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Four Big Bash League matches have been rescheduled as a result of the new dates for the Sydney Test, while Cricket Australia has also confirmed that the next round of Sheffield Shield matches will be delayed by four days

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Dec-2014Four Big Bash League matches have been rescheduled as a result of the new dates for the Sydney Test, while Cricket Australia has also confirmed that the next round of Sheffield Shield matches will be delayed by four days. The funeral for Phillip Hughes in Macksville on Wednesday came two days before the scheduled round of Shield games was to start, but those matches have now been pushed back to begin on December 9.In a statement, Cricket Australia said it encouraged all players selected by their states to play, “however will respect the wishes of those players who decide, for grieving or compassionate reasons, not to play”. Pat Howard, the executive general manager of team performance with Cricket Austaralia, said it was only natural the round should be delayed.”We could not ask or expect players to be able to take the field the day after farewelling Phillip,” Howard said. “This is a difficult time and the players’ wellbeing is our priority, so we are taking it day-by-day.”Grief is very personal and we want to give our players every opportunity to feel ready to take the field, though ultimately we recognise that returning to play is a significant milestone in assisting all players to move forward. We are continuing to work with the Australian Cricketers’ Association to ensure all players and match officials are receiving ongoing counselling and support.”There has also been a necessary reworking of the BBL schedule due to the three-day delay to the Sydney Test, which will now start on January 6. The BBL window remains unchanged but Cricket Australia’s executive general manager of operations, Mike McKenna, said four matches had been rescheduled.”The Sydney Sixers v Sydney Thunder match due to be played at the SCG on January 9 fell during the revised SCG Test dates, and accordingly has been moved to 22nd January,” McKenna said. “With 35 matches scheduled in 39 days, plus taking into account the Carlton-Mid Series in January, it was not possible to reschedule the Sydney Smash without impacting other matches, hence the need to reschedule three other BBL games.”The other affected matches are: Sydney Thunder vs Hobart Hurricanes at Sydney’s Showground Stadium, which has moved from January 7 to January 9; Hobart Hurricanes vs Melbourne Renegades at Bellerive Oval, which has changed from January 15 to January 7; and Brisbane Heat vs Hobart Hurricanes at the Gabba, which has switched from January 22 to January 15.Cricket Australia said pre-purchased tickets would be honoured for the revised BBL dates, and refunds would also be available.

The league's two top goal-scorers feature in Goal's best XI for the 2020-21 campaign, which saw Chelsea retain their title

Chelsea, Manchester City and Arsenal dominate Goal's Women's Super League team of the season after once again locking out the top three spots in the league, all clinching Women's Champions League football for next season as a result.

The Blues clinched the title for a second successive year, their fourth title overall, while City came second for the fifth time in six years – the only exception being the 2016 season, when they won the division.

Manchester United, who topped the table at Christmas but just missed out on the European spots in the end, are the only other club represented in this XI, telling of the 15-point gap between the top four and the rest of the league.

GettyGK | Ellie Roebuck

Only Ann-Katrin Berger kept more clean sheets this campaign than Man City's Ellie Roebuck, the 21-year-old having another excellent year after also making Goal's 2019-20 team of the season.

That Golden Glove award would have likely been shared too, had Roebuck not missed the final day of the season through injury.

She has a strong defence in front of her to help, but a save percentage of 68% – the fourth highest of any goalkeeper playing more than 10 WSL games – shows the England international more than plays her part, too.

“The sky's the limit for Ellie," head coach Gareth Taylor said earlier this season. “She’s a great girl to work with, really mature for her age, enjoys the challenge and gets the bit between her teeth."

AdvertisementGettyRB | Ona Batlle

After signing from Levante in the summer, Ona Batlle has quickly endeared herself to Manchester United fans this season with performances that typify the modern day full-back.

As well as being an excellent attacking threat, playing at times in an inverted full-back role that sees her really get at teams in the final third, the Spaniard has shown just what a brilliant one-v-one defender she can be.

