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For all the feelings of excitement at Test cricket’s return to Bulawayo, there is the reality that the home side will find themselves overwhelmed by the sheer gulf between their visitors and themselves in every way

The Preview by Firdose Moonda in Bulawayo27-Jul-2016Match factsJuly 28-August 1, Bulawayo
Start time 09:30 local (07:30 GMT)Eleven matches into his Test career, Graeme Cremer prepares to take the reins•West Indies CricketBig pictureFor all the feelings of excitement at Test cricket’s return to Bulawayo, there is the reality that the home side will find themselves overwhelmed by the sheer gulf between their visitors and themselves in every way.In personnel terms, New Zealand, albeit without recently retired Brendon McCullum, bring 379 Test caps between them to Bulawayo. Zimbabwe have just 86 and, of those, a third belong to one man – Hamilton Masakadza – who was relieved of the captaincy in May. Masakadza will no doubt operate as senior counsel to new captain Graeme Cremer, who will lead the Test side for the first time. His counterpart, Kane Williamson, is also on his maiden outing as Test captain, but has experienced heads like Martin Guptill and Ross Taylor to turn to.One of the first things they would remind Williamson of was how hard Zimbabwe pushed them the last time the sides met at Queens. In November 2011, the match went down to the last session of the last day before New Zealand eventually claimed the honours. Since then, Zimbabwe visited New Zealand, were soundly beaten, and have played just 10 other Test matches.New Zealand went only to play four times that number and are a much more assured side than they were five years ago. Although they have lost two of their last three Test series, both against Australia, they had been on a solid run before that. They drew in England and the UAE, and beat Sri Lanka away, West Indies away and India at home. Their climb up the Test rankings has not been as dramatic as their headline-grabbing showings in limited-overs cricket but it has been steady, and they now find themselves at No.5. If the idea of two Test divisions ever becomes a reality, New Zealand would play in the top division, as things stand.At the moment, Zimbabwe can only dream of getting there. Their dearth of fixtures has left them without a ranking at all, but after this series it is likely they will be on the table, joining at the bottom. They will want this to be a fresh start, so they can gradually set their sights on greater things.Form guide Zimbabwe LLLLW
New Zealand LLWWLIn the spotlightInjuries to Tinashe Panyangara and Tendai Chatara have left Zimbabwe’s pace pack with just two Test caps among four of them, and the lack of experience could be a cause for concern. Njabulo Ncube and Donald Tiripano have played a Test each while Michael Chinouya and Taurai Muzarabani are uncapped. The quartet have had the experience of Makhaya Ntini, South Africa’s third-highest wicket-taker of all time, to draw on but may need to find the right balance between attacking and containing on what could be a stubborn surface.Leg spin has been known to be a nemesis for Zimbabwean batsmen so Ish Sodhi’s role could be the most important in the New Zealand attack. Sodhi caused problems for Zimbabwe A during last week’s warm-up match at Harare Sports Club, when he took six wickets in total, including that of Test keeper Regis Chakabva twice. He will also be heartened by what he may see from the most recent match played at Queens, between Zimbabwe A and South Africa A. Despite a largely batsman-friendly surface, Keshav Maharaj and Dane Piedt took seven wickets between them to win the match for the tourists.Team newsThe hosts will cap at least one new player either at the top of the order or in the spin department. Prince Masvaure, who scored a century in the match between Zimbabwe A and South Africa A, could open in Vusi Sibanda’s absence. Masvaure will have to be joined by one of Brian Chari or Chamu Chibhabha after Tino Mawoyo was ruled out with a hand injury. The No.4 spot left vacant by Brendan Taylor is likely to be filled by one of Sikandar Raza or Peter Moor, with the other slotting in at No. 5. With plenty of slower bowling options in the middle order, Zimbabwe could field just two quicks, of which one may be a debutant.Zimbabwe: (probable) 1 Prince Masvaure, 2 Chamu Chibhabha/Brian Chari, 3 Hamilton Masakadza, 4 Peter Moor, 5 Sikandar Raza, 6 Craig Ervine, 7 Regis Chakabva (wk), 8 Sean Williams, 9 Graeme Cremer (capt), 10 Donald Tiripano/Michael Chinouya, 11 Njabulo NcubePlaying their first Test since McCullum’s retirement, New Zealand will be led by Kane Williamson for the first time. Henry Nicholls will fill in at No.4, and is surrounded by a strong line-up. With several spin options in their squad, New Zealand could opt for two spinners and two quicks with Doug Bracewell as their all-round option.New Zealand: (probable) 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Tom Latham, 3 Kane Williamson (capt), 4 Henry Nicholls, 5 Ross Taylor, 6 BJ Watling (wk), 7 Doug Bracewell 8 Ish Sodhi, 9 Tim Southee, 10 Mark Craig/Michael Santner 11 Trent Boult/Matt Henry/Neil WagnerPitch and conditionsThe scarcity of Test cricket at Queens means there’s not much historical data to go on, but conventional wisdom suggests that the surface will be slow and low, favouring an old-fashioned style of play. The match between Zimbabwe A and South Africa A which took place earlier this month may be the best indicator of what to expect. Brian Vitori, who played in that match, described the surface as flat and scores of 570 and 356 are evidence of that. However, turn came into play on the final day which suggests there may be some deterioration as the sun beats down. The late winter conditions are expected to be pleasant, with clear skies and temperatures in the mid-20s over the five days.Stats and trivia In 15 matches, Zimbabwe have never won a Test against New Zealand and have lost nine. Their record is poorer only against Sri Lanka, against whom they have lost 10 and won none. Since Zimbabwe and New Zealand last played each other in a Test in January 2012, New Zealand have played 40 Test matches and Zimbabwe just 10.Quotes”A few guys will remember that feeling and will know it’s not impossible to put them under pressure and to do well.”
.”We are going to play in a way that tries to give us the best chance of winning. It is tough to win here. We know we’ll have to adapt quickly and be at our best. You don’t tend to get pace and bounce like in other part so the world. It’s about adapting, thinking on your feet.”
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Former England allrounder Dimitri Mascarenhas has been appointed coach of the Australia U-16 side that will participate at the national U-17 Championships in Brisbane later this year

