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Batsman KB Pawan has made himself available for Karnataka again this season after being ignored by Tripura for an upcoming all-India invitational tournament in Bangalore. Pawan had moved to Tripura before the 2013-14 season after Karnataka preferred other openers ahead of him.”I requested Brijesh Patel sir (the Karnataka State Cricket Association secretary) and he said it would be okay for me to play here,” Pawan told . “Everything is still very unclear. I sent a letter to the Tripura Cricket Association and they said they need time to get back to me. I was hurt when I found out that I was left out (for the invitational tournament) but I understand they needed to make space for their local players.”Pawan has played 43 first-class matches for Karnataka, scoring 2622 runs at an average of 38, but in 2012-13, he got only four games for them. He admitted it would be difficult for him to regain his place in a side that won the Ranji Trophy, the Irani Cup and the Vijay Hazare Trophy previous season.”I am not thinking that far into the future,” Pawan said. “My job is to perform. Of course, the Ranji Trophy is the main goal. It is every domestic cricketer’s goal, but I know it will be very hard for me to find a spot in the team that won the title last year. The team is settled, so it isn’t the right time to think they will (include me in the squad).”Pawan, who made 374 runs for Tripura in eight games at 24.93, said it was a “very tough” experience playing for the north-eastern state. “Playing as a professional is not an easy thing to do. Pitches in the east are not as easy to play on as pitches in the south. Down here, after an hour or so the wicket eases off. There, the ball would be swinging around throughout the day.”Staying there alone for two-and-a-half months was one of the toughest things I have had to do in my life. I struggled there. I was out of my comfort zone. I do regret that decision from time to time but it was also one of the greatest experiences in my life. I have learnt how to manage things really well on my own.”

There is already some history between the Australians and Chris Gayle from last year, and James Faulkner’s comments ahead of his side’s World T20 clash with West Indies has only revived those feelings. Faulkner has said he does not “particularly like” the West Indies players, to which Darren Sammy has replied that the Australia allrounder is probably the only cricketer who does not like the men from the Caribbean.In his debut series early last year, Faulkner was fined a part of his match fee for shouting in Gayle’s direction after dismissing the batsman in Canberra. Faulkner suggested he would not hesitate to do something similar if it helped Australia in what is almost a must-win game for both sides.”I don’t particularly like them,” Faulkner said. “Good players are good players. You have to do things to get under their skin and try and irritate them to try and get them off their game. Players do that to me and I do it to other players. It’s a fact of the game. A lot of it is played in your mind. If you can do something to upset somebody and upset their team, it goes a long way towards doing well as a group.”Even Brad Haddin and Gayle had had a run-in last year during the Big Bash. When Haddin was dismissed by Gayle, Haddin said that at least then the fans of Gayle’s franchise had seen him do something for his money. Gayle had been having a poor tournament with the bat for Sydney Thunder. Gayle had responded with a tweet saying that he was better than Haddin even if he batted right-handed.When asked whether this background would be added motivation for his team, Sammy pointed to West Indies’ big win over Australia in the 2012 World T20 semi-final, and said that if anyone had bragging rights, it was his team.”The Australians normally have a lot to say. We are here to play cricket. I think probably James is the only cricketer that does not love West Indians. I could safely say West Indies are the second favourite team for the fans. It does not bother us. Talk is talk. We have got to walk the talk out there on the cricket field. He can say all he wants. We are not bothered by it.”I think the last time we played them in a World Cup we all know what happened. If anybody should be talking probably we should, but I do not want to say that. Once we back ourselves and play like we know how to play T20… they will come with their pace attack. Last time they did that we scored 200 I think.”We are not threatened by them. It is another game of cricket. Once we play to our full potential… so far in this tournament we have not played to our full potential. Once we do that, we will be very destructive. We were destructive in that semi-final last World Cup.”

يخوض فريق اليد بنادي الزمالك اليوم الجمعة ثالث مبارياته في البطولة العربية لكرة اليد أمام الهدى السعودي.

الزمالك خسر الخميس 32-33 أمام العربي الكويتي بينما كان قد فاز بسهولة على وفاق عين توتة الجزائري في المباراة الأولى بنتيجة 33/28 في الجولة الأولى من مرحلة المجموعات.

