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Graeme Labrooy, Sri Lanka’s chief selector, said the panel “didn’t want to throw Kusal Mendis to the deep end or take him to India and leave him on the bench”

Andrew Fidel Fernando07-Nov-20175:29

Break for Mendis might be best way forward – Arnold

Sri Lanka’s selectors dropped Kusal Mendis from the Test squad for the India tour in order to protect him from a further potential loss of form and confidence in India.Mendis endured a modest Test series against Pakistan, in which his contributions were 10, 18, 1 and 29. Although he made an excellent century against India in August, he had only crossed fifty in two of his last 14 innings.Mendis’ omission from the squad has caused some consternation, especially as he has been repeatedly talked up by coaches and management as the batsman on whom the top order might hinge in coming years. Earlier in the year, against Bangladesh, Mendis’ 194 also turned out to be a match-winning innings.However, according to chief selector Graeme Labrooy, it is precisely because the selectors are mindful of Mendis’ potential, that they left him out of the squad.”We don’t want a situation where he plays two more innings, gets two low scores and then drop him and destroy his confidence further,” he told . “He has got age on his side and we want him to go on to become one of the greats of the game. We want him to play for another ten years.”Not only were Sri Lanka comfortably whitewashed by India in the three-Test series in July and August, they have also struggled in India historically, having never won a Test there. The tour is likely to challenge even the most experienced Sri Lanka batsmen, with India’s bowlers in outstanding form at home.”We didn’t want to throw him to the deep end or take him to India and leave him on the bench,” Labrooy said. “What we tried to do was to let him play some domestic cricket, work on his game and regain his confidence. He is a confidence player. For him confidence is everything, and he has got everything in his armoury.”That Lahiru Thirimanne was preferred to Mendis has been a particular bone of contention, given Thirimanne’s very modest Test record. He averages 23.1 across 52 Test innings, and has crossed fifty only five times in his career.However, while Thirimanne has been picked in the squad, his place in the top order is not completely assured. Dhananjaya de Silva, who has returned to form with scores of 104, 73 and 64 for Sri Lanka A on the West Indies tour, could enter the top order. Though de Silva had made a successful entry into Test cricket from the lower middle order, it is as an opener that he regularly plays for his domestic club side, Tamil Union.”The No.3 position is a toss up between Thirimanne and Dhananjaya,” Labrooy said. “We are glad that Dhananjaya made some runs for Sri Lanka A in the Caribbean. He will be considered as an opener or No. 3 batsman in the future and we don’t want to drop him to the middle order.”With Kaushal Silva – who opened unsuccessfully for Sri Lanka in the UAE – left out of the squad to India, de Silva and 22-year-old batsman Sadeera Samarawickrama become the primary candidates to open the innings alongside Dimuth Karunaratne. Samarawickrama is often a middle-order batsman and wicketkeeper in first-class cricket, but does open the innings in limited-overs cricket for his club side.He had showcased substantial attacking flair in his maiden Test innings in Abu Dhabi, and it is the style and rate of his run-making that appears to have struck the selectors.”Sadeera is a player for the future. This is the correct time that we should bring him in. Now is the time for him to bite the bullet and take up that challenge against world’s number one ranked team. He will put pressure back on the bowlers by putting the loose balls away. We are very impressed with his game.”

يبدو وأن النتائج السلبية والابتعاد عن لقب بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز سيفتح باب التكهنات حول أكثر من لاعب داخل ليفربول للرحيل في الميركاتو الصيفي.

وخرجت الكثير من الأنباء حلو رحيل القائد، فيرجيل فان دايك، لأنه غير سعيد في قلعة أنفيلد بسبب رغبته في المزيد من البطولات، ولكن الآن هناك اسم جديد.

ونشرت صحيفة “ديلي ميل” البريطانية أن المهاجم الأوروجوياني، داروين نونيز، قد حذف جميع صوره بقميص ليفربول من حسابه الرسمي على منصة “إنستجرام”.

