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A listless batting effort resulted in an inexperienced Sri Lanka side remaining winless in the limited-overs leg of the series

The Report by Danyal Rasool26-Oct-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsAssociated Press

A number of factors go into picking a XI. A player’s composure under pressure, for one, or their ability to bowl fast. But choosing a XI on the basis of their travel preferences, as this Sri Lanka team was chosen – is, even in this modern world, generally a risky tactic that is likely to backfire more often than not. That was emphatically the case in Abu Dhabi, where a full-strength Pakistan swept past a depleted Sri Lankan side by seven wickets with nearly three overs to spare.The result felt like a foregone conclusion from very early on. Sri Lanka were clearly out of their depth and Pakistan’s bowlers, good enough to discomfit the best teams in the world, were far too good for a visiting side that is still searching for a win in the limited-overs leg of the tour. Sri Lanka were bundled out for 102 – Hasan Ali the standout bowler with three wickets – and Pakistan strolled to the target as if it were a practice session against net bowlers.Pakistan opted to bowl and Imad Wasim obliged by removing opener Dilshan Munaweera with his third delivery. But the visitors looked to attack nevertheless. It was a ploy that wouldn’t last as Pakistan’s fearsome bowling attack chipped away. Sri Lanka still persisted with risky, aggressive shots when rotating the strike in the middle overs could have served them better. That eventually pushed the run rate down under six.The Sri Lankan side had an uncomfortably domestic feel to it; this, therefore, did not feel like a fair fight for the most part. Both spinners and fast bowlers filled their boots, with easy wickets on offer. Thisara Perera, strangely, pushed himself down the order, coming in at 68 for 7 when the game already looked as good as gone. He didn’t last long either, though, top edging Usman Khan when he was on 6.From there on, it was just the tailenders – not that the difference was always easy to tell. The last wicket fell in the 19th over, with Pakistan needing a straightforward 103 to take a series lead.They lost Fakhar Zaman early but with such a low target, the pressure was never really on them. They were unperturbed about having scored just 21 runs for two wickets in the Powerplay. Shoaib Malik and Ahmed Shehzad simply rotated the strike and ease towards the target. Shehzad fell to a loose shot midway but it barely mattered at that point, Hafeez effortlessly taking his place.After the demoralising ODI whitewash, Sri Lanka’s full side would have struggled to compete with the hosts. But as Sarfraz Ahmed’s men put the finishing touches on the most routine of wins, it was impossible not to feel Sri Lanka may face a similar fate in the shortest format.

Former Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane is set to make his Bundesliga debut this week for Bayern Munich, so we've looked at how other Brits abroad fared on their first league appearances.

What's the latest on Harry Kane and Bayern Munich?

Earlier this month, the German giants took a bold step in the transfer market and stumped up what could end up being as much as £100m to land the striker.

This will be the first time in his career that Kane will be playing for a team outside of England and supporters will be highly interested to see how he gets on.

He has already made his debut for Bayern, coming off the bench as his new side lost 3-0 to RB Leipzig in the German Super Cup – meaning his wait to lift a trophy goes on.

After that disappointment, Kane will no doubt be desperate to make a big impression on debut and expectations will be high as he takes on Werder Bremen tonight.

Backing this up, research from NeueOnlineCasinos.io – when going by how other top Brits did on their league debuts abroad – shows that Kane has a 66% chance of scoring, a 10% chance of bagging a hat-trick, while there is also a 2% chance he gets sent off.

The data looks at how Gary Lineker, Paul Gascoigne, Jadon Sancho, David Beckham, Gareth Bale, Steve McManaman, Michael Owen, Jude Bellingham and Tammy Abraham all did as they made their first league appearances abroad.

Using that research, Football Fancast has all the details laid out below.

Gary Lineker, Barcelona

Making his first appearance for Barcelona on 29th August 1986, Gary Lineker took just two minutes to get off the mark.

He ended up finishing the game with two goals to his name, netting in the 25th minute, as Barca beat Racing Santander 2-0 in La Liga.

Paul Gascoigne, Lazio

Things didn't go quite as well for Paul Gascoigne as he swapped English football for Italian and made his bow on 27th September 1992.

Indeed, Gazza was subbed at halftime having failed to score or register an assist for Lazio as they drew 1-1 with Genoa in Serie A.

Steve McManaman, Real Madrid

Back in Spain and back on track as Steve McManaman did get a goal contribution in his first La Liga outing with Real Madrid.

