كشف حسام غالي عضو مجلس إدارة الأهلي، عن أقرب شخص يشبهه في أسلوبه الإداري، موضحًا موقفه من مقولة (الأهلي بمن حضر).
وقال حسام غالي في تصريحات عبر قناة “G talk” على “يوتيوب”: “صالح سليم هو أكثر شخص طريقته في الإدارة تقترب من أسلوبي وطريقتي”.
وأكمل: “أرى الأهلي في صالح سليم، حيث كان يشعر بشخصية الأهلي، وضع أمامي الصدق والوضوح والصراحة والرجولة، يجعلك تكبر وأنت تعمل معه، لا يصغرك”.
وأردف: “صالح سليم كان في ظهر الذي يعمل معه ولن يصغره، أياً كان القرار، أنا في ظهرك، أنت ترى ذلك فلتفعله”.
وأشار: “حدث ذلك عندما تم الاستغناء عن خمسة لاعبين من الفريق الأول، أسماؤهم رنانة، وكذلك التوأم حسام وإبراهيم حسن رغم أنهما كانا نجمي الفريق”.
طالع | حسام غالي يحسم موقفه من الترشح لمنصب رئيس النادي الأهلي وأول قرار سيتخذه
أوضح: “صالح سليم بالطبع لم يكن منفرداً بقرارته، أنت مدير كرة، أنت مدرب، افعله ما شئت وسيكون في ظهرك”.
وبسؤاله ما رأيك في جملة الأهلي “بمن حضر”، معناها مدير كرة قوي أم مدرب قوي، أجاب: “بما أن هذا الأمر مرتبط به، إذا كان لديك خيار بين مدير كرة قوي أو مدرب جيد، فإن وجود مجموعة من اللاعبين (الرجال) يكفي”.
وزاد: “أعتقد أن الأساس في المنظومة كلها هو لاعب الكرة، وإذا كان لاعب الكرة رجلًا ويشعر بالمسؤولية، ويعرف معنى النادي الأهلي ويعرف معنى جمهور الأهلي، فلن نحتاج إلى مدير فني أو مدير كرة”.
واختتم: “الأهلي أصبح بمن حضر بفضل مجموعة موجودة، وإذا كنت لاعباً في الفريق الأول أو لاعباً ناشئاً أو أياً كان، ووضعت في موقع المسؤولية، فسوف أفعل المستحيل، وليس بالضرورة أن أكون حريفًا، ليس بالضرورة أن أكون الفريق الأفضل، ليس بالضرورة أن أكون ماهرًا وألعب كرة قدم جميلة، لكنني سأفوز”.
Sussex captain will be without Jofra Archer due to England’s T20Is against Australia
Matt Roller05-Sep-2024
Tymal Mills will not have Jofra Archer available on Finals Day•Getty Images
Tymal Mills’ delight at leading Sussex to Finals Day in his first season as their T20 captain was tempered by his frustration that Jofra Archer will be unavailable, due to a scheduling clash that he described as “pretty stupid” and “a real shame”.Blast Finals Day – which sees the two semi-finals and the final played back-to-back-to-back at Edgbaston – will be staged on September 14, with England playing the second and third T20Is of their series against Australia on September 13 and 15. The ECB is working through scenarios but players will only be released if they are not required for the final two T20Is.”As far as I’m aware, no England players will be available – which is pretty stupid, to be honest,” Mills said after captaining Sussex to an eight-wicket win over Lancashire in Wednesday night’s quarter-final at Hove, in which Archer took 2 for 20. “Obviously no England players will be there from any side, but it is a real shame for us to lose a player like Jof. Whoever comes in for him will have big boots to fill.”Surrey, who beat Durham at The Oval on Tuesday, will be worst affected, with Jamie Overton called up by England as injury cover on Thursday and joining Sam Curran, Will Jacks and Reece Topley in the T20I squad. They are waiting for confirmation of the availability of their four Test players: Gus Atkinson, Dan Lawrence, Ollie Pope and Jamie Smith.Dan Mousley and Jacob Bethell, the uncapped allrounders, are also in England’s T20I squad. “I know Warwickshire will be without Mousley and Bethell – two of their better players – if they beat Gloucestershire on Friday,” Mills said. “It’s disappointing. This is a big day of the year and you’d like your best players there.”For us, it hurts us a lot, because you take Jofra Archer out of your team and it is a huge loss. Other counties – Surrey, for example – can maybe cover their losses a bit better than what we can, but it is what it is. The XI that’s taking the field on the 14th will have to step up. But I’m sure you won’t find many people that will agree with the schedule and say, ‘Yeah, it’s great.'”Surrey will be without Sam Curran on T20 Finals Day•Harry Trump/Getty Images
