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After some eye-catching transfers, Villa have made club history in the Women's FA Cup this season and are on track for a best-ever WSL finish

Carla Ward, manager of Aston Villa’s women’s team, remembers being told last summer that another coach in the Women’s Super League had tipped her team for relegation.

Almost a year on, Villa are fifth in the WSL table. They have taken four points off title-chasing Manchester City and beat the same opponent last month to set up a meeting with Chelsea on Sunday in the club’s first-ever Women’s FA Cup semi-final.

Ward admits that if GOAL had told her 12 months ago that the team would be in this position, “I would have called you crazy.”

But the progress made is a testament to the work behind the scenes, the way this group has come together and some brilliant transfer business, which has led to them grabbing headlines for all the right reasons.

GettyDaly, Dali and the summer's dazzling deals

Those headlines started last summer with Rachel Daly’s surprise arrival. Despite her having offers from top-four clubs, the Euro 2022 winner made her way to Villa Park.

“I still don't know how we kept it such a secret,” Ward tells GOAL. “There were only two or three of us that knew for the entire duration of it.

“We’re on a journey and I think she likes the idea of being part of something and helping a club like us and a manager, I guess, like me, who is early on in their career.

"I think that was probably quite important, just to have that sort of impact. If she goes to a top club, might she just be another player? Whereas if she comes to a club like ours, she can make a real difference in helping us move forward.

“It shows the type of person she is. She didn't just go to a big club for big money. She wanted to really come and be part of something special.”

"Rach has been absolutely unbelievable for us," adds Dan Turner, another of Villa’s superb summer signings. "She just won the Euros as a left-back, comes in and is absolutely firing on all cylinders as a No.9. That's just testament to her as a player and a person how well she's done for us. She's been pivotal, as many of the other signings and players have been, for how well we're doing.

“It’s a massive coup for us. She's a leader in the dressing room. Everyone has so much respect for her, as we do for everyone. She's a big character off the pitch as well and, bonus, she brings Dexi, her dog, in most days!”

As well as those Daly and Turner, in came France international Kenza Dali, New Zealand goalkeeper Anna Leat, the versatile Natasha Harding, Northern Ireland striker Simone Magill, Anna Patten on loan from Arsenal, and Kirsty Hanson on loan from Manchester United.

It didn’t click right away, with Ward describing pre-season as “dreadful”. But since it has, it’s been superb.

AdvertisementGettyThe thorn in Man City's side

It was the opening weekend of the season when it came together. Villa raced into a two-goal lead against Man City before half time, were trailing 3-2 before the hour mark, but ended the match as 4-3 winners.

“It's probably one of the best games I've ever been involved in as a player,” Turner says. “I think that win, it was like, 'Okay, we can really kick on from here and we've really got something in this group'.”

That belief was well-placed. Villa have since found consistency, taken points off City again and only lost once in 2023 – that to Chelsea. After a few transfer windows, Ward believes the squad is now tailor made for how she wants to play.

“We plan very strategically who we want, what we want, and how we're going to get there,” she explains. “It's not all about spending money. It's about identifying players that fit the system, fit what we want, fit the philosophy, fit the kind of environment we've got and then bringing those players in.”

GettyBacking it all up with a giant January

That continued into January when Villa caught the eye again. Jordan Nobbs – a player with three WSL titles, four FA Cups and five League Cups to her name – joined from Arsenal. Three days later, Lucy Staniforth, another England international with huge pedigree, followed her through the door.

Villa's team was depleted with injuries at this point and reinforcements were more than welcome – especially ones as good as these.

“I think Christmas came at a good time for us,” Turner says. “A lot of us needed that physical and mental reset. Then when you come back in and there's quality added to the squad, immediately the quality and the standards in training go up because everybody's now fighting for the shirt that maybe wasn't as competitive before Christmas, because of the injuries.

“They're two exciting signings that I think have done unbelievably well since they've been in. Jordan is doing what Jordan does, scoring goals! Stan has been unbelievable controlling the middle of the pitch for us.

“When you hear those names are coming through the door, it just makes for a really exciting second half of the season.”

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GettyPutting it all together

It’s one thing to sign lots of good players, though, and another to put all the pieces together. Villa have certainly done the latter.

Turner believes that she is in the best form of her career – and GOAL agrees. Daly is in the hunt for the WSL’s Golden Boot. Dali deserves to be nominated for the league’s Player of the Season award. The list goes on.

