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A commitment to homegrown talent and embedded local support show county game in best light

George Dobell at Taunton26-Sep-2019Of course, at the end of this ridiculous season, we had a ridiculous finish.Of course a summer that gave us World Cup final and finish to the Test at Leeds promised to serve up another miracle.Just as it seemed even the most optimistic Somerset supporters had given up hope, we saw a collapse that was remarkable even by modern standards. From the moment Alastair Cook turned one to short leg, Essex lost nine for 39. Less than 90 minutes after he was out – a spell that included the tea-break – Cook was back at the crease having been set 63 to win in 67 minutes by a Somerset side that forfeited their second innings in desperate pursuit of that maiden Championship title.Maybe, had Cook been given out leg before in the first over of the final day (as he should have been), or Nick Browne been caught at leg-slip by Murali Vijay in the first over of the fourth innings (as he should have been), Somerset may have been able to force victory. In the end, though, the fact that the first three days realised just 72.4 overs and another 90 minutes was lost on the final day proved decisive.In years to come, some may look at the scorecard and wonder why Essex, with just 18 more required, were so happy to shake hands on the draw. They had nine wickets in hand, after all, and the best part of 10 minutes remaining. But we had seen how quickly wickets could fall on this surface and, as an endearingly nervous Cook put it: “You don’t play on a wicket like that and expect to cruise through. When Somerset offered to shake hands on a draw I was more than happy.”It felt like the right thing to do, too. Essex’s primary objective had been achieved and Somerset, for their fight and bravery, didn’t especially deserve to lose. And it afforded Marcus Trescothick, on the pitch for the final moments as a substitute fielder, the chance to lead both sides from the field through a guard of honour. To see how much victory meant to the likes of Cook and Simon Harmer – or, indeed, to see the extent of Jack Leach’s disappointment – was to be reassured of the importance of the Championship to modern players. Both sides emerged with credit from this final day. So, too, did county cricket.And maybe it’s just as well that Essex held on. Somerset took quite a gamble with this surface and, while they probably judged it perfectly – the regulations specify that excessive turn is rated only as ‘below average’ and such a rating does not carry a points penalty – had they won, the season would have ended with us waiting for confirmation of the champions from deliberations in committee rooms at Lord’s. And that’s no way to decide a sports event.”I’ve been stressing the severity of how bad that pitch is,” Essex captain, Ryan ten Doeschate, said afterwards. “They’ve really taken a risk here by producing this wicket, but I’m sure we would have done as well.”Besides, this Essex side deserve their success. After defeat in their first game of the season, they won nine matches out of 11 including a comprehensive victory over Somerset at Chelmsford and are unbeaten in 13. Since they won their first Championship title, in 1979, no side has won it more often than their eight times including two in the last three years. They also became the first team to win the T20 and Championship competitions in the same season. Whichever way you look at it, they are an outstanding club.There is no special secret to their success. Instead, it reflects commitment to their pathway system, a determination to back young players, a nice balance between youth and experience and the occasional outstanding addition. They have a world-class spinner who bears a heavy workload and decent depth to ensure they have three good-quality seamers ready to go at any time. And while there is youth in the side, it is underpinned by experience: Cook, England’s record Test run-scorer, topped their batting averages. Later, he confirmed he would play at least one more season, too. Whether ten Doeschate, who was non-committal about his future, or even Ravi Bopara, stay with him remains to be seen.”The cornerstone of this success is built on our own guys,” Anthony McGrath, Essex’s coach, said. “The conveyer belt is a superb effort form the club and the young guys get their opportunity. It gives you that loyalty. The family and friends all buy into it and the crowd that come and watch can relate to local guys. The pathway is there for young players and we’re not scared to play them. We’ve played the last three Championship games without an overseas player.”Marcus Trescothick raises his