Mikel Arteta was left angry after Arsenal's loss to West Ham as the manager admitted the Premier League title race is no longer in their hands.
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Arteta slammed Arsenal players
Gunners went down against West Ham
Admitted title race no longer in their hands
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WHAT HAPPENED?
After Liverpool dropped points against Aston Villa in the midweek, Arsenal had the golden opportunity to reduce their gap with the leaders as they took on a struggling West Ham side at home on Saturday. However, Jarrod Bowen's goal at the stroke of half-time stunned the hosts as it proved to be the match-winning goal for the Hammers.
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WHAT MIKEL ARTETA SAID
After the loss at home, a disappointed Arteta told : "It is painful but this is sport. We need to feel the pain today, I think we deserve that."
In his post-match press conference, the Spanish coach further blasted his players as he told reporters: "It's not in our hands. I'm really really annoyed of the things that were in our hands. Very disappointed. Obviously very angry as well. You have to congratulate West Ham for the victory. For as well a lot on our side. It didn't allow us to get enough momentum."
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Arsenal's afternoon got worse when Myles Lewis-Skelly was shown a straight red card in the second half for a foul on Mohammed Kudus. They now sit eight points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool, who can extend their lead at the top by picking up a positive result against Manchester City on Sunday.
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WHAT NEXT FOR ARSENAL?
Arsenal will be back in action on Wednesday as they take on third-placed Nottingham Forest in the Premier League.
Pathum Nissanka’s 58-ball 72 and Wanindu Hasaranga’s hat-trick go in vain as Sri Lanka lose their second game
Andrew Fidel Fernando30-Oct-20215:33
Jayawardene: A bit disappointed that the Sri Lanka bowlers bowled in the slot to Miller
South Africa’s chase veered, almost stalled, and threatened to careen off a cliff – particularly when Wanindu Hasaranga claimed a T20I hat-trick to go with the ODI one he took on debut. But, in the end, taking the game deep, trusting their finisher, and hoping Sri Lanka’s inexperience would show, ended up working for them.With 14 required off the last five balls, Lahiru Kumara missed his length twice, put two balls in David Miller’s arc, and the batter cleared his front leg, brought that big back lift down, and smoked Kumara waaay over deep midwicket, for two sixes that very nearly cleared the stands. He got a single off the next ball, meaning South Africa were tied, with two balls remaining. Kagiso Rabada, who had fielded brilliantly, then edged the next ball for four, and South Africa were home with a ball to spare.The victory means South Africa stay in the running for a semi-final spot, while Sri Lanka find themselves needing several other results to go their way if they are to be in contention.Earlier, Sri Lanka had stumbled through the middle overs – not for the first time – against spin. Tabraiz Shamsi took 3 for 17, as Sri Lanka slumped from 61 for 1 to 110 for 6, the run rate slowing substantially as those wickets fell. They ended with a total of 142, the last wicket falling off the last delivery. It never really seemed enough, even if their bowlers did well to make it seem a good total.Watch cricket live on ESPN+
Sign up for ESPN+ and catch all the action from the Men’s T20 World Cup live in the USA. Match highlights of South Africa vs Sri Lanka is available here in English, and here in Hindi (US only).
