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Despite spending big last year, the German giants are in danger of finishing the season trophyless, which in turn could lead to major squad surgery

After a promising start to 2023, everything has fallen apart for Borussia Dortmund. The German outfit were knocked out of the Champions League by a poor Chelsea side, beaten in the DFB-Pokal quarter-final by RB Leipzig, and handed a heavy defeat by Bayern Munich that seems to have them rattled in the title race.

And although they are only two points behind the struggling Bavarians in the Bundesliga, there is little about Dortmund's play to suggest that they might make up the ground in the final weeks of the campaign.

That's a problem, especially since Dortmund had an uncharacteristically big summer, spending north of €100 million (£88m/$110m) on new transfers, while also bringing in Niklas Sule on a free from Bayern.

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Still, for all of the new faces, similar problems have remained. Namely, Dortmund have been plagued by a lack of consistency and an inability to perform in big games.

It could all point to a summer clear-out, with a number of veterans approaching the end of their contracts, as well as some awkward fits that could bring in funds to refresh the squad again.

GOAL takes a look at some of the players who could leave Borussia Dortmund this summer…

Getty ImagesLuca Unbehaun

Unbehaun has fallen out of favour at Dortmund after spending nearly seven years at the club.

Once regarded as an ideal back up goalkeeper for the first team, he now finds himself as the No.2 for the reserve side, unable to get playing time in Germany's third division.

With his contract up in the summer, an exit is pretty much guaranteed.

AdvertisementGettyMats Hummels

A great of the German game, Hummels is now 34, and well behind Sule and Nico Schlotterbeck in the pecking order at Dortmund. That's not to say he's been an afterthought — Hummels has made 24 appearances this season.

But his contract ends at the end of the year, and he would have to accept a pay cut and smaller role in order to stay at the club. Discussions are currently ongoing, but there's no clear solution imminent.

There is also the possibility that Hummels turns his eyes abroad. The defender has only ever played in Germany and could be tempted by a move outside of the Bundesliga. A switch to MLS has been floated, although that would mean moving far from his son, who lives in Munich.

Should Hummels leave, Dortmund will need to dip into the transfer market for centre-back cover. Nineteen-year-old Soumaila Coulibaly is the only other natural central defender currently at manager Edin Terzic's disposal.

Getty ImagesThomas Meunier

Meunier has always been a bit of an awkward fit in a sporting sense, and his Dortmund career has never truly taken off. And now, the injuries have hit in droves. The Belgian has only played 19 minutes in 2023, and is currently out with an adductor issue.

Dortmund, then, don't look likely to hold onto him. His contract expires next year, and no talks have reportedly taken place. Add to that the fact that Marius Wolf and Julian Ryerson can also handle the right-back slot, and Meunier has become surplus to requirements.

A summer transfer could be on the cards, especially since Dortmund would at least get some of cash for the injury-prone right-back. Barcelona, in need of support in his position, could be among those interested.

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imago imagesFelix Passlack

Passlack has been a part of the Dortmund set up since 2012, but a series of loan moves have limited his opportunities with the senior side.

He's only made four first-team appearances this season and has reportedly been in contact with Koln about a potential move away. However, Koln have been hit with a transfer ban, making a move there tricky to figure out.

FC Copenhagen are also reportedly in the mix, and further parties are sure to be interested in the 24-year-old. Regardless, with his contract up this summer, Passlack is sure to be shown the door.

Qatar will be the 10th Asian team to make their FIFA World Cup debut in 2022

Qatar are all set to host the upcoming 2022 FIFA World Cup and in the process will make their debut at the grandest stage in world football.

They will be the 10th Asian country to make their debut at the FIFA World Cup. The first-ever Asian nation that took part in the tournament were the Dutch East Indies (present-day Indonesia) who played in the 1938 edition.

Other than the inaugural edition, the 1934 FIFA World Cup saw the participation of most debutant teams (10) followed by 2006 were six teams made their debuts.

As of 2018, 79 teams have played in the FIFA World Cup and Qatar will be the 80th team who will take part in the tournament.

