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Shai Hope’s fighting half-century wasn’t enough to take West Indies over the line

The Report by Hemant Brar17-Nov-2019Rahmanullah Gurbaz starred with a 52-ball 79 as Afghanistan beat West Indies by 29 runs in the third and final T20I in Lucknow to win the series 2-1.Gurbaz, who is known as a 360-degree player, struck six fours and five sixes in his knock to steer Afghanistan to 156 for 8. West Indies’ chase never really took off, and despite a fighting 52 off 46 balls from Shai Hope, they could manage only 127 for 7.Gurbaz lifts Afghanistan after early wicketsRashid Khan won his third toss of the series and opted to bat for the second time in as many games. However, his decision seemed to have backfired when Sheldon Cottrell reduced Afghanistan to 12 for 2 at the end of three overs. The left-arm seamer dismissed Hazratullah Zazai, caught at the covers off a slower one, in the first over the game and then had Karim Janat caught behind in his next over.Gurbaz, though, batted fearlessly at the other end, pulling Cottrell over midwicket for four before picking up Jason Holder over fine leg for his first six. He hit two more sixes in the next two overs, smashed back-to-back fours off Holder and brought up his fifty off 38 balls.He and Asghar Afghan added 50 for the fourth wicket in just 6.1 overs. Asghar, who was dropped by Brandon King at deep midwicket off Keemo Paul, hit the bowler for a six two balls later. But Paul had his revenge on the next ball when Asghar top-edged a hook to King, who had been moved to square leg after the drop.Gurbaz continued in the same vein, moving around the crease like his idol AB de Villiers, and employing scoops and pulls as he scored 62 of his runs on the leg side. He eventually fell in the 17th over while trying to hit back-to-back sixes off Kieron Pollard.Mohammad Nabi and Najibullah Zadran’s late fireworks took the side past 150 as Afghanistan collected 93 from the last ten overs.West Indies stumble in chaseEvin Lewis opened with Lendl Simmons, who had recovered from a bout of the flu and replaced Sherfane Rutherford, but the duo couldn’t give the start West Indies needed. Simmons was castled while trying to cut a googly from Mujeeb Ur Rahman, and King then failed to pick a slower one from Naveen-ul-Haq for the second match in a row and was bowled as well.Lewis, who had got off the mark with a boundary off the first ball, didn’t last long either and was lbw to Janat for 24. The batsman didn’t look happy with the decision – the umpires were quite inconsistent with their calls regarding wide balls throughout the match – but this time they did get it right.Lewis’ dismissal left West Indies struggling at 42 for 3 at the end of eight overs, with the required rate having gone well past nine.Hope fights a lone battleHope, who came in to the XI for injured Denesh Ramdin, tried to keep West Indies in the game. He and Shimron Hetmyer took the side to 78 for 3 at the end of 12 overs. For comparison, Afghanistan were 75 for 3 at the same stage. The two ran well between the wickets and were also helped by some sloppy fielding from Afghanistan.Rashid, however, broke the stand with Hetmyer’s wicket when the batsman mis-hit a googly to point. Pollard and Hope too struggled against the Afghanistan captain, failing to read his variations. While Rashid didn’t take any more wickets, he conceded just 18 from his four overs. By the time he finished his spell, West Indies were left requiring 46 from 18 balls.It wasn’t an impossible task with Pollard and Hope still in the middle. But Naveen and Gulbadin Naib varied their pace – and lengths – intelligently and gave away just 16 runs in the last three overs to seal the victory.

Leeds United are yet to welcome their first reinforcement in the January transfer window, but reports suggest that the 49ers could now finally make their winter move to land a Premier League edition. With Daniel Farke's side fighting for Championship promotion, this could quickly prove to make all the difference.

Leeds United transfer news

The transfer rumours have arrived even in the face of a quiet January window at Elland Road. The Whites have been linked with moves for the likes of Liverpool's young right-back Calvin Ramsay after his earlier loan spell at Preston North End came to an end, as well as Tottenham Hotspur's Ben Davies in what would be an impressive move given his experience at the top level.