The Blast’s quarter-finals took place more than six weeks after the end of the group stage, which Kent captain Sam Billings branded “ridiculous” earlier this year. But many counties prefer a long gap as it allows them a bigger window to sell tickets, with a record quarter-final crowd at The Oval on Tuesday and a sellout at Hove on Wednesday.Sussex have thrived under Mills’ leadership this year. They missed out on the quarter-finals under Ravi Bopara’s captaincy in 2023, but have won 10 out of 15 games this season. Daniel Hughes, their Australian overseas player, is the Blast’s leading run-scorer, Mills himself is the third-highest wicket-taker and James Coles has enjoyed a fine all-round season.”I love the club,” Mills said. “This is my 10th year now, and I don’t just want to waste my last few years ticking over and then ride off into the sunset without anything to show for it. I put myself forward for the captaincy when Ravi left… I could have gone elsewhere at some point over the last few years and gone to a bigger club but I live here and this is where I want to be.”I’ve never even captained in a club game before, but I’ve really loved it. I’ve always been a senior player and I like to think about the game a lot: I don’t just stand at fine leg, look at the sky and twiddle my thumbs… One thing I’ve learned is just to trust your gut. There were a couple of times when I’ve got a little bit defensive with fields or bowling changes, and it comes back to haunt you.Related
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“I take T20 cricket very seriously, because it’s all I do, whereas I felt maybe as a club, there were players that maybe didn’t quite take it as seriously – which is hard, when guys are playing all formats. I’m 32 now. I’m not going to be playing forever. I want to win as many games as I can and nothing would mean more to me than winning [the Blast] for Sussex.”Mills has been particularly pleased at Sussex’s aggression with the bat, having reached 200 in five out of seven innings while batting first. “We’re playing positive, entertaining cricket,” he said. “We were poor here [at Hove] for the last few years, and our record here has really improved. I’m really proud of everything that the coaching staff and the players have done to get this far.”First of all, you want to get out of the group. We did that, and to win a knockout game against a very experienced and talented Lancashire side was obviously really pleasing as well. We’ll wait to see who we will play at Edgbaston next Saturday, but we’ll turn up expecting to win. That’s the attitude now that the team have.”
تحدث رئيس نادي برشلونة الإسباني، خوان لابورتا، عن حفل الكرة الذهبية “بالون دور” وترشيح عدة لاعبين من فريقه للجائزة المرموقة.
وسلط لابورتا الضوء على أهمية حضور الحفل، وتأتي تصريحاته في الوقت الذي يقاطع فيه غريمه ريال مدريد حفل الكرة الذهبية منذ العام الماضي، تشكيكًا في نزاهة اختيار الفائز لعدم فوز فينيسيوس جونيور وتتويج رودري بها.
وصرّح خوان لابورتا لدى وصوله إلى باريس لحضور الحفل، في تصريحات نشرتها صحيفة “موندو ديبورتيفو” الإسبانية: “ما أريده هو فوز لاعب من برشلونة، شرف لي أن أكون هنا، التواجد هنا هو احترام لكرة القدم، وللكرة الذهبية، وللمرشحين”.
وواصل لابورتا: “حضور الحفل مصدر فخر لنا، إنه أحد أهم الأحداث في عالم كرة القدم، ما أريده هو فوز لاعب من برشلونة، لدينا مرشحين لجائزة كوبا، وأفضل لاعب، والكرة الذهبية، وأفضل حارس مرمى”.
