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Notwithstanding the Lodha Committee’s strong missive to the Supreme Court asking it to disqualify all ineligible office bearers with immediate effect, the BCCI and its members have reiterated that they continue to oppose some of the committee’s recommenda

Nagraj Gollapudi02-Dec-20160:49

‘Members have reiterated their position’ – Shirke

Notwithstanding the strong missive sent by the Lodha Committee to the Supreme Court asking it to disqualify all ineligible office bearers with immediate effect, the BCCI and its members have reiterated that they continue to oppose some of the committee’s recommendations.At a special general meeting on Friday, the BCCI said it would stick to the decision taken on October 1 at a previous SGM. Then, the BCCI had said that it had “unanimously” adopted “important recommendations” made by the committee.However, a deeper reading of the minutes of the October 1 meeting made it clear that the BCCI and the states were against some of the key recommendations such as election and term of an office bearer, one-state-one vote, formation of an Apex Council to replace the existing working committee, and the role of the CEO.On Friday, BCCI secretary Ajay Shirke did not respond directly to a question on whether the BCCI and the states had effectively decided not to accept the court order of July 18, which had approved most of the recommendations proposed by the committee and asked it to lay out a timeline for the BCCI to put the reforms in place. “We have once again explained to them [members] the position and they have again clarified their position that they stand to their decision taken earlier,” Shirke said on Friday, in a brief statement to the media. “So the decision taken on the October 1 SGM, the members have reiterated their position with regards to the reforms.”Shirke said the BCCI would await the court to provide further direction on December 5, when the court reconvenes for the next hearing. On Monday, the court will consider the latest status report submitted by the committee on November 18, when it proposed for the second time that the existing office bearers of the BCCI and state associations be removed if they failed to meet various eligibility norms. The committee has also proposed GK Pillai, a former civil servant, be appointed as an ‘observer’ to oversee all business conducted by the BCCI.A state association president who attended Friday’s SGM said the matter was out of the BCCI’s hands already and it was for the court to take the final call. “We don’t have to take any decision. We have said we don’t agree [with certain recommendations]. Whatever the Supreme Court says we will have to abide.”This member said there was no reason for the BCCI or states to panic even if the court were to pass an adverse order. “Since the last three meetings our stance has not changed. There is no panic.”

Manchester United aren't in a position to change hands at ownership level and the situation is 'still the same' despite reports from Qatar, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.

What's the latest takeover news involving Manchester United?

As per Qatari-based media organisation Al Watan via The Manchester Evening News on Monday, reports started to circulate that Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani and the Nine Two Foundation had won in their bid to take 100% control of Manchester United, with their editorial director Fahed al Emadi stating: "The announcement of the deal will be very soon."

Nevertheless, al Emadi retracted his statement soon after, tweeting: "Contrary to certain media and social media reports overnight, Al Watan is not owned by Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani, and Al Watan's media report yesterday speculating about possible movement in the Manchester United takeover process was based on international media reports, as stated in the article itself, and with such news widely circulating periodically in international media for many months."

The Daily Mail cite that Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his petrochemicals firm INEOS are rival bidders to Sheikh Jassim and are proposing to buy a majority stake in the club that would allow the Glazer family to stay on for a period of time after the takeover before performing a 'sourced buyout' of the Premier League giants.

ESPN claim that several minority investment firms are waiting to hear whether they have been successful in their quest to gain some footing at Manchester United and are still in the process as the Glazer family weighs up all potential options.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Romano has stated that despite media reports, Sheikh Jassim and the Nine Two Foundation are no closer to buying Manchester United than they were before.

Romano said: “It’s still the same. I'm really sorry Man United fans, but we can't control that. The reality is that, at the moment, nothing has changed. It's still up to the Glazers.”

What next for Manchester United?

Manchester United face a crucial few days at ownership level; however, that will not deter Erik Ten Hag in his bid to secure several new signings this summer ahead of next term.

Multiple players have been linked with the possibility of a move to Old Trafford and Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount has cropped up as a key target for the Red Devils, who are said to be in the process of formalising their interest in the England international with a bid for his services in the near future, as per Sky Sports.