“It's probably a number of factors,” Turner says, asked what is getting the best out of everyone. “I think the togetherness in the group is unbelievable. We're quite an open group, so the environment helps. Carla brings out the best in people, brings out confidence in people.

“Things have been thrown at us, decisions have gone against us this season, things haven't gone our way at times, but there's a lot of character in this group and you can see that.

“There's a lot of experience in the group now and there's winners. We're really starting to build a winning mentality. We're finding different ways to win games. We play some unbelievable football at times but it's not always pretty. That's how you are successful, by finding different ways to win.”

The Blancos' Brazilian forwards starred as Real Madrid came from behind to beat Real Mallorca and maintain their perfect start to the season

Real Madrid's Brazilian duo, Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo, were the stars of the show as Los Blancos moved back to the top of the table with a fifth straight win in La Liga.

Vinicius maintained his prolific form by scoring his fifth goal in as many games, while Rodrygo ended up with a goal and an assist in a 4-1 victory over a spirited Real Mallorca at Santiago Bernabeu.

The duo completely outshone a disappointing Eden Hazard, who was making his first start since January. The Belgian was back in the team but then back on the bench after 58 minutes as Carlo Ancelotti opted for changes.

The hosts had earlier needed a rocket from Fede Valverde to get them back on level terms after Vedat Muriqi stunned the home fans by opening the scoring.

Real Madrid's Brazilian duo then did the business and there was even time for a first Blancos goal for summer signing Antonio Rudiger late on.

Getty ImagesThe Winners

Rodrygo:

The 21-year-old is a enjoying a fine start to the season and is making a big difference to the defending champions in the early weeks of the campaign.

Rodrygo's run and pass to tee up Vinicius to make it 2-1 was very special, but the Brazilian wasn't done there as he got his name on the scoresheet in style, beating two defenders and then applying an ice-cool finish.

The forward has now been involved in four goals in his last four games.

Vinicius Jr:

The Brazilian remains in unstoppable form for Real Madrid and is a big reason why the champions have won all seven games so far this season.

There was no Karim Benzema against Real Mallorca, but it didn't really matter because Vini stepped up when it counted to make it 2-1 and end the visitors' hopes of a first win over Madrid in 2009.

Vinicius has now scored in his last five games in a row and is absolutely vital to Madrid's hopes of success this season.

Fede Valverde:

Vinicius may have scored the winner but there's no doubt the highlight of the game was the absolute thunderbolt that Valverde struck in the first half to level the game at 1-1.

The Uruguay midfielder now has two goals and three assists in his last five outings for Carlo Ancelotti's side this season.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesThe Losers

Eden Hazard:

Hazard was back in the starting XI for the first time since January after impressing last time out against Celtic with a goal off the bench in the Champions League.

The visit of Mallorca, who were beaten 6-1 in this fixture last season, looked to be the perfect opportunity for Hazard to shine, but the game largely passed him by.

Hazard didn't lack for effort, but nothing really came off and it was no real surprise to see him substituted just before the hour.

The Bernabeu pitch:

The 2022-23 La Liga season is only a few weeks old, but the pitch at Santiago Bernabeu already looks as though it has seen better days.

The turf at the home of the champions looked dry and bare in places and certainly did not help Carlo Ancelotti's side, who toiled at times before running away with it late on.

Ferland Mendy:

Real Madrid had to come from behind at home, and fingers will be pointed at Mendy for the opening goal. The left-back, who was also booked early on, was caught ball-watching which allowed Vedat Muriqi to thunder a header home.

Getty ImagesReal Madrid Ratings: Defence

Thibaut Courtois (6/10):

Made a good early parry inside the first minute. Could do nothing about Muriqi’s header but otherwise didn’t have too much to do in the Madrid goal.

Ferland Mendy (4/10):

Not a great day for the left-back who was booked in the first half, lost Muriqi for the opener and taken off before the hour.

David Alaba (7/10):

Typically strong at the back and kept on looking to set Vinicius free down the left flank.

Antonio Rudiger (8/10):

A memorable day for the summer signing who scored his first goal for Los Blancos in stoppage time with a volley at the back post.

Lucas Vazquez (6/10):

A decent showing from the full-back, but his game was ended early in the second half by injury.

