Monterry boss Fernando Ortiz considers Lionel Messi to be “the greatest of all time” and meant no offence with comments aimed at Inter Miami.
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Claim of favouritism from officialsAngry reaction from those in FloridaMexican side into the semi-finalsWHAT HAPPENED?
Ahead of a CONCACAF Champions Cup quarter-final clash between Liga MX and MLS outfits, Ortiz claimed that his side may find themselves on the wrong end of contentious decisions from the match officials if Messi – who had been nursing a hamstring injury – figured in the tie.
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Those quotes were not well received in Florida, and contributed to an angry clash in the tunnel following a fiery first leg contest in Florida. Monterrey went on to prevail 5-2 on aggregate, sending Inter Miami crashing out, and Ortiz insists that it was never his intention to ruffle the feathers of eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi.
WHAT ORTIZ SAID
Ortiz said after seeing his side prevail 3-1 on home soil, with Messi playing the full 90 minutes: “I said that we were going to beat them, not for a lack of respect for Miami, just because I thought that my players would understand what needed to be done. To me, Leo is the greatest player of all time, I did not mean to offend anyone, I just gave an honest opinion.”
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USMNT star Brandon Vazquez, German Berterame and Jesus Gallardo got the goals for Monterrey as they progressed to the Champions Cup semi-finals, with Ortiz adding: “As a coach, I’m happy to eliminate a great team. Gerardo (Martino) and Leo are a great coach and player who are recognised worldwide. We have the satisfaction to win the series, but we are thinking of Tigres.”
When it comes to derbies, there are few more significant than the Merseyside Derby, and this weekend, Liverpool will once again host Everton in the Premier League.
One of the things that makes this derby so great is just how close the two teams are to one another, with Anfield and Goodison Park less than a mile apart and only separated by Stanley Park.
This close proximity has always given this game a slightly different feel from other derbies in the country, and it's not particularly uncommon for families to be split down the middle when it comes to supporting one of the teams.
So, it shouldn't come as much of a surprise to learn that there have been a fair few players that have represented both sides over the years, and we here at Football FanCast have created a list with ten of them on it.
10 Gary Ablett (Liverpool 1985-1992; Everton 1992-1996)
Kicking off our list is a man who made over a century of appearances for both Merseyside clubs, Gary Ablett.
The defender was born in Tarleton just north of Liverpool and was a part of the Reds' youth system from 1982 to 1985 before making his debut for the first team in 1986 in a goalless draw against Charlton Athletic.
He was a regular starter for the team the following season and helped them win the league. During his time with the Reds, he would win two league titles, an FA Cup and three Charity Shields.
Graeme Souness sold the league-winning full-back to Everton in January 1992. While he didn't win another title with the Toffees, Ablett still enjoyed a successful spell with the blue half of the city, winning an FA Cup, a Charity Shield and making over 100 appearances.
9 Nick Barmby (Everton 1996-2000; Liverpool 2000-2002)
From a man that moved from the Reds to the Toffees to a man that made the exact opposite move, midfielder Nick Barmby.
The Hull-born player started his career with Tottenham Hotspur before moving to Middlesbrough and finally making his way to Merseyside to sign for Everton in 1996.
The impressive form that he had shown with his previous two sides carried over into his stint with the Toffees, and he made 126 appearances for the club in all competitions, scoring 21 goals in the process.
After spending four years at Goodison, Barmby was sold to Liverpool for £6m, which was a news story in of itself as he was the first player that Everton had sold to their neighbours in over four decades since Dave Hickson in 1959.
Despite spending just two seasons with the Reds, Barmby would help the team win an FA Cup, League Cup, UEFA Cup, and Charity Shield all in the same season. He would also score against his old side in his first season at Anfield.
In all, he made 58 appearances for Liverpool, scored eight goals and provided seven assists.
8 David Burrows (Liverpool 1988-1993; Everton 1994-1995)
From a midfielder to a full-back, David Burrows spent quite some time holding down a starting place at Liverpool but struggled at Everton.
