Category Uncategorized

India have adopted a refreshingly positive approach in T20Is of late, but a few wrinkles still remain to be ironed out

Karthik Krishnaswamy25-Aug-2022Pakistan, Dubai. Just under a year ago, this combination of opponent and venue tripped India up at the men’s T20 World Cup. That defeat began India’s slide towards an early exit from the tournament, and left them needing to rethink their approach to T20Is.On Sunday, an India side managed by a different coaching group and led by a different captain will meet Pakistan once again in Dubai. The team won’t be too different to the one that featured in last year’s meeting, but it’s been playing a different style of T20 over the last few months.Consider their phase-wise scoring rates. Considering only matches in which they have batted first – and haven’t had a target dictating their approach – it’s amply clear that India have been scoring significantly quicker in every phase than they used to.

The 1992 World Cup semi-final could have had an entirely different hero

Karthik Krishnaswamy01-May-2020The scorecard of the 1992 World Cup semi-final between New Zealand and Pakistan would suggest Chris Harris had an ordinary match: 13 runs at No. 6, and figures of 1 for 72 in ten overs. He took the bulk of the punishment – 25 off 13 balls – from the eventual Player of the Match, Inzamam-ul-Haq, and was at the receiving end of the six and the four that Moin Khan hit, off successive balls, to seal victory for Pakistan.Don’t be fooled, though. Harris was a central figure for New Zealand, a man whose performance could – and perhaps should – have hauled them into their first World Cup final.In an alternate universe, Harris would be remembered for playing a similar role to Viv Richards in the 1975 final, effecting the run-outs that turned the match.In an alternate universe, Steve Bucknor, the square-leg umpire, would have raised his finger when Harris swooped from cover point like a bird of prey, picked up the ball, and flicked it underarm, all in the same motion, to hit the stumps direct at the striker’s end with Javed Miandad stretching to make his ground. Replays showed Miandad clearly short of his crease, even if there was only an inch in it. He had faced five balls at that stage, and scored one run. If he’d been given out, Pakistan would have been 86 for 3, needing a further 177 to win off 161 balls.As it happened, there was no way for Bucknor to give Miandad out based on what he saw from square leg in the hurly-burly of live action, with no recourse to slow-motion replays. Batsmen inevitably – and rightly – get the benefit of doubt in those situations.Miandad would go on to steer Pakistan to victory with a typically crafty 57 not out from 69 balls, shepherding the youthful Inzamam and Moin, constantly offering them advice from his end.Harris could have run Miandad out for 1. Harris did run Inzamam out for 67, when Miandad tapped the ball towards him at extra-cover and called for an unwise single. And Harris could have run Moin out too, in the closing stages, when the match was still alive.Harris had just kept Miandad to a single by quickly closing down a square drive at deep point. With Moin now on strike, John Wright, New Zealand’s stand-in captain, moved him to midwicket. With Pakistan needing 16 off 16 balls, New Zealand pushed their inner-ring fielders close to the bat, to crowd the new man and try to keep him on strike. There were three fielders in a tight ring saving one on the off side, but only one on the leg side. New Zealand put their best fielder there.When Moin flicked Danny Morrison’s next ball out of the blockhole, it was almost inevitable that Harris would appear in its path, springing diagonally to his right to effect a one-handed, single-denying pick-up, which segued into a flick-throw that hit the stumps direct. Once again, replays showed that the hurriedly backtracking Moin was narrowly but perceptibly short of his crease when the bails came off.As with the previous incident, it was impossible for the square-leg umpire to give the batsman out. The evidence of the replays was clear enough, though, and it feels unfair that the multitude of camera angles that now bring a nearly 360-degree view of the field to millions of viewers, and the slow-motion replays that allow them to dissect the action with unprecedented precision, aren’t available to the match officials.Run-outs and stumpings are, by definition, binary: a line divides out from not out. Unlike lbw, there is no subjectivity involved with line calls, and there should be no reason why cricket, at the top level at least, should not employ video umpires to judge them.These decisions can change matches and tournaments, and change the way we remember them. In years to come, you’ll associate this World Cup with the image of a flying Jonty Rhodes running Inzamam out at the Gabba. Just make sure you don’t forget Chris Harris at Eden Park.Postscript: Video umpires came into effect by the end of the year, and the first Test of India’s 1992-93 tour of South Africa, in Durban, was the first international match to feature the third umpire. Cyril Mitchley was the first on-field umpire to send a run-out appeal “upstairs”, where Karl Liebenburg made the historic decision to give Sachin Tendulkar out.