cap to the crowd as he is given a guard of honour in his final match•Getty ImagesThere are similarities between the clubs in this regard. There were nine home-grown players in the Essex team and seven in Somerset’s. Essex’s Kolpak recruit, Harmer, has proved his worth by lifting the quality of the competition and helped developing players understand the level required if they are to progress to the next level. Both clubs, based in town-centre locations, feel a relevant part of their community and sell T20 tickets in an abundance that it embarrasses some larger clubs. While some larger clubs swoop on their neighbours – or even the overseas market – every close season in search of short-cuts to success, these clubs invest in scouting, coaching and development. These are, in short, clubs doing exactly what they should be doing: developing players that can represent county and country with distinction and winning trophies in the process. They represent much that is best about the county game.Perhaps there was a reminder here, too, that there isn’t much wrong with our great game that a little nurturing wouldn’t fix. Whether it has been the Ashes, the World Cup, the Test against Ireland or any of our domestic competitions, the sport has continued to surprise and delight and thrill throughout the summer. Given just a little encouragement – a bit more exposure here, a little help with the scheduling there – there is no reason it could not enthral a new generation of supporters with the teams and formats it already possess. We tinker with its foundations at our peril. The boos that greeted the appearance of Tom Harrison, the ECB’s chief executive, underlined the impression that spectators have not been adequately consulted.Yes, of course we must be mindful of the harsh realities. Yes, of course we must adapt. But let us never forget it was county cricket that gave birth to the one-day game and county cricket that gave birth to T20. It has shown a willingness to change without relegating its own teams to secondary status. As soon as sport becomes nothing more than something to invest in, it risks losing its identities, its loyalties and its relevance to the community. Never more than in the last few days has The Hundred seemed such a massive and unnecessary gamble.For Somerset, right now, there are mixed emotions. There is pride, certainly, in their consistency. And in the fact the season finished with a trophy for the first time since 2005. There is excitement, too, in the quality and quantity of home-grown players that continue to develop through the local systems. This is a region where cricket still matters. Where you see cricket-related items on sale up and down the high street. Where grandparents, children and young people in bars wear gear branded with the Somerset wyvern. It is, perhaps, as close as you will come in the UK to the sense of what cricket means in an Indian town.But Somerset have now been runners-up in this competition six times this century and three times in the last four years. They have seen Glamorgan (in 1997), Lancashire (in 2011) and now Essex (2019) celebrate clinching the title in Taunton. And it is starting to really hurt. Rumours have it an open-top bus had been put on standby. Sometimes you wonder if they will ever need it.While history may suggest it was last week’s match at Hampshire that cost Somerset – the hosts recovered from 88 for 7 in one innings and 103 for 8 in the other – their head coach, Jason Kerr, was not so sure. “We were out-played in that game,” he said. “Kyle Abbott bowled exceptionally well.”Instead, Kerr looked back on defeat at Yorkshire, when Somerset squandered excellent bowling conditions in the first innings and conceded 520, as a key moment.”But I still believe 100 percent that we are the best team in the Championship,” he said. “The weather hasn’t been kind to us this week and if we had been given more opportunity to play, I think the result might have been different.” In time, he may reflect that a side without a batsman averaging even as much as 32 is expecting rather a lot from their bowlers. Tellingly, they lost three of the seven games they played away from home. They will miss their groundsman, Simon Lee, who departs for Hampshire, almost as much as they miss Trescothick.These is always an element of sadness about the last day of the cricket season. But this year, more than ever, it brings with it an ominous sense of the ending of an era. Domestic cricket is embarking in a new direction in 2020 and many of us are far from sure it is wise. To be in Taunton these last few days was to be reminded and reassured of the value and validity of the county game. It would be a tragedy to diminish or destroy it.

