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O Palmeiras anunciou, na tarde desta sexta-feira (31), a contratação de Artur. Revelado pelo Verdão, o jogador volta ao clube após três temporadas no Bragantino. O atacante falou sobre o reencontro com antigos companheiros e se declarou ao Verdão, reiterando a honra de voltar a vestir a camisa alviverde.

>Palmeiras segue com dúvida no ataque e faz trabalhos táticos antes da final do Paulistão; veja provável time

– Estou muito feliz, é uma honra estar representando este manto novamente. Aprendi a amar o clube desde a base, que fiz toda aqui. Estou me sentindo completamente em casa, espero ganhar mais títulos com essa camisa. Era um sonho estar aqui, não pensei duas vezes. É um clube que eu e minha família amamos bastante – disse Artur.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasPalmeirasRescisão com o Bragantino é registrada no BID, e Artur aparece com a camisa do PalmeirasPalmeiras31/03/2023PalmeirasPalmeiras segue com dúvida no ataque e faz trabalhos táticos antes da final do Paulistão; veja provável timePalmeiras31/03/2023PalmeirasCom Palmeiras perto de anunciar Artur, Abel explica reforço para a ponta: ‘Necessidade lógica’Palmeiras31/03/2023

– Trabalhei com Weverton, Marcos Rocha, Gustavo Gómez, Luan, que é um grande parceiro. Tem algumas carinhas novas ali, mas vou conhecer todo mundo o mais rápido possível. Estou me sentindo em casa, são ótimos profissionais, que se mantiveram aqui pelo alto nível de desempenho.

O atacante também elogiou o técnico Abel Ferreira e todo o elenco palmeirense, afirmando que retornou ao clube com o intuito de ganhar mais títulos. Além disso, falou sobre as expectativas se der treinado pelo português.

– De fora, a gente acompanhava o trabalho magnífico do Abel e de todo o elenco, tendo a percepção de que o time tem uma identidade formada. Uma equipe muito esforçada, determinada e focada. Quero estar o mais rápido possível no elenco, vim para somar e buscar mais títulos – afirmou o jogador.

-Vou escutar todas as instruções que ele tem para mim. Tenho certeza que ele tem facilidade para ganhar o grupo, com uma capacidade de comunicação incrível. Estou ansioso para conhecê-lo, assim como sua comissão técnica.

> Abel fala das chances do Palmeiras na final do Paulistão: ‘Se não igualarmos na vontade, teremos dificuldades’

Nascido em Fortaleza, Artur iniciou a carreira nas categorias de base do Ceará e chegou ao Palmeiras em 2015, quando tinha 16 anos. Seguiu sua trajetória até chegar à equipe profissional, atuando em dez partidas

O contrato do atacante com o Verdão vai até até dezembro de 2027 e terá opção para renovar por mais um ano. Os palmeirenses pagarão, ao todo, 9 milhões de euros (cerca de R$ 50 milhões) para tirar o atleta do Massa Bruta. A compra foi de 90% dos direitos econômicos, sendo que os outros 10% já pertenciam ao clube alviverde.

– Estou pronto, fiz uma bela pré-temporada e estou me preparando mais ainda mentalmente, porque não é fácil vestir esta camisa, a gente sabe o peso que tem. Tenho que trabalhar bastante e tenho certeza de que vamos ganhar o título do Paulista – finalizou o atacante.

Chelsea have completed the signing of Alejandro Garnacho from Manchester United.

Chelsea sign GarnachoWinger joins Blues for £40mGarnacho had been exiled by AmorimFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Garnacho has signed a seven-year contract with the Blues after the two Premier League clubs agreed a deal worth a fixed £40 million fee ($54m) with a 10 per cent sell-on clause, Goal understands. The 21-year-old has become Chelsea’s latest new arrival following the earlier signings of Liam Delap, Joao Pedro, Jamie Gittens and Jorrel Hato, while Estevao, Dario Essugo, Mamadou Sarr and Kendry Paez all joined following pre-existing agreements.

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Garnacho had been linked with Chelsea for some time after being told – alongside Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, Antony and Tyrell Malacia – that he was not part of United manager Ruben Amorim’s plans for the 2025-26 season.

