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This semi-final match could set the tone for a generation of women’s players to come

Firdose Moonda23-Feb-20233:57

England runaway favourites? Or can South Africa rally using the crowd support?

Big picture: England the favourites

South Africa in a semi-final. Against England. You think you know how this ends, don’t you?Three times in three meetings – at the 2014 T20 World Cup and 2017 and 2022 fifty-over World Cup – England have emerged triumphant from a final four meeting against South Africa and there’s no doubt they have the historical upper hand. They also have the contemporary one.England go into this semi-final on the back of an unbeaten run that stretches back 10 games and on an upward trajectory. They beat their last group stage opponents – Pakistan – by 114 runs, the biggest margin in Women’s T20 World Cups. On the same day, South Africa made heavy work of chasing exactly that number of runs against Bangladesh. While their opening pair found form, their middle-order remains unproven in this tournament and they rely heavily on their bowling attack. That means the big match-up in this game will be between South Africa’s bowlers and the Bazbelles that make up England’s batting line-up.Nat Sciver-Brunt has led the charge and finished the group stage as the leading run-scorer and though Heather Knight and Alice Capsey have had relatively quiet tournaments so far, England have plenty of firepower. They also have the knowledge that South Africa’s fielding, especially as the situation gets more tense, can fray and will demand the hosts put on a better display than they have managed to so far if they are to stand any chance of advancing to their first World Cup final.For all that’s against them, South Africa have one big thing in their favour: home support. Newlands has already seen a record crowd for a women’s international – of over 7,500 people – in the tournament opener and the semi-final match could set a new one and the tone for a generation of women’s players to come.Sune Luus leads South Africa out•ICC/Getty Images

In the end, the legacy of this semi-final may prove to be crucial in a country like South Africa where the domestic system remains fragile and at risk of falling further behind countries like Australia, England and India. South Africa have come closest to breaking the big three hegemony on the growth of the women’s game and this tournament will be a litmus test for how far off the pace or close to the boil they are.

Form guide

South Africa WLWLW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
England: WWWWW

In the spotlight: Sune Luus and Sophia Dunkley

Suné Luus earned her 100th T20I cap in South Africa’s last, must-win group-stage match against Bangladesh but has yet to fully impose herself on the home World Cup. She has shown positive intent but been dismissed taking on the spinners twice, something she will want to improve on as she negotiates the middle overs. That is also her challenge in the field. While Luus seems to have a plan upfront with Nonkululekho Mlaba and a rotation of the quicks in the Powerplay, she will have to devise a plan against England’s strong middle-order.For all England’s big-hitting, opening batter Sophia Dunkley has had a quiet tournament with a highest score of 34 in their opener against West Indies and three knocks of 10 runs or fewer since. Dunkley has been struggling to clear the ball in the ‘V’ and has twice holed out to mid-on but there’s enough evidence to suggest she can get that shot right. She came into the tournament in good touch and blasted unbeaten scores of 59 off 19 balls and 60 off 38 balls against South Africa and New Zealand respectively and will want to bring out her most attacking game in the semi-finals.

Team news: Bell to return for England

South Africa have preferred Anneke Bosch over Delmi Tucker and Ayabonga Khaka over Masabata Klaas for their matches at Newlands and are likely to stick to that combination.South Africa: 1 Laura Wolvaardt, 2 Tazmin Brits, 3 Marizanne Kapp, 4 Suné Luus (capt), 5 Chloe Tryon, 6 Anneke Bosch, 7 Nadine de Klerk, 8 Sinalo Jafta (wk), 9 Shabnim Ismail, 10 Ayabonga Khaka, 11 Nonkululekho MlabaEngland have been a dominant team all through the tournament•ICC via Getty Images

After resting Lauren Bell for the match against Pakistan, England are set to return to their first-choice XI.England: 1 Danni Wyatt, 2 Sophia Dunkley, 3 Alice Capsey, 4 Nat Sciver-Brunt, 5 Heather Knight (capt), 6 Amy Jones (wk), 7 Sophie Ecclestone, 8 Katherine Sciver-Brunt, 9 Sarah Glenn, 10 Charlie Dean, 11 Lauren Bell

