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da luck： Chelsea through the years have been seen as a ruthless club, discarding both players and managers if things aren’t going their way.

da stake casino： A relentless pursuit for success has its casualties; youth players being sold, club legends being phased out, and elite managers having their time cut short. Chelsea would do whatever was necessary to chase instant success in the past, even if it led to some uncomfortable conversations and decisions.

This was a successful method for the Blues over the years, winning five Premier League titles, two Champions League trophies, and five FA Cups, along with two Europa League trophies, and three League Cups.

That said, they’ve not always got it right in the transfer market. Current Arsenal star Kai Havertz is a fine example of that.

Kai Havertz at Chelsea

Chelsea signed Havertz in the summer transfer window during 2020 under then-manager Frank Lampard at the time. Havertz cost Chelsea around £71m and in the process became their second most expensive signing ever behind Spanish goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga.

Havertz made 139 appearances for the Blues in all competitions, scoring 32 goals, providing 12 assists, and totaling 9,022 minutes played.

This includes scoring one of the biggest goals in Chelsea’s history, with the only goal in the 2021 Champions League final, in which the Blues were victorious, beating Manchester City 1-0.

However, as time went on, the London outfit struggled to find the goals upfront, with Havertz being used more often as a number nine than a midfielder under Thomas Tuchel, which saw the German leave for Arsenal in 2023 for a fee of around £65m, allowing Chelsea to recoup most of what they spent on the German.

Other midfielders signed in the following years, including Atletico Madrid loanee and then World Cup winner Enzo Fernandez.

Saul struggled for game time while Fernandez has at least become a regular. That said, at a similar time they could have brought one of the game’s global superstars to the Bridge.

When Chelsea tried to sign Jude Bellingham

According to talkSPORT, Chelsea worked ‘tirelessly’ to try and tempt Jude Bellingham away from Birmingham way back when most of England’s top clubs were ready to fight for the young midfielder.

Despite putting in lots of background work, Dortmund signed Bellingham for around £25m in 2020, Chelsea then moving onto Havertz and acquired him instead.

Bellingham is regarded as one of the best players in world football now, having moved from Dortmund to Real Madrid last summer, for a whopping £88.5m initial fee, with huge add-ons, which could see the deal become worth £115m. So staggering has the English talent been in Madrid that his market value has now increased to a remarkable £152m, as per Transfermarkt.

Comparing the seasons of both players for the 2020/21 campaign, it is important to note that Bellingham was only 17 years old at this point but he still put up some phenomenal numbers, and as we all know, he has now become a truly special player.

Bellingham vs Havertz (2020/21)

Stats (per 90 mins)

Bellingham

Havertz

Goals

0.13

0.35

Assists

0.13

0.24

Progressive Carries

1.32

3.01

Progressive Passes

4.87

4.41

Shots Total

1.57

1.94

Passes into Final Third

4.15

2.15

Shot-Creating Actions

2.08

3.01

Tackles

2.75

1.37

Blocks

2.11

1.29

Interceptions

1.18

0.52

Stats taken from FBref

Back in 2020, Bellingham was in a more box-to-box role, compared to Havertz who was more of an attacking midfielder.

You can see their different qualities and roles, with the English superstar averaging better passing metrics, due to his deeper positioning and responsibility to progress the ball, as well as his extra defensive responsibilities, averaging more tackles, blocks and interceptions per 90 minutes.

Havertz had more G/A output, boasting a higher shot volume and a better progressive carry rate at the time but Bellingham has now morphed into a complete midfielder over the years, learning to use his body even better, increasing his carrying capabilities to the highest level.

He is a brilliant asset for duels due to his height and frame, but also adding more goals and assists, having scored 23 goals and provided 13 assists for Madrid last season. If Chelsea had gone all in for Bellingham, things could be very different now, that’s for sure.

Related Lukaku arrived instead: Tuchel wanted Chelsea to sign star now worth £152m

It’s safe to say the club made a huge error in not securing a move for the talent.