وأفاد: “ولدينا أيضًا المدرب هانز فليك، الذي تكرم بالحضور، تعلمون أن فليك مجتهد، لكنه يعلم أن النادي يجب أن يكون ممثلًا تمثيلًا جيدًا، بالنسبة لي، هو أفضل مدرب في العالم”.
اقرأ أيضًا | إنيستا يحدد اللاعب الأحق بالفوز بجائزة الكرة الذهبية 2025
وعن إمكانية فوز لاعبه لامين يامال بالجائزة هذا العام، علّق: “في العام الماضي، حدثت مفاجأة (فوز رودري) ونحن جميعًا ننتظر بفارغ الصبر فوز أحد مرشحينا، لن يكون الأمر مفاجئًا بالنسبة لي؛ أعتقد أن لاعبينا أفضل”.
وواصل لابورتا: “ترشيح اللاعبين أمرٌ رائعٌ بالفعل، إن القدرة على منافسة الأفضل مصدر فخر، ولكنه أيضًا حافزٌ لمواصلة العمل وإظهار طريقتنا في التعبير عن الرياضة وكرة القدم للعالم”.
وأشار: “بالنسبة لبرشلونة، الأمر يتعلق أيضًا بالقيم، إن ترشيح أيتانا، وأليكسيا (فريق النساء)، ولامين، ورافينيا، وبيدري، وليفاندوفسكي لبرشلونة هو مصدر فخر، نحن نعمل لتحقيق النجاح الجماعي، والذي بدوره يجلب النجاح الفردي، وهم يستحقونه”.
وشدد: “أرى لامين يامال لاعبًا رائعًا؛ إنه مليء بالحماس المُكبوت، مثل زملائه في الفريق، يُعجبني أسلوبه في التعامل مع هذه الأحداث، يُعاني من ألم في الفخذ، ويقول إنه قد يكون جاهزًا لمباراة ريال مدريد… لكنني أراه مُتحمسًا”.
Tottenham Hotspur are prepared to grant a discounted transfer away for one of their star players, with chairman Daniel Levy and the Lilywhites recruitment team conceding their inability to demand a large fee.
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Spurs boss Thomas Frank oversaw an unprecedented two pre-season friendlies on Saturday, as two separate first-team sides took on Wycombe Wanderers at the Hotspur Way training ground and Luton Town at Kenilworth Road respectively.
Tottenham’s best-performing regulars in the Premier League – 2024/2025
Average match rating
Son Heung-min
7.00
James Maddison
6.98
Pedro Porro
6.95
Dominic Solanke
6.84
Dejan Kulusevski
6.83
via WhoScored
Frank’s reason for this was to give as many minutes to his players as possible, before flying out for their pre-season tour of Asia, and Spurs are reportedly just as busy off the field as they are on the grass.
Levy and technical director Johan Lange sealed the signing of Mohammed Kudus in a £55 million deal from West Ham earlier this month, following on from their signings of Kevin Danso, Mathys Tel and Kota Takai, with Spurs in the market for further upgrades.
Nottingham Forest playmaker Morgan Gibbs-White was a key target for Frank in that regard.
The England international had been booked in for a medical just over two weeks ago, but his once-imminent move to N17 was blocked by Evangelos Marinakis. Despite Forest’s threat of legal action for an alleged ‘illegal’ approach, Tottenham were thought to still be prioritising a deal for Gibbs-White.
However, following a sensational Saturday night twist, the 25-year-old is now poised to stay at Forest and has even put pen to paper on a new three-year contract – dealing a hammer blow to Frank and Levy in their search for a number 10.
As the club attempt to get more new attackers over the line, with Brentford striker Yoane Wissa also a target for Spurs, uncertainty surrounds the future of legend Son Heung-min.
The South Korea star will be a key centre-piece on their tour of the Far East, given his status as an heroic figure in that part of the world, and reports suggest that Tottenham won’t be able to sell Son until they return from Asia as a result.