Despite playing for a team that are one of the strongest in the league, she is among the top five when it comes to tackles won this year. At 21 years old, she will only get better, too.

GettyCB | Magdalena Eriksson

To understand how good Magdalena Eriksson is, and how important she is to her team, one only has to look at how Chelsea have performed without her this season.

The Blues' captain is the leader of this title-winning side and whole team looks more assured when she is on the pitch, such is her status as one of the best centre-backs in Europe and, arguably, the best in the WSL.

That Emma Hayes touted her as a future Chelsea manager earlier this season tells you everything you need to know about her character and footballing intelligence.

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GettyCB | Alex Greenwood

When Alex Greenwood returned to the WSL in the summer, most expected her to renew a competition for places that she is familiar with when playing for England, battling with Demi Stokes for the starting left-back spot at City.

As the season transpired, Greenwood instead spent most of it as a centre-back – and she has thrived, having the best individual season of her career to date.

Her composure in possession has been essential for the way City play, while her set-piece deliveries have been problematic for every team in the league. Arsenal's Katie McCabe was the only defender to create more chances all season.

The ex-Liverpool goalkeeper, who is set to make his Newcastle debut at Wembley, has had a tough time since his Champions League final nightmare

He’s a confident guy, is Loris Karius, but even he must have wondered whether an opportunity like this would ever come his way again.

Five years is a long time to wait for a shot at redemption, but the German will get his in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley on Sunday. A chance to banish some demons, to play the hero for once. A chance to rewrite the story of a career which until now is defined only by its worst night.

Newcastle’s biggest game since 1999 will be Karius’ first for an English club since 2018, when his errors cost Liverpool the Champions League final against Real Madrid.

He has not played competitively for any club in nearly two years, and his Magpies career so far consists of just a 45-minute run-out against Al Hilal in a mid-season friendly in Saudi Arabia in December.

All that will change this weekend, though, when he lines up against Marcus Rashford and Manchester United beneath the Wembley arch.

With Nick Pope suspended, Martin Dubravka cup-tied and Karl Darlow having been sent out on loan, Karius will be asked to step up and deliver for Eddie Howe’s side, as Newcastle look to secure their first major trophy since 1969.

If he can do it, then maybe we can all finally move past the tears of Kyiv. And after everything Karius has been through in the intervening period, who could begrudge the 29-year-old his day in the sun?

This is his story…

GettyThe fall

Karius is something of an Instagram specialist but the above message, posted on May 27, 2018, is the one he will always be most remembered for.

What was supposed to be the greatest night of his young career had turned into a nightmare, his blunders gifting goals to first Karim Benzema and then Gareth Bale, as Real Madrid secured victory in an otherwise evenly-matched Champions League final.

Karius was in tears at the final whistle, though he was, to his enormous credit, brave enough to front up in front of the TV cameras post-match. “If I could go back in time, I would,” he said. “Today, I lost my team the game. I feel sorry for everyone.”

He flew to the USA after the final and, at Liverpool’s request and following a call to Klopp from German legend Franz Beckenbauer, underwent medical checks at the Massachusetts General Hospital, where it was revealed he had suffered a "visual spatial dysfunction" concussion during a collision with Real’s Sergio Ramos shortly before his first big error. 

“Five days after the final, Loris had 26 of 30 markers for a concussion still,” said Jurgen KIopp later. “We don’t use it as an excuse, we use it as an explanation.”

Few, in truth, showed much sympathy. Karius, at that point, had played his last competitive game for Liverpool.

AdvertisementGettyLeaving Liverpool

After a summer of soul-searching – and plenty of Instagramming in California – Karius reported for pre-season with Liverpool, and while the Reds pursued a new No.1 in Alisson Becker, the plan was for the German to act as understudy, with Simon Mignolet allowed to leave the club.

But a friendly at Tranmere changed all that. Karius, taunted mercilessly from the stands, blundered again, fumbling a free-kick from Oliver Norburn to cost his side a goal. In the aftermath, Ben Tollitt, Rovers’ Liverpool-supporting winger, was caught telling the goalkeeper “you are f*cking shite!”, while on the sidelines, Klopp's grimace told its own story.

