Bowling allrounder Corbin Bosch has been named as the replacement for the injured Anrich Nortje in South Africa’s 15-member squad for the Champions Trophy in Pakistan later this month.The 30-year-old Bosch made his ODI debut against Pakistan in December, returning figures of 1 for 69 in nine overs, but was one of the standout seamers in SA20 champions MI Cape Town’s campaign. Fast bowler Kwena Maphaka has also been added to the squad as a travelling reserve. They are already without Gerald Coetzee, ruled out with a groin issue, while Beuran Hendricks and Lizaad Williams have been recovering from injuries too.Related
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Bosch and Maphaka, along with opener Tony de Zorzi, depart for Karachi on Sunday to join the squad for the remainder of the tri-nation ODI series against Pakistan and New Zealand.Meanwhile, former Pakistan allrounder Yasir Arafat has joined the South Africa men’s support staff as a consultant for both the tri-nation series and the Champions Trophy.
South Africa’s Champions Trophy 2025 squad
Temba Bavuma (capt), Corbin Bosch , Tony de Zorzi, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tabraiz Shamsi, Tristan Stubbs, Rassie van der Dussen
Perth Scorchers import Finn Allen says it was fair for fans to doubt him following four consecutive failures, and he hopes he’s now won them back over.Allen, a devastating top-order batter for New Zealand, started the BBL season with scores of 6, 4, 0 and 0. But a rollicking 50 off 23 balls against Adelaide Strikers on New Year’s Eve and 68 off 31 in Friday night’s four-wicket loss to Sydney Thunder have Allen back in the groove.Allen’s fireworks against Thunder set the 46,471 Optus Stadium crowd alight, with one fan even holding up a sign saying “sorry I doubted you”. The 25-year-old could see the funny side.Related
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“I scored 10 runs in four games. I probably should have been doubted,” Allen said. “It’s nice, a few less people hate me [now]. T20 is pretty fickle. You’ve got to laugh, otherwise you’ll cry.”It is what it is, you know. People are going to get upset when you don’t do well, and they’re going to love you when you do well.”Allen said the backing from the team’s coaching staff, including head coach Adam Voges, was crucial for him rediscovering his mojo.”V was just saying he backs me in to just keep playing my natural game,” Allen said. “I think for me, it was just being brave. It’s always easy to go into your shell after four failures, but that’s not what’s going to bring out the best of me and the best of my game.”It’s almost harder, but I had to be brave, and I guess go out there and play the way I play.”Allen looms as a key cog for the Scorchers (3-3) as they attempt to snare a finals berth. They will be back in action on Tuesday night when they host Melbourne Renegades.Spinner Ashton Agar (back spasms) is a chance to return for that match, but there are doubts over allrounder Aaron Hardie after he appeared to injure his side while batting on Friday night.Hardie winced in pain and grabbed his side/rib region after attempting a reverse sweep, and he didn’t make it out on the field for the Thunder’s innings.He missed the start of the season with a quad injury, and he has been scratchy upon his return with scores of 24, 2 and 10.Scorchers will have to wait to see whether Mitchell Marsh, who was axed from the Test team, and Jhye Richardson will be given clearance by Cricket Australia to play against Renegades.
Nicolas Jackson’s shock switch from Chelsea to Bayern Munich – which was agreed a year out from signing a new contract at Stamford Bridge – has been branded a "bit harsh" despite the Senegal international striker not being a "natural goal-scorer". Blues legend Roberto Di Matteo has offered his take on a surprising switch agreed late in the summer window.
New contract ultimately meaningless
Jackson only committed to fresh terms 12 months ago, with that agreement supposed to keep him in west London through to the summer of 2033. The 24-year-old now finds himself at the Allianz Arena.
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Competing with England captain Kane
He has swapped being back-up in England – behind new arrivals Joao Pedro and Liam Delap – for a similar role in Germany. When fit, England captain Harry Kane will be Bayern’s go-to goal-getter.
Will £70m purchase option be triggered?
It is considered unlikely that a £70 million ($95m) purchase clause in Jackson’s deal in Munich will be triggered, meaning that his long-term future remains uncertain – with parent club Chelsea seemingly ready to move forward with alternative options.
