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Where to watch the Saudi Pro League game between Al-Feiha and Al-Nassr in the United States.

Cristiano Ronaldowill be back in action asAl-Nassrare all set to faceAl-Feihain theSaudi Pro Leagueon Sunday.

The Portuguese forward has scored an impressive 11 goals in 11 appearances for Al Nassr so far in all competitions and will hope to get on the scoresheet again on Sunday.

Al-Nassr are second on the league table with 52 points from 22 matches and will be desperate to displace Al-Ittihad from the summit with another three points.

Meanwhile, Al-Feiha are 10th in the league with 24 points from 21 matches. They have won only two matches out of their last five league games.

GOAL brings you details on how to watch the game on TV in the US as well as how to stream online.

Nassr TwitterKick-off timeGame:Al-Feiha vs Al-Nassr Date:April 9, 2023Kick-off:3:00 pm ETVenue:Al Majma'ah Sports City

The game is scheduled for April 9, 2023, at Al Majma'ah Sports City. It will kick off at 3:00 pm ET in the US.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesHow to watch Al-Feiha vs Al-Nassr online – TV channels & live streamsTV channels & streaming options

The game can be streamed on Shahid in theUnited States.

Highlights of the game will be available on Al-Nassr's official YouTube channel, as well as on their social media pages on Twitter and Facebook.

See more about where to watch Cristiano Ronaldo and Al-Nassr

Country TV channel Live stream

USN/AShahidGetty ImagesTeam news & squadsAl-Nassr squad & team news

Position Players

GoalkeepersBukhari, Al-Owairedhi, Abdullah, Al-Aqidi, Rossi, OspinaDefendersS. Al-Ghannam, Al-Fatil, Al-Amri, Boushal, Konan, Al Mansour, Gonzalez, Qasheesh, Al-Faraj, Haqawi, Al-Oujami, MaduMidfieldersAl-Sulaiheem, K. Al-Ghannam, Al-Najei, L. Gustavo, Al-Hassan, Yahya, Ghareeb, Al-Alawi, Masharipov, Talisca, Al-KhaibariForwardsRonaldo, Maran, Al-Nemer

Cristiano Ronaldois expected to start for Al-Nassr and will hope to continue his goal-scoring form.

The only injury concern for Rudi Garcia ahead of the match is Argentine midfielder Gonzalo 'Pity' Martinez, who is out of action for the remainder of the season with a knee injury.

Al-Feiha squad & team news

Position Players

GoalkeepersAl Freej, Stojkovic, Al-MasrahiDefendersAl-Harbi, Al-Khaybari, Al-Shuwaish, Al-Mutairi, Al-Qaydhi, Al-Shamekh, Al-Baqawi, Al-Khalaf, Al-RashidiMidfieldersRyller, Abusabaan, Paulinho, Zidan, Al-Zaqan, Al-Namer, Al-SafariForwardsNwakaeme, Trajkovski, Mandash, Al-Kabi, Majrashi, Pavkov, Abdulmonem, Ruiz

Vuk Razovic has no major injury concern in his squad ahead of their crucial fixture against Al-Nassr. Star strikers Victor Ruiz and Aleksandar Trajkovski are back in the team and are ready to start on Sunday.

Head-to-head record

Date Result Competition

October 16, 2022Al-Nassr 4-0 Al-FeihaSaudi LeagueMarch 17, 2022Al-Nassr 1-0 Al-FeihaSaudi LeagueOctober 30, 2021Al-Feiha 1-1 Al-NassrSaudi LeagueAugust 29, 2020Al-Nasser 2-1 Al-FeihaSaudi LeagueDecember 28, 2019Al-Feiha 1-4 Al-NassrSaudi League

Al-Nassr have won four of the last five times the two clubs met while one clash ended in a draw.

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GettyUseful links

Al-Nassr team page

Live soccer on TV in the U.S.