اقرأ أيضًا.. سونيس: لاعب ليفربول غير سعيد وريال مدريد قد يتعاقد معه

وجاء ذلك بعدما قامت جماهير ليفربول بمهاجمة اللاعب عبر المنصة بسبب إضاعته للكثير من الفرص في مباريات الريدز والتي كانت أحد أسباب ضياع الألقاب الكبرى.

ولم يبق داروين نونيز سوى صوره بقميص منتخب أوروجواي عبر حسابه الرسمي، مما قد يعني أن اللاعب قد يلمح بالرحيل بنهاية الموسم رغم أن عقده مستمر حتى 30 يونيو 2028.

وشارك نونيز في 52 مباراة هذا الموسم مع ليفربول وسجل 18 هدف وصنع 13 آخرين في إجمالي 2992 دقيقة، لكن أداء المهاجم لا يحظى بثقة الجماهير.

Wolverhampton Wanderers are reportedly interested in Stuttgart defender Konstantinos Mavropanos, as rumours re-emerge linking the club and player.

Julen Lopetegui is facing an uphill battle this summer, admitting on the Old Gold’s pre-season tour that he is “worried” about his squad ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

With sales still expected to be made, the opportunity to bring in reinforcements may still arrive, with Mavropanos coming as an ideal acquisition for the Spaniard to seek.

Could Wolves sign Konstantinos Mavropanos?

As reported by The Sun, both Wolves and West Ham United are keeping tabs on the centre-back, with Serie A champions Napoli also mentioned with interest in the 25-year-old titan.

Valued around the €10m (£8.5m) mark by FootballTransfers, the former Arsenal man could be a cost-effective target for Lopetegui.

The Midlands club were linked with the Greek colossus in May (as per a report relayed by Sport Witness), which suggested that the club are particularly keen on the centre-back’s services.

How good is Konstantinos Mavropanos?

The 25-year-old has turned his fortunes around after departing Arsenal with just eight appearances in all competitions during his four-year tenure with the Gunners.

Signed by Arsene Wenger in 2018 as a 20-year-old from Greek side PAS Giannina, the centre-back managed 434 minutes for the north Londoners, however, his game time was little reflection of his performance.

Making his senior debut at Old Trafford in the Premier League, the defender was praised by club legend Ian Wright after the game as “fearless” and having the “exuberance of youth”.

Despite his time in England being that of an inconclusive nature, Mavropanos has found sanctuary in Germany, excelling at both Nuremberg and Stuttgart where he has established himself as a reliable figure in the back line.

For Wolves, interest in the former Arsenal starlet comes at an encouraging time, after the club parted ways with Nathan Collins, who sealed a £23m move to Brentford earlier in the window.

While the exchange made critical funds for the club, it left the squad short of a competent central defender, making the Greek target a favourable acquisition at this point in the summer.

The numbers registered by the 25-year-old show for positive reading, with the defender not only asserting himself as one of the best in his side but one of the best in Europe.

As per FBref, the 6 foot 4 commander ranked in the top 1% of centre-backs in Europe’s top five leagues in terms of interceptions, recording a monstrous average of 2.48 per 90 over the past year.

Once lauded as a “gladiator” by former Stuttgart boss Pellegrino Matarazzo, for Lopetegui, the former Arsenal man could be the perfect replacement for Collins, who averaged a mere 1.04 interceptions per 90 in the Premier League last term in comparison to the Wolves target.

Mavropanos also bossed the Irishman in terms of his average rate of tackles per 90 in the Bundesliga, recording 1.97 per 90 to his 1.34 for the Old Gold last season.

Another area that the Greek international could benefit Molineux in Collins’ absence is his refreshing approach to progressive play, in which he averaged 4.72 progressive passes per 90 to the Brentford man's 3.18 in the Premier League, suggesting the improved outlet he could introduce to Lopetegui’s defence.

Wolves must make signings in order to compete next campaign, in Mavropanos, Molineux could welcome a reasonably priced asset with his prime years still ahead of him.