The Yorkshire club's quiet window so far will be no shock to Farke, who admitted at the start of the month: "I expect a much more quiet and calm January to the last transfer period for example. We wish for a quiet January, but won’t fall asleep and when there are decisions to make, we will also make decisions and you never know what happens."

Leeds could land dream James partner in £50k-p/w Premier League "wizard"

The Elland Road outfit are seemingly seeking to bolster their ranks with a new attacking addition this month.

ByRobbie Walls Jan 19, 2024

As the window approaches the latter stages, however, it looks as though the 49ers could finally spring into action. According to Wayne Veysey of Football Insider, Leeds have made their first move for Ryan Giles, enquiring to Luton Town over a potential deal to sign the left-back as part of a 'late-transfer blitz' at Elland Road. The rumours have seemingly developed from initial interest to Leeds now making a first move for the defender.

Giles has struggled for minutes at Luton this season and could now be allowed to complete a loan move for the sake of earning more game-time. Meanwhile, Leeds could prioritise a left-back and a right-back this month following the termination of Djed Spence's loan deal and Luke Ayling leaving for Middlesbrough.

"Fantastic" Giles could play a part in Leeds' promotion push

Currently as many as seven points adrift of the second automatic promotion spot currently occupied by Ipswich Town and sitting fourth, Leeds are in need of a January boost in the form of reinforcements, and Giles could be among those to arrive. The left-back has enjoyed previous stints in the Championship at Middlesborough, Cardiff City and Blackburn Rovers, meaning that he could be more than capable of stepping into the level at Elland Road.

It was at Cardiff that Giles left many impressed, including former teammate Marlon Pack, who praised his debut performance, saying via Wales Online:

"He has got a fantastic delivery. He is someone who offers something that little bit different in the team that we were maybe lacking before. I think we will complement him, too. The way he gets the ball out of his feet and puts it in [the box] with so much venom and pace.

"In fairness, he was lucky today to get only the one assist, because he has put in some great balls and we were unlucky not to score a few more from his deliveries. He will be a fantastic asset to us. He's a young lad who's learning but he's got undoubted ability and it's down to us, our senior players, to make sure he delivers and to back him up during the games."

Erik ten Hag’s future at Bayer Leverkusen is already hanging by a thread just two games into the new Bundesliga season. The Dutchman has come in for huge internal criticism after a shaky start, with the club refusing to publicly back him. The former Manchester United boss could be out of a job again as early as next week.

Ten Hag under fire after two gamesLeverkusen chiefs silent on coach's futureDecision expected post-transfer windowFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Bayer Leverkusen’s start under Ten Hag has been chaotic, with Saturday's 3-3 draw at Werder Bremen – during which they conceded two late goals to ten men – only adding to the unrest. Reports from claimed the club already had doubts about the Dutchman before matchday two, and the mood around the BayArena has since turned 'critical'. Amid this speculation, neither sporting director Simon Rolfes nor club management have offered Ten Hag any public support.

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The silence from the board is being seen as a major red flag for Ten Hag. Without a public vote of confidence for Rolfes and Co, his authority in the dressing room looks increasingly fragile. If the bosses already feel they made a mistake, sacking him so early would be a dramatic but telling decision.

DID YOU KNOW?

Before the Werder Bremen draw, Rolfes notably declined to back Ten Hag on live television. After the match, Leverkusen officials again avoided making any comment about their coach’s future. The club has only stated they will reassess the situation after the transfer window shuts, leaving Ten Hag in limbo.

gettyWHAT NEXT FOR TEN HAG?

Leverkusen’s hierarchy will decide on Ten Hag’s position once the transfer deadline closes on Monday evening. If results and performances do not improve quickly, a change in the dugout appears inevitable. The Dutchman is running out of time to convince the bosses he is the right man to lead the Werkself.