Atalanta rising star Rasmus Hojlund is also on Manchester United's radar and talkSPORT claim that they are set to press ahead with their pursuit of the 20-year-old striker as Ten Hag looks to bolster his forward line.

Napoli defender Kim Min-jae is in the sights of Manchester United and has rejected a new contract at his current employers amid indications that he is attracting attention from the Red Devils, as per 90min, signifying that a lot of intriguing scenarios could appear in the next few weeks at Old Trafford both regarding potential ownership and player recruitment.

There has been an update regarding Tottenham Hotspur's apparent interest in Southampton talisman, James Ward-Prowse…

What's the latest on Ward-Prowse to Tottenham?

According to Football Insider, the Lilywhites – as well as rivals West Ham United – are believed to be the frontrunners in the battle to land the England international, with the Premier League pair said to be 'pushing hardest' to get a deal over the line.

The piece adds that Spurs, in particular, have been keeping tabs on the 28-year-old over an extended period of time, with the north Londoners now having the perfect chance to pounce following the Saints' recent relegation.

If Ange Postecoglou and co are to make a move for the 11-cap playmaker, previous reports earlier this month suggested that it could require a fee of around £40m, with three years still left to run on the player's existing deal.

Should Tottenham sign Ward-Prowse?

A deal for Ward-Prowse could potentially allow Tottenham to finally fill the creative, midfield void that was left behind by Christian Eriksen following his departure for Inter Milan back in 2020, with journalist Dean Jones having stated last summer that the club "haven't replaced Eriksen's profile and creativity".

Club legend Glenn Hoddle has also spoken of the need to replace the experienced Dane after stating his desire to see Daniel Levy recruit 'a player who can pick passes', before going on to name Ward-Prowse – who he described as a 'major asset' – as a possible candidate for that vacancy.

While filling the shoes of a player who racked up 90 goals and 69 assists for Spurs in 305 games would not be easy, the Saints star also possesses the quality to make a telling impact in the final third, having registered 53 assists and 55 goals in 409 games across all fronts for the south coast side.

Lauded by teammate Jan Bednarek for having the "best delivery in the league", Ward-Prowse also mirrors Eriksen due to his set-piece quality as he has scored 17 Premier League free-kicks to date, with the current Manchester United man – who has scored eight top-flight free-kicks – also having "very, very good set-piece delivery, both from corners and direct free kicks", according to Brentford boss, Thomas Frank.

The introduction of an Eriksen-like figure could also potentially benefit Tottenham's free-scoring talisman, Harry Kane, with talkSPORT pundit Darren Ambrose claiming earlier this year that Ward-Prowse could help his compatriot to score "an extra ten goals a season", due to his devastating delivery.

While there have been claims that Kane could be on his way out of the club this summer – amid links to both Manchester United and Real Madrid – Ambrose even went as far as to suggest that if "you sign James Ward-Prowse, Harry Kane stays."

Whether that proves true or not, it would certainly be a benefit for both Kane – and for new boss Postecoglou – if Spurs could find an heir to Eriksen this summer…

South Africa’s stand-in Test captain lauded the young fast bowler’s willingness to be in the fight

