Hero of England’s 2017 World Cup triumph will continue to play domestically

Valkerie Baynes14-Apr-2022Anya Shrubsole has announced her retirement from international cricket, calling time on her career at the top level after 14 years.Shrubsole, the hero of England’s 2017 World Cup triumph, was awarded an MBE after bowling her side to a famous and dramatic victory with a record 6 for 46 in the final against India at Lord’s. Aged 30, she is a two-time Women’s World Cup champion and two-time Ashes winner.Having started her domestic career for Somerset, she played 173 games for her country across all formats, claiming 227 wickets. She is fourth on the list of England’s ODI wicket-takers, and is England’s current top T20I wicket-taker.She will continue to play domestic cricket in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, Charlotte Edwards Cup and the Hundred.”I feel immensely privileged to have been able to represent my country for the past 14 years,” Shrubsole said. “To have been involved in women’s cricket at a time of such growth has been an honour but it has become clear to me that it is moving forward faster than I can keep up with, so it is time for me to step away.”Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be lucky enough to play for England for so long, I’d have been happy with one game. There have been many ups and downs along the way but it was all worth it to be able to lift the ICC Women’s World Cup at Lord’s in 2017.”There have been so many people who have supported me along the way and I want to thank them all for everything they have done, but most of all I couldn’t have done it without the unwavering support of my family. They have been with me every step of the way and I simply couldn’t have done it without them.”Shrubsole captained her country once, and in 2018 became the first woman ever to appear on the front cover of the .After a 2021 home international season curtailed by injury, Shrubsole was part of England’s Ashes campaign in Australia at the start of this year, and her last appearance for England was during the 2022 Women’s World Cup final in New Zealand, when she took 3 for 46 and was the last batter out in a 71-run defeat at the hands of Australia on April 3.Clare Connor, ECB managing director of women’s cricket, described Shrubsole as “the most tremendous servant to English cricket, and to women’s cricket specifically”.”For 14 years she has given everything for the team so it is fitting that her reasons for retiring are so selfless,” Connor added. “In her last game for England – the ICC Women’s World Cup final in Christchurch – Anya was the team’s stand-out performer with the ball, just as she was on that magical day at Lord’s in 2017 when England Women lifted the World Cup.”Her longevity, skill and impact with the new and old ball are testament to her work ethic and commitment over so many years. Aside from her genius with the ball, Anya was the perfect team-mate – selfless, dedicated, thoughtful and kind. She has already dedicated 14 years to England Women’s cricket and I know that she will continue to have a huge impact on the game post-playing.”Anya loves the game as much as anyone I’ve ever met and we look forward to retaining her expertise and passion as she embarks on her next chapter.”

Pacer picks four wickets on debut while the opener scored his maiden ODI ton

Himanshu Agrawal29-Mar-2022

New Zealand hadn’t played an ODI for over a year, had as many as 12 first-choice players plying their trade in the IPL, and were playing Netherlands in the format after 26 years. Still, debutant quick Blair Tickner, and top-order batters Will Young – who got to his maiden ODI century with an unbeaten 103 – and Henry Nicholls combined to ensure the hosts comfortably took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.After Tickner became the fourth New Zealand bowler to take four wickets on ODI debut to restrict the visitors to 202, Nicholls and Young kept New Zealand motoring along in a second-wicket stand of 162 before Nicholls fell for 57, as they completed the chase with more than 11 overs to spare.Young got to his hundred after dancing down the pitch to loft over mid-off in what turned out to be the winning runs for his side. He had reached fifty off 54 balls in the 19th over, by which time he had slammed five fours and two sixes. Three of those fours came off successive deliveries in the eighth over off Logan van Beek: first a pull behind square, then a perfectly-timed push between cover and mid-off, and finally another pull but this time in front of square.Related