The Dudley-born player started his career at West Bromwich Albion before joining the Reds in October 1988. It took a little while for him to settle into the team, but once he did, he made the left-back position his own and was vital to the team that won the 1989/90 league title.
However, the resignation of Kenny Dalglish and the subsequent appointment of Graeme Souness saw his opportunities again start to decrease. So, after making 193 appearances across all competitions for the club, he left to join West Ham United in September 1993.
Just a year later, he was back on Merseyside, only this time he was playing in blue. Unfortunately, for as great a player as he was, he would only play a handful of games before moving to Coventry City in 1995, not long before the Toffees lifted the FA Cup.
On to a more recent player now, and Conor Coady may have been an essential element in Everton's survival last season, but he got his start in football with the red side of the city.
The experienced centre-back was a part of Liverpool's youth system and made his debut for the team in November 2012 during a Europa League game against Russian side Anzhi Makhachkala. However, he would make just two senior appearances for the Reds before moving to Huddersfield Town and then to Wolverhampton Wanderers, where he really made a name for himself.
After seven years with Wolves, Coady moved to the Toffees on a season-long loan and became an instant favourite among the fans for his no-nonsense style and the fact that he was a clear fighter on the pitch.
Despite an option to buy in his deal, Everton sent the defender back to Wolves, who sold him to Leicester City.
In all, he made 25 appearances for Everton.
6 Taylor Hinds (Everton 2018-2020; Liverpool 2020-present)
With the rapid growth that women's football has seen in this country, it shouldn't come as a surprise that there have been a few women who have represented both Merseyside clubs as well.
Taylor Hinds is one of those players, and after making her professional debut with Arsenal in the FA WSL Cup in 2017, Everton signed her in January 2018.
Her time with Everton was mixed, as she would only make 24 appearances across two years with the side before Liverpool signed her in July 2020.
Her time with the Reds has been fantastically successful so far, with regular appearances and a Championship title in the 2021/22 season.
5 Don Hutchison (Liverpool 1990-1994; Everton 1998-2000)
Don Hutchison may be better known for his punditry work nowadays, but he enjoyed a long career playing in English football and spent quite some time on Merseyside plying his trade with both clubs.
He was sold to Liverpool from Hartlepool United in November 1990 but would make the move until summer 1991. The 1992/93 season was his best year with the club as he finished as the team's third top scorer, thanks to his seven goals.
In all, he would make 60 appearances for the side but leave without a trophy to his name.
Following spells with West Ham and Sheffield United, Hutchison returned to the northwest and joined Everton for a two-year spell between 1998-2000.
He would make 84 appearances for the Toffees, scoring 11 goals and providing four assists, but ultimately leave empty-handed again.
4 Andy Lonergan (Liverpool 2019-2020; Everton 2021-present)
So this is an interesting one, as while he was a registered player for both sides, Andy Lonergan has never actually played a competitive game for either Liverpool or Everton.
The experienced goalkeeper spent most of his early career playing for Preston North End before moving to a plethora of clubs during the 2010s. He joined Liverpool on their pre-season tour in July 2019 as an injury crisis had left them without enough keepers.
He started for the Reds in a friendly against Sevilla in the USA – a game they lost – and then signed a short-term contract following an injury to Alisson Becker. He stayed with the team for their 2019/20 league-winning season and was released in the summer.
Spells with Stoke City and West Brom followed before Everton signed him on a one-year deal in August 2021. He was given another one-year deal in 2022 and 2023 but is unlikely to play a game anytime soon.
3 Courtney Sweetman-Kirk (Everton 2017-2018; Liverpool 2018-2020)
Courtney Sweetman-Kirk has had quite the career on and off the pitch thus far, and while she is currently playing for Championship side Sheffield United, she enjoyed a three-year spell on Merseyside, in which she donned both blue and red.
She first joined Everton in the summer of 2017 after spending the previous two years with Doncaster Rovers. Despite spending just a year with the Toffees, she made quite the impact, finishing the season as the team's top scorer with nine goals in all competitions.
She was sold to Liverpool in the summer of 2018 and spent two years with the club, scoring ten goals in her first season, before leaving after her contract expired in 2020.