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Jul-2016Former England allrounder Dimitri Mascarenhas has been appointed coach of the Australia U-16 side that will participate in the national U-17 Championships in Brisbane later this year. Mascarenhas had quit as New Zealand’s bowling coach at the end of the home series against Australia in February to spend more time with his family in Melbourne.Mascarenhas said Cricket Australia high performance chief Pat Howard was influential in his appointment. “I had lots of meetings with lots of different people trying to get jobs and stuff,” Mascarenhas told the . “I spoke quite a few times to Pat Howard to see what we could do and he’s been really good. He said he would help in any way he could.”Mascarenhas, who took over as New Zealand’s bowling coach after Shane Bond left following the 2015 World Cup, said his modus operandi would have to change in his new role.”When I start talking about guys like Trent Boult and Kane Williamson their eyes just light up,” he said. “My language will have to change. I’ll probably just have to bring in an Xbox and an iPad and they’ll be happy.”Mascarenhas represented England in 34 limited-overs games and played in 195 first-class, 268 List A and 130 T20 matches. “I wish that when I was 18 to 24 I would have worked harder on my game. It’s easy to get sucked up in the whole hype of it, getting paid to play cricket.”

Liverpool are interested in signing Southampton centre-back Duje Caleta-Car this summer, with manager Jurgen Klopp personally driving the move, according to reports from Spain.

What's the latest Liverpool transfer news?

Former Liverpool man Jamie Carragher has claimed that Klopp will need to bring in three midfielders this summer, however that is not the only area the manager will need to strengthen, with new centre-backs also being looked at.

The Reds have been linked with a number of options, including Josko Gvardiol, with the RB Leipzig defender frequently being touted for a switch to Anfield ever since impressing for Croatia at the Qatar World Cup.

Another defender Klopp could look at signing is Lens' Kevin Danso, having recently sent scouts to run the rule over the 24-year-old, while they are also interested in a move for OGC Nice centre-back Jean-Clair Todibo, as per Fabrizio Romano.

However, Liverpool could also look at signing a new defender from closer to home, with reports from Spain claiming Caleta-Car could be targeted, as the 26-year-old is likely to leave Southampton following from their relegation from the Premier League (via Caught Offside).

The Croatian has caught Klopp's eye over the years, and the manager's desire to sign him, coupled with the Saints' financial needs, could pave the way for a summer move.

The estimated asking price for the £52k-per-week defender will be €10m (£8.7m), which has attracted the attention of a whole host of other potential suitors.

Should Liverpool sign Duje Caleta-Car?

As expected for a club that have been relegated with time to spare, the Saints have been poor defensively this season, conceding a total of 66 goals, and they have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last ten matches.

That said, Southampton's defence has not been their main problem this season, given that four of their five best-performing Premier League players have been centre-backs, with Caleta-Car ranking fifth, averaging a Sofascore match rating of 6.90.