Pitch and conditions

Newlands has hosted 16 T20s this summer across the SA20 and Women’s World Cup and its square is showing signs of late season fatigue. Apart from fairly low and sometimes uneven bounce, the pitches have lacked pace and offered some turn which is contrary to what teams usually expect in South Africa. Only England have seemed free-flowing at this venue while bowlers on all sides have learnt not to err on the short side, but pitch it up instead. Temperatures are cooler than last week, with the maximum expected in the mid-20s, no rain and only the gentlest of breezes.

Stats and trivia

• In head-to-head terms, England hold the upper hand. They have won 19 out of 23 T20Is against South Africa, and only lost to them once at a World Cup – in February 2020.
• England have a batting strike rate of 154.77 against spin in this tournament – the best of any team.
• South Africa’s strike rate against pace is 94.44, the third worst behind New Zealand and Bangladesh.

Quotes

That’s great, then there’s no pressure on us or anything. We can just go out and enjoy, play free cricket, enjoy the moment and try to do our best.Asked if South Africa have been written off before a ball has even bowled Suné Luus was bullish.”The pressure is all on South Africa. It’s the home World Cup for them. So, we’re just going to keep doing what we’re doing. There’s such a calm feeling in our group at the minute, which is really nice. So, I think we’re not going to change anything. It’s just going to be really important to stay calm and just enjoy each other’s company, I guess. And just go out there, back ourselves and what will be, will be.”

The left hander believes that lbw is the biggest danger facing the offspinner

AAP25-Jan-20232:54

Will some red-ball game time in Ranji Trophy help India ahead of Australia Tests?

If Matt Renshaw gets a call-up to Australia’s Test side on the upcoming tour of India, he says he will be as prepared as ever to take on spin maestro R Ashwin.In 2021 Ashwin became the first bowler in history to take 200 wickets against left-handed batters. The 26-year-old Renshaw will tour with fellow top-six left-handers David Warner, Usman Khawaja and Travis Head. Wicketkeeper Alex Carey is also a lefty, so the challenges ahead are immense in the four-Test series that starts next month.Related

• Agar, Swepson, Murphy – Who will partner Lyon on India tour?

• Labuschagne plotting how to tackle the Ashwin puzzle

• Jadeja puts troubled knee to Ranji test as Australia series looms

Renshaw would play in the middle order if selected for the current side. When Australia toured India in 2017, he played all but one innings of the four Tests as an opener. Ashwin got him out just once, in the first Test at Pune, but not before he had top-scored with 68.”Ashwin is difficult to face. He is a smart bowler with a lot of variations and he uses them very well, but you do get used to him once you’ve faced him for a while,” Renshaw told AAP. “I think the big challenge from Ashwin and any offspinner in spinning conditions to a left-hander is the lbw threat.”Obviously everyone thinks about the one that turns and gets you caught at slip, but the big one is the lbw when it doesn’t spin. You just have to be ready for that one.Matt Renshaw was part of the Australia side last time they toured India•Associated Press

“I think two years batting at No. 5 helped me with facing spin. I know my game a lot better now and I am a lot more comfortable in different situations. We have a strong squad and it is going to be hard to push my way in, but I know that I will be ready if I do get a chance.”Renshaw is still part of the Brisbane Heat’s BBL campaign and has been preparing for India by having the spinners in his team, such as Mitch Swepson, Matt Kuhnemann and even Marnus Labuschagne, bowl the SG ball at him that is used in Test cricket in India.”The SG ball is a bit different, so we are just trying to prepare as well as we can during this BBL schedule if we get a window to hit red balls,” Renshaw said. “It is a lot different conditions in India, so we are trying to replicate them as much as we can.”The plan was if [the Heat] got knocked out we’d do some prep with the [Australian] team in Sydney, but we just kept winning and are in the finals now. We have got a good week and a bit in India before the first Test, so there will be plenty of time to prepare there as well.”Renshaw returned to the Test team this month in Sydney against South Africa to replace the injured Cameron Green after previously playing in that format in 2018.He did so on the back of strong form in first-class cricket. The new father to baby daughter Charlotte has observed close friend and team-mate Khawaja’s mindset towards his cricket and has learned to enjoy the moment, rather than worry about selections.”I am feeling good with my cricket. I am just rolling with any punches and enjoying myself,” Renshaw said.