The BCB president was a strong voice for Bangladesh in the ICC, but closer home, issues of conflict of interest clouded his first tenure

Mohammad Isam17-Oct-2017The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) election on October 31 for the directors’ positions is a foregone conclusion. With no opposition, the board president Nazmul Hassan’s panel is set to retain the majority of the posts.Directors voted into the board have to elect a president and, unless there is late drama, Hassan is expected to continue in his role as BCB president, and it is unlikely his position will be challenged for the next four years.Regardless of an extension, Hassan’s first term as BCB president should be assessed on the day it ends. One parameter to gauge the success of the BCB president is the performance of the Bangladesh team. In Hassan’s case, the other significant aspects of his tenure include his handling of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) and his leadership at home and abroad.Hassan’s tenure coincided with Bangladesh’s longest period of success as an international team and his major contribution was to back some critical decisions. He agreed to appoint Chandika Hathurusingha as coach despite more luminous names in the shortlist in 2014. When Shakib Al Hasan took on Hathurusingha soon after his appointment, Hassan decided to suspend Shakib for six months, a risky but bold move. In the short term, Bangladesh lost badly in West Indies but it became clear that the board was serious about team discipline.Hassan then approved splitting the Bangladesh captaincy for the first time. This was a practical solution at the time but proved to be a masterstroke as Mashrafe Mortaza led an ODI revival.Within a year of this success, however, Hassan enlarged the selection committee by including Hathurusingha and two other directors. Faruque Ahmed resigned as the chief selector, citing a lack of independence, but Hassan pressed ahead and ratified the changes.When making these changes, Hassan said it was a relief for him to no longer discuss selection issues with the selectors. In the following 12 months, however, he suggested many names to the selectors through press briefings and on many occasions, those players were subsequently chosen.Mominul Haque’s axing, and then reinstatement, for the first Test against Australia caused a major outcry, and there were hints that chief selector Minhajul Abedin had little to do with such decisions.Hassan’s proximity to the senior team also raised eyebrows on several occasions, particularly as he proceeded to make public contents of team meetings. From talking about players’ inability to raise issues with the coach, to revealing their World Cup plan and discussing the mentality of the Test captain, Hassan gave the media a rare look into the not-so-perfect world of an international cricket team. However, this also made some players appear weak.At the start of Hassan’s presidency, the BCB had to deal with the prickly issues of payment and match-fixing allegations in the 2013 edition of the BPL. He responded by forming a tribunal to deal with the allegations. There were flaws in the investigations but the ban handed to Mohammad Ashraful set an important precedent. Hassan also made sure the tournament would not continue until the investigating tribunal had made its decisions and much of the pending player payments were cleared. The tournament was not played in 2014 and returned in 2015.Nazmul Hassan managed to keep the BCB strong despite the flux within the ICC•AFPAnother affliction of the BPL also affected Hassan: conflict of interest. His employers, Beximco, bought the Dhaka Dynamites franchise. The man Hassan appointed as BPL secretary, Ismail Haider Mallick, also works at Beximco, while franchise coach Khaled Mahmud is a BCB director. As the most powerful trio in the BCB, Hassan, Mahmud and Mallick were part of a growing number of conflicts of interest across all levels of Bangladesh cricket, especially evident since BPL 2015.There were further problems for Hassan on the domestic front. There have been murmurs for the last four years that two factions in the BCB have been trying to allegedly manipulate the different levels of the Dhaka league system. Abahani is recognized traditionally as the most powerful club in Bangladesh sport – it’s the club from which Hassan held his BCB councillorship and where Mallick is the cricket secretary, and Mahmud the coach. In 2016, Abahani were on the right side of the umpire’s poor decisions in the Dhaka Premier League match against Prime Doleshwar Sporting Club, which prompted allegations of bias towards a powerful, well-connected club.While Hassan acknowledged the umpiring problem, he took the allegations against Abahani to heart and held angry press conferences. On one occasion, he didn’t allow three journalists to enter a press briefing at his Beximco office as they had questioned him about Abahani at a previous press conference. The umpiring issues, however, continued.The situation came to a head earlier this year when a bowler, Sujon Mahmud of Lalmatia Club, frustrated by alleged biased umpiring, gave away 92 runs off just four deliveries in a Dhaka league match. The day before, Tasnim Hasan of the Fear Fighters Sporting Club voluntarily conceded 69 runs in 1.1 overs. Both players were banned for ten years, and their clubs were also punished, but the umpire in question got away with a slap on the wrist.Hassan did have a better time at the ICC, where he secured important committee posts and could successfully position the BCB first with the Big Three and later with Shashank Manohar, when the latter brought in reforms. Siding with the Big Three gave the side more matches against India. Agreeing with Manohar’s moves made sure the ICC chairman also heard out Hassan’s views on not demoting teams from Full Membership status.In some ways though, the BCB’s leadership was a continuation of the previous man in power: AHM Mustafa Kamal. Hassan’s leadership method was similar to Kamal’s hands-on style as board president, though Hassan also listened to what the players had to say, most evident in the slight increase in player salary in 2017.There are two key differences between Kamal and Hassan, however: while the former did not trust his captains and gave them assurances on a series-by-series basis, Hassan’s confidence in Mashrafe went a long way in stabilising the senior team.Secondly, unlike Kamal, who was regularly challenged by a faction of board directors, Hassan’s regime has been known to have a “with us or against us” policy. Some directors were close to him and those who chose to toe his line were welcomed. Disagreement wasn’t welcome, however; a case in point being Ahmed Sajjadul Alam, who questioned Hassan’s stance on the Big Three position paper in 2014 and has become a pariah within the board.A more democratic approach may not have resulted in so many questions around Hassan’s first tenure. The next four years will see many changes in world cricket, so he will have to continue being proactive and methodical, to shape Bangladesh cricket in such a way that everyone feels included, and the world keeps seeing the progress of the cricket team.

If England win or draw the final Test against Pakistan at The Oval it will mean they hold all nine bilateral series. ESPNcricinfo recaps how they secured, or retained, the other eight