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GettyMidfield

Dani Ceballos (6/10):

Some good moments on just his third start since returning from a loan spell with Arsenal. Laid the ball off to Valverde for the Uruguayan’s sensational equaliser but was replaced for the last 20 minutes by Eduardo Camavinga.

Toni Kroos (8/10):

Took over the armband from Benzema and had a few sights of goal but couldn't find the back of the net. Did, though, dictate proceedings in midfield and grabbed an assist late on for Rudiger with a fine free-kick into the penalty area.

Fede Valverde (8/10):

Gave away from the free-kick from which Mallorca opened the scoring but made amends in style with a fabulous equaliser.

How have the two continental giants fared as they’ve made their way to Sunday’s Africa Cup of Nations showpiece?

Getty ImagesMatchday One

Zimbabwe came within seconds of holding Senegal in the two sides’ tournament opener, with Sadio Mane stepping up to bag a 97th-minute penalty after Kelvin Madzongwe was penalised for a handball in the box.

The Teranga Lions headed into the game with only 18 players due to injuries and coronavirus diagnoses, but monopolised the possession in a one-sided encounter.

Nonetheless, their game lacked precision and a cutting edge amidst humid, energy-sapping conditions.

For Egypt, things were even tougher, as they were blown away by a rampant Nigeria side, who should have won more convincingly than 1-0.

AdvertisementGettyMatchday Two

Yet another turgid performance from Senegal, as they and Guinea ground out a 0-0 victory with the Syli Nationale slightly edging the possession stakes.

Egypt bounced back from their victory over Nigeria with an unconvincing 1-0 triumph over Guinea-Bissau, who thought they’d nabbed a late equaliser when Mama Balde bagged a goal of the tournament contender after cutting in from the left flank.

VAR ultimately ruled out the stunning effort, denying the islanders a second point, and getting the North Africans back to winning ways.

BackpagePix.Matchday Three

Mohamed Abdelmomen scored the only goal of the game for Egypt as they downed Sudan in a low-key encounter in Yaounde, with the Pharaohs largely faring well with their opponents’ long-ball approach but unable to carve open clear opportunities.

Senegal were even more effectively neutralised in Bafoussam, playing out an underwhelming 0-0 draw against their lowly opponents.

At this stage of the tournament, while both Senegal and Egypt were largely looking solid, neither were truly looking like title contenders.

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BackpageLast 16

Quarter-finalEgypt took their game to new heights when faced with high-flying Ivory Coast, who entered the contest on the back of eliminating reigning champions Algeria in their final group game.

The Pharaohs at times rode their luck, but created over 20 chances and kept the Elephants at bay before progressing on penalties when Eric Bailly missed his spot kick.

On paper, Senegal had an easier ride, winning 2-0 against nine-men Cape Verde, although the contest didn’t exactly pan out as expected, with the Teranga Lions only taking the lead through Mane after the Liverpool man had suffered a head injury in a collision with goalkeeper Vozinha.

Bamba Dieng finally guaranteed progress in the 92nd minute.

New Zealand Women produced a clinical performance to knock South Africa out of the tournament, after a resounding seven-wicket win in Bangalore

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Mar-2016
ScorecardNew Zealand Women produced a clinical performance to knock South Africa out of the tournament, after a resounding seven-wicket win in Bangalore. New Zealand hunted down the target of 100 with 33 balls to spare after bowling South Africa out in the last over. With this result, Australia join New Zealand in the semi-finals from Group A.South Africa’s openers – Trisha Chetty and Dane van Niekerk – added 21 after being inserted, but the New Zealand bowlers kept chipping away thereafter. Marizanne Kapp anchored the middle overs with a steady 22, but substantial partnerships were hard to come by.Just as South Africa were looking for a late surge, they lost their five wickets for nine runs in the space of 11 balls, with Sophie Devine taking three of them in the penultimate over of the innings. Leigh Kasperek contributed with three wickets to become the tournament’s highest wicket-taker, with nine scalps.Suzie Bates, the competition’s leading run-scorer, and her opening partner Rachel Priest, the third highest on the run charts, added 57 in just 50 balls to effectively kill the game. Both fell within the space of two overs, though, and Kapp trapped Sara McGlashan soon after, but it was too late. Devine provided the finishing touches with a 17-ball 27, an innings that featured three fours and a six.