Where to watch Al-Nassr games

Mohammad Saifuddin became the fifth bowler to be reported for a suspect action during the Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League

Mohammad Isam26-Apr-2016Mohammad Saifuddin, a Cricket Coaching School (CCS) player, has been reported for a suspect action during the Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League match against Prime Bank Cricket Club on Tuesday.ESPNcricinfo has learned that during the match the umpires were concerned about “some of Saifuddin’s deliveries”. However, CCS captain Rajin Saleh said that the match officials had not informed him about Saifuddin.Saifuddin now becomes the fifth bowler to be reported in this season’s Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League after left-arm spinner Moinul Islam and offspinner Mustafizur Rahman of Gazi Group Cricketers, left-arm spinner Amit Kumar of Abahani and left-arm spinner Rejaul Karim of Prime Doleshwar Sporting Club were reported on April 22.In addition to informing the teams, the umpires have to submit their report to the BCB’s umpires committee, which is supposed to hand it over to the bowlers review group. The bowlers review group has not yet been formed by the BCB.As things stand, these reported bowlers can continue to play in the Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League and they are likely to be assessed by the review committee at the end of the tournament.

The 2016 edition of the IPL will begin on April 9, when defending champions Mumbai Indians will take on new entrants Rising Pune Supergiants at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Mar-2016The 2016 edition of the IPL will begin on April 9, when defending champions Mumbai Indians will take on new entrants Rising Pune Supergiants at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The final, too, will be played at the Wankhede Stadium on May 29.The Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune will host the home games of new franchise Rising Pune Supergiants, while the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot will be the home stadium of Gujarat Lions. This year’s edition will not see any afternoon games (1600 IST start) on weekdays.Apart from the Feroz Shah Kotla in Delhi, the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur will host two home games of Delhi Daredevils. The VCA Stadium in Nagpur will host three home games for Kings XI Punjab, apart from their usual home ground in Mohali.

ESPNcricinfo previews the playoff matches between Afghanistan and Hong Kong, and Namibia and Netherlands

Peter Della Penna in Malahide20-Jul-2015Afghanistan vs Hong KongAfghanistan waltzed into first place after the group stages in each of their first three appearances in the World T20 qualifier. They were undefeated in 2010 and 2012 and suffered only one loss in 2013 before moving on. This year, playing outside their operational base in the UAE for the first time, Afghanistan ended up at third.They did beat the teams sitting ahead of them – Scotland and Netherlands – and thumped UAE as well, but a banana peel loss to Oman sandwiched by two washouts against Canada and Kenya have proven costly. It means Afghanistan have to better Asian rivals Hong Kong to secure a berth in India next year.Meek top order displays in the 50-over World Cup led to Mohammad Shahzad’s recall. So far it seems a good move, he has muscled 74 off 37 and 75 off 36 in back-to-back games against UAE and Scotland. Pertinently, in five T20 matches against Hong Kong, he averages 68.33 with two half-centuries.On the bowling front, Afghanistan’s quicks have been upstaged by the offspin of Mohammad Nabi. With eight wickets so far, the former captain has been their most successful bowler. The pitch in Malahide has been conducive to spin and he will remain a threat. But more support is needed from Hamid Hassan and Dawlat Zadran to keep Hong Kong’s batting in check.Hong Kong are trying to recover from upsets themselves – they slipped up against Jersey and USA. That they still managed to finish in second place is a testament to team’s resilience. And they will require lots of it on Wednesday considering they have lost all six T20s played against Afghanistan. Besides one eight-run defeat, the others were by big margins: 120 runs in 2009, eight wickets, nine wickets, and seven wickets twice. The most recent of those was at last year’s World T20 in Bangladesh, where Afghanistan chased down 154 with ease.As far as key players are concerned, Irfan Ahmed has turned in two Man of the Match performances against Namibia and Ireland. But his record against Afghanistan is bleak. He averages 13.50 and only once has he made it to double-figures. His 98 against Namibia on Sunday was a good sign though, and it helped that he had a former captain in Jamie Atkinson as his opening partner. Anshuman Rath, the 17-year old, was demoted after struggling to take advantage of the Powerplay. Hong Kong’s best chance of a first win over Afghanistan in T20 cricket will rely on a solid foundation from the new opening pair.Namibia v NetherlandsBen Cooper has been one of the most consistent batsmen of the tournament•ICC/Donald MacLeodHad Netherlands completed their ferocious chase against Kenya on Saturday three balls quicker, they would have sealed passage to the World T20 and rested up for an entire week before the semi-finals here. That they still scored 98 in 8.3 overs is a reminder of how explosive they can be when pushed into a corner. It is hard to forget what they did to Ireland in the World T20 last year.Four of their batsmen – Ben Cooper, Wesley Barresi, Peter Borren and Stephan Myburgh – have tallied more than 100 runs from the group stages. Only Scotland, with five, are better off.Ahsan Malik has been suspended from bowling for the rest of the tournament due to a suspect action, but Timm van der Gugten has picked up the slack, picking up four wickets in his last two games. Spinners Roelof van der Merwe and Michael Rippon have taken nine and seven wickets respectively and will like the conditions in Malahide.Namibia, meanwhile, are aiming to qualify for their first World T20 after a disappointing exit from the qualifier tournament in 2012. They had been undefeated in the league phase and had two chances to confirm a spot in the World T20 in Sri Lanka. But they lost both times. Playing against Ireland and Afghanistan, they failed to reach a total of 100 in either game, after having been the most prolific batting line-up in the group stages.Namibia have two cracks at the prize this year as well courtesy openers Stephan Baard and Gerrie Snyman, who have led them into the playoffs. Baard is the leading run-scorer in the tournament with 243 runs at an average of 60.75 and Snyman is in fourth place with 192 runs at 32.00. They have two half-centuries each, but no one else has been consistent enough.Namibia possess one of the tournament’s most effective slow bowlers in Bernard Scholtz. He is tied for most wickets – 10 – by a spinner with USA’s Timil Patel and third overall behind John Mooney and Alisdair Evans. Snyman’s offspin has also claimed seven, but their pace-bowlers have not produced performances of substance. Namibia have already conceded 161 to Jersey and 197 to Hong Kong and a similar total against Netherlands is likely to leave them in trouble. But If Namibia lose, they will have one final chance, on Thursday, to secure that elusive berth in a World T20.