To say that Mykhailo Mudryk didn’t exactly have the best start to life in a Chelsea shirt last season would be quite the understatement.Arriving for a reported £88.5m, whilst still a young player, he was expected to turn the Blues’ fortunes around. Instead, however, nothing changed, apart from the lower amount left in the transfer budget at Stamford Bridge as he failed to score a goal in his first 17 outings.In truth, though, it was always going to be difficult for Mudryk to hit the ground running mid-season in a dressing room overfilled and under-motivated under Graham Potter, and then Frank Lampard.With Mauricio Pochettino’s arrival, the Blues have at least made space in the dressing room, waving goodbye to a total of 16 players so far this summer, and welcoming just four new signings.As the chaos is slowly but surely organised, Mudryk has the chance to get a good pre-season under his belt, and, as a result, find his best form. If Chelsea’s friendly against Brighton & Hove Albion is anything to go by, too, he is nearing his best with every game.

Mykhailo Mudryk impresses against Brighton

Taking on Roberto de Zerbi’s Brighton side, Chelsea came out on top, winning 4-3 in a back-and-forth affair.

Initially taking the lead through Danny Welbeck, the Seagulls were soon hit with a four-goal reply, as Christopher Nkunku found the back of the net, before Mudryk scored his first goal for the club, and strikes from Conor Gallagher and summer arrival Nicolas Jackson followed.

Brighton threatened to complete a comeback when Joao Pedro scored from the spot, before Deniz Undav slotted past Kepa Arrizablaga, but it wasn’t enough as Chelsea secured the win.

One particularly impressive moment from Mudryk came with his incredible show of pace – as shown in the footage above. The winger looked to have knocked the ball too far down the line at first, before somehow turning on the afterburners, and catching the ball with relative ease. The change of pace led to his teammate, Angelo Gabriel, labelling him “Naruto” and “very fast” on his Instagram story.

Whilst we haven’t seen his pace very often in the Premier League, it should not come as any surprise, considering the fact that Mudryk was one of the Champions League’s fastest players last season, coming in at second in the competition (only behind Alphonso Davies) with a speed of 36.6 KM/H.

Mudryk’s goal was also impressive, too, as he struck on the volley from range.

What is the market value of Mykhailo Mudryk?

Arriving at Stamford Bridge for a reported £88.5m in January, Mudryk’s struggle for form has seen his transfer value decrease in the last seven months. According to Transfermarkt, the Ukraine international is now worth €50m (£43.20m), which is less than half the amount that Chelsea initially paid for his signature back in January.

Pochettino will be hoping to see the Ukrainian finally live up to that price tag next season, however, as he looks to take the London club back into the Premier League’s top four at the first time of asking.

Even though it was only a pre-season game, defeating Brighton would have handed Chelsea quite the boost ahead of the season. It’s the type of confidence they can take into their opening-day clash against Liverpool at Stamford Bridge.

If they can defeat Jurgen Klopp’s side in their first game, too, then they may just enjoy an unexpectedly quick start to the new campaign.

Liverpool are considering a move for out-of-favour Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips this summer, according to reports. The Reds will be looking to cover the potential departures of club captain Jordan Henderson, and Fabinho.

Is Kalvin Phillips joining Liverpool?

As of right now, any potential Liverpool move is in the earliest of stages, with Fabinho and Henderson not even officially out the door as of yet. However, Phillips joins Ryan Gravenberch and Cheik Doucoure among the options discussed by those at Anfield, according to Dominic King of The Daily Mail.

Given that the price-tag set on Doucoure is reportedly as much as £70m, Liverpool could set their focus on Phillips or Gravenberch this summer, with the Reds "considering" a move according to King.

"Liverpool considering options for reinforcements including Cheick Doucoure, Ryan Gravenberch and Kalvin Phillips," the reporter said on Twitter on Wednesday evening.

According to Fabrizio Romano, Liverpool are indeed looking to seal Henderson's departure to Al-Ettifaq, whilst also working on the departure of Fabinho to Al-Ittihad for a reported £40m fee.

Should the duo depart as expected, Jurgen Klopp's side will be left short in the middle of the park, despite securing the signatures of both Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai this summer.