Nissanka shows his T20 smarts It wasn’t necessarily an exemplary T20 knock. But for this very flawed Sri Lanka side, it was good enough. Pathum Nissanka made only 18 from his first 20 deliveries, in the powerplay. But he stuck around, surviving a close lbw chance off Keshav Maharaj through the middle overs, to accelerate later in the innings, hitting three fours and a six off the last nine deliveries he raced to finish with 72 off 58.Shamsi bosses it yet again The world’s top-ranked T20I bowler showed why he is so highly rated. He gave away only a single run in his first over, which suggested Sri Lanka were looking just to play him out safely. But then he got wickets in each of his remaining three overs, even when batters weren’t trying to be especially aggressive against him. He got two caught-and-bowleds – Bhanuka Rajapaksa and Avishka Fernando coming down the track looking for singles, but failing to get to the pitch, and spooning catches right back at Shamsi. For his third scalp, Shamsi got Hasaranga to hole out to long-on. He finished with the game’s best figures of 3 for 17.Wanindu Hasaranga pegged South Africa back with a hat-trick•ICC via GettyHasaranga hat-tricks Sri Lanka back into the game As if totally unwilling to be done by Shamsi – the only bowler above him on the T20I rankings – Hasaranga got three wickets of his own, all in a row. The first of these was probably the most important wicket. It wasn’t Hasaranga’s best googly, but he deceived the in-form Aiden Markram nonetheless, and knocked back his off stump. That wicket had come off the last ball of the 15th over, and then when he next came back to the bowling crease, in the 18th, Hasaranga got two wickets first up. He had Bavuma caught at deep midwicket off a genuine half-tracker – Bavuma not managing to clear the fielder, or miss him. Next ball, Dwaine Pretorius holed out to long-on, and South Africa seemed in serious trouble, with six wickets down and 31 still needed from 16 balls.The big finish Miller just bided his time, and waited for Sri Lanka’s weakest death bowler. Rabada had thankfully struck a six off Dushmantha Chameera in the penultimate over, to keep South Africa in touch. Rabada had the strike at the start of the last over too, but he got a single first ball, and when Miller got to the crease, he was just intent on hitting sixes, and Kumara bowled him the two perfect balls to smash. Miller finished with 23 not out off 13.
Journalist Charles Watts has shared that an esteemed member of the Arsenal squad, who manager Mikel Arteta is “going to need”, could be sold by the Emirates Stadium hierarchy.
Players who could leave Arsenal in January or next summer
There are a few potential departees who face uncertain futures at N5 right now, perhaps most notably left-back Kieran Tierney, who hasn’t made a single appearance in all competitions since suffering a hamstring injury at Euro 2024.
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Tierney is out of Arteta’s plans at Arsenal, and sporting director Edu Gaspar could even green-light a January exit deal for the Scotsman. The writing appears on the wall for him, and this is something Tierney has come to terms with behind the scenes.
“Had that injury not happened, I’m sure Tierney would have been playing for another club right now,” said Watts via his Dailybriefing recently.
Bournemouth (away)
October 19
Liverpool (home)
October 27
Newcastle United (away)
November 2
Chelsea (away)
November 10
Nottingham Forest (home)
November 23
“That was certainly the plan anyway, following his loan spell with Real Sociedad last season. But the injury put an end to any chances of a move and the focus now is on the left-back getting himself back fully fit ahead of the January window. He’s not in Mikel Arteta’s plans anymore. That’s been clear for a long time and Tierney accepts that. There is no animosity there.”
The arrival of Riccardo Calafiori in the summer has cast doubt on the future of another left-back option in Arteta’s squad – Poland international Jakub Kiwior. The former Spezia starlet can play at both left centre-back and further wide, but so can Calafiori, and the latter has started this new Premier League campaign in impressive fashion.
Kiwior is expected to leave Arsenal in January after falling down the pecking order, with uncertainty also surrounding midfield duo Jorginho and Thomas Partey as their contracts expire next summer.
There has been talk of a potential contract extension for Partey, though, following his stellar form this season. The Ghanaian, who was forced to sit out the latest round of international matches through illness, has started all seven of their opening league matches and impressed as an anchor in Arteta’s midfield.
Arsenal could decide to sell Gabriel Jesus next summer
Kai Havertz’s excellent performances have resulted in ÂŁ265,000-per-week striker Gabriel Jesus falling down Arteta’s priority choice list as well.
The Brazilian, despite possessing “world-class” ability, has been criticised for some of his performances this season, and is yet to get off the mark for Arsenal in all competitions, leading to reports claiming Jesus could be on the way out of Arsenal as Palmeiras eye up a move for the ex-Man City star.
Now, Watts has shared his own update, stating this could be Jesus’ final season at Arsenal and Edu could decide to sell next summer.
“Gabriel Jesus is clearly struggling for confidence right now,” said the reporter.
“You can see that by the way he’s playing. He’s thinking about things too much and taking too many touches when he’s in possession. When Jesus is at his best he does things off the cuff. He creates chaos with his movement and his work rate. But right now he’s bringing more confusion than chaos with his play. I think there’s certainly a chance this could be his final season at the club, but obviously that is a decision that will be taken in the summer should any suitable offers arrive.