Firdose Moonda in Perth07-Nov-2016If Kagiso Rabada were a little older but not quite as wise, or the WACA pitch a little flatter but with not quite as much carry, South Africa’s 21-year old bowling superstar may not have had the success he did. But youth and circumstance allowed him to prove himself “a champion bowler”, in the words of his captain Faf du Plessis, and bowl a 10-man South Africa side to the unlikeliest of victories.”I am incredibly proud of KG. He just wanted the ball,” du Plessis said. “Every time I said, ‘Are you tired?’, he said, ‘No, you’re not taking the ball out of my hand’. That’s the sign of a champion bowler for me. He wants to be in the fight the whole time.”Rabada bowled 51 overs in the match, almost ten more than his seam-bowling partner Vernon Philander. In the second innings, his twin spells of eight overs at the beginning and end of the day broke the back of Australia’s attempt to save the match. If that wasn’t enough, he returned on the final morning for six more overs of high quality to complete a five-for. In all that, Rabada never thought it was getting too much.”It was challenging but I’ve done this before, at Kent. There are flat wickets there. At least here the ball is bouncing now,” Rabada said. “I’ve got that experience in my body but I am young. If I was older, I don’t know if I’d have done that much.”The pick of Rabada’s efforts came late in the afternoon on the penultimate day. Despite flagging energy, his speeds were above 140, the line was perfect outside off stump and the movement he generated made wickets inevitable. First Steven Smith fell and then Rabada produced a near-perfect over to Adam Voges.”I enjoyed that over, with a new batter coming in and the ball reversing nicely,” Rabada said. “I was feeling my best rhythm. Sometimes you get a wicket exactly how you want it and this was one of those times.”At four down overnight, there was some talk of an early finish but Rabada entered the day aware that it might get long. “Two things could have happened: either we would have cleaned them up before lunch and we’d have been done or this would have happened where we had to wait until tea time. If it does happen, great. If it doesn’t you have to keep on persisting and hitting your straps and that’s what we did.”

“I don’t see myself being the leader of the attack.”Kagiso Rabada

South Africa’s determination stemmed from a desire to translate their success in the home ODIs against the same opposition into the longer format. “It was important coming here after what we’ve done in the one-dayers to back it up with Tests,” du Plessis said. “You like to start well and open up those wounds again.”Rabada is being spoken about as the new spearhead, especially with Dale Steyn out for at least the next six months, but it is not a label he wants. “I don’t see myself being the leader of the attack. Every player has a job to do,” Rabada said. “You have a responsibility to make sure you produce the goods for your country. You’ve got a job to do, it’s a passion and you do it for your team-mates and the people back home. No one wants to lose, right? So you have to try to do everything you can to win.”Sharing the burden is a theme South Africa want to build on, not just in the bowling department. With AB de Villiers out of the series, the rest have had to rally. In this Test, JP Duminy’s return to form, batting at No.4, was particularly pleasing for South Africa especially as there was pressure on him to keep his place.”The extra responsibility on JP is something he has really enjoyed. He looked really confident,” du Plessis said. “He was practising well. His body language was positive. It’s not a guarantee but it’s a sign and I felt JP’s cricket was about to turn in a positive way. He has played really well. That’s one of his best knocks he has ever played. He moved brilliantly. Even throwing the ball to him now, I know he is so confident. It’s great for his future in the game.”With so much going their way, South Africa will celebrate in Perth tonight but not like they would have celebrated before. In 2012, the series was done. Now, the series has just started and they know they have a long way to go. “It’s important to celebrate games like this. Every time you win a Test you must celebrate,” du Plessis said. “But we also know we’ve got one step in the right direction but we are very far from winning the series.”

teven Finn was satisfied to have been given a tough work-out in humid conditions, as England’s bowlers completed their first full day’s match practice