إقرأ أيضا..الزمالك يخسر أمام العربي الكويتي في ثاني مبارياته بالبطولة العربية لكرة اليد

ويتواجد الزمالك في المجموعة الثانية مع كل من الهدى السعودي والعربي الكويتي ووفاق عين التوتة الجزائري والشعلة اليمني.

وتضم قائمة الزمالك: “أحمد الأحمر – أحمد حسام – محمود خليل فلفل – أحمد وليد – هشام السبكي – مؤمن زكي – إبراهيم العربي – هشام صلاح – محمد ياسين – محمد سمير بوشا – أحمد مؤمن صفا دودو – مازن رضا – عمر الوكيل بكار – شادي خليل – خالد وليد – محمد علاء لوكا – محمد البسيوني مودي – زياد حشاد – أحمد سامح. موعد مباراة الزمالك والهدى السعودي اليوم في البطولة العربية لكرة اليد

تقام المباراة في تمام الساعة السابعة مساء بتوقيت مصر والسعودية.

Matt Prior has provided a boost for the England team by coming through a long training session unscathed a few days ahead of the first Ashes Test.Prior has been an injury doubt for the game, starting at the Gabba on Thursday, after sustaining a tear to the left calf muscle during the tour match against Australia A in Hobart. But by batting for about an hour against a variety of bowlers in the nets and then taking some catching practice, Prior provided a strong hint that he will be available for selection.Prior was one of only four members of the England squad – Jonny Bairstow, Graeme Swann and Alastair Cook were the others – to attend a voluntary net session at the Gabba on Monday. Despite strapping to his left calf, injured while batting and later diagnosed as a grade 1 tear, he played with confidence in the nets and, perhaps keen to make a point to the watching Andy Flower, darted the first few yards of imaginary quick singles on several occasions without any sign of discomfort. Prior ended the session by giving photographers a thumbs up and saying “I’m fine” before having some catching practice on the outfield.While it was a hugely encouraging session for Prior, it may still prove a little premature to conclude that he will definitely play in Brisbane. It has yet to be seen how he responds to the session and, with it having been only 10 days since he sustained the injury, the selectors may be uneasy to risk him at the start of such an important series for fear of aggravating the problem. Bairstow, batting fluently in an adjacent net, stands by.Some might argue that Bairstow has a strong case for inclusion anyway. He averaged 29 with the bat in the Ashes in England compared to Prior’s 19 and kept nicely in the second innings of England’s victory in the warm-up game in Sydney.But in such a pivotal game, England want their most experienced players. Prior, the team vice-captain and a veteran of 72 Tests including the series here in 2010-11, remains, despite his relative dip in form, a key figure with the bat and in the field. His astute use of the DRS might prove a factor, too. If England are satisfied that Prior is 100% fit, there will be no selection dilemma: he will play.The wicketkeeping selection is one of two issues the selectors have yet to resolve ahead of the first Test. While Michael Carberry, leaving the ball with the precision required to prosper in Australia, has secured the opening berth and forced Joe Root back to the No. 6 position for a while, there is still doubt as to the identity of the third seamer.While there are, on the face of it, three candidates – Steven Finn, Chris Tremlett and Boyd Rankin – it seems most unlikely that Finn will be included. While his wicket-taking record remains admirable, his propensity to leak runs is incompatible with England’s strategy and renders him needing to improve his control if he is to break back into the side.Matt Prior took the chance for an optional net to try and prove his fitness for the first Test•Getty Images