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But the shot of the day came in the 18th over when Young skipped down the track to left-arm wristspinner Michael Rippon, and effortlessly lofted the ball for a big six over long-off. However, that remained the only boundary hit from the 11th to the 24th over, as Rippon and captain Pieter Seelaar kept things quiet.While Rippon sent back Nicholls to break the massive stand, he also got Ross Taylor with a beauty: he tossed the ball up from around the wicket, inviting Taylor to drive, but the ball landed right in between his bat and pad, and spun back in to hit the stumps.Earlier, it was the pair of Rippon and Seelaar that had rescued Netherlands with the bat after they were reduced to 45 for 5 by the New Zealand pacers at the end of the 13th over. Tickner had got two of those wickets, with one each having gone to Kyle Jamieson, Matt Henry and Colin de Grandhomme.Jamieson was the first to strike when he had Max O’Dowd gloving down the leg side to wicketkeeper Tom Latham in the third over of the innings, while three overs later, Henry had Stephan Myburgh edging to Martin Guptill at gully, where the latter took a good low catch.And while New Zealand’s debutant shone with the ball, Netherlands’ own debut batter Vikramjit Singh impressed with the bat, albeit only for a short while. Before becoming Tickner’s maiden ODI wicket, left-hand batter Vikramjit had shown signs of a young Darren Bravo with his compact technique, hitting four pleasing boundaries on his way to 19.He used soft hands to collect the first of those, before gently driving Henry down the ground and punching him with a short-arm jab through the covers for four. But from 41 for 2, Netherlands slipped further to lose another three wickets for as many runs as Tickner had Vikramjit caught at third man while Scott Edwards gifted a return catch to de Grandhomme, and Bas de Leede, whose father Tim was part of the only previous ODI meeting between the sides in 1996, also found third man off Tickner.That is when the union between captain Seelaar and Rippon began. Happy to nudge and tuck the ball to keep the scoreboard ticking, they slowly but steadily took their side towards hundred, as legspinner Ish Sodhi and debutant allrounder Michael Bracewell kept things tight. Seelaar swept them once each for four, but when on 43, ended up tickling down leg off Tickner to end the 80-run partnership.Rippon, who been pretty quiet until then, soon found the boundary and reached his half-century in the 45th over before being the last man out for 67. He kept dragging Netherlands by regularly running singles, and was involved in crucial partnerships with the tailenders to push his team to a respectable total. A cameo from van Beek and contributions from Philippe Boissevain took them past 200, but that would prove easily gettable for New Zealand in the end.

Henrique Hilario recently ended his 16-year spell at Chelsea to become England’s new goalkeeping coach.

The move sees the former Portugal international reunite with new England boss Thomas Tuchel, whom he worked under during the German’s time at Stamford Bridge.

Tuchel, who was appointed as Gareth Southgate’s successor in October, will begin his new role in the new year.

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Here’s everything you need to know about Hilario, who Jose Mourinho once said he’d consider playing as a striker.

Hilario's early career

Hilario – full name Henrique Hilario Meireles Alves Sampaio – was born in 1975, in Sao Pedro da Cova, Portugal. As a teenager, he joined the youth ranks of Porto, one of Portugal’s biggest clubs, before moving to Naval in 1994, where he made his professional debut.

Following a year at Naval and another with neighbours Academica, he re-joined Porto following the departure of Vítor Baia to Barcelona.

Across eight years at the Estadio do Dragao, Hilario made just 59 appearances for Porto and was loaned out to four different clubs, the last of which, Nacional, he was sold to in 2004.

Hilario joins Chelsea

Following two seasons at Nacional, Hilario moved to Chelsea in 2006 on a free transfer, joining former Porto boss Jose Mourinho.

Upon joining the Blues, Hilario, who was 30 years old and set to be behind Petr Cech and Carlo Cudicini in the pecking order, said: “I have come here with two aims, to work hard and to make it difficult for Mourinho.”

He added: “I want to complicate his life. There are many minutes in a season and I am going to work hard in order to earn the confidence of the coach.”

Mourinho said: “I already worked with him and I know he is intelligent. It’s necessary to be intelligent in order to be a substitute to the best goalkeeper in the world.”

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Posts ByBarney Lane Dec 2, 2024 Hilario's Chelsea career

Despite his intentions, Hilario was never able to complicate the life of Mourinho, nor any of the other Chelsea managers he played under.

He went on to make just 39 appearances for the Blues over eight seasons before retiring in 2014 at the age of 38.