In any case, Son has plenty of suitors in the meantime.
Tottenham in talks with Los Angeles FC over selling Son Heung-min
Chief among them is MLS side Los Angeles FC, with renowned transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano confirming that Steve Cherundolo’s side have made an approach to the 33-year-old.
Now, GiveMeSport have an update on this, and the outlet reports that Tottenham are in talks with LAFC over selling Son as negotiations between “all parties” continue.
What’s more, Levy and co are prepared to sell him to the States for as little as £15 million. This is to make his exit as smooth as possible in a bid to honour the player’s decade-long service, with Spurs chiefs conceding that they’re unlikely to get their £35 million valuation from an MLS side.
The “superstar” does have interest from Saudi Arabia, but Son isn’t particularly keen on a move to the Middle East.
Called one of the Premier League’s most underrated ever players, supporters will be sad to bid goodbye to Son, but winning the Europa League last season was a perfect way to call time on his memorable Tottenham career.
“What he brings to the team. Goals, of course, but his energy, his assists, the way he plays the game with a smile on his face,” said Robbie Keane to talkSPORT in 2022.
“For me, he’s the most underrated player in Premier League history. He could play for any team in the world.”
Australia restricted Sri Lanka to 93 and were in a spot of bother themselves at 35 for 3 in the chase, when Mooney steadied the ship
Firdose Moonda05-Oct-2024
Megan Schutt took 3 for 12, and went atop the table for most wickets at Women’s T20 World Cups•ICC/Getty Images
Australia began their T20 World Cup defence with a six-wicket win over Sri Lanka, who slumped to a second defeat in less than 48 hours to leave their semi-final hopes hanging by a thread. Australia kept Sri Lanka to under 100, and knocked off the runs inside 15 overs. But their speed of run-scoring was not enough to put Australia on top of the group ahead of New Zealand on NRR, which could prove crucial in a pool where they have already been two upsets.While it was relatively straightforward for Australia, they would be the first to admit that they were not at their most clinical best. Their bowlers sent down five no-balls and two wides, and the 13 extras were the fourth-highest contributor on a sorry Sri Lanka scorecard. That continues a trend of Australia conceding the most number of extras since the start of last year, and is a discipline they would want to tighten up on.Nitpicking aside, Australia held the advantage early thanks to medium-pacer Megan Schutt, who finished with the best figures among the bowlers on a spinner-friendly track. Between them, spinners Ash Gardner, Sophie Molineux and Georgia Wareham bowled 12 overs, which cost only 55 runs while they shared four wickets.Sri Lanka’s only real resistance came from a 31-run fifth-wicket stand between Harshitha Samarawickrama and Nilakshika Silva, and they were the only batters to get more than 20. Sri Lanka ended up well short of a par total, but initially made a fist of defending it. They had Australia 35 for 3 and were fielding excellently, but did not have enough runs to make a game of it.Beth Mooney hit 43*, and sealed the chase in the 15th over•ICC/Getty Images
Australia’s awesome startIf there was any thought that Australia would be anything less than their absolute best as their tournament got underway, that was swiftly dismissed as they got off to the perfect start. Schutt started proceedings with the tournament’s second maiden over, and Gardner followed up with a second, which immediately raised questions of Chamari Athapaththu’s decision to bat first.She got bat on ball in the third over, when she guided Schutt past backward point for two, but the over ended badly when Vishmi Gunaratne was given out lbw off the last ball, and reviewed to no avail. Schutt got the ball to tail in from outside off and pin Gunaratne on the back pad in front of middle and leg stump. Ball tracking confirmed her dismissal.Things got worse two balls later, as Gardner beat Athapaththu’s sweep shot and asked for a review after the on-field decision seemed to suggest it was sliding down leg. But ball-tracking judged it to be hitting leg, and Athapaththu had to depart for a second single-figure score to start the World Cup. Sri Lanka were 6 for 2 in the fourth over.Sri Lanka fail to cross 100 second timeSri Lanka’s batters can’t be blamed for trying to make something happen in their search for runs, but their attempts to be attacking were unsuccessful