Now, while Sander Westerveld certainly played for both Liverpool and Everton, his stint with the Toffees was so short that you'd be forgiven if you weren't even aware it had happened.
The Dutch goalkeeper started his career in his homeland but joined Liverpool in 1999 to replace David James and, in doing so, became the most expensive keeper in British football history.
He proved to be well worth the heavy outlay, though, as he played a vital role in the club's success in the 2000/01 season, winning the FA Cup, the League Cup and the UEFA Cup.
However, mistakes started to creep into his game towards the end of his two-year spell, and he was sold to Real Sociedad in December 2001. After four years in Spain, he joined Portsmouth for a season in 2005.
Whilst still a Pompey player, Westerveld spent 28 days on loan at Everton due to a temporary goalkeeping crisis and played two games for the side before returning to the south coast.
1 Abel Xavier (Everton 1999-2002; Liverpool 2002-2003)
Right, onto our last player on the list, and Abel Xavier is, without a doubt, one of the coolest-looking footballers to ever play for either side.
The Portugal international joined Everton in September 1999 after spending nine years playing for teams in Portugal, Spain and Italy. He wouldn't win anything while at Goodison Park, but he would make 48 appearances for the side over his two-and-a-half-year stay.
He was sold to Liverpool in January 2002 following an illness to Markus Babbel. He would make 21 appearances for the team in all competitions before leaving, joining Galatasaray on loan in January 2003 and then Hannover 96 permanently in that summer.
نجح منتخب الأرجنتين، بقيادة النجم ليونيل ميسي، في التأهل إلى نهائي بطولة كوبا أمريكا 2024، في الساعات الأولى من صباح يوم الأربعاء.
جاء تأهل الأرجنتين عقب فوزهم ضد منتخب كندا بهدفين دون رد، في إطار منافسات نصف نهائي كوبا أمريكا، البطولة التي تستضيفها الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية حاليًا (لمطالعة التفاصيل من هنا).
من جهة أخرى، حصل المنتخب الكولومبي على بطاقة التأهل الثانية من أمام نظيره منتخب أوروجواي.
حيث تمكن منتخب كولومبيا من تحقيق الفوز أمام أوروجواي بنتيجة 1/0، في اللقاء الذي جمع بين المنتخبين، على ملعب بنك أمريكا. موعد مباراة الأرجنتين وكولومبيا في نهائي كوبا أمريكا 2024
تُقام المباراة فجر يوم الإثنين المقبل، 15 يوليو، في تمام الساعة الثالثة بتوقيت القاهرة والسعودية.
The former Australia captain reckons the current Indian captain is the best batsman in the world
ESPNcricinfo staff10-Aug-2018
Virat Kohli gets into his preparation for the Lord’s Test•AFP
Virat Kohli is the best batsman in the world but he will have a point to prove when he tours Australia in November, according to former Australia captain Steve Waugh.”He’ll be putting a bit of pressure on himself, this [a win] will be the feather in the cap if he can pull this off,” Waugh told the Cricket Australia website. “Steve Smith had an incredible series [in India last year] and made three centuries and scored about 500 runs, and Virat hardly scored a run. So that would have been deflating for him, and he will look to square the ledger when he comes back to Australia.”India reclaimed the Border-Gavaskar trophy 2-1 but they did so without Kohli making much of a contribution. He scored only 46 runs in five innings as the Australian bowlers found a way to keep him quiet.One of them, Pat Cummins, who is currently recuperating from a back injury, was recently quoted as saying, “My brave, bold prediction; I’d say I think Virat Kohli is not going to get a hundred and we’re going to knock them off over here.” This threw back to the trend that was seen in the 2016-17 series, where tensions ran high among both teams.Cummins later clarified that his comments were mostly tongue-in-cheek. “I was almost trying to do the opposite to the way they were perceived. I was trying to pay him a huge compliment and say that my big wish list for the summer was he doesn’t score a hundred.”He’s obviously so important to the team and is such a gun batsman, so him not scoring runs would go a long way to helping us win. But I certainly didn’t mean to say he’s no good because I couldn’t hold him in higher regard.”Kohli is currently ranked the No. 1 batsman in Test cricket after a spellbinding century in tough conditions at Edgbaston last week. He was also instrumental in the Johannesburg Test in January, scoring 54 and 41 on a pitch that was characterised by spiteful variations in bounce, and has carried the Indian batting