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Saeed Ajmal took six wickets for 13 runs in a magical 36-ball spell to give Worcestershire a 234-run victory over Leicestershire on the final day of their LV= County Championship Division Two game at Grace Road

Press Association18-Jun-2014
ScorecardSaeed Ajmal destroyed Leicestershire with a six-wicket burst•Getty ImagesSaeed Ajmal took six wickets for 13 runs in a magical 36-ball spell to give Worcestershire a 234-run victory over Leicestershire on the final day of their LV= County Championship Division Two game at Grace Road.The home batsmen had no answer to the mystery spin of the Pakistan star and crashed from 145 for 4 to 169 all out.It was Worcestershire’s fourth win of the season and Leicestershire’s fourth successive home defeat. Worcestershire are now second in the table one point behind Hampshire, while Leicestershire have not won a Championship game since September 2012.Even so the manner of their collapse in this game was extraordinary. Set a victory target of 404 they began the day on 20 without loss and took 19 runs off the first two overs from Jack Shantry and Charles Morris.The first nine overs of the day produced 50 runs and a flurry of boundaries, and it began to look as though Leicestershire might make a decent fist of it.But Angus Robson chopped a ball from Morris on to his stumps, Greg Smith and Ned Eckersley were both lbw to Shantry playing across the line and Josh Cobb was bowled by Joe Leach to leave Leicestershire at 98 for 4.All that was left for them then was a battle for survival. A partnership of 47 runs between Dan Redfern and Niall O’Brien suggested they could stretch the game out – but then Ajmal took centre stage.He had hardly been in the game for three and half days, claiming just one wicket for 46 runs in Leicestershire’s first innings. But a fourth-day pitch that was at last offering some assistance, was right up his street.He had taken a career best 7 for 19 against Essex earlier in the season and almost matched it again. In less than hour after lunch he picked up the last six wickets to leave Leicestershire in a spin.O’Brien edged to slip, Redfern was bowled leg stump, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Richard Jones were both caught off bat and pad, Ben Raine top-edged a slog sweep and Charlie Shreck was trapped lbw.Ajmal finished with 6 for 19 to take his wicket-haul for Worcestershire to 44 in seven Championship games. They will miss him when he joins up with Pakistan for a tour of Sri Lanka in August.Steve Rhodes, Worcestershire director of cricket, said: “The plan is always to try and take a few wickets with our seam attack to provide a platform for Ajmal. In these sort of conditions he can be devastating.”Ben Smith, Leicestershire’s senior coach, said: “Ajmal’s spell was brilliant and blew us away. But we would not have been in that position if we had taken a 150-run first innings lead as we should have done.”

James Anderson has responded angrily to the suggestion that England have been involved in ball-tampering during the Champions Trophy

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Jun-2013James Anderson has responded angrily to the suggestion that England have been involved in ball-tampering during the Champions Trophy.Bob Willis, the former England captain, sparked the controversy in his role as a TV commentator by saying there was no other reason for the umpires to change the ball as they did midway through Sri Lanka’s run chase at The Oval. Ashley Giles launched a strong defence yesterday and now Anderson has followed up in his newspaper column.”It’s very disappointing and frustrating that anyone, but especially a former England captain, should say these things, especially when we’re preparing for a massive game,” Anderson told the .”The fact is people can think what they like. We know the truth, I can state categorically that no one in the England team has ever tampered with a ball and we won’t allow comments made by someone like Bob Willis to worry us.England are always keen to try and get the ball to reverse swing, as they did against Australia in their opening match of the Champions Trophy, and Anderson is adamant it is all down to their own hard work and skill.”Reverse swing has been an issue in cricket for a while,” he added. “But just because one bowler or one team reverse a ball better than another on a given day doesn’t mean to say he or they have been tampering. It just means they’re more skilful.”I can assure you that if any of the England bowlers achieve it then it is within the letter of the laws. When we played Australia the square at Edgbaston was very dry and there were a lot of dry patches that got roughed up and resulted in scuffs on the ball.”At The Oval against Sri Lanka the other day there were nowhere near as many dry areas and that’s mainly why the ball didn’t reverse anywhere near as much.”