It was clear to Liverpool that the wounds of Kyiv were still raw, both for the player and for supporters, and that having Karius around as No.2 to Alisson would represent too great a risk.

Mignolet’s proposed move to Napoli was shelved, much to the Belgian’s annoyance, and by the end of August Karius had moved to Turkish side Besiktas, signing a two-year loan deal for a fee of £2.25 million ($2.7m), with the option to make the move permanent for £7.25m ($8.7m).

GettyTurkish despair

On the face of it, Karius did a decent enough job rebuilding after leaving Liverpool. He made 35 appearances in his first season with Besiktas, with the Istanbul giants finishing a close third behind champions and local rivals Galatasaray in the Super Lig standings.

The spotlight, though, continued to shine brightly. He was mocked for a bizarre error in a Europa League game against Malmo, allowing a mishit cross from the right to sail over his head and into the net, and after a poor performance against Konyaspor, his coach, Senol Gunes, gave an interview in which he questioned Karius’ mentality.

“He has gone a bit stagnant,” Gunes said. “Something is wrong with his electricity, motivation, enthusiasm for the game.

"It hasn't worked out and we have a problem. Let me put it this way, if I still had Tolga [Zengin] available, I would play him.”

Off the pitch, Karius had issues too. He reported Besiktas to FIFA after they failed to pay him for four months during his first campaign in Turkey and though he stuck around for another season, playing a further 30 times, another issue over unpaid wages led to him cancelling his loan contract in April 2020. 

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GettyBack to Germany

Karius returned to Liverpool in the summer of 2020, but with Adrian established as the Reds’ No.2 and young Irishman Caoimhin Kelleher emerging fast, he was informed by Klopp that there was no prospect of first-team action.

Interest from French side Montpellier and Bundesliga outfit Hertha Berlin came to nothing, but towards the end of a transfer window elongated by the coronavirus pandemic, Karius was able to secure a move to another Berlin side, Union, on a season-long loan.

It looked a good fit, Karius returning to his homeland, where he still boasted a good reputation from his time with Mainz, and expecting to play for a team that had consolidated its top-flight status the previous season.

He would, however, make only five competitive appearances, kept out of the side by the veteran Andreas Luthe, with manager Urs Fischer’s decision more than justified by Union’s impressive seventh-placed finish.

"Of course, when I moved, I was told that I would play, otherwise I wouldn’t have come either,” Karius would subsequently tell .

"We looked each other in the eye at the end of the season and shook hands. Everyone told me that I was incredibly important to the team and that they were sorry how it went.

"But when you look at it all, it was certainly not exactly fair. Simply because of what was shown to me in advance.”

Another revelation has emerged from Paul Mullin's autobiography, as the Wrexham striker has shone light on one of Phil Parkinson's most famed rants.

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Mullin's autobiography discuss Parkinson rantsSays boss has "a switch on him"Reveals secret Welcome To Wrexham editWHAT HAPPENED?

The publication of Mullin's autobiography 'My Wrexham Story' has revealed some fascinating stories behind the rise of North Wales' biggest club, from his doubts about joining to his experiences of promotion. He's also given a clearer picture of Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson, famed for his explosive, expletive-packed dressing room rants. However, according to Mullin, these moments, captured on film for 'Welcome To Wrexham', aren't always what they seem like from the outside.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT MULLIN SAID

"The gaffer, like all bosses, has a switch on him," wrote Mullin. "There’s a famed scene in Welcome to Wrexham where, at half-time in a game where we’ve not been at the races, he exasperatedly comes out with the unique ‘You’re like a bunch of f*cking fatty f*cking footballers.’ Or at least that’s what he appears to say. I’ll let you into a secret: his actual words were changed on the voiceover. Sadly, I can’t reveal here what his real words were. If you see me at the ground, I might tell you, but only in the strictest confidence! In brief, he was telling us we needed to be a bit more aggressive if we were going to win the game. There are times when, being on the inside, you watch Welcome to Wrexham and can hardly help pissing yourself laughing – and that’s one of them. In reality, it’s very rare for the gaffer to lose his rag. When he's got something to say, he says it in a calm way. That's Phil's way, and as a group we listen and understand."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

According to Mullin, Parkinson's strategy is a broader reflection of modern coaching methods. "Fewer managers scream and shout than you might think," he wrote. "What's the point of blowing up, saying everything's shit? What a manager should be doing is telling his players what to do to make things better."