“I do expect Arsenal to bring in a forward and that would limit Jesus’ chances further. He’s way behind Kai Havertz now in the pecking order and it’s tough to see him turning that round at present given the form of both players.
“But whatever happens he still has a big part to play this season.
“Arsenal are going to need Jesus, so it’s crucial they help him improve and find his confidence again because if they can do that then they have a player who has the quality to still have a major say on this campaign.”
Australia’s leaders held a call on Wednesday night to discuss tensions between the players and the coach
Alex Malcolm20-Aug-2021Australia Test captain Tim Paine has vowed the players will work with embattled coach Justin Langer over the next six months following a “robust” emergency zoom meeting between Cricket Australia’s leaders on Wednesday.CA chairman Earl Eddings and CEO Nick Hockley held a zoom call with Paine, Australia’s limited-overs captain Aaron Finch, and vice-captain Pat Cummins on the same day Hockley issued a public statement supporting Langer.Speaking on his own radio show Paine confirmed he had spoken to Langer personally over the last 48 hours while the coach was in hotel quarantine in Adelaide, following a flurry of media speculation about tensions between the players and the coach.”There’s no hiding from it, it’s been a tough week, certainly for Justin Langer than it has been for anyone else,” Paine said. “We’ve had some really robust conversations among our leaders in the last few days and we’re really looking forward to the next six months with JL.”We’re looking forward to the World Cup, we’re looking forward to the Ashes, it’s an exciting period for any cricketer. If anything, I think we’re heading into that tournament and series even more galvanised and even more together.”It was important that myself, Aaron Finch, Pat Cummins, and the leaders of Australian cricket got around him, discussed things that needed to be discussed, and then got around him and supported him and looked to move forward.”There’s no doubt the week has been difficult for him, but as I said the last few days, we’ve been able to galvanise around him, to have some really robust discussions on where we want to take this cricket team, what we expect of him and what he expects of us. The T20 World Cup and the Ashes are probably two of the biggest things that any Australian cricket and any Australian coach want’s to be a part of and we’re all on the same page and can’t wait to get started on both of those huge projects for us.”Related
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Paine admitted that the issues which had bubbled over this week were not new but was at pains to stress the team’s decline in form over the past 18 months in both Test and T20 cricket should not be blamed entirely on the coach.”The stuff that was reported if we’re totally honest wasn’t anything new, this is stuff that’s been dragged up from an Ashes series two or three years ago, Paine said.”We’ve had ongoing discussions with JL. JL’s had ongoing discussions with me and his players about us always wanting to get better.”It’s just been a bit of shame, I think, in the last week that a lot of the failings around Australian cricket have been pinned on JL. That’s certainly not the case. We haven’t lived up to our own standards on the field. We haven’t won enough games of cricket and that’s pretty much put us all under pressure.””But that’s the world we live in. We’re playing professional sport. You’re judged really harshly when you don’t win. We’ve clearly had a bit of a rough trot with white-ball cricket. The red-ball team hasn’t been playing. So there’s been a lot of sitting around and a lot of chatting.”Australia have played just four Tests since January 2020, which has left a lot of time for the series loss to India last summer to fester. Paine said his next task was to speak to each player individually and in groups over the phone.”I think in the next few days, no doubt with what has gone on, we’ll be looking to get the group together, whether that’s in small groups on a zoom call,” Paine said. “It’s obviously impossible to get face to face at the moment with half of our team in quarantine in Adelaide and the other half in lockdown in New South Wales.”What we’re doing this week is trying to get everyone on a number of calls. Take them along for the journey with what we have discussed and decided on over the last few days and how we want to take this team forward.”
The transfer window finally came to a close on Friday night, and it would be fair to say that Tottenham Hotspur enjoyed a successful summer of business.
Ange Postecoglou's squad has been made much more robust with the additions of Dominic Solanke, Wilson Odobert and Archie Gray, and while some fans may have been hoping for a last-minute deal, there simply wasn't the need for one.