MatériaMais Notícias

A fase de grupos da Copa do Nordeste 2024 chega a sua sétima e última rodada nesta quarta-feira (27), com oito partidas simultâneas, todas às 21h30. Sete das oito vagas nas quartas de final da competição estão em disputa e serão definidas nesta noite.

continua após a publicidade

➡️ Siga o Lance! no WhatsApp e acompanhe em tempo real as principais notícias do esporte

No Grupo A, nenhuma equipe conquistou classificação até o momento, e o América-RN é o único time sem chances nesta última rodada. Do outro lado, no Grupo B, o Bahia já garantiu vaga no mata-mata, com 18 pontos somados; o Itabaiana, por sua vez, não tem mais possibilidade de ir às quartas de final. Confira abaixo os confrontos e o que está em jogo na rodada final da Copa do Nordeste.

CEARÁ X ITABAIANA

O Ceará entra na última rodada com 12 pontos e na terceira colocação do Grupo A. Nesta quarta-feira (27), o Vozão recebe o já eliminado Itabaiana na Arena Castelão, e garante vaga com uma vitória. Em caso de tropeço, torce para que dois times entre Botafogo-PB, Vitória, Maranhão e River-PI também não vençam.

continua após a publicidade

SPORT X JUAZEIRENSE

O Sport recebe a Juazeirense na Arena Pernambuco dependendo apenas de si para conquistar vaga nas quartas. Líder do Grupo A, o Leão da Ilha confirma a classificação com um empate. A equipe baiana, por outro lado, é a quinta colocada do Grupo B e precisa da vitória, além de tropeço de Fortaleza, Altos ou Náutico, para ir ao mata-mata. Em caso de empate, torce para o Náutico vencer e Treze e ABC perderem.

CRB X ALTOS

CRB e Altos se enfrentam no Estádio Rei Pelé, em Maceió (AL), e ambos bucam a classificação às quartas de final. O time mandante é vice-líder do Grupo A e confirma vaga em caso de vitória, que pode render também o primeiro lugar, caso o Sport tropece. Se não conseguir os três pontos, o Galo “seca” dois times entre Vitória, Maranhão, Ceará, River-PI e Botafogo-PB.

continua após a publicidade

Do outro lado, os visitantes também garantem vaga em caso de vitória. Em caso de empate, torce para que duas das equipes entre Náutico, Juazeirense e Treze não vença, ou que o Fortaleza perca. Em caso de derrota, o time do Piauí torce para o Timbu perder e tropeços dos outros concorrentes.

VITÓRIA X TREZE

O Vitória recebe o Treze no Barradão tentando entrar no G4 do Grupo A. Atual quinto colocado, o Rubro-Negro Baiano precisa vencer e torcer por um tropeço de Sport, CRB, Ceará ou Botafogo-PB; se empatar, precisa de derrota de um dos dois últimos, e que Maranhão e River-PI não vençam suas partidas. Por sua vez, o time paraibano tem de somar três pontos e secar dois de Juazeirense, Náutico, Altos e Fortaleza

➡️ Botafogo-PB x Bahia: estatísticas e informações para apostar no jogo pela Copa do Nordeste

BOTAFOGO-RB X BAHIA

Já classificado e com a melhor campanha garantida, o Bahia visita o Botafogo-PB no Estádio Almeidão, em João Pessoa. O Belo é o quarto colocado do Grupo A e garante sua vaga com se vencer o Esquadrão de Aço. Em caso de empate ou derrota, os mandantes torçem para tropeços de Vitória, Maranhão e River-PI.

AMÉRICA-RN X NÁUTICO

O América-RN não tem mais chances de classificação, mas recebe, na Arena das Dunas, o Náutico, que tenta confirmar seu lugar nas quartas. O Timbu ocupa o quarto lugar do Grupo B e depende apenas de si, se classificando com uma vitória. Em caso de empate, o time pernambucano precisa de tropeços de Juazeirense e Treze; na derrota, torcer também contra o ABC, que não pode fazer cinco ou mais gols e vencer seu jogo.