Leicestershire launched their season in style with a convincing 10-wicket victory against Glamorgan which reflected their superiority over the four days

ECB Reporters Network20-Apr-2016
ScorecardAngus Robson helped knock off the target with ease•Getty ImagesLeicestershire launched their season in style with a convincing 10-wicket victory against Glamorgan which reflected their superiority over the four days.Paul Horton and Angus Robson made light work of a target of 113 after Glamorgan’s final two wickets had been taken within the first six overs of the morning as Ben Raine finished with 4 for 57.Victory was achieved half an hour after lunch as Leicestershire secured 23 points and demonstrated to other Division Two teams that they are no longer the whipping boys after spending three seasons propping up the table.Clint McKay showed in this game that he is a consummate professional, taking eight wickets in the game and scoring a valuable 65 in the first innings which was instrumental in Leicestershire gaining a first innings lead. The club has also recruited well, with Horton, the former Lancashire opener scoring two fifties in the match and establishing a solid opening partnership with Robson. Neil Dexter and Mark Pettini are also shrewd signings, and with promising young players establishing themselves, there is a good blend of youth and experience.Andrew McDonald, Leicestershire’s Director of Elite Performance, could have issued the same advice to his squad that Richard Cockerill gave to his rugby players as they prepare for the European Cup, when he said he “wanted the Tigers to emulate the city’s footballers, and make their own bit of noise in the city”Although there might not be the same noise emanating from Grace Road on a balmy summer’s afternoon, this success will hopefully attract plenty of supporters for Leicestershire’s first home game against Kent on Sunday for which the club are offering free admission to the first day.McDonald said: “[I’m] thrilled with the very professional performance over the four days. All our batsmen contributed, while our bowlers – after perhaps a below par performance in the first innings – were spot on in the second innings. They got the rewards they deserved , while Mark Cosgrove and the others who make up the leadership team – Horton, Pettini and Dexter – were always talking and discussing tactics.”Glamorgan, meanwhile, managed a decent first innings total of 348, but then let themselves down at the start of Leicestershire’s innings when the openers were dropped three times before lunch and then allowed the opposition to score 147 for the last four wickets.When Glamorgan started their second innings, yet again the top order failed to contribute – as happened on many occasions last year – and apart from 19-year-old Aneurin Donald’s half-century, there was little resistance top order. They will be hoping that Colin Ingram, one of their leading batsmen, will soon be fit again after suffering from a troublesome knee that caused him to miss the opening game.Glamorgan captain Jacques Rudolph said the defeat was “a wake -up call, and we must learn that after being 132 for 2 it is not acceptable to lose three wickets for one run. Our catching was not good enough, but it was not easy on the second day fielding in the slips in the bitterly cold conditions.”

Sub-optimal use of the DRS by the officiating umpires in the Test between Pakistan and Sri Lanka at the P Sara Oval has appeared to have cost Pakistan the wicket of Kaushal Silva

Andrew Fidel Fernando and Umar Farooq25-Jun-2015Sub-optimal use of the DRS by the officiating umpires at the P Sara Oval has appeared to have cost Pakistan the wicket of Kaushal Silva in Sri Lanka’s first innings of the second Test.S Ravi had given Silva not out – after which Pakistan reviewed the decision – off the bowling of left-arm spinner Zulfiqar Babar on the fourth ball of the 19th over of Sri Lanka’s innings. The players were ostensibly appealing for a bat-pad catch to slip, and that seems to be what the on-field umpire had prompted the third umpire Paul Reiffel to review. But though Silva appeared not to edge the ball, replays showed him to be an lbw candidate.Reiffel did not check for an lbw at the time, however, and Ravi was not instructed to change his decision. Replays and projections showed that Silva had been hit in line with the stumps, that the ball would have gone on to strike middle-and-leg stump, and that the point of impact on the pad was less than three metres from the stumps. This means the not-out decision could have been overturned had Reiffel checked for an lbw dismissal.Section 3.3(f) of the ICC’s Test match playing conditions state: As the clause does not suggest umpires must check for all possible modes of dismissal for a review, Reiffel’s mistake seems an error of judgement, rather than a failure to follow protocol. He may have overlooked the possibility of an lbw dismissal during his consultation.The Pakistan coach Waqar Younis went to Chris Broad, the match referee, to seek an explanation for the decision. ESPNcricinfo understands Broad and Reiffel apologised for the oversight, and it was reluctantly accepted by the team because nothing could be done after play carried on.