Posts ByEthan Lamb Sep 18, 2024

Only 10.5 overs of play were possible after a delay of more than four hours

Firdose Moonda24-Mar-2022No result South Africa have qualified for the World Cup semi-finals after rain washed out their match against West Indies in Wellington. Only 10.5 overs were possible after a delay of more than four hours that saw play get underway after 3pm local time and South Africa were in trouble at 61 for 4. But persistent rain meant no further play was possible.West Indies’ hopes of advancing are hanging by a thread after three losses, three wins and a no-result. If either India or England lose a match, West Indies could still advance to the knockouts, but their tournament future is now out of their control. Irrespective of the outcome of their final match against India, South Africa will qualify in second place and have avoided facing table-topping Australia in the final four.South Africa may consider themselves lucky to have got away with the point they needed to break away from the chasing pack after they teetered on 22 for 4 in the sixth over of their rain-reduced encounter. In a match that was cut down to 26 overs a side, South Africa were on the back foot after West Indies’ opening bowlers made good use of extra bounce in the surface to dismiss their top four without any of them getting into double figures.Laura Wolvaardt was out cheaply for the first time in the tournament when she tried to cut a wide Chinelle Henry ball through point but found a flying Deandra Dottin, who took another stunning catch. Dottin dived left and took the catch one-handed, in her right hand. Four balls later, Lizelle Lee’s torrid run continued. She tried to hit a Shamilia Connell delivery across the line and toe-ended it to midwicket. Karishma Ramharack juggled the ball but took the catch to leave Lee with no scores over 36 from five matches in the competition.Connell could have had another off her next ball when Tazmin Brits edged it but Hayley Matthews moved too early at slip and the ball hit her wrist. In Henry’s next over, Brits was dropped at second slip as she jabbed at a ball but Dottin couldn’t hold on. Henry got her reward two balls later when she got a delivery to stick in the surface and Sune Luus lobbed it to Stafanie Taylor. Henry had an opportunity for two wickets in two balls when Mignon du Preez edged her next delivery to second slip but Dottin dropped it again. It only took until her next over for Henry to strike again, when Brits sliced her to Ramharack at cover. Henry finished with figures of 3 for 19.du Preez and Marizanne Kapp were rebuilding the innings and scored 39 runs in 32 balls for the fifth wicket when the drizzle which had hung around throughout the day became harder, forcing the umpires to take the players off the field. du Preez managed her highest score in her last 10 ODIs and was hitting the ball on 38 not out but was unable to continue. Conditions did not improve and the match was called off after another lengthy rain delay.

GOAL US writers discuss major storylines to watch in American soccer in 2025, including Inter Miami, U.S. national teams, CWC, NWSL

What a year 2024 was for soccer in the United States. Emma Hayes and the USWNT captured a gold medal at the Paris Olympics and Mauricio Pochettino is already revamping the USMNT. In domestic leagues, the NWSL and MLS delivered captivating storylines – there was Lionel Messi exiting the MLS playoffs early and Marta winning her first NWSL championship.

Say what you will about the state of it all, but 2024 was far from boring. So, what of 2025? There will be plenty of intriguing games, from the Nations League and Gold Cup to the SheBelieves Cup for the national teams. In what could be Messi's last professional season, MLS looks as tantalizing as ever.

Factor in the Club World Cup, held on American soil, and 2025 could be quite the spectacle. Real Madrid, Manchester City, Chelsea, Juventus, Bayern Munich will be participating. Top level soccer hasn't been this accessible in the U.S. since the 1994 World Cup. GOAL US writers break it all down in a 2025 look-ahead edition of… The Rondo.

Getty Images SportWhat are you most looking forward to in 2025 for the USMNT?

Tom Hindle: More Pochettino content! Sure, there's the Gold Cup and Nations League, but those don't have the feel of trophies (until you win them, of course!) No but seriously, the real focus for 2025 should be how this team continues to grow and develop under an elite coach – especially when some of the big names return from injury. Are there spots for Gio Reyna, Sergino Dest and Folarin Balogun? Ask anyone 12 months ago, and they would have said that the trio are automatic starters. Under Poch, it's not so clear. And that's what makes this team interesting.

Jacob Schneider: The first competitive finals under Pochettino in both the Gold Cup and CONCACAF Nations League. They will be big moments for him to prove himself, and for any outsiders to break into the squad ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

Ryan Tolmich: Seeing Pochettino lead this team into meaningful games. The bar for the Nations League is already sky-high, and it will offer Pochettino a real chance to see his players in a competitive environment. Those are few and far between in the leadup to 2026, so the USMNT needs to capitalize on those chances as they come.
Alex Labidou: Seeing Pochettino manage two potential trophy situations has to be on the top of the list. Fair or not, it will be a massive disappointment if the U.S. fail to win one of those two tournaments, and the alarm bells will be ringing if neither happen. How the Argentine manages both will showcase his ability to instill cup-level success on the international level.