Plus, players who signed off with World Cup finals, Sydney’s ODI record, and Bradman’s highest average

Steven Lynch31-Mar-2015How many people have finished their international career in the World Cup final, as seems to be the case for Daniel Vettori? asked Keith McAlpine from New Zealand

Before 2015, there had been eight players whose last international match of any kind came in a World Cup final. Four of them finished on a high with a winners’ medal: Rohan Kanhai (1975), Imran Khan (1992), Paul Reiffel (1999) and Glenn McGrath (2007). The other four finished on the losing side: Faoud Bacchus (1983), Javagal Srinath (2003), Russel Arnold (2007) and Muttiah Muralitharan (2011). For three others a World Cup final was their last one-day international, but they subsequently played more Test matches: Ross Edwards (1975), Thilan Samaraweera (2011) and Sreesanth (2011). Of those, only Sreesanth finished with a win.Michael Clarke didn’t quite manage it, but has anyone scored a century in their final one-day international? asked Dean Bainbridge from Australia

Eight players have signed off from one-day internationals with a century, starting with England’s Dennis Amiss, who made 108 against Australia at The Oval in 1977. The following year another Englishman, Clive Radley, scored 117 not out against New Zealand at Old Trafford. In 1993-94 the great West Indian opener Desmond Haynes marked what turned out to be his final ODI with 115 against England in Port-of-Spain; like Amiss, he’d made a hundred in his first one-day international as well. In Netherlands’ last match of the 2003 World Cup, against Namibia in Bloemfontein – their country’s last for a while – Feiko Kloppenburg made 121 and Klaas van Noortwijk an unbeaten 134. Sticking with the Dutch, Ryan ten Doeschate signed off from ODIs with 106 against Ireland in Kolkata in the 2011 World Cup; in between, New Zealand’s James Marshall had clattered 161 against Ireland in Aberdeen in 2008. There are three current players who made a century in their most recent innings, two of them during this World Cup: Zimbabwe’s Brendan Taylor signed off with 138 against India in Auckland, while Ireland’s captain William Porterfield hit 107 against Pakistan in Adelaide. Before that, Lea Siaka made 109 for Papua New Guinea against Hong Kong in Townsville last November. These last two will presumably play again.The best performances in a World Cup final are pretty well known. But who has the highest score in a semi-final? asked Jayantha de Silva from Sri Lanka

Steven Smith’s 105 against India in 2015 was the fifth individual century in a World Cup semi-final. The highest score in one is Mahela Jayawardene’s 115 not out for Sri Lanka against New Zealand in Kingston in 2007, which just shaded Graham Gooch’s 115 (out) for England v India in Mumbai in 1987. Saeed Anwar hit 113 not out for Pakistan against New Zealand at Old Trafford in 1999, while Sourav Ganguly made 111 not out for India v Kenya in Durban in 2003. The best bowling in a World Cup semi-final remains Gary Gilmour’s irresistible 6 for 14 for Australia against England at Headingley in 1975. Craig McDermott (1987), Shaun Pollock (1999) and Wahab Riaz (2011) have also taken five-fors in World Cup semi-finals.The World Cup quarter-final between South Africa and Sri Lanka was the 150th one-day international at the SCG. Has any ground staged more? asked Pascal Bounin from Australia