The former Liverpool winger picked up an assist as Los Blancos claimed a 2-1 win against RCD Mallorca on 22nd August 1999.

David Beckham, Real Madrid

Staying in Madrid, after David Beckham completed a high-profile move away from Manchester United, he settled in at great speed.

The English icon took just eight minutes to score on debut as he bagged a goal in a 2-1 win for Real Madrid against Real Betis on 30th August 2003.

Michael Owen, Real Madrid

For a while, it seemed as though Real Madrid was the only place English stars wanted to go as Michael Owen followed the same path abroad as Beckham and McManaman.

The striker would have loved a debut La Liga goal but had to settle for just an assist – for Ronaldo, no less – as his new side won 1-0 against RCD Mallorca on 29th August 2004.

Gareth Bale, Real Madrid

The first Welshman on the list was another Brit who ended up at Real Madrid, making his first league appearance on 14th September 2013.

While Gareth Bale's new side failed to get a win, he did at least score in the 2-2 draw against Villarreal.

Jadon Sancho, Borussia Dortmund

Unlike the others, Jadon Sancho arrived at his new club as an unproven youngster and this fact is reflected in his Bundesliga debut.

Indeed, the current Manchester United man came off the bench, replacing the injured Maximilian Philipp in the 83rd minute. Understandably, he failed to contribute a goal or an assist as his side drew 2-2 against Eintracht Frankfurt on 21 October 2017.

Jude Bellingham, Borussia Dortmund

While Jude Bellingham is now playing his football in Spain at Real Madrid, he truly built his reputation in Germany much like Sancho before him.

The 20-year-old burst onto the Bundesliga scene as a teenager making his league debut on 19th September 2020, claiming an assist in a 3-0 win over Borussia Monchengladbach.

Tammy Abraham, Roma

Having left Chelsea, Tammy Abraham looked like a great fit at Roma very early on and this is well reflected by his Serie A debut performance.

The English striker didn't score but did pick up two assists in a 3-1 win against Fiorentina on 22nd August 2021.

واصل فريق ريال مدريد تألقه في المباراة الجارية حاليًا ضد خصمه غرناطة في إطار منافسات بطولة الدوري الإسباني.

ويلتقي الفريقان في خضم منافسات الجولة الخامسة والثلاثين من الليجا، موسم 2023/24 (لمتابعة المباراة من هنا).

وتمكن ريال مدريد من تسجيل الهدف الرابع في شباك أصحاب الأرض، في الدقيقة 58 من عمر المباراة.

جاء هدف ريال مدريد الرابع عن طريق إبراهيم دياز، بعد تمريرة من الكرواتي لوكا مودريتش. هدف إبراهيم دياز الثاني أمام غرناطة

ويُعد ذلك الهدف هو الثاني لـ إبراهيم دياز في تلك المباراة، حيث أحرز الثالث أمام غرناطة في الدقيقة 49.

وتشير النتيجة في الوقت الحالي إلى تقدم ريال مدريد بأربعة أهداف دون رد، مع العلم أن الملكي حسم اللقب الجولة الماضية.

The visitors need to bulk up their middle order and tighten fielding if they are to avoid losing their first T20I series to India in Rajkot

