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Brendan Taylor, the Zimbabwe captain, has said his team will continue to play attacking, aggressive Test cricket, even though chasing a win instead of playing for the draw against New Zealand in Bulawayo may have cost them the match. New Zealand won by 34 runs after setting Zimbabwe a steep 366 to chase for victory.On a traditionally flat pitch, Zimbabwe decided to bat for a result, despite needing 305 on the final day with eight wickets standing. A century from Taylor and a half-century by Tatenda Taibu kept them in the hunt but a spectacular collapse, in which they lost six wickets for 44 runs, saw them end up on the losing side. Taylor said he had no regrets about thinking positively.”If we want to become better cricketers, we have to play like that,” he told ESPNcricinfo. “If you don’t test yourself, you won’t know how far you can go.”Taylor has only captained Zimbabwe in three Tests, but has already become known for brave decision making. In Zimbabwe’s comeback Test, against Bangladesh in Harare in August, Taylor declared Zimbabwe’s second innings on 291 for 5 early on the fourth day, setting Bangladesh 375 to win. Critics said Zimbabwe should have batted longer to ensure Bangladesh were out of the game but Taylor preferred to dangle the carrot instead. The result was a comprehensive 130-run win for Zimbabwe with two sessions to spare.When Taylor found himself in the opposite situation, with New Zealand leaving Zimbabwe a gettable target, he accepted the challenge. “You have to be realistic and we felt that it was realistic to go for the win.” Even though Zimbabwe have a short batting line-up, which Taylor admits “stops at No. 7,” Taylor felt that with two frontline batsmen occupying the crease for most of the day the target was within reach. He shared a 108-run fourth-wicket partnership with Taibu and believed one of them would take Zimbabwe over the line. “I wanted us both to spend a session or a session-and-a-half at the crease and thought that if one of us was there at the end, we could win.”It was when the pair were dismissed that the collapse began, which raised questions about Zimbabwe’s lack of stability in the lower-middle order. “We are missing some guys through injury,” Taylor said. “Elton Chigumbura is struggling with a hamstring injury and Graeme Cremer has been out for a while [with a knee injury]. They could really make a difference.”While the cricketing world was touched, disappointed and some even a little heartbroken for Zimbabwe after they lost, Taylor said the team were not overcome by a sense of gloom. “Within 20 minutes afterwards we were ok. We had a meeting and everyone was very praiseworthy of each other. We gave it our all; for five days we played good cricket and to take it late into the fifth day we knew we had done something right.”Since their return to Test cricket, Zimbabwe have won one Test and lost two, won four ODIs, including a record run-chase against New Zealand, but lost seven and been defeated in four Twenty20 internationals. Taylor said it’s not the numbers but the progress that matters.”To have won the third ODI against New Zealand gave us confidence and we came close in the Test. We can hold our heads high. The senior guys have performed and helped the younger guys.”The Test against New Zealand saw contributions from several of the more-experienced players in the team. Vusi Sibanda scored 93 in the first innings and Chris Mpofu showed an understanding of the conditions to take 4 for 92, before Taylor and Taibu shone on the final day. There were also impressive performances from some of the younger players: Kyle Jarvis took 5 for 64 and Malcolm Waller, on debut, scored an undefeated 72 in the first innings. “We can take positives out of all of these things,” Taylor said.Zimbabwe have a break for the next two months, during which the players will play in the local T20 competition. Their first assignment next year is a tour of New Zealand that consists of a one-off Test, three ODIs and two T20s. It will provide a barometer to measure how Zimbabwe cope in foreign conditions.

ألغى حكم مباراة الزمالك وغزل المحلة، عبد العزيز السيد، هدفاً للزمالك، في المباراة التي تجمع بينهما اليوم الثلاثاء ببطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز.

الزمالك يواجه غزل المحلة، في إطار منافسات الجولة الـ 15 من عمر البطولة المحلية.

طالع | مباشر بالفيديو | مباراة الزمالك وغزل المحلة في الدوري

وسجل مصطفي شلبي هدف للزمالك في الدقيقة 47 من عمر الشوط الأول، ولكن حكم اللقاء احتسبه تسلل على شلبي. هدف الزمالك الملغي أمام غزل المحلة:

وعاد الحكم إلى تقينة الفيديو، وأكد قرار الحكم المساعد وحكم الساحة.