Andrew McGlashan09-Aug-2016Australia: 3-2, 2015England regained the Ashes last year with convincing victories at Cardiff, Edgbaston and Trent Bridge. The series-clinching victory came in astonishing style as Stuart Broad’s 8 for 15 demolished Australia for 60 inside the first session on his home ground in Nottingham. Australia secured two equally overwhelming wins in London, but as in 2009 and 2013 lost too many key moments over the five matches.Bangladesh: 2-0, 2010It remains uncertain whether England will face Bangladesh for the first time in six years later this year due to security concerns. Their last meeting was in England with the home side comfortable winners once they found their stride, but Tamim Iqbal lit up the two matches with back-to-back hundreds at Lord’s and Old Trafford. Steven Finn was England’s Player of the Series.India: 3-1, 2014Like this current series, England went behind with a defeat at Lord’s, beaten at their own game on a seaming wicket. It left Alastair Cook on the brink of quitting – his form had also deserted him – but at the Ageas Bowl there was a rally both individually, as Cook made 95, and collectively as Moeen Ali helped secure an impressive all-round win. After that, England trampled all over India’s batting on two favourable pitches at Old Trafford and The Oval.New Zealand: 1-1, 2015England haven’t lost a series to New Zealand since 1999, but haven’t always dominated. Their victory at Lord’s was outstanding – overcoming an even bigger deficit than they did against Pakistan at Edgbaston – inspired by Ben Stokes’ blistering hundred and a captain’s innings from Cook before England bowled out New Zealand out on a gripping final day. Headingley, not for the first time, did not go well, however, as New Zealand – in the style of their captain, Brendon McCullum – threw caution to wind with the bat then spun to victory on the final day.South Africa: 2-1, 2015-16A significant overseas triumph, sealed, like the Ashes, by a Stuart Broad special. He tore through South Africa on the third afternoon in Johannesburg with 6 for 17 to set up a seven-wicket win. England had opened with an outstanding victory in Durban, followed by Stokes’ record-breaking 258 in a high-scoring Cape Town draw. Kagiso Rabada’s 11 wickets won the dead-rubber, saving face but not the series.Sri Lanka: 2-0, 2016Earlier this season, England did an efficient job on a callow Sri Lanka team overawed by the conditions. James Anderson bagged ten at Headingley then Moeen Ali’s career-best 155 rescued an iffy batting display in Chester-le-Street. After being on the verge of embarrassment in the second Test, Sri Lanka found their fight with Dinesh Chandimal’s hundred but they were too far behind for it to make a difference.James Anderson made his debut the last time England faced Zimbabwe•Getty ImagesWest Indies: 1-1, 2015An unconvincing way to keep hold of the Wisden Trophy. England could not bowl West Indies out in 130 overs in Antigua as Jason Holder made an unbeaten hundred, but Anderson did inspire an impressive final-day victory push on a flat pitch in Grenada to ensure England could not lose the series. However, in Barbados, they capitulated – much to the delight of West Indies who had been labelled ‘mediocre’ by the incoming ECB chairman Colin Graves – as they fell to a five-wicket defeat. It would prove to be Peter Moores’ final Test as head coach.Zimbabwe: 2-0, 2003Due to political reasons, Zimbabwe have not been the opposition since a two-match series 13 years ago. They were overwhelmed by an innings in both Tests. Anderson bagged five wickets on his debut at Lord’s, before the more unlikely swing bowlers of Mark Butcher and Anthony McGrath shared seven in the second innings. At Chester-le-Street, Richard Johnson marked his debut with 6 for 33 – five of his wickets being lbw including two in his first over.

Plays of the day from the Group A match between England and Sri Lanka in Wellington

George Dobell and Andrew Fidel Fernando01-Mar-2015The beamer
Bowling at the death in limited-overs cricket is a thankless business. With Jos Buttler hitting even the good deliveries to the boundary, Lakmal found himself struggling for answers. The first delivery of the final over – perhaps an attempted yorker – was a high full toss that was called as a no-ball due to its height and pulled to the boundary. Later in the over, after a perfectly respectable full ball had been driven over mid-off for six, Lakmal delivered a head-high beamer – presumably an attempted slower ball – and was removed from the attack by the umpire. With Rangana Herath forced to withdraw midway through the previous over due to a hand injury, it meant Sri Lanka had utilised four bowlers in the final two overs of the England innings.The start
England enjoyed a bright start, reaching 61 without loss by the end of the eighth over mainly because of Ian Bell. He enjoyed some fortune, though, at one stage surviving two chances in successive deliveries. First Dinesh Chandimal, diving full length to his right, was unable to cling on to what would have been a spectacular catch at cover off Suranga Lakmal in the fourth over before, next ball, Tillakaratne Dilshan failed to lay a hand on a more straightforward chance at point as Bell failed to keep his cut shot on the ground.The drop
Joe Root was on just two when he edged a delivery off Angelo Mathews to first slip. But Sri Lanka had gone funky and posted Mahela Jayawardene wider, at a position more like second slip, and though he flung himself to his left and laid a hand on the ball, he was unable to cling on. Root went on to make 121, becoming England’s youngest World Cup centurion, and provide the platform for the England total.The other drop
Root was also involved in the other key drop of the day. Lahiru Thirimanne had scored only three when he was drawn into poking at a delivery angled across him by Stuart Broad and edged towards the slip cordon. Initially it seemed that Jos Butter was going to go for the catch and it may be that his movement either impeded Root’s sight or just distracted him. Either way, Root seemed to react late to the chance and was only able to parry it to the boundary. Thirimanne went on to score 139 and, in the process, became Sri Lanka’s youngest World Cup centurion.The grand-prix impersonation
Root had flicked through the gears seamlessly to help yank England out of mild trouble while batting, but when he drilled one past point on 96, he was in such a hurry to get back to the striker’s end, he ended up celebrating his first World Cup ton in a memorable manner. Root had expected the cover-sweeper to reel his shot in, and perhaps beset by nerves, dropped his bat as he turned for the second run. In the end the ball would cross the boundary, and Root would have nothing to acknowledge the crowd’s applause with. He raised his gloved hands and his helmet above his head – more like a victorious formula one driver than a cricket centurion. review
Most of the DRS referrals in this tournament have vindicated the umpires; this one just made you wonder if the players were watching the same game. The delivery from Lakmal would, in other circumstances, have been called a wide but with Root giving himself room, the full toss hit him on the thigh or knee and he hobbled through for a run. But Sri Lanka surprised everyone by calling for a review. It showed the ball passing down the leg side by such a long way – getting on for a foot – that it raised the question: was this the worst review in history?