The Lilywhites' fierce rivals Arsenal, on the other hand, were forced to engage in some last-minute panic buying as they secured the services of Raheem Sterling on a season-long loan following a summer of constant links to attacking talent.
Chelsea forward Raheem Sterling.
The former Manchester City ace is a Premier League veteran at this point and will likely be a useful player for the Gunners, but Spurs fans can rest easy in the knowledge that they already have a winger who's worth substantially more than the Englishman.
Raheem Sterling's valuation in 2024
Sterling completed his season-long loan move to Arsenal on deadline day last week, and while the Gunners didn't pay a fee for the Chelsea ace, we know that his current valuation is around €46m thanks to Football Transfers, which converts to about £39m.
While this is still a reasonably impressive valuation, it's significantly lower than it was just over a year ago, when Football Transfers priced the 29-year-old at around €71m, which is about £60m.
The reason for this collapse in the player's valuation is likely two-fold. The first reason is that, after starring in a brilliant City team for so many years and racking up an incredible haul of 204 goals and assists in just 339 games, the Kingston-born dynamo has struggled to have the same level of impact at Stamford Bridge, where he has racked up 31 goals and assists in 81 appearances.
This brings us to the second potential reason his price has fallen so dramatically: the Blues were clearly trying to get rid of him over the last few weeks. After all, if a team clearly no longer wants their own player, why would said player's valuation increase?
In all, while the 82-capped international will probably be able to contribute at the Emirates, he's not the player he once was, and Spurs already have a winger who is worth millions more than him.
Dejan Kulusevski's valuation in 2024
Yes, the player in question is Swedish superstar Dejan Kulusevski, who joined the North Londoners on an initial 18-month loan deal in January 2022 under former managing director Fabio Paratici.
The talented winger's move was made permanent for around £26m in June 2023, although according to Football Transfers, he is currently worth around €57m, which converts to about £48m, or £9m more than Sterling's new valuation.
Now, that might seem like a lot of money for a player who has been somewhat inconsistent during his time in North London, but when the former Juventus ace is at his best, he is an incredible asset to have in the team.
Appearances
99
Goals
15
Assists
20
Goal Involvements per Match
0.35
For example, in his 99 appearances for the Lilywhites, the "special player", as described by Sky Sports reporter Jamie Weir, has scored 15 goals and provided 20 assists, meaning he's averaged a goal involvement every 2.82 games for the club, which is more impressive when taking into account the football played under former manager Antonio Conte.
That said, this is set to be a big season for the 24-year-old, as he's now at the age in which he needs to nail down a regular starting spot in the team, and given his raw ability, there is no reason why he couldn't do that.
Ultimately, while Sterling is the winger grabbing headlines at the moment, Tottenham have a far more valuable player in Kulusevski in their squad.
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The incredible superstar was a game-changer for the Lilywhites.
New Zealand captain Sophie Devine has opened up on her decision to take a break from the game at the end of last season, with her fatigue having reached a point where she did not feel able to do herself or her team justice.Devine stepped away after the first T20I against Australia in late March – following a run of seven internationals that brought a top score of 17 – and revealed she did not think about the game for about two months. She is now back with the New Zealand squad as part of their first winter training camp in Christchurch and wants to retain the captaincy ahead of a 12-month period that includes a tour of England, the home one-day World Cup and the Commonwealth Games.”Looking back, and hindsight is a wonderful thing, it had probably been bubbling away for a little while,” Devine said. “For me I just knew I couldn’t do a job. It’s the same thing as if I broke a leg or pulled my hamstring – if I can’t complete the job to 100% then I need to take a serious look if I’m worthy of being in that team. And at that stage, I couldn’t live up to my role, what I expect of myself, as well as what my team-mates expect of me.”I had my own little bubble for probably two months and spent that time going back to simple things, spending time away from cricket first and foremost and spending it with loved ones which was really important. I needed to get back to what makes me feel good. I had fantastic support which made it easier for me, wasn’t having to worry about expectations. I really did switch off from everyone and everything which I needed to do at that time.”Amy Satterthwaite stepped into the captaincy against Australia but Devine