Whatever the 55-year-old is doing, it seems to be working. Having won the National League with a remarkable 111 points last season, Wrexham are on the hunt for another successive promotion this campaign. They're currently 2nd in League Two and in line for an automatic promotion to the third tier, if they keep their current form up.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR MULLIN?

Mullin's new book comes out at a crucial stage in his career, when the talismanic striker is aiming to pull the Red Dragons up to League 1 for the first time since 2005. So far this season, he's contributed 7 league goals and 3 assists, a tally he'll be hoping to build on significantly. But before he does so, Mullin and his teammates face an FA Cup second round clash with National League South side Yeovil Town this weekend.

Buy your copy of Paul Mullin's brilliant new autobiography My Wrexham Story on Amazon.

Jesse Lingard is eating barbecue ribs and playing with a smile in South Korea, with the ex-Manchester United star saying “the boy is happy” again.

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Released by Forest in summer of 2023Spent several months as a free agentTaken on exciting new challenge in AsiaGettyWHAT HAPPENED?

That was not the case for a long time, with the former England international spending several months as a free agent following his release by Nottingham Forest at the end of the 2022-23 campaign. Despite working on a personal training programme and taking in trials at West Ham and Al-Ettifaq, Lingard struggled to attract a contract offer.

AdvertisementTHE BIGGER PICTURE

He was linked with a move to MLS at one stage, while also attracting interest from Turkey, but now finds himself in the Far East with FC Seoul. Lingard has stepped a long way outside of his comfort zone, but is embracing a new challenge in Asia.

WHAT LINGARD POSTED

Lingard has settled quickly among new team-mates, with his infectious personality rubbing off on those around him. He has now shared a collection of pictures on social media that help to prove why he is “happy” once more – as the 31-year-old midfielder enjoys himself on and off the pitch.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR LINGARD?

Lingard has committed to a two-year contract with FC Seoul and will be hoping to rediscover a spark that he lost towards the end of his time at Old Trafford and during an injury-ravaged one-season stint with Forest at the City Ground.

The ECB are continuing their efforts to persuade Mervyn Westfield to give evidence at Danish Kaneira’s appeal hearing

George Dobell17-Apr-2013The ECB are continuing their efforts to persuade Mervyn Westfield to give evidence at Danish Kaneira’s appeal hearing into his life ban for the game for corruption.Officials from the ECB met Westfield and his legal representatives in London on Thursday afternoon with discussions continuing into the evening. A further round of meetings has been scheduled for Friday with no agreement having been reached.Westfield, whose evidence was crucial in the original hearing that found Kaneria guilty of corruption, has had no contact with the ECB for many months and has so far resisted all attempts to persuade him to appear at the appeal. While the ECB were successful in gaining a summons from the High Court compelling Westfield to attend the appeal hearing on April 22, doubts remain as to whether the court has any jurisdiction in this case.Westfield remains angry with the ECB and the PCA. He feels that the harshness of his penalty – he spent two months in prison and was banned from the first-class game for five years and the recreational game for three – does not reflect that he cooperated with the investigating authorities, pleaded guilty and gave evidence against Kaneria.The fact that he has agreed to meet the ECB suggests a deal could be imminent, however. Westfield is understood to desire a return to club cricket – he remains connected with Wanstead Cricket Club in the Essex League – and he could be offered a chance to partially revive his career if he cooperates. Westfield would be expected to earn several hundred pounds a week as a club professional.Kaneria, the Pakistan legspinner, was banned from the game for life and charged £100,000 in costs by an ECB panel in June 2012 for his part in the spot-fixing case involving Westfield.Kaneria had been found guilty of inducing his former Essex team-mate to underperform in a limited-overs game in 2009 and of bringing the game into disrepute. Westfield, who was jailed for his role in the case, gave evidence against Kaneria at the hearing.As all boards under the governance of the ICC have an agreement to mirror bans imposed in such circumstances, Kaneria’s ban has been effective worldwide.Kaneria’s appeal hearing was originally scheduled for December but, after the ECB was unable to gain Westfield’s cooperation, it was postponed until April. Without Westfield’s evidence, the ECB’s case against Kaneria is severely compromised. Kaneria’s lawyers are looking not just for his ban to be overturned – at 32, he harbours hopes of a reviving his international career – but they are also claiming “very substantial damages” from the ECB.Kaneria returned to the UK on Wednesday. His lawyers remain adamant that, without Westfield’s evidence, the ECB “has no case”.This is an updated version of the story first published on April 17