on their most recent overseas trips. Additionally, Kohli amassed 692 runs from four Tests on his previous tour of Australia in 2014-15.”He has got the game to survive anywhere, I think he’s got the best technique of anyone in world cricket,” Waugh said. “He and AB de Villiers have got the best techniques, and AB de Villiers is not playing Test cricket so that makes him (Kohli) the stand-out player.”I think Steve Smith is probably the hungriest batsman but he’s obviously not playing for 12 months, so Kohli really is the premier batsman in world cricket. And he likes the big occasion.”Like (Brian) Lara and Tendulkar and (Viv) Richards and Javed Miandad, and all the great batsmen, they want the big occasion and that brings out the best in their cricket.”As such, Waugh suggested it was up to the Australian batsmen to pile Kohli under scoreboard pressure.”I think the best way to control him is for our guys to play really positive cricket, to concentrate on executing the team plans and to score 300-plus runs in our first innings so we can put pressure on their batting line-up.”Our attack is as good as anyone’s and, in our conditions, he’ll have to be on his game and particularly if he’s chasing some big scores that Australia have put on the board. That will put pressure on his batting. I think the only thing Australia can do is really control how well we’re playing. If we play really good cricket, then it’s a bit like the last series in India where Steve Smith totally dominated him.”
The BCB was disappointed that Cricket Australia cancelled their bilateral series in Australia later this year because it was not commercially viable
Mohammad Isam10-May-2018The Bangladesh Cricket Board has expressed disappointment at Cricket Australia’s decision to cancel their bilateral series in Australia later this year because the tour was not commercially viable.Nizamuddin Chowdhury, the BCB chief executive, said that boards like CA were expected to host teams regardless of the tour’s appeal to the home audience. He cited the example of Bangladesh hosting teams despite not having made profits for some tours. The BCB reportedly makes money only when teams like India, Pakistan, England and Australia tour Bangladesh.”It is disappointing,” Chowdhury said. “They looked at how financially viable the series will be for them, which is disappointing. Many of our home series aren’t necessarily beneficial. We have to host a lot of countries to maintain bilateral commitments. It is not always financially viable. If the BCB can afford them, then we would expect the bigger cricket boards to do the same.”The BCB’s response stems from the disappointment of Cricket Australia cancelling two trips to Bangladesh – in 2015 for a full tour and in 2016 for the Under-19 World Cup – because of security fears. CA was only convinced of security in Bangladesh after England toured in October 2016.A CA spokesperson said Bangladesh were “better aligned” at touring Australia ahead of the ICC World T20 in Australia in 2020. However, the Futures Tour Programme (FTP) that will be ratified in June this year does not include a Bangladesh tour of Australia in any format.Bangladesh have only toured Australia twice, for a Test series in 2003 and an ODI series in 2008. “The window allocated in the ICC FTP for Bangladesh to tour Australia in August this year has been postponed, by mutual agreement by both Cricket Australia and the Bangladesh Cricket Board,” the CA spokesperson said. “Both countries agreed to postponing that tour to be better aligned ahead of the ICC World T20 in 2020 in Australia.”The cancellation means top players like Shakib Al Hasan, Tamim Iqbal and Mushfiqur Rahim could finish their careers without playing a Test in Australia. “It is up to the cricket boards. I don’t know why it got postponed. But we were really looking forward to it. We wanted to play in Australia,” Mushfiqur said. “I have never played a bilateral series there. It would have been something quite big for me. If it happens in the future, I will be happy.”The move hasn’t gone down well with Ed Cowan, the former Australia batsman, who tweeted his disappointment, saying CA wasn’t doing enough to be more inclusive as a cricket board. “In my opinion, administrators have a duty to grow the game both in their own country and also around the world,” he said. “This is sad on a number of levels. Players hear of CA wanting to expand the number of playing days in Oz. Evidently only BBL.”