Only two teams – Uruguay, 1930 and Italy, 1934 – have won the FIFA World Cup in their maiden appearances. The next best performances for debutant teams are of Argentina and Czechoslovakia who finished runners-up in the 1930 and 1934 editions respectively.

Getty ImagesUruguay

Year of debut: 1930

Performance: Champions

AdvertisementGettyArgentina

Year of debut: 1930

Performances: Runners-up

Getty ImagesBelgium

Year of debut: 1930

Performances: Group Stage

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Bolivia

Year of debut: 1930

Performance: Group stage

Masandawana have already booked their spot in the quarter-finals with a game to spare and they will now face the Sudanese giants on Saturday

Sundowns rested some of their key players during their last game which was a Group A clash against Al Merrikh's Sudanese rivals, Al Hilal Omdurman, on March 19 as the Tshwane giants secured a 4-2 win.

Masandawana will now be looking to end a successful group stage with a win over Al Merrikh.

GOAL takes a look at how the PSL champions could start at FNB Stadium.

BackpagepixGOALKEEPER – Reyaad Pieterse

The towering shot-stopper was given an opportunity to start against Al Hilal and he had a good game between the sticks.

Pieterse is most likely to be handed another starting berth with the club's first-choice keeper Denis Onyango out injured, while the ageing Kennedy Mweene is being rested.

AdvertisementBackpagepixRIGHT-BACK – Thapelo Morena

The speedster has been one of Sundowns' standout performers in the group stage having scored three times in four matches.

Two of his goals came against Al Hilal and he will be keen to continue his scoring form when he faces Al Merrikh.

BackpagepixLEFT-BACK – Divine Lunga

The lanky full-back has impressed whenever he has been given a chance to start for the Tshwane giants this season.

Lunga could be handed a rare start with Lyle Lakay being rested having been part of the Bafana Bafana squad which travelled to Europe for two international friendly games.

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BackpagepixCENTRAL DEFENDER – Rushine de Reuck

Sundowns' first-choice centre back is expected to start having had little game time during the recent Fifa break.

De Reuck featured as a second-half substitute against Guinea for Bafana and he was then an unused substitute against France.

It has taken Bangladesh eight years and eight completed ODIs to record a second ever victory over South Africa, which came with some added bonuses

The Report by Firdose Moonda12-Jul-2015
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details It has taken Bangladesh eight years and eight completed ODIs to record a second victory over South Africa, and it came with some added bonuses. Not only did Bangladesh square the series, they also secured their spot in the 2017 Champions Trophy. One of West Indies or Pakistan will miss out on the tournament but for now, it was South Africa who were left smarting.It was South Africa’s lowest total against Bangladesh and their lowest batting first in an ODI since November 2009, when they were bowled out for 119 by England. South Africa’s batsmen were strangled by both seam and spin on a slow surface. By contrast, Bangladesh seemed to be batting on a totally different pitch and strolled to victory with more than 20 overs to spare.Bangladesh book Champions Trophy spot

Bangladesh are currently ranked seventh in ICC’s ODI rankings, with Pakistan and West Indies below them. They have 94 rating points and have guaranteed their qualification for the 2017 Champions Trophy. If they lose the last ODI of the series, they will drop to 93 rating points, which will still be enough to ensure qualification because there is no scenario in which both Pakistan and West Indies can each achieve 93 rating points (unless more matches are added to the international schedule). The cut-off date for the qualification is September 30, 2015