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Oct-2016Steven Finn was satisfied to have been given a tough work-out in humid conditions, as England’s bowlers completed their first full day’s match practice ahead of the first Test in Chittagong next week.Finn, who bowled six overs in England’s truncated 45-over-a-side warm-up on Saturday, added another ten today, and though he has yet to take a wicket on tour, he said he was happy with his rhythm even though he recognises that life for the seam bowlers is likely to be tough in the coming weeks.”I think we’ll have to readjust our expectations of what the new ball is going to do over here,” he said. “The new ball, with the way there’s no conventional swing, the hardness of the ball seems to make it come onto the ball a little bit better.”I think the first three hours are the warmest and then it seems to tail off in the afternoon a little bit. Those first two hours were very, very hot. [We will have to see] whether we change our gameplan a little bit and be slightly more defensive and wait for them to come to us.”We could have been quicker to realise the fact we couldn’t attack so much with the new ball, but I think the way we addressed it, and after that the way we stuck to our plans, was really good. We dried them up and you can cause rash shots through drying their batsmen up.”As might have been expected, it was England’s spinners who eventually claimed the bulk of the wickets, with Zafar Ansari picking up four and Gareth Batty two in the BCB XI’s total of 294. One of those two men is likely to link up with Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid to complete a three-man spin attack, which means Finn could be forced to wait for his opportunity for a Test recall.”I sort of viewed these two games as an opportunity for me to show what I can do,” he said. “I do enjoy bowling in the subcontinent, I enjoy the reverse swing aspect of it, I enjoy the fact that you have to put in to get something out of the wicket.”I think I’ve got a relatively good record in the subcontinent, so I just wanted to come and put my hand up.”Realistically, I’m probably outside of those top three seamers at the moment because of the way [Chris] Woakes, [Stuart] Broad and [Ben] Stokes have bowled in the summer but I think that my job, and anyone on the fringe of the squad, is just to keep pushing and keep trying to put your hand up to get in the team.”I felt in good rhythm today, I felt in good rhythm in the nets, it’s just about keeping your name out there. I felt rushed a little bit in my first spell but adjusted that to the second spell and felt good today, where it’s just about having a really simple gameplan.”As for the form of the spinners, Finn was impressed by what he had seen. “I thought they went really well,” he said. “I like Gareth Batty’s improvement in every format of cricket. He’s a real experienced head to talk to the other spinners whilst he’s been here and he’s been great.”I thought Zafar has bowled with a really good pace over the last two days, was aggressive and the way he spun the ball for a finger [spinner] was really good, and Mo bowled like Mo does today and I thought he bowled a good solid nine-over spell.”I think everyone’s in good order going into the first Test match and if we get a good day’s batting under our belts tomorrow, we’ll be really well equipped to go and win this Test.”

Leeds United chiefs have internally discussed out-of-work manager Scott Parker as the Whites continue their search for Sam Allardyce's replacement.

Who could Leeds appoint as manager?

Following relegation from the Premier League, Leeds face an almighty task to find the perfect successor to Allardyce, who has left Elland Road by mutual consent.

It's been a season to forget for Leeds, who saw three different managers take the helm last campaign in Jesse Marsch, Javi Gracia and Allardyce – but none could steer them away from the Championship.

FC Lorient boss Regis Le Bris and West Brom's Carlos Corberan, among others, are reportedly in contention to replace Allardyce at Leeds, though hiring either boss could be difficult given their currently employed status.

Free agent managers could be a solution and there are plenty around, with former Rangers boss Steven Gerrard being linked with a move to Yorkshire.

Reliable journalist Phil Hay, writing in a piece for The Athletic, claims Leeds have internally discussed hiring another manager on the market in Parker.

The 42-year-old, who has previously managed the likes of Fulham and Club Brugge, is indeed a candidate among the Leeds hierarchy.

“Scott Parker has been discussed on the basis he won promotion from the Championship twice before, with Fulham and Bournemouth," Hay wrote."Leicester City are another possible destination for him.”

Hay also explains that Leeds wanted to take their time and draw up a viable shortlist of candidates before formally approaching any manager.

“Last week, Leeds’ chief executive, Angus Kinnear, began assessing and approaching potential managerial candidates with a view to establishing whether they were interested and what their demands would be.“The club wanted to be in a position where a viable shortlist was in place for the moment a formal offer could be made.”

Who is Scott Parker?

The ex-West Ham and Tottenham midfielder, despite being unceremoniously sacked by Brugge most recently, has actually received glowing praise from elite managers like Pep Guardiola for some of his work.

Guardiola has previously called Parker an "innovative" manager when discussing England's most promising up-and-coming coaches.

Tottenham defender Ryan Sessegnon also holds the tactician in very high esteem, having sung his praises back in 2021 to talkSPORT:

"Everyone knows the relationship I have with Scott. He’s a top guy, top man and a top coach. He’s just an all-round great guy," explained Sessegnon."He obviously has a philosophy of play and sticks to it and all the players are buying into that. Recently, it hasn’t been so good for them in terms of results, but I think the performances and effort is still there."

Ange Postecoglou is on Tottenham Hotspur's list as they search for a new manager, Fabrizio Romano has confirmed.

What's the latest on Spurs' manager search?