With Romeo Lavia also linked with a move to Anfield from Southampton in the current window, it will certainly be interesting to see the route that Liverpool go down when it comes to replacing their departing stars.

Should Liverpool sign Kalvin Phillips?

In truth, Phillips has struggled ever since swapping Leeds United for Manchester City in a deal worth around £50m last summer. The England international was hit with an injury blow at the start of his time at The Etihad, and things haven't improved from there.

Making just 21 appearances in all competitions last season, as City won the treble, Phillips has every right to believe that maybe his career is better off elsewhere.

And that's where Liverpool could come in. The Reds will be short on midfielders – especially those that are experienced – come the start of the forthcoming Premier League campaign, which makes Phillips an ideal option.

It remains to be seen just how much City will ask for the out-of-favour midfielder, but they may at least want to recoup close to the inital £50m fee that they spent just one year ago.

If Klopp and co pursue a move this summer, it's certainly a deal that could set them up for a season back among the title contenders. The midfielder has attracted plenty of praise in the past, with former England boss Fabio Capello calling him "phenomenal" and current gaffer Gareth Southgate saying back in 2021, via TeamTalk: “He’s been excellent.

“He’s a very, very good player and he’s been a really important part of this – we’re 16 games unbeaten [in regulation time] now and he’s been a huge part of that.”

In February, Steven Smith led Australia to a famous Test win in Pune. Now, he returns to the city as Rising Pune Supergiant’s new captain

The Preview by Akshay Gopalakrishnan05-Apr-2017Match factsRising Pune Supergiant v Mumbai Indians
Pune, April 6, 2017
Start time 2000 local (1430 GMT)
1:41

Most of our players have enough game time – Rohit

Head to headOverall: Both sides have one away win apiece against each other.In the newsMS Dhoni will not be leading an IPL team for the first time after Rising Pune Supergiant handed the captaincy to Steven Smith. There are two others – Faf du Plessis and Ajinkya Rahane – who have captaincy experience, so the team won’t be short of ideas.Supergiant won’t have R Ashwin for the season because of a sports hernia, and Mitchell Marsh is also injured, but they signed the current No.1 T20 and ODI bowler Imran Tahir.Mumbai Indians had a change of guard, with Mahela Jayawardene replacing the 2015 title-winning coach Ricky Ponting. Mumbai don’t have players on the injury list, but do have a few returning from it.Rohit Sharma has played only two competitive matches since undergoing thigh surgery in November and scored 20 runs in them. He’s lasted two warm-up games without discomfort and said he’s overcome fears to last the season and beyond. Lasith Malinga will also be returning from an injury layoff but is likely to join the team on April 7, after finishing Sri Lanka’s home series against Bangladesh.The likely XIsRising Pune Supergiant: 1 Ajinkya Rahane, 2 Mayank Agarwal, 3 Faf du Plessis, 4 Steven Smith (capt), 5 Ben Stokes, 6 MS Dhoni (wk), 7 Rajat Bhatia, 8 Jaydev Unadkat 9 Ankit Sharma, 10 Ashok Dinda, 11 Adam ZampaMumbai Indians: 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Parthiv Patel (wk), 3 Ambati Rayudu, 4 Jos Buttler, 5 Kieron Pollard, 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Krunal Pandya, 8 Harbhajan Singh, 9 Mitchell McClenaghan, 10 Jasprit Bumrah, 11 Tim SoutheeStats that matter The average first-innings score at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune since 2014, in the IPL, has been 170. The team chasing has won five out of the eight games Ben Stokes has never bowled to Jos Buttler in a T20 game. Of all the current IPL teams, Mumbai Indians have managed the second-worst run rate at the MCA Stadium – 6.92, across three matches. Sunrisers are the only team to have done worse – they scored 119 for 8 (at 5.95 per over) against Pune Warriors in the 2013 season. Krunal Pandya’s strike rate of 191.12 in the 2016 IPL was the best among batsmen who faced at least 50 balls. Rohit Sharma is Mumbai’s most prolific away batsman with 1301 runs in 48 matches at 35.16. Ambati Rayudu, who has 1213 runs in 55 matches at 30.32, is second. Rajat Bhatia is one of three bowlers against whom Rohit has scored 100 IPL runs – the others are Piyush Chawla and Morne Morkel. Against Bhatia, Rohit has scored 100 runs in 63 balls, and has been dismissed twice. The only three bowlers to have dismissed Faf du Plessis more than once all currently play for Mumbai Indians – Harbhajan Singh (3 times), Mitchell Johnson (2), and Lasith Malinga (2). Against Harbhajan, du Plessis has been out three times in seven innings, and has only scored 49 runs off 47 balls. In the IPL, Steven Smith has scored at more than eight an over against each kind of bowler apart from right-arm spinners, against whom he has only managed a run rate of 6.52.

