke-making. Their upcoming three fixtures, though, are all night games.RCB have tried to address the middle-order issue by trading Cameron Green from Mumbai Indians for a whopping INR 17.5 crore (US $2.1 million approx.). And with Patidar back, their batting looks much more balanced this season.Anuj Rawat and Karthik’s knocks against CSK are also a positive sign. Joining hands at 78 for 5, they added 95 off just 50 balls to help RCB post 173 for 6. While it was not sufficient in the end, their performance bodes well for the team.But batting alone does not win you games at the Chinnaswamy, and RCB have first-hand experience. Last season, they lost to Lucknow Super Giants despite scoring 212, and to Gujarat Titans despite scoring 197.Moreover, their spin attack looks the weakest it has been in years. Earlier, they had Yuzvendra Chahal holding his own on the small boundaries. This time, their two main spinners are Karn Sharma and Mayank Dagar. It is not going to be easy.What can they do to begin to change their fortunes at home? If they have found an answer, we might get a first glimpse of it against Kings on Monday, but for now it seems like they have one more hole than they have plugs.
The allrounder came through scrutiny on his batting during the Ashes in a series where his bowling came to the fore
Alex Malcolm02-Mar-20220:34
Cummins: Green gives us options and confidence
Cameron Green has been a Test cricketer for 15 months and yet Australia’s historic trip to Pakistan is the first time he has needed his passport.The last time Australia’s Test team toured overseas in 2019, Green was in India with a Cricket Australia National Performance Squad for a white-ball training camp in Chennai and not even close to Test calculations.He has never played a first-class match overseas. But after a breakout home Ashes series, where his all-round skills gave Australia’s batting vital runs in Sydney and Hobart and their bowling unit unprecedented depth, the 22-year-old suddenly looms as a pivotal cog in Australia’s plans to conquer subcontient conditions.”I’m just going with a pretty open mind,” Green told ESPNcricinfo. “I’ve been on a couple of NPS tours to India. I had a little insight then, which I’m really thankful for. But obviously [Australia haven’t] been to Pakistan in 24 years.”Despite the extraordinary expectation due to his raw skills, the reality is that Green is learning international cricket on the run.Related
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They say it takes a village to raise a child but in terms of raising a Test cricketer, sometimes a village of voices can be overwhelming.Green has already found that out in his short career. He is of a generation that is attached to their phones, but he has already developed a policy that will hold him in great stead in an international career that appears to have no limits.”During a Test match, I know my friends and family aren’t too happy, but I don’t speak to many people,” Green said. “I think when you do well, people say you’re going a lot better than you actually are. And then when you’re not going as well, people think you’re a lot worse than you actually are.”So I just try and keep yourself a little bit more neutral during the game by getting off your phone. Apologies to my friends and family. But that’s what I try and do.”Cameron Green found form after some mid-series technical tweaks in the Ashes•CA/Cricket Australia/Getty ImagesBut there are some key voices he trusts. Beau Casson and Matt Mason, Western Australia’s batting and bowling coaches, were two he turned to in his precious time in Perth before departing for Pakistan.Despite there being 31 days between the Hobart Ashes Test and Australia’s arrival in Islamabad, Green was only allowed 12 of those to move freely at home due to WA’s border restrictions and Covid quarantine rules. He used the time wisely to look at how he could improve as he embarks on the next phase of his Test career.”It was really good to catch up with Beau firstly, to discuss a few things technically, batting-wise,” he said. “And then it’s nice always to catch up with Mase and go through a few little things I need to consider fixing or to keep having a look at when I’m in Pakistan.”Green’s batting drew a lot of attention during the Ashes series, particularly after he was bowled twice in just eight balls faced across his first two innings in Brisbane and Adelaide. Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting broke down his alignment in detail on Channel Seven during the Adelaide Test, explaining that Green was too open with his shoulders, hips, and feet in his set-up and that it was exaggerated further after his back foot trigger movement.