AdvertisementAFPWhat are you most looking forward to in 2025 for the USWNT?

TH: It's easy to say the attacking trio continuing to do their thing here. But the most exciting bit is seeing who else can make an impact. Hayes has made it clear that if you're good enough, you're old enough – and there's so much young talent to work with. Lily Yohannes already looks like a proper footballer, and there will surely be more to follow. The USWNT is in an interesting spot in that sense. They have a bunch of players either just short of, or slightly past their prime years, and plenty of youngsters eager to get involved. The most interesting storyline will be who is the first to dislodge one of the veterans.

JS: Hayes' journey to remaining undefeated, and claiming the SheBelieves Cup. The U.S. have not lost under her guidance, so it will be exciting to see if that trend continues. From a player perspective, seeing both Mia Fishel and Cat Macario healthy could provide healthy competition for the striker role.

RT: The new faces. We've seen several newcomers break in post-Olympics, but can those players push those who won gold in Paris? Several positions remain locked, but there are spots to be won in midfield, central defense and at goalkeeper. Even among the forwards, who can push for a role behind Triple Espresso? We're in the early days of this cycle, which means the pool expands. Now, it's about finding who can perform in the bigger moments ahead.

AL: RUN. THE. TABLE. Why not? There's no other team in the international game which has shown it can match up with the U.S. either tactically or in terms of talent. The U.S. should expect to go undefeated this year.

What are you most looking forward to at the Club World Cup in 2025?

TH: Keep it simple for this one: Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Chelsea and all of those lot. These will not be friendlies in which the likes of Vinicius, Jude Bellingham, Cole Palmer, Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe get brief run outs – or so we are told. There will be some nice moments, especially for the fans of South American teams such as Palmeiras, Botafago, River Plate and Boca Juniors. It will also be terrific to watch the likes of Ulsan HD take on Borussia Dortmund. Those are weird footballing moments that only this competition can provide – and that's, well, cool. But the main event will be the latter stages, where we get de-facto Champions League knockout matches in the U.S. Sign me up.

JS: It has to be the likes of Palmeiras, Botafago, River Plate, Boca Juniors and Flamengo. South American football is so unique that we rarely get to see it tested against other leagues. The competitive and physical nature of Brazil and Argentina should prove to be fun for anyone watching the tournament come June. One particular storyline: will Selecao sensation Estevao be playing for Chelsea or Palmeiras in the competition? FIFA has created a special transfer window from June 1-10 to facilitate moves ahead of the competition, and the youngster is set to join the Blues this summer from the Serie A side.

RT: The spectacle of it all. It seems as if this will be serious competition, which will immediately make it look and feel different than the countless preseason friendlies in the U.S. year after year. This is a rare chance to see elite teams, and elite players such as Cole Palmer for Chelsea and play actual games for a real trophy. It will be fun to watch how it all comes together.

AL: It is unrealistic, but it would be fun to see an MLS team advance out of the group stage – especially if it was Seattle. MLS is a weird spot with the CWC. It is embracing the exposure its receiving from being looped in with higher-profile teams, but the league has been very guarded about what being in the CWC will mean from a roster-building perspective. Will it loosen current restraints to an extent? Or will the league expect its teams to go to a duel with a spork? It's envious to watch CONMEBOL teams take this tournament seriously with big transfers while there have been crickets from MLS's two participants – so far.

AFPWhat are you most looking forward to in 2025 in MLS?

TH: Can Inter Miami figure it out? They were streets better than everyone else in the regular season last year, but fell apart when they were truly tested by a well constructed team over the course of a three game playoff series. By the end of it all, Miami looked like an expensively assembled team full of stars without a solid base to get them over the line. Messi, it seems, is vulnerable. So, it's now on the front office to make some smart signings and piece it all together. It should all make for compelling viewing. Also, like, Neymar (please.)

JS: The LA Galaxy were once MLS' most exciting team. Then, for a decade, they stagnated. in 2024, they returned to their throne in the most thrilling way possible. Seeing if Greg Vanney can keep his squad together for another run at MLS Cup will be fun to watch. In the Eastern Conference, surely Lionel Messi and Co. will be playing with a vengeance as they look to make a postseason run as well. It will be a massive managerial test for Javier Mascherano, too.