With Australia’s semi-final against India to add, the Sydney Cricket Ground has now staged 151 one-day internationals, more than any other venue apart from Sharjah, which has now hosted no fewer than 219. Melbourne lies third: the 2015 World Cup final was the 143rd ODI played there. There are two other grounds which have staged more than 100 ODIs: the Premadasa Stadium in Colombo has held 116 so far, and the Harare Sports Club 114. England lags well behind on this list: The Oval has staged 57 ODIs, and Lord’s 56.David Warner’s 178 against Afghanistan in Perth in 2015 was Australia’s highest score in World Cups•Getty ImagesI don’t think it got much coverage at the time, but was David Warner’s 178 against Afghanistan Australia’s highest score in the World Cup? asked Kerry Johnson from Australia

David Warner’s 178 against Afghanistan in Perth was indeed Australia’s highest individual score in the World Cup, beating Matthew Hayden’s 158 against West Indies in Antigua in 2007. Aaron Finch’s 135 against England in Melbourne comes in sixth on this list, behind Adam Gilchrist’s 149 against Sri Lanka in the 2007 final in Bridgetown, Andrew Symonds’ unbeaten 143 against Pakistan in Johannesburg in 2003, and Ricky Ponting’s 140 against India in the 2003 final in Jo’burg. The only higher scores for Australia in all ODIs are Shane Watson’s 185 not out against Bangladesh in Mirpur in 2010-11, and Hayden’s 181 not out against New Zealand in Hamilton in 2006-07.What was the highest average Don Bradman ever had in his Test career? asked Dhanushka Edussuriya from Sri Lanka

The highest average Don Bradman ever achieved was 112.29, after his undefeated 299 against South Africa in Adelaide in 1931-32. He was out first ball in his next innings, against England during the Bodyline series in Melbourne, so the average went down a little. Before his final innings – that famous duck at The Oval in 1948 – The Don’s average was 101.39.

Europe's governing body has issued a statement in the wake of the controversy during Real Madrid's Champions League win over Atletico Madrid.

Article continues below

Article continues below

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• Atletico knocked out of UCL by Madrid
• Beaten in penalty shoout
• Alvarez spot-kick chalked off for double touch

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Real Madrid booked their spot in the quarter-finals of the tournament after beating city rivals Atletico in a shootout on Wednesday. However, there was plenty of drama in the Spanish capital as Alvarez saw his kick disallowed by VAR for a double touch. UEFA has now issued an update on the situation and provided confirmation the rule could now be updated.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT HAS BEEN SAID

  A statement read: "Atletico de Madrid enquired with UEFA over the incident, which led to the disallowance of the kick from the penalty mark taken by Julián Alvarez at the end of yesterday’s UEFA Champions League match against Real Madrid. Although minimal, the player made contact with the ball using his standing foot before kicking it, as shown in the attached video clip. Under the current rule (Laws of the Game, Law 14.1), the VAR had to call the referee signalling that the goal should be disallowed. UEFA will enter discussions with FIFA and IFAB to determine whether the rule should be reviewed in cases where a double touch is clearly unintentional."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The decision to rule out Alvarez's penalty was questioned by Atletico after the game. Alvarez appeared to slip while taking the kick and manager Diego Simeone felt it was impossible to tell whether he had touched the ball twice: "I've just seen the images, the referee says Julián touches the ball with his supporting leg, but the ball doesn't move. That's debatable, whether it was a goal or not. But I'm proud of my players, I'm honestly happy, because we competed in an exemplary way."

  Any extra contact from Alvarez was minimal at best and it's difficult to see what, if any, advantage the Argentine gained. However, Atletico's decision to contact UEFA over the incident may now bring about a change to the rules.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT?

  Of course any potential rule change will come too late for Atletico who were dumped out of the competition, while Real Madrid go on to face Arsenal in the quarter-finals. Diego Simeone's men will aim to bounce back on Sunday in a huge La Liga clash with Barcelona.

Liverpool have been floating on a cloud across the past few weeks, sauntering into the ascendency in both the Premier League and Champions League. Arne Slot is loving life in one of England’s most vibrant and bouncing cities.