The match was won by Bangladesh’s attack, who displayed the discipline and guile that has seen them enjoy recent success over Pakistan and India. They frustrated the batsmen with tight lines, changes of pace and a slew of spin to keep the scoring rate down and force poor shot selection but had none of the same troubles themselves. With South Africa’s attack failing to find the nagging length, Soumya Sarkar and Mahmudullah anchored the chase with a half-century apiece and a third-wicket stand of 135.South Africa, in contrast, could not even manage a partnership of 30. Hashim Amla and Faf du Plessis combined for 29, after Quinton de Kock’s uncomfortable stay at the crease ended when he was squared up by a Mustafizur Rahman delivery that popped up from a short length and took the shoulder of his bat on the way to Sabbir Rahman at backward point.Amla worked his way to 22 which took him to the top of the averages list in ODI cricket, but could not work his way around Rubel Hossain, who uprooted his offstump with the first ball of his second over.Rubel was recalled for this match and stepped up, with two maiden overs in succession to begin the drought. He operated in tandem with Shakib Al Hasan, who rushed Rilee Rossouw by pushing deliveries through flat and fast. The more Rossouw battled to get him away, the more the pressure built. By the time Nasir Hossain came on, Rossouw was confounded and missed a straight one to end an unconvincing knock.That was the first soft dismissal; David Miller, Faf du Plessis and JP Duminy went the same way. Miller chipped Mahmudullah to short midwicket, du Plessis, who worked hard for his runs holed out to long-on and JP Duminy drove a Mustafizur offcutter to short cover.Bangladesh were into South Africa’s lower-order with 20 overs left in the innings, which gave Farhaan Behardien an opportunity to prove his worth. He batted with resolve, sought runs straight down the ground and ushered Chris Morris, Kagiso and Kyle Abbot through some tail wagging. Behardien’s 36 pushed South Africa’s score to some respectability but it was still a big ask for their bowlers.Kagiso Rabada seemed up for it when he bowled Tamim Iqbal with his first ball – a fast, full delivery that the opener dragged onto his leg stump – and removed Litton Das’ off stump in his next over. If Bangladesh were rattled, they did not show it.Sarkar and Mahmudullah were confident, targeting Chris Morris who, like Kyle Abbott, often bowled too straight, and JP Duminy. Sarkar’s half-century came off 47 balls, an indication that run-scoring was not as laboured as South Africa had made it look. Sarkar alone scored 13 fours and six; in their entire innings South Africa managed 14 fours and a six. Mahmudullah’s fifty was harder work and came off 63 balls but his staying power meant Bangladesh did not have to worry about middle-order wobbles.In a stamp of his authority on the match, Sarkar even took on Imran Tahir, South Africa’s most threatening bowler, as the target was within sight. He sent two full tosses to the rope and then sealed the win with a slow-swept six to level the series 1-all going into Wednesday’s decider.

The second edition of the Africa T20 Cup will be focused on the financial leverages the shortest format can provide but it will not feature pink balls

Firdose Moonda04-May-2016The second edition of the Africa T20 Cup will be focused on the financial leverages the shortest format can provide but it will not feature pink balls. Last year’s group stage matches were played with the pink ball but the idea was abandoned for finals weekend after player concerns. All of this year’s matches will be played with the white ball.Africa T20 Cup groups

Pool A (in Pietermaritzburg from September 2-4)
Kwa-Zulu Natal Inland, Namibia, Western Province, North West
Pool B (in Oudtshoorn from September 9-11)
South Western Districts, Northerns, Northern Cape, Kenya
Pool C (in East London from September 16 to 18)
Border, Easterns, Free State, Zimbabwe
Pool D (in Paarl from September 23 to 25)
Boland, Kwa-Zulu Natal, Eastern Province, Gauteng