On a rainy day in Hobart, Australia tightened their grip on the first Test considerably thanks to Michael Hussey’s third century of the summer, a bold declaration from Michael Clarke, and a quartet of top-order wickets, including Sri Lanka’s two best bats

The Report by Brydon Coverdale15-Dec-2012
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Michael Hussey made an unbeaten 115•Getty ImagesOn a rainy day in Hobart, Australia tightened their grip on the first Test considerably thanks to Michael Hussey’s third century of the summer, a bold declaration from Michael Clarke, and a quartet of top-order wickets, including Sri Lanka’s two best batsmen. When stumps was called at 6.40pm, the day lengthened considerably to make up time lost to wet weather earlier, the Sri Lankans were 4 for 87, still trailing by 363, and they were relying heavily on Tillakaratne Dilshan, who was on 50.Dilshan had looked solid, striking eight boundaries, and was especially strong when crunching the ball through point. Mitchell Starc had not provided the level of control Clarke wanted from his new-ball bowler, leaking a few too many runs, but the rest of the attack was tight and drew mistakes from the Sri Lankans, most importantly from Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene, neither of whom had any real impact.Ben Hilfenhaus and Peter Siddle, both of whom missed Australia’s previous Test against South Africa in Perth, struck early blows, finding handy seam movement on the Bellerive Oval pitch. Hilfenhaus, whose weapon is typically swing, seamed a delivery across the left-hander Dimuth Karunaratne, whose thick edge was taken at shoulder height by Matthew Wade as the pitch showed some of the inconsistent bounce it had displayed on the first day.The bigger blow came when Siddle enticed a drive from Sangakkara, who was on 4, and the thick edge was snapped up by Hussey at gully. That left Sri Lanka at 2 for 42 in response to Australia’s 450, and things got worse for the visitors when Shane Watson nipped a ball back in to Jayawardene, who was adjudged lbw for 12. After a few glances back at the stumps to see how far forward he was, Jayawardene asked for a review, but replays did not save him.If that wasn’t trouble enough for Sri Lanka, the loss of Thilan Samaraweera for 7 at the end of the day’s play was another major concern. Samaraweera cut hard at Nathan Lyon and the extra bounce surprised the batsman, whose edge was taken on the second grab by Wade, and stumps was promptly called. Wickets had punctuated the Sri Lankan innings far too frequently for their liking, and they closed the day still 164 runs away from avoiding the follow-on.Smart stats

Michael Hussey scored his fifth century in six Tests against Sri Lanka. Among Australian batsmen who have 500-plus runs against Sri Lanka, Hussey averages the highest (125.28).

Only Sachin Tendulkar is ahead of Hussey on the list of batsmen with the most centuries against Sri Lanka. Hussey’s average is by far the highest among all batsmen with four or more centuries against Sri Lanka.

The 146-run stand between Hussey and Matthew Wade is the third-highest sixth-wicket stand for Australia against Sri Lanka.

This is the first time against Sri Lanka and the seventh time overall that Australia have had century stands for the fifth and sixth wickets.

For the fifth time, Australia managed five fifty-plus scores in the top order (1-7). The previous occasion also came in Hobart in 2007-08.

Captains can be reluctant to enforce the follow-on if their bowlers have had a heavy workload, but if Clarke’s men are able to knock over the Sri Lankans cheaply on the third day, he will be seriously tempted to send them in again, given the possibility of further showers over the course of the match. Wet weather had delayed the start of the day’s play by 50 minutes and also caused a lengthy postponement straight after lunch, and the delays might have encouraged Clarke to call an early end to Australia’s innings.The brisk rate at which Hussey and Matthew Wade scored after lunch helped make the decision a little easier though, and Clarke called the batsmen in at 5 for 450 with about half an hour left until tea. The Hussey-Wade partnership reached 146 by the end of the innings and the boundaries had started to flow in the later stages as Sri Lanka struggled to find any way into the lower order.Hussey was even willing to go for his strokes as his century approached and it nearly cost him, for on 96 he pulled Shaminda Eranga and should have been caught at deep midwicket, only to breathe a sigh of relief when the ball spilled out of the hands of Angelo Mathews and bounced over the boundary.That brought up Hussey’s century from his 171st delivery and it was his fourth Test hundred in 2012, the most he has ever managed in a calendar year. Generally his pulling was crisp and effective and after he reached his milestone, another pull off Eranga whistled off the bat and over the fence for his only six. He ended up unbeaten on 115 and had strong support from Wade, who finished on 68.Wade’s half-century came from his 119th delivery with a quick single and he was strong through the off side, a couple of cover-drives for four among his highlights. In his first Test innings on the ground on which he grew up playing his club cricket, Wade was cautious before lunch as the Australians aimed to consolidate following the early loss of Clarke, who was taken at first slip for 74 when Eranga nipped a ball away off the seam.That breakthrough came in the third over of the day but the Sri Lankans didn’t manage to put together the string of wickets they really needed, although they had a chance to get rid of Wade on 20 when he pulled Chanaka Welegedara and the ball whizzed through the fingers of the substitute fielder Suraj Randiv at midwicket. The ball was flying but Randiv, typically a very reliable fielder, had a genuine chance to make the catch stick, but instead it raced away and became Wade’s first boundary.It was the kind of chance the Sri Lankans could not afford to miss, given how few opportunities were created. By the close of play, it was up to Dilshan and the lower middle-order batsmen to ensure Australia weren’t given too many chances either.