Daniel Levy has faced a few difficult weeks again as Spurs struggled to find a new manager, with pursuits of Julian Nagelsmann and Arne Slot falling through.

They have now turned their attention to the Celtic manager, and it has now been reported that the Hoops expect Postecoglou to depart the club as Spurs' interest grows.

The Australian has been a resounding success at Celtic, winning back-to-back titles, and could secure a domestic treble if his side win the Scottish Cup final.

Speaking on the Here We Go Podcast, Romano confirmed that the 57-year-old is being targeted for a move to North London.

"Spurs are deciding on the director very soon, and then they will pick the new manager. I'm told that Ange Postecoglou, who is doing an excellent job at Celtic, is a concrete name in the list," he stated.

"They wanted Arne Slot but no way, he extended his contract at Feyenoord, that was a crazy situation last week.

"It's really crazy, because it's not the first time it has happened, in the summer when they appointed Nuno [Espirito Santo], it was like a three, four or five weeks negotiation, with many managers, and then they ended up with Nuno so it's always like that at Tottenham. They need to clarify the situation as soon as possible."

Could Postecoglou be a good appointment for Spurs?

The Australian's success at Celtic bodes well for Spurs, taking over a team which had lost the title to Rangers, and winning back-to-back leagues in style.

Celtic scored an astonishing 114 goals in 38 league games this season, and asserted their dominance over their rivals, having knocked them out of both cup competitions.

Postecoglou has successfully implemented his style at the Hoops in this time, playing attacking football with a 4-3-3 formation, and if he can translate this success to Spurs, he could gain the support of fans very quickly if the team starts playing a more entertaining style to that of Conte or Jose Mourinho before him.

Attackers such as Son Heung-min and Dejan Kulusevski both struggled this season, but playing under an attacking coach like Postecoglou could help them rediscover their form.

Celtic attackers Kyogo Furuhashi, Jota, Daizen Maeda and Liel Abada all scored 10 or more goals this season, and if Postecoglou can manage similarly at Spurs, who were reliant on Harry Kane going forward, they may see some improvement next season.

Jeff Dujon, the former West Indies wicketkeeper, has said it would be a “terrible embarrassment” if West Indies were unable to qualify automatically for the 2019 World Cup

Andrew McGlashan28-Sep-2016Jeff Dujon, the former West Indies wicketkeeper, has said it would be a “terrible embarrassment” if West Indies were unable to qualify automatically for the 2019 World Cup.West Indies are currently jostling with Pakistan for the final automatic qualification spot in the one-day rankings ahead of the series in UAE, which starts on Friday. If Pakistan can repeat their 3-0 scoreline from the T20 series in the ODIs, they will jump ahead of West Indies into eighth place.The cut-off for qualification is September 30, 2017, with the ODI nations who sit outside the top eight then joining the qualifying tournament which is currently scheduled to take place in Bangladesh. West Indies missed out on a place in next year’s Champions Trophy after being pipped for the final berth by Pakistan and Bangladesh.”It would be a terrible embarrassment for West Indies to not automatically qualify,” Dujon, who played in the 1983 and 1987 World Cups, told ESPNcricinfo. “It would be damaging for any team who has tasted what it’s like to be in the top echelon of world cricket.”As someone who played in a very successful era, it’s very embarrassing but it has to be an indication of exactly where we are at and something needs to be done. It hurts.”We can’t be fooled by the fact that we’ve just won two tournaments – the World T20 and the U-19 World Cup – the fact we are still struggling to qualify shows we shouldn’t get carried away with that.”On the eve of travelling to the UAE, Phil Simmons was sacked as coach – less than six months after West Indies won the World T20 – with the WICB citing “differences in culture and strategic approach.” Dujon does not believe a satisfactory explanation has been given for Simmons’ departure, despite the strained relationship he had with the board following comments about one-day selection last year.”The sacking of Phil Simmons was a surprise. I’m not sure we have the real reasons, what we were given were a bit sketchy,” he said during a visit to London for a Lord’s Taverners event honouring wicketkeepers. “It’s disappointing for me that we haven’t been able to find a settled situation in the coaching area which would give the team some direction. It’s a setback. Jason Holder as captain also still has a lot to prove so things are in a pretty unstable situation now.”Simmons’ last engagement was the Test series against India where, although West Indies lost 2-0, there were moments of encouragement, particularly with Roston Chase’s match-saving maiden Test century in Jamaica and the promising returns of young quicks Miguel Cummins and Alzarri Joseph.”The talent is still there, it’s a matter of who is going to work with them to help them develop,” Dujon said. “We are still in a situation where we are trying to solve the problem from the top down rather than the bottom.”A promising move recently is that it seems we are going to have more A-team tours which is vital for development. They are meaningful when you go and play in countries who are better than you, it gives you a better gauge of where you are at. That has to be focus, as expensive as it may be, and hopefully we’ll have a better quality of player coming through to the top level in the next four or five years. Right now, some of the players who have come to the top level are not the complete article.”The Lord’s Taverners is the UK’s leading youth cricket and disability sports charity whose objective is to give disadvantaged and disabled young people a sporting chance