Tremlett, by contrast, may have lacked potency – he endured a modest county season and has taken just the one wicket in two games on this trip so far – but remains a reliable man to perform the holding required to balance England’s attack. With his height, his skill and his control, he can be relied upon to maintain the pressure built up by James Anderson and Stuart Broad and should enjoy the extra bounce in the Australian wickets.Those whose memories of Tremlett are limited to Test cricket will wonder what the fuss is about: he has invariably looked a fine quality performer at this level and, on the tour of 2010-11, was arguably England’s most impressive bowler.The intervening months have not all been kind, though. Tremlett has suffered a couple of serious injuries and, though he has worked hard to recover his strength and match fitness, there is little evidence to suggest he has recovered the nip that made him such a dangerous bowler.Boyd Rankin may yet warrant selection as a compromise selection. While his form on the tour so far has been patchy, he has more pace than Tremlett and more control than Finn. He has never bowled in Australia prior to this trip and is taking a while to find the correct length, but Ed Cowan, the Australian left-hander, reckoned one of his spells in the latest tour game “screamed ‘Test bowler” and he might prove a more aggressive choice. But, in a side who tend to play ‘safety first’ cricket, Tremlett remains the most likely selection.Whatever happens, England’s struggle to settle on a third seamer underlines the value of Tim Bresnan. While the unglamorous holding role performed so often by Bresnan rarely wins many headlines, the difficulty England have had finding a replacement for him has provided a reminder of his value. He is now bowling at full pace in the nets and, all being well, will make his return in the two-day game at Alice Springs that comes before the second Test in Adelaide. Tremlett or Rankin will have to bowl impressively in Brisbane if they are to deny him a quick return to the side.While the rest of the squad took the time to enjoy the local attractions or a round of golf, Cook could have been forgiven for wishing he had joined them. He enjoyed a tough net session, being beaten several times by the net bowlers and losing his off stump to a beauty from Swann that lured him down the pitch and turned past his outside edge.Generally, however, England are in good shape, and the promising performance of Prior will have provided further reassurance that, days before the serious business begins, they remain on track.

Sri Lanka Cricket president Jayantha Dharmadasa has clarified that the board did not question Kumar Sangakkara’s loyalty when the player had to choose between representing Kandurata Maroons and Sunrisers Hyderabad for the Champions League T20

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Aug-2013

Sri Lanka Cricket president Jayantha Dharmadasa has said that the board had not questioned Kumar Sangakkara’s loyalty to his country. In an email exchange with Sangakkara, published in the , Dharmadasa said the board had not misrepresented any facts or misled the media.Earlier this week, Sangakkara confirmed that he would represent Kandurata Maroons in the Champions League T20 tournament, instead of his IPL franchise, Sunrisers Hyderabad. He also criticized SLC, saying he was perturbed by the manner in which the board had publicly framed his situation.”We totally deny that SLC has misrepresented facts to the media nor mislead the media in any manner whatsoever and we have not stated anything to question your loyalty to play for the local team nor have we tarnished your image for that matter,” Dharmadasa wrote to Sangakkara. “In so far as SLC is concerned, we took a pragmatic view of the issues faced by us with regard to this matter and accordingly communicated to you our position.”In a reply to Dharmadasa’s email, Sangakkara explained why he had communicated with the media: “The damage to my reputation had already been done in the days preceding my meeting with you and I was left with little choice but to address the media.”In his reply, Sangakkara also told Dharmadasa that an earlier email he had sent to SLC secretary, Nishantha Ranatunga, encompassed his experiences over the last year and a half. In the email to Ranatunga, Sangakkara had written: “You have made me seem disloyal to Sunrisers Hyderebad and also disloyal to my country. In the process, you have quite possibly jeopardised my future in the IPL. It ultimately leaves me to question whether your interest in this matter is more in line with a personal agenda against me rather than a national interest.”I sincerely hope that your comments in the public are your own and are not in any way representative of the collective view of SLC and the current Ex Co. Since you have now set the precedent of demanding and insisting upon local players representing their home franchise over their IPL teams in the Champions League, I will be very interested to see if in the future when the same situation arises that you demand the same of other players.”Dharmadasa defended Ranatunga, stating the latter “commands the respect of the entire membership at Sri Lanka Cricket”.”It is indeed unfortunate and disappointing that you have singled out Nishantha and stated that his conduct in this matter has been reprehensible and not at all befitting the position he holds as secretary of SLC,” Dharmadasa wrote. “As you are fully aware Nishantha was unanimously elected as the secretary of SLC at the last AGM held in March this year and commands the respect of the entire membership at Sri Lanka Cricket. You additionally state that ‘it ultimately leaves me to question whether your interest in this matter is more in line with a personal agenda against me rather than a national interest’, this is an allegation of a serious nature which is unacceptable to SLC.”Nishantha as secretary communicates on behalf of the board in all administrative and cricketing matters which come within the purview of the executive committee. This is one such matter. As president, I need to inform you that all communications sent by Nishantha have been dispatched with the knowledge of the executive committee members who have been copied on such issues in order to resolve these matters in the best interest of SLC. He therefore communicates on behalf of SLC and not in an individual capacity. Your comment in relation to Nishantha is therefore regretted.”