England's Lionesses face a remarkable conflict of interests against Scotland this week, as the latter know they must lose to qualify for the Olympics.

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Remarkable turn of events means Scotland must loseSarina Wiegman insists there will be no collusionNetherlands can also qualifyWHAT HAPPENED?

England's clash with Scotland on Tuesday has been fraught with controversy since the Lionesses were nominated as the nation to qualify on behalf of Team GB. As a result, Scotland, remarkably, know that this week's encounter must end in a defeat if their players are to have any hope of playing in next summer's Olympics.

Advertisement(C)Getty ImagesTHE EXPLANATION

The reason for what could be seen as a conflict of interest comes because only England and the Netherlands can qualify from Group A in the Nations League. England must beat Scotland to qualify, but they must also better the Dutch result by at least a three-goal margin. Therefore, certain Scotland players with aspirations to feature in Team GB could potentially throw the result in favour of England, although this seems an unlikely scenario.

The Netherlands and Belgium have both beaten England in this stage, while Scotland are bottom of the group. As a result, Dutch manager Andries Jonker gave a diplomatic response, per the , where he insisted his side merely had to keep qualification in "their own hands", although Wiegman maintains that there will be no fix.

WHAT WIEGMAN SAID

On the matter, Wiegman pointed towards England's quality and the history between the two sides to refute such a conflict, telling reporters: “I understand the conversations about it, but if you know the history of Scotland-England, then there’s no way that they are going to give away this game. They really want to beat England and we want to beat them of course.

“The Dutch manager knows about the history and he also mentioned that too, that he doesn’t expect that Scotland will just give it away. And they won’t. And you saw too, that the Netherlands got a 4-0 score [against Scotland], so that’s a big score too, so should I question those things too? Of course I do not. This is football, it’s competitive, we have professional players here. It’s going to be a good game where everyone wants to perform at the highest level.”

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR ENGLAND?