Tottenham Hotspur have now been provided with an exciting update on their pursuit of Nottingham Forest forward Brennan Johnson in a report from Football Insider…
What's the latest Tottenham transfer news?
Tottenham's pursuit of Johnson has been well-documented, but they still have other options in mind as we approach the end of the window, with journalist Rudy Galetti suggesting a deal for FC Porto's Pepe could still be possible, although it will be tough:
"Tottenham are really, really interested in Pepe. They targeted him as one of the profiles to reinforce their squad. They are still pushing hard to change the position of Porto.
"Porto are quite adamant that they are not open to negotiating a different price than the release clause set for the Brazilian winger, which is €75m [£64m]."
Should Spurs miss out on Pepe as a result of Porto's unwillingness to negotiate, they could also pursue a move for Crystal Palace's Eberechi Eze, but the Eagles are set to hold out for over £60m if they are to part with one of their prized assets.
Having already made one bid of £40m for Johnson, which was turned down by Nottingham Forest, journalist Sami Mokbel reports the Lilywhites are expected to return to the negotiating table, but the deal is set to run close to the 11pm deadline.
Football Insider have now shared another exciting update on Tottenham's pursuit of the winger, in which it is detailed he expects to complete his move to north London by the end of today, having agreed the terms of the deal.
Extensive talks have been held with Forest over a deal for the 22-year-old, and Spurs seemingly have a good chance of winning the race for his signature, considering he has made it clear he wants to leave the City Ground and preferably work under Ange Postecoglou.
The Forest forward has been hugely impressed by the plan for his development outlined by Postecoglou, and he could now get his wish of working under the 58-year-old, with Daily Mail reporter Mokbel more recently reporting a deal worth £45m has been agreed in principle.
Read The Latest Tottenham Transfer News HERE
How many goals has Brennan Johnson scored for Forest?
Across a total of 109 appearances for his boyhood club, in which he has played in a number of positions, the Welshman has scored 29 goals, while also picking up 12 assists, so it is clear that he poses a considerable attacking threat.
That said, £45m is a huge sum of money for a player yet to prove himself as one of the Premier League's best players, having scored eight goals last season, and he is yet to get off the mark in the ongoing campaign.
Nottingham Forest forward Brennan Johnson.
However, Tottenham's proposed swoop for Ansu Fati is now seemingly off the cards, with a move to Brighton in the pipeline, and Eze is set to cost over £60m – at least £15m more than Johnson.
As such, the Wales international, who has been lauded as an "unbelievable" player by former manager Sabri Lamouchi, could be the most viable option for Spurs at this stage, and it is exciting news that a deal is edging closer to completion.
Rob Holding was the proverbial scapegoat at Arsenal, perhaps rather harshly.
Yes, his performances in a red and white shirt in the last few seasons haven't been anything to shout about, but the centre-back arguably became a victim of the club's success.
Mikel Arteta has totally transformed the Gunners since arriving at the Emirates and with that, the north Londoners have rid themselves of toxic and underperforming characters.
The Spaniard famously banished Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, got rid of Shkodran Mustafi and more recently, ripped up Nicolas Pepe's contract.
Holding will take comfort that it never got that bad for him. Still an incredibly well-liked character around Colney, he was eventually sold to Crystal Palace this summer.
Arsenal'sEmileSmithRoweand Rob Holding
That wasn't, however, without being one of the main culprits for Arsenal's title charge collapsing last season.
Why did Arsenal's title challenge crumble?
The date is 16th March 2023 as William Saliba trudges from the field. An innocuous injury was hoped to be nothing serious.
Arsenal eventually crashed out of the Europa League on penalties against Sporting on that same night, but the consequences of Saliba's injury would become far more serious.
The Frenchman didn't play again that season, with Holding the man who was tasked with partnering Gabriel at centre-back.
Such an injury cannot be helped but a lack of depth in central defensive areas certainly can. Look at Jurrien Timber's arrival this summer for the lessons learned in the back end of last season.