ويتقدم غزل المحلة على الزمالك بهدفين دون رد أحرزهما جابريل أوروك وأحمد النادري في الدقيقتين 4، 19 على الترتيب.

The dispute between Shahid Afridi and the PCB took the first official step towards a resolution, with Afridi withdrawing his petition against the board in the Sindh High Court. He will now appear before a PCB disciplinary committee on Thursday; Afridi had filed the petition on June 7 against the same disciplinary proceedings the board had initiated against him in the wake of his ‘retirement’ and subsequent criticism of the board.But following a meeting between Afridi and PCB chairman Ijaz Butt in Islamabad, the outlines of a compromise emerged on Tuesday; Afridi would withdraw the petition, face up to a disciplinary committee that the court had initially put a stay order on, be punished, but have his No-Objection Certifcate (NOC) reinstated, allowing him to play for Hampshire.A hearing last week had adjourned the case to June 16, after the board didn’t file a detailed reply, but following the compromise deal, Afridi’s lawyers appeared in court today to officially withdraw the petition. “The petition has been withdrawn as a part of the reconciliation between both sides,” Syed Ali Zafar, Afridi’s lawyer, told ESPNcricinfo. “If the petition has borne fruit then there is no objection or obstacle in withdrawing a petition.”Afridi has now been asked to appear before the committee on June 16 at the PCB headquarters in Lahore. In a statement released several hours after the petition was withdrawn, the board said they had been informed of the withdrawal by Afridi. “Therefore, in continuation of the proceduere that had been postponed as per court orders, PCB has directed Shahid Afrdito appear in person before the Diciplinary Committee of PCB on 16 June, 2011 at 3:00 PM at PCB Headquarters, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore.”The reinstatement of the NOCs will likely happen once that hearing has taken place; in his first communication to the PCB after being served a notice, Afridi had accepted violating the code of conduct but asked for his NOC to be reinstated. His central contract also remains suspended for now.”We hope that the NOC will now be granted,” Zafar said. “The disciplinary committee hearing will be a kind of formality now.”Incidentally, there has been no indication from Afridi so far about the status of his conditional retirement and neither, it is said, was it discussed in the meeting with Butt. After being stripped of the ODI captaincy, Afridi said several times that he would not play internationally under this administration, though he insisted he would continue playing domestically at home and abroad.Earlier this week, before the Afridi-Butt meeting, the Karachi City Cricket Association (KCCA) announced Afridi as captain of the Karachi Dolphins side in the domestic T20 tournament to be played in July in Faisalabad. They also asked the PCB whether he would be allowed to play. That issue will also now be resolved, but Afridi’s Hampshire commitment will take precedence in any case over the local tournament.

Rangers fell at the final hurdle as they looked to secure the Europa League title by beating Eintracht Frankfurt in Seville last night.

After getting through extra time with a 1-1 scoreline, Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side ultimately lost on penalties after midfielder Aaron Ramsey failed to covert his attempt.

As well as this major disappointment, the Ibrox side were also dealt another blow which not only impacted their penalty shootout on the day but could also impact their upcoming Scottish Cup final clash against Hearts on Saturday.

What’s the news?

Shortly before the end of extra time, Rangers left-back Borna Barisic went off with an injury. This not only forced Van Bronckhorst to bring Kemar Roofe on in the full-back’s place but it also made him rejig his order for penalty takers according to the Daily Record.

With 43 appearances under his belt across all competitions this season, the Croatian is definitely an important figure for his side and Van Bronckhorst, who will surely be worrying over his fitness now.

In their Europa League campaign, the 29-year-old had appeared in all but one of their 15 matches, showing that the Dutchman certainly trusted him to deliver on the big stage.

To further highlight how significant the defender has been for his side in the SPFL this season, he ended their recent campaign with the joint-highest average of tackles per game (2.1) out of players to start more than one league game.

He also racked up the second highest number of crosses (158) in Rangers’ squad behind James Tavernier (398), showing how useful he can be in defence and attack.

Taking all of this into account, it’s safe to say that it would be a big blow for Rangers to potentially not have their left-back available to play at the weekend.

With Saturday’s clash being the club’s final attempt at being able to win some silverware this season, there’s no doubt that everyone connected with the Gers will want to see them win the trophy and put Wednesday’s disappointment in Seville behind them.

Moving forward, there will surely be many fingers crossed at Ibrox that Barisic will be able to be fit enough to play in Saturday’s final and that the team can end the season on a positive note with another trophy in their cabinet.