It remains to be seen exactly how Wednesday's game will play out, but one has to think that this lack of sporting integrity in such a massive fixture would never be applied in the men's game – and should therefore not exist in the women's either. The Netherlands, meanwhile, play Belgium on the same evening.

Test cricket has been rather less kind to Moeen Ali than during his remarkable breakthrough summer. Last year, he first sent down a doosra during the Headingley Test against Sri Lanka and now Moeen plans to unleash the doosra once more in the NatWest T20

Tim Wigmore04-Jun-2015Since appearing on the cover of Wisden, Test cricket has been rather less kind to Moeen Ali than during his remarkable breakthrough summer. Last year, he first sent down a doosra during the Headingley Test against Sri Lanka. The delivery was subsequently put away during a widespread clampdown on illegal actions but now Moeen plans to unleash the doosra once more in the NatWest T20 Blast.”I’m hoping to bowl a couple in the T20s for a bit of fun really,” Moeen said. “I’ve worked so hard on it over the years but I don’t really bowl it much.”In Twirlymen: The Unlikely History of Cricket’s Greatest Spin Bowlers, Amol Rajan likens the doosra to a “hallucinogenic drug”. He writes: “Muralitharan aside, every single international bowler who has practised endlessly to master this delivery has rightfully had his action questioned, or has lost his stock ball altogether, or both.”Moeen evidently does not agree. “A lot of guys I’ve bowled it to and who’ve seen it say that it is fine,” he said, unconcerned that the delivery could fall foul of the ICC’s recent clampdown on throwing.A month before an Ashes series was traditionally the time when Shane Warne would announce that he would be unveiling a new delivery on England. Moeen is not a cricketer associated with such bluster, and admits his doosra might not be spotted in a Test this summer. “I don’t think I’ll bowl it in the Ashes.”But Moeen does hope to have his stock offspin back in sound working order before the 1st Test on July 8. His offspin lacked consistency and bite during England’s Tests against the West Indies and New Zealand.”The belief is still there although maybe the confidence has been knocked a bit,” he said. “I do feel like I have the potential to be a good spinner, or a decent spinner because I feel like the ball comes out nice out of my hand, and the shape and everything is all good. But there’s just maybe one or two things that I need to really get consistent in my action.” He cites a tendency to fall away slightly in his delivery stride.Moeen’s mentality remains that of a batsman rather than the role he now occupies in England’s Test side. “I think people forget that I am a batsman. I always see myself as a batter still who can bowl,” he said. “The thing with my batting is I know exactly when things aren’t going so well I need to go to my go-to areas. With the bowling it’s not actually quite there yet.”Moving two places down England’s Test batting order to No. 8 has not been an enjoyable experience. “It’s tough. When the guys below me come in I have to try and bat more positively and it’s not always easy if you’re not in.” Moeen has discussed the art of batting with the tail with Joe Root and Jos Buttler.Batting at No. 8 puts more onus on Moeen’s offspin. The burden has not appeared to sit easily so far in 2015, with four Tests bringing 11 wickets at 41.63, and an economy rate of 3.77 per over. His performance in the Headingley Test, when he recorded match figures of 1 for 121, was particularly disappointing.Moeen admits he “struggled” battling the wind and cold. “I couldn’t feel my fingers for the first few overs,” he said. “I had a few catches dropped which could have turned things. But I still don’t think I bowled very well.”Moeen Ali has struggled since returning to England’s Test side•Getty ImagesBut he has not been surprised by the challenges that recent Tests have posed. “I knew there would be bumps in my development,” he said. “I haven’t got a lot of experience as a front line bowler – I don’t feel like I have a lot of experience. Everytime I bowl I feel like I am learning a lot about my bowling. I just need to get more consistent about my action – just keep bowling and hopefully do what I did last year.”A desire to give Moeen more bowling with the red ball is behind England’s decision not to select him for the ODI squad against New Zealand, with the selectors making clear that Moeen had not been dropped. While he “would have loved to be in the one day side”, Moeen accepts the logic.”Maybe it is a good thing in a way in the long run to get some bowling under my belt,” he said. “I’ve been told to go and get ready for the Ashes and hopefully get some overs and wickets under my belt so that’s all I’m going to do.” But there could be a complication. “It might be a bit difficult with Saeed Ajmal in the side as well. Though it has “been talked about” to give him more bowling than when he has played alongside Ajmal in the past.Still, Moeen should benefit from Ajmal’s wisdom. “I work things out myself,” he said. “If I get too much information I sort of confuse myself so in a way I’m glad I can just get on with it and bowl and have Saeed to talk to. I talk to him a lot more about the mentality side of things.”Moeen Ali was speaking at the launch of the Royal London Gilbert Cup, a new grassroots under-11 cricket tournament. cccwww.royallondoncricket.com