The Preview by Deivarayan Muthu03-Nov-20172:00

Dasgupta: India should continue with a similar team combination

Big pictureImagine running into a brick wall again and again and again. It’s perhaps T20 cricket’s equivalent of dropping three catches, and in addition New Zealand’s ground fielding in Delhi featured uncharacteristic fumbles. The cost of such indiscipline was 154 runs, the match and their No.1 ranking. Kane Williamson is not a captain who would give excuses, but deep down this defeat would have stung. The visitors now need a strong response to force the series into the decider in Thiruvananthapuram.For all the skill Tom Latham and Williamson displayed in the ODI series, they lacked the muscle to have a proper crack at a target of 203. New Zealand are also struggling to identify a finisher. Henry Nicholls’ audition for the role in the ODIs gave the side hope, but Colin de Grandhomme has had an underwhelming stint both with the A team and the senior team, managing 91 runs in five innings at a strike-rate of 81.98. He has fared worse with the ball, taking a solitary wicket at an average of 203 and economy rate of 6.76. New Zealand need to work out a way to fit Ross Taylor, who hasn’t played T20Is since the World Cup last year, in the middle order.India’s batsmen ran away with the chances offered to them, but the management would have been more pleased with the bowlers. Bhuvneshwar Kumar bowled Colin Munro with a pinpoint yorker; and dew or not, Yuzvendra Chahal and Axar Patel continued being remarkably accurate.Form guideIndia: WLWWL (completed matches, most recent first)
New Zealand: LLWWWIn the spotlightSince his debut in 2014, Shreyas Iyer has been such a prolific scorer in domestic cricket that some feel he should have been given an international cap much earlier. The Mumbai batsman did not even get to bat on Wednesday, and will be eager to announce himself to the world, and possibly even throw his hat in the ring for the rolling No. 4 slot in ODIs.It seems hard to believe that Ish Sodhi wasn’t even part of the ODI squad for the India tour. From a fill-in for the injured Todd Astle, he led the attack in Delhi, showing excellent control over both the legbreak and the wrong’un. He had the second-best economy rate on a night when 351 runs were scored.Team newsWith Ashish Nehra now retired from all cricket, there is one spot up for grabs in Rajkot. India might consider handing a debut to Hyderabad quick Mohammed Siraj or beef up their middle order by including Manish Pandey or Dinesh Karthik.India (probable): 1 Shikhar Dhawan, 2 Rohit Sharma, 3 Virat Kohli (capt.), 4 Shreyas Iyer, 5 MS Dhoni (wk), 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Axar Patel, 8 Bhuvneshwar Kumar 9 Jasprit Bumrah, 10 Mohammed Siraj/Manish Pandey/Dinesh Karthik 11 Yuzvendra ChahalNot so long ago, Taylor’s T20 future was uncertain, but this middle order now needs his experience. He could come in place of fellow Central Districts batsman Tom Bruce.New Zealand (probable): 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Kane Williamson (capt.), 3 Colin Munro, 4 Ross Taylor/Tom Bruce, 5 Tom Latham (wk), 6 Henry Nicholls, 7 Colin de Grandhomme, 8 Mitchell Santner, 9 Trent Boult, 10 Tim Southee, 11 Ish SodhiPitch and conditionsThe pitch to be used on Saturday looked completely devoid of grass in the middle of a lush green outfield. The track is known to favour batsmen and more runs could be expected for the second T20 too. Rajkot, like Delhi and Kanpur, will continue to provide the teams with pleasant, early winter conditions.Stats and trivia Virat Kohli needs 12 runs to surpass Tillakaratne Dilshan’s tally of 1889 and become the second-highest scorer in T20Is. Brendon McCullum leads the list with 2140 runs. Yuzvendra Chahal needs three wickets to become the joint-highest wicket-taker in T20Is this year along with West Indies’ Kesrick Williams and Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan. New Zealand need to win the remaining matches in the series to reclaim the top spot in T20Is and establish a three-point lead over Pakistan. The average first-innings score at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in the last two IPL seasons is 169. Only one T20I has been played at this venue, in 2013 when India chased down 202 against Australia.Quotes”It’s my home ground so I know what to expect from the wicket. I’m looking to bowl the way I did in the IPL because you don’t get much turn, it’s skiddy and there’s not much bounce.”
India left-arm spinner “Taking the conditions into account, especially in T20s, is really important because you have to try and get something out of the wicket or conditions because batsmen are constantly trying to get after the spinners. “
New Zealand legspinner

MatériaMais Notícias

O técnico Fernando Diniz fez questão de defender o goleiro Tiago Volpi – personagem determinante para o empate, em 2 a 2, com o Santos na noite deste sábado. Após o duelo na Vila Belmiro, o comandante do São Paulo ressaltou as características do jogador, um dos líderes do elenco, e lamentou as análises superficiais em cima do rendimento de seus atletas.

-A alternativa foi a que ele teve para fazer. As pessoas devem estar questionando o Volpi, mas temos um dos melhores goleiros de todo o Brasil. Hoje, ele falhou, mas não podemos focar na falha. O Volpi é uma das lideranças do time, um dos caras que mais trabalham. Tenho certeza que ele vai nos proteger, que é o que ele faz de melhor – afirmou o treinador ao ser questionado sobre o segundo gol do Santos, uma falha de Volpi, que custou a vitória ao Tricolor.

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Diniz demonstrou satisfação com o que sua equipe criou dentro de campo no clássico e, assim como já aconteceu em outras oportunidades, voltou a reafirmar a necessidade de tempo para que o trabalho desenvolvido no São Paulo desde o fim do ano passado dê frutos ao torcedores. Um pouco irritado, o treinador saiu em defesa de Gabriel Sara e sobrou até para Cássio, goleiro do rival Corinthians.