Andrew Strauss hopes that MS Dhoni’s gesture to allow Ian Bell to resume his innings following the controversial run-out, at tea on the third day at Trent Bridge, will prompt other captains to uphold the spirit of cricket.

Andrew McGlashan at Trent Bridge01-Aug-2011Andrew Strauss hopes that MS Dhoni’s gesture to allow Ian Bell to resume his innings following the controversial run-out, at tea on the third day at Trent Bridge, will prompt other captains to uphold the spirit of cricket.The series threatened to descend into acrimony when Bell was given out the last ball before the interval, when he started to walk off the field before ‘over’ was called having thought he’d scored a boundary. He admitted to being naive and stupid, but India themselves had concerns about the situation as they met in the dressing room and were in deep discussion before Strauss and Andy Flower asked them to reconsider.”It was very commendable that they changed their mind and took back the appeal,” Strauss said. “It’s one of those circumstances where there are always shades of grey but I think it was good for the game of cricket. In years to come it will be looked upon as a step in the right direction for the game of cricket and hopefully other people will follow those decisions.”I think one of the things that has set the game of cricket slightly apart from other sports is that you have the opportunity to show some spirit. It’s good for the game of cricket going forward and therefore the game of cricket is the better for it.”Strauss has been involved in recalling a batsman to the crease when he allowed Angelo Mathews to resume after he was given run-out following a collision during a Champions Trophy match in 2009. He agreed that, by the Laws, Bell was run-out although he felt that the fact that he wasn’t trying to take another run was a factor in his defence.”When it first happened there was a lot of confusion, and myself and Andy went down to the umpire’s room as we just wanted to clarify the situation as regards to the Laws of the game,” Strauss said. “We were entirely comfortable that in the strict rules of the game Ian was out. [But] we felt that it was pretty clear that he was just walking off for tea and wasn’t attempting a run and so we asked India to reconsider their appeal and then left it at that.”Dhoni confirmed that the Indians had reservations about the dismissal which “didn’t feel right” and took the chance to say that more could be done by the game as a whole to uphold the spirit of cricket which he felt wasn’t being applied consistently.”We weren’t feeling good at heart,” he said. “A similar kind of incident happened in West Indies when VVS Laxman got stumped. After we took the decision we were really satisfied. There are a lot of things where spirit of cricket should be followed. It needs to be equal but it’s about what we feel as a team is important.”If a fielder takes a one-bounce catch he’s called a cheat but if a batsman stands after nicking it he isn’t,” Dhoni added. “Going up to a batsman and swearing isn’t in the spirit of cricket. We’ve seen quite a few things happen. If you want to follow you should follow it 100%.”