RT: Obviously, everyone is watching Messi, but there are plenty of other things to keep an eye on too. San Diego FC's introduction is one of them, and it's particularly interesting given the varying levels of initial success for recent expansion teams. Will they get it right in Year One, or will this be a bit of a slow burn? San Diego has the potential to shake things up, but there's still plenty left for them to get done before we know how they'll line up in 2025.

AL: Honestly, due to the quick turnaround between MLS Cup, which was played on Dec. 7, and training camps – which start in February – it's too early to tell. There are four teams who don't even have coaches yet and none of the rosters in the league aren't current finalized yet. This illustrates MLS's current issue with its schedule as is and why it might need to evaluate substantial changes to get the level of engagement it wants.

Stoinis smashed an unbeaten 75 as well to pile on the misery for Hurricanes

AAP19-Jan-2022Glenn Maxwell’s all-out assault on Hobart Hurricanes netted him and Melbourne Stars the highest scores in BBL history, handing Hurricanes a reality check with a 106-run hammering on the eve of the finals.Maxwell thumped an unbeaten 154 from 64 balls at the MCG, smashing 22 boundaries and four sixes in the most brutal display of hitting in the competition’s history.It helped the Stars to a record total of 2 for 273, 41 more than the next best in BBL history and the third highest in any franchise or international T20 game in history. Only totals made by Afghanistan and the Czech Republic have been higher, with those matches against fellow minnows Ireland and Turkey.Maxwell’s score was also the ninth highest in T20 history, after Hurricanes opted to rest Scott Boland and Riley Meredith.He dominated Hurricanes all round the wicket, with the shot of the night an outrageous switch-hit flick over fly-slip for six. His century was the second-fastest in BBL history, coming in 41 balls and just two shy of Craig Simmons’s 39-ball effort in 2014.The right-hander helped take 21 off one D’Arcy Short over, while he hit five boundaries for 22 runs off another from Sandeep Lamichhane.Maxwell was not alone with Marcus Stoinis also finishing unbeaten on 75 from 31 balls. On the same night he lost his record for the highest score in BBL history, Stoinis also showed Hurricanes no mercy.He launched six balls over the rope, also taking 26 from a Tim David over as no Hurricanes bowler went at an economy rate below 10.In reply, Hobart never looked interested in the chase as they finished at 6 for 167 with Ben McDermott top-scoring with 55 from 33.Maxwell’s knock will serve as a great ‘what-if?’ for Stars fans, after they finished the season at 7-7 and with two losses with the bulk of their squad out with Covid-19.”The disappointment of the last week probably culminated in us playing with ultimate freedom,” Maxwell said on Seven’s coverage. “It’s been a real tough year. I have had plenty of injuries, COVID, and pretty much every result go against us.”A lot of things have to go right for that to happen. I had great support the whole way through.”Meanwhile, Hurricanes’ loss means they still finish fifth and face Adelaide in an Eliminator on Friday, but all of a sudden with a serious dent to their momentum.The first three finals will each be played in Melbourne, with the challenger and decider to be at home venues. Perth will use Marvel Stadium as their home, while locked out of Western Australia.

The team mentor praised the head coach’s impact in creating an environment where “everybody’s happy, everybody’s smiling”