He did have some memorable moments during his time in west London, including keeping a clean sheet in a 2-0 win over Liverpool in October 2009, and saving a penalty in Chelsea’s Community Shield victory against Manchester United the same year.

His most notable moment in blue was perhaps his debut, when he shut out European champions FC Barcelona in the group stages of the 2006/07 Champions League, helping Chelsea secure an unlikely 1-0 win.

Against Barca, Hilario pulled off saves to deny Lionel Messi and Ronaldinho, and was lauded by Mourinho after the game.

“Hilario showed his security from the first moment,” the Portuguese boss said. “The team gave him confidence and he gave confidence to the team. He played a comfortable game.”

Hilario's international career

Having been behind several goalkeepers in the pecking order on the international stage, opportunities were few and far between for the Portuguese. Hilario had turned out for Portugal at under-20 and under-21 level, as well as for his country’s B team.

Hilario only earned one senior international cap for his country, playing 45 minutes in a friendly win over China in March 2010, keeping a clean sheet in the process.

Hilario's return to Chelsea as GK coach

Two years after leaving Stamford Bridge, Hilario returned as an assistant goalkeeping coach under Antonio Conte. In 2018, he was promoted to the position of goalkeeping coach by Maurizio Sarri.

He kept that same role under the tenures of Frank Lampard, Tuchel, Graham Potter, Mauricio Pochettino and Enzo Maresca, helping develop the likes of Edouard Mendy, Kepa Arrizabalaga and Djordje Petrovic.

Mendy, who was Chelsea’s first-choice keeper during the 2020/21 and 2021/22 seasons, told the club’s official website that he “learned a lot with Hilario”.

Hilario's reunion with Tuchel at England

Word that Hilario could leave Chelsea for England first began to spread in October, when The Standard reported that Tuchel wanted the former Porto man as part of his new Three Lions backroom staff, along with performance analyst James Melbourne.

When asked about The Standard’s report in a press conference, Maresca replied: “I know that one of them has been approached; one of the analysts. We are quite open for people to leave and take their chances in case they want to take it.

“The other one, Hilario, I heard something but there has not been any approach yet. This is the only thing I know. We are open-minded in terms of allowing people to take chances and also we are happy to keep people who want to stay and if they want to go, they can go.”

Just a few weeks later, both Hilario and Melbourne left Chelsea for England, where they will begin work on 1st January when Tuchel officially takes charge.

Though their departure hasn’t been confirmed by Chelsea, The Telegraph reports that it is official.

Tumult in the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) appears to have quelled, but there remains uncertainty over women’s cricket as findings into a “complex” situation are set to be shared at the ICC board meeting on April 10.The swift return of the Taliban last year cast a pall over the fledgling women’s game in Afghanistan, exacerbated after public comments by ministers that women and girls would not be allowed to play sport.It led to calls for Afghanistan to be culled from the 2021 T20 World Cup and sparked debate over whether their Full Membership should be stripped. Cricket Australia postponed last November’s historic men’s Test with Afghanistan.But Afghanistan have continued playing international cricket and the ICC has preferred to wait until a working group tasked with investigating the situation provided its findings. Chaired by board veteran Imran Khwaja, the working group – which also includes Ross McCollum (Ireland chair), Ramiz Raja (Pakistan chair) and Lawson Naidoo (SA chair) – has liaised several times since its formation in November, interviewing past and present officials and closely monitoring developments at ACB.Related