-As pessoas não gostam muito do futebol, elas gostam de quem ganha. Você só pode ganhar se jogar bem. É assim em tudo na vida. A pergunta já coloca um pouco de pressão e não tem necessidade. Aqui, todo mundo vai trabalhar no limite para entregar vitórias ao torcedor do São Paulo. Na minha modesta opinião, tínhamos que falar do que o São Paulo criou essa noite. É igual o Gabriel Sara. Todo mundo queria massacrar o moleque. Não estou elogiando porque ele fez os dois gols hoje, estou aqui porque ele é bom. Isso (relação entre mídia e futebol) é um moedor de gente. Isso é normal, é super previsível. Hoje, vão falar do Tiago Volpi. Não vão falhar da defesa dele, vão falar da falha. O mesmo com o Cássio quando falhou lá no Morumbi – opinou.

O empate no clássico com o Santos deixou o São Paulo na vice-liderança do Campeonato Brasileiro, com 18 pontos ganhos em 30 disputados. O Tricolor está a dois pontos de diferença do líder Internacional, mas a distância para os colorados pode aumentar dependendo da rodada de domingo.

Confira outros trechos da entrevista de Fernando Diniz:

Sobre oscilação da equipe e manutenção do sistema de jogo
O sistema coletivo não é separado do indivíduo. Não dá para responder de uma forma muito simples. Conforme vamos jogando, vamos amadurecendo. A questão é que nosso time é jogo e temos que amadurecer logo, ainda mais aqui no Brasil. Esse é um dos fatores que causam oscilação. Esse ano, a equipe está jogando com jogadores mais jovens e alguns estão se descobrindo em outras posições, como o Léo Pelé. Conforme vamos jogando, vamos fazendo aquilo que precisa ser feito. Vamos testando o nosso próprio modelo. É tudo um processo e ninguém tem a garantia de que dará certo ou errado, mas eu acredito muito no trabalho e nos nossos jovens jogadores de Cotia.

Paralisação por falta de energia
O Hernanes tirou a braçadeira e ficou com ela na mão porque devia estar incomodando. Ele não sabia quem ia sair. Na parada, pude conversar com ele e entendi que ele poderia continuar mais. Achei que ele estava fazendo um grande jogo. Por isso que eu não mexi. Estávamos bem, caímos e com a parada achei que poderíamos voltar. A parada beneficiou o São Paulo, só que na sequência teve o gol do Santos em bola parada.

Expectativa para o jogo contra o River Plate
Não consigo muito fazer uma análise. O River pode fazer um grande jogo. As equipes oscilam. O que temos de esperar do River é um time super competitivo, com um ótimo treinador e temos que dar o nosso máximo para conseguir um bom resultado. Temos que procurar fazer o melhor jogo que pudermos.

Evolução de Vitor Bueno no São Paulo
O Vitor, de fato, está melhorando. Depois que voltou da pandemia, voltou bem. Teve um problema no adutor e ele está suportando mais os jogos. Tem uma qualidade gigantesca e pode nos ajudar muito.

Sobre a ausência do atacante Luciano no jogo contra o River Plate
Espero que ele não faça falta. Quem entrar, ainda não sabemos quem jogará, temos que acreditar que vai suprir a falta do Luciano. Temos que pensar assim. Mexemos no time de uma maneira sistemática de um tempo para cá. Quero acreditar que aqueles que vão enfrentar possam fazer uma grande partida e nos ajudar na quinta-feira.

West Ham United have been seen as a potential destination for Manchester United centre-back Harry Maguire this summer and now a big update has emerged.

How old is Harry Maguire?

The England international is now 30 years of age and has completely fallen out of favour at Old Trafford, with the likes of Lisandro Martinez, Raphael Varane and Victor Lindelof all ahead of him in the defensive pecking order.

In truth, Maguire has never fully impressed ever since joining United from Leicester City back in 2019, and it has become increasingly clear under Erik ten Hag that the manager sees no future for him at the club.

West Ham have emerged as the front-runners to sign the defender before the end of the summer transfer window, with the Hammers looking for further reinforcements at the back. The player himself looks to be holding firm and wanting to battle for his place at Old Trafford, however, making for a frustrating situation for both clubs.

Will West Ham sign Harry Maguire?