Sri Lanka Women defended 129 to register a crucial win – their first of the tournament – against Ireland Women in Mohali

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Mar-2016
ScorecardCaptain Chamari Atapattu set the tone for Sri Lanka’s win with a 22-ball 34•International Cricket CouncilSri Lanka Women defended 129 to register a crucial win – their first of the tournament – against Ireland Women in Mohali. Three run-outs and three wickets from Sugandika Kumari helped keep Ireland to 115 in the chase, thereby completing a 14-run win.Left-arm spinner Kumari, who returned career-best figures, removed Clare Shillington and Cath Dalton early before solid cameos from Cecelia Joyce (29), Isobel Joyce (24) and Laura Delany (29) took Ireland closer. With 43 required off the last five overs, a succession of wickets took the game away from Ireland. Kumari finished with 3 for 24.Earlier, Sri Lanka got off to a flying start after opting to bat. The openers – Chamari Atapattu (34 off 22) and Yasoda Mendis – added 45 in just 32 balls, of which Mendis contributed 9.Legspinner Ciara Metcalfe then dismissed both openers in the space of four balls to bring Ireland back into the contest. Metcalfe produced another double-strike in the 10th over to leave Sri Lanka struggling at 59 for 5. A 49-run stand between Prasadani Weerakkody and Eshani Lokusuriyage, who struck a 28-ball 35, resurrected Sri Lanka and helped them post a total of 129 for 7. Metcalfe also produced career-best figures to finish with 4 for 15.

Sussex’s unbeaten start to the County Championship looks to be coming to an end in rather bitter fashion

Vithushan Ehantharajah at Lord's06-Jun-2013
ScorecardMatt Prior was at the centre of a heated situation after being given out on the second day•Getty ImagesSussex’s unbeaten start to the County Championship looks to be coming to an end in rather bitter fashion. After toiling on an unresponsive pitch, they were greeted with some indifferent bounce and the occasional delivery sticking in the surface, but their biggest gripe is the manner in which their returning England star Matt Prior was sent on his way for 10.Having defended a ball from Ollie Rayner, Prior watched on as Sam Robson – fielding at silly point – sprawled across the pitch to take the catch. There seemed a slight hesitation before he managed to exert full control over the ball, at which point a minor appeal went up. After some deliberation between Robson and Rayner, the bowler turned to put the question to Martin Saggers. “Out” was the reply.A shocked Prior stood his ground, motionless for a second, before pointing with his bat to just in front of where the catch was taken – clearly of the belief that it had been grounded. Robson, as a rebuttal, re-assumed his position on the floor, ball in hand. As the Middlesex players came together, Alex Wharf made his way in from square leg and seemed to confirm that a legitimate catch was taken.Eventually, Prior was on his way, looking back at the huddle of fielders at the scene of the “crime” with disdain.”Things like that are sad for the game,” said Sussex coach Mark Robinson, who refused to be drawn on commenting further on the incident. He did however rule out any discussion with Prior for his reaction, though it seems unlikely that the ECB will take the same stance.Rayner, who finished the day with figures of 3 for 37, was happy with the manner in which Middlesex acted, suggesting that perhaps the profile of the player and the importance of the match enhanced the gravity of the situation.”We didn’t go mad” he said. “We asked the fielder and then the umpire. Sam is a very honest guy and he wouldn’t try and pull the wool over anyone’s eyes. It’s a shame with the game going where it is that the fielder’s word is not always taken.”I think had it not been Matt Prior – an England player – coming back in a big clash at the top of the table and getting out in such a big moment, then I don’t think it would be as big a deal.”It is a shame that Rayner was involved in the unsavoury incident as it detracts from what could be a real turning-point performance from the tall offspinner, who bowled exceptionally well with James Harris in the evening session as four key Sussex wickets fell for just 29 runs.So often nothing more than a containing spinner, he took time and pride in each over, especially against Prior where he was backed by Chris Rogers with men around the bat and a pressing in-field. A former Sussex man, who grew up in the Mushtaq Ahmed era – who he noted “wasn’t shy of an appeal” – he bounded with just as much glee as the Hove and Pakistan legend when he had Ed Joyce stumped; the ball holding its line as the Sussex skipper overbalanced when going forward.Rogers and Neil Dexter started the day with some urgency. Some cuts and drives square of the wicket later, Middlesex had reached their third batting point, after which point Rogers skewed a shot off the bowling of Magoffin in the air, which Yardy did well to run back from mid-off and catch over his shoulder. It was the same combination that could have dismissed the Middlesex captain 181 runs earlier.Dexter then motored on with the help of John Simpson to take the score past 400. The success of Rogers and Robson at the top of the order meant very little has been asked of Middlesex’s middle order, but Dexter has looked in good touch when called upon, with his previous highest score of the season (82) setting up a win over Somerset. He eventually brought up a well crafted first Championship hundred of the campaign.Sussex’s reply got off to a subdued start as had Middlesex’s. However when a chance did arrive, it was taken; Tim Murtagh finding the outside edge of Chris Nash’s bat and Robson taking the catch at third slip. Wells then went to a misjudged pull that he could only spoon in the air to the man rushing in from midwicket, before Rayner and James Harris did their bit.It leaves Sussex 202 runs behind the follow-on target, with Luke Wright and Will Beer still at the crease. For Middlesex, they have an opportunity to make an example out one of the form teams in the league and take themselves back to the top of the table