If India lose to Bangladesh, they will drop to seventh in the Test rankings. If the Test is drawn, India will drop to 97 points but will stay above England and Pakistan. Victory will keep them at No. 3

The Preview by Mohammad Isam09-Jun-2015Match factsJune 10-14, 2015
Start time 10am local (0400 GMT)1:57

Isam: Come equipped to fight the June heat

Big pictureBangladesh have taken on different challenges this year and, for the most part, have produced desired results. The World Cup quarterfinal was reached and Pakistan were soundly beaten at home. Now they take on India in a one-off Test, an opponent they have often said brings the best out in the team.India are making a fresh start as Virat Kohli begins his stint as full-time Test captain. The make-up of the team is similar to the one that was beaten 2-0 in Australia, but the two drawn games in that series was encouragement for a team finding its feet.In seven Tests in Bangladesh, India have won six and drawn one. And because of the lack of big-ticket appeal of touring Bangladesh, India have not visited since 2010. They might field an XI comprising five batsmen, a wicketkeeper and five bowlers, but given the conditions selecting a sixth batsman will not be a conservative choice. Bangladesh, on the other hand, have picked eight batsmen often in the last 12 months, with allrounder Shuvagata Hom playing a bits-and-pieces role at No 8.Bangladesh have less to lose from this series than India. If India lose to Bangladesh, they will drop to seventh in the ICC Test rankings, with 95 points. If the match is drawn, India will drop to 97 points but will stay above England and Pakistan. Victory will earn them one point and keep them at No. 3.Form guideBangladesh LDWWW (last five matches, most recent first)
India DDLLLIn the spotlightShakib Al Hasan did not bowl well against Pakistan but made two important contributions with the bat. He will once again be relied upon to lead a lop-sided bowling attack and to be the middle-order enforcer while batting.Cheteshwar Pujara averaged 52.44 in seven first-class matches for Saurashtra and Yorkshire this year with two hundreds and a fifty. It is a good set of numbers for someone who was dropped from India’s last Test and who missed the IPL after being released by Kings XI Punjab.Team newsBangladesh need to decide whether Mushfiqur Rahim, who was injured during the series against Pakistan, can keep wickets. If not, Litton Das will make his debut as a wicketkeeper. The other decision is whether to pick both seamers Mohammad Shahid and Rubel Hossain. If there is space for just one, then Rubel has the edge. They are also without Mahmudullah, who was injured in practice in the lead up to the Test.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Imrul Kayes, 3 Mominul Haque, 4 Mushfiqur Rahim (capt), 5 Litton Das (wk), 6 Shakib Al Hasan, 7 Soumya Sarkar, 8 Shuvagata Hom/Mohammad Shahid, 9 Jubair Hossain, 10 Taijul Islam, 11 Rubel HossainShikhar Dhawan and Cheteshwar Pujara will replace KL Rahul, who is ill, and Suresh Raina from the XI India fielded in Sydney in January. Seamers Ishant Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Varun Aaron are competing for one spot, as are spinners Karn Sharma and Harbhajan Singh.India (probable): 1 M Vijay, 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Cheteshwar Pujara, 4 Virat Kohli (capt), 5 Ajinkya Rahane, 6 Rohit Sharma, 7 Wriddhiman Saha (wk), 8 R Ashwin, 9 Harbhajan Singh/Karn Sharma, 10 Ishant Sharma/Bhuvneshwar Kumar/Varun Aaron, 11 Umesh YadavPitch and conditionsFatullah hosted more than 120 matches in the 2014-15 domestic season but the pitch is unlikely to show wear and tear early in the game. It is bound by grass, which has surprised the Bangladesh coach Chandika Hathurusingha, but Mominul Haque said it was on the slower side. It has been hot and humid in Fatullah for the last couple of weeks and rain is forecast over the next few days.Stats and trivia From the current squads, five Bangladesh players have played a Test against India, while only three Indians have played Bangladesh. Tamim Iqbal is seven away from toppling Habibul Bashar’s tally of 3026 runs as the highest Test aggregate for Bangladesh Rubel Hossain has never played a first-class match in Fatullah.Quotes”I have never seen a wicket like this.”
“I have some vision in my mind which I have discussed with the team. We are all on the same page. It is pretty exciting for me to start as full-time Test captain and hopefully it is a positive start.”