Debutant Zulfiqar Babar, 34, took 3 for 23 and hit the winning runs off the last ball to take Pakistan home in a thriller against West Indies

The Report by Abhishek Purohit27-Jul-2013Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsZulfiqar Babar, 34, had a dream debut for Pakistan•WICB MediaYou get a chance to play international cricket at 34, becoming the second-oldest debutant for your country. You are hit for six second ball. What do you do? You dismiss three key batsmen for just 23 runs. You are then called on to finish the game. With the bat. Understandably, you are tied down. But with six needed off six, you loft over extra cover for four. You think you have more than pulled your weight as a debutant. You have, but it is not over yet. It comes down to the last ball. One run needed. Everyone is in the circle. No sweat. You go big over mid-off, so big that you clear the rope. Zulfiqar Babar, welcome to international cricket.It should not have come down to the last ball the way Shahid Afridi sensibly steered the chase from 86 for 5. After that became 116 for 6, he did it with the tail for company. He made 46 off 27, but barring the 27th delivery, he hardly hit a desperate, reckless stroke. With eight needed off 11 though, he tried to seal it with a straight six, and mishit to long-on.West Indies sensed a chance. Babar played out a few dots. Despite that early boundary in the last over, Saeed Ajmal was run out off the fifth with the scores tied, before Babar roared one final time.The way they bowled and fielded, West Indies were lucky to have taken it down to the last ball. Shannon Gabriel took three wickets, but he crumbled under pressure each time he was called upon to deliver. Umar Amin, who played a blinder on T20 debut, took three fours off Gabriel’s first over, with a flick and two pulls.Amin then took Samuel Badree apart on a turning pitch. Never giving the ball a chance to spin, he repeatedly stepped out to loft Badree down the ground. When the bowler dropped it short, Amin pulled. When he overpitched, Amin drove. Even as Amin was toying with West Indies, the hosts were striking at the other end.The Pakistan top order fell to miscalculated hits, but Amin’s brilliance meant the asking-rate was always under control. That still didn’t stop Amin from walking out to Samuels and getting stumped to make it 86 for 5.Afridi took over now, striking Samuels first ball for six over long-off and drilling the third to the extra cover rope. Thereafter, he settled down into cruise mode, rotating the strike, picking the odd boundary and also lofting Sunil Narine to become the first man to reach 400 international sixes. He did everything right except the stroke on the ball he got out to, but then, it was to be the debutant’s day in the end.Babar, and the other Pakistan spinners, had shocked West Indies initially on the turner but the hosts recovered and then took apart the fast bowlers to post a challenging total. Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard came together at 42 for 4 and put on 56 before Darren Sammy cracked 30 off 14. Pakistan’s slow bowlers did their job, taking 5 for 74 in 14 overs but the fast bowlers, missing the yorkers too often, disappeared for 1 for 73 in six. Mohammad Hafeez, who opened the bowling and dismissed the openers, gave himself just two overs.Babar squared up and bowled Lendl Simmons with his fourth delivery and in his next over, found himself in the way of a powerful hit from Samuels, but managed to hold on. Samuels had been cutting Mohammad Irfan for boundaries amid all the wickets.Bravo and Pollard, although not always in control, rotated the strike, a refreshing thing coming from a West Indies pair. Bravo was quick to hit with the turn through the off side, and Pollard made sure he put away the rare half-volleys for boundaries. Sammy went after the fast bowlers as he and Pollard looted 53 in four overs. As Sammy said after the game, 152 should have been defended on that pitch, but Babar was to have the perfect debut.

أعرب محمد رضا بوبو لاعب فريق الكرة الأول بنادي فيوتشر إف سي عن سعادته بالانضمام لقائمة منتخب مصر الأول في معسكر شهر يونيو المقبل.

طالع | قائمة منتخب مصر لمباراة غينيا في تصفيات أمم إفريقيا.. ضم 8 لاعبين من الأهلي وثلاثي الزمالك

وقال بوبو في تصريحات تلفزيونية بفضائية “أون تايم سبورتس”: “أخر 4 مباريات كان تركيزي على الانضمام لمعسكر منتخب مصر المقبل، وكنت أشعر انني سأنضم للفريق القومي”.