Bangladesh got off to a bright start in the Powerplay, but India’s spinners pulled things back to restrict them to a below-par 153

The Report by Karthik Krishnaswamy07-Nov-20193:56

Rohit Sharma dazzles in Rajkot to help India level series 

A 43-ball 85 from Rohit Sharma, in his 100th T20I, helped India chase down 154 with 26 balls to spare and draw level in the T20I series against Bangladesh. It was Rohit’s third-quickest innings of 50 or more in T20Is, and it made a below-par Bangladesh total – at the presentation, their captain Mahmudullah reckoned they finished 25-30 runs short – look utterly inadequate in great batting conditions in Rajkot.India have been a bit of a Jekyll-and-Hyde T20I team of late. Since the start of 2018, they have a 7-7 record while batting first, but they have done much better while chasing: Thursday’s win was their 13th in 16 completed games.Rohit extends his sublime runRohit came into this series having just scored three hundreds, including a double, in three Tests against South Africa, and all that form was on display on a Rajkot pitch brimming with runs. Every shot he played along the ground seemed to find a gap, whether he was pulling or driving or cutting or even occasionally when he was simply defending with a slightly open face – one such shot, off Al-Amin Hossain in the fifth over of India’s innings, raced away unstoppably between backward point and short third man.The results were even more spectacular when he went aerial. There were six sixes in his innings – everyone else, on both sides, only managed two between them – including three in a row off Mosaddek Hossain’s offspin in the tenth over. The second of them, which brought up the century opening stand with Shikhar Dhawan, took Rohit to 70.Dhawan, at that point, was batting on 28 off 24 balls. Bangladesh managed to keep one opener quiet by denying him width, but none of their plans had any impact on the other.Bangladesh make bright startSent in to bat, Bangladesh enjoyed a productive Powerplay, getting to 54 for 0 courtesy a mixture of urgency from their openers and some erratic bowling and fielding from India.Khaleel Ahmed, the left-arm quick, had been hit for four successive fours off his last four balls in Delhi. He conceded three successive fours off his first three balls here, making it seven in a row. Khaleel was guilty of bowling a touch too short on a pitch where the ball sat up nicely, and Mohammad Naim put him away whenever there was a chance to play the pull or the straight-bat jab through midwicket.At the other end, Liton Das enjoyed a massive stroke of luck when he was stranded yards down the pitch by a Yuzvendra Chahal legbreak in the sixth over. Rishabh Pant gathered the ball without trouble and stumped him, but third umpire Anil Chaudhary ruled that he had collected the ball marginally in front of the stumps. Liton hit the next two balls – the first of them a free-hit – for fours, to add insult to injury.Spinners strike backThere would be a near-repeat in the 13th over when Chahal beat the advancing Soumya Sarkar with a wrong’un, but on that occasion Chaudhary ruled that Pant had gathered the ball behind the stumps – replays suggested it was another marginal decision.At that point, Bangladesh were 103 for 4. Their last seven overs had only brought them 49 runs for the cost of four wickets. India’s two main spinners, Chahal and Washington Sundar, were chiefly responsible for keeping them quiet. Chahal, getting the ball to grip, used his variations well, and picked up two wickets. He could have had a third if he had had an lbw appeal against Liton upheld in the eighth over after beating him with his googly, but Liton, unaware of where the ball ended up after hitting his pad, hared out of his crease and ran himself out anyway.Washington, varying his pace intelligently and bowling an irritating length – he later said he looks to get the ball to bounce up to hip height when it reaches the batsman – proved difficult to go after, and Bangladesh only managed 25 off his four overs.Bangladesh never really regained the lost momentum. There were a pair of bright knocks from Sarkar (30 off 20) and Mahmudullah (30 off 21), but the rest of the Bangladesh batsmen didn’t really get going. Khaleel continued to go for runs, conceding 22 off his two overs at the death, but the rest of the bowlers didn’t give the batsmen the pace or the lengths to work with. Chahal, dangling the ball wide of off stump and denying the right-hand batsmen easy access to the leg side, and Deepak Chahar, using the slower bouncer adroitly, gave away only eight runs between them in the 18th and 19th overs.

Barcelona are set to secure Wojciech Szczesny’s registration as Inaki Pena signs a new deal until 2029 before heading out on loan to Elche.

Pena signs renewal contract until 2029Goalkeeper joins Elche on season loanSzczesny registered as backup optionFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

According to Barca have settled their goalkeeping puzzle with a double move with backup goalkeeper Pena has agreed a new contract with Barca until 2029 but will immediately go out on loan to Elche in La Liga, where he will have the chance to play regular football. His departure also helps the Catalan giants financially, as his wages are partly shifted off the books, a key step to registering Szczesny. The Polish veteran remains part of the squad and is expected to serve as second-choice keeper behind Joan Garcia, while Marc-Andre ter Stegen continues his recovery from back surgery.