In other news: Fewer touches than McGregor: Rangers dud who won just 33% duels let GvB down yesterday

Steven Gerrard has added Liverpool’s Phil Roscoe to his ‘support staff’ at Aston Villa, The Athletic’s Gregg Evans reports. 

The lowdown

Gerrard took on the Villa job last November and is still putting his imprint on the role.

The 41-year-old is one of Liverpool’s greatest legends, ranking third on the club’s all-time appearance list and fifth on their goalscoring charts.

His coaching career began with a stint as their Under-18 boss following his retirement.

And his backroom team at Villa already includes former Reds Under-23 coach Michael Beale and ex-Liverpool midfielder Gary McAllister, who played 87 games for the club.

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The latest

Evans tweeted on Friday afternoon that ‘Gerrard is adding’ to his behind-the-scenes team at Villa.

Roscoe ‘will join from LFC’ after a 17-year spell on Merseyside to take up a role as head of player care.

He was invited to watch Villa in action against Leicester City on 23 April.

The verdict

Gerrard will be pleased to secure this appointment – Evans notes that Roscoe’s position is ‘very important’ and will see him work closely with the first-team squad.

His success stories at Anfield include the integration of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Raheem Sterling into the first team set-up.

It will now be interesting to see whether Gerrard looks to poach any playing staff from his alma mater this summer.

According to a report from Football Insider, Reds centre-back Joe Gomez is his ‘no. 1 target’ ahead of the transfer window.

In other news, read this transfer insider’s claim on Villa’s CBs.

Cameron White, Australia’s new Twenty20 captain, says he is tactically as good as there is when it comes to the shortest format

Andrew McGlashan in Adelaide11-Jan-2011Cameron White believes he is ideally suited to the Australia Twenty20 captaincy as he prepares to lead his country for the first time against England, in Adelaide, on Wednesday. White has taken over from Michael Clarke who announced his retirement from Twenty20 cricket after the fifth Ashes Test in a bid to improve his Test and one-day form.White has an impressive Twenty20 record as a player and averages 36.64 from 23 matches with a strike-rate of 144.50. In all Twenty20 cricket, which includes playing for Somerset and Royal Challengers Bangalore, he has managed two hundreds with a best of 141. Now, though, it is about more than just the runs he scores but how he leads his team and White has no doubt he’s capable of meeting the challenge.”I think I have a really good understanding of how Twenty20 cricket works on the field for a start; tactically I hope I’m as good as there is, and I guess that is what the selectors have seen,” he said. “I hope I’m successful as a captain but I can’t control where that takes me.”For the time being, White doesn’t have any designs on making a push for further captaincy honours in Australian cricket. There is extensive debate about the future of Ricky Ponting and whether Clarke, who has been earmarked for the Test and one-day captaincy for much of his career, is the right man to take over.White, though, isn’t near the Test side at the moment and hasn’t been since playing four Tests in India in 2008. “I don’t think that I need to worry about or think about being captain of those other formats because it’s probably not something that is going to happen in the near future,” he said.A tough first assignment awaits White, as he attempts to stop a rampant England side who are brimming with confidence after their Ashes success. The last time the two sides met in a Twenty20 international was in Barbados when England won by seven wickets to secure the World Twenty20 title. England have now strung together seven victories on the bounce and one more will give them a new world record although the team have not been concentrating too hard on the landmark.”It’s been discussed but I don’t think it is something that has always been spoken about,” Michael Yardy, the England left-arm spinner and middle-order batsman said. “Obviously, you want to achieve world records and it is an opportunity to achieve that, but it is not the main focus. It is very much about continuing the tour in a successful mode.”Yardy is one of the new faces to join the tour for the limited-overs matches. He had been playing Twenty20 cricket in New Zealand for Central Districts prior to his international duty and prepared with 3 for 33 against the Prime Minister’s XI in Canberra. And even though the Ashes are finished he can feel the positive after-effects.”The boys are buzzing, obviously. After winning a series like that they are going to be,” he said. “It’s nice to be a part of it. You fit in very well, it’s a good environment to come into. There is a lot of love in the group at the moment and whether that brings results or it’s the results that bring the team closer together I am not too sure. But certainly everyone is happy.”But the tone from the Australian camp, understandably, is very much to move on from what has happened over the last six weeks and start afresh in coloured clothes. There are a number of players, including express quicks Brett Lee and Shaun Tait, in the side who weren’t part of the Tests and White is looking forward rather than back.”Twenty20 and Test cricket couldn’t be further apart. I think there are only three or four guys that have been involved in the Test matches,” he said. “So it’s really a fresh start for this team. Hopefully a change of format will bring a change of luck.”Australia was late to embrace Twenty20 cricket and now is looking towards the shortest format for salvation.