Ozias Bvute, the managing director of Zimbabwe Cricket, has hit back at suggestions that his organisation reneged on an agreement to host Ireland for a ODI and first-class tour in late 2011

Andrew Miller13-Apr-2011Ozias Bvute, the managing director of Zimbabwe Cricket, has hit back at suggestions that his organisation reneged on an agreement to host Ireland for a ODI and first-class tour in late 2011. The change of heart, he said, came as a result of Zimbabwe’s commitments both to the Future Tours Programme and their own domestic competition, and not out of fear of being upstaged by a team that has been barred from participating at the 2015 World Cup, despite currently sitting above them in the world ODI rankings.”It is very unfortunate that recent media reports aim to portray Zimbabwe as unwilling to play against Ireland and insinuate that the reason is based on an attempt to ostracise them,” said Bvute. “Zimbabwe has suffered greatly from the politics of exclusion and we would not wish that on any one. Sport is about participation and increasing the numbers that participate to allow for the sustainability of any given activity.”Zimbabwe’s original proposal, in October 2010, had been for Ireland to play three ODIs and a five-day unofficial Test in October/November 2011, as preparation for their New Year visit to New Zealand. However, on March 23, a fortnight prior to the Mumbai meeting in which Ireland’s World Cup fate was sealed, that plan was shelved after New Zealand themselves confirmed they would be touring Zimbabwe in that period, having already postponed their scheduled visit in May/June.Warren Deutrom, Cricket Ireland’s chief executive, confirmed that Zimbabwe had not been at fault in the negotiations. “Ozias is absolutely correct,” he told ESPNcricinfo. “In the recent Chief Executives Committee meeting, he was extremely supportive of the associates and spoke out strongly in their favour. There is nothing sinister in this whatsoever. We were initially in conversation about travelling to Zimbabwe at the end of the year, but as one of the smaller Full Member nations, they have to wait for the bigger members to organise their own schedules. Simply, there was a clash between the time we wanted to come down, and the contractual obligations they are required to fulfil through the FTP.”Bvute continued: “Cricket Ireland can confirm that when they toured here in September we voluntarily made them an offer to arrange fixtures against them and have since been in communication with their administrators.”Our last correspondence proposed January 2012 as a possible date. Zimbabwe has a full international and domestic calendar this season and we are not obliged to play against Ireland.”Our offer to arrange playing opportunities with them is spearheaded by nothing less than the spirit of sportsmanship and inclusion. With the Australian and South African A sides, Bangladesh, New Zealand and Pakistan all having confirmed to tour Zimbabwe between June and November this year there is simply no slot available to accommodate them in 2011.”In correspondence with ESPNcricinfo, Bvute emphasised the priorities for Zimbabwe cricket going forward, which are to build a sustainable domestic structure that will enable the team to hold its own in future ICC events, regardless of how future tournaments are organised. “So the question of having to possibly qualify for a slot in the World Cup poses no heartache for us,” he wrote. “Come the 2019 World Cup our strategy should have brought forth a crop of elite players who are able to stand their ground against any team, full-member or not.”Our long term strategy is to grow our domestic cricket and increase the spectatorship numbers for our local games. The people in Kwekwe, Mutare, Masvingo and Bulawayo will only support their franchises if they can expect to see players that they can identify. The greater the crowds the more likely the corporate world is to further support the game. It is our hope that in the future, with these efforts, we will have a domestic competition that is in itself financially viable and sustainable.”

Ricky Ponting has revealed Shaun Marsh’s elevation to No. 3 in the Australian Test batting order was a “long-term plan” of the captain Michael Clarke