Charlotte Edwards, an England captain who was able to savour Ashes success home and away over the last 12 months, has been named the Women’s Player of the Year

Andrew McGlashan09-Jun-2014Charlotte Edwards, an England captain who was able to savour Ashes success home and away over the last 12 months, has been named the Women’s Player of the Year.Although the women’s team could not end their wait for global silverware at the World T20 in Bangladesh – losing the final to Australia in Dhaka – they regained the Ashes at home, in the first multi-format series where points were accumulated over Tests, ODIs and T20s, before defending them Down Under earlier this year.Central, as she has so often been, to England’s cause was Edwards. She battled pain to score a vital half-century in the second innings of the Perth Test to ensure the team had a target they could defend then scored a brilliant, unbeaten 92 the Hobart T20 to ensure the Ashes were retained.Edwards’ “outstanding leadership skills” were also highlighted in her captaincy role, which she has held since 2006. Earlier this year she was the just the second woman to be named a Cricketer of the Year.Natalie Sciver, Anya Shrubsole and Sarah Taylor were the other nominees for the award.England Under-19 captain Will Rhodes won the England Development Programme Cricketer of the Year award while the England Disability Cricketer of the Year award was given to Stephen George from the England Deaf Squad.

Misbah-ul-Haq had implored his top order to produce an innings of substance in the approach to the series but even he may not have expected his top four to respond as emphatically as they did