as they could not get the ball to clear the boundary. Samarawickrama, who battled hard to score 23 off 35 balls, was the first to play a poor shot when she swung at a full, wide delivery from Molineux without much conviction, and popped a simple return catch to the bowler.Hasini Perera only faced four balls for her 2, and was then given a gift when Wareham sent down a filthy full toss which she swiped at, but towards Gardner, who took a good catch over her right shoulder. And in the final over, with runs needed to put up a respectable total, Anushka Sanjeewani tried to lap Schutt but ended up scooping the ball straight to Wareham at short fine leg.Udeshika Prabodhani cleaned up Alyssa Healy in the first over of the chase•ICC/Getty Images
Alyssa’s aggression = Udeshika’s rewardSri Lanka were under the pump when they conceded eight runs off the first three legal deliveries of the Australia innings, but Udeshika Prabodhani had the perfect response. Her fourth ball was on a length and angled in, and Alyssa Healy shaped up for the leg-side flick, but the ball held its line and beat her completely to find off stump. Prabodhani closed out the over without conceding another run, and from nowhere, Sri Lanka were in the contest.Beth bosses itWhen Wareham was run-out in the third over and Ellyse Perry was bowled, the match teetered on an upset. But then, there was Beth Mooney. Arguably the best chaser in the women’s game, she took her time upfront and found her first boundary after the powerplay, when Inoshi Priyadarshani offered a full ball down leg, and Mooney paddled it fine for four.She was into her work when she sent Sugandika Kumari over mid-on for four, which reduced the runs required to under 50. In typically responsible fashion, Mooney was there at the end, unbeaten on 43, and hit the winning run in the 15th over.
Liverpool have enjoyed a terrific summer transfer window that has put them in a fantastic position to defend their Premier League title in the 2025/26 campaign.
The headline of the summer so far has, of course, been the arrival of Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen for a British record transfer fee of £116.5m.
Milos Kerkez, Jeremie Frimpong, and Hugo Ekitike have also arrived as marquee additions to bolster Arne Slot’s options across the pitch ahead of next season.
However, Liverpool have also lost Luis Diaz. The Colombia international recently completed a permanent transfer to German giants Bayern Munich.
Luis Diaz
The former Porto man may not be the only high-profile exit from Anfield before the end of the window, though, as Darwin Nunez may be on his way out of the club.
Al Hilal are reportedly closing in on a deal to sign the Uruguay international, as they are in talks over personal terms with the Reds centre-forward.
Why it is the right time for Liverpool to cash in on Nunez
David Ornstein claims that the Saudi Pro League club have agreed an initial fee of £46m, with add-ons on top, with Liverpool for the striker, who has shown a willingness to accept the move.
Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez
Although it remains to be seen how much money could be recouped from the total transfer including the add-ons, it seems like the right time for the Reds to cash in on the former Benfica star.
Liverpool reportedly paid a club-record fee of £85m to sign the attacker in the summer of 2022, and it is increasingly difficult to justify it as money well spent by the club, based on his performances on the pitch.
Unfortunately, a theme throughout Nunez’s time at Anfield has been unreliable finishing. He has not made enough of the chances that the team have created for him over the last three years.
Darwin Nunez (all comps)
22/23
23/24
24/25
Appearances
42
54
47
xG
17.16
22.64
8.53
Goals
15
18
7
Big chances missed
28
38
17
Assists
4
13
5
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, the £85m signing has underperformed his xG in all three of his seasons with the club, missing a staggering 83 ‘big chances’ in that time.
This is why it may be the right time for Liverpool to move on from Nunez amid interest from Al Hilal, as he has not done enough to suggest that he can be a reliable option for Slot.
Euro club in talks to sign Liverpool midfielder
Meanwhile, the Reds could be dealt a bigger blow as Jurgen Klopp is looking to poach one of their players for one of his Red Bull clubs this summer.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
According to The Athletic’s David Ornstein, RB Leipzig are in talks with Liverpool over a potential deal to sign England U21 international Harvey Elliott.