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According to sources, in what is set to be its only recommendation to the ICC board, the working group has found 33-year-old Afghanistan allrounder Mirwais Ashraf’s appointment as chairman to be in compliance with the ACB and ICC constitutions. If accepted by the board then Ashraf will become an ICC board director.There was upheaval at the ACB in the aftermath of the Taliban takeover, with warring factions within the board trying to seize power for themselves. It culminated with Ashraf replacing Azizullah Fazli, who was in charge for just two months.”There needs to be stability within ACB,” a former ACB official who was interviewed by the working group, told ESPNcricinfo. “The chairman is meant to be in the role for three years. There needs to be clear directions (by the ICC) to the government that the constitution and procedures need to be met.”I told them (working group) that Afghanistan cricket shouldn’t be sabotaged because of the Taliban’s takeover of the country.”While there has been governance concerns and continual uncertainty over women’s cricket, revoking Afghanistan’s Full Membership was never really an option given their men’s team serves as a powerful symbol of hope and inspiration.”How can we punish the ACB for something they didn’t do?,” said an official with knowledge of the situation. “That’s out of the question. It’s not fair to pull the carpet out considering the progress they have made in developing Afghanistan cricket. If we start doing that then we have to banish half the (ICC) members.”Development and pathway structures for women’s cricket are part of strict criteria for Full Membership. When Afghanistan received it in 2017, an exemption was invoked on the proviso that they take active measures to develop women’s cricket. Before the Taliban takeover, the ACB had announced central contracts for a pool of women cricketers though they were still some way off fielding a team.After the Taliban’s takeover there were reports of female cricketers fleeing Afghanistan amid concern the regime would reinstate a ban on women and girls playing sport.”There is no way to know if women’s cricket is developing there right now,” an official familiar with the situation said. “The ACB is saying that women are still allowed to play. Indication is that the ACB is trying. Every country has an obligation to develop women’s cricket.””Women’s cricket was moving in the right direction prior to the situation changing,” McCollum told ESPNcricinfo. “The priority is to make sure their players are still available and can play. It’s a difficult situation. Afghanistan is complex.”In case complex becomes something a little more problematic, the working group contemplated the idea of controlled funding, where the ICC would make payments on behalf of the ACB (using Afghanistan’s share of the ICC’s money). It is a practice currently implemented due to the ACB having banking and foreign exchange issues since the Taliban seized power.”There is no impropriety at the moment and no reason to believe there would be danger of funds being sequestered,” an official said, with controlled funding not set to be part of the recommendations.The working group will convene a final time in Dubai to formalise its position before presenting to the ICC.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Corinthians avançou às semifinais do Campeonato Paulista ao bater o Guarani, nos pênaltis, por 7 a 6, após empate por 1 a 1 no tempo regulamentar. O técnico Vítor Pereira revelou que não contava com a disputa de pênaltis para avançar no estadual.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasVídeoVÍDEO: Veja os gols e as cobranças de pênalti que deram a classificação ao Corinthians na semifinal do PaulistãoVídeo24/03/2022CorinthiansJúnior Moraes admite que entrou ‘no sacrifício’, e fala sobre sua estreia pelo Corinthians: ‘Feliz de ajudar o time’Corinthians24/03/2022CorinthiansApesar do sufoco contra o Guarani, Renato Augusto elogia o Corinthians, mas faz ressalva: ‘Tem que melhorar muita coisa’Corinthians24/03/2022

> GALERIA – Relembre os jogos de mata-mata do Timão na Neo Química Arena

O treinador português achou que o Timão poderia ter feito mais gols no primeiro tempo, e disse que a equipe precisa melhorar nas bolas paradas.

– Ir aos pênaltis e ficar naquela ansiedade. Não contava com isso. Apesar de termos batido pênaltis ontem, nos preparando, mas foi um primeiro tempo de grande qualidade, deveríamos ter feito mais gols, daria tranquilidade para nós e à torcida para desfrutar um pouco mais do jogo. Levamos um gol de bola parada, que temos que corrigir, e a partir daí ficamos intranquilos – afirmou.

Na visão de VP, o gol do Bugre no começo do segundo foi determinante para a queda de rendimento do Corinthians. Ele completou dizendo que a equipe passou a ser mais emocional e menos racional.

-Foi o gol do Guarani, com a necessidade de fazer mais dois gols, nos precipitamos. Aí perdemos nosso jogo posicional, queríamos estar na área, demos espaço no contra-ataque, começamos a não estar preparados para a perda da bola, insistimos no corredor… Para mim tem a ver com o gol sofrido e a partir dali emocionalmente nos tornou menos racionais e mais emocionais

> TABELA – Confira os jogos e simule a reta final do Paulistão

Com o empate, o Time do Povo vai até o Morumbi enfrentar o São Paulo na semifinal do Paulistão. Na visão de Vítor Pereira, não há muita diferença em decidir a vaga para a final dentro ou fora de casa, mas ele ressaltou o desejo de contar com o apoio da Fiel. A semifinal está marcada para domingo (27), às 16h.