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What Di Matteo said about Jackson's loan transfer
Discussing Jackson’s slightly surprising departure, former Blues player and manager Di Matteo – speaking in association with – told GOAL: “We can’t have too many sentiments in football. I like him. He’s not naturally a goal-scorer. Joao Pedro has shown that he can be a natural goal-scorer, so that’s going to make a huge difference for the team because sometimes – many times – you play against teams that just sit back and you don't have space. You need some match-winners in your team, some players that can unlock a defence, like [Cole] Palmer, like Joao Pedro, Estevao – he has started his career with Chelsea on a really positive note. And then Delap, every time that he plays or comes on he looks very strong, very sharp, physically very good.
"A bit harsh but maybe he didn’t want to be around as second or third striker, he wanted a different challenge. He’s gone to Bayern, I mean that’s a top world club, it’s not a small club."
Abhimanyu and Jagadeesan lead India B’s strong charge in the face of India C’s first innings score of 525
Shashank Kishore13-Sep-2024On a day dominated by the batters, Manav Suthar proved his all-round chops as India C posted a mammoth first innings total in Anantapur. India B responded solidly, their new opening pair of Abhimanyu Easwaran and N Jagadeesan hitting unbeaten half-centuries by stumps.Suthar, fresh off a match-winning seven-for in India C’s Duleep Trophy 2024-25 opening game, built on Ishan Kishan’s century on Thursday. Resuming on 8, Suthar brought up his fourth first-class half-century, but fell 14 short of his first-class highest of 96 not out.He was the last batter out as India C, resuming on 357 for 5, finished with 525. Kishan and Suthar aside, there were also half-centuries from B Indrajith and Ruturaj Gaikwad. Anshul Kamboj, the Haryana allrounder, struck a breezy 27-ball 38 in his 56-run stand with Suthar to swell their total further.2:38
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Suthar’s Rajasthan teammate Rahul Chahar was among the best India B bowlers, picking 4 for 73, while Mukesh Kumar, who began the day by having Gaikwad bowled, also ended with a four-for.Having been dismissed cheaply while attempting to drive at the Chinnaswamy last week, Abhimanyu would be relieved at having somewhat made amends. He faced 145 balls while hitting seven fours, and will resume on day three looking to get to his 24th first-class century.For Jagadeesan, coming in for Rishabh Pant, the game time couldn’t have come at a better time as he seeks to reinvigorate a first-class career that was seemingly at the crossroads not long ago.
أعلن نادي مانشستر سيتي لكرة القدم، في بيان رسمي منذ قليل، توقيع أحد لاعبي الفريق الأول على عقد جديد لمدة خمس سنوات، حسبما نُشر عبر الموقع الرسمي للسكاي بلو.
ويستعد مانشستر سيتي لخوض مباراة الديربي ضد نظيره مانشستر يونايتد، يوم الأحد المقبل على ملعب “الاتحاد” في قمة منافسات الجولة الرابعة من الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.
وأصدر مانشستر سيتي بيانًا رسميًا للإعلان عن توقيع ريكو لويس على عقد جديد لمدة خمس سنوات، حيث سيظل بمقتضاه في ملعب “الاتحاد” حتى صيف 2030.
كان ريكو لويس قد انضم إلى أكاديمية مانشستر سيتي في الثامنة من عمره، وتدرج في الفئات السنية المختلفة للنادي قبل أن ينضم إلى الفريق الأول في موسم 2022/23.
وشارك ريكو لويس في 97 مباراة مع الفريق الأول في مانشستر سيتي، وسجل 5 أهداف، حيث أعرب عن سعادته الجمة بعد توقيعه على العقد الجديد اليوم.
اقرأ أيضًا | المباريات التي سيغيب عنها عمر مرموش مع مانشستر سيتي بعد إصابته.. مواجهتان ناريتان
وقال ريكو لويس: “مانشستر سيتي يعني لي كل شيء، ومن ثم فإن حصولي على فرصة توقيع هذا العقد الجديد لحظة مميزة جدًا لي ولعائلتي، ما زلت أتطور وأتحسن كلاعب، أعلم أن فرصة مواصلة العمل مع جوارديولا وجهازه الفني وفريقنا الرائع ستساعدني على مواصلة التطور”.
وأضاف: “قضيت وقتًا طويلًا في هذا النادي، مانشستر سيتي يعني لي كل شيء، لذلك فإن البقاء لفترة أطول يجعلني سعيدًا للغاية، تمثيل ذلك النادي كل يوم يُعد شرفًا وامتيازًا لي”.
وواصل: “سأبذل قصارى جهدي لمساعدتنا على تحقيق المزيد من النجاح هذا الموسم وما بعده، ومع فريقنا العالمي، أنا متحمس للغاية لما يحمله المستقبل للنادي”.