WHAT GARNACHO SAID

Speaking to Chelsea's official club website, Garnacho said of his move: "It’s an incredible moment for my family and I to join this great club. I can’t wait to get started. 

"I watched the Club World Cup and to join the world champions is special – we’re the best team in the world! It’s amazing to be here and I’m very happy."

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Emerging through United’s youth academy, Garnacho made his senior debut for the club in a 1-1 draw with Chelsea in the Premier League in April 2022. He then became a regular in the United first team, helping the Red Devils win the Carabao Cup in 2022-23 and the FA Cup in 2023-24 under Erik ten Hag’s stewardship. However Garnacho endured a difficult relationship with current United boss Amorim, with the winger being omitted – alongside Rashford – from the matchday squad which faced rivals Manchester City in the derby in December 2024. And Garnacho would later express his frustration at only being used as a 71st-minute substitute in United's 1-0 loss to Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League final in May.

League rules stipulate that every draw goes straight to penalty kicks, a rule that has had a major impact in MLS Next Pro and beyond

Every single week, MLS Next Pro side Carolina Core have a routine in training. They finish a session of set piece work: corners, free kicks, long throws – the works. 

And then, at the end of practice, the squad is split in half. Both teams line up, facing the goal. Sometimes, there’s crowd noise, pumped through on speakers. But every time, the fundamental ritual is the same: the whole squad simulates a penalty shootout. 

This is not an uncommon thing in soccer in tournament play – or when knockout matches are on the calendar. But week in, week out? It’s unusual. Yet it’s also vital in MLS Next Pro. The second division of North America’s flagship soccer organization has, from day one, implemented a system in which every draw in the regular season will end in a penalty shootout – with the winning team taking home one extra point. 

From the outside, it might seem gimmicky, or even a parody of what “real” soccer looks like. But for the league, the players, and the coaches, it might yet be a crucial part of development – and the kind of rule that gives American players an edge on the biggest of stages. 

“We’ve had a lot of success with it. Players are getting these development opportunities, which is healthy and that's good,” Ali Curtis, senior vice president of MLS Next Pro, told GOAL.

• Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
  

  Developing something new

  There are all sorts of aspects to player development. Most teams, in most leagues, focus on the minutiae, the tiny stuff that has to be developed with rep-after-rep: scanning, receiving the ball on the correct foot, knowing when to execute an offside trap, or how to bend a run behind an opposing defense. 

  Those things have to be honed on a daily basis. They can’t be taught as much as learned. But they are invaluable in molding a soccer player. 

  Penalties, meanwhile, are a different beast, and something the rest of the world has been reluctant to touch – at least, in a practical sense. Shootouts, we are told, come down to a psychological battle, a player taking on a goalkeeper in a meeting of minds. It’s all about having a plan, doing your research, and executing it. 

  There are thousands of studies, some of them written by real-life goalkeepers, that turn a simple, isolated moment into a complex mathematical equation. 

  MLS Next Pro’s response to that? Integrate penalties into as many games as possible – and see what happens.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  'Some of the critical moments'

  Curtis was there at the beginning. He has a fine resume in the scope of American soccer. An MLS vet who has either played or spent time with five clubs, he took part in the original discussions as to how, exactly, MLS Next Pro could work. 

  Their central thesis was that they wanted to piece together a league that focused on player development. Sure, there was money involved, and fans to entertain. But they wanted to train youngsters to reach a higher level. A slew of rules and regulations were tossed around. But one that stuck was the rather simple idea that every single tie should end in a penalty shootout.

  “Those are some of the critical moments that a game can come down to. And we thought that for a couple of different reasons, one from a player development perspective, but then also from a fan experience perspective,” Curtis said. 

  And there’s logic to this thing. Penalties had become mathematics. Around 85 percent of penalties are converted during regulation time. That figure drops to around 75 percent in shootouts. Roughly 10 percent – shootout or otherwise – are saved. The remainder are basically shanked. 

  But those numbers, fun as they might be, are entirely abstract. MLS Next Pro wanted to make them a little more human, a little more tangible. 