It is typical that he has now suffered his own injury problem, that of a crushing ACL blow, but the hope will be that Arteta can call upon Saliba as much as possible now. After all, with him on the pitch last term, Arsenal only conceded 0.9 goals per game but without him, that figure remarkably doubles to 1.8. Their win ratio also dropped from 77.8% to just 40% too. Worrying indeed.
That said, with Jakub Kiwior now up to speed and the likes of Gabriel and Ben White shining too, there is confidence that such a defensive collapse won't happen again this term.
Speaking of White, the former Brighton star's rise has been rather meteoric.
What was said about Ben White when he first joined Arsenal?
The defender's arrival at Arsenal in the summer of 2021 was one that raised eyebrows.
He had caught the eye on loan with Leeds United under Marcelo Bielsa en route to winning promotion with the Yorkshire-based side.
Arsenal's Ben White, Bukayo Saka and managerMikelArteta
White had then only enjoyed one full season of Premier League football after returning to parent club Brighton, but that was enough for Edu and co to shell out £50m to secure his services.
That was a remarkable amount of money given his inexperience and at surface level, as James B of AFTV pointed out, he was actually "worse" in some areas of the game than the aforementioned Holding.
Indeed, the latter was far more accustomed to playing in the opposition's half, making 0.18 tackles in the attacking third to White's 0.11.
What's interesting, though, is that Holding played a great deal more passes throughout the 2020/21 campaign. Considering White is renowned as a ball-playing defender, this is surprising.
As per FBref, the former completed 52.2 passes per 90 minutes compared to the 42 of White and the ex Brighton defender also had a poorer percentage of passes in various thirds of the pitch per 90 minutes.
255.08 progressive pass distance
360.60 progressive pass distance
16.19 short passes completed
16.54 short passes completed
3.69 long passes completed
6.44 long passes completed
3.30 passes into final third
4.33 passes into final third
Not only that but Holding bettered White in several key defensive metrics per 90 minutes, namely tackles (1.51 vs 1.38) and aerial duels won (2.50 vs 1.38).
How good is Ben White now?
Since that campaign White has only gone from strength to strength while Holding has faded into obscurity.
ben-white-arsenal-james-sweet-academy
That was truly evident during Arsenal's All or Nothing documentary for Amazon Prime. One scene broadcasted a conversation between the £50m man and Carlos Cuesta, one of Arteta's right hand men.
Speaking to the defender, Cuesta noted: "You have all the potential to be a world-class player," before labelling his biggest strength. The full clip can be seen below…
That world-class potential is now certainly being lived up to, but not in the position we perhaps thought he'd make his own.
Initially a centre-back, the 25-year-old is now Arsenal's first choice right-back. So good was his form that he was among the England squad for the World Cup in Qatar.
White may not have got on the field but it was evidence of a man in the best form of his life.
Comparing his stats to Holding now would be redundant. Instead, looking at how he ranks within Europe's top five leagues is the biggest litmus.
The former Leeds loanee may now play in a team that keeps the ball for longer periods of play but his passing has gone up a level, ranking in the top 10% of full-backs on the continent for passes attempted per 90 (68.39) and the best 9% for pass completion.
Crucially, he also makes tackles more regularly than he did in his final campaign with Brighton, making 1.48 every 90.
Whether or not onlookers agreed with the price tag when he arrived, it's safe to say he's proven the doubters wrong. The funny thing is, knowing the full-back's personality, he wouldn't have cared in the slightest what anyone thought after he moved to the Gunners.