West Indies opener Chris Gayle has raised the possibility of retiring from Test cricket if his fragile back cannot cope with the increasing workload in a crammed cricket calendar

Nagraj Gollapudi04-Mar-2015West Indies opener Chris Gayle has raised the possibility of retiring from Test cricket if his fragile back cannot cope with the increasing workload in a crammed cricket calendar. Despite previous comments on the format, Gayle made clear that he was still passionate about playing Tests but said that he would assess his future immediately after the World Cup, when he sits down with WICB officials.”I do [feel passionate about playing Test cricket], to be honest with you,” Gayle said in an interview with Digicel Cricket, in Perth on Tuesday. “It is just that lately this back problem has kind of pushed me away a bit from Test cricket. To be able to go five days, it has been tough. I haven’t sorted my situation yet, which is the back problem. That is another concern … because I’ve been playing cricket straight on the road and really didn’t get a chance to spend the time and give the back as much time to heal.”Gayle then spoke about his reluctance to go under the blade. “People say surgery but they say once you have surgery on your back basically your career can be over,” Gayle said. “It would never be the same as well. Lot of thinking then.”Asked if there was a chance of him retiring before West Indies’ next Test engagement – a three-Test series at home against England in April – Gayle did not rule that out. “It is a possibility. You never know,” he said. But Gayle stressed that he would not take a big call like that in a hurry. “After the World Cup we will see what happens. Where Chris Gayle will actually head. Or you can sit and discuss and work out how we go about playing for West Indies cricket.”At 35, it is no surprise that Gayle is taking stock of the situation. As far back as 2009, he mentioned the possibility of curtailing his Test career. Having arrived in England for a Test series on the back of a season in the IPL, Gayle – West Indies captain at the time – said he “wouldn’t be so sad” if the five-day format died out in, although he later played down the comments.He subsequently went on to become the ninth West Indian to have played 100 Tests, although he has not featured consistently in the format. Since March 2010, West Indies have played 41 Tests but Gayle took part in only 18. In the last two years he has played eight of 15 Tests, with his last match being at home against Zimbabwe in September. He could not finish that series owing to the lower back injury which also ruled him out of the Test series in South Africa preceding the World Cup.Recently Gayle and Sunil Narine declined the retainer offered by WICB. It did not surprise many considering both players are much sought after by domestic Twenty20 franchises around the world. But Gayle admitted that having a heavily packed cricket calendar in the long run cannot be beneficial for players. He agreed that having free time to spend with family and friends was crucial, something administrators had to pay attention to.”That is important. That is something they can look into for sure, to give people a bit of time back home,” he said. “This is our livelihood. This is our bread and butter still. At the same time you are going to drain yourself, you are not going to get the performances that you will normally see over the years consistently.”As an example he cited some of the West Indies players who played a whole tour of South Africa before arriving for the World Cup. “Some of the guys have been away from home for four months now. It has been tough. They played a Test series in South Africa and they leave from South Africa and come straight here . It is going to take a toll on your body. It is a tricky one.”According to Gayle, if the WICB administrators were serious, there was a way out: sit with the players, communicate and find a solution. Gayle suggested adopting a rotation system for certain players would prove to be useful.”May be the board can come down and talk to players,” he said. “Have confidence in players to be able to talk honestly about how they feel. If a player says, listen they want a break, don’t take it personally. You can give a player a break. You can do the rotations system as well. I think Australia do that in some formats with their bowlers. We can look into that as well. Give the guys a chance by telling them they won’t lose their place. Because a player says he wants to take a rest it doesn’t mean he thinks he is bigger than the game.”It remains to be seen whether the West Indies selectors and director of cricket Richard Pybus would be open for discussions. Pybus’ vision statement, approved by the WICB last year, included the crucial “West Indies first” point, which was put to test for the first time when Narine was omitted for the home Test series against New Zealand. The reason: the offspinner had failed to make it to the squad’s mandatory training camp because he had to play the IPL final for Kolkata Knight Riders last May.West Indies’ home season includes the visits of England and then a two-Test series against Australia in June. Gayle is likely to put his IPL commitments above playing against England, since he is not contracted to the WICB, but may wish to feature against Australia after playing a full season for Royal Challengers Bangalore.

There was an understanding that given his run of low scores, Tamim shouldn’t have played the warm-up match in Fatullah and he made just nine. Yet Tamim struck back on Friday with his fifth ODI hundred.