  “It’s really hard to train for a shootout. It's hard to develop,” Curtis said. “It's the type of thing that you don't really get unless you have real reps in meaningful competition. It doesn't matter how much you train for them, or you practice for them, you don't really get good at them until you just are part of them in a meaningful game.”

• Imagn
  

  'We had some reservations'

  There was a bit of hesitation, though. 

  “To be honest… we had some reservations because we were launching a new league, and you want that league to be authentic and for people to view it as good for the game,” Curtis said. 

  Still, after debate, the idea of innovation is what stuck. Soccer, more broadly, is resistant to change. For a long time, for example, goalkeepers were allowed to use their hands to pick up backpasses. Offside is tweaked all of the time. Golden goal, handball rules, goalline technology have all been met with some version of resistance. 

  MLS Next Pro admitted that there would be some pushback. But they knew that evolution – not wholesale change – could only be a good thing. 

  “Whenever you're trying to adjust or modify a game that's rich in tradition, you want to ensure that you're not changing it. You're just kind of evolving it to what kind of makes sense,” Curtis said.

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  'It does something for the fans'

  It helps, too, that fans are guaranteed to see the ball hit the back of the net with increased regularity.  It has long been a complaint among American soccer detractors that this sport is boring. Scoreless draws don’t happen in any other American sport. At all. Even lower-scoring sports – hockey, for instance – finish in Golden Goal overtime. 

  That is a stereotype that has faded with time. This country has embraced the sport more. There is a broader understanding that 90 compelling minutes can still bring about an enthralling scoreless draw. Goalkeepers have good days. Woodwork gets peppered. 

  But the thrill of seeing the ball hit the back of the net – especially for a match-going fan – cannot be replicated. It’s something you can’t quite see from home, Core coach Donovan Ricketts said, but the specific moment of ecstasy – or dread – brought about by seeing your team either score or concede isn’t felt in the same way from a couch. 

  “It does something for the fans, because the fans look forward to it. They like the shootout,” Ricketts said. 

  There’s just something satisfying and compelling – knowing you’ll see successful strikes – as well some occasionally dramatic saves. 

  “It's always exciting to watch a goal hit the back of the net. And from that perspective, I think that that's been a bonus… it's also a really nice element from a fan engagement,” Curtis said.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Nova Iguaçu faz o seu jogo mais importante do ano nesta quarta-feira, 15. O time da Baixada Fluminense vai enfrentar o Nova Mutum-MT, às 15h30, noEstádio Jânio Moraes, o Laranjão, pela segunda fase da Copa do Brasil. O vencedor do duelo avança à terceira fase. Se houver empate no tempo normal, a decisão pela vaga será nos pênaltis.

NOVA IGUAÇU X NOVA MUTUM-MT
Data: 15/03
Horário: 15h30
Local: Estádio Jânio Moraes, Laranjão
Onde assistir:Premiere e SporTV

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MatériaMais Notícias

A CBF confirmou as datas, horários e transmissões das primeiras 10 rodadas do Campeonato Brasileiro. A competição começa no dia 15 de abril, um sábado, que vai contar com sete jogos. Os primeiros confrontos serão Palmeiras x Cuiabá, no Allianz Parque, e América-MG x Fluminense, no Independência, ambos às 16h.

Alguns clássicos nacionais serão disputados nesta primeira rodada, como Botafogo x São Paulo, Atlético-MG x Vasco, Corinthians x Cruzeiro e Grêmio x Santos.

+ Saiba os jogadores que mais ganham de fornecedoras de material esportivo

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasBotafogoMarçal destaca garra do Botafogo e parabeniza Gustavo Sauer: ‘Tem trabalhado quietinho’Botafogo02/04/2023BotafogoBotafogo joga mal, mas vence Audax de virada no jogo de ida da final da Taça RioBotafogo02/04/2023PalmeirasAbel não pretende mudar planejamento do Palmeiras para Libertadores: ‘Se tiver que jogar os onze, vão jogar os onze’Palmeiras02/04/2023