All the key numbers from Tarouba, where Uganda recorded the lowest ever powerplay score at the T20 World Cup
Sampath Bandarupalli15-Jun-202440 Uganda’s total against New Zealand is now the third lowest by any team at the men’s T20 World Cup. Uganda got bundled out for 39 runs against West Indies last week, equaling the record for the lowest total set by the Netherlands against Sri Lanka in 2014.1 Uganda’s 40 all out is also the lowest total by any team against New Zealand in men’s T20Is, as the previous lowest was 70 all out by Bangladesh in the 2016 T20 World Cup.88 Balls remaining when New Zealand completed their chase of 41 runs is now the third-biggest in terms of balls to spare at the men’s T20 World Cup. Three of the top four biggest wins in the competition’s history have come in the ongoing edition.2.14 Uganda’s run rate during their 40 all out in 18.2 overs is the third lowest in a men’s T20I innings of 100-plus balls. The 2.12 by Mali is the lowest when they were bowled out for 39 in 18.2 overs against Kenya in 2023, while Panama scored at 2.13 during their 37 all out in 17.2 overs against Canada in 2021.Related
NZ win big after blowing away Uganda for 40
USA qualify automatically for T20 World Cup 2026
No team before Uganda had a run rate of less than four runs in an innings of 100-plus balls at the men’s T20 World Cup.1 New Zealand’s win margin of 88 balls is their largest win by balls to spare in men’s T20Is. Their previous biggest was by 74 balls against Kenya while chasing 74 in the 2007 T20 World Cup.9 for 3 Uganda’s powerplay total against New Zealand is now the lowest by any team at the men’s T20 World Cup. The previous lowest was 13 for 4 by Pakistan against West Indies in the 2014 edition.Uganda’s total is also the second-lowest by any team in the powerplay in men’s T20Is, where ball-by-ball data is available, behind 8 for 2 by Sierra Leone against Nigeria in 2021.4 Runs conceded by Tim Southee in his four overs are the joint-fewest by any bowler in a men’s T20 World Cup game while bowling their full quota. Frank Nsubuga did concede only four runs in his four overs against Papua New Guinea earlier in this tournament.The four runs conceded by Southee are also the fewest by a New Zealand bowler in a men’s T20I, bettering Daniel Vettori’s six runs against Bangladesh in a T20I in 2010.1 New Zealand became the first team to have three bowlers conceding less than ten runs while bowling their full quota of four overs in a men’s T20I innings. Southee conceded four runs, while Boult and Lockie Ferguson conceded seven and nine respectively.
“He’s no-nonsense without being confrontational. If he sees incompetency around him, he will quietly call it out”
Shashank Kishore19-Oct-2022The new set of BCCI office-bearers was finalised over a week ago. Yet, when Roger Binny was officially announced as the BCCI’s 36th president at the Annual General Meeting in Mumbai on Tuesday, there was an unmistakable buzz at the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) in Bengaluru where he had been president for the past three years.Among those celebrating the rise of one of their own to the highest office in the BCCI was Sanjay Desai, Binny’s close friend and a veteran KSCA administrator himself. Desai and Binny were once Karnataka team-mates who starred in an unbroken 451-run opening stand in the Ranji Trophy against Kerala in 1977-78. Desai has had a ringside view of the several roles Binny has donned – as player, coach, selector and administrator.”He [Binny] will follow the rule book to a tee,” Desai says. “He doesn’t like the limelight, but that shouldn’t be mistaken for him being silent. He will do his job quietly, without much fuss. He’s no-nonsense in a way, without being confrontational. If he sees incompetency around him, he will quietly call it out. As a person, his stature has never been a stumbling block when it comes to establishing two-way communication with the players, stakeholders or his own colleagues.”Related
Binny's agenda: reducing player injuries, improving pitches for domestic cricket
Roger Binny set to replace Sourav Ganguly as BCCI president
After his retirement as a cricketer, Binny, a 1983 World Cup winner, first forayed into coaching when he was in charge of the India Under-19s. In 2000, he coached the Mohammad Kaif-led team to the Under-19 World Cup win in Sri Lanka. Two years later, he went into the grassroots to coach the Under-16s and played a key role in the emergence of young players such as Ambati Rayudu, Robin Uthappa and Irfan Pathan.After his first coaching stint, Binny helped established pathways for cricket in South-East Asia and the Middle East as a cricket development officer of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC).”When I joined the ACC in 2007, Roger was already many years my senior, but not for once did he make it seem that he was a senior and my views didn’t matter,” says former Bangladesh captain Aminul Islam, who currently heads the ICC’s pathway programs in Asia. “It was never ‘I am Roger Binny, I’m a World Cup winner, I know what to do’. He would always hear people out. He would gladly accept counterviews. It was never ‘my way or the highway’.”His challenge was to set up administrative pathways and coaching pathways from scratch. For someone to build this across several countries, there are lots of bureaucratic hurdles to pass. You need to have immense patience. Roger’s handling of all of this was exemplary. He was an example for us to follow.”