Arsenal could potentially sell Thomas Partey and Jorginho, and sign Romeo Lavia in a complete midfield rebuild this summer, journalist Graeme Bailey has claimed.

What's the latest on Arsenal's midfield options?

Kai Havertz has joined from Chelsea, whilst Declan Rice is expected to follow suit, with both 24-year-olds arriving for big fees.

Granit Xhaka is expected to join Bayer Leverkusen, and losing the Switzerland captain will be a big loss. As one of the main midfield starters alongside Thomas Partey and Martin Odegaard, Xhaka was one of the main leaders and one of the most experienced players within the squad.

Partey could also depart amid reported interest from Saudi Arabia, and it has now also been mooted that Jorginho could also leave just six months arriving from Chelsea.

Romeo Lavia has been linked with a move to the Emirates, in what could be a window in which three experienced midifelders depart and three younger ones arrive.

Speaking on the Talking Transfers Podcast, Bailey claimed that Partey and Jorginho could follow Xhaka out, and that Arsenal could spend big on yet another midfielder this summer.

"I think they want more, that's what I'm hearing, I think Thomas Partey will go to Saudi Arabia," he stated.

"I wouldn't necessarily rule Jorginho going out. It's just that he's on so much money, at Arsenal, and what Lazio can do now, it's a massive discrepancy is what they can do.

"So I wouldn't necessarily rule Jorginho going out. I think Partey will go to Saudi, I wouldn't rule Arsenal out for another midfielder. I think [Moises] Caicedo will be Chelsea bound, but Lavia, someone like that.

"I wouldn't rule that out, Arsenal getting another top class midfielder and in fact, I'll be shocked if they don't."

Should Arsenal tear up their midfield?

Xhaka is in the last year of his contract, and it seems that the long-serving midfielder wanted to return to Germany, so Arsenal's hands were tied over the 30-year-old.

Partey is 30, and has two years left on his deal. Whilst he has been crucial at times, his injury record has been inconsistent since his arrival three years ago, and if a big offer arrives, it may be too tempting to decline.

Jorginho has one year left on his initial deal. The veteran has proven to be a smart acquisition from Arsenal's London rivals, and he recently admitted that he wanted to continue at the club.

Even if a talent like Lavia was to come in, losing three vastly experienced and talented players in one summer could be damaging, and it could take a while for three new signings to fully adjust to playing in a new team.

So it will be interesting to see if Arteta does look to keep one of those experienced heads in the squad for the upcoming campaign.

West Ham United can sign a higher calibre of player this summer with money to spend and European football to offer, yet it might well be a Nottingham Forest player they go after in terms of attacking options.

Are West Ham United interested in signing Brennan Johnson?

According to The Athletic, West Ham are "monitoring" Brennan Johnson's situation at Forest, who are said to be willing to cash in on one of their prized assets if the right offer is tabled.

Johnson has adapted well to the Premier League, has three years to run on his contract and is also attracting interest from the likes of Everton, Aston Villa and Brentford, meaning Forest will not sell on the cheap.

Indeed, the report indicates that the £30m bid mooted by Brentford could fall as much as £20m short of the Reds' asking price for the Wales international.

What can Brennan Johnson bring to West Ham United?

That reputed £50m valuation will certainly make West Ham think twice, but Johnson's time at Forest does suggest he is a possible superstar in the making, one that is on a similar trajectory to former international colleague Gareth Bale.