The 16-team tournament includes the 13 semi-professional provincial sides which form South Africa’s second domestic tier, as well as a team from each of Zimbabwe, Namibia and Kenya. The teams are divided into groups of four, each group will complete all its fixtures over one weekend at one venue and the winner of each pool will advance to finals weekend. A selection of matches and the final will be broadcast live on the pay television service, SuperSport.One of the key features of the tournament is that it is played on South Africa’s smaller grounds, which rarely see international fixtures, and not the major stadiums. The inaugural edition in 2015 was held up-country in Benoni and Potchefstroom and in the central areas of Kimberley and Bloemfontein. This year, Pietermaritzburg, Oudtshoorn, East London and Paarl will stage the event.Oudtshoorn is a notable inclusion to the hosting calendar. The Western Cape town is known for ostrich farming and is home to South Western Districts, who have been granted full Affiliate status at CSA. Their ground is receiving major upgrades in anticipation of the tournament and veteran bowler Gurshwin Rabie gave an assurance that “there won’t be any ostriches running around”.The Oudtshoorn Recreation Ground will join the Pietermaritzburg Oval, Buffalo and Boland Park in using the tournament as a way to generate revenue through advertising, which should be lucrative given the television presence.”There was a lot of opportunities to generate revenue because you are on live television,” Corrie van Zyl, CSA’s general manager of cricket, said at the competition’s launch at Newlands. “Last year, it was a case of ‘let’s see what happens with this competition’ and you could see it in the way some of the host unions presented the matches. This year there is a lot more focus from the members.”The cameras are also an opportunity for the lesser-known players to build their profiles, especially as most of them are hardly ever seen on screen. South Africa’s provincial competitions are not televised or streamed with the Africa Cup as the exception. “It gives the added pressure of performing on live television,” van Zyl said.It also gives the provincial players an opportunity to rub shoulders with professionals. Each team must field at least two franchise players, but not more than four, and last year, Vernon Philander (South Western Districts) and Kyle Abbott (Kwa-Zulu Natal Inland) were two of the most prominent names. “When franchise players play, we want some of the experienced players to play. It’s so important for the development of the players,” van Zyl said.Chiefly, though, the Africa T20 Cup is a development exercise and all squads must include two Under-21 players, who have not had any franchise experience. “When we created this, we wanted to create a competition for the provincial teams that will give them opportunity to develop players,” van Zyl said. At a time when South African cricket is questioning is depth and the structure of its domestic systems, van Zyl hopes the Africa Cup will serve as proof of his belief that, “there is a lot of talent in this country.”

Sussex, increasingly seen as relegation candidates after a surfeit of bowling injuries, responded by piling up four hundreds and making 600-lus against title fancies Warwickshire

Jon Culley at Edgbaston29-Jun-2015
ScorecardAshar Zaidi was one of four Sussex century makers•Getty ImagesThe instruction to Warwickshire, according to director of cricket Dougie Brown, will be to ignore the scoreboard and bat as if it were the first innings of the match but that will be easier said than done when his fourth-wicket pair resume on day three still 390 runs away from simply avoiding the follow-on. Sussex’s inconsistent form this season probably required a leap of faith on a pitch designed for Jeetan Patel to exploit but once it became clear that it is actually a very good batting surface they had the mental strength to take full advantage.In one innings, Sussex doubled their tally of individual first-class hundreds for the season so far, with Luke Wright, Ben Brown and Ashar Zaidi joining Chris Nash in posting three-figure scores. It was only the third time in the county’s history that four players have scored centuries in the same Sussex innings. Brown and Nash were among the quartet who did it against Derbyshire at Horsham in 2010. The only other instance came way back in 1938, at Northampton, when John Langridge made a double hundred and the three others included Jim Parks’s father, James senior.Sussex waited until 600 was on the board, turning the psychological screw a little tighter, before declaring. It was their highest total against Warwickshire and their highest against anyone since they made 742 for 5 declared against Somerset at Taunton in 2009.Of the three hundreds on the second day here, Wright’s was probably the most impressive in that having been made to work hard by the young legspinner, Josh Poysden, and contend with Patel’s craft on the opening evening, he then had to face the first overs with the new ball before Sunday’s close and take on a refreshed attack at the beginning of day two. He is naturally an aggressive player but played with patience this time and the six he struck over midwicket off Chris Wright was a nicely timed pick-up.Warwickshire’s spinners shouldered most of the work and Patel was into his 35th over before he finally saw some success, Nash advancing down the pitch to be beaten in the flight and stumped, having added nine to his overnight score.When he also dismissed Wright before lunch, the batsman chopping on to his stumps as he tried to force the ball away off the back foot, Warwickshire will have hoped that their plan to spin out their opponents was at last about to bear fruit.It was misplaced optimism. Wright’s dismissal was the last wicket until after tea as Brown and Zaidi added 191 for the sixth wicket at four and a half runs per over. Zaidi, whose 11 previous centuries will have included many, you imagine, on surfaces similar to this in Pakistan, played handsomely in only his second match of the season to register his first hundred as a Sussex player. Brown, whose hundred was his second of the season, scored at a similar pace and finished unbeaten.Zaidi was stumped off a wide ball from Laurie Evans, who sent down four overs of off-spin as the eighth bowler used and in doing so claimed his maiden first-class wicket for Warwickshire, only his second overall.The declaration came just after tea, at which point it came as a considerable surprise – given what had gone before – that Steve Magoffin, the redoubtable Australian who once again has been so invaluable in Sussex’s injury-hit attack, found not inconsiderable swing with the new ball.Quickly, he had Warwickshire in trouble, as Varun Chopra was caught behind from a ball that moved away late and Ateeq Javid, chasing another that swung away, edged to third slip.In the circumstances, needing desperately to avoid further mishaps, the combination of Ian Westwood and Jonathan Trott at the crease at this stage was probably the ideal one and had they been together still at the close, Brown’s confidence in Warwickshire’s ability to bat long and big might have been reasonable enough.But Westwood, playing back to the leg spin of Luke Wells, was out leg before wicket just before the close and Trott will begin again with a nightwatchman at the other end. A couple more wickets for Magoffin while he is fresh will make the follow-on target of 452 seem huge, let alone any more.Moreover, the pitch may well dust up rapidly in the heat forecast for day three. Patel and Poysden, who has bowled with promise on his debut, will be eager to get back on it. It is quite possible, though, that they will not have the chance.