Mohammad Isam in Mirpur17-Apr-2015Mushfiqur Rahim was surprised to get the Man-of-the-Match award after Friday’s first ODI against Pakistan. He had scored a century, that too the third fastest by a Bangladeshi batsman in an ODI, and taken a catch. He was also involved in Bangladesh’s highest ODI partnership for any wicket with Tamim Iqbal. Still, Mushfiqur felt that it was Tamim’s 132 which had more impact on Bangladesh’s highest-ever score in an ODI of 329 for 6. However, the judges thought differently.”I tried to remind him of one thing,” Mushfiqur said of Tamim after Bangladesh’s 79-run win on Friday. “He used to get out in the 50s, 60s and 70s. I told him he cannot go for the shots until the last five overs because a new batsman can’t come and start hitting from the onset. He took calculative risks. I was very surprised to get the Man-of-the-Match award. He deserved it.”This was Tamim’s first ODI hundred in two years. He had broken his Test century hoodoo in the series against Zimbabwe last year, after which he looked relieved. A knee injury hampered his World Cup preparation and he made one significant score in the tournament, ending it with 155 runs at an average of 25.66. Every low score was greeted by derision on social media. Internet trolls and memes vilified Tamim, while there was always the odd question through traditional media about his place in the team.There was an understanding that given his run of low scores, he shouldn’t have played the warm-up match in Fatullah. He made just nine, further denting his confidence on the eve of the match.Yet Tamim struck back on Friday with his fifth ODI hundred, a match-winning one at that. The duo of Mushfiqur and Tamim added 178 runs in just 21.4 overs, completely changing the course of the game as Bangladesh were 67 for two when Mahmudullah fell at the end of the 20th over. By the time Tamim got out, Bangladesh were looking towards a 300-run score.Tamim didn’t come to the post-match press conference so Mushfiqur and Shakib Al Hasan had to field many questions related to Tamim. Shakib praised Tamim’s effort and said that it was one of the best innings he had seen of the batsman.”It was an extraordinary innings,” Shakib said. “To be honest, he was under some pressure but his batting didn’t show any nerve. It is definitely one of his best innings. The way him and Mushfiqur batted, it was the turning point in the game. I think Tamim played the way he usually plays.”Mushfiqur said that he enjoyed Tamim’s celebration which included a gesture towards the stands for the amount of talk on him. He said that patience should be shown with Tamim, because even though he has been going through a lean trot Tamim’s last big innings wasn’t too long ago.’I think it was easy to understand [his celebration],” Mushfiqur said. “There was a lot of talk about him in the last 4-5 months. I believe there are very few accomplished batsman in Bangladesh. He got out to good balls in the last few games. People get out to bad balls. A batsman can go through a bad time.”There were many batsmen in the World Cup who didn’t score more than 200 runs. He had one very important score in the World Cup. We couldn’t have won that game against Scotland had he not done well in that game. If we lost that game, we probably wouldn’t have made it to the quarterfinals. It is not entirely the media’s fault. There will always be criticism. We don’t need support in a good time, rather we need it in bad time. I think his celebration was great. I liked it. I hope Tamim will play more big innings in the future.”

Virat Kohli said he was left with no good reason to respect Mitchell Johnson and some of the other Australia players after verbals flew “throughout the day” at the MCG