The tour match at Hove wasn’t enough to identify a definitive Australia XI for Old Trafford. A few individual performances stood out, as did the catching, which was dreadful

Brydon Coverdale in Hove29-Jul-2013As pleasant as Australia’s seaside diversion was after the gloom of the Lord’s Test, the three-day match in Hove provided few clear answers to their many selection questions. Guessing at the XI who will take the field at Old Trafford later this week requires a Kiplingesque amount of “ifs” and just as many “buts”. Definitive? The only definitive observation to come out of the past few days has been that the team’s catching has been dreadful.It is not that nobody performed with bat or ball – Steven Smith scored an unbeaten hundred, Ed Cowan and Phillip Hughes both made fifties, Jackson Bird challenged the Sussex batsmen – but that none of it means very much. How much stock could the Australians really take from a three-day friendly against a weakened county side on a bouncy surface that won’t resemble that at Old Trafford, with a laughably short boundary on one side?That the squad has been split across cities – and even continents, for David Warner has been in Africa – has not helped clarify matters. The team management decided that the openers, Shane Watson and Chris Rogers, would gain more from working in the nets at Lord’s under the guidance of batting coach Michael di Venuto and fielding coach Steve Rixon than they would from playing Sussex. Peter Siddle was with them.Warner will rejoin the squad in Manchester on Monday, having just mauled South Africa A for 193 in Pretoria. How do the selectors gauge his performance? It was on a small ground in a game where Glenn Maxwell also thumped a quick 155 not out and South Africa’s Dean Elgar made a career-best 268. On the other hand, Warner was facing Kyle Abbott and Marchant de Lange, two wonderful young fast bowlers who have already thrived in Test cricket.If Warner plays, where does he bat? And who misses out? Rogers and Watson seem certain to remain at the top of the order, which would mean one of Usman Khawaja, Hughes or Smith would have to make way for Warner. Smith scored an unbeaten 102 against Sussex, but is that enough to make him safe? Khawaja showed encouraging signs at No.3 at Lord’s, but did little in the tour match.Hughes tallied 122 across both innings in Hove and is Australia’s leading run scorer on the tour, with 436 at 62.28. He made an invaluable 81 not out in the first innings at Trent Bridge, but since then has had three Test failures. Perhaps most importantly, he struggled against Graeme Swann’s spin, and if the conditions at Old Trafford are as dry as expected and England include two spinners, he might be the man to miss out.But what would such conditions mean for the attack? One spot is vacant due to James Pattinson’s series-ending injury, but will it naturally go to a fast bowler? Or would the selectors consider using Nathan Lyon and Ashton Agar as a dual spin attack? Neither man had much impact against Sussex and while it is true that the conditions were better for the fast men, Monty Panesar managed to claim three wickets.Lyon struggled in his first spell and seemed low on confidence, but he did improve as the match wore on. He found some dip and drop, and tempted the batsmen at times. His one wicket could have been two, had Agar held on to a skied chance from Taylor. Agar, meanwhile bowled better early and picked up a few edges, but was outbowled by Lyon as the match progressed. His lack of wickets in the first two Tests cannot be ignored.Including two spinners might be risky, but can Australia really afford to keep overlooking Lyon, who has claimed 76 wickets in his 22 Tests? There must be a temptation to push for Bird, given the way he swung the ball against Sussex and hit naggingly accurate lines. But how relevant will his form be if they arrive in Manchester to see a dusty surface and a fine weather forecast?They cannot forget The Oval Test of 2009, when Nathan Hauritz was overlooked on a dry pitch and Stuart Clark struggled in conditions that did not suit him. There is more than a little bit of Clark in Bird, and likely more than a little bit of The Oval surface in the Old Trafford wicket the teams will encounter. Bird might have edged Starc out of contention, but who could really say for certain?The only thing that is certain is that some remedial fielding drills are in order after the Australians put down roughly half a dozen chances against Sussex. And if they do that against England in Manchester, it won’t much matter who the selectors have picked.

The furores artfully drummed up to hawk this book might obscure that it’s a cracking read. More’s the pity