TABELA DO BRASILEIRÃO

1ª RODADA
Sábado (15/04)
16h Palmeiras x Cuiabá – Premiere
16h América-MG x Fluminense – Premiere
18h30 Botafogo x São Paulo – Premiere
18h30 Red Bull Bragantino x Bahia – Premiere
18h30 Athletico-PR x Goiás – Rede Furacão
18h30 Fortaleza x Internacional – Premiere
21h Atlético-MG x Vasco – SporTV e Premiere
Domingo (16/04)
16h Flamengo x Coritiba – Globo e Premiere
16h Corinthians x Cruzeiro – Globo e Premiere
18h30 Grêmio x Santos – SporTV e Premiere

2ª RODADA
Sábado (22/04)
16h Fluminense x Athletico-PR – Premiere
18h30 São Paulo x América-MG – Premiere
18h30 Coritiba x Fortaleza – Premiere
18h30 Cuiabá x Red Bull Bragantino – Premiere
21h Cruzeiro x Grêmio – SporTV e Premiere
Domingo (23/04)
11h Internacional x Flamengo – Premiere
16h Vasco x Palmeiras – Globo e Premiere
16h Santos x Atlético-MG – Globo e Premiere
19h Goiás x Corinthians – Premiere
Segunda-feira (24/04)
20h Bahia x Botafogo – SporTV e Premiere

3ª RODADA
Sábado (29/04)
16h30 Coritiba x São Paulo – Premiere
16h30 Fortaleza x Fluminense – Premiere
18h30 Palmeiras x Corinthians – Premiere
18h30 Santos x América-MG – Premiere
18h30 Red Bull Bragantino x Cruzeiro – Premiere
21h Atlético-MG x Athletico-PR SporTV e Premiere
Domingo (30/04)
16h Flamengo x Botafogo – Globo e Premiere
18h30 Internacional x Goiás – Premiere
18h30 Cuiabá x Grêmio – Premiere
Segunda-feira (01/05)
20h Vasco x Bahia – SporTV e Premiere

4ª RODADA
Sábado (06/05)
16h Cruzeiro x Santos – Premiere
21h Fluminense x Vasco – SporTV e Premiere
Domingo (07/05)
11h América-MG x Cuiabá – Premiere
16h São Paulo x Internacional – Globo e Premiere
16h Athletico-PR x Flamengo – Globo e Rede Furacão
16h Bahia x Coritiba – Globo e Premiere
18h30 Botafogo x Atlético-MG – Premiere
18h30 Goiás x Palmeiras – Premiere
18h30 Grêmio x Red Bull Bragantino – SporTV e Premiere
Segunda-feira (08/05)
20h Corinthians x Fortaleza – Premiere

5ª RODADA
Quarta-feira (10/05)
19h Santos x Bahia – Premiere
19h Red Bull Bragantino x América-MG – Premiere
19h Internacional x Athletico-PR – SporTV e Premiere
20h Flamengo x Goiás – Premiere
20h Cuiabá x Atlético-MG – Premiere
21h30 Palmeiras x Grêmio – Globo e Premiere
21h30 Cruzeiro x Fluminense – Globo e Premiere
Quinta-feira (11/05)
19h Botafogo x Corinthians – Premiere
19h Coritiba x Vasco – Premiere
20h Fortaleza x São Paulo – SporTV e Premiere

6ª RODADA
Sábado (13/05)
16h Bahia x Flamengo – Premiere
18h30 Fluminense x Cuiabá – Premiere
18h30 Palmeiras x Red Bull Bragantino – Premiere
21h Atlético-MG x Internacional – SporTV e Premiere
Domingo (14/05)
16h Vasco x Santos – Globo e Premiere
16h Corinthians x São Paulo – Globo e Premiere
16h Grêmio x Fortaleza – Globo e Premiere
18h30 Goiás x Botafogo – Premiere
18h30 Athletico-PR x Coritiba – Rede Furacão
18h30 América-MG x Cruzeiro – SporTV e Premiere