The reporter states that the German side have already made contact with the Premier League champions and are now speaking to them about a move for the left-footed ace.
Ornstein adds that Leipzig are looking to bring him in as a potential replacement for Dutch star Xavi Simons, who may be off to Chelsea this summer.
Harvey Elliott celebrates for Liverpool
The Athletic’s article reveals that Liverpool are willing to sell Elliott for £40m if a buy-back clause is included as part of the deal, or for £50m without one.
Given Klopp’s job with Red Bull and his connections at Anfield, the German boss could have a part to play in this possible transfer of his former midfielder, as Leipzig look to poach him this summer.
Why losing Harvey Elliott would be a blow for Liverpool
Unlike Nunez, Elliott would not be leaving the club because he has not been good enough on the pitch for Liverpool. Instead, it would be in search of more game time.
The English starlet only played 28 times in all competitions during the 2024/25 campaign, and only started two matches in the Premier League for Slot. He was a useful player when called upon, though, with a return of five goals and three assists from a central midfield position.
Liverpool's HarveyElliottcelebrates
Elliott is still a young player who is developing and improving all the time, though, at the age of 22. This means that Liverpool have not seen the best of him yet, which is why cashing in on him now would be a big blow.
It would mean that Leipzig would potentially benefit from his potential by offering him the chance to play regularly in Germany, rather than the Reds getting to see him blossom by increasing his game time at Anfield.
The left-footed magician’s performances for England’s U21s at the European Championship this summer suggest that he is now primed to have a breakthrough season as a key player for whoever he is playing for next season.
2025 U21 Euros
Harvey Elliott
Appearances
6
Sofascore rating
7.53
Goals
5
Minutes per goal
95
Key passes per game
1.7
Assists
0
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, Elliott was prolific for his country from a midfield position throughout the tournament, averaging a goal every 95 minutes.
The English gem, who was described as “explosive” by Slot, has the potential to emerge as a brilliant attack-minded midfield star, who can both score and create goals, as evidenced by his 11-assist haul in the 2023/24 season for Liverpool.
Liverpool'sHarveyElliottcelebrates after winning the Premier League
This is why losing Elliott this summer would be an even bigger blow than losing Nunez to Al Hilal, because he is an impressive young talent with the potential to grow into a top player for the club, whereas the former Benfica man has already had plenty of chances to impress and failed to take them.
Their own Huijsen: Liverpool ready to rival Arsenal for “Rolls Royce" CB
Liverpool still need to sign a centre-back in the summer transfer market.
ByAngus Sinclair Aug 6, 2025
Therefore, Liverpool should reconsider cashing in on Elliott before the end of the summer transfer window, as he has the quality to be a great option for Slot to call upon in the 2025/26 campaign when needed.