Once described as an "unbelievable asset" by Wales boss Rob Page, Johnson can be pleased with his return of eight goals and three assists in his debut top-flight campaign – only Morgan Gibbs-White (13) could better those 11 direct goal involvements among Forest players.

With 0.34 goal involvements per 90 last season, as per FBref, Johnson ranked higher than the likes of Jarrod Bowen (0.31), Lucas Paqueta (0.29), Gianluca Scamacca (0.29) and Pablo Fornals (0.24) among West Ham players.

That came on the back of a season in which the 22-year-old scored 18 goals and set up 10 in helping Forest to promotion to the Premier League, seeing him crowned the Championship's Young Player of the Season.

It is not just in terms of goals and assists in which Johnson stands out, either.

The Welshman registered 2.70 progressive carries per 90 minutes last season – defined as carrying the ball at least 10 yards towards the opponent's goal – which was bettered by only three West Ham players.

Some may look down on signing a player from Forest, one of their relegation rivals last season, rather than exploring the European market for a bigger name. But it is not like West Ham have not had joy signing players from Forest down the years.

Look no further than Michail Antonio, who has been a huge fan favourite in east London since joining from the Reds in 2015.

The winger-cum-striker has made 276 appearances for the Irons and has scored 75 goals, with 61 of those coming in the Premier League to make him their record scorer in the competition.

Antonio scored eight goals and assisted three in his first season at Premier League level in 2015-16, incidentally, which is the exact number Johnson managed in his debut season in the competition with Forest.

West Ham signed Antonio for a far smaller fee of roughly £7m, but in the current market, and with Johnson only just turning 22, the versatile forward may well be worth the punt.

تعرف على مواعيد مباريات اليوم الثلاثاء 27-2-2024 والقنوات الناقلة

يشهد اليوم الثلاثاء الموافق 27-2-2024، العديد من المباريات القوية على المستوى المحلي، وكأس الاتحاد الإنجليزي وكأس ملك إسبانيا.

ويلتقي فريق الكرة بالنادي الأهلي، مع نظيره بلدية المحلة، مساء اليوم، في المباراة التي تقام بينهما، ضمن منافسات بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز.

الأهلي يواجه بلدية المحلة، في الجولة الخامسة المؤجلة، من عمر مباريات بطولة الدوري المصري، على ملعب استاد القاهرة الدولي.

ويلتقي مانشستر سيتي مع لوتون في إطار منافسات دور الـ16 من بطولة كأس الاتحاد الإنجليزي، موسم 2023/24.

وفي إطار كأس الاتحاد الإنجليزي أيضًا، يلتقي بورنموث مع ليستر سيتي، بينما يصطدم بلاكبيرن روفرز بـ نيوكاسل يونايتد، وتشهد هذه المباريات صراعًا قويًا على بطاقة التأهل للدور التالي.

وتُقام أيضًا مباراة مرتقبة في كأس ملك إسبانيا بين ريال سوسيداد وريال مايوركا، حيث يسعى كل فريق لتحقيق الفوز والتقدم في البطولة.

أما في كأس ملك فرنسا، يواجه أولمبيك ليون نظيره ستراسبورج في مباراة مثيرة تهدف إلى حجز مكان في الدور القادم.

طالع أيضًا | تواجد مورينيو ودرع من الذهب.. تركي آل الشيخ يكشف تفاصيل جديدة حول مباراة الأهلي والزمالك في نهائي كأس مصر مواعيد مباريات اليوم الثلاثاء 27-2-2024 والقنوات الناقلةمواعيد مباريات الدوري المصري اليوم

الأهلي ضد بلدية المحلة، في تمام السابعة مساءً بتوقيت مصر، الثامنة بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “on time sport 1”. مواعيد مباريات كأس الاتحاد الإنجليزي اليوم

بورنموث ضد ليستر سيتي، في تمام التاسعة والنصف مساءً بتوقيت مصر، العاشرة بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “beIN Sports HD 3”.