According to a new update from 90min, West Ham are still eyeing a move for Maguire this summer after a £30m bid was rejected, as his time at United potentially still has a chance of coming to an end:

"West Ham United have not fully given up on signing Harry Maguire from Manchester United, 90min understands. The Hammers agreed a £30m fee with United earlier in the month, offering Maguire the chance to revive his stalling Premier League career with a move to the London Stadium."

The report goes on to add that the Hammers now "may look to engage United with a loan offer, knowing that the 30-year-old may still find it difficult to agree a permanent exit", which could end up being the best they can hope for this summer.

While a permanent move for Maguire would be more ideal, in terms of nailing him down to a long-term deal, having him for this season and seeing how he performs is still a solid alternative.

For all of his struggles in a United shirt, the former Leicester man is still an impressive centre-back on his day, recently enjoying a good 2022 World Cup campaign with England, where he started all five matches in the tournament and averaged three aerial duel wins per game, helping his country reach the quarter-finals.

Read the latest West Ham transfer news HERE…

Three Lions manager Gareth Southgate has described Maguire as "brilliant" in the recent past, as he talked up his partnership at the back with Manchester City's John Stones, and he could be a strong signing for West Ham over the next three or four years, turning his career around and benefiting from playing more regularly at the London Stadium.

There is still a reason why United signed him for such big money when they did, and while it could be argued that his very best days are now behind him, he is someone who could thrive under David Moyes, not necessarily having to worry about his lack of pace as much, with West Ham not adopting such a high line as the Red Devils do week in, week out.

IPL franchises will be allowed to retain a maximum of five of their existing players through a combination of player retention before the 2018 auction and the use of right-to-match cards during the auction

Nagraj Gollapudi06-Dec-20175:15

The IPL auction 2018 – New rules, old game?

IPL franchises will be allowed to retain a maximum of five of their existing players through a combination of player retention before the 2018 auction and the use of right-to-match cards during the auction. The salary cap for each team for the 2018 season has been set at INR 80 crore (approximately $12.4 million) by the IPL governing council, which met in Delhi on Tuesday along with the Supreme Court-appointed committee of administrators.The dates for the auction are yet to be finalised. One of the governing council’s members, Sourav Ganguly felt it would be best to hold the event after the third Test and final Test between India and South Africa. It is understood that the auction may take place on January 29 or February 3.Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals, the two franchises returning from a two-year suspension, will be able to retain players from among those who were in their squads in 2015, and from the list of their players who represented Rising Pune Super Giant and Gujarat Lions in 2017. Super Giant and Lions are no longer part of the IPL because they were brought in as temporary replacements while Super Kings and Royals served their suspensions.Of the five players, a franchise can retain a maximum of three through retention in the lead up to the auction, and a maximum of three through right-to-match cards during the auction. If a franchise does not retain any player before the auction it can still retain only three using right-to-match cards. A right-to-match card gives the franchise the ability to buy back its player during the auction by matching the highest bid made for the player by another franchise, once the bidding is over.The other restrictions on player retention are: a maximum of three capped Indian players can be retained, and only two overseas players and two uncapped Indian players can be retained. These decisionsA franchise will be allowed to spend only INR 33 crore on retentions ahead of the 2018 IPL auction, leaving it at least INR 47 crore to spend at the auction. If a franchise retains the maximum of three of their players before the auction, it will lose from the salary cap INR 15 crore for the first player, INR 11 crore for the second, and INR 7 crore for the third.If only two players are retained, then the first will cost the franchise INR 12.5 crore from the salary cap, and the second INR 8.5 crore. If only one player is retained, then he will cost the franchise INR 12.5 crore from the salary cap. The IPL has also imposed a salary cap of INR 3 crore for an uncapped player retained before the auction.Considering the player auction will be a big one, the IPL has increased the salary cap significantly. From INR 66 crore in the last two auctions (2016 and 2017), the salary cap will be INR 80 crore in 2018. It will increase further to INR 82 crore in 2019, and to INR 85 crore in 2020. The IPL said the franchises will need to spend at least 75% of the salary cap each season, and that each squad should contain between 18 and 25 players with a limit of eight overseas players per franchise.There was also an upwards revision in the base prices of players at the auction. Previously, uncapped Indian players had base prices of INR 10, 20 and 30 lakhs respectively; now each of those slabs has been increased by INR 10 lakh. The minimum base price for capped Indian players has also increased from INR 30 lakh to INR 50 lakh.