Hemant Brar14-Oct-20213:44

David Hussey: Break at the halfway stage really helped

Kolkata Knight Riders were languishing at seventh position, with just two wins from seven games, when a fierce outbreak of Covid-19 halted IPL 2021 in India. The UAE leg, though, saw a change of fortunes. Stitching one win after another, they not only qualified for the playoffs but are now in their first final since 2014.After Knight Riders’ win against Delhi Capitals in Qualifier 2, team mentor David Hussey was all praise for captain Eoin Morgan, opening batter Venkatesh Iyer and head coach Brendon McCullum for leading the revival.”I think the break in the halfway stage of the IPL definitely helped,” Hussey said at the post-match press conference. “But I truly believe that Morgan is captaining really well, he’s marshalling the troops, he’s tactically very clever. The bowling changes have been spot on. I think that’s contributed to our success this time around.”Venkatesh Iyer is just a class player at the top. He is tall, a Stephen Fleming clone I believe. He has got a big future in the game.”It’s unheard of what he [McCullum] has actually done here. It’s remarkable. We were seventh in the table and not playing great cricket, and he’s just turned it around. He has given everybody a fresh lease of life. He’s freshened up the place. Everybody’s happy, everybody’s smiling, and he should take a lot of credit. I know he won’t because he’s a very humble man, but he should take a lot of credit for what he has been able to accomplish in this part of the IPL.”Of the three, Iyer’s contribution has been the most quantifiable one. He is the team’s highest run-scorer in this phase, and on Wednesday, he once again dazzled with a 41-ball 55 on a difficult pitch, while Shubman Gill played second fiddle with a run-a-ball 46. But according to Hussey, it was Gill’s cover drive on the first ball of the chase that “soothed the nerves” in the dressing room.”Everyone knows he [Gill] is going to be a ten-year veteran of Test match cricket, one-day cricket and T20 cricket for India,” Hussey said. “It’s just how he gets there and how quickly he gets there. What he does is he gives the whole batting group a lot of confidence the way he goes out there. Just seeing him strike the first ball to the cover boundary soothed the nerves among the boys in the dressing room and the dugout. And everyone knows he’s just such a classy player, intelligent player and I, for one, am just looking forward to seeing him grow as a cricketer and as a person.”Kolkata Knight Riders were languishing at seventh with two wins in seven games ahead of the UAE leg•BCCIFor the final against Chennai Super Kings, Knight Riders will head to Dubai, where dew has played a big role so far with teams winning the toss opting to bat second to take advantage against a wet ball. Hussey had an interesting solution to make it a level playing field.”I’m hoping the groundsmen spray the ground beforehand so that both teams get a fair and equitable game whether you bat first or bowl first. It’s going to be a huge issue but we’re just gonna execute our skills under pressure and who knows. We are really well planned and really well measured so if we plan well and execute well, hopefully we come out on top.”Another worry for Knight Riders could be the form of their middle-order batters. In 15 innings, Morgan has had ten single-digit dismissals, the most for any batter in a single IPL season. Dinesh Karthik, meanwhile, has scored only 91 runs in seven innings, at an average of 18.20 and a strike rate of 122.97, in the UAE leg. But Knight Riders are not losing their sleep over that.”I’m not concerned because they’re all classy players,” Hussey said. “They know how to play. It’s just the difficult nature of the pitches that we’ve been playing on, it makes the middle-order players sort of stand out. They’re not getting their strike rates to 200, they have to knuckle down and maybe go at a strike rate of 110 to 120.”But we’ve got full confidence in Morgan, Dinesh Karthik and Shakib going into the next game. They’ve done it countless times for their countries and in the IPL, so [we are] not concerned. We go to Dubai full of confidence and you just never know what’s gonna happen.”In Dubai, Knight Riders could also consider replacing Shakib Al Hasan with Andre Russell, provided the latter recovers in time from his hamstring injury.”Andre Russell’s tracking nicely, I think,” Hussey said. “He was bowling before the game today. So I think he might be in the mix [for the final]. I will have to discuss it with the medical staff first, but he has been doing all the practices, training lots before games.”Fortunately, we have got an unbelievable medical team here. The physios work around the clock, so if anyone’s going to get him up, it’s going to be the medical staff. Knowing Dre, he will be desperate to play too. Hopefully, he does get up because he’s one excitement machine.

A Rangers player who was once described as a "top" performer by Jack Butland is now expected to quit the club imminently, according to an update from reliable journalist Chris Jack.

Rangers transfer news

When last season reached its conclusion, most Gers supporters were well aware that reinforcements were needed within Philippe Clement's squad, in terms of further narrowing the gap between themselves at Celtic.

Rangers have done exactly that in the summer transfer window to date, making as many as six new signings, including left-back Jefte from Fluminense, and Mohamed Diomande on a permanent basis to bolster the midfield.

Former Liverpool midfielder Ryan Kent ended up being an excellent signing for Rangers, providing many years of good service, and the Scottish side could once again turn to the Reds this summer, eyeing a move for talented youngster Bobby Clark. The midfielder made 12 appearances under Jurgen Klopp last season, including in the EFL Cup final win over Chelsea.

In terms of current Gers players who could move on and enjoy fresh challenges, Scott Wright has emerged as a strong target for Championship side Sheffield Wednesday, who could offer him more regular playing time than he is currently enjoying under Clement. Now, another exit claimed has emerged, as a squad member looks set for pastures new.

"Dream" Rangers signing now set to leave

According to Jack on X, Rangers goalkeeper Robby McCrorie is now set to seal an exit from the club imminently, with a move to Kilmarnock on the cards: "Rangers keeper Robby McCrorie is set to join Kilmarnock. McCrorie will leave Rangers' training camp in Holland this evening to put pen-to-paper at Rugby Park."