Tottenham Hotspur forward Harry Kane is one of the Manchester United's 'preferred targets' heading into the forthcoming transfer window. However, Spurs will fight to keep him in north London, according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano.

What's the latest transfer news involving Harry Kane?

Last month, Sky Sports reported that Kane will need to 'drive' any potential exit from Tottenham Hotspur this summer in light of interest from Manchester United.

The 29-year-old is approaching the final year of his deal at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and there is said to be 'growing concern' at Spurs that he has not put pen to paper to extend his £200k-a-week contract.

Pundit Stuart Pearce has urged Kane to leave his boyhood club in an appearance on talkSPORT following Tottenham's 3-1 defeat against Brentford last weekend in the Premier League, stating: “If I was advising Harry Kane, I’d tell him to go and have another challenge somewhere else. Should this be his final home appearance here for Spurs? I think so.”

The Evening Standard report that Kane is set to sit down with Spurs chairman Daniel Levy to thrash out his future at the club amid uncertainty over his future.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, transfer guru Romano has indicated that Kane is one of Manchester United's priority targets this summer, though thinks Tottenham will prove to be stubborn in negotiations.

Romano said: "For sure, he's one of the preferred targets, but the problem is with Tottenham. Tottenham will fight to keep the player.

"Daniel Levy, personally, wants to fight to keep Harry Kane, to extend the contract of Harry Kane, to change the position and also change the mood around the player."

What are Harry Kane's stats like this season?

Kane is an elite striker and would give Manchester United another dimension in attack if he was to sign on the dotted line at Old Trafford in the summer. Nevertheless, Spurs chiefs will be keen to do everything that they can to make sure that doesn't happen and that he can continue his legacy in N17.

In 2022/23, the England international has been in lethal form for a struggling Tottenham side, registering 30 goals and laying on five assists in 48 appearances across all competitions, as per Transfermarkt.

WhoScored also notes that Kane has maintained an average match rating of 7.45/10 for his exploits on the pitch this term, making him Spurs' second-most consistent performer behind Son Hueng-Min.

FBRef show that Kane has been a force of productivity in attack for Tottenham, successfully carrying out 156 shot-creating actions this campaign.

Looking ahead, Tottenham need to act fast to avoid losing their star man; however, at least it looks as if they are prepared to fight tooth and nail to keep him.

As Zimbabwe seek to level the two-match series, they will have to overcome persistent failings with bat and ball