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The move shows Barca’s attempt to balance sporting development with financial pragmatism as Pena, who had limited minutes last season, gets the chance to establish himself as a La Liga starter under Eder Sarabia at Elche. For Camp Nou, the loan frees crucial salary space at a time when La Liga’s financial fair play rules remain strict. Szczesny’s registration gives Hansi Flick an experienced option while Garcia continues as the new first-choice keeper. 

TELL ME MORE

Pena has renewed with Barca until 2029 and is set for a season-long loan to Elche. It’s his second loan after Galatasaray in 2021-22, and this move brings him closer to home in Alicante. Financially, reports indicated Elche couldn’t cover Pena’s full salary, so Barca and Elche worked on a split-wage arrangement to make the move viable. Registering Szczesny is part of the plan as he was already in the squad last season and will serve as backup to Joan Garcia while Ter Stegen recovers from back surgery which gives Flick a defined trio without leaning on youth in the interim.

Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR BARCA?

With this reshuffle, Flick now has a clear goalkeeping roadmap with Garcia as the trusted No.1 and Szczesny offering reliability. The situation could grow complicated when Ter Stegen returns in a few months, however. 

Manchester City are only a handful of games away from potentially securing their fourth Premier League title in five years.

With 34 matches played, Pep Guardiola’s side have won 26, drawn five and lost three, scoring 84 goals and conceding 21 along the way.

Despite the four very important games that the Citizens have left to play, it seems as though the hierarchy at the club behind the scenes already have some plans in place regarding the upcoming summer transfer window.

What’s the news?

In a recent tweet, journalist and transfer expert Fabrizio Romano shared an exciting update on what sort of transfer business could take place behind the scenes at the Etihad Stadium this summer.

He said: “Manchester City will sign a new midfielder once [Erling] Haaland saga’s over. Paul Pogba has been discussed internally as @MikeKeegan_DM reported – still nothing advanced, PSG also in the race #MCFC.

“Frenkie de Jong, highly rated but expensive. Scouts have monitored Matheus Nunes too.”

Taking this into account, it could well end up being a rather busy summer transfer period for the reigning Premier League champions.

If they are then able to not only secure Haaland’s signature but bring a new midfielder in as well, this would be music to the ears of Guardiola to help him refresh his squad.

With the Citizens set to wave goodbye to veteran midfielder Fernandinho in the summer once his current contract runs out, it’s easy to see why the club would be aiming to bring in a new midfield option.

Should the Brazilian find himself not putting pen to paper on a new deal, his place in the squad would be open for a potential new recruit to fill.

In terms of the three midfield options that Romano mentioned in his tweet, the fact that all three have provided goals and assists for their clubs in their respective leagues this season could make them valid options for such an attacking team like City.

If the Sky Blues end up sealing the league title and then completing the deals that they want to get done in the summer, this would leave Guardiola ecstatic and put City in a good place to attack the 2022/23 campaign and try to continue being as successful as possible.

In other news: Man City eyeing bargain move for £290k-p/w “work of art”, supporters would be ecstatic