In Shield cricket, they probably give you a bit more to drive, and then Test cricket they don’t miss much full. So that’s probably the biggest challenge I’ve found so far. Trying to be able to find a different way to score other than basically just sitting on the front footCameron Green
Casson, Justin Langer, and Andrew McDonald had already been aware of the issue out of the India series 12 months earlier. But even Casson was impressed by Green’s ability to fix it on the run and deliver back-to-back scores of 74 in Sydney and Hobart.”Ricky was absolutely spot on with his assessment,” Casson told ESPNcricinfo. “The whole picture of batting, it’s not just the physical component. The excitement of playing in an Ashes series, wanting to do well, can actually sometimes influence what your body’s doing.”But he was very deliberate in what he did. And he actually did it in warm-ups for a Test match which is pretty unique. You don’t have the ability to be able to go, I just want two weeks away to get this right. He was able to put it into place. I think that showed he had it stored away and probably just went a little bit away from what we used to do.”They’re the geniuses, aren’t they? The ability to be able to take in information but work out how it actually applies to me.”Beyond the technical, though, Green is aware that the biggest step up to Test level is finding ways to score against different bowlers in different conditions.”In Shield cricket, they probably give you a bit more to drive, and then Test cricket they don’t miss much full,” Green said. “So that’s probably the biggest challenge I’ve found so far. Trying to be able to find a different way to score other than basically just sitting on the front foot.”I think the change is actually not telling myself to get forward. In Shield cricket, I’ve got a pretty front-foot dominant game.”I kind of really try and get forward and look for the drive. And then everything else I kind of shut down. I try not to get on the hook. I think it’s a pretty low percentage shot in general, but I think in Test cricket, you need to play it. That’s kind of what I’ve found recently.”Cameron Green gives Australia options to balance their side•CA/Cricket Australia/Getty ImagesCasson also noted that Green could use his height to his advantage off the back foot, as he did at times in the Sydney and Hobart innings. Players who develop their games at the WACA tend not to stand up and punch with a vertical bat through the off side, with the extra bounce bringing nicks into play. But it is a shot he will need on the slower pitches overseas. Casson has encouraged him to use his height and reach off both feet on slower wickets, as Kevin Pietersen did with great effect during his career in Asia.”I don’t think it’s rocket science, but I think looking to strike the cricket ball a little bit more because those stumps are in play,” Casson said. “But just not committing one way or the other in terms of looking to lock yourself off.”Green admits it’s a work in progress, not dissimilar to what his bowling was a year ago when he was still working through action changes to avoid the repetitive stress injuries he was having in his lower back.But he has emerged on the other side of that after a sensational Ashes series where he took 13 wickets at 15.76 and looked a different beast to the bowler who went wicketless in his debut series against India. Mason, who has worked extremely closely with McDonald on Green’s development as a bowler, believes it was all part of the plan.”We had such a big focus for those two seasons around the technical that I think his frustration boiled over at times,” Mason told ESPNcricinfo. “The first bit was to make him safe so he can play cricket and the next bit was to learn the game of cricket. I thought as the Ashes series progressed his confidence grew and his ability to ball better lengths and more wicket-taking balls was evident.”Now the conversation has turned to whether Green could play as a third seamer instead of a fourth, to allow Australia to pick two spinners in Pakistan and the other upcoming subcontinent assignments over the next 12 months.”Potentially,” Green said. “Again, it’ll be a really big learning curve. In saying that, if I’m the third quick and there’s two spinners in front of me as well, I’m still going to be the fifth bowler.”Mason feels that people still needed to temper their expectations on Green’s bowling.”I think the sky is the limit, but it’s a process we’ve got to be patient with,” he said. “Cam is a once in a generation cricketer, I think. We’ve got to curb our expectations. He can bowl well in excess of 145kph, and eventually, I think that’s what we’ll see from him more regularly.”But he’s also not as robust or as resilient as he needs to be just yet for that sort of role. I think what Australia have done brilliantly through Andrew McDonald, Justin Langer and now Pat Cummins as captain is they’ve kept that patience level in terms of watching his overs. And it’s that management of him that’s allowed him to back up in Test matches.”As he gets older and more mature and more robust, those restrictions will start to come off and then after that, you know he’s free to go and he could be absolutely anything.”It’s easy to forget Green is still a 22-year-old on his first Test tour overseas. He even used the plane trip to Islamabad to do some economics study for his online degree. His next assignment could be his toughest yet.