7ª RODADA
Sábado (20/05)
16h Red Bull Bragantino x Athletico-PR – Premiere
16h Bahia x Goiás – Premiere
16h América-MG x Fortaleza – Premiere
18h30 Botafogo x Fluminense – Premiere
18h30 São Paulo x Vasco – Premiere
18h30 Coritiba x Atlético-MG – Premiere
21h Santos x Palmeiras – SporTV e Premiere
Domingo (21/05)
16h Flamengo x Corinthians – Globo e Premiere
18h30 Grêmio x Internacional – Premiere
Segunda-feira (22/05)
20h Cruzeiro x Cuiabá – SporTV e Premiere

8ª RODADA
Sábado (27/05)
16h Fortaleza x Vasco – Premiere
18h30 Flamengo x Cruzeiro – Premiere
18h30 Cuiabá x Coritiba – Premiere
21h São Paulo x Goiás – SporTV e Premiere
Domingo (28/05)
16h Corinthians x Fluminense – Globo e Premiere
16h Internacional x Bahia – Globo e Premiere
18h30 Atlético-MG x Palmeiras – Premiere
18h30 Athletico-PR x Grêmio – Rede Furacão
19h Botafogo x América – Premiere
Segunda-feira (29/05)
20h Red Bull Bragantino x Santos – SporTV e Premiere

9ª RODADA
Sábado (03/06)
16h Athletico-PR x Botafogo – Rede Furacão
16h Fortaleza x Bahia – Premiere
18h30 Vasco x Flamengo – Premiere
18h30 Cruzeiro x Atlético-MG – Premiere
18h30 América-MG x Corinthians – Premiere
21h Santos x Internacional – SporTV e Premiere
Domingo (04/06)
16h Fluminense x Red Bull Bragantino – Globo e Premiere
16h Grêmio x São Paulo – Globo e Premiere
18h30 Palmeiras x Coritiba – SporTV e Premiere
18h30 Goiás x Cuiabá – Premiere

10ª RODADA
Sábado (10/06)
16h Coritiba x Santos – Premiere
18h30 Botafogo x Fortaleza – Premiere
18h30 Atlético-MG x Red Bull Bragantino – Premiere
21h Bahia x Cruzeiro – SporTV e Premiere
Domingo (11/06)
11h América-MG x Athletico-PR – Premiere
16h Internacional x Vasco – Globo e Premiere
18h30 Flamengo x Grêmio – Premiere
18h30 Goiás x Fluminense – SporTV e Premiere
A definir
São Paulo x Palmeiras – Globo e Premiere
Corinthians x Cuiabá – Premiere

Arsenal have bid farewell to Lia Walti after seven years at the club, as the Switzerland captain joins Italian champions Juventus.

Walti leaves Arsenal on WSL deadline dayMidfielder joins Juventus after seven years in LondonGunners don't have much time to replace herFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Walti joined the Gunners back in 2018, after five seasons in Germany with Turbine Potsdam, and enjoyed immediate success as part of the team that ended Arsenal's seven-year wait for another Women's Super League title. From there, she grew into a key player for the north London club, but those minutes became much more reduced last term, making her decision to leave less surprising. She departs on a real high, too, after helping the Gunners upset Barcelona in the Champions League final back in May.

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Arsenal's loss is Juventus' gain, with the Italian champions signing an experienced and supremely talented midfielder to bolster that area of the pitch. Walti, who pens a deal until 2027, will bring excellent leadership and real quality on the ball to a team that is still growing in the wider women's game. Juve are one of the best teams in Italy, but are still taking steps forward in the Champions League.

WHAT WALTI SAID

"This is without any doubt one of the hardest decisions I've ever had to take in my life, to leave this football club," Walti said upon the announcement of her move. "Arsenal is so much more than just a football club for me, it became my home, my second family, my safe place, a place I always wanted to return to and all I have in my heart right now are just beautiful memories I will always keep with me. I think the most important thing for me is as well the friendships and the relationships I've created with the people because that means so much more than just playing football.

"It's important that you leave your heart on the pitch and that's what I tried every time I stepped on that pitch with that shirt. I think it's funny when you create your home, your new family and your safe place, then you can't obviously picture yourself somewhere else and I think that was really hard right now. Thank you to the fans, you made us feel unstoppable and thanks to everybody who supported me on that journey and thanks for everything, Arsenal."