RIVER-PI X ABC

River-PI e ABC se enfrentam no Estádio Albertão, em Teresina, com poucas chances de classificação ao mata-mata. Ambos ocupam as sétimas colocações de seus grupos (A e B, respectivamente), e, além de ter de vencer, torcem por combinações imporváveis. Os mandantes precisam de tropeços de Maranhão e Vitória, além derrota de Botafogo-PB, Ceará ou CRB. Já os visitantes necessitam que Treze, Juazeirense e Náutico percam seus confrontos.

MARANHÃO X FORTALEZA

Estreante na Copa do Nordeste nesta temporada, o Maranhão recebe o Fortaleza no Estádio Castelão, em São Luiz, ainda vivo na competição. Os mandantes precisam vencer e torcem por dois tropeços dos times entre Vitória, Botafogo-PB, Ceará e CRB. Do outro lado, o Leão do Pici se classifica com uma vitória simples; em caso de tropeço, só dois clubes de Treze, Náutico, Juazeirense e Altos podem vencer.

➡️ Maranhão x Fortaleza: estatísticas e informações para apostar no jogo pela Copa do Nordeste

Tudo sobre

ABC-RNAmérica de NatalBahiaCearáCopa do NordesteFortalezaNáuticoSportVitória

New Phillies reliever Jhoan Duran was called upon to close out his first game with his new club against the Detroit Tigers on Friday night, and his first entrance was absolutely electric.

Duran, nicknamed the Durantula, was known during his time with the Minnesota Twins to emerge from the bullpen to intense music, a light show, and the home crowd waving their cellphone lights. That routine won't be changing now that he's in Philadelphia, as Citizens Bank Park gave him the same treatment.

Here's a look at the entrance:

With the Phillies holding onto a 5-4 lead, Duran needed only four pitches to get the job done, forcing a groundout, a foul-out, and a lineout to secure the victory.

It's been a whirlwind couple of days for Duran, who was heartbroken to be dumped by Minnesota. But, after being able to get his No. 59 jersey from his new manager Rob Thomson and securing his first save for the National League East-leading Phillies, he's surely already starting to feel right at home.

Brighton owner Tony Bloom says it is "entirely false" that he placed bets on his team's matches since he took over the club. Reports emerged that the British billionaire was the anonymous gambler behind winnings of £52 million ($70m), which allegedly included bets on the Seagulls. Now, in a statement on behalf of Bloom, the Premier League club has responded to these "misleading" claims.

'Secret £600m betting syndicate'

Earlier this week, Bloom was accused of running a 'secret £600 million ($800m) betting syndicate' and that some of the accounts used allegedly belonged to a former chief of staff of Reform UK MP Nigel Farage. Moreover, claimed that Bloom is the professional gambler known as "John Doe", who is referred to in a legal case in the United States where investigators are trying to unmask an anonymous gambler on a lucrative hot streak. The Football Association prevents club owners from placing bets on matches or competitions involving their own team. Despite that, Bloom is one of several owners allowed to continue gambling on other tournaments and games as he was included in a 2014 policy permitting such an act. Now, the 55-year-old, who is a professional gambler and runs a £600m-valued ($800m) London-based sports betting consultancy called Starlizard, has tried to set the record straight.

AdvertisementGetty Images Sport'Inaccurate and misleading report'

A statement issued by Brighton on Bloom's behalf states that he has never placed bets on the Seagulls since taking over the club in 2009. He described these allegations as "inaccurate and misleading" and said that lawyers have made contact with The Guardian about their story.

A statement on the club's website reads: "Following an inaccurate and misleading report in The Guardian earlier this evening, I can categorically assure our supporters that I have not placed bets on any Brighton & Hove Albion matches since becoming the owner of the club in 2009. In 2014, in addition to new rules on betting, The FA introduced a policy with quite onerous provisions for owners of football clubs with interests in betting. These provisions allow certain football club owners, including me, to continue to bet on football under strict conditions. In particular, the policy prevents me from betting on any match or competition that Brighton & Hove Albion is involved in. Since 2014, I have always fully complied with these conditions, and all of my bets on football are audited by one of the world’s leading accounting firms on an annual basis to ensure full compliance with The FA’s policy. Lawyers acting on my behalf have this evening directly contacted The Guardian to make my position on this entirely false allegation very clear. Separately, our club is in direct contact with both The Football Association and The Premier League regarding this matter."