The presence of popstar Harry Styles at the match between Luton and Manchester United sparked a funny argument between Jamie Redknapp and David Jones.

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Harry Styles attended Premier League matchTook selfie with pundit Jamie RedknappStar's presence sparked jibes from presenterWHAT HAPPENED?

The famous singer was at Kenilworth Road to watch the Premier League clash and he paid a visit to the Sky Sports team, where ex-Tottenham star Redknapp was given the honour of having his picture taken with him. The excitement caused by Styles' arrival started some good-natured ribbing between the former England international and presenter Jones.

AdvertisementWATCH THE CLIPGettyWHAT REDKNAPP & JONES SAID ABOUT STYLES

"I've never seen Jamie Redknapp move so fast out of his chair to get his selfie," Jones said.

Redknapp replied: "Yeah, watch you here now. Look how thirsty you get when he walks past you."

The pundit then put on a high pitched voice to mock Jones, saying: "'Oh can I have some tickets please?' Yeah, do one mate."

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THE BIGGER PICTURE

Styles is a known Manchester United supporter. He was in attendance to see his favourite team secure three important points to boost their hopes of breaking into the Premier League top four. United made it four wins on the bounce by beating Luton 2-1, thanks to a first-half brace from Rasmus Hojlund.

The Angel Gabriel is a hard-working, versatile, big game player who can answer the Gunners' prayers…

Arsenal are set to land four-time Premier League winner Gabriel Jesus after agreeing a £45 million ($55m) deal with Manchester City.

The Brazilian was Mikel Arteta's priority attacking target and there is, quite rightly, plenty of excitement around his imminent arrival at the Emirates.

So, below, GOAL looks at what can the Gunners expect from a player that became a sensation when he joined City as a teenager and then dazzled, but occasionally frustrated, in the intervening years…

GettyFlexibility

Jesus has been deployed all across the front three during his time at the Etihad Stadium because of his excellent all-round game.

Whether tasked with being a ball-carrier, a battler or a box of tricks, Jesus has nearly always delivered exactly what Pep Guardiola has asked of him.

Even as a No.9 there was a malleability to his game, whether he was charged with primarily playing as a six-yard box predator, a spearhead against teams trying to press high or dropping deep as a false nine, creating space for midfielders.

Similarly, he has been effective in different roles when playing wide. He has delivered as an old-school winger, hugging the touchline, an inside forward playing off a central striker or as an attacker charged with supplementing the midfield.

His time at City can be characterised by an unselfishness that has always put the team ahead of any personal glory.

AdvertisementGettyWork-rate

Ever since his first start in a 3-0 victory over Crystal Palace in January 2017, Jesus' hard work has stood out as a key attribute.

Guardiola has wanted his team to press opponents high up the pitch and that starts with the striker putting central defenders under pressure.

Jesus, to his credit, instinctively knew what was required and that immediately put the place of legendary striker Sergio Aguero under threat.

The Argentinian came alive when City had the ball, but he was not always the most effective when the opponents were controlling possession.

Aguero learned from his young team-mate, though, and his increased work-rate, coupled with his incredible strike rate, meant that he remained City's first-choice centre forward, although Jesus still got the call when hard graft was essential, as in the stunning Champions League win over Real Madrid in 2020.

Getty ImagesBig-game player

Guardiola has often turned to Jesus for big games and has been rewarded with important performances and goals.