The Report by Andrew Fidel Fernando18-Dec-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsMohammad Hafeez’s century set up a match-winning total•Getty ImagesMisbah-ul-Haq had implored his top order to produce an innings of substance in the approach to the series but even he may not have expected his top four to respond as emphatically as they did. Two young batsmen stroked alluring half-centuries, while Mohammad Hafeez ended his poor form with a canny 122, to set up Pakistan’s third-highest total in 115 matches at Sharjah. Misbah had also warned his side that Sri Lanka don’t stop fighting, and he perhaps hadn’t expected his side to ignore that advice so flatly either.When they had Sri Lanka at 221 for 7 in the 42th over, Pakistan allowed feeble bowling and inept fielding to creep in, and Seekkuge Prasanna and Sachithra Senanayake produced a courageous 87-run stand that drew Sri Lanka to within 15 runs of the target with eight balls remaining. In the end, the Sri Lankan tailenders could not sustain their fire. Senanayake toe-ended one to deep cover and the chase unraveled quickly after that, handing Pakistan an 11-run victory.Hafeez had been relatively quiet in the early overs, perhaps aware that he had not passed 35 in his last eight ODI knocks. Despite his caution, his innings did not suffer from lack of intent. Sharjeel’s fluent hand at the other end had prised open spaces in the outfield after the mandatory Powerplay and Hafeez mined the gaps conscientiously, even if he had begun scoring with two sleek fours off genuinely poor balls.Finding singles and twos was to become the hallmark of Hafeez’s entire knock. Occasionally he took on the more benign elements of Sri Lanka’s attack, like when he blasted a six and a four of Tillakaratne Dilshan in the 20th over, but although he scored at a strike rate comfortably over 90 he had hit only four fours and two sixes in his first 75 runs. The death overs drew a crescendo from him as well but even late in the innings the heavier hits often came when he turned the strike over to the man at the other end. He made an exception when he launched one into the stands behind long-on to reach triple figures for the seventh time in ODIs, and he fell attempting a big shot as well, with only two balls to go in the innings.Sharjeel Khan’s bright half-century had set Pakistan off apace when he posted a bold riposte to Lasith Malinga, who had struck him on the shoulder with the first ball of the fourth over. Sharjeel hooked the next ball into the square-leg stand and then whipped two more leg-side fours in the over, embellishing the promise he had shown in the Twenty20s by making an unruffled run-a-ball 61. The ease with which he struck through the line, though, made the friendliness of the surface plain – and perhaps of the fast bowling as well.Sohaib Maqsood was just as free-flowing through the middle overs in his sixth ODI, and he set about manipulating the field in step with Hafeez. He hit four sixes – all over wide long-on – but there were only two fours in his 73, which came from 68 balls. His 140-run stand with Hafeez was the biggest in the match, yet it was achieved with such laidback finesse they almost snuck by Sri Lanka, who allowed the game to meander through lack of imagination.At times, only a perfect yorker seemed immune to being worked away, so Sri Lanka’s quicker men attempted plenty of those. They had success with it in the middle overs and Malinga was instrumental in conceding only 25 in the batting Powerplay, but later in the innings they began to miss their length, and Pakistan were unforgiving.Shahid Afridi walloped two sixes in three balls to help plunder 18 from Suranga Lakmal in the 46th over, on his way to a 12-ball 34. Lakmal had only played because Sri Lanka had bafflingly omitted Nuwan Kulasekara, whose early-overs penetration and experience at the death could not have been missed more sorely.Senanayake and Prasanna had been Sri Lanka’s most economical bowlers, and both men showed why they had been earmarked for long service in the limited-overs teams when they came together with the bat. Pakistan’s bowling flagged for sure but the pair made apt use of what remained a good batting pitch and drilled the dross to the fence, relying heavily on their leg-side scoring zones. They benefited from some appalling fielding but as victory became a real prospect towards the end of the innings, Senanayake went for a boundary that he perhaps did not need to attempt at that stage.Tillakaratne Dilshan was Sri Lanka’s key man in Mahela Jayawardene’s absence, and it did not bode well for the visitors that he was far from fluent in the early overs. Flat-footed against the fast men and uncertain against spin, Dilshan timed the ball poorly and placed it even worse. He contributed 30 from 43 to a 66-run stand that placed Sri Lanka in a moderate position, but given the firepower in that opening partnership, it was a crucial one to break.Kusal Perera had less strike early on and was also short on boundaries, but he found the gaps that eluded Dilshan and eventually started to put the balls that fell in his strike zone to the fence. He was especially severe on short deliveries, using his short-arm pull to good effect most notably against Junaid Khan. The singles continued to flow freely and he reached his half-century off 43 balls, but slowed up a touch after that and was lbw for 64 off 68.Dinesh Chandimal and Angelo Mathews combined for 73 for the fifth wicket to inspire hope, but the top order had not made enough in the opening overs and the quest for quick runs eventually accounted for them both. Chandimal will at least be comforted that 46 is a better score than he had managed in the 14 previous ODI innings, and that during his stay he seemed to reclaim some of the chutzpah that ruled his cricket when he first played for Sri Lanka.