Saad Shafqat08-Oct-2011The first thing you realise when you read Shoaib Akhtar’s autobiography is that much of the media reaction to it is a distraction from the book’s true merits. Yes, he has admitted to ball-tampering, delivered questionable opinions on Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid, and blasted some of the high priests of Pakistan cricket. But he has also said a great deal that is more interesting, more important, and evidently more heartfelt.As a device to enhance your pleasure of the game, this book delivers. Perhaps the most absorbing, at times even riveting, parts of it are the first four chapters, which detail Shoaib’s ordeals before he became a celebrity. He was born into modest circumstances, a sickly child who at one point nearly died of whooping cough. The family struggled with money and would sometimes go hungry.Despite the financial constraints, his parents worked hard to instill upright values in the children and ensure them an education. Shoaib tells us he was an ace student, and also a natural prankster. As a result, he was frequently in trouble. The pattern of conflicts that marked his international career was set early on.Cricket did not become a focus until his teenage years, when Shoaib’s passion for bowling fast was unleashed. Before that, he played informal street games, including , and ran a lot – everywhere, aimlessly – because it made him feel free. Once he discovered cricket, he was drawn to role models, finding instant inspiration in Imran Khan’s dynamic and towering figure. At the Pindi Club he saw his idols Imran, Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis practise under lights. That was when he made a personal vow to don the Pakistan colours.All through the book Shoaib confronts his bad-boy image head-on, but his reflections are unlikely to sway anyone. He admits having little patience for rules and regulations, resents being preached to, and hates restrictions of any kind. He complains about never having had a proper mentor, but more likely it would not have been possible for even the most well-meaning mentor to get through to him.His self-indulgent nature comes across loudly, as we are told of his love for money, girls, and even his own company. Speed, above everything, is his true love, and garners a long chapter by itself. All this underscores his ability to polarise. Shoaib’s supporters will find him refreshingly honest; his detractors will deride him for confirming their worst assumptions.When we come to the chapters covering his international career, it is disappointing to see a lack of serious introspection. All his great spells are glossed over, leaving the connoisseur unfulfilled. You keep expecting to be placed inside the fast bowler’s head as he psycho-analyses the batsman, adjusts the field, and contemplates his wicket-taking plans, but it never happens. Shoaib could have entertained his readers with a ringside view of these intricacies; it feels like a golden opportunity lost. Also slightly disappointing are the book’s occasional typos and misspellings. The persistent insertion of a hyphen between “T” and “20” is especially grating.Nevertheless the overall package is a highly enjoyable one. Co-author Anshu Dogra has polished the material into a coherent and flowing narrative, yet still allowed Shoaib’s first-person voice to be heard clearly. Urdu and Punjabi phrases are interspersed here and there, conveying the thought precisely and to the understanding reader’s great amusement.Anecdotes, often the choicest part of a memoir, are peppered throughout. There are accounts of Shoaib in college as he drives a motorbike through the principal’s office, gets suspended for playing cricket in front of the girls’ building, and convinces a to serve him free meals because one day Shoaib will be a famous cricketer.Shoaib tells us about the anxiety of appearing for domestic cricket trials in Lahore, and the joy of catching the eye of Zaheer Abbas. We learn how, just before breaking into Test cricket, he spent an emotionally wrenching period in Karachi rooming with his buddy Saqlain Mushtaq when they were struggling cricketers and the city was in turmoil.The book’s tone is sometimes conversational, sometimes argumentative, with seamless transitions into languid storytelling one minute, breathless rhetoric the next. In this, the narrator sounds every bit the Shoaib Akhtar we know from his public persona.Every now and then there is also some touching human moment – getting tongue-tied when an attractive Irish girl starts a conversation in a bar, buying his first car, looking up an old benefactor after becoming a star, revisiting old haunts in his hometown of Rawalpindi.Naturally there is a good deal of score-settling as well, some of which – including targeted jabs at the likes of Wasim Akram, Javed Miandad, and Tendulkar – has been the subject of recent news cycles. Among all these, I found the description of Shoaib’s administrative duel with former PCB chairman Nasim Ashraf particularly valuable. The drama is vividly sketched over several pages as Shoaib struggles and eventually succeeds in getting his PCB-enforced ban reversed by pulling political strings. His account provides sharp insight into Pakistan cricket’s backroom ploys and validates a great deal of drawing-room chatter.All said and done, you have to commend the man for a job well done. The very appearance of his book is a feat in itself: written output from Pakistan’s cricketers has been sparse. Shoaib may have carried an image of carefree indiscipline for most of his career, but he has certainly demonstrated he has the discipline to produce a book with impact. In this he has outdone several other famous cricketing names from Pakistan.Controversially Yours
Shoaib Akhtar
Harper Collins, 2011
Rs 499, 272pp

Ross Taylor hit a breathtaking century on the second day at Old Trafford and left England firmly on the back foot