O Corinthians derrotou o Cruzeiro por 2 a 1 na tarde deste domingo (16), na Neo Química Arena, pela estreia no Campeonato Brasileiro. Os gols da vitória do Timão foram marcados pelo jovem Matheus Araújo e Róger Guedes. Lucas Oliveira descontou para a Raposa. Confira os melhores momentos no vídeo acima:
continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasCorinthiansMatheus Araújo agradece Lázaro e festeja primeiro gol pelo Corinthians: ‘Estava batalhando por isso’Corinthians16/04/2023CorinthiansATUAÇÕES: Matheus Araújo e Róger Guedes comandam vitória do Corinthians sobre o Cruzeiro no BrasileirãoCorinthians16/04/2023CorinthiansCorinthians acorda no segundo tempo, vence o Cruzeiro e quebra tabu de estreias em casa pelo BrasileirãoCorinthians16/04/2023
CA has signed a partnership with UNICEF Australia to promote the foundation’s campaign aimed at gender equality, while supporting female Afghanistan refugees
Alex Malcolm12-Nov-2024
Australia has played Afghanistan in the last three limited overs world events but has not played any recent bilateral cricket•Getty Images
It remains to be seen whether Australia will play any bilateral cricket against Afghanistan in the future after signing a partnership agreement with global children’s charity UNICEF Australia to promote the foundation’s ‘Until Every Girl Can Play’ campaign aimed at gender equality.CA will hold fundraisers for UNICEF Australia at the upcoming Perth Test and the women’s Ashes Test at the MCG in January having been particularly vocal on not scheduling men’s bilateral cricket against Afghanistan outside of World Cups due to the Taliban government’s stance on women’s rights. CA has cancelled three bilateral series with Afghanistan in recent years.According to the Future Tours Programme Australia is due to host Afghanistan in a men’s Test and three T20Is in July 2026. Whether that goes ahead remains to be seen.Related
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No bilateral cricket with Afghanistan till there's 'a level of progress', says CA chief
Afghanistan women request ICC to help set up a refugee team in Australia
Hockley said CA is continuing to support a group of Afghanistan female cricketers who live and play in Australia. The group have asked the ICC to assist them in setting up a refugee team based in Australia in the absence of a national side.”Certainly over the last three years, they’ve been extremely well supported by really every level of the cricketing community, from clubs, state associations,” Hockley said at the MCG on Tuesday at the unveiling of the UNICEF partnership.”We’ve certainly sought support in the background. I’ve had the real privilege to meet and spend some time with the players, and certainly we are working behind the scenes on ways we can continue to support.”UNICEF Australia CEO Tony Stuart was asked whether CA should even play Afghanistan’s men in world events.”I keep out of the politics of this, because what has made UNICEF, I think, good at what it does, is it works with every country, 200 countries in the world, and to do that, you have to be neutral,” Stuart said.”We are the Red Cross of children, and what we do encourage, wherever we are in the world, is participation. We will continue to encourage that in Afghanistan. And I have to say, living in Australia, I’m so pleased to see so many of the Afghan women here in Australia and I hope in the future, they get the opportunity in some way to participate in the game.”
India put on a chasing masterclass in Ahmedabad after their bowlers – led by Deepti Sharma’s 3 for 39 – restricted New Zealand to 232
Ashish Pant29-Oct-20243:55
Mandhana: ‘Team still had half a mind on World Cup, series win will boost confidence’
After scores of 5 and 0 in the first two ODIs, Smriti Mandhana regained her touch in the series decider as she cracked her third ODI century of the year, helping India beat New Zealand by six wickets and take the three-match series 2-1. She was ably supported by first Yastika Bhatia (35) and then Harmanpreet Kaur (59 not out) as India put on a chasing masterclass in Ahmedabad.Batting first, New Zealand rode largely on Brooke Halliday’s career-best 86 off 96 balls as she lifted her side from the depths of 88 for 5 in the 24th over to 232 all out in 49.5 overs. Teams batting first won both ODIs in the series, but India were having none of it as the top order shone through in the chase as they romped home with 34 balls to spare.Mandhana had fallen to the outside-the-off-stump trap twice in two innings in this ODI series. In the first game, she carved Jess Kerr to backward point. Two days later, she did it again, chipping it straight to point for a duck. So, when Mandhana came out in pursuit of New Zealand’s target of 233, she was circumspect to the point that in the first three overs, she shouldered arms to at least five balls. She was ready to be patient and build her innings. The move paid dividends.Mandhana has had a good 2024 in ODIs, having scored two centuries and a half-century in six innings coming into this game. On Tuesday, she played the patient game. She was on 9 off 26 balls at one point, but did not throw it away. She had a slice of luck when she seemingly inside-edged a Lea Tahuhu full-length delivery on to her pad in the third over. Replays later suggested the ball had hit her pad first and had New Zealand reviewed, she would have been out. It was the luck Mandhana needed, and she did not look back.ESPNcricinfo Ltd