Hampshire followed up Fidel Edwards’ ferocious second-evening spell by beating Sussex and telling the West Indian quick they had never seen anything faster

Vithushan Ehantharajah at Hove09-Jun-2015
ScorecardFidel Edwards’ pace blew his Hampshire team-mates away•PA PhotosHampshire have secured their first Championship win of the season with a six-wicket win at Hove, a ground that has now hosted its third three-day result game in a row. But this was nothing to do with the pitch: the visitors put together their best performance of the season, typified by Fidel Edwards’ first five-wicket haul for the county.Edwards’ 5 for 58 was not only Hampshire’s first five-for of the season, but it was also his first since taking 6 for 90 in a Test against Bangladesh, back in November 2012. That match in Khulna was his last for the West Indies across all formats and, in signing as a Kolpak player, at the age of 32, it seems that his international days are behind him. This will be his last four-day game for Hampshire before he jets off to the Caribbean Premier League on Sunday.His spell yesterday was a reminder of the confrontational attitude he used to save for the world’s best. The “you can’t see me” celebration: the hair is grown out but the swagger remains. His skipper Jimmy Adams said his spell at the end of day two was the fastest he had ever seen in domestic cricket, a point backed up by the rest of the Hampshire team, who told Edwards as much in the dressing room.Fidel on making big waves

On helping Hampshire secure their first Championship win at Hove in the last nine attempts “I’ve heard we hadn’t won here for a long time, so that’s good. The pitch was quick but not as quick as thought it would be. It was good though to bowl with the wind behind me. That’s my job – I’m here to get at batsman, bowl fast and get people out!”

On his Hampshire future beyond 2015: “I signed a Kolpak deal for Hampshire and hopefully I can extend that for the next couple of years. That’s my aim. Hampshire have a lot of West Indian greats playing for them so hopefully I can do my best to join that bunch.”

On his speed: “When I was younger, I was clocked a couple of times, when I first started, at around 96 or 97mph. Hopefully I can still bend my back like that at this age.

On his first experience of the English domestic season: “It’s been lovely – just a bit cold and wet! I’m looking to see what the sunshine can do and it was good to see a bit today. Last night, I went for a walk by the sea and it was terrible! The waves were kicking and I was right next to the sea! But it’s a good experience to be here and experience the cold for so long.”