كشفت تقارير صحفية إيطالية، أن نادي مانشستر يونايتد الإنجليزي، يسعى للتعاقد مع الدولي النيجيري فيكتور أوسيمين خلال فترة الانتقالات الصيفية المقبلة.

أوسيمين أحد اللاعبين الذين سيشعلون ميركاتو الصيف، في ظل رغبة العديد من الأندية الأوروبية الكبرى للتعاقد معه.

صحيفة “كوريري ديلو سبورت” الإيطالية، أكدت بأن مانشستر يونايتد عاد من جديد للاهتمام بالدولي النيجيري فيكتور أوسيمين، خاصة وأن بديله راسموس هويلوند الذي انضم في الصيف الماضي بعد قشل ضم فيكتور، لا يوجد له بديل الآن.

طالع أيضًا | تين هاج: قدمنا موسمًا سيئًا للغاية.. وجاهزون لمواجهة مانشستر سيتي في كأس الاتحاد

مع رحيل أنتوني مارسيال المحتمل خلال الأيام المقبلة، سيكون أمام مانشستر يونايتد الوقت لضم مهاجم من أجل مرافقة هويلوند في الخط الأمامي لفريق.

وسيكون مانشستر يونايتد مستعد لتقديم عرض كبير جدًا لتأمين الصفقة، من أجل التغلب على تشيلسي وباريس سان جيرمان.

أوسيمين لديه عقد مع نابولي حتى صيف 2026، وشارك هذا الموسم في 31 مباراة وسجل 17 هدفًا وصنع 4، بمختلف المسابقات.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Corinthians está próximo de acertar a contratação de Juan Cazares, que reencontrará seu ex-companheiro de Atlético-MG: Romulo Otero. Nesta terça-feira, em entrevista coletiva virtual, o meia venezuelano falou da possibilidade de ter o amigo novamente no mesmo time, lembrou quando ambos furaram a quarentena e deu boas recomendações de seu amigo como reforço.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasVídeoVÍDEO: Corinthians faz trabalho de pressão no passe em campo reduzidoVídeo21/09/2020CorinthiansCazares e Otero podem reeditar dupla no Corinthians; veja retrospectoCorinthians21/09/2020CorinthiansCorinthians encaminha acordo com Cazares e espera negócio com o GaloCorinthians21/09/2020

Logo na primeira pergunta da coletiva, Otero foi indagado sobre sua relação com Cazares, relembrando o episódio em que, durante o isolamento social por conta da pandemia de coronavírus, a dupla foi vista jogando uma “pelada” em Belo Horizonte. Além de esclarecer aquela situação, ele fez elogios ao amigo, mesmo que não saiba sobre a negociação do equatoriano com o Timão.

-Tenho muito boa relação com o Cazares e a gente furou a quarentena porque não aguentava mais ficar em casa. Estamos conversando sobre outras coisas, o que eu sei é o que aparece nas redes sociais, não posso falar do que não sei, mas se ele vier vai ajudar demais, porque é um cara que joga muita bola.

Em seguida, Otero foi questionado sobre o que falaria para Cazares sobre o Corinthians. O venezuelano afirmou que diria o mesmo que aconselharam a ele quando fez a opção de vestir a camisa alvinegra e tenha certeza que o amigo terá tudo isso na cabeça, já que no talento com a bola se garante.

-Eu falaria as mesmas coisas que falaram para mim quando eu cheguei, que tem muita pressão, que a vontade não pode faltar, tem que querer ajudar, lutar cada jogo até o final. Isso eu tenho certeza que ele vai ter na cabeça dele e vai colocar em prática, porque com a bola é um grande jogador.Tem que lutar até o final porque o Corinthians é desse jeito – analisou.

Otero pode falar sobre isso com propriedade, pois desde que chegou, há aproximadamente um mês, muita coisa aconteceu no clube, como saída de técnico, protestos na porta do estádio, derrota em Dérbi e truculência de um grupo de torcedor no aeroporto. Se ele já tinha uma ideia do que era o Corinthians, acabou recebendo um curso intensivo para reforçar o conceito.

– Na verdade entendi muito bem, porque aconteceram muitas coisas em pouco tempo, algo que realmente leva a entender a pressão do que é jogar no Corinthians. No aeroporto, não concordo, fiquei triste, mas a gente deixa isso para lá e concentra no que tem que ser feito, porque ganhando jogo, a gente deixa muitas pessoas felizes, e acaba tendo melhores dias.