بلاكبيرن روفرز ضد نيوكاسل يونايتد، في تمام العاشرة إلا ربع بتوقيت مصر، الحادية عشر إلا ربع بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “beIN Sports HD 2”.

لوتون تاون ضد مانشستر سيتي، في تمام العاشرة مساءً بتوقيت مصر، الحادية عشر بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “beIN Sports HD 1”. مواعيد مباريات كأس ملك إسبانيا اليوم

ريال سوسيداد ضد ريال مايوركا، في تمام العاشرة والنصف مساءً بتوقيت مصر، الحادية عشر ونصف بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “SSC1 HD”. مواعيد مباريات كأس ملك فرنسا اليوم

أولمبيك ليون ضد ستراسبورج، في تمام العاشرة إلا ربع بتوقيت مصر، الحادية عشر إلا ربع بتوقيت السعودية.

ويُمكنكم متابعة أحداث المباريات لحظة بلحظة من مركز المباريات من هنـــا

West Indies captain Jason Holder has said he is a fan of the concept of day-night Test cricket, urging players to give the format a chance on the eve of his team’s maiden pink-ball Test

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Oct-2016West Indies captain Jason Holder has said he is a fan of the concept of day-night Test cricket, urging players to give the format a chance on the eve of his team’s maiden pink-ball Test against Pakistan in Dubai. Holder said he felt the day-night format would give Test cricket the push it needs to sustain itself in the modern cricket market.”I like the concept and I think it is one that should be there to stay,” he said. “We have to give a chance to something new. Obviously, teams might first take time to adjust to it. Test cricket needs that bit of impetus, needs a bit of a push, and I think, possibly, day and night cricket could be it.”The day-night concept has had its share of support from various corners, including Holder’s counterpart, Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq, who recently stated that the “future belongs to night Tests.” Various concerns remain, nonetheless, on the durability and visibility of the ball. “It is a new thing with the pink ball, everybody is just trying to get accustomed to it,” Holder said. “I personally did not have big problems with the sighting.”Few of the players from the slip cordon said it was bit difficult to pick up, and also fielding square of the wicket, probably looking into the sun, it was difficult to sight. Having said that, it is what it is. Tomorrow starts the pink-ball Test, so we have got to adjust to it, we have got to just go there and just try to be as professional as we probably can.”Holder did have his doubts about the ball’s durability, though. “Personally, it does do a bit with the new ball. Five-six overs and after that it just stops a bit, and what I am basically concerned is just the condition of the ball, whether it will hold up,” he said. “Obviously, we had the experience of playing the warm-up game, and I reckon that around 30 to 40 overs, the ball starts to deteriorate and got really soft as well. It is interesting to see how it goes in this Test match, different conditions here in Dubai, and, hopefully, I just think the most important thing to do is keep it as simple as possible, just assess what the ball is doing, try your possible best and make it swing and move.”West Indies have struggled in the longer formats of late. Their previous Test assignment, against India at home, ended in a 2-0 defeat, with one match being affected by rain.”Obviously, it is a young team and we obviously went down in our last series. But it is a fresh series here and we had a pretty good lead-up to this Test series. We have been here quite a while, and most of the guys had a good camp in the Caribbean for the Test players alone, and they came here early and had a two-day game prior to the three-day game. I feel preparation, we have covered. It is just a matter of executing now. From the talks in the dressing room, everybody seems pretty confident, everybody is in good spirit, and so we can transfer on to the field of play.”West Indies did have some positives in that India series, however, most notably in the second Test where they salvaged what had seemed an improbable draw. Reduced to 48 for 4 and still trailing India by 256 runs in the second innings, Roston Chase led a stoic resistance as West Indies batted out 88.1 overs on the final day, scoring 340 runs while losing just two wickets.Holder said the talent was there in the team, it was just a matter of execution. “We have got some quality players. If you look down our line-up, Kraigg Brathwaite has been around for a little while and he has got a few centuries, Shane Dowrich came back into the squad in the last series and did well for himself. We have got the talent there, it is a matter of execution. We need to play some aggressive cricket.”