Despite being hailed as having "major quality" by journalist Dean Jones, the 6 foot 4 colossus has not been particularly impressive across a number of key defensive metrics over the past year, ranking faring poorly in the air, while he also stands in just the 28th percentile for tackles completed per 90.

Even though the former Marseille man is available for a cut-price fee, Liverpool will undoubtedly be able to attract better centre-backs in the summer, and they should continue to pursue the likes of Gvardiol, Danso and Todibo instead.

Referee Nick Walsh and his VAR assistant Willie Collum may have made a huge mistake in the most recent Celtic game as they decided to send off Alex Cochrane.

What’s the latest on VAR and Celtic?

The Bhoys had the chance to seal the Scottish Premiership title on Sunday afternoon as they made the trip to Tynecastle Park to take on Hearts.

However, Ange Postecoglou and co were unable to accomplish much in the first half as they were held by their opponents pretty efficiently.

That was until shortly before the break when Daizen Maeda latched on to a ball over the top but was then tugged back by Cochrane.

As this footage shows on Sky Sports Scotland, the Celtic man had yet to bring the ball down and there were other Hearts players racing back, so there was no guarantee he would have been able to clearly get a shot away at goal.

This seemed to be the immediate opinion of Walsh who awarded a freekick and simply booked Cochrane but VAR quickly got involved.

Was it a fair red card for Cochrane against Celtic?

Seeing as VAR is only supposed to get involved when a referee has made a clear and obvious mistake, Collum had no reason to intervene and ask referee Walsh to upgrade it to a red card.

Despite that, VAR evidently felt as though Cochrane deserved the red as he was just about the last man – ignoring the fact that other Hearts players would have been on the scene, covering the situation in seconds.

When speaking on Sky Sports, co-commentator Andy Walker immediately condemned the decision, saying: “He is going to send him off and that is harsh.” He then added:

“This is a horrible use of VAR and the game has been ruined.”

While former Hearts midfielder Michael Stewart was even firmer with his judgement on the situation, telling BBC Sportsound: “That’s an utter nonsense as a red card, but nothing would surprise me.

“Did you see any Celtic players complaining? No. Everyone had a sense that a yellow card was the right decision.

“Utter garbage. What an absolute shambles.”

And even former Celtic goalkeeper Pat Bonner agreed, also telling the BBC: “I don’t think it’s a red card, I’ll be honest. There’s no malice, there’s other players coming back.”

All in all, it’s fair to say VAR completely got this one wrong and Cochrane and his Hearts teammates will have every right to feel aggrieved.

Tillakaratne Dilshan has informed Sri Lanka Cricket that he will be unavailable for the limited-overs series in England and Ireland, owing to personal issues

Andrew Fidel Fernando31-May-2016Tillakaratne Dilshan has informed Sri Lanka Cricket that he will be unavailable for the limited-overs series in England and Ireland, owing to personal issues. The limited-overs squads for England have not yet been named, but Sri Lanka are scheduled to play five ODIs and a T20 international in the country, as well as two ODIs in Dublin soon after the third Test.The news is a significant blow to the team, as Dilshan has been Sri Lanka’s most-consistent limited-overs batsman over the past two years. In 2015 Dilshan hit 1207 ODI runs at an average of 52.47. That aggregate put him on third on the year’s run-scorers’ list.His withdrawal also extends the instability Sri Lanka have experienced at the top of their limited-overs batting order. Kusal Perera is expected to open the batting in the shorter formats after being cleared of doping charges, but Sri Lanka will now have to find a partner for him for the series.Dilshan, now 39, had suggested he was not thinking of limited-overs retirement during the recent World T20. He retired from Tests in late 2013.The ODIs commence on June 16, in Ireland, before Sri Lanka return to play England. The first match of that series is at Nottingham on June 21.

Football Insider journalist Wayne Veysey has shared a 'big' update on Tottenham Hotspur and their links to free agent boss Julian Nagelsmann.

What's the latest news on Nagelsmann?

Spurs are reliably believed to be targeting the German, who was made readily-available following his surprise dismissal from Bayern Munich.

Nagelsmann also attracted interest from Chelsea in recent weeks, but with the west Londoners poised to appoint Mauricio Pochettino, Spurs have been handed a possible free run.

The 35-year-old is on chairman Daniel Levy's list of managerial candidates, which includes the likes of Luis Enrique, Arne Slot, Vincent Kompany and Ange Postecoglou, at least according to recent reports.

There have been recent suggestions that Nagelsmann is becoming far more open to taking the Spurs job than previously thought, with claims from Germany stating he is 'very tempted' by the job.