The victory over Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu was a landmark moment for City's rise in the Champions League, beating one of the elite on their own patch, with Jesus instrumental, scoring an equaliser in a breathless performance.

Last season, he started the early double-header against Chelsea and Liverpool, scoring at Stamford Bridge and providing an assist for Phil Foden at Anfield.

Jesus didn't start a Premier League game for three months after New Year, partly because of injury, but was recalled for the crucial Premier League clash with Liverpool in April and scored the opener.

It's also telling that as City continued their pursuit of their Champions League dream, he started both semi-final legs against Real, scoring at the Etihad and leading the line in Spain.

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Getty ImagesPotential

Still only 25, Jesus is moving into his prime years and can get even better.

At City, he was always fighting to be in the starting line-up and was never able to truly convince fans that he belonged in the strongest XI.

The move to Arsenal could give him more freedom and the close attention of a coach like Arteta, who knows him well from his time at the Etihad as Guardiola's assistant, could make him feel even more loved.

Technically, Jesus has everything in his game to be a star: quick feet, pace, strength, good movement and the ability to play either side.

On top of that, he has the experience of working in a winning environment and he can bring some of that mentality to the Emirates and thrive in a hungry, young squad.

Essex launched a fine recovery to leave themselves slight favourites to beat Kent in their County Championship Division Two duel at Chelmsford

Press Association20-Apr-2015
ScorecardGraham Napier counter-attacked to get Essex back into the match•Getty ImagesEssex launched a fine recovery to leave themselves slight favourites to beat Kent in their County Championship Division Two duel at Chelmsford. After being left a target of 193, they reached the close on 66 for 3, a position of promise that seemed highly unlikely after they had resumed the second day on 67 for 6 in reply to their opponents first innings total of 193.When Essex lost another wicket with only two runs added, it seemed they would finish well adrift. But they were revived by Graham Napier’s contribution of 57 from 40 deliveries. All those runs came during a stand of 80 in 12 overs before he sliced a shot to third man where Sam Northeast took a fine diving catch.Napier struck seven fours and a six and keeping him company was Jaik Mickleburgh who was to make 46 before he was ninth out. Darren Stevens and Matt Coles finished with four wickets each as Essex closed 29 runs adrift of their opponents on 163.On a pitch which again favoured swing and seam, Kent lost both openers within the first five overs of their second innings. Joe Denly fell without a run on the board, to Jamie Porter, before Daniel-Bell Drummond gave James Foster the first of his four catches in the innings.The visitors were indebted to Northeast for their second-innings effort of 163. While wickets fell around him at regular intervals, he produced some punishing drives to anchor the innings. He struck ten boundaries before Greg Smith trapped him lbw on the stroke of tea. Northeast’s main support came from Darren Stevens whose 36 from as many deliveries came during a fifth-wicket half-century partnership after the pair had started their liaison with their side 49 for 4.David Masters, who was responsible for Kent’s early troubles, finished with 4 for 45 while Smith returned 3 for 22.When they set off in pursuit of victory, Essex quickly lost Tom Westley for a duck, bowled by Ivan Thomas, before Nick Browne and Mickleburgh raised the 50. Having added 57 in 13 overs for the second wicket, both were to depart shortly before the close. A magnificent catch by Sam Billings accounted for Browne after he had made 25 while a slip catch by Matt Coles saw off Mickleburgh for 23 to end his hour’s stay at the crease.Mitch Claydon was the successful bowler on both occasions but Essex were to steer clear of further trouble in the remaining four overs to leave a tense third day in prospect.”Those two wicket towards the close has put us right back in it and the game is very evenly poised,” Claydon said. “It’s up to us to put the ball in the right areas more consistently to go on and win the match and I think we can do that if we nick a couple of early wickets in the morning. One thing is for certain and that is that batsmen will have to battle hard for every run – it’s that sort of pitch.”Napier said: “We have ended the day with our noses in front and that’s a position we would have settled for considering how we started the day. It’s a pitch where runs are not easy to come by but I decided to adopt a positive approach and it worked to help us get near their total. But we still face plenty of hard work ahead if we are to get a victory.”