In Jack's report for Rangers Review, he states that McCrorie is "poised to quit" the Gers, seeing a transfer away from Ibrox as beneficial for his development. It will save the club just shy of £300,000 this season, with his £5,700-a-week earnings owed until next summer coming off the wage bill.

It does make complete sense for the 26-year-old to leave in the current summer transfer window, allowing him to be a regular elsewhere, not to mention giving him more chance of making the grade for Scotland, who he is yet to win a cap for at senior level.

Rangers goalkeeper Butland has a lot of time for McCrorie, clearly rating him highly as a player, as well as having sympathy for his lack of football at Ibrox: "He’s a top goalkeeper who works extremely hard, it must be difficult because I’ve been in his position before where you’ve not played as much and I can understand frustrations but he has worked hard. Scotland have a top goalie on their hands."

Imagine him & Igamane: Rangers could land a "blistering" gem

The Light Blues have been linked with an interest in the talented speedster this summer.

By
Dan Emery

Jul 9, 2024

The fact that McCrorie is out of contract with the Gers next summer also allows the club to cash in on him now, which makes total sense, rather than lose him for free this time next year.

Australia’s white-ball captain is expected to take 8-10 weeks to recover

Andrew McGlashan13-Aug-2021Australia’s limited-overs captain Aaron Finch has undergone knee surgery with the recovery expected to take eight to 10 weeks as he aims to be fit for the T20 World Cup.Finch missed the recent Bangladesh tour having suffered cartilage damage ahead of the series in West Indies. He managed to play the five T20Is in the Caribbean but aggravated the injury in the final game.Related

Australia to monitor Aaron Finch's knee injury ahead of ODI series

Alex Carey to captain Australia after Aaron Finch ruled out

Aaron Finch faces knee surgery as uncertainty over T20 World Cup captaincy looms

Having completed his mandatory two-week quarantine upon returning to Melbourne, Finch had the operation on Thursday with a Cricket Australia statement saying it was successful.”His recovery is expected to take 8-10 weeks meaning he should be available for the opening games of the World Cup in mid-October,” the statement added.The longer end of that timescale will push things tight for Finch with Australia’s involvement in the tournament due to begin in the final week of October. It is expected that tentative plans for warm-up matches against Afghanistan and West Indies will be cancelled due to logistical challenges with some players returning from the IPL which will be also be staged in the UAE ahead of the World Cup.Finch was one of eight potential first-choice players Australia were missing in Bangladesh where they were beaten 4-1 (the same margin they suffered in West Indies) including being bowled out for their lowest T20I total of 62 in the last match. If fit, Finch will be expected to open alongside David Warner at the World Cup.In Finch’s absence, Matthew Wade captained the side in Bangladesh where, like many of the batters, he had a lean time. Pat Cummins, the official Australia vice-captain, will be part of the World Cup squad.Australia have lost their last five T20I series, against England, India, New Zealand, West Indies and Bangladesh, having previously climbed to No. 1 in the rankings.Their planning has been disrupted by the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on player availability but the results have also raised questions about the depth available especially in the batting.They have never won the T20 World Cup with their best performance being a runners-up finish in 2010 when they lost the final against England in Barbados.

New structure diminishes representation and power of Members’ Council, body made of provincial presidents who had resisted a majority independent board for almost a decade