West Bromwich Albion have sealed their first signing of the summer transfer window.

What’s the word?

That is according to their manager Steve Bruce, who has claimed that a deal to sign Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Jayson Molumby is “done.”

After Saturday’s 0-0 draw with Coventry City Bruce revealed all when asked about Molumby’s future. He said: “Molumby’s done.

“Molumby was done weeks ago. The deal was kicked in weeks ago, so he’s our player now.

“He’s a young player who’s got a lot to learn still, but he wants to win; he’s got a bit of an attitude with him, which I like, so, yeah he’ll be here next year.”

Fans will be delighted

The capture of Molumby is promising for a West Brom side who will be eager to demonstrate their ambition to the Baggies faithful, with their Championship play-off hopes gone.

The 22-year-old, who was initially on loan from Brighton, has failed to assert himself as a Baggies regular this season, starting just 38% of their 44 games in the Championship.

Though he will surely start the final two games of the campaign with Alex Mowatt out for the season.

His statistics also demonstrate why supporters will be excited to see him sign on the dotted line, with the 22-year-old remaining composed in possession, completing 84.5% of his passes and producing 1.1 tackles per match.

Now that he has signed permanently, he will be looking to leave a lasting impression on Bruce who acknowledges that the Republic of Ireland international “has a lot to learn.”

The fact that Potter has allowed the youngster to leave on a permanent deal serves as a shock, as he spoke well of him in an interview with The Argus as recent as 2020: “Jayson is a good guy, he is ambitious and he wants to play which is a good quality to have and we enjoy working with him.”

After previous Championship loan spells with Millwall and Preston North End, Molumby boasts exceptional amounts of experience in the league, considering the fact that he is not even 23-years-old yet.

His experience can benefit the Baggies, whilst Molumby himself will mutually benefit through a platform that will aid his development.

Both parties will have big ambitions of playing Premier League football in the near future, and the fact that West Brom have made the deal permanent shows the potential that they see within the No.14 midfielder.

In other news: Bruce could now save WBA millions with £9m-rated “monster”, he’ll be key next season – opinion

Manchester United have been in talks to hire Erik ten Hag as their next permanent manager to take on the challenging role as manager at the club this summer, and now there has been a fresh update on the progress of the deal.

What’s the word?

The Athletic journalist David Ornstein has revealed more insight to the deal currently being discussed between ten Hag and Manchester United.

Ornstein Tweeted:

“Erik Ten Hag close to making decision on whether to join Man Utd, If agrees in principle, contract must satisfy all demands before he signs.

“MUFC may negotiate exit with Ajax rather than pay clause. No announcement pre KNVB final.”

Supporters surely buzzing

There were reports on Monday from Sky Sports News that RB Leipzig were planning to hijack the deal between the Ajax coach and the Premier League club by making their own approach for his services this summer, so this update from Ornstein will be well received and will surely delight supporters about the progress.

With the KNVB cup final taking place this Saturday, it would suggest that an announcement could be made as early as next week on the appointment of the Ajax boss, and the Manchester United board will likely also be similarly relieved to have the deal done so that they can focus on the massive project ahead of them to get the club back to their best.

Ten Hag is believed to want Robin Van Persie and Steve McClaren involved in his management team at Old Trafford, which would be another huge bonus for the fans as van Persie was a beloved player at the club and his reunion with the Red Devils would surely be welcomed.

The Ajax boss could win two trophies over the next few months, with the potential of winning his third Dutch Cup this weekend and his side are currently four points clear at the top of the table meaning they are in with a great chance to win their third Eredivisie title under the manager.

If the 52-year-old is triumphant in collecting trophies this season it will surely put him in good stead to inject a winning mentality at Old Trafford next term, with United desperately in need of their own silverware after falling into their longest trophy drought in four decades.

Manchester United now have the opportunity to sign a high-quality manager, with winning experience and the desire to have full involvement in the project at the club, so getting the deal over the line must be the top priority for the board over the next few days and weeks.