Michael Clarke has endorsed the team performance manager Pat Howard’s instigation of a forum to address the nation’s batting ills in Sydney next month, though he admitted to being totally unaware of plans for the event

Daniel Brettig26-Sep-2013Australia’s captain and best batsman Michael Clarke has endorsed the team performance manager Pat Howard’s instigation of a forum to address the nation’s batting ills in Sydney next month, though he admitted to being totally unaware of plans for the event.Highly unlikely to make the ODI tour of India that precedes the home Ashes series due to his chronic back troubles, Clarke may be in Sydney at the time of the forum, which Howard has said will be a key event for the new Centre of Excellence high performance batting coach Graeme Hick.Initially reacting with surprise about the idea and saying he knew “nothing about it”, Clarke responded positively once informed of the search for answers to the deterioration of Australian batting in recent years, something exposed mercilessly on the tours of India and England this year.”I have a lot of thoughts about batting but I’m right in the midst of it as well,” Clarke said. “I need to make sure I’m scoring more runs. I look forward to hearing what the other experts have to say and hopefully have some advice that can help us.”We’ve got quite a good mix of youth and experience with our batting group and I think we continue to learn daily, but we’re certainly open to anybody who can provide us with some feedback that’s going to help us get better. What you try to do every day is to become a better player, so if Pat’s organised a forum for some past players who’ve had a lot of success to come and help us that’ll be great for the group.”As for his fragile back, Clarke said he had been juggling Cricket Australia sponsorship commitments with multiple daily treatment sessions to give him the best chance of making the plane to India. Though Clarke remains adamant that he can be fit in time, CA medical staff will be hesitant to send him to the subcontinent if it is likely to set back his Ashes preparations.”It’s getting there slowly, but how slowly, I won’t know,” Clarke said. “I’ll probably have until the end of this week or early next week to see how I pull up, having treatment two or three times a day at the moment to give myself the best chance of being right for the tour.”We’re not planning on having scans right now, we’re going to push me as far as I can go and see how I pull up, and if I pull up fine then great I’m on the plane. If I don’t then I might have to have scans. But that’s dictated by the experts who know a lot more about the problem I have than myself.”Clarke was speaking at the New South Wales season launch, where his Test vice-captain Brad Haddin was named as the Blues’ captain for 2013-14. The new chief executive Andrew Jones and the new coach Trevor Bayliss were also acknowledged at the start of the domestic season.

Real Madrid midfielder Eduardo Camavinga suffered a knee injury in France training, as Carlo Ancelotti's injury issues mount.

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Forced off after collision with Ousmane DembeleWill undergo tests, thought not to be seriousMadrid already without Aurelien TchouameniWHAT HAPPENED?

The midfielder was forced off the training pitch after sustaining a knock and will require further tests to determine the extent of the injury. He is expected to receive treatment in the coming days, but the problem isn't thought to be serious, according to .

AdvertisementGetty THE BIGGER PICTURE

Camavinga's knock comes at an inopportune time for Los Blancos. They already find themselves shorthanded in defensive midfield, with Aurelien Tchouameni not expected to return until the new year. There is, however, cover at left-back — Camavinga's other position — with Fran Garcia and Ferland Mendy waiting in the wings.

Getty ImagesDID YOU KNOW?

Camavinga is the youngest player since 1914 to represent the French national team, after making his debut at 17 years and 303 days, coming on at half-time against Croatia in September 2020. Paris Saint-Germain youngster Warren Zaire-Emery could break that record if he makes an appearance in either of France's Euro 2024 qualifiers this week.

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WHAT NEXT FOR CAMAVINGA?

The Madrid midfielder will undergo tests in the coming days to determine the severity of the injury, as Ancelotti will hope that another key player doesn't face an extended spell out of the side.

Who will Colin Bell pick in his final squad? GOAL takes a look…

The South Korean national women's team is set to play in their fourth FIFA Women's World Cup finals in July, which will be held in Australia and New Zealand.

Their best finish was in the 2015 edition when they reached the round of 16 but were beaten 3-0 by France.

They qualified for the 2023 Women's World Cup by virtue of making it to the last four of the 2022 AFC Women's Asian Cup. In fact, they surpassed the qualification standard and made it to the final of the continental competition but lost 3-2 to China to finish as runners-up.

In 2023, they have not been able to hit the top gear as they have won only two out of five matches. They lost all three matches against England, Belgium and Italy respectively in the Clark Cup before returning to winning ways against Zambia at home in April

They have been drawn in Group H in the Women's World Cup along with South Korea, Colombia, Morocco and Germany.

Who can Ian Bell pick in the World Cup squad? GOAL takes a look…

Getty ImagesGOALKEEPERS

Kim Jung-mi is the number one choice between the sticks for South Korea. She was the preferred shot-stopper during the Clark Cup friendlies in Europe and also had the gloves during one of the friendlies against Zambia.