Firdose Moonda17-Jun-2021CSA has ushered in a new, majority independent board to bring an end to the tenure of the ministerially appointed interim board, which has been in charge since November last year. The new board comprises eight independent directors and five non-independents – who were chosen from the provincial presidents that sit on the members’ council – but a chair has yet to be confirmed.The other independent directors are former CSA president Norman Arendse, former convener of selectors Andrew Hudson, advocate Steven Budlender SC, Lawson Naidoo, the executive secretary of the Council for the Advancement of the South African Constitution, Dugmore Lushaba, who has experience on several boards, marketing and communications expert Andisa Ntsubane, former Multichoice (sub-Saharan African video entertainment company) CEO Mark Rayner, and Muditambi Ravele, a sports administrator previously involved in boxing, netball and tennis. Daniel Govender of Kwa-Zulu Natal, John Mogodi of Limpopo Province, Craig Nel of the Mpumalanga Cricket Union, Tebogo Siko of Northerns and Simphiwe Ndzundzu of Border make up the non-independent directors. CSA’s acting CEO Pholetsi Moseki and acting CFO Christelle Janse van Rensburg make up the last two positions on the 14-member board, which will serve till September, when CSA is due to hold its scheduled AGM.The new structure diminishes the representation and power of the members’ council, the 14-member body made of provincial presidents who had resisted a majority independent board for almost a decade. However, the CSA president and vice-president, largely ceremonial roles and individuals who will not sit on the new board, were chosen from the members’ council. Rihan Richards, who has been acting president of the council throughout the interim board’s tenure, was elected president and Donovan May, from Eastern Province, his deputy.CSA also reported a loss of Rand 250 million (US$ 17.8 million) in the 2020-2021 financial year as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and tour cancellations. England left South Africa last December after playing three T20Is but the three ODIs did not go ahead as scheduled after breaches of the bio-secure environment. Australia, who were scheduled to play two Tests in South Africa in March, did not tour at all. South Africa were also hopeful of hosting India for three T20Is last August, which did not happen. Those matches are due to take place in India in September this year, ahead of the T20 World Cup, but that might depend on the schedule for the resumption of the IPL. However, CSA is hopeful of a full summer schedule this year, which should see India visit for three Tests over the festive period.Perhaps more importantly, CSA can look forward to a more stable period of governance with the new board adopting a memorandum of incorporation, which guarantees the independent component of the board and chair.”It is highly appropriate that we have reached this historic moment in the transformation of our governance model as we prepared to celebrate the 30th birthday of Cricket South Africa (CSA) or the United Cricket Board of South Africa (UCBSA) as it was originally known in just over two weeks’ time,” outgoing interim board chair Stavros Nicolaou said. “Our new Memorandum of Incorporation is a document we can all embrace with pride as it puts us in a position to execute the best governance practices that will make CSA able to stand comparison with any other sporting organisation around the globe. It is a world-class document.”Among the new board’s most pressing tasks will be to oversee the conclusion of former acting CEO Kugandrie Govender’s disciplinary proceedings and to advertise for and appoint a permanent CEO. CSA have not had a permanent CEO since Thabang Moroe was suspended in December 2019. They are on their third acting CEO since.

Bench strength, being ruthless and overcoming pressure are themes England Women will look to build on ahead of next year’s World Cup after winning a hard-fought multi-format series against India.The hosts had to win their final T20I at Chelmsford on Wednesday night to win the series – encompassing a one-off Test, three ODIs and three T20Is. England prevailed by eight wickets after Danni Wyatt’s unbeaten 89 to claim the overall trophy by 10 points to six.Apart from opener Wyatt’s return to form after going more than 18 months without an international fifty, and another excellent performance by Nat Sciver, Player of the Series for the T20I leg, England’s ability to withstand the pressure of a must-win contest was particularly pleasing for Heather Knight, their captain.”There’s always pressure but we knew it was the culmination of five weeks’ hard work,” Knight said. “We’ve been in a semi bubble for that time as well so there’s a few tired people around and a few people that are ready to go home so I think today was a real show of character that we were able to put in that sort of performance under pressure.”With the bigger picture of the World Cup in New Zealand next February and March in mind, Knight drew a positive from the fact that India’s competitiveness had meant the series replicated the sort of tense situation her side could find themselves in at the global tournament.India won the third ODI in Worcester, which was a dead-rubber in the context of the 50-over leg but which gave the visiting side valuable points in the series as a whole. They also won the second T20I in Hove when England lost six wickets for 31 in the space of 5.4 overs.England’s collapse negated their impressive batting depth on that occasion but, provided they could avoid a similar performance in the final match, India’s total of 153 for 6 looked slightly below par, despite an impressive 70 from Smriti Mandhana. England duly overhauled the target with eight balls to spare for the loss of just two wickets, with Wyatt and Sciver putting on 112 runs together.Related