Building on good work by Ed Barnard and Will Rhodes, Burgess is 126 not out against Somerset
ECB Reporters Network30-Jun-2024
Michael Burgess acknowledges his century•Getty Images
Michael Burgess hit his seventh first class century to cement a determined Warwickshire fightback on the opening day of the Vitality County Championship Division One match with Somerset at Taunton.Going in at No. 8, the 29-year-old wicketkeeper made an unbeaten 126, off 167 balls, with 14 fours and three sixes, to build on the good work of Ed Barnard (92) and skipper Will Rhodes (63) after their side had slumped to 40 for 4 on losing the toss.Chris Woakes contributed 39 to an eighth-wicket stand of 110 with Burgess that enabled Warwickshire to close on 373 for 8. Migael Pretorius was the pick of Somerset’s bowling attack with 4 for 72 from 20 overs.Josh Davey made the first breakthrough with the Warwickshire total on 19 as Alex Davies edged a defensive push to Tom Abell at first slip in the fifth over.It was 34 for 2 when Rob Yates, on 15, nicked a lifter from Pretorius and Kasey Aldridge accepted a sharp chance at second slip. The South African struck again in his next over with an excellent delivery that clipped the top of off stump to send back Sam Hain for a duck.Warwickshire were in a deep hole at 40 when the inspired Pretorius induced Dan Mousley to edge an attempted leg-side shot to give Aldridge another slip catch at which point the seamer’s figures were 3 for 6.Rhodes survived a couple of scares before lunch, which was taken at 97 for 4, the skipper having made 42 and added 57 with Barnard, who was unbeaten on 25.The afternoon session saw Rhodes move to fifty off 87 balls, with seven fours, and the partnership with the unflappable Barnard extend past the century mark before Somerset struck two blows in rapid succession.Jack Leach, preferred to Shoaib Bashir as the only specialist spinner in the side, tempted Rhodes into an error as an ugly mishit saw him cloth a gentle catch to Andy Umeed at mid-on. The following over saw Craig Overton force a defensive edge from Jacob Bethell through to wicketkeeper James Rew.Barnard remained a solid presence, having moved to a chanceless half-century off 94 balls, with eight fours. He was unbeaten on 79 at tea, sensibly picking the right balls to attack, and had helped his side to 214 for 6, with the help of Burgess, on 33 not out.Somerset began the final session with the occasional leg-spin of Umeed, who was quickly dispatched for six by Burgess over a short leg-side boundary. It proved a solitary over as Leach changed ends to good effect.Burgess moved to an impressive fifty off 87 balls, with five fours and a six, but Barnard fell unexpectedly with the stand on 99 as the England left-arm spinner bowled him attempting to cut a slightly quicker delivery.Barnard had faced 159 balls and struck 12 fours on the ground where he claimed his best Championship bowling figures of 6 for 37 (11 for 89 in match) for Worcestershire in 2018.A Burgess single of Leach took Warwickshire to a first batting point at 250 for 7. As the time for the second new ball approached, Burgess went on the attack, launching Leach for two sixes over long-on.It was 291 for 7 when the new ball was taken, with Burgess and Woakes looking well set. Woakes brought up 300 with a glorious cover driven four off Overton as Somerset’s bowling lacked the accuracy of the pre-lunch session.Burgess went to three figures with a straight drive for two off Overton, having faced 146 balls and hit 10 fours and three sixes. The pitch was offering precious little seam movement as he and Woakes batted with increasing comfort and aggression.Woakes suffered a couple of painful blows, one to his right hand, but the England allrounder battled bravely through until chipping a catch to Umeed at mid-on to give Pretorius his fourth wicket. Michael Booth then survived a caught and bowled chance to Davey to increase Somerset frustration.
It wasn’t the most thrilling spectacle to take in for the scattered array of Chelsea supporters watching on, but the Blues did start their Club World Cup campaign with a relatively straightforward 2-0 victory over LAFC on Monday evening.
Enzo Maresca named a very strong lineup for the clash with Steve Cherundolo’s challengers, and, for the most part, it was a smooth match for the likes of Cole Palmer – who was donning the no.10 for the first time – and Moises Caicedo, among many other strong first-team personnel.
There would have been some worries in the Mercedes-Benz Stadium that the game could peter out into a dire clash with no goals scored within the first 30 minutes. Thankfully, Pedro Neto managed to raise the excitement levels when he broke the deadlock in the 34th minute.