Daniel Brettig10-Oct-2011Ricky Ponting has revealed Shaun Marsh’s elevation to No. 3 in the Australian Test batting order was a “long-term plan” of the captain Michael Clarke. Ponting said he was happy to move down to No. 4 for as long as he keeps on playing.As he prepared for a rare Sheffield Shield appearance with Tasmania against Western Australia at the WACA, Ponting spoke frankly of the Test batting order, which has been shuffled to accommodate Marsh at three while Ponting, Clarke and Michael Hussey all slip one spot.Clarke’s vision for the team has so far been made clear, as he is equally adamant that the vice-captain Shane Watson will not be moving down the order from his demanding position as an opening batsman and allrounder.”It was a long-term plan of Michael’s to have Shaun move to No. 3 and me move to No.4 and Michael move to five and Huss to six,” Ponting told reporters in Perth. “So that wasn’t just something I don’t think as a one-off for that game. Michael sees that in the best interests of the team going forward for a period of time. So I’ll be three this week, probably three in the one-dayers in South Africa and then probably drop back to four for the Test matches.”When I first came into the Australian side, batting at six was hard. Waiting that amount of time to bat for me was something that was very foreign to me. But three to four I don’t think is as big a change as three to six, or it certainly wasn’t in the last Test because I was in pretty early both times. Slight adjustment. It just gives me a little bit more time once our fielding’s over to get my head around what I have to do to bat.”Ponting also spoke of the state of flux the team is presently in while Cricket Australia decides on a range of appointments recommended by the Argus review. The position of team performance manager must be finalised first, allowing the appointee to have a say in the choices of coach, national selector and part-time selectors.This means that Clarke will go to South Africa with plenty of weight on his shoulders regarding decision-making, for the interim coach Troy Cooley has flagged his lack of experience as a selector and also an unwillingness to make any lasting changes to the set-up run with mixed results by the departed head coach Tim Nielsen over the past four years.”Unfortunately at the moment the way things are working out a lot more of the responsibility is going to come back on the captain for this next tour,” Ponting said. “So it’s important that the captain, the vice-captain and probably the senior players do as much as we can around the group on this trip.”Troy’s been around the group for a long time and understands everyone really well, but he’s sort of been thrust into that selection role at the moment as well which is something very foreign to him. We’ll make do with the best we can. It’s probably not an ideal situation, but we knew that a long way out and the boys have been playing that way so everything should work out fine.”Ponting said many of the changes wrought by the Argus review were designed to lessen the load on the captain, but reckoned the short-term would be difficult for Clarke while the new positions were filled and settled into.”Having been there and done that in the past you want to be able to focus on your cricket and the team’s demands and probably not much outside of that if you can,” Ponting said. “That’s why a lot of these roles are changing, to take a bit of that strain if you like off the captain. It’s hard enough work when you’re just out there being the captain and worrying about your own game rather than everything else that goes with it. We’ll see how it goes, but he [Clarke] understands he’s got great support from all his team-mates around him.”Ponting’s appearances for Tasmania, who won the Shield in his absence last summer, would not be quite so rare if the schedule was balanced to ensure the strongest domestic competitions possible, something the Argus review also recommended.”With the Australian summer as packed as it is internationally-wise, it just makes it too hard for the international players to play state cricket,” Ponting said. “We’d all like the chance to be able to do that a bit more. I know the states and even our clubs would probably appreciate it if we can get back and spend more time around the next crop of potential international players.”While Hussey is missing the match after his time at the Champions League Twenty20, Ponting said he was never in any doubt for the fixture, and flatly rejected all reports to the contrary.”Some confusion’s probably happened as a result of our leave dates being changed, the coach at the time of the Australian team in Sri Lanka had ruled us out because the leave date was different than it is at the moment,” Ponting said. “As it turns out I only found out on Thursday that I was playing the game but I’ve been excited about the chance to play the game.”