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Walti's departure leaves Arsenal a little light in midfield. The Gunners have been linked with a move for Eintracht Frankfurt Geraldine Reuteler in recent days, who was one of the breakout stars of Euro 2025. However, the Switzerland international, who was named vice-captain at the club earlier this week, appears to be staying put.

"Gery has been with Eintracht Frankfurt for a very long time. We are delighted that she is and will remain part of our team," Katharina Kiel, Frankfurt's technical director, said on Tuesday. "She has demonstrated her importance not only in the past through the European Championship, but also long before that. We are looking forward to the new season with her."

Sourav Ganguly’s autobiography covers a fascinating period in Indian cricket, though the focus remains squarely on him

Suresh Menon31-Mar-2018It was never easy to be Sourav Ganguly. When he started out, he was seen as a “quota” selection from the East. When he was made captain, it was seen as endorsement of the theory that captains usually came from the most powerful zone in the country, in this case thanks to Jagmohan Dalmiya. When he made everything look simple, he was accused of being too casual; when he dug in and defended, he was denying his natural game.Ganguly fought through all this, emerging as one of India’s most elegant batsmen, and its toughest captain, with a shrewd understanding of where to look for talent and how to nurture it.On the 1991-92 tour of Australia, he was a teenager and was treated like an unwanted child, the Indian team seldom the most welcoming to newcomers; Ganguly, self-confident, and from a privileged background, rubbed the captain and the management the wrong way.He paid a price on that tour – it was five years before he made his Test debut – but his pain led to immense gain for India. He vowed that when he came into a position of authority (which, to his mind, was inevitable), he would change the culture: youngsters would be made to feel comfortable and given a fair run. His captaincy, he says in this memoir (rather intriguingly marketed as a “manual for living”), was based on “proper identification of talent, and then ensuring the young finds played fearless cricket”.As players emerged from the cricketing outposts of Ranchi, Jalandhar, Najafgarh, Kochi, Shrirampur, he built a team, injecting it with his own brand of self-belief. Players like MS Dhoni, Harbhajan Singh, Virender Sehwag and Zaheer Khan swore by him.If Tiger Pataudi led the original self-respect movement in Indian cricket, Ganguly led the second. “While attempting to win, if I lost,” he says, “I didn’t mind. [I] absolutely detested draws.” That was Pataudi’s motto too, but he lacked the team to carry it out.Ganguly had his flaws, but his impact ensured that he was a significant captain. In the end, with over 7000 runs from 113 Tests and 11,000-plus from 311 one-day internationals, he came into the mix for an all-time India team, a certainty in the shorter version.Indian cricketers’ accounts fall into three categories, as recent efforts have shown. Sachin Tendulkar’s “newspaper clippings” style, written with the care of someone walking a narrow corridor careful not to touch either wall, told us nothing new. At the other end of the scale is Sanjay Manjrekar’s effort, which was honest, exposed some painful details and placed his career in context.Ganguly’s book falls in between – neither as dry and colourless as Tendulkar’s nor as revealing and personal as Manjrekar’s.His relationship with Greg Chappell, which had the Indian media in overdrive for a period, is discussed. But more interesting is his relationship with Rahul Dravid (they made their Test debut together at Lord’s in 1996), which survived despite the hurt Ganguly felt at being pushed out of the charmed circle later in his career.Juggernaut BooksThis is not a full autobiography but a memoir, highlighting some incidents rather than presenting an overarching narrative. The title is a wry reference to what more it takes to succeed. Ganguly’s habit of referring to himself in the third person is both irritating and revealing, giving us a glimpse into the way his mind works.Of the big issues in the game in his time, notably match-fixing, there is little. His own remarkable role in restoring pride to Indian cricket after a former captain and some players had been found guilty of fixing would make for a whole other book. Without Ganguly’s captaincy, and the presence of Tendulkar, Dravid, Anil Kumble, Javagal Srinath and Venkatesh Prasad, Indian cricket would have taken years to recover. “It seemed,” as Ganguly says, “the ordinary Ram and Shyam had lost their faith in cricket and cricketers.”At the turn of the century, Ganguly put together a new team, a new culture and a new attitude that has served Indian cricket well since. He inspired extreme reactions – if Bengal thought he was god’s gift to cricket, others thought he was a spoilt brat with a strong sense of entitlement. When he was yet to play Tests, I once wrote that he had the potential to be the finest left-hand batsman the country has produced. He thanked me for the observation, but his ambition clearly went beyond that.Of the players of India’s golden age, he was the most fascinating personally, and had to fight the hardest to make his name. But in the end, he changed the face of Indian cricket. The full details of that transformation are not in this book (written with veteran cricket writer Gautam Bhattacharya), but what is there is interesting enough.A Century is Not Enough: My Roller Coaster Ride to Success
By Sourav Ganguly with Gautam Bhattacharya
Juggernaut
258 pages, Rs 699 (hardback)