said her commitment to the role had never wavered. “I certainly do want to keep with it, that’s something that has stayed throughout.”While not singling out one factor that led her to the point of taking the break, Devine acknowledged the challenges presented by Covid-19. Last year she was part of the New Zealand squad that had two weeks quarantine in Brisbane before facing Australia, was then part of the WBBL hub in Sydney and then did two more weeks of quarantine on returning home.”Covid has certainly thrown a spanner in the works and spending time in numerous different bubbles and quarantine, it’s a bizarre environment,” she said. “Think it was a combination of a lot of different things.”Devine has been working with New Zealand Cricket’s psychologist Natalie Hogg to put in place strategies if she feels she is having difficulties again, and also hopes her situation encourages others to speak out or seek help if they need it.Sophie Devine is crucial to New Zealand with bat and ball•Getty Images
“Hopefully it doesn’t happen again, but it might and hopefully I’m in a better position to deal with it if those things do come up. And I can share my stories with others to know it’s okay to be able to step away. It’s not just athletes, it’s everyone. We need to create that space for people to be able to talk about mental health.”It seems to be quite topical at the moment, the really important thing to keep remembering is we are humans too – humans first and athletes second. We are not shying away from the fact that we know we are going to scrutinised from the public, media, everything and we don’t want to step away from that. It’s just remembering behind the helmet, the bat and the pads there’s a person under there too.”Joining Devine back in the New Zealand set-up at the training camp which has been largely focused on fitness testing has been Suzie Bates, who had shoulder surgery six months ago which ruled her out of the home summer.Bates has picked up a bat again over the last month and is confident that she is on track to return to action. She admitted she found it tough being around the game in the initial part of her recovery which included a commentary role, but by the end of the season was eager to be involved.”It was an interesting experience. The first tour against England I wanted nothing to do with it, but with commentating I couldn’t help it, but then the Aussie series I felt like I wanted to be back around the group just trying to help because I could sense that individuals were struggling a bit.”It was a tough summer but I’m absolutely fizzed that I haven’t missed a World Cup. All going well my shoulder will be fit to play a full part again.”In my White Ferns career this is probably the most exciting 12 months that we’ve got with a home World Cup and a Commonwealth Games. So when I was sat at home feeling a bit sorry for myself, to know those two tournaments were ahead of us was really exciting.”
Potentially rounding off a solid summer transfer window, Nottingham Forest are reportedly weighing up a move to sign a former Serie A winner who's full of top-level experience.
Nottingham Forest transfer news
Those at the City Ground have enjoyed a fairly successful summer window, which started with Elliot Anderson and has since continued with arrivals such as Nikola Milenkovic, Ramon Sosa and Jota Silva, among others. Silva, of course, has already started winning over his new fans, scoring on his home debut to level things up against Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup before the Magpies advanced on penalties.
Even after an impressive window so far, however, Forest could look to end with a bang before things slam shut on Friday. Handing Nuno Espirito Santo one last reinforcement may even prove to be the difference between safety and relegation and potentially breaking into the Premier League's mid-table, especially if they add the experience of one particular player.
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According to The Sun's Alan Nixon on his Patreon, Nottingham Forest are now weighing up a move to sign Neto from Bournemouth, with the arrival of Kepa Arrizabalaga likely ending the shot-stopper's time as Andoni Iraola's number one for the Cherries.
Neto, of course, has been there and done it at the very top with two Serie A titles to his name from his time at Juventus, as well as a Spanish Cup at Barcelona. It shouldn't be forgotten, either, that the job that he did as Bournemouth's number one, playing an important part in their progression.
Even at 35 years old, the Brazilian more than earned his reported £50,000-a-week at Bournemouth and could now round off Forest's summer window, adding crucial experience as a result.
"Great" Neto can still become Forest number one
Despite a solid window, there remains question marks over Forest's goalkeeper department. Matz Sels doesn't represent a convincing option and new man Carlos Miguel may lack the top level experience to become a Premier League number one. And that opens the door for Neto to maintain his place as a Premier League starter.