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“We were definitely under pressure with the way they batted,” Knight added. “It was a very good wicket and I thought Smriti, in particular, played really nicely, put us under pressure and we’ve responded brilliantly to that.”It’s always nice to have those victories, when there’s more on the line, you feel like you’ve really earned them, so I’m very pleased. We’ve not had it all easy, we’ve been put under pressure at a lot of points and reacted reasonably well most of the time, so that’s great for us as a side.”We’ve learnt a lot. Being ruthless has been a bit of a theme and I’m really pleased that we’re able to do that because there’s been times I guess where we’ve maybe taken our foot off the gas a little bit and let India back in. That’s a really good lesson for us, to really make sure we’re ruthless, taking individual responsibility to finish games off for the team.”Wyatt was overlooked in favour of Lauren Winfield-Hill for the ODI leg of the tour and, after scores of 31 and 3 in the first two T20Is, she was under some pressure to make a significant contribution. “About time” were her first words when interviewed by Sky Sports upon receiving her Player of the Match award.”I’ve always encouraged her to try and play her natural game, and she’s gone back to that brilliantly,” Knight said. “She’s got that role for us at the top of the order, we want her to be positive, aggressive, and take the game away from teams like we know she can.”She’s not going to come off every time but to see her play like that and finish the game off, more importantly, I think was a massive boost for her and will give her the world of confidence.”With Wyatt having made the most of her opportunity, Knight noted that there were other players “knocking on the door” just to get a chance.”We’ve got a real competitive squad forming, which is great to see, and it’s obviously pushing us forward as individuals,” she said. “We’ve got world-class players that have missed out.”Anya Shrubsole hasn’t played in this [T20I] series and Fran Wilson has been been going very well and obviously can’t get in the side at the moment so having that competitiveness and different people performing at different times is great for us as a team.”England will host New Zealand in three T20Is and five ODIs from September 1.

يستعد فريق نادي الزمالك لملاقاة نظيره زد إف سي، غدًا الخميس، في مباراة قوية ضمن منافسات الجولة السادسة عشر من بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز، والمقرر إقامتها على استاد القاهرة الدولي.

ويدخل الفريقان اللقاء بطموحات متباينة، حيث يسعى الزمالك إلى العودة لسكة الانتصارات بعد تعادله مع الأهلي في الجولة الماضية، بينما يأمل زد في تحقيق نتيجة إيجابية تعزز من موقفه في جدول الترتيب.

يحتل الزمالك المركز الثالث في جدول ترتيب الدوري برصيد 28 نقطة، جمعها من 15 مباراة، حيث حقق 8 انتصارات، وتعادل في 4 مباريات، بينما تلقى 3 هزائم. ويسعى الفارس الأبيض إلى تحقيق الفوز لمواصلة الضغط على فرق المقدمة، والاقتراب أكثر من صدارة الترتيب.

رسميًا | الأعلى للإعلام يتلقى شكوى الزمالك ضد قناة الأهلي وشوبير

ويدرك الجهاز الفني بقيادة مدربه أن المباراة لن تكون سهلة، خاصة أن الفريق يعاني من بعض الغيابات والإجهاد بعد مباراة القمة أمام الأهلي، لكنه سيعتمد على أسلحته الهجومية بقيادة سيف الدين الجزيري وأحمد سيد “زيزو”، إلى جانب صلابة خط الوسط بقيادة نبيل عماد “دونجا” ومحمد شحاتة.

على الجانب الآخر، يدخل زد اللقاء وهو في المركز التاسع برصيد 19 نقطة، بعدما خاض 15 مباراة، فاز في 4 منها، وتعادل في 7، بينما خسر 4 مواجهات. ويأمل الفريق الصاعد حديثًا إلى الدوري الممتاز في مواصلة عروضه القوية أمام الفرق الكبرى، كما فعل في لقاءاته السابقة أمام الزمالك.

ويملك زد عناصر شابة مميزة، بالإضافة إلى جهاز فني يسعى لاستغلال نقاط ضعف الزمالك، خاصة في الجانب الدفاعي، من أجل تحقيق نتيجة إيجابية تعزز من موقفه في جدول الترتيب. مواجهات متكافئة

تشير الإحصائيات إلى أن المواجهات السابقة بين الزمالك وزد شهدت ندية كبيرة، حيث تواجه الفريقان في خمس مباريات رسمية، انتهت اثنتان منها بالتعادل (1-1 و0-0)، بينما حقق الزمالك الفوز في مواجهتين، إحداهما في كأس مصر بنتيجة 2-1، وأخرى في الدوري المصري بهدف نظيف، فيما تمكن زد من تحقيق انتصار وحيد بنفس النتيجة (2-1) في الدوري.

ويدخل الزمالك المباراة تحت ضغط تحقيق الفوز للحفاظ على حظوظه في المنافسة على اللقب، بينما يسعى زد إلى استغلال أي تعثر للأبيض لتحقيق نتيجة إيجابية، ومع التكافؤ الذي شهدته المواجهات السابقة، تبدو المباراة مفتوحة على جميع الاحتمالات، مما يزيد من إثارتها وترقب الجماهير لها.