Andrew McGlashan at Old Trafford24-May-2008
‘I think most batsmen, unless you have 20-30 hundreds, you’ll be nervous but I think I’d have been a lot more nervous if I hadn’t already got one’ © Getty Images
Most of New Zealand’s cricket so far on this tour has been described as ‘grafting’ and ‘workmanlike’, an assessment that even coach John Bracewell didn’t disagree with. There is nothing of either word in the way that Ross Taylor bats; ‘flamboyant’ and ‘adventurous’ would probably work better.Taylor was one of five New Zealand players to spend time at the Indian Premier League, before joining up with his team-mates two weeks into the England tour. While he was in India he spent time chatting with Rahul Dravid and Shivnarine Chanderpaul about the skills needed to succeed in England. He clearly didn’t listen too much, because it’s highly unlikely that either of them would have suggested trying to belt the cover off the ball.Both toured England last year with West Indies and India. While Chanderpaul enjoyed a prolific time, making 446 runs at 148.66 in three Tests, he never threatened to tear an attack apart in the manner Taylor did during his third fifty, which took 42 balls. Meanwhile, Dravid’s final Test innings on India’s tour was a tortuous 96-ball 12 at The Oval. Taylor’s second Test century took only 34 more deliveries.However, there has been a noticeable evolution in Taylor’s batting during the few days between Lord’s and Old Trafford. His strike-rate for the Bangalore Royal Challengers was 183.95 and he began this tour unable to rein in his attacking mindset at the beginning of an innings. The warm-up matches were characterised by flashy dismissals after a couple of attractive boundaries, then at Lord’s in the first innings he tried to pull a good length ball from Stuart Broad, and only managed to top edge to second slip.”I was very disappointed with the way I got out,” he said in his Cricinfo diary. “I was a little nervous when I walked out to bat, but playing across the line as I did to a shorter ball from Stuart Broad was not part of my game plan. Test cricket has its own special tempo and I was too rushed. I’ll learn from that, as I do each time I bat in Test cricket.” And learn he certainly has.”I played straighter, that’s the game plan I took out there,” he said after Daniel Vettori’s two late strikes left New Zealand in control. “I know if they bowl in other areas that, if I have a base of playing straight, my natural instincts will take over. A lot of people probably thought I was nervous at Lord’s, but no more so than playing at another other ground. I just felt a little bit out of sorts, but I’ve work hard over the last few days and it made me feel a lot more relaxed.”Taylor is a naturally attacking batsman and there will always be an element of risk to his play. It is how he manages those risks that will determine how successful he becomes. The fact that he appears to be a quick learner will help his cause no end, but it is also a good sign that, even with a couple of failures behind him, he had the confidence to continue is own game.England could easily have run all over New Zealand on the opening day, but Taylor’s counter-attack redressed the balance almost before the home side could think they’d gained control. On the second morning the challenge was slightly different, consolidate and try to carry the game away from them. The loss of two team-mates to run outs didn’t help, but by the time he was joined by the bowlers he was seeing the ball so well.There was a hint of Nathan Astle and a sprinkle of Chris Cairns – not bad role models for an aggressive middle-order batsman – in the way he carved up England’s bowlers in the later stages on his innings. It was one-day cricket – “The IPL helped me with those last 20 to 30 runs,” Taylor said – and England needed to respond with some one-day style bowling. However, it’s difficult to remember a single yorker that was attempted and Taylor was quite happy to swat length into the stands.Andrew Strauss, who made a 60 that would have suited the grafting description, preferred to praise Taylor rather than suggest it was England’s shortcomings that played a part. “Sometimes you have to give credit to the opposition and when someone doesn’t allow bowlers to settle,” he said. “As a bowler you feel like you have a chance against people like that, but if they get in and get on top it’s hard to stem the flow of runs. I thought he played exceptionally well and you have to take your hat off to him.”Taylor has only played Tests against two nations; South Africa and England. He was found out by the bouncy pitches in Johannesburg and Centurion Park, but here the short ball was easily dispatched. He has formed a liking to English bowlers over the last few months. The series in New Zealand brought 310 runs at 51.66, including his maiden Test century at Hamilton. That was a rather more prosaic innings, taking 185 balls to today’s 130, but Taylor said the memories of that first hundred helped today after he got stalled in the 90s.”I think I probably batted better in this game and also the game situation it makes it a little bit better as well. I think most batsmen, unless you have 20-30 hundreds, will be nervous but I think I’d have been a lot more nervous if I hadn’t already got one.”The list of top-order batsman New Zealand have lost in recent times shows the talent that has disappeared; Astle, Craig McMillan, Stephen Fleming and Scott Styris to name four. It hasn’t proved easy trying to find suitable replacements, but in Taylor they have someone with a long career in front of them and he is certainly more then the grafter.

GOAL takes a look at three managers whose seats are heating up in the second half of the MLS campaign

D.C. United's Troy Lesense in the latest to get caught up in the MLS coaching carousel, with the former RBNY assistant fired after the team's elimination from the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup last week. He joined Sporting Kansas City manager Peter Vermes, CF Montreal coach Laurent Courtois, and St. Louis CITY manager Olof Mellberg among the coaches dismissed this season.

There is little margin for error as the second half of the campaign begins, with each Conference race heating up.

Eric Quill, the first-year head coach with FC Dallas, has looked somewhat out of his depth in recent weeks, and heading into Matchday 25, FCD sit 13th in the standings and eight points outside a guaranteed playoff spot in the West.

New England Revolution boss Caleb Porter and Atlanta United manager Ronny Deila have both had underwhelming stretches, and both will be under pressure considering how competitive the East is this season.

GOAL takes a look at MLS coaches on the hot seat.

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  Eric Quill: FC Dallas

  Quill, in his first year at FCD after joining from USL side New Mexico United, has faced mounting concerns this season. Injuries haven't been kind to his roster at times, and some key players have missed minutes. But as it stands, FCD isn't seen as a threat by their Western Conference competitors.

  In 21 matches, they've only taken 21 points and sit 13th in the West. They have the second-worst goal differential in the conference at minus-12, with just 23 goals and 35 conceded. Notably, they're the worst-performing home team in the West this year so far.

  They only have one home win on the season, taking five points from a possible 30, with a mark of 1-7-2. Mellberg, who was fired by CITY earlier this season, was also a first-year manager in MLS – and was removed just months into his new role. Things must turn around for Dallas if Quill hopes to escape that fate.

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  Ronny Deila: Atlanta United

  Deila, a former MLS Cup winner with NYCFC, was expected to take Atlanta United to new heights in 2025 after the club spent big this offseason – that included MLS-record signing Emmanuel Latte Lath from Middlesbrough and club legend Miguel Almiron from Newcastle United.