ESPNcricinfo previews the fifth ODI between Pakistan and Sri Lanka in Abu Dhabi

The Preview by Nitin Sundar22-Nov-2011Match factsWednesday, November 23
Start time 1500 (1100 GMT)Kumar Sangakkara and Tillakaratne Dilshan have both suffered poor form since the World Cup•AFPBig PictureWhat is ailing Sri Lankan cricket? In the past eight months, following the World cup, they have played eight series across formats against top-flight teams, and gone on to lose six of them. The two victories came in Twenty20 series, if that term can be used to describe one- and two-match Twenty20 shoot-outs. Their decline in Test cricket was not a complete surprise, given how much the side depended on Muttiah Muralitharan, but the ODI slump cannot be easily explained.The answer lies in the batting numbers: since the World Cup final, Sri Lanka’s top order, with one notable exception, has endured significant drops in their batting averages. The captain Tillakaratne Dilshan has been the biggest offender, scoring 267 runs at a pitiful average of 17.80. Kumar Sangakkara and Upul Tharanga have also been poor imitations of their usual pace-setting selves at the top of the order, while Angelo Mathews is going through his worst phase since emerging as a world-class allrounder.Mahela Jayawardene is the one man who has managed to steer clear of the Sri Lankan batting nadir. He delivered them their only win in this series with a sparkling half-century in the second game. Jayawardene won’t be playing Wednesday’s dead rubber because of a knee injury.Sri Lanka’s chances of a face-saving win are further blighted by the prime form of the Pakistan bowling unit. Saeed Ajmal is among the most dangerous offspinners going around now, while Mohammad Hafeez adds another dimension with his mix of straight ones and straighter ones. Umar Gul has been exemplary with the new ball, while Aizaz Cheema has shown that he belongs at this level. Pakistan’s worries, if any, will be on the batting front too. But if their bowlers continue to be unplayable, it won’t matter. And if all else fails, they still have Shahid Afridi.Form guidePakistan: WWLWW (most recent first)
Sri Lanka: LLWLWWatch out for …At the risk of stating the obvious, don’t take your eyes off Shahid Afridi. He batted responsibly in the fourth ODI, curtailing his instincts for the most part of his innings, and still needed only 65 balls for his 75. Later, he slid clumsily while attempting to save a boundary in the outfield and got his knee stuck in the turf. It was the sort of injury that stalled Simon Jones’ career for four years. Afridi came back after three overs, limped through his run-up and ripped out five wickets. Expect the X-man celebration to make a few appearances in Abu Dhabi.Lasith Malinga has largely been off the boil in this series. His six wickets have come at nearly five runs per over, and three of those dismissals came in a single match-winning effort. Given how patchy Pakistan’s batting form has been thus far in the series, he will be targeting their toes on Wednesday. Can his yorkers provide Sri Lanka some succour?Team newsShoiab Malik looked out of place on his return to the side, but an injury to Abdul Razzaq is likely to give him another chance. Razzaq is returning home with a shoulder injury that puts him in doubt for the upcoming Bangladesh tour as well. With the series in the bag, Gul might be in line for a break, in which case Junaid Khan could get a well-deserved chance.
Pakistan (possible): 1 Mohammad Hafeez, 2 Imran Farhat, 3 Younis Khan, 4 Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), 5 Umar Akmal, 6 Abdul Razzaq/Shoaib Malik, 7 Shahid Afridi, 8 Sarfraz Ahmed (wk), 9 Umar Gul/Junai Khan, 10 Saeed Ajmal, 11 Aizaz CheemaJayawardene’s absence could pave the way for Dimuth Karunaratne’s inclusion in the Sri Lankan XI, unless Chamara Silva is ready to play after being called up two days ahead of the game. Angelo Mathews’ form is likely to be a huge worry, but Sri Lanka don’t have the reserves to afford him a break now.
Sri Lanka (possible): 1 Upul Tharanga, 2 Tillakaratne Dilshan (capt), 3 Kumar Sangakkara (wk), 4 Dinesh Chandimal, 5 Dimuth Karunaratne/Chamara Silva, 6 Angelo Mathews, 7 Jeevan Mendis, 8 Thisara Perera, 9 Lasith Malinga, 10 Seekkuge Prasanna, 11 Dilhara FernandoStats and trivia Tillakaratne Dilshan is yet to hit his first six in ODIs since taking over as full-time Sri Lankan captain – he has led in 15 one-dayers Pakistan have featured in each of the 16 games played at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium, winning nine of them Sri Lanka have lost two of their three games here, with the win coming in the dead rubber of a three-match seriesQuotes”As a captain I can’t do anything to change the players’ game. As a unit we have to take responsibility. As captain I am disappointed to lose, and we need to sit down and think where we can start again before the South Africa series.”

“When you have a good atmosphere around you, then you try your best to deliver. I was overjoyed by the support in Sharjah where they cheered my singles, so I was happy to put my head down initially.”