India women lost their last eight wickets for 54 runs to squander the advantage

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Nov-2019
With India women needing nine off the last over with two wickets in hand, West Indies women offspinner Anisa Mohammed plucked both wickets, including one off the last ball, to give the home side a one-run win in the series opener in North Sound. During her fifth five-wicket haul in ODI cricket, Mohammed also passed 150 wickets to put West Indies women 1-0 up in dramatic fashion.Stafanie Taylor was also central to the victory, following up her 94 off 91 balls with the wickets of Jemimah Rodrigues and Shikha Pandey to finish with figures of 2 for 30 in her ten overs. Taylor was motoring towards her sixth ODI ton, but Harmanpreet Kaur’s blinding one-handed catch at the edge of the boundary denied her the milestone.Taylor and opener Natasha McLean provided the platform for West Indies’ innings by making half-centuries. While McLean (51 off 82 balls) was more sedate, Taylor struck eight fours and two sixes and scored at a strike rate of 103.29. McLean’s wicket was part of West Indies’ wobble – they went from 51 for no loss to 77 for 3 – but Taylor and the returning Chedean Nation put on a 78-run stand to take their side close to 200. Although the lower order couldn’t quite land the big blows, they passed that mark comfortably enough. Seamer Pandey and offspinner Deepti Sharma picked up two wickets each for India women.In their chase, India had a positive start with Priya Punia and Rodrigues putting on 78 for the opening stand. By the 40th over, they were well-placed at 170 for 2, but Puniya’s dismissal for 75 off 107 balls triggered a terminal slide. India lost their last eight wickets for 54 runs and were edged out.Punia’s second fifty in only her fourth ODI, however, might come as a pleasant headache for India women because Smriti Mandhana, the side’s first-choice opener and vice-captain, is set to join the squad in the Caribbean ahead of the second match on November 3.

Manchester United’s incoming manager Erik ten Hag has placed Inter Milan’s Denzel Dumfries at the top of his transfer list.

What’s the word?

That is according to a report from Tuttosport, via Sport Witness, who claim that the new Red Devils manager has “put the Inter player at the top of his preferences.”

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The Italian newspaper explain that the 26-year-old, who was signed from PSV Eindhoven for €15m (£12.8m), is now “worth at least €20m (£17m) more” and is “the most requested player in recent weeks.”

Wan Bissaka who?

The latest report comes as good news for Manchester United fans and gives us a taste of how ten Hag wants to use his full-backs.

The potential £29.8m signing of Dumfries, who has been dubbed a “freight train” by Jonathan Pearce, would essentially spell the end for Aaron Wan-Bissaka, something that should be seen as a masterclass by the new United boss.

HE would most certainly provide an attacking upgrade, with the Dutchman clearly looking to make use of his full-backs to provide support in possession.

Whether he looks to set his full-backs up via an asymmetrical shape or inverted method remains to be seen, but having performed in both ways for Louis van Gaal’s Netherlands side, Dumfries is very well-versed at both.

The 26-year-old is the ultimate modern full-back.

His spell at Inter Milan thus far has only improved his end product ability, as he has primarily functioned as a right midfielder or wing-back for Simone Inzaghi’s side.

In what is his first season in the Serie A, he has registered the highest number of returns of his career so far, having notched up five goals and five assists in 30 appearances for the Nerazzurri.

With Inter Milan boasting the most solid defence in the Italian top-flight, conceding just 29 goals with an average goals conceded per match total of 0.8, Dumfries’ efforts defensively have also demonstrated his competency.

Inzaghi’s Inter look to win the ball back high up the pitch, rather than letting the opposition progress into their half.

Dumfries is an expert in winning the ball back in the attacking third, with the Netherlands international averaging 0.47 tackles in the attacking third per 90 and registering 3.80 pressures in the attacking third.

Ten Hag’s Ajax side also look to win the ball back high up, so the signing of Dumfries would enable the 52-year-old to implement that same style in England’s top flight. A masterclass all round.

In other news: Man Utd submit bid to sign “extraordinary” £68m monster, he’s the dream Pogba upgrade

Teddy Sheringham has told Manchester United to bring Scott McTominay back to the club after his Napoli heroics.

Man Utd sold McTominay last summer Went on to win Serie A in Italy Sheringham urges Red Devils to bring him backFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

McTominay joined Napoli last summer and enjoyed a stunning season in which he inspired Antonio Conte's side to Serie A glory, and was also nominated for the Ballon d'Or. Given that he was a £21 million ($28m) signing, he has given the Italian club an incredible return on their investment. 

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Sheringham, a 1999 treble winner, believes United should try to bring McTominay back as he outlined his ideal XI under Ruben Amorim; he believes that Casemiro's "legs have gone" and that, ideally, the Scotland international would replace him. Alas, he accepts it is very unlikely. 

WHAT SHERINGHAM SAID

Sheringham told : "I would definitely go with Sesko up front and Matheus Cunha just off him.

"That leaves it tough for Fernandes in midfield but he's obviously the captain and has been playing very, very well the last couple of years with his performances and his goals.

