We want to get a whitewash against India, says Rabada

Agencies
January 20, 2018

Johannesburg, Jan 20: Five days before the final Test on a pitch that bore an excessively green tinge, pacer Kagiso Rabada said South Africa are gunning for a whitewash of India, having trampled the visitors in the first two matches.

The hosts have taken an unassailable 2-0 lead with convincing wins in the first two Tests, with Rabada producing a match-winning spell at the Newlands.

"Obviously we know how to play fast bowling and we've got respect for their attack. Every game you go into, you want to win. So obviously we want to get a whitewash against India."

Rabada said that India are too reliant on skipper Virat Kohli, who scored his 21st Test hundred at Centurion.

"I think they do rely on him. But it is just like we rely on a couple of players too. I'm not saying India don't have any quality players, they do. But it's just a fact - Kohli scores most of their runs.

"It is really enjoyable bowling to the likes of him. He was named ICC Player of the Year (sic), so it's quite cool to go up against the best."

When asked about India's lack of preparation going into the series, he said, "I don't know what's going on in their preparation. That's not something we want to look at really.

"We've got no concern with their preparation. We're concerned with how we want to get them out and how we want to win against them. I'm not going to diagnose their problems."

The young pacer though feels that the Indian attack has given a good account in the two Tests.

"The fast bowlers are excited to bowl at the Wanderers.

We always are as it has pace, bounce and swing. Bumrah is a very good bowler, he's already opening the bowling now. He's done very well with the one-day stuff and now he's doing very well in the Test matches too.

"Mohammed Shami is very experienced and got some pace.

Umesh Yadav, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar who caused a lot of trouble in Cape Town, they've got good fast bowlers."

His team 2-0 up, he is not thinking about cricket now.

"I haven't seen the pitch yet. Cricket is off my mind now and the hard work starts again on Monday. Then we'll have a look at the pitch. We know how the conditions behave here.

"India played really well the last time they were here, Kohli got a hundred. Wanderers is a good wicket, it's normally a moving wicket. It's a pitch where if you bat well you can score some runs, and if you bowl well you'll take wickets."

Rabada said playing India is a challenge though there is a difference between their overseas record since 2011, and their record during their dream run in the 2015-17 period.

"Playing against the Indians is extremely challenging.

They are known for their great batsmen and they've got really good bowlers as well. So they are very competitive, they're throwing everything they have at us, and their batsmen want to make a statement.

"They've made a statement everywhere else in the world, and they wanted to come here and really beat us. So things are going to get a bit messy out there. But that's just the nature of it, with two quality sides coming against each other. Off the field, we're friends," he added.

The Proteas won the second Test by 135 runs to clinch the the series and Rabada said that their team effort helped them to beat India.

"It's nice to see youngsters step up like Lungi Ngidi, he stepped up. Aiden Markram stepped up in the first innings.

It was also nice to see Hashim Amla get some runs, AB de Villiers came in and played a very crucial knock in the second innings.

"He's just got the ability to speed the game up and not get out at the same time. So he played very well, I thought that was a very key moment. And also the way Dean Elgar hung with him."

He said South Africa wanted to bat as long as possible in the second innings at Centurion.

"In the second innings, we just wanted to bat time, see how long we could go because we knew the pitch was only getting harder to bat on. There was a bit of variable bounce.

The wicket was squatting a bit and some balls were bouncing, a bit more misbehaving.

"We knew reverse swing was going to be a tactic, and the short ball as well, because of the nature of the wicket. All in all, I thought our bowlers did a great job in containing the runs and bowling wicket-taking deliveries," he added.

Rabada highlighted that AB de Villiers' free-scoring knocks in Cape Town and Centurion had set up the wins for South Africa.

"AB is a genius at his craft. It's a fact. He stays in on difficult wickets, but he's striking at 70 or 80 - he makes it look easy.

"He's got a real understanding of the game, which a lot of people don't get that easily. It looks very simple to him.

He's a very crucial player in our team," said Rabada.

He also talked about Lungi Ngidi, someone who he has played with since the Under-19 days. The latter took 6-39 in India's second innings collapse at Supersport Park.

"Lungi and I, we played together in the Under-19. We even toured India I remember, but he got injured unfortunately and his trip was cut short. But we played together at school and we have a history. So it's just nice to play with your friend, from when you were a teenager.

"Hopefully long may it continue, and we can form a great partnership. I know he has enjoyed bowling with the likes of Morne Morkel and Vernon Philander as well.

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Agencies
June 23,2020

Islamabad, Jun 23: Seven more Pakistan cricketers, including Muhammad Hafeez and Wahab Riaz, selected for the tour of England have tested positive for COVID-19, taking the total to 10, the PCB revealed on Tuesday.

The seven who tested positive on Tuesday are Kashif Bhatti, Muhammad Hasnain, Fakhar Zaman, Muhammad Rizwan, Imran Khan, Hafeez and Riaz. Shadab Khan, Haider Ali and Haris Rauf had returned positive tests on Monday.