The Preview by Firdose Moonda05-Aug-2016Match factsAugust 6-11, Bulawayo
Start time 0930 local (0730 GMT)Big PictureA week ago, Zimbabwe were wondering how to stay alive in the first Test against New Zealand. Now, they will be thinking about saving the two-match series and denying New Zealand a chance to claim a cup from the first leg of their self-termed African safari.Victory for Zimbabwe and a share of the spoils seems improbable unless they are able to correct perennial problems that creep into their approach, almost all of which stem from a lack of game time. Their struggle to build partnerships and bat for long periods of time will be crippled further by the absence of Hamilton Masakadza, who will miss the Test with a back injury. Their attack’s battle to sustain pressure over extended periods also result in them falling behind early on. They have showed the ability to fight back, but that will probably not be enough against a more complete New Zealand unit.For New Zealand, a second victory and a clean sweep would be the perfect start in their search for more consistency after they lost ground to Australia. It will also give Kane Williamson a solid foundation on which to build his captaincy and sound a warning to South Africa that they could prove a challenge. Coach Mike Hesson could not find too many “work-ons” after the first Test but Trent Boult’s pace – which averaged in the late 120s – and the spinners’ returns will be areas to zone in on.The other area of interest will be the venue itself. Queens Sports Club will host back-to-back fixtures in a test of the ground staff’s ability to turn around quickly. The outfield, which was sluggish for the first Test, would have been trimmed and may be a little quicker while the pitch itself is expected to be slow, low and flat. With school holidays and a long weekend, crowd numbers could be higher, especially as Bulawayo does not know when it will see Test cricket again.Form guideZimbabwe LLLLL (last five matches, most recent first)
New Zealand WLLWWIn the spotlightAfter crashing to 36 for 4 and 17 for 4 in the first Test Zimbabwe’s top order will want to give their team a better start. Their ability to cope with a swinging new ball and a hostile short ball will be under particular scrutiny after Tim Southee and Neil Wagner used those tactics to run through them. In the absence of Masakadza, the responsibility will fall on Tino Mawoyo and Chamu Chibhabha.Apart from Trent Boult bowling below pace, the only aspect of New Zealand’s game that they may want to work on from the first Test is their spinners. While Mitchell Santner was economical, Ish Sodhi was expensive and with long spells likely to be needed on a flat track, he will need to tighten up and try to stifle Zimbabwe’s batsmen a little more.Team newsThe biggest blow to Zimbabwe is Hamilton Masakadza’s injury. Opener Tino Mawoyo has recovered from a hand injury to take his place at the top of the order alongside Chamu Chibhabha. Peter Moor is in line for a Test debut in place of Regis Chakabva who battled tonsillitis during the first Test. Although Chris Mpofu looks fit and firing, Donald Tiripano and Mike Chinouya are likely to keep their places with John Nyumbu coming in as a second specialist spinner.Zimbabwe: (probable) 1 Tino Mawoyo, 2 Chamu Chibhabha, 3 Sikandar Raza, 4 Craig Ervine, 5 Prince Masvaure, 6 Sean Williams, 7 Peter Moore (wk), 8 Graeme Cremer, (capt) 9 Donald Tiripano, 10 John Nyumbu, 11 Mike ChinouyaNew Zealand confirmed the same XI for the second Test which means no experiments to play Jeet Raval, Doug Bracewell or Matt Henry before they head to South Africa.New Zealand: 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Tom Latham, 3 Kane Williamson (capt), 4 Henry Nicholls, 5 Ross Taylor, 6 BJ Watling (wk), 7 Mitchell Santner, 8 Tim Southee, 9 Ish Sodhi, 10 Trent Boult, 11 Neil WagnerPitch and conditionsWhile Neil Wagner extracted a surprising amount of bounce from the surface for the first match, this one is expected to offer nothing of the sort. The teams are likely to face a hard, flat strip, which will keep run-scoring slow and make wicket-taking difficult. The fielders will not be able to enjoy any respite from the weather either. Temperatures will remain in the mid-to-high 20s and the skies will be cloudless.Stats and trivia Kane Williamson and Tim Southee will be playing their 50th Tests individually Five years ago this week, Zimbabwe returned to Test cricket after a six-year self-imposed exile and won their comeback Test against Bangladesh. Craig Ervine and Tino Mawoyo are the only players who took part in that match who may be involved in this oneQuotes”We spent a day at Heath Steak’s farm. We managed to get out of the hotel which is good. It was awesome to get out and see a bit of Zimbabwe. We saw a pretty cool sunset and got some relaxing time before a pretty big five days ahead.”
.”The good thing is that we have had one game already. The guys have had a good look at how they got out. The guys have done some work. There’s a little bit more grit needed, a little bit more application and time to suss out conditions.”
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