"I would get McTominay back if I could and put him in alongside Fernandes in midfield to add a bit of steel but obviously that was a permanent move. He's not coming back. So you’ve got Casemiro. His legs are gone so it’s going to be tough to play him there so he’d need a lot of help from Fernandes and Cunha.

"Casemiro can pull his man slightly wide, Cunha can tuck in alongside him in midfield, making Fernandes very secure.

"Amad Diallo, I would play wide right. I like him. Mbeumo goes wide left. Amad is a very lively player. Very expressive in the way he plays. You can manipulate younger players too in order to fit what the team needs to get close as a unit and go from there."

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Napoli are next in action against Cagliari on Saturday. McTominay scored in their first game of the season as they beat Sassuolo 2-0. 

Imrul Kayes scored 202*, Jahurul batted for more than 10 hours against Dhaka Division and Taijul Islam took nine wickets

Mohammad Isam13-Oct-2019Defending champions Rajshahi Division drew with Dhaka Division – both sides finishing with 3.5 points each – in the opening round of the 2019-20 National Cricket League. All four matches in Fatullah, Khulna, Rajshahi and Dhaka were interrupted by rain, although it didn’t deter Barisal Division, who crushed Sylhet Division by an innings and 13 runs, from earning their first win in four years.Best batsmenImrul Kayes struck his second double-century during Khulna Division’s drawn game against Rangpur Division at home. Imrul was unbeaten on 202 off 319 balls, having spent more than six-and-a-half hours at the crease. He struck 19 fours and six sixes, as he ensured a 450-plus total for his side.Dhaka Division’s Taibur Rahman made two scores of 88, once not out, against Rajshahi. Taibur found little support in the first innings, but in the second innings, he added 95 runs for the fourth wicket with Raqibul Hasan who scored 65.Captain Jahurul Islam starred with the bat for Rajshahi, scoring 64 in the first innings, but it was his unbeaten 40 in more than four-and-a half hours at the crease that proved more valuable for his side. It ensured they didn’t suffer a collapse on the final day as they settled for a draw against Dhaka. Jahurul also lasted more than five hours for his 64 in the first innings.Elsewhere, there were fifties for Barisal’s Shahriar Nafees and captain Fazle Mahmud, as well as Tasamul Haque who made twin fifties for Chittagong Division. Pinak Ghosh and Masum Khan also reached half-centuries, and so did Dhaka Metropolis’ Shamsur Rahman, Mahmudullah, Zabid Hossain and No. 10 Shahidul Islam.Best bowlersKamrul Islam’s 6 for 24 decimated Sylhet as they were bowled out for just 86 in the first innings. This was Kamrul’s second five-wicket haul in first-class cricket, and the first in seven years. Another pace bowler, Sumon Khan, took 5 for 50 for Dhaka against Rajshahi. Taijul Islam finished with figures of 9 for 196 in the match, including a five-for in the second innings.Dhaka Metro’s Arafat Sunny took 6 for 87 against Chittagong, while debutant legspinner Minhajul Abedin Afridi finished with 3 for 103 in 30 overs for Chittagong.Meanwhile, experienced left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak moved to 585 first-class wickets aftar taking 4 for 81 against Rangpur.Best matchThe roaring start from Barisal – after they crushed Sylhet inside two-and-a-half days – will offer real encouragement for supporters of first-class cricket in Bangladesh. The match was shortened to three days after rain washed out the entire first day in Rajshahi, but Kamrul’s six-wicket haul skittled Sylhet in 43.1 overs, before left-arm spinners Tanvir Islam and Monir Hossain shared seven wickets in the second innings to bowl them out for 132 runs.Barisal also batted smartly, as they declared on 231 for 8 in 58.3 overs, in a bid to push for the result on the fourth day.Points to noteKhulna have taken an early lead with 4.01 points in Tier 1 but it is Barisal’s 9.5 points against Sylhet that puts them in pole position in Tier 2.Players to watchWith the India tour coming up next month and a Bangladesh Test side devoid of a confidence, the selectors will be relieved to see Jahurul’s game clicking. The batsman remained at the crease for more than 10 hours in the season’s first game. Afridi’s first-class debut should also be encouraging.