This comes as Tottenham scour the market for a new permanent manager after sacking Antonio Conte last month, and former interim boss Cristian Stellini soon after the Italian.

Ryan Mason has been placed in temporary charge of Spurs until the end of this Premier League season, and in the meantime, Tottenham will be putting plans together in the search for Conte's successor.

Now, according to Veysey, writing for Football Insider, there has been what the outlet describes as a 'big' update.

Indeed, Nagelsmann is said to have privately decided he won't be joining Spurs – or any other club – before the summer. What's more, Tottenham are apparently losing faith they will appoint him for the 2023/2024 campaign, with Spurs worried that Nagelsmann is using their interest as leverage to seal another top job in Europe.

They allegedly have 'concerns' about his intentions, coming after they made him their top target to replace Conte. Nagelsmann also doesn't believe that Tottenham have a squad built for success – which is something he wants when considering his next job.

Who should Spurs hire if they can't get Nagelsmann?

If the north Londoners ultimately fail in their pursuit of Nagelsmann, we believe Feyenoord boss Slot fits the bill quite nicely.

There have been reports of him being keen to take the Spurs job, and after a brilliant campaign in the Netherlands, his stock just keeps on rising.

Members of the media have lavished praise on Slot, calling him one of the finest managers in his country, even before his Feyenoord title charge.

Much like Pochettino when he first took charge of Spurs, Slot is arguably a lesser-known but promising name, and perhaps that is exactly what Levy needs when looking for a project manager.

Tottenham Hotspur go into tonight's clash with a third manager in the dugout within just one month.

Ryan Mason will undergo yet another spell as caretaker manager, as a further damning indication of Daniel Levy's failures to take the club into a brighter future. However, when asked about it, the 31-year-old remained confident in his ability to progress this team forward.

"I am ready. I don't doubt that," he told his press conference yesterday, with Manchester United on the Premier League horizon.

With such a big game in the offing, and such an embarrassing result in their last fixture, the former Spurs midfielder has a few interesting decisions to make regarding who retains a spot after such a performance.

Shipping six goals to a close rival instantly puts the whole back four in jeopardy, but perhaps the English boss will seek to take his frustrations out on one man who was particularly culpable against Newcastle United.

Therefore, Cristian Romero is expected to be the main casualty from the St James' Park fallout.

Will Cristian Romero start vs Manchester United?

Earning a 5.7 rating in their last match – the lowest of any outfield player on the entire pitch – the Argentine was clearly a standout dud in that massacre.

Winning just one of his five duels (20%), the centre-back was left wanting for many of the goals that Eddie Howe's men fired past them. He looked sluggish and lost, leading to Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville to brand him "shocking" on Twitter.

After being run ragged, at the heart of such embarrassment, the £165k-per-week liability deserves to be benched.

It would mark a huge statement of intent from Mason and perhaps might be exactly what this lacklustre squad of losers need to see. Romero would be the unfortunate scapegoat to be made an example of, although it is deserving given recent form, to potentially ignite the dressing room into action.

The former Atalanta stopper has been ever-present for Antonio Conte and later Cristian Stellini, yet this actually works against him given the lack of quality in defence this campaign. Spurs have shipped 51 goals in the league, of which only five other teams have conceded more.

To be associated with such mediocrity is made even more frustrating given the mouth-watering £42m spent to bring him to north London back in 2021.

Whether it was Mason or his Italian predecessor in the dugout for tonight's match, they should both have come to the same conclusion: if anyone deserves dropping on current form, it is Romero.

Fans online have been left furious with Jordan Henderson after his instructions to Darwin Nunez seemed to cost Liverpool a goal.

What’s the latest on Jordan Henderson, Darwin Nunez and Liverpool?

It’s been an up-and-down sort of season for the Reds so far and with seven games left to play, they only have an outside shot at making the top four.

With that in mind, three points against Nottingham Forest on Saturday afternoon was absolutely vital to Jurgen Klopp and co as they look to end their Premier League campaign on a high.

Thanks to a brace from Diogo Jota and a winner from Mo Salah, Liverpool managed to get across the line. The away side didn’t make it easy, however, scoring two equalisers before the Reds eventually sealed the 3-2 win.

It seems Henderson didn’t exactly help out his side during one key moment either – as captured by this footage shared on Twitter.

Indeed, with Liverpool 2-1 up, Forest have a corner and Nunez appears to be keeping an eye on Morgan Gibbs-White. However, £140k-per-week teammate Henderson then seems to tell the Uruguayan striker to push further up the field.