“It is not a great situation to be in and what it shows is these are 10 fit and young athletes...if it can happen to players it can happen to anyone,” Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) CEO, Wasim Khan told a media conference.

He said a support staff member, masseur Malang Ali, had also tested positive for COVID-19.

Khan said that the players and officials would now assemble in Lahore and another round of tests would be carried out on June 25 and a revised squad would be announced the next day.

The squad has to leave on June 28 for the series scheduled to be held next month, he said.

“It is a matter of concern but we shouldn’t panic at this time as we have time on our hands,” Khan said.

He said the players and officials would be retested on reaching England.

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Agencies
February 23,2020

Madrid, Feb 23: Lionel Messi scored four goals and Barcelona reclaimed the top spot in the La Liga as Real Madrid suffered a surprise defeat by Levante last night, a week before the Clasico.

Madrid's nightmare afternoon was made worse by another injury to Eden Hazard, who was forced off in the second half of their 1-0 defeat in Valencia and is now doubtful to face Manchester City on Wednesday in the Champions League.

"It doesn't look good," said Real coach Zinedine Zidane afterwards.

Messi, meanwhile, ridiculed talk of a goal drought by scoring four against Eibar after four games without one, while emergency signing Martin Braithwaite made two assists off the bench, teeing up Messi and then Arthur Melo in injury-time.

Their 5-0 rout, coupled with Madrid's defeat, means Barca move back to the summit of La Liga, two points ahead of Zidane's side ahead of next Saturday's showdown at the Santiago Bernabeu.

It amounts to a considerable shift in momentum, with Barcelona away at Napoli in the first leg of the Champions League last 16 on Tuesday.

Madrid host City a day later and the plan had been for Hazard to regain form and fitness in what was only his second start since returning from three months out with a broken right foot.

But the Belgian sat in the dug-out with an ice pack around the same foot after going off and Zidane suggested it was a repeat injury after the match. "It can be weak where you've had an injury," he said.

For Madrid, playing catch-up again next weekend will be a particularly heavy psychological blow, especially given the series of off-field problems engulfing Barcelona in recent weeks.

Yet on the pitch, Messi showed no sign of distraction as the 32-year-old completed the second fastest of his now 36 league hat-tricks, after less than 40 minutes at Camp Nou.

"There's nothing left to do but stand up and applaud," Eibar wrote on Twitter afterwards.

"I won't wash my kit after hugging Messi," said Braithwaite.

Braithwaite's arrival from Leganes drew criticism after Barcelona capitalised on a curious La Liga rule that allows clubs to sign outside of the transfer window if they have lost a player to serious injury.

Brilliant Messi

Messi quickly got to work, scoring a brilliant first goal in the 14th minute after collecting the ball centrally, around 30 yards out. He had three Eibar defenders in front of him but found a way through, nutmegging Anaitz Arbilla before chipping delicately into the corner.

The second came in the 37th minute as Sergio Busquets found Arturo Vidal, who feathered a flick into Messi's path. Messi surged forward, past his stumbling opponents, and fired in.

His third, three minutes later, was the simplest of the trio and arrived only after he tried to play in Antoine Griezmann. His generosity was rewarded as a sloppy Griezmann touch meant the ball cannoned back to Messi, who apologetically poked in.

Coach Quique Setien was able to take Griezmann off with 18 minutes left and introduce Braithwaite for his debut. Braithwaite's first contribution was a skewed cross but things improved immeasurably from there, as two passes across goal gave Messi his fourth and Arthur his first.

Madrid were never in control of a chaotic contest against Levante but might have taken the lead if Hazard had done better with a long ball over the top from Marcelo, which he failed to control and then scuffed into the hands of Aitor Fernandez.

He limped off and Madrid lost their way, finally punished with 11 minutes left by a straight ball through to Morales. Luka Modric, exposed on the right side of Madrid's defence, was unable to recover and Morales caught Courtois by surprise by firing early past the goalkeeper and into the top corner.

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News Network
January 6,2020

Jan 6: Former India opener Kris Srikkanth on Sunday said he would prefer K L Rahul over Shikhar Dhawan in the T20 World Cup later this year.

Former India opener Kris Srikkanth on Sunday said he would prefer K L Rahul over Shikhar Dhawan in the T20 World Cup later this year.

Dhawan is returning to international cricket after a long gap. During the senior left-handed batsman's absence, Rahul has emerged as one of the top contenders for the opener's slot in limited-overs cricket.

"Runs against SL (Sri Lanka) don't count. If I was chairman of selectors, I won't pick Dhawan in the T20 WC squad. There is no competition between him and Rahul. Only one winner," Srikkanth said on Star Sports.

Before the series, the 34-year-old Dhawan said that he is looking forward to a "new start" in a new year and wants to win the World Cup for India.

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