At the other end, Shafali, though, had no such luck. She got going with two crips fours, but was caught down the leg side after a faint nick in the fourth over.Mandhana was joined by Bhatia in the middle and the two kept their composure in the chase. Mandhana struck her first four in the ninth over, a swivel-pull against Sophie Devine, followed by a chip down the ground off Eden Carson. Bhatia also struck a few smart boundaries. They added 76 runs for the second wicket before Bhatia was caught and bowled by Devine.Harmanpreet walked out at No. 4 and with a platform set, the two went about their innings calmly. Mandhana brought up her half-century with a short-arm jab through midwicket and soon started finding the fence with more regularity. Harmanpreet, too, was wary initially but soon found the measure of the surface and the runs started flowing from both ends. They brought up the 50-run stand for the third wicket in the 31st over.Harmanpreet did go down with cramps not long after, but that was not going to stop her. She unleashed an array of drives and pulls with Mandhana also going after Devine. Harmanpreet reached her half-century off 54 balls while Mandhana got to her century, the eighth of her career, off 121 balls with a push down the ground. She fell without adding another run, cleaned up by Hannah Rowe, but the job was done by then.Jemimah Rodrigues walked out and immediately got four fours away as India could see the finishing line. She fell lbw to Fran Jonas with India needing a run, and Harmanpreet fittingly finished off the chase in the 45th over.Brooke Halliday hit three sixes despite tiring in the heat•BCCI
Earlier, Halliday braved the scorching Ahmedabad heat as she strung important stands with Izabella Gaze and Rowe, before Tahuhu smashed an unbeaten 24 off 14 balls to get New Zealand past the 230-run mark.It was a much-improved Indian fielding show on display in the third ODI. They had dropped as many as six catches in the second ODI, to go with multiple misfields, as they went down heavily. But they came out as a unit on a mission on Tuesday, led by the two usual fielding stars, Radha Yadav and Rodrigues, as they frustrated the New Zealand openers, Suzie Bates and Georgia Plimmer, in the powerplay.Rodrigues was into the act in the third over as she almost effected a run-out after a stunning save at short extra-cover, with Bates having to dive full length to just about make her crease. Rodrigues’ brilliance came to the fore in the seventh over again when there was a spot of miscommunication between the two batters and this time Bates was caught well short of her crease despite the dive.Plimmer had, meanwhile, started to find the hang of the red-soil surface. She got her boundary-counter running with a solid on-drive off Renuka Thakur before piercing the gap between mid-off and cover off the same bowler. Saima Thakor was also driven for two fours in three balls in the sixth over, but she bounced back with the wicket of Lauren Down, removing her with a gentle length ball that tailed away late and caught her outside edge.Devine, the star of the second ODI, looked ominous from the get-go, striking two authoritative fours within her first seven balls. But she was undone by a stunning wrong’un from Priya Mishra as she went back to a delivery that she ideally should have been forward to, and the ball crashed into her middle stump.Deepti Sharma was named the Player of the Series•BCCI
Halliday, though, looked the part all the way. She got off the mark with an elegant off drive, but regular wickets at the other end pinned New Zealand down. Plimmer was removed by Mishra, who induced a thick outside edge, with Deepti Sharma taking a sharp catch at slip – she was guilty of dropping three catches in the second ODI.New Zealand then lost half their side when another miscommunication ensued between Maddy Green and Halliday, with the former stuck in the middle of the pitch. Rodrigues was again in the thick of things at point.Halliday had to do the repair job, and she found an ally in Gaze. Halliday struck her first six in the 38th over off Mishra, and soon reached her sixth ODI fifty with a flick in the 40th over.Gaze fell chipping a full toss meekly back to Deepti for her first wicket, but Halliday and Rowe carried on by adding 47 off 41 balls for the seventh wicket. Halliday, who was spent by that time, put her foot on the pedal, even showing off a few innovative reverse hits and paddles. She managed to generate enough power to clear the ropes twice – once off Harmanpreet Kaur and then off Deepti – but fell in the 46th over caught at deep midwicket.Rowe fell soon after but Tahuhu smashed two fours and a six to help New Zealand end on a high. Eventually, they were well below par.