Consequently, Gibbs-White is left free just inside the Liverpool penalty box and when the corner finds him unmarked, it’s too late for anyone to prevent his shot as his volley flies into the back of the next.

Upon reviewing the footage, it’s safe to say fans were not at all impressed with Henderson’s actions. Here are some of the strongest reactions on Twitter…

Some even want Henderson stripped of his captaincy and out of the club…

Tottenham Hotspur defender Pedro Porro has taken to social media to send out a defiant message after facing heavy criticism in the media of late.

What's the latest on Pedro Porro and Spurs?

The wingback certainly had a day to forget alongside the rest of his Spurs teammates as they suffered an embarrassing home defeat against Bournemouth on the weekend.

Despite netting what looked to be a late equaliser, Tottenham somehow managed to throw that away and concede in the 95th minute as Dango Ouattara made in 3-2 with nearly the last kick of the game.

Porro lost possession a mammoth 24 times on the day and consequently didn't hold up well under scrutiny after the game.

Indeed, journalist Alasdair Gold gave him a 4/10 in the football.london player ratings, and wrote: "Knocked off the ball too easily on a couple of occasions, including the moment that gifted the ball to Bournemouth for Vina to score. Offered little going forward despite hitting a string of crosses.

In light of the disastrous display, Porro had actually deactivated his social media accounts. However, he has since taken to Twitter to post a defiant message.

He wrote: "You never know how strong you are, until being strong is the only option you have left.

Thanks for the love messages"

What's been said about Pedro Porro?

Despite having only been at Spurs since a January move from Sporting Lisbon, he has already been slammed on a few occasions.

For instance, after struggling in a loss against Leicester City, Tim Sherwood told Sky Sports (via Daily Mail): "I’m giving him the benefit of the doubt because it’s his debut but Pedro Porro is so bad it’s unbelievable. I don’t want to keep picking on the kid but he needs to be relieved of his duties."

He added: "What I’m looking at is a player who doesn’t want to defend." While also calling his

defensive positioning "absolutely disgusting."

Porro is one of the club's better-paid players on £85k-p/w but it's safe to say he's struggled to prove he is worth those sorts of wages in the early stages of his career in North London so far.

Of course, he is still only 23 years of age and so has plenty of time to improve. And fans may well enjoy his willingness to come out publicly with a defiant message. But it won't count for anything unless he is able to do his talking on the pitch too.

Frank Lampard's baptism of fire since retaking control of the Chelsea reins will continue on Wednesday evening with perhaps the toughest trip in world football, a visit to the Santiago Bernabeu.

The former midfielder hasn't been brought in to win the Champions League, merely to steady a sinking ship, but a respectable performance must be sought against Real Madrid this evening.

Their preparation, a 1-0 defeat to Wolves, doesn't stand them in particularly good stead, but stranger things have happened on the continent's grandest of stages.

Fortunately, a slice of luck has already fallen Lampard's way in the build-up, with the likes of N'Golo Kante, Mason Mount and Thiago Silva all ready to return to the starting XI.

It would not be a great surprise to see all of them unleashed in Madrid, particularly given the errant defensive showings of late.

Is Thiago Silva fit to play against Real Madrid?

Speaking about the aforementioned trio in his pre-match press conference, the Blues legend stated: "They’re all fit, they’re all in the squad. They are good and they’re here."

That will be music to the ears of those associated with the Stamford Bridge outfit, with their chances only set to improve with a deeper squad to utilise.

Silva's return is particularly timely, with the great Brazilian set to come up against a Ballon d'Or winner in the shape of Karim Benzema.

The French marksman is simply a marvel with 25 goals in 32 outings to his name this term. That is a record that would strike fear into many a defender, but not Chelsea's triumphant £110k-per-week defender.

Indeed, if any centre-back is wise enough to deal with such a devastating threat, it is a man with 30 team trophies to his name.

Celebrated as "the best defender in the world" by Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti, the 38-year-old is gargantuan at the back, showing no signs of slowing down despite his age.

It's why his recent injury absence has been felt hard. Chelsea may well have some of the best up-and-coming centre-backs in the game in Wesley Fofana and Benoit Badiashile, but the experience and wise head of Silva is like no other in the game.

The former PSG man may not have the pace to burn anymore, but his reading of the game and composure is exceptional, hence why he ranks in the top 6% of defenders across Europe for pass completion and the best 13% for percentage of dribblers tackled per 90 minutes.

That sort of quality will be invaluable across two legs against Madrid, with finding a way to stop the effervescent duo of Benzema and Vinicius Jr a must.

With Silva in the team, Lampard's men do at least have a chance, albeit a slender one.