The game was then tied up in the second half by Enzo Fernandez popping up with a goal of his own, but away from the goalscorers stealing the limelight, there were several top performers on the night, alongside others putting in slightly more subdued displays.
Chelsea's best performers vs LAFC
The most logical place to start is with Neto’s standout showing, with his blistering solo run and tricky feet resulting in the ex-Wolverhampton Wanderers winger getting Chelsea’s account underway in the competition.
Away from this sublime effort beating former Spurs captain, Hugo Lloris, Neto also fired another shot off the woodwork, with his constant livewire presence clear for all to see even more when completing a hefty five successful dribbles.
Neto wasn’t the only bright spark from Chelsea’s perspective, however, with Fernandez also sticking out in the second half when winning two duels alongside his goal. Involved in that second strike was debutant Liam Delap, who scampered down the right and delivered an inch-perfect cross for the Argentine to bury.
Starring alongside Fernandez was the ever-reliable Moises Caicedo.
He was also persistently involved in play when notching up 101 touches, but not every blue shirt trudged off at the end delighted with their efforts.
Chelsea's worst performers against LAFC
Romeo Lavia struggled to get going before Maresca hooked him off at the half-time interval, yet there was one underperformer throughout that will be worried for his Club World Cup starting spot now and his future as a regular starter at Stamford Bridge after offering very little in the Atlanta heat.
Chalkboard
Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
It’s clear from the rampant transfer rumours coming out of West London that Chelsea are in the market for a new left winger figure, with Jamie Gittens one of the main targets being lined up to replace the recently departed Jadon Sancho.
After the 2-0 win over LAFC, it’s even more abundantly clear that the Blues need urgent reinforcements down the left flank, with Noni Madueke having a torrid time of things when chucked out to this unfamiliar position on the pitch.
A large portion of Chelsea supporters took to social media to voice their frustrations at Madueke’s dire showing, with the 23-year-old largely ineffective throughout when powering just one paltry on-target effort at Lloris’ goal.
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Moreover, Neto’s eye-catching trickery on the ball down the right just didn’t rub off on the out-of-sorts number 11 on the left, culminating in just one unmemorable successful dribble being registered.
Madueke’s performance in numbers
Minutes played
64
Goals scored
0
Assists
0
Touches
43
Accurate passes
25/27 (93%)
Shots
2
Possession lost
10x
Total duels won
3/7
Stats by Sofascore
On top of those already grim statistics, Madueke also gave away possession ten times, alongside only winning a disappointing 42% of his duels.
Therefore, going forward, Maresca must not continue playing Madueke down the left, with a low 5/10 match rating handed to him by Football.London’s Bobby Vincent after the match adding insult to injury.
Tyrique George is the only other option the former Leicester City boss can rely upon on the left channel, with Chelsea needing to act fast now to add someone like Gittens to their squad.
If this were in a far more pressurised contest, Madueke could have ended up costing his side dear.
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Wolverhampton Wanderers fans have seen a whole host of top attacking stars grace the Molineux pitch in recent years, with the likes of Diogo Jota and Raul Jimenez immediately sticking out.
Between them, the potent pair managed to tally up 101 goals when donning an Old Gold strip, leading to both players still being held in high regard in the West Midlands.
Vitor Pereira and Co will be hopeful that any new strikers that enter the building this summer can be as memorable as both Jota and Jimenez were, with Wolves now being linked to a load of fresh centre-forwards.
Wolves' pursuit of a new striker
The in-form Premier League side might well be keeping their options wide open just in case Matheus Cunha does decide to jump ship, considering the spellbinding Brazilian is being linked incessantly with a switch to Ruben Amorim’s Manchester United.
Already, the Old Gold have been tipped to make moves for breakout Holstein Kiel striker Phil Harres, alongside Leicester City veteran Jamie Vardy, but now they have allegedly thrown their hat into the ring to land deadly Irish marksman Troy Parrott.
As per journalist Ben Jacobs when recently appearing on the Wolfpack podcast, Pereira’s men are keen on snapping up the lethal AZ Alkmaar attacker when the transfer window reopens, with Parrott presumably up for a move back to English shores himself after a testing time with former side Tottenham Hotspur.
If Wolves were successful in their pursuit, the Old Gold could be about to land their next iteration of Kevin Doyle, with Doyle also coincidentally a striker that hails from Ireland who knew how to excite the masses with electric attacking displays.
Why Parrott could be Wolves' next Doyle
Minus the geographical similarities, Parrott has proven himself across many a season now in the Netherlands that he possesses the same goalscoring prowess as the ex-Wolves number 29.