Edwards was so quick last night that, when Wright decided to take him on, Adams moved one of his slips to a back-stop position for the top-edge. “I hadn’t set a field like that before – maybe not since my under-10s,” laughed Adams at the close. He confirmed the decision was Edwards and he was more than happy to oblige him.Edwards’ fifth wicket came this morning when he removed nightwatchman Steve Magoffin with his fourth ball before both he and Jackson Bird were put under pressure by Luke Wright and Ben Brown. Bird in particular, in his first Championship game of a season that has already been hampered with shoulder and neck injuries, struggled throughout the match.Having started the morning session from the Sea End, Bird switched to the Cromwell Road to calamitous effect. His first four overs went for 28, with his first going for 12, as Brown took him for three consecutive boundaries.It seemed that Wright and Brown could milk him easily until the new ball. Earlier, Brown had benefited from a poor drop from Danny Briggs, who shelled a routine catch with the batsman on 13, when he ran around to square leg for a top edge that would have given Edwards his sixth wicket. The joint hundred came off 164 balls as the complexion of the game started to change.And then, with the lead standing at 122, it happened: the first of two brain-fades that led to a lower-order collapse of four for four.The first came from Brown, who decided to take a risky single to the last ball of a Bird over that had already leaked 11 runs. He hit the ball to the left of cover, Will Smith, who ran around the ball to pick-up right-handed and throw down the stumps with Wright short of his ground.Brown’s misery was compounded when he became the recipient of what must have been Bird’s best ball of the match: a good-to-full length ball that jumped up to say hello and take the top of his glove, giving Sean Ervine a simple low catch at first slip. He sunk to his knees as Bird streamed past him, before returning to the pavilion flanked by the rest of those on the pitch as lunch was taken early.Ollie Robinson was the next to go, failing to take note of a deep square leg and finding him perfectly, just nine balls after the restart. With him went any realistically possible of quick runs, leaving Briggs to take his first wicket of the innings – caught bat-pad – to finish Sussex off.With just 125 to defend, it was Magoffin or bust for the home side. Their lead man ran in, unchanged for eight overs, from the Cromwell Road End. Bats were beaten, an edge fell short of Ed Joyce at first slip and a length was pounded, but to no avail.Jimmy Adams hit a quick 30 from 33 balls, seemingly trying to throttle the nerves out of the chase. When he departed with 51 on the board, in the 12th over, the runs came at a slower pace. Sean Terry, in his second game of the season, got some valuable time in the middle on his way to a first Championship half-century of the season and a career best in first-class cricket.Terry can take pride in the fact that he carried his bat through this chase, while more senior heads came and went. He’ll have a bruised thumb as a souvenir, for a week or so at least, after he was clocked by a sharp one from Hobden. But he and Hampshire will take that, as they finally get a win on the board.

Australia fast bowler Mitchell Johnson has said that the side has a goal of playing ‘perfect cricket’ in the World Cup and aim to keep getting better with each match