-Isso faz parte da minha personalidade, nunca atribuí um significado grande de jogar fora ou em casa. Já percebi que aqui no Brasil as torcidas têm uma força muito grande sobre o time. Gostaria muito de poder jogar em casa com o apoio da torcida, ajuda muito. Mas não podemos ser um time que joga em casa de um jeito e joga fora de outro – concluiu.

It’s safe to say that Tottenham’s season has been a turbulent mess, more specifically in the last few months.

Ange Postecoglou has been facing more questions as Spurs boss and it looked as though fans had run out of patience following the 1-0 defeat at Bournemouth earlier in the month.

Since then they blew a lead against Chelsea and could only draw 1-1 with Rangers in the Europa League.

So, a 5-0 win over Southampton that saw them 4-0 up within 25 minutes was just what the doctor ordered. It was about as comprehensive as you’re going to get in a Premier League game and has relieved the pressure significantly on the squad.

Yes, the Saints have been shocking for the most part this term but it’s not as though Spurs haven’t already dropped points against the likes of Crystal Palace and Ipswich already.

So, who starred on the away team at St Mary’s on Sunday?

Tottenham's best performers against Southampton

There were some bold selection calls from Postecoglou heading into this game and there needed to be following the draw against Rangers.

Timo Werner was unsurprisingly on the bench a few days on from the manager’s public outburst, slamming the forward in his post-match press conference at Ibrox.

The biggest surprise, however, saw Pedro Porro have to settle for a place among the substitutes, although he was forced to come on for the injured Destiny Udogie early in the first period.

While the Spurs defence kept a rare clean sheet, it was the forward players and midfielders who captured the eye the most.

The two key men were Heung-min Son and James Maddison. The latter opened the scoring and found the net once more while Son was more of the creator, setting up two goals but also finding the net himself on the south coast.

The other goal scorers were midfielder Dejan Kulusevski who maintained his fine run of form this term and Senegalese star Pape Sarr who made it four with only a quarter of the game done.

The attack will get their flowers but we want to send some praise in the direction of an 18-year-old; Archie Gray.

Performance in Numbers

Want data and stats? Football FanCast's Performance in Numbers series provides you with the latest match analysis from across Europe.

Archie Gray's performance in numbers vs Southampton

It’s safe to say that when Gray arrived from Leeds United in a £30m deal back in the summer he was not expected to play as a centre-back in a four-man defence.

The teenager had played most of last term at Elland Road as a right-back but he is a central midfielder by trade and has begun his Spurs career by featuring in both roles after moving to north London.

However, Tottenham’s defensive injury crisis has meant the youngster has been forced to play as a centre-half now on three occasions.

Now, doing so against a Southampton side who are so turgid in the final third was never going to be the most arduous of nights for young Gray but he performed admirably all the same, earning an 8/10 match rating from Football.London’s Alasdair Gold who was keen to note his ‘important late goal-saving tackle’.

Minutes played

90

Touches

101

Accurate passes

90/93 (97%)

Accurate long balls

2/4

Possession lost

4x

Duels won

2/2

Blocked shots

2

Interceptions

1

Tackles

1

It was certainly a competent display from the English talent who was so composed and so confident on the ball, showcasing those midfield qualities that have earned him rave reviews over the last few years.

In total, Gray had 101 touches of the ball, the most of any player on the field. Meanwhile, his 90 accurate passes were the highest number on the pitch as well, 12 more than the next best in Radu Dragusin.

Perhaps more impressive was his ability to win duels, coming away from the contest with a win rate of 100% from two battles.

Based on this performance and the composed nature of previous displays in a Spurs shirt, he is set to make a real name for himself as a Lilywhite in the forthcoming years.

Judging by his ability to play in a multitude of positions, the club may well have unearthed their next Eric Dier too.

Like Gray, the England international arrived at White Hart Lane as somebody who could play in midfield and full-back but swiftly transitioned into an out and out central defender.

Although some may bemoan some error-stricken performances at Tottenham, Dier was ultimately a fine servant, featuring on 365 occasions and never receiving a red card.