Premier League stats 23/24 (via FBref)
Neto
Matz Sels
Saves per 90
3.44
2.17
Save Percentage
69.7%
60.2%
Pass Accuracy
65.3%
71.7%
Clean Sheets
7
4
Neto's save percentage was particularly impressive compared to Sels' last season and highlights the upgrade that Forest would be getting by signing the Brazilian before the deadline.
The goalkeeper has earned plenty of praise throughout an illustrious career, including from former Bournemouth boss Gary O'Neil, who told the Bournemouth Echo after Neto signed a new deal: “I have a real good relationship with Neto. He's a good goalie firstly, and then he's a great guy, he's a leader.
“The impact he's had on the group since he's arrived, obviously he's only been here a fairly short time, but the impact he's had on the group has been huge. Delighted, obviously, to secure his services for longer."
Gregory plays aggressor during 98-run stand as Middlesex let winning positions slip
Matt Roller11-Apr-2021
Lewis Gregory and George Bartlett saw Somerset home•Getty Images
A nerveless, unbroken stand of 98 in 19 overs between George Bartlett and Lewis Gregory took Somerset to an improbable win at Lord’s, as they chased down their target of 285 with four wickets to spare.Victory had appeared unthinkable, both when they fell to 89 for 9 in their first innings and when Middlesex had compiled a lead of 254 with seven second-innings wickets in hand, but two spirited fightbacks – with Jack Leach at the centre on both occasions – set up an attainable target under cloud cover and floodlights on the third afternoon. Tom Abell’s fluent half-century laid the foundation before bad light and drizzle brought an early close, and once he had found his rhythm again under blue skies on the final morning, Somerset became favourites for the first time in the match.Cricket to pay respect to Prince Philip
Play in the County Championship next Saturday will pause between 2.50pm and 4.10pm, to coincide with the funeral of Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh. The ECB has also recommended that play in recreational cricket stops between 3pm and 4pm, enabling players to observe the one minute’s silence at 3pm.
Then, a twist. Ethan Bamber took two wickets in 13 balls – Abell edging behind, Steven Davies trapped lbw by an in-ducker – to peg the chase back, and when Tim Murtagh induced the thinnest of edges from Craig Overton on the stroke of lunch as the clouds began to roll in, it seemed that the chase would prove too steep even for Somerset’s long batting line-up.But Gregory, fresh from a first-innings five-for, strode out after the interval and realised after poking defensively at his second ball, which jagged past his outside edge, that there was nothing to be gained from hanging in while Murtagh was nibbling it around. Instead, he used his considerable limited-overs experience to thrash 62 not out off 72 balls, dominating the seventh-wicket stand alongside the more reserved Bartlett. Gregory crashed Bamber through the covers to level the scores just as the drizzle returned, then clipped him behind square on the leg side to draw a guttural roar from the Somerset balcony.Bartlett has prevailed in tough situations before in his Somerset career, most memorably in another successful chase at Edgbaston two summers ago, but this innings – which spanned nearly four hours – was one of his best. It was not always pretty – plenty of his runs came through third man – but his support role in partnership with Gregory was vital. He was particularly strong cutting and pulling against the change bowlers, and vindicated the decision to pick him ahead of Eddie Byrom.Defeat would have left Somerset stuck in the red, following the rollover of their eight-point pitch penalty into the 2021 season, but instead they will head into their local derby against Gloucestershire on Thursday feeling bullish. “We tried not to read too much into it [the points deduction],” Abell said afterwards, “but this has done our confidence the world of good.”We speak about it quite often: it’s one thing being good as front-runners, but it’s another thing when your backs are against the wall, coming from behind in games and still getting results. The mindset was really positive, with the way we’d got ourselves back into the game. We let ourselves down in the first innings – I don’t think that was a true reflection of the wicket or how good we are as players – and we wanted to put that right.”Related
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Abell’s own innings in the cold had set things up overnight, in a 79-run stand with Tom Banton for the second wicket, and with Gregory finishing things off with his counterpunch after lunch, all three of Somerset’s Covid contingent made significant contributions despite their abbreviated pre-season following three weeks in solitary confinement. “When we were in the field yesterday and it was freezing cold, I said to Lewis, ‘It could be worse – at least we’re not in hotel isolation in Karachi’,” Abell said. “We’re so happy to be back playing for Somerset – it’s very special to be back with the group, and to get the first win is even sweeter.”For Middlesex, this was a chastening loss. Stuart Law had dished out some hard truths in the dressing room on Saturday night, but all five of their bowlers conceded more than three runs an over across the third innings and struggled to keep a lid on the scoring rate. Leach’s success in the holding role served to highlight the lack of a spinner in the Middlesex attack – though Thilan Wallawawita might well have played if he had been fit – and Stevie Eskinazi, the stand-in captain, was not proactive enough on the final day, particular when Gregory was seizing the initiative after lunch. He will be relieved to hear that Peter Handscomb should be out of quarantine in time to lead the side in the Surrey fixture on April 22.Since Law took over at the start of the 2019 season, Middlesex’s five first-class wins have all been relatively comfortable – four by 78 runs or more, and one by five wickets. Their title win in 2016 featured close wins at Taunton and in the decider against Yorkshire at Lord’s, and they prevailed in a number of tight games in the two difficult seasons that followed, but on this week’s evidence, that killer instinct seems to have deserted them.