Diante disso, Otero e seus companheiros sabem muito bem o que fazer para obter esses dias melhores: melhorar a posição do time no Brasileirão-2020.

– Todo mundo sabe da grandeza do Corinthians e é uma equipe que não pode estar nessa posição (13º lugar), vamos fazer tudo para melhorar na tabela, e eu tenho certeza que meus companheiros e o Coelho farão um grande trabalho par subir – concluiu o meia venezuelano

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South Africa’s head coach knows the fast bowler could be undercooked following his long injury layoff and doesn’t want him breaking down mid-Test

Firdose Moonda in Cape Town02-Jan-20184:43

Know your opponent: Dale Steyn

At least one of South Africa’s selection conundrums appears to have already been solved with Dale Steyn’s comeback likely to be delayed by another week. Conditions at Newlands usually call for a three-seamer, one spinner attack (to which South Africa might add an allrounder). Given Steyn’s lengthy absence from international cricket, coach Ottis Gibson appears reluctant to include him in that combination.”Dale Steyn is fit again. But I don’t know just yet whether we will see him this week,” Gibson said. “He has had a year’s layoff. I don’t think if we were to pick a three-man seam attack plus a spinner that you would want to put him in that three-man attack, in case something happens and that leaves the team vulnerable if he can’t finish the game. That’s not to say that he won’t finish the game, but you don’t want to take that risk in the first game of the summer. He will come into the discussion but it depends on the formation of the team that we put on the field.”Those who have been waiting to see Steyn steaming in may not have to wait much beyond the first 10 days of January. Gibson has described his use of South Africa’s full strength squad as being a “horses for courses” approach and suggested that the pace spearhead will be unleashed on the Highveld, where the second and third Test will be played.”You’re looking at three different sets of conditions,” Gibson said. “Down here on the coast, the wicket tends to dry out quickly so you might play an extra bowler [allrounder] here. Further up into the Highveld, it might be different. We have to take each set of conditions as we find them now and then pick the best team for them.”The extra week could also be used to get Steyn properly match-fit. Though the franchises are involved in the one-day cup, Steyn could play in a three-day provincial round of matches which would allow him to bowl several spells in competitive conditions to prepare himself to compete on equal terms with the other five quicks – Kagiso Rabada, Vernon Philander, Morne Morkel, Chris Morris and Andile Phehlukwayo – in a team that should have an attack for every occasion.”This is a world-class bowling attack and we’ve got to come up with the best combination to win this match and then think about the next one,” Gibson said. “But certainly this attack, if all those guys are able to take the field then this will be up there with the best ones.”It is this attack that he hopes South Africa will be able to call on as they aim to challenge for the top spot in Test cricket again. Currently, they lie at No. 2 and will need a clean sweep over India and to beat Australia by a margin of at least two Tests in order to reclaim the mace. While this may be a long shot, it is also probably the only shot Gibson will get at making a serious challenge in Tests.South Africa’s schedule peters out after this summer, with only a tour to Sri Lanka and home series against Sri Lanka and Pakistan before the 2019 World Cup, which Gibson has been tasked with winning. While the ICC tournament remains Gibson’s major focus, he understands this Test summer could also define his tenure as coach.”In one-day cricket, I don’t worry too much about rankings because it’s built around a four-year cycle of World Cup cricket,” he said. “You can be No. 1 in the world and you don’t win the World Cup. It doesn’t matter where you are once you go to the World Cup. In Test cricket it’s different. You play a series against the best teams in the world and then the prize at the end of it is to reach the pinnacle and be called the best team in the world – even if it is just for a series or a week. The objective for this team is to try and get to No. 1. We feel strongly that if we win the next two series that will put us somewhere very close to being No. 1 again. The next two series will tell us [where we stand] or take us somewhere towards where we want to go. Everybody understands what we are trying to achieve.”Gibson has a full strength squad at his disposal with all the previously injured and ill players now available for selection. Apart from Steyn, South Africa also have AB de Villiers back from a self-imposed sabbatical, Chris Morris has been included in the squad after a lengthy back problem, Quinton de Kock has recovered from a hamstring strain and Faf du Plessis is healthy after a viral infection. There is a slight concern over Hashim Amla, who has picked up “sniffles”, but Gibson expects all 15 members of his squad to be in contention to play the opening Test at Newlands which starts on Friday.