  The duo joined as Designated Players alongside a former Europa League winner from Atalanta in Alexey Miranchuk. The trio – arguably the most star-studded DP group outside of Inter Miami's ex-Barcelona group of Lionel Messi, Jordi Alba, and Sergio Busquets – cost the nearly $50M. With that, expectations were enormous.

  Fast forward to the season's mid-point, and Atlanta is on just 19 points through 21 games and has yet to win a single road match. They're 12th in the Eastern Conference, 12 points back from a guaranteed playoff spot, and 25th in the race for the Supporters' Shield.

  Seemingly everything has gone wrong for Deila this season, from struggling to figure out his tactical setup to individual defensive errors plaguing his squad. As it stands, Atlanta – the league's highest-spending team in 2025 – is going to miss out on the postseason by a wide margin.

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  Caleb Porter: New England Revolution

  It's been a familiar theme over the past 18 months: Caleb Porter on the hot seat in New England.

  He managed to last the entire 2024 campaign. The club turned over their roster in the offseason, and things looked to be trending positive through the first 15 weeks – including a stretch in which they won five straight across all competitions.

  Since that stretch, however, the Revs have played 12 matches and they've won just once – that came against CF Montreal, who were in last place in the East at the time. They're winless in six at the moment, and things are not looking good for the club.

  The positive spin is that are in the thick of the playoff race. Just four points separate the Revolution from ninth-place Charlotte, and six from the final guaranteed playoff spot in the East.

  For Porter and the Revs, qualification for the playoffs is the bare minimum.

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  Others to watch

  + Ben Olsen and the Houston Dynamo missed the playoffs from 2018 through 2022, made the Conference semifinals in 2023, and exited the 2024 version in the opening round. However, they have stagnated in 2025. As it stands, they're competing for a play-in spot, and are hoping to climb into a guaranteed postseason position.

  + Pablo Mastroeni has an important transfer window ahead of him for Real Salt Lake. It's make or break for a club that is in desperate need of reinforcements. Factor in that there there is European interest in Diego Luna, and the window becomes even more important. If Mastroeni and the RSL front office can't bolster their roster ahead of a playoff push, things could take a turn for the worse.

The Premier League window may have closed but Manchester United are still open for business with Altay Bayindir and Andre Onana both potentially leaving.

• Onana and Bayindir could leave Utd
• Saudi and Turkey clubs interested
• Man United will listen to offers

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The revolving door of transfers at Old Trafford could continue to spin in the coming weeks following the signing of goalkeeper Senne Lammens from Royal Antwerp. The new boy's arrival means the club will listen to offers for Andre Onana and Altay Bayindir, but it is likely they will only sell one of them, according to The Sun. 

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Clubs from Saudi Arabia and Turkey are the potential destinations for Onana and Bayindir as their transfer windows remain open. The Saudis have until September 23 to make new signings, while it's September 12 in the Turkish Super Lig. 

• DID YOU KNOW

  Four goalkeepers is too many, even for Manchester United, who don't have European football to put additional strain on their squad this season. Tom Heaton is expected to remain in reserve with Lammens the No 1. 

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  WHAT NEXT FOR ONANA AND BAYINDIR?

  Both keepers had vowed to stay and fight for their places this season, but high profile mistakes from both so early in the season, has forced Man United boss Ruben Amorim's hand. And both have their international positions to consider, with a World Cup looming large on the horizon. 

Osasuna have joined Athletic Club in the race to sign free agent Cesar Azpilicueta, with the veteran eyeing a return to his boyhood club.

Osasuna eye reunion with ex-Chelsea starAthletic also keen after Laporte injuryAzpilicueta began career at Osasuna in 2006Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

According to , Azpilicueta, who is now a free agent after leaving Atletico Madrid, has emerged as a top target for Osasuna. The 35-year-old defender could be set for an emotional return to his boyhood club, where he began his professional career in 2006. Athletic are also interested, especially after Aymeric Laporte’s injury created a need for defensive reinforcements.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The Spanish defender's signing would bring leadership, versatility, and elite experience to Los Rojillos’ defence. He can operate anywhere across the backline, a trait that served him well at Chelsea, where he played over 500 matches and won every major European trophy. Celta had him on their list of targets at one point, but eventually withdrew from the competition. His return would be more than a sporting move it would be a symbolic homecoming for one of Osasuna’s most celebrated academy graduates.

DID YOU KNOW?

Azpilicueta left Osasuna in 2010 to join Marseille before moving to Chelsea, where he scored 17 goals and provided 51 assists across all competitions. During his time in London, he was named in the Europa League’s best XI in 2019 and the Champions League’s in 2021. On the international stage, he earned 44 caps for Spain, playing under Vicente del Bosque and several other coaches.

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR AZPILIZUETA?

Formal negotiations between Osasuna and Azpilicueta have yet to begin, but financial obstacles are unlikely, with the player’s personal desire to return home seen as decisive. If completed, the deal could see him join in time to face Real Madrid on August 20.