Not all eight teams have all the players at their disposal ahead of their respective opening games this season
Vishal Dikshit08-Apr-2021The 14th edition of the IPL is set to kick off on Friday in Chennai but not all eight teams have all the players at their disposal. A few tested positive for Covid-19, and some arrived only earlier this week in India after finishing their national duties. With a mandatory seven-day quarantine that players have to serve before joining their team’s bubble, we look at the names each team will be missing for their first game at least.Delhi CapitalsWho will miss the opening game? Fast bowlers Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje, who played crucial roles in the Capitals’ march to the IPL final last year with 52 wickets between them, landed in Mumbai on April 6 to join the team. With the IPL SOPs requiring players to quarantine for a week after arrival, they will miss the opening fixture against the Chennai Super Kings on April 10 at Wankhede Stadium. They are, however, likely to play in the Capitals’ next game on April 15 against the Rajasthan Royals.Related
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Australians at IPL 2021 – the teams and stats
Tracker – how Covid-19 has affected IPL 2021
Allrounder Axar Patel, who had tested positive for Covid-19 after checking into the team hotel on March 28, could also miss the Capitals’ opener if he doesn’t return two negative reports by April 10. Any player who tests positive needs to first isolate for at least 10 days, and then have two negative reports before joining the team. That could be cutting it too close for Patel.Who can replace them in the XI? The absence of two premier overseas fast bowlers means the Capitals can pick three out of Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Chris Woakes and Tom Curran, with R Ashwin as the lead spinner.If Patel isn’t available as well, they can even bat Ashwin at No. 7, Curran at 8, followed by two more quicks and Amit Mishra as the second spinner.Royal Challengers BangaloreWho will miss the opening game? Legspinner Adam Zampa will miss the tournament opener against Mumbai because of his marriage. The Royal Challengers will be hopeful he will be ready for their second game on April 12, against the Rajasthan Royals.New Zealand opener Finn Allen, who recently struck a destructive 29-ball 71 against Bangladesh, is also set to miss the opener against Mumbai because the match he scored that half-century in was played on April 1 in Auckland, and the seven-day quarantine won’t end in time for his team’s first game.The Royal Challengers will also be without Australia allrounder Daniel Sams, who tested positive for Covid-19 on April 7. The IPL’s rule of isolating a player for 10 days after he tests positive means Sams is likely to miss the match against the Sunrisers Hyderabad on April 14 as well.Who can replace them in the XI? The absence of both Allen and Zampa may not hurt the Royal Challengers much for one game because Devdutt Padikkal, who has now joined the squad after recovering from Covid-19, and Virat Kohli are expected to open the batting and they can play Washington Sundar and Yuzvendra Chahal as the two spinners.Chennai Super KingsWho will miss the opening game? Fast bowler Lungi Ngidi won’t be available for the Super Kings’ opening game against the Capitals on April 10 because of the seven-day quarantine. Ngidi, like Rabada and Nortje, had played in the first two ODIs against Pakistan in South Africa until April 4 but he should be available for the Super Kings’ second game, on April 16 against the Punjab Kings.Who can replace him in the XI? Ngidi’s absence for one game is unlikely to upset the Super Kings’ combination. With all their other players expected to be available, they can slot in allrounders Sam Curran and Dwayne Bravo at Nos. 7 and 8, followed by Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar and Imran Tahir. Moeen Ali or Faf du Plessis can be the fourth overseas player at the top of the order.Quinton de Kock may not have to