Michael Clarke believes his players have improved in Asian conditions since their horror tour of India last year, despite the scorecard in Dubai showing a 221-run victory for Pakistan

Brydon Coverdale in Dubai26-Oct-20141:43

‘We can play a lot better’ – Clarke

Michael Clarke comparing this performance to the ones in India last year: “I think as a team in general we’ve improved out of sight since that series”•Getty ImagesMichael Clarke believes his players have improved in Asian conditions since their horror tour of India last year, despite the scorecard in Dubai showing a 221-run victory for Pakistan. Clarke faces the prospect of becoming the first Australian captain since Mark Taylor in 1994 to lead his side to a series loss at the hands of Pakistan, unless the team can dramatically turn things around in Abu Dhabi.That would require a far sturdier batting effort than what was put forward in Dubai, where they were dismissed for 303 and 216. At least there was some fight on the final day from Steven Smith and Mitchell Johnson, who made 55 and 61 respectively, but what really hurt their chances of salvaging a draw was the four wickets for five runs that fell late on the fourth afternoon.”I’m obviously very disappointed with the result but really impressed with the way Steve Smith and Mitchell Johnson in particular showed a lot of grit today and fought their backside off,” Clarke said. “That’s part of the Australian way. We certainly weren’t going to turn up here today and throw our wickets away. We were going to fight as long as we could and I thought those two played really well in tough conditions.”I think you have a look at [Alex] Doolan, Clarke, [Nathan] Lyon, [Brad] Haddin, [Mitchell] Marsh, I don’t think any of us faced more than 25 balls [in the second innings] did we? So it’s probably a fair indication in these conditions it’s really hard to start your innings. The longer you bat, the more time you spend there, the easier it gets. I think Younis [Khan] was a good example of that, the way he played in both innings. He took his time early and gave himself a chance. Once he was in he capitalised on that.”There were some positives from the Australia batsmen, most notably David Warner’s 133 in the first innings, but by comparison there were four Pakistan centuries scored during the Test. In India last year, Clarke scored a hundred on the first day of the series and it was the only Australian ton for the whole tour, and Clarke firmly believes that his side has improved in Asian conditions since that 4-0 loss.”I think we’ve certainly improved as a team,” he said. “I think we obviously have more work to do in these conditions. But you’ve seen some examples – Davey making a hundred, Smith making 50, the way Mitch played today – you’ve seen some examples of players certainly improving in these conditions. Unfortunately the result is the same as what it was in India. But I think as a team in general we’ve improved out of sight since that series, for a number of reasons.”What troubled the Australians most in India was the spin in the pitches, but what caused problems in Dubai was often playing for spin that did not eventuate. Zulfiqar Babar’s wickets largely came with deliveries that slid on with the arm and the Australian batsmen struggled to handle his accuracy, whereas Steve O’Keefe’s similar style was generally rebuffed comfortably by Pakistan’s batsmen.”The hardest part about playing on subcontinental wickets is the inconsistency in spin,” Clarke said. “You get natural variation off the wicket. You bowl the exact same ball. One ball spins this far and the next ball skids on. It is hard to practice but you can do that.”If we have practice wickets that aren’t spinning and they’re sliding on you can practice on that. And then you can go and bat on the grass for instance when you know when there’s no wicket at all, that is going to spin. The grass will spin. There are ways we can continue to train.”One man who will certainly be keen to improve his work against spin is the No.3 Alex Doolan, who made a laborious 5 in the first innings and a fifth-ball duck in the second. The only runs he scored against spin came with an edge past slip, but Clarke was confident Doolan could thrive in the conditions after seeing him score an unbeaten century in the tour game in Sharjah.”I’m certainly not going to sit here and say that he can be out of form,” Clarke said. “He just made an unbelievable hundred in the tour game. Dools will be fine. He’s a very good player. He knows his game really well, he’s showed he can bat in these conditions, like I say he made a beautiful hundred. You don’t lose class overnight, that’s for sure, and I’m confident that come this second Test he’ll probably make another hundred.”