“He doesn’t like the limelight, but that shouldn’t be mistaken for him being silent. He will do his job quietly, without much fuss. He’s no-nonsense in a way, without being confrontational. If he sees incompetency around him, he will quietly call it out”Sanjay Desai
Reetinder Sodhi, the vice-captain of India’s U-19 World Cup-winning team in 2000 and currently a BCCI match referee, points to Binny’s empowering the players to make decisions and be accountable for them made them better cricketers when they graduated to the senior levels.”He was a chilled-out coach, you would never see him angry or flustered,” Sodhi says. “In situations where one could lose their mind, he would resonate calmness. Unless absolutely necessary, he wouldn’t interfere with on-field decisions. For us at the U-19 level, that was massive because until then, we were always under the coach’s eyes and ears. Roger wasn’t the one to spoon-feed you as kids, he treated us like mature individuals for whom he was always around whenever required.”Others point to Binny being polite, yet assertive. “If Roger said no, no one would really go back and ask him to reconsider, because he isn’t an impulsive person. If he says no to something, you know he would’ve spent considerable time thinking about it before arriving at a decision,” says a KSCA administrator.Sodhi too cites an instance from that U-19 World Cup campaign to highlight this. “Before our group game against Sri Lanka, I was very unwell. I turned up sick on the morning of the match and didn’t know how to inform Roger that I won’t be in a position to take the field. I hadn’t slept the whole night and woke up with a high temperature.”I walked down the stairs to the ground and told him that I was feeling weak. Roger smiled, took one hard look at me and in the gentlest manner and said, ‘Sodhi, you’re playing. Please take rest now and be ready five minutes before the game.’ I made 74 and got two wickets and was named Player of the Match. If he hadn’t fired me up to play, I may have been on the sickbed probably for even two or three days after the match.”Binny’s expert handling of disputes as an administrator is perhaps another underrated facet to his man-management skills. In 2010, he was named vice president under Anil Kumble’s administration at the KSCA at a time when two different factions were at loggerheads, resulting in an acrimonious election.Roger Binny with Yashpal Sharma, Sunil Gavaskar and Syed Kirmani at a reunion of India’s 1983 World Cup-winning squad at Lord’s in 2018•Associated PressIn the aftermath, Binny is believed to have been among the key mediators in ensuring things didn’t take an ugly turn. Later, Binny would also find support from the rival Brijesh Patel camp. Incidentally, Patel has held a stranglehold over KSCA for a long time, and his backing was one of the catalysts in Binny’s elevation to the top job in the BCCI.Outside of administration, Binny was also a national selector between 2012 and 2016. In 2014, he had a conflict-of-interest cloud hovering over him when his son Stuart Binny was spoken of as a potential all-round option for the national team. Selectors at the time credit Binny for not making things awkward as he would recuse himself whenever Stuart’s name was up for selection.Binny’s most recent administrative tenure was at the KSCA, where among his first tasks was to restore credibility to the state’s T20 League, Karnataka Premier League, following arrests of certain players and team owners for match-fixing in 2019. Binny swiftly disbanded the tournament and overhauled the structure. He ensured his administration took over complete control of ownership of teams and player payments. Among cricketing decisions, Binny has increasingly advocated for different teams across different formats for Karnataka, something the selectors appeared to have aligned towards when they picked the squad for the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.Off the field, Binny is a doting grandfather who loves spending family time at his farm in Bandipur, away from the chaos and traffic of Bengaluru. He is passionate about golf and wildlife conservation. Last week, soon after returning to Bengaluru after filling his nomination for the BCCI presidency, he made a dash to his farm to ensure everything was in order for his pets and rescue dogs.In accepting the top job that could potentially see him away from his farm for a lot longer than he is accustomed to, Binny has signalled the start of the next phase in his administrative career.