Sidharth Monga at the MCG28-Dec-20142:53

‘They were calling me a spoilt brat’ – Kohli

After scoring his third Test hundred of the tour, Virat Kohli brought his attacking form to the press conference too, saying he was left with no good reason to respect Mitchell Johnson and some of the other Australia players after verbals flew “throughout the day” at the MCG.The squabbling reached its peak when Johnson fielded in his follow-through and threw back at the striker’s stumps. Unlike with Mohammed Shami and Steven Smith on day one, there was a genuine case for Johnson trying to run Kohli out, and the throw was headed for the stumps when it hit Kohli, who was trying to get back into his crease. Kohli believed it was an attempt to hit him and an argument ensued, which needed the intervention of the umpires.”I was really annoyed with him hitting me with the ball, and I told him that’s not on,” Kohli said. “‘Try and hit the stumps next time, not my body.’ You have got to send the right message across. I am not there to take to some unnecessary words or chats from someone. I am going there to play cricket, back myself. There’s no good reason that I should respect unnecessarily some people when they are not respecting me.”Kohli said this attitude from Australia helped him play better, which he said might be one of the reasons why five of his nine hundreds have come against them. “It was going on throughout the day,” Kohli said. “They were calling me a spoilt brat, and I said, ‘Maybe that’s the way I am. You guys hate me, and I like that.’ I don’t mind having a chat on the field, and it worked in my favour I guess. I like playing against Australia because it is very hard for them to stay calm, and I don’t mind an argument on the field, and it really excites me and brings the best out of me. So they don’t seem to be learning the lesson.”When he comes up against a team that does stay calm, unlike Australia, Kohli said he can still make do. “You always have a few who can’t keep calm in every team. So I have my targets,” Kohli said with a cheeky grin.It was the grin of a man who had scored a superlative century. According to Kohli, Australia have been saying things about India’s habit of crumbling under pressure only because they are up in the series. “Good for them,” Kohli said when told of Smith’s comments about the Indian team before the match. “Some words coming out of their mouth. They have the right to talk I guess. They are two-nil up right now. Would have been interesting if it had been 1-1, and the same sort of sentences or words had come through from them.”It is funny. When you are on top you can sort of say anything you want. It’s when the chips are down that you have got to stand up. Say what you have to say and then go out there and prove it. When we played in India there weren’t so many words coming back from them. Which was surprising. We are two-nil down, we still took them on today, and showed what we can do with the bat, which is the character of this Indian team.”At the suggestion India might have done something similar to Johnson – fire him up into a match-winning performance – in Brisbane, Kohli said: “There he was batting, and there was no pressure on him as a batsman. That’s not his job. His job is to take wickets and he was going at 4.7 an over today. Didn’t get a wicket throughout the day, and I backed myself to take him on even if I keep talking to him. You cannot then back off after saying a few words and then not show it with your skill. I decided whenever he comes on to bowl I will back myself and take him on. I don’t mind having a word back neither does he, so we kept going on.”Mitchell Johnson apologises after hitting Virat Kohli while he was aiming for the stumps•Getty ImagesBefore Kohli eventually fell to what turned out to be the last ball of the day, he had scored 68 runs off 72 Johnson deliveries. Kohli gave part of credit to fellow centurion Ajinkya Rahane for being the calming influence when things got too heated, and also taking Johnson on.”I was confident of my batting but I can go through with that phase,” Kohli said about whether he wanted to take a pause and reassess when words were flying. “But Jinks helped us as well from the other end. He kept taking him [Johnson] on, didn’t let him settle into a rhythm, which was very important for us with the new ball especially. That’s how you play Test cricket, that’s how your partner helps you and vice versa. If he is in a spot of bother, I keep taking on the bowler. It was good to bat out there with Jinks today. I am glad he kept taking on the bowlers when I had a chat with them.”Kohli said he still had respect for some of the Australian players but Johnson wasn’t one of them. “I respect quite a few of them, but someone who doesn’t respect me I have no reason to respect him,” Kohli said. “There were words in Adelaide as well where they said, ‘No unnecessary respect for him.’ I said, ‘I don’t need it. I am out here to play cricket, not to hear anyone’s respect. As long as I am scoring runs, I am happy with it. If you like it, good. If you don’t, I am not bothered.’ I don’t really need to care about what they think as far as respecting me or me respecting them is concerned. I have got a nice friendship with a few of them. Friendly chats, but someone who is not backing off, someone who is saying anything that comes to mouth I have no reason to respect him.”Ryan Harris, who took four wickets in India’s first innings and whose strikes in the final session pulled back a rampaging batting line-up, was taken aback by Kohli’s comments. He was at loss for words, before he said: “We all respect him. He’s a pretty good player so I don’t know where he gets that from. I respect him, and I know all the boys in the change room respect him because he has come out and his bat does the talking. Where he gets that from I am not sure. There’s a bit of banter on the field, but if that doesn’t stay out there and comes up here, he needs to have a look at that.”Harris was of the view Johnson was going for a genuine run-out when Kohli was hit. Kohli was outside the crease when Johnson threw. “There were a few things out there today that were said,” Harris said. “I think the thing that fired him up the most was when Mitch threw the ball at the stumps and he was in the way.”When pressed further, Harris suggested Kohli did go looking for trouble. “We try not to say too much to him, but sometimes he brings it on himself, I guess, when he starts it. It’s never personal, it’s always a bit of fun.”It’s interesting to hear him say [all] that. It’s probably a good thing. Because he’s probably worried about that. We need him to worry about that instead of batting. If he’s worrying about stuff like that, hopefully his batting goes downhill. That’s probably the way we think.”