Doyle, across 179 appearances at Molineux, would chip in with a respectable tally of 34 goals and 22 assists. Parrott, for his current employers, already boasts 20 strikes from 45 games, which is a hefty total that follows from his 17-goal heroics when starring for Excelsior elsewhere in the Eredivisie.
He’s even managed to excel on the international stage for the Republic of Ireland, much like Doyle before him, with five goals picked up from 28 caps for his nation – again bolstering his reputation as a feared goal machine.
Amazingly, his 20-goal return for AZ this season actually betters Cunha’s unbelievable rich vein of form for Pereira’s men, with a hope in the air that signings such as Parrott’s getting over the line softens the potential blow of the 25-year-old departing for Old Trafford.
Games played
45
32
Goals scored
20
17
Assists
5
6
Games
28
29
Goals
14
15
Goal frequency
157min
156min
Assists
2
6
Big chances missed
18
2
Big chances created
4
12
Key passes
1.1
1.8
Indeed, the table above shows off Parrott’s impressive goalscoring numbers even more, with Cunha falling short of his Irish counterpart’s output by three goals in all competitions, albeit from 13 fewer clashes.
Lauded as “phenomenal” by ex-manager Ryan Lowe when the duo were together at Preston North End, it’s clear that the former Spurs youngster is ready for a taste of the Premier League again to put his goalless stint in the men’s team in North London firmly behind him.
Wolves might well give him that platform to strut his stuff soon, with the potential there for the Dublin-born striker to be the club’s next Doyle if everything goes swimmingly.
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Often when it comes to Leeds United and promotion races, the Whites let their nerves get the better of them.
However, with only one game remaining of the current Championship season, the West Yorkshire outfit are already Premier League bound away from any worries seeping in.
Daniel Farke’s side looked every bit ready for the challenge ahead when brushing aside playoff-chasing Bristol City effortlessly in a huge 4-0 win on Monday night.
There was a carnival-like atmosphere in the air at Elland Road throughout, with no hangovers in sight from the home side’s perspective after sealing promotion.
Leeds' best performers vs Bristol City
Leeds might have been anticipating a trickier tie in truth, considering Liam Manning’s Robins aren’t mathematically safe inside the top six positions.
But, from the get-go, the clash felt like a walk in the park for the hosts, with Ao Tanaka’s calm and collected finish from a floating Manor Solomon ball opening the scoring in the 21st minute.
Solomon – away from assisting Tanaka to break the deadlock – really stood out himself during the one-sided contest, with the electric Tottenham Hotspur loanee amassing two successful dribbles and four shots of his own to try and catch out the sheepish visitors from Bristol even more.
Both Wilfried Gnonto and Largie Ramazani would shine too as the other goal scorers on the night, with Ramazani only needing nine minutes of action to bag a brace, whilst both Joe Rodon and Ethan Ampadu would accumulate a ridiculous 291 accurate passes between them in the heart of the Leeds defence.
Chalkboard
Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
Of course, alongside the aforementioned Welsh pairing, there was also the influential figure of Junior Firpo pulling the strings once more from defence, with his assist for Ramazani’s first of the clash taking his assist haul to the season up to a mighty ten.
Regardless of his standout showings this season, according to reports, it looks unlikely that the ex-Barcelona man will be kept around for the forthcoming challenge of the Premier League.
However, there is another face in Farke’s starting XI who may succumb to the same fate as the left-back over the summer.
7/10 Leeds star needs an upgrade
Tough conversations will have to take place at Leeds this coming off-season involving who is cut out for the intense jump up to the top-flight, with Farke’s neck already allegedly on the line in this regard.
Brenden Aaronson will also be worrying slightly about his long-term future in West Yorkshire, considering the American has previously floundered at the elite level.
Indeed, last time he was plunged into the choppy waters of the Premier League, Aaronson would only manage to pick up one goal and three assists from 36 outings, culminating in the Whites falling back into the reaches of the Championship.
Now, the ex-Red Salzburg attacker will have a point to prove. But, based on his somewhat wasteful approach against the leaky Robins and his topsy-turvy form this season, he might not be Farke’s preferred choice of number 10 in the far tougher division.
Aaronson’s performance in numbers
Stat
Aaronson
Minutes played
86
Goals scored
0
Assists
0
Touches
50
Accurate passes
28/33 (85%)
Key passes
2
Shots
3
Big chances missed
1
Stats by Sofascore
It must be said, this was not Aaronson’s worst night of the campaign, far from it. The £45k-per-week attacking midfielder did manage to link up nicely with Solomon and Co at points as another vibrant option up top, but another goal or assist to add to his season collection of 11 from 45-second tier clashes annoyingly evaded him.