The rise of Tony Bloom

To many, Bloom is best known as Brighton's owner, along with being a minority shareholder in Belgian top-flight team Union SG. He is also a minority owner of the Australian team Melbourne Victory and Scottish Premiership side Hearts. For those less accustomed to the Brighton-born businessman, Bloom started out at an accountancy firm, before becoming an options trader, and then he got into gambling professionally. Nicknamed 'The Lizard' for his poker-playing prowess, Bloom launched Starlizard in 2006, with their modus operandi focusing on using data to analyse and predict the outcome of sporting events. The success of that enterprise has allowed him to venture into racehorse ownership and charitable foundations, as well as taking Brighton from League One to the Premier League. This comes a matter of decades after the club nearly went out of existence in the late 1990s. Since then, they have played in the Europa League as well for the first time in their history.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty Images SportWhat comes next for Bloom's Brighton?

Aside from off-field matters such as this, Bloom, who is a boyhood Brighton fan, will be keeping a watchful eye on his team's Premier League clash with West Ham on Sunday. The Seagulls sit tenth in the table whereas the Hammers are third from bottom. A win could see the Albion jump into the top five if results go their way.

Not since David and Victoria Beckham began their relationship in the late 1990s had there been a football couple as high profile as Gerard Pique and Shakira when they got together in 2010. Defender Pique was a key cog in Pep Guardiola's all-conquering Barcelona side of the late noughties and early 2010s, while Shakira had been a global pop sensation since the release of hit single 'Hips Don't Lie' in 2005. This was the kind of story the tabloids thrive off – and even more so when it goes badly wrong.

After crossing paths on a music video shoot ahead of the 2010 World Cup, their relationship would span more than a decade. Despite both living their lives in the intense glare of the spotlight and the added scrutiny of being a celebrity couple, the pair seemed to be the picture of happiness – welcoming two sons in 2013 and 2015, regularly appearing together at events and making some very public displays of affection.

However, things would go seriously awry in the summer of 2022 as they suddenly split against the backdrop of cheating allegations levelled against the now-former footballer, in what became an increasingly messy separation.

From football's modern-day power couple to 'betrayal', diss tracks and social media point scoring, this is the story of the breakdown of Pique and Shakira's picture-book relationship…

AFPMusical meeting

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Pique and Shakira's respective careers were the reason for their paths crossing in 2010, as they met on the set of a music video shoot. Rather bizarrely, Shakira – who is Colombian – had been chosen to co-write and sing the official song of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, 'Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)'.

Pique was among a clutch of prominent players to feature in the music video, and he met Shakira on set in June 2010 shortly before the tournament began. The footballer happens to be 10 years the singer's junior to the day, with both born on February 2.

"I wasn't a soccer fan, so I didn't know who he was," Shakira told in a 2020 interview. "When I saw the video, I was like, 'Hmm, that one's kind of cute'. And then someone decided to introduce us." From there, their relationship blossomed.

AdvertisementShakira FacebookSecretive beginnings

The couple did not initially make their relationship public, but that changed in March 2011 when both Pique and Shakira posted a photo of themselves embracing on Twitter (now X) and Facebook, alongside the caption "I present to you my sun".

It was reported that they had gone public at the request of legendary former Barcelona boss Guardiola, as the manager was growing concerned about the media scrutiny that his player's secretive encounters with the singer was generating and even believed the defender's on-pitch form had been affected.

Pique had paparazzi camped outside his home and they would follow him to the club's training ground, with tabloids and gossip magazines offering up a price of €150,000 for photos of the pair together.

Twitter @3gerardpiqueBuilding a family

Pique and Shakira would be seen in public with each other increasingly often, and he even joined her on stage during the Barcelona leg of her 'The Sun Comes Out' world tour in May 2011. The couple shared a kiss to send the crowd into frenzy.

Shakira would attend the Ballon d'Or awards ceremony with Pique in early 2012, and later that year the couple announced that they were expecting their first child together, with Milan Pique born in January 2013. They then confirmed their latest pregnancy in August 2014 and the couple's second son would follow in January 2015 when Sasha was born, seven days after his brother's birthday.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty/GOAL'Marriage scares the sh*t out of me'

In 2020, Shakira explained why she didn't want to marry Pique, despite them seemingly being very happy together. "To tell you the truth, marriage scares the sh*t out of me," she said in her interview with . "I don't want him to see me as the wife. I'd rather him see me as his girlfriend. His lover, his girlfriend. It's like a little forbidden fruit, you know?

"I wanna keep him on his toes. I want him to think that anything's possible depending on behaviour."