England have had a tough time away from home in Test cricket of late. Following Boult and Southee’s masterclass in swing bowling, there’s little to indicate that Auckland will be any different

Andrew McGlashan in Auckland22-Mar-2018″Rock up for New Zealand’s first day-night Test” has been the call in Auckland this week. Don’t be late, it should have added.Those leisurely wandering in towards late afternoon were in for a shock. By the time of the first drinks break, England had lost seven wickets. Chris Woakes barely had his pads on when he walked out to bat. For a fleeting moment it appeared New Zealand would finally hand off one of their most unwanted records: the lowest Test score of 26, made against England at Eden Park in 1955. This on the ground which, last month, had 488 runs in a T20I. The short boundaries weren’t much use for England today.When No. 10 Stuart Broad came to the crease they were still three short of New Zealand’s 63-year low. A sliced four through point from No. 9 Craig Overton took them past that ignominy, and later a six from the same batsman over the square-leg boundary ushered England past their lowest ever total of 45. It was grim. There was nothing this poor in the Ashes.”There have been periods when we’ve been off for 30 minutes and it’s really cost us.”That was Joe Root on the eve of the first Test when reflecting on what England had to improve on after the Ashes. Then, in 94 minutes they were all out. The past week has involved much talk of learning, tinkering and putting right a horrid overseas record that includes nine defeats in the last 11 matches. England’s longest winless streak away from home is 12 – they will do well not to equal that now.Yet, while the scoreline is extreme, the overall position of New Zealand being in control should not really be viewed as anything other than things panning out as per the form guide. Since 2011, only Australia and South Africa have won Test series in this country. New Zealand is a small nation, but on home soil they pack a punch.On the eve of the Test, Root was asked about the comparison between the Australia pace attack his team faced – Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins – and the line-up of New Zealand. He said all the right things about their skill and proven qualities. As well as any of the Australia trio bowled over those five Tests, though, nothing was better than Trent Boult’s career-best 6 for 32. He had the ball on a string.The deliveries to Alastair Cook and Dawid Malan pitched full at off stump and forced the left-handers to play. Yes, there was static footwork, but the outside edge was constantly challenged. The ball to Root was a beauty that shaped back in late and beat a drive far too expansive for the moment. A duck for the England captain after he had bitten the bullet and moved himself up to No. 3. Ben Stokes, playing his first first-class match since early September, was beaten by Boult’s skiddy pace and Woakes was nowhere near his drive.The ball was a different colour, but there were memories of his magnificent spell against Australia at the 2015 World Cup, when he tore out their middle order. He had also prospered in his two previous Tests at Eden Park, taking seven wickets against England in 2013 and six against India in 2014. This is Boult land, whether with white, red or pink ball.At the other end, his partner-in-crime Tim Southee, who has had to play third-fiddle in recent times behind Boult and Neil Wagner, took 4 for 25. On this occasion, as in another famous World Cup match from 2015 in Wellington, he challenged the batsmen with just enough movement. Mark Stoneman was forced to play full on off stump, Jonny Bairstow bunted a return catch – probably the worst of the top-order dismissals given the shot came at 18 for 5 – and Moeen Ali missed a full toss. His fourth, however, was all down to Kane Williamson’s wonder grab at gully.Wagner, New Zealand’s leading bowler over the last two years, only got as far as loosening up. That should make for an interesting beer when he catches up with Cook. It was the first time New Zealand had dismissed a side by using just two bowlers.Yet, even accounting for the excellence of the bowling, it was an embarrassing display from England. They did not see this two-Test series as the moment to make significant changes after the Ashes, although in the end James Vince lost his place due to the uncertainty over Stokes’ bowling workload. In truth, many of the dismissals smacked of players short of time in the middle but it would be unfair on New Zealand to make this another debate about truncated warm-ups. Suffice to say, England were badly off the pace with the pink ball in Hamilton.Their batting woes followed them into the field. There was a run-out chance first ball of the innings, when Jeet Raval called for a nervous single to cover. Then Broad had another dropped chance chalked against his name when Root spilled Raval at second slip. The 400th wicket had to wait a bit longer. A captain thinking of other things? He certainly had much to ponder.