serve his quarantine and is likely to be available for the first match•BCCIMumbai IndiansWho will miss the opening game? Two overseas players who arrived only this week for the defending champions are going to be unavailable for Friday’s match: Quinton de Kock and Adam Milne. They both will serve the mandatory seven-day quarantine in their hotel rooms, which means Mumbai will mainly have to decide who opens in place of de Kock.Who can replace them in the XI? In the absence of de Kock, Ishan Kishan can keep wicket and Mumbai can either slot in Chris Lynn at the top of the order or play allrounder James Neesham if they want another bowling option.Milne’s absence for one game is unlikely to hurt Mumbai. Nathan Coulter-Nile, whom Mumbai bought again at the recent auction after releasing him a few months ago, will be perfect for the No. 8 spot with his batting advantage, and to bowl with Trent Boult in the powerplay. Rajasthan RoyalsWho will miss the first few games? Fast bowler Jofra Archer’s absence for the Royals’ first four games will be the biggest blow for them. Archer underwent surgery on his finger in the last week of March in England and he would be undergoing two weeks of rehabilitation before he is reviewed by a consultant and can start training again.It means Archer won’t feature in their first four games, to be played on April 12, 15, 19 and 22. The Royals’ fifth match is on April 24 before they move from Mumbai to Delhi but it’s unclear yet if Archer will be available by then or not.Who can replace him in the XI? Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler and Chris Morris are expected to be the automatic three overseas picks for the Royals. In place of Archer, they can either play Mustafizur Rahman or Andrew Tye.
All the matches – three T20Is, three ODIs and two Tests – will be played in Antigua
ESPNcricinfo staff16-Feb-2021Sri Lanka’s multi-format tour of West Indies, comprising three T20Is, three ODIs and two Tests, will start on March 3, with all fixtures to be played behind closed doors in Antigua, in a biosecure environment.Cricket West Indies (CWI) had initially intended to stage part of the tour in St Lucia, but a delay in Sri Lanka’s arrival after Mickey Arthur and Lahiru Thirimanne tested positive for Covid-19 and the need to finish the series before the start of the IPL in April rendered that impossible.Instead, the Coolidge Cricket Ground – previously known as Allen Stanford’s ‘Sticky Wicket’ ground – will host international cricket for the first time as the venue for the T20I leg of the tour. The ground previously hosted both editions of the regional Stanford T20 tournaments and the infamous Stanford Super Series. It underwent extensive renovations in 2017 and is one of the two venues in operation for the ongoing Regional Super50 Cup.West Indies vs Sri Lanka schedule
T20I series March 3, 5 and 7 (Coolidge Cricket Ground)
ODI series March 10, 12 and 14 (Sir Vivian Richards Stadium)
Two-day warm-up match March 17-18 (Coolidge Cricket Ground)
Test series March 21-25, March 29-April 2 (Sir Vivian Richards Stadium)
Sri Lanka will be the first team to travel to the Caribbean for a men’s tour since Ireland in January 2020. The ODIs form part of the World Cup Super League, while the Tests are part of the World Test Championship (though neither side can qualify for the final).”We are pleased to be able to finally confirm this tour,” said Ricky Skerritt, CWI’s president. “A number of Covid-19 related logistic hurdles have now been overcome and I want to thank Sri Lankan Cricket President, Shammi Silva and his team, for their co-operation in honouring their obligation to tour under the ICC FTP agreement.”We are also extremely grateful for the support we received from the Governments of Antigua and Barbuda, and St. Lucia in planning this tour. But it is regrettable that we are unable to include St Lucia as part of this home series as we had originally hoped to due to the delay in Sri Lanka arriving and the need for the tour to end before the start of the Indian Premier League.”