Whilst the likes of Solomon and Tanaka wouldn’t look out of place in the top-flight, Aaronson could well find he’s pushed back into the deep-end once more, with Yorkshire Post journalist Tom Coates even labelling his night as “frustrating” despite his 7/10 rating. It was a night of mixed reviews for the American, which rather sums up his time at Leeds, with the Athletic’s Larry Henry suggesting it was a “really positive display”.
Evidently, an upgrade will be required in the Premier League and it might well be that the likes of Firpo, Farke and Aaronson have all just enjoyed their last nights under the Elland Road lights.
Before any more talk centres on whether the inconsistent 24-year-old could be let go of, Leeds still have the chance to clinch the Championship title on the final day of the season, with Plymouth the location for the Whites’ potential triumph.
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Bangladesh have a rare chance of starting a fresh day with ten wickets in hand, and they have Shadman and Zakir to thank for that
Mohammad Isam22-Aug-2024One thing batters do not look forward to is to face twelve overs of bowling after spending the whole day fielding. Zakir Hasan and Shadman Islam’s brave faces weren’t fooling anyone in Rawalpindi. Justin Langer wrote in his autobiography about wanting the twilight challenge, but few are cut from the same cloth.Zakir and Shadman are Bangladesh’s tenth different opening pair in the last three years. After Shan Masood declared the Pakistan innings on 448 for 6 at 4.34 pm local time, they were set to face at least an hour of hellfire from Pakistan’s pace attack. And they did… okay. They blunted Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah, and annoyed Khurram Shahzad a little bit. That’s not a bad evening’s work. They have a more work to do but for now this will do.Related
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The expectations of Bangladesh’s batters have been so low these days that going twelve overs unscathed felt like a big deal. On a tough day for Bangladesh, Shadman and Zakir looked in control to ensure the visitors left the ground with some respite. Shadman is returning to the Test side after 16 months while Zakir is playing his first overseas Test. The pair played out 58 dot balls in the twelve overs and even hit three fours.Batting coach David Hemp wore a smile at the end of the day. He looked like one of those dads who watching their kids’ recital and mouthing their lines along with them. Hemp had received good news earlier in the day from the Islamabad Club where Saif Hassan and Jaker Ali struck hundreds for Bangladesh A. He was however more pleased with what he saw in Rawalpindi.”It is always a challenge to bat for a limited time in the back end of the day,” Hemp said. “After being in the field for five hours. We are really pleased not to lose wickets, but more importantly their approach. They are still trying to capitalise on scoring options. I also felt that they made good judgements about leaving the ball.”Shadman’s recent form should provide some confidence. He made 88 against Pakistan A in Darwin recently. Zakir didn’t have a good outing against Pakistan A in Islamabad last week, but he was beginning to forge a solid partnership with Mahmudul Hasan Joy, whose groin injury kept him out of this Test.Zakir Hasan cuts the ball•Associated PressHemp added that the rest of the Bangladesh batters are also prepared to take on the Pakistan attack. Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mominul Haque are up next, followed by the veterans Mushfiqur Rahim and Shakib Al Hasan, and Litton Das and Mehidy Hasan Miraz lower down the order.”From what we are seeing in the preparation period, they have all been striking the ball well and getting into good positions,” Hemp said. “They are all confident that they can contribute to the team. We have depth in the batting order with Litton at seven and Mehidy at eight.”[Pakistan] have four good seamers and a reasonable spinner. They have bowling options. They are a good attack. It is going to be a challenge. The priority is to bat the day. We have to negotiate each session, and then see where we are.”Hemp also expected the lower order to contribute runs, citing how the Bangladesh tail stood up against New Zealand in their last Test win, in November 2023.”The mantra in the team is for everyone to be able to contribute,” he said. “Everyone is expected to bat as much as possible. For us internally, we look at contributions from the lower order. We are more interested in balls faced than runs from No 9, 10 and 11. During the New Zealand series at home last year, the last four batters averaged 33 to 34 balls per innings. That’s 120 balls, which kept New Zealand in the field for 20 extra overs. It had a massive impact on the game. For us it is a really important factor.”Shakib, Shanto and Litton have not been among the runs. Mominul and Mushfiqur are low on game time, while Mehidy is also returning from a considerable break. Bangladesh will need a massive effort from the batters to get even in this Test.