In Gray, they have a player of equally fine versatility and perhaps even someone with a higher ceiling than they ever had in the current Bayern Munich star.

Last night was very much all about the attack but let’s not forget those behind them.

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Lamine Yamal received a special welcome at a WWE Smackdown taping in Barcelona on Friday, meeting legend Triple H and receiving a personalised belt.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• WWE Champ Cody Rhodes poses for pic with young star
• Triple H heralded Yamal and Barcelona's bright future
• Wonderkid appeared with teammates Balde and Fort

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The WWE rolled out the red carpet for Barcelona's wunderkind on their first official televised event in the Catalonian capital. Yamal took the time to pose with Triple H, Drew McIntyre, and current Undisputed WWE Champion, Cody Rhodes.

Advertisement

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Yamal attended the event alongside his Barça teammates Alejandro Balde and Hector Fort. The three youngsters received a rapturous welcome by the fans in attendance. Playing to the crowd, the 17-year-old gleefully flashed his new hardware while sporting a massive grin.

• WHAT TRIPLE H AND DREW MCINTYRE SAID

  Both Triple H and Mcintyre took to their own X accounts to brag about meeting the young star.

• AFP
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR LAMINE YAMAL?

  Luckily, Yamal doesn't have to worry about defending his ceremonial belt. Instead his focus will turn to Barcelona's top-of-the-table clash with Atletico Madrid on Sunday night. Next week, he'll report for duty with Spain ahead of their Nations League double header against the Netherlands.

Leeds United missed the chance to move above Sheffield United at the Championship summit after falling to a frustrating 1-0 defeat to Blackburn Rovers on Saturday afternoon.

A win would have seen Daniel Farke’s men move into top spot in the division on goal difference, yet the Whites ultimately walked away with nothing, as Todd Cantwell’s first-half penalty proved to be the game’s defining moment.

The manner of the loss will no doubt rankle with Leeds supporters, not least Farke’s decision not to change things up until the 70th-minute mark, with those late alterations doing little to spark the visitors into life.

While the German tactician may then need to look at himself following that outing at Ewood Park, questions must also be asked of a number of his side on the day, with far too many having been off the boil.

How Leeds fared against Blackburn

While it may have been Ao Tanaka who bundled over Tyrhys Dolan to hand the hosts that decisive spot kick, the summer signing wasn’t alone in looking shaky defensively, with Junior Firpo having also been under-par at left-back.

The former Barcelona man notably lost the ball on 12 occasions and won just six of his 11 total duels, as per Sofascore, on what was the defender’s first outing since the defeat to Millwall.

Perhaps a greater issue, however, was the lack of creativity and quality in the attacking ranks, with United States international, Brenden Aaronson, failing to provide a single key pass in his number ten berth.

Stat

Highest ranking

Touches

Joe Rodon (116)

Accurate passes

Joe Rodon (90)

Key passes

Dan James (3)

Possession lost

Aynsley Pears (22)

Duels won

Tyrhys Dolan (10)

Aerial duels won

Danny Batth (6)

Tackles

Ao Tanaka (5)

Dribbled past

Tyrhys Dolan (4)

Shots on target

Wilfried Gnonto (3)

The former Red Bull Salzburg man was, unsurprisingly, among the trio to make way in that first raft of changes, having now gone five league games without contributing a goal or an assist. Grim reading for any playmaker.

In the words of journalist Beren Cross, the 24-year-old was “well off it”, as too – he said – was Joel Piroe, with the Dutch marksman again proving a major issue when leading the line.

The Leeds star who must now be dropped

Piroe, it must be said, remains something of an enigma for the Elland Road side. The one-time Swansea City and PSV Eindhoven man does boast a haul of seven goals this season, yet he is far from a traditional, orthodox number nine.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

As journalist Graham Smyth noted during the encounter, “part of Leeds’ problem” is the way in which Piroe seeks to drop deep or pop up in wide areas, rather than get himself inside the penalty area.

That said, the 25-year-old failed to offer much when he did move away from his centre-forward berth, having been restricted to just 27 touches in total – fewer than teammate Illan Meslier in the sticks (30).