وأضاف: “أحد أصدقائي هو من أبلغني بالانضمام لقائمة منتخب مصر، كنت نائمًا وحرص على إيقاظي وقال لي أنني أنضممت للمنتخب”.

وأردف: “اسعد لحظة في حياتي انضمامي لمنتخب مصر”.

وعن مفاوضات الأهلي والزمالك لضمه، أوضح بوبو: “يتبقي لي 4 مباريات في الدوري ومواجهة نصف نهائي كأس الرابطة، وما زال يتبقي في عقدي 3 سنوات مع فيوتشر، وفي النهاية القرار ليس بيدي ولكن في يد فيوتشر”.

وأتم: “التواصل سيكون عن طريق النادي بشكل مباشر ووكيل أعمالي، أكثر من نادي طلب ضمي وإذا وفي النهاية أنا تحت أمر فيوتشر”.

MatériaMais Notícias

Shaun Marsh has emerged from the “dark space” he inhabited during a nightmarish 2012 to be recalled to the Australian Twenty20 team

Daniel Brettig21-Jan-2013Shaun Marsh has emerged from the “dark space” he inhabited during a nightmarish 2012 to be recalled to the Australian Twenty20 team following his storming Big Bash League.Starting last year as the No. 3 batsman in the Test side, Marsh was dropped following a dire series against India. His stocks receded further when a poor start to this season with Western Australia was compounded by disciplinary trouble at the Champions League that had him dropped from the Perth Scorchers too.But the steadying hand of the new WA and Scorchers coach Justin Langer played a part in Marsh regathering his confidence and discipline, and he will now turn out for the national team in Sydney and Melbourne against Sri Lanka after leading the run scorers in the BBL while showing the sort of clean, powerful stroke play that had first won him an international berth.”It’s been a pretty big turnaround,” Marsh said in Perth. “A few months ago I wasn’t even picked for WA and I was doubting myself and stuff like that. It’s just great to play well for the Scorchers, get my name back up there, get the confidence back and I’m really looking forward to playing again and hopefully doing well.”I was in a pretty dark space there for a few months. It certainly challenges you, but it’s made me a stronger person within and it’s made me a better person. I’ve worked really hard with Justin and [fitness trainer] Steve Smith, went away and did some boxing with a mate of mine, trained really hard and made sure I was doing the extra sessions.”I knew things were going to turn around for me if I kept doing that, and it did. It was nice to contribute to the team again and help the boys win games of cricket.”At 29, Marsh remains a long way from a Test match recall, something he was happy to accept. “It’s always a dream to play Test cricket and I’ve had a taste of it, so one day hopefully,” he said. “But I’ve got to play well for WA, in Shield cricket I think I’m averaging about 10 this year so I want to get back to playing with the boys, get a few big hundreds and push my case. I think that’s a long way off at the moment.”John Inverarity, the national selector, indicated that his panel was hopeful that Marsh would use his BBL resurgence as a “stepping stone”.”With Shaun we’ll just take one step at a time,” Inverarity said. “His form in the BBL has been absolutely compelling. He’s batted brilliantly and we all know how well he can play when he’s in a good space and he seems to be in a very good space at the moment.”We’ve kept a pretty close eye on Shaun and he’s in a very good place at the moment. His batting has just been wonderful. We hope this is a stepping stone for other forms.”Adam Voges, Ben Laughlin and James Faulkner were among others rewarded for their domestic efforts with a place in the squad to face Sri Lanka. There was no room for Shane Watson, who may now return from his calf strain via the Sheffield Shield with New South Wales, while Luke Pomersbach was also overlooked despite a BBL contribution every bit as compelling as that of Marsh.The bowling attack will be led by Mitchell Starc and Ben Cutting, with Laughlin’s variations finding a way back into favour after his strong showings for the Hobart Hurricanes. David Hussey, meanwhile, lost his place in the T20 team following only brief appearances for the side in last year’s World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka.Inverarity said Pomersbach and Ben Rohrer, both outstanding performers in the BBL for the Brisbane Heat and Melbourne Renegades respectively, had been very close to winning places in the team. “Ben Rohrer played brilliantly with the Melbourne Renegades and was in strong contention for inclusion, as was Luke Pomersbach,” he said. “The NSP is pleased to see Luke playing so well and hope his good form continues.”As for Hussey, Inverarity stated that he had been left out for a younger player in Glenn Maxwell, as was the case for much of the World T20. “It was a toss-up in September at the World T20 and Glenn was preferred to David in all games but the semi-final at the end,” Inverarity said. “When it’s very close we always go for the younger player.”Australia Twenty20 squad: George Bailey (capt), Ben Cutting, Xavier Doherty, James Faulkner, Aaron Finch, Ben Laughlin, Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Starc, Adam Voges, Matthew Wade, David Warner