In other news: Man United eye move for “brutal” £45m-rated monster, he’s miles better than Maguire

Newcastle were active throughout the January transfer window as PIF moved to bring a number of players to Tyneside.

Kieran Trippier, Bruno Guimaraes, Dan Burn and Chris Wood all joined on permanent deals, while Matt Targett was signed on loan from Premier League side Aston Villa.

The Magpies are currently 18th in the table and facing a fight against relegation to the second tier, with these fresh additions potentially helping them to move out of the bottom three.

How could Howe’s best XI look? Here is our take on it…

Dan Burn and Matt Targett could start in the back four for Howe, joining Trippier – who has already established himself at right-back.

The January signing from Brighton, Burn, has averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.96 in the Premier League, whilst Targett has managed a score of 6.82. No Newcastle player with five or more league outings this term has achieved a higher rating in either of their positions, suggesting that they will be able to immediately improve the team.

In midfield, Joelinton and Jonjo Shelvey could keep their places, with new signing Guimaraes added to the starting XI. The Brazilian midfielder joins off the back of an impressive campaign in Ligue 1, averaging a sublime SofaScore rating of 7.30, which is why he could slot straight into the team.

Howe said of him: “Bruno is a hugely exciting talent and has been one of our primary targets so I’m delighted to secure him. He strengthens the group immediately ready for the challenge ahead.”

His consistently brilliant displays could provide a lift in the middle of the park alongside Shelvey and Joelinton. This could provide protection to the back four, whilst giving the attack some support going the other way – with Bruno averaging 1.8 key passes per game.

At the top end of the pitch, there may not be a place for Wood in the starting XI if Howe decides to go with a 4-5-1 formation. When Callum Wilson returns from injury, he should be the player leading the line for the Magpies, having scored six goals in 14 – compared to the former Burnley man’s three in 19.

The New Zealand international could be used in a 4-4-2 set-up alongside Wilson, but in this best XI there is no room for him to play. Therefore, the January signing could end up on the bench as an impact substitute if Howe’s best XI comes to fruition.

AND in other news, Forget Ekitike: Howe dropped D-Day Newcastle clanger on “underrated” £50k-p/w flyer…

كتب رئيس فيفا، جياني إنفانتينو، إلى جميع الدول الـ32 المتنافسة في نهائيات كأس العالم هذا الشهر، لحثها على التركيز على كرة القدم في قطر.

وأثير جدل كبير حول استضافة قطر لـ كأس العالم، التي ستنطلق 20 نوفمبر، بسبب موقفها من الشذوذ، وسجلها الحقوقي، ومعاملتها للعمال المهاجرين.

وخطط بعض اللاعبين لاحتجاجات وسيرتدي اللاعب الإنجليزي هاري كين وتسعة آخرين من قادة منتخبات أوروبية الشارات الملونة بألوان قوس قزح، التي تدعم الشواذ.

وصمم قميص خصيصًا للدنمارك تعبر عن نوع من الاحتجاج، كما قالت شركة هامل للملابس الرياضية، التي تزود المنتخب الدنماركي بالملابس، إنها “لا ترغب في الظهور” في البطولة.

بالإضافة إلى ذلك، هناك دعوات بمنع إيران من المشاركة في كأس العالم بسبب “انتهاكات منهجية لحقوق الإنسان”.

في رسالته، يحاول إنفانتينو تهدئة المخاوف بشأن تنظيم البطولة في قطر بالقول: “هناك العديد من التحديات والصعوبات ذات الطبيعة السياسية في جميع أنحاء العالم”.

اقرأ أيضًا | تشافي يرشح منتخبين للتتويج بكأس العالم

وكرر الوعد بأن “الجميع مرحب بهم بغض النظر عن الأصل أو الخلفية أو الدين أو الجنس أو الميول الجنسية”.

رسالة إنفانتينو تضمنت أيضًا: “رجاء، لنركز الآن على كرة القدم، نعلم أن كرة القدم لا تعيش في الفراغ لكننا ندرك أيضًا بنفس الدرجة أن هناك الكثير من التحديات والصعوبات ذات الطبيعة السياسية حول العالم”.

وشدد: “رجاء لا تسمحوا لكرة القدم أن تنجر إلى المعركة الأيديولوجية أو السياسية الموجودة حاليا”.