Joginder Sharma, the man who picked up Misbah-ul-Haq’s wicket to give India victory in the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007, has announced his retirement from all forms of cricket.”My journey from 2002-2017 has been the most wonderful years of my life for it was an honour representing India at the highest level of sport,” Joginder said in a statement. “To all my team-mates, coaches, mentors and support staff: It has been an absolute privilege to have played with you all, and, I thank you all for helping turn my dream into reality.”I am excited to announce that I will be exploring new opportunities in the world of cricket & the business side of it, where I will also continue to participate in the sport that I love and challenge myself in new and different environment. I believe that this is the next step in my journey as a cricketer and I look forward to this new chapter in my life.”Related

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Joginder represented India in four ODIs and as many T20Is between 2004 and 2007, picking up a total of five wickets. In the final moments of the 2007 T20 World Cup final against Pakistan, Joginder was handed the ball by captain MS Dhoni to bowl the final over. With Pakistan needing six runs off four balls with one wicket remaining, he got Misbah to scoop to Sreesanth at short fine-leg and set off the celebrations. He never played for India again.He was part of Chennai Super Kings in the IPL for the first four seasons, where he picked up 12 wickets in 16 matches. Representing Haryana in domestic cricket, he played a total of 77 first-class matches, 80 List A matches, and 43 T20s. He last played competitive cricket in 2017, for Haryana in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.While still an active cricketer, Joginder joined the police department in his home state of Haryana, and now serves as a deputy superintendent of police. He was on the front lines during the fight against Covid-19 and, more recently, took part in the 2022 Legends League Cricket tournament.

The visitors needed less than six overs on the final day to secure a big victory

AAP24-Feb-2023

Western Australia captain Sam Whiteman believes Cameron Bancroft is deserving of an international recall after the former Test opener turned in a player-of-the-match showing in a thumping win over Tasmania.The Sheffield Shield holders cruised to a 383-run victory at Bellerive Oval, with the hosts dismissed for just 120 early on the final day.With five wins from eight outings, the win leaves Western Australia closing in on hosting the season decider for the second year in a row.Bancroft made batting look easy in the second innings scoring 176 not out – more than Tasmania’s entire team managed in either innings.Bancroft’s fourth century of the summer took his tally well past Test squad member Peter Handscomb at the top of this season’s Shield run-scorer list.”Cameron Bancroft is having an amazing season, he is so confident and his game is in such a good place and I’m sure an Australian call-up wouldn’t be far away,” said Whiteman.Western Australia suffered a first defeat of the season last week in Adelaide, but their quality was on display over three-and-a-bit days in Hobart.After being sent in to bat, Western Australia overcame a challenging start to post 300 with wicketkeeper Josh Inglis scoring 116.”It is really pleasing after a disappointing week in Adelaide last week to bounce back like this,” Whiteman said.”After losing the toss and being asked to bat, it was a huge effort on day one and the bowlers were outstanding to take 20 wickets.”The in-form WA line-up will be bolstered by the early return of spinner Ashton Agar from India for their remaining matches – both at home – against Tasmania and Victoria.”The incentive is a home final and a big goal for us,” said Whiteman, with WA already guaranteed to host the upcoming One-Day Cup final.Tasmania lasted just 5.2 overs on day four with top-scorer Beau Webster (30) the last wicket to fall.Despite two defeats in their past three outings, Tasmania remain just one win behind second-placed Victoria.