The preview of the CLT20 final between Lions and Sydney Sixers, in Johannesburg

The Preview by Siddarth Ravindran27-Oct-2012 Match factsOctober 28, 2012
Start time 1730 local (1530 GMT)Sydney Sixers’ attack will be led by Mitchell Starc who has been among the best bowlers of the year in Twenty20s•Associated Press

Big PictureThe Champions League T20 may be the ugly step-sister of the cricketing world, with most fans giving it the cold shoulder, but for many of the players involved the final will be the biggest payday of their lives. With the champions getting a cool $2.5m, the money on offer will bump players, especially those who aren’t part of national teams or aren’t globetrotting T20 specialists, up a tax bracket or two. Adding to the occasion will be the sell-out crowd at one of cricket’s iconic venues, the Wanderers Stadium, which will make it among the biggest audiences some of the domestic players will play in front of.And contesting the final are the two most consistent sides of the tournament. Lions weren’t topping anybody’s list of favourites when the tournament began, but they have exceeded expectations through a combination of teamwork and temperament, keeping their head when things start to get tight. They have plenty going for them. The Wanderers is their home ground, and no one knows the conditions there better than Lions. The diversity in their batting – Twenty20 batting doesn’t get too much more of a contrast than the leg-side biffing of Ghulam Bodi and the surgical precision of Neil McKenzie – has been married to consistency through the tournament. And the bowling has four match-winners: their two imports Dirk Nannes and Sohail Tanvir, their best bowler in the domestic tournament, Chris Morris, and one of the bowlers of the CLT20, Aaron Phangiso.Their one reverse in this tournament came against their opponents in the final, Sydney Sixers. When the Big Bash League was launched a year ago, Sydney Sixers were the butt of jokes for their flamboyantly pink outfits, a colour which they started to refer to as ‘mangenta’. A year on, they have earned the respect of Twenty20 fans after winning the inaugural BBL, and are yet to drop a game in the CLT20.They came into the tournament as one of the leading contenders and have so far lived up to the tag, despite losing the services of Dwayne Bravo and Brett Lee to IPL teams, and that of possibly the most valuable player currently in T20 cricket, Shane Watson, midway through the tournament. They could also be without their captain, Brad Haddin, for the final, as he picked up a thumb injury – though he was fit enough to bat on Friday. Watch out for…Steve O’Keefe has opened the innings only three times in T20s: the semi-finals and final of the BBL, and Friday’s CLT20 semi-final against Titans. On all three occasions he has made a significant contribution, including a Man of the Match performance against Titans. In addition, his left-arm spin has been taken for less than a run-a-ball this tournament.Fast bowler Chris Morris was the top wicket-taker in South Africa’s domestic Twenty20 competition last season, and he came into the CLT20 on the back of a 12-wicket haul against Dolphins in a first-class game. He started off quietly in this tournament but hit the headlines with his spell against Delhi Daredevils in the semi-finals, helping his team defend a sub-par score by taking the key wicket of David Warner and then killing off the game with scalp of Kevin Pietersen.Weather and conditionsDespite gloomy weather forecasts, the showers thankfully stayed away during both semi-finals. The organisers will hope that trend continues for the final as well, when light rain is predicted.Stats and trivia Mitchell Starc is the leading wicket-taker not just in the tournament but in all Twenty20s this year, with an astonishing 56 wickets in 26 matches Six of the Lions players who were part of the semi-final have a batting average over 26 in T20s, while the highest among Sydney’s players in the semi-final was Nic Maddinson’s 25.76 Quotes “I think the middle overs will be important. We’ve dominated that period in almost all our games and I think that will play a massive role once again.”

“Lions are very desperate to win. This is a chance for the domestic teams to showcase their skills at the international stage.”