Daniel Brettig in Brisbane17-Feb-2015Australia have declared their intention to keep raising the bar on performances in this World Cup, going on from a lopsided opening victory over England to achieve perfection before the tournament is out.As the hosts enjoyed the second of two days off in the surrounds of their Brisbane hotel on Tuesday, Mitchell Johnson borrowed from the rhetoric common around Australian teams during the incomparable era of 1995 to 2008, when winning bred confidence and more wins. The MCG victory made it eight ODI wins in succession – most of them under George Bailey’s captaincy – and the looming return of Michael Clarke is set to strengthen the XI further.”It was a pretty short meeting after the game,” Johnson said of the coach Darren Lehmann’s post-match discussion in Melbourne. “But we can always get better at certain things, the thing was to not lose wickets so closely together and with the fielding we probably just dropped off towards the end. Throughout the whole match we did a lot of things that we wanted to and got the result that we wanted. We want to keep getting better throughout this tournament, we want to play perfect cricket.”We’ve been playing very good one-day cricket for a while now. The guys’ confidence is up, the way we batted … we posted a good total, I think it was a bit better than par. But then we were able to go out there and perform with the ball, and the fielding through most of that innings was outstanding and that’s going to be a key through most of this tournament.”I like having a few days off, it’s been good to get here and relax and enjoy a win against England. I know most of the boys were nervous before that game [but] plenty of energy when we got out into the field and you could probably see that from the sidelines. We get used to the temperature, the humidity and then get back into training for Saturday.”Johnson was a spellbound spectator for much of Australia’s previous World Cup victory in 2007, a surplus component of a squad that sailed through undefeated and unchallenged in the Caribbean. Their greatest hold up to victory back then was the muddled interpretation of rain rules in the final at Kensington Oval in Barbados, delaying the march to the trophy for longer than any opponent.”As players I guess you want to keep a winning side, but it’s up to the selectors,” Johnson said. “I remember in the West Indies being on the sidelines and watching, I was ready the whole time, I was doing everything I could to make sure I was ready if that opportunity arose so I think that’s what the guys need to do when they’re not in the playing 11.”It’s always hard, you want to get out there and play in a World Cup especially when it’s at home, it would be an amazing feeling for those guys to play but you just have to make sure you’re prepared as much as you can be and if performances don’t come up to scratch there might be an opportunity. But at the moment, from my point of view you’re playing in a team that’s winning.”Mitchell Johnson on Mitchell Starc: “He’s got everything it takes to be a spearhead.”•Getty ImagesJohnson said the team had not been distracted by the noise around Clarke’s impending return, and spoke enthusiastically of how he expected to be utilised by a captain noted for his agile grasp of tactics and bowling changes in any format.”I haven’t heard too much, he’s been around, he’s been training and he’s ready to go but I don’t know what the plan is from a playing point of view, he’s just sticking to what his first plan was,” Johnson said. “He’s not making it a distraction for us, he’s just getting his job done and we’re doing our job.”Whenever that chance is for him to come back in we’ll be ready for him. It was great for him to be out there in that warm-up game against the UAE, I love the captaincy he brings and he’s got so much experience. And George does as well, but Michael Clarke’s been the captain for a number of years now and I know the boys have his full support.”Johnson also spoke warmly of Mitchell Starc’s progress as the man most likely to replace him as the team’s favoured strike bowler in years to come. Having already ceded the new ball to Starc in ODIs, Johnson said the younger man need only add a shade more consistency in Test matches to be the finished article.”I haven’t been surprised because his one-day form has been outstanding throughout his career so far,” Johnson said of how well Starc has bowled in this year’s ODIs thus far. “He has struggled a little bit in Test-match cricket and from what I see he hasn’t been able to do back-to-back performances and just get out there and do it. So I was never worried that he would not perform in one-day cricket.”He’s got everything it takes to be a spearhead. He’s doing all the right things at the moment, he’s going out there and enjoying himself, bowling fast and swinging the ball and that’s what it’s all about. He’s learning every day, the more cricket he plays the more he learns so it’s good to have some senior guys around to help him out and I’m sure if he keeps going the way he is he’ll be a champion one-day bowler and Test bowler in the future.”

A round-up of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy Super League matches on April 2, 2015