She has more than 130 caps to her name and there is little doubt that Bell trusts her skills under the bar. Barring any injury concerns she should have the gloves in Australia.

Yoon Young-geul, the 35-year-old keeper of Swedish side BK Hacken is another experienced candidate and is a solid backup keeper. While the third spot can go to Suwon UDC's young keeper Kim Kyeong-hee.

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Yoon Young-geulIncheon Hyundai SRAKim Jung-miBK HackenKim Kyeong-heeSuwon UDCRyu Ji-sooSeoul WFCAdvertisementGetty ImagesDEFENDERS

Bell sets his defence up according to the strengths of the opposition. While he mostly likes to field a three-woman backline, sometimes he can shift to a more traditional four players in defence.

The three central defenders are most likely to be Kim Hye-ri, Lim Seon-joo, and Hong Hye-ji. The first two are counted among the most experienced candidates in the squad and boast of having more than 100 caps. Meanwhile, 26-year-old Hong is following in the footsteps of his senior colleagues and has established herself as an integral part of Korea's defence.

If one of the three is unavailable or injured, then Shim Seo-yeon or Kim Yun-Ji is called upon to fill in the vacancy.

Whereas, if Bell shifts to a back four, which is rare, then among the three centre-backs two are chosen, while Choo Hyo-Joo and Jang Sel-gi are the two full-backs. And in the other case, Choo & Jang are deployed as the right and left wing-backs.

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Choo Hyo-jooSuwon UDCHong Hye-jiIncheon Hyundai SRAShim Seo-yeonSuwon UDCKim Hye-yeongGyeongju KHNP WFCKim Yun-jiSuwon UDCLim Seon-jooIncheon Hyundai SRAJang Sel-giIncheon Hyundai SRAKim Hye-riIncheon Hyundai SRAKim Jin-huiGyeongju KHNP WFCLee Soo-inKorea University-SejongJeong Yu-jinChangnyeong WFCLee Young-juMadrid CFFGetty ImagesMIDFIELDERS

Bell usually has three midfielders at the centre of the park to complement his two advanced wing-backs. While two of them are likely to position themselves right before the central defenders to plug in the gaps, one of them will have the license to join the attack.

The manager has plenty of quality at his disposal and he usually likes to shuffle the pack. Cho So-Hyun and Ji So-yun are the two most experienced players with close to 150 caps each and they are the two preferred options at the centre of the park.

They are mostly joined by Son Hwa-yeon of Incheon Hyundai SRA in an advanced role. Whereas, Jang Yu-bin of Seoul WFC is an upcoming talent whom Bell likes to introduce in the latter stages of the game and she will be the one to look out for in Australia.

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Bae Ye-binUiduk UniversityChun Ga-ramHwacheon KSPOPark Ye-eunBrighton & Hove AlbionPark Hye-jeongSejong SportstotoJi So-yunSuwon UDCCho So-hyunTottenham HotspurJang ChangIncheon Hyundai SRALee Min-a Incheon Hyundai SRAPark Ye-naMungyeong SangmuKim Seong-miIncheon Hyundai SRAENJOYED THIS STORY?

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Getty ImagesFORWARDS

Bell is spoilt for choices when it comes to selecting his forwards. Jung Seol-bin might be given the responsibility to lead the lines. The 33-year-old plies her trade with Incheon Hyundai SRA and has 22 international goals in her career.

Meanwhile, Brighton's Lee Geum-min acts as the perfect foil for Jung. The Brighton forward scored five goals in two matches against Zambia in April and will hope to bring her best form in the tournament.

Park Eun-sun is another option and she has the experience to make a difference at the highest stages. On a few occasions, Bell has used Park & Jung as two strikers upfront with Lee operating from a bit deeper position.

Name Club

Son Hwa-yeonIncheon Hyundai SRAChoe Yu-riIncheon Hyundai SRAPark Eun-sunSeoul WFCJang Yu-binSeoul WFCSeo Ji-younGyeongju KHNP WFCJung Seol-binIncheon Hyundai SRALee Eun-youngKorea University-SejongJeon Eun-haSuwon UDCMoon Mi-raIncheon Hyundai SRAHyun Seul-giMungyeong SangmuJeon Yu-gyeongChangnyeong WFCKo Min-jungUiduk UniversityLee Jung-minGyeongju KHNP WFCKang Chae-rimSuwon UDC