Equally, the misfiring marksman – who did score last time out against Luton Town – also recorded a pass accuracy rate of just 73% and failed to win any of his four total duels, having also lost the ball on eight occasions prior to being withdrawn late on.

As Cross noted in his post-match player ratings for Leeds Live, Piroe – who was awarded a measly 3/10 match rating – was ‘really poor’ and ‘barely involved’, with a decision now needing to be made ahead of next week’s clash with Derby County.

With young Mateo Joseph offering a perfect alternative through the middle, it might be time for Farke to shake things up moving forward.

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3 ByDan Emery Nov 30, 2024

Bracewell’s inclusion continues his rise in the game which has included a Test call-up

ESPNcricinfo staff12-May-2022

Allrounder James Neesham has lost his New Zealand contract as Michael Bracewell earns his first deal and Ajaz Patel returns to the 20-player list.In what is a largely stable group of players, there was a vacancy created by the retirement of Ross Taylor while Bracewell, who was recently included in the Test squad to tour England after making his international debut against Netherlands in March, effectively replaces Neesham.Neesham, who has not featured in Test cricket since 2017, played nine T20Is in the last 12 months, featuring in the T20 World Cup, making 92 runs in seven innings at a strike-rate of 135.29 and taking three wickets with an economy of 8.20.He last played an ODI in March 2021, where he took a five-wicket haul against Bangladesh, missing New Zealand’s only games since then – the three match series against Netherlands – due to his IPL deal.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

However, head coach Gary Stead said that the door was not closed on Neesham. After the IPL, where he has only played one match for Rajasthan Royals so far, he will head to England for a T20 Blast stint with Northamptonshire and could yet come into consideration for New Zealand’s upcoming limited-overs series.”It doesn’t mean that Jimmy Neesham won’t play for New Zealand again,” Stead said. “It’s the process of contracting, not the process of selection.”Bracewell’s contract caps an impressive rise for him over the last few months during which he has been called up to all three formats and named the Super Smash player of the season.Meanwhile, left-arm spinner Patel is back in the main group despite not featuring in the Test side since taking all 10 wickets in the innings against India.Related

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“Finalising the list seems to get tougher by the year,” Stead said. “The busy international calendar means we’re calling on a wider base of talent these days and the likes of Michael Bracewell is testament to the depth of that talent.”Michael’s been consistently performing on the domestic circuit for seasons now and we certainly see him as an international prospect in all three formats.”It’s great to see Ajaz back on the list after narrowly missing out last season. His value as our leading red-ball spinner is clear and we’re excited to see the role he could play in the Test team going forward.”New Zealand’s Test squad departs for England at the weekend ahead of their three-Test series next month. That is followed by limited-overs series against Ireland, Scotland, Netherlands and West Indies which takes them through to August.

Along with an undisclosed sum, New Zealand will play extra games when the two sides meet in Pakistan next year

ESPNcricinfo staff19-May-2022New Zealand have come to a agreement to compensate Pakistan for pulling out of a bilateral series last year. It involves New Zealand Cricket (NZC) paying an undisclosed amount to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), as well as agreeing to play extra games when the two sides meet in Pakistan next year. New Zealand have also invited Pakistan to take part in a T20 tri-series at home ahead of the World Cup in Australia, which Pakistan have in principle accepted. That series is understood to include Bangladesh as the third team.New Zealand pulled out of their scheduled white-ball tour of Pakistan minutes before the start of the first ODI of the tour, citing a “specific and credible” security threat. The PCB made their displeasure plain over the days that followed, and demanded financial recompense for broadcasting, logistics and security expenses incurred.ESPNcricnfo understands the issue has been resolved although neither board has made any official public pronouncement on the matter.New Zealand’s pull-out citing security reasons last September was viewed as a major setback for Pakistan in their bid to ensure international cricket returns home. It was followed by England pulling out of a short tour the following month, though that decision generated significant blowback, both in Pakistan and beyond. Pakistan has since undone much of the damage those withdrawals caused, hosting West Indies in December, a full Pakistan Super League season as well as a historic all-format tour of Australia.Pakistan are next due to host West Indies for the ODI leg of a bilateral tour that had to be postponed due to a Covid outbreak in the West Indies camp last December.