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Apr-2015Group AA tidy bowling performance and a collective batting effort helped Madhya Pradesh beat Jharkhand by nine runs in Bhubaneswar.Chasing 154, Jharkhand had a decent start with each of their top four reaching double-figures. However, none managed a substantial contribution, leaving Jharkhand precariously placed at 81 for 5. Kaushal Singh, 18, then counterattacked his way to an unbeaten 50 off 28 balls, but it was not enough to prevent Jharkhand from sinking to their second successive defeat in the Super League. Harpreet Singh capped off a fine day, picking up two wickets to add to his 31 off 21 balls.After being put in, Jharkhand lost Mohnish Mishra in the second over, but a string of 20-plus scores, led by Harpreet’s rapid knock, steered them to 153. Prakash Seet’s double-strike in the final over marginally pegged back Jharkhand, but it eventually proved futile, much like Kaushal’s maiden T20 fifty.Seamer Rohit Dahiya returned figures of 4 for 31 to rout Himachal Pradesh for 124 and set up a six-wicket win for Gujarat in Bhubaneshwar.Having opted to bat, HP had a solid base, with Ankush Bains and Ajay Rana putting up a 41-run opening partnership. However, both fell to Dahiya in the space of three balls. Prashant Chopra then cracked 40 off 28 balls, but lacked support from the other end. Dahiya accounted for Chopra and Dhawan in the 16th over ; a double-strike that triggered a freefall as HP went from 106 for 3 to 124 all out.Dahiya was ably complemented by Jasprit Bumrah, who collected three wickets.Smit Patel and Priyank Panchal gave Gujarat a strong start in their chase, adding 58 for the first wicket. Though both departed in quick succession, and Manprit Juneja and Chirag Gandhi followed soon after, Jesal Karia and Rujul Bhatt sealed Gujarat’s second win in the Super League with 11 balls to spare.Group BRajasthan rode on a strong batting performance to beat Odisha by six wickets in Cuttack.Opting to field, Rajasthan restricted Odisha to 162, with Chandrapal Singh and Manjeet Singh taking two wickets each. Anurag Sarangi and Roshan Kumar Rao added 25 before Puneet Yadav broke the opening stand by dismissing Sarangi for 21 off 14 balls. Chandrapal then sent back Roshan Kumar to leave them at 42 for 2 in the seventh over.Govinda Podder and Shesdeep Patra, though, strung together a 49-run partnership, which ended with the fall of Patra’s wicket in the 15th over. Odisha lost two more wickets in the space of six balls, as they slipped to 100 for 5.Podder struck 61 from 44, and was aided by an eight-ball 28 from Suryakant Pradhan, as Odisha finished strong on 162 for 7.Pradhan then came back to trouble Rajasthan with the ball, removing Suryaprakash Suwalka in the second over of the chase.Ankit Lamba, though, assumed charge and added 59 with Sourabh Chouhan (35) before joining hands with Ashok Menaria (42), who had also produced a frugal spell early on. Though Menaria and Rajesh Bishnoi were undone by the pair of Arabind Singh and Deepak Behera in the penultimate over, Lamba remained unbeaten on 67 off 49 balls to guide Rajasthan home with two balls to spare.Jaskaranveer Singh’s unbeaten 69-ball 114 helped Punjab beat Mumbai by 5 runs in a rain-curtailed game in Cuttack.Choosing to bat, Punjab started sedately, their openers putting on 59 before Abhishek Raut removed Manan Vohra for 21 in the 10th over. Jaskaranveer, the other opener, continued to pile on the runs even as wickets fell steadily at the other end, with Himanshu Chawla the only other Punjab batsman to get into double figures. Raut picked up two more wickets and Jay Bista inflicted two run-outs, but Jaskaranveer, hitting 12 fours and five sixes in his maiden T20 hundred, lifted Punjab to 173 for 6.Mumbai lost opener Shoaib Shaikh in the second over of their chase when he was trapped leg before by Sandeep Sharma. A rain delay forced Mumbai’s target to be revised to 82 in eight overs, by the VJD method. The loss of Akhil Herwadkar left them at 18 for 2, but Bista kept them in sight of their target with a 23-ball 47, before his dismissal in the final over. Mumbai needed nine to win from the last two balls, but Taruwar Kohli only conceded three to win the game for his side.

Former Nottinghamshire fast bowler Andy Pick has been appointed Afghanistan’s bowling coach

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Jan-2015Former Nottinghamshire fast bowler Andy Pick has been appointed Afghanistan’s bowling consultant for a fortnight’s stint at a pre World Cup camp. He will join the team later this week in the UAE, where they are scheduled to play matches against Scotland and Ireland, with the possibility of continuing the links with the team leading into the World Cup.Afghanistan Cricket Board chairman Nasimullah Danish said Pick’s experience with other teams made him the right man for the job. “We hope to see his skills [being replicated by] our national team players. We have observed Andy’s career graph as a successful coach and then we came up with this decision collectively. The board is very thankful and fortunate to have him.”Pick, 51, had played 195 first-class matches, taking 495 wickets at 33.24, before taking to coaching. Apart from helping nurture Alastair Cook in school cricket, he had worked with the England Under-19s and the Canada national team and had a short stint working on cricket in the USA – he quit his post as high performance manager with the USA Cricket Association after two months, citing incidents which were not in line with how a professional organisation should operate. Later, he was appointed bowling coach with Nottinghamshire.