If only the season ended in November, eh. Slot, however, will speak no false pretences to his squad. The road ahead is long and bumps are unavoidable.

The Dutch boss has inculcated into Anfield a style of football that provides more control than that of his predecessor, Jurgen Klopp. The Reds still retain much of the German’s trademark style, but this amalgamation of tactical philosophy is paying dividends.

One thing Liverpool are lacking, however, is a clinical centre-forward. Diogo Jota is a high-class goalscorer but too regularly injured, whereas Darwin Nunez, for all his praiseworthy effort, has yet to demonstrate a prolific side for the Merseysiders.

Liverpool chasing new striker

As per transfer insider Graeme Bailey, Liverpool are emerging as a surprise candidate to sign Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak, who has earned a reputation as one of the Premier League’s foremost strikers in recent years.

Isak is contracted to St. James’ Park until 2028, so it might feel like the Magpies aren’t beset with any urgent need to cash in on their prized asset, but there are whispers of a stand-off, with Eddie Howe and co seeking to tie the 25-year-old down to a bumper new package.

Arsenal are in need of a number nine and have been routinely linked with the Sweden international this year. One recent report suggests that Newcastle would entertain offers in the €120m (£101m) ballpark.

This would make Isak Liverpool’s club-record acquisition, taking him above Nunez, who is into his third season at Anfield but is yet to prove himself as the high-output goalscorer the club crave.

How Isak compares to Nunez

Nunez has played 110 matches for Liverpool and has chalked up 36 goals and 19 assists, marking his goal contribution rate at a clean 0.50 per game.

That’s not bad at all, but, by comparison, Isak has posted 40 goals and seven assists across 78 Newcastle appearances, meaning his rate is marked at 0.60.

Of course, Isak leans less heavily into the creative side of his game than Nunez, who ranks among the top 18% of centre-forwards across Europe’s top five leagues over the across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for shot-creating actions per 90, as per FBref.

But Isak is what Liverpool need: a central striker with a “world-class” striking ability, as pundit Harry Redknapp has praised him, with pace and athletic prowess besides.

That’s not to say that Nunez isn’t capable of playing a prominent part in Slot’s thriving system over the coming years, but for all his huff and puff, the Uruguayan simply isn’t cut from clinical cloth.

When comes the point that his tenacity is not enough? They say that the 25-year-old is at his best during instinctive phases, but so too is Manchester City’s Erling Haaland, and the ball-striking polarity is stark.

Liverpool will need to invest in a premium goalscorer sooner rather than later. Mohamed Salah has scored ten goals and supplied ten assists across 17 matches in all competitions this season, but is also out of contract in June and still hasn’t signed a new deal.

Klopp once claimed that Nunez is “unstoppable” on his day, but such days seem to be few and far between, with his three-goal haul across 14 matches (albeit just seven starts) under Slot’s wing leaving plenty to question.

Why Alexander Isak would complete Liverpool

It seems that Isak would be the icing on the cake. His prolific ability in the final third knows no bounds, and he harvested 25 goals across 40 fixtures for a struggling United side last season.

After a slow start this year, Isak has found his feet and notched in four successive matches for Newcastle, vitally scoring in victories over Chelsea (in the Carabao Cup) and Arsenal (in the league).

He also proved to be among the most clinical strikers in the Premier League last year, with his ability to finish his chances something that would elevate Slot’s already-flourishing frontline and then some.

It might even see him become Liverpool’s finest centre-forward since the days of Luis Suarez. Nunez, Suarez’s countryman, felt like a natural successor upon his arrival, but it hasn’t been the case.

Suarez plundered 69 goals and 39 assists across just 110 Premier League matches for the Reds, which is marked as a contribution rate of 0.98.

A once-in-a-lifetime number nine, he was simply mesmerising, quite rightly dubbed a “legend” of the game by football scout Jacek Kulig after his illustrious escapades with Barcelona and Atletico Madrid.

Once peculiarly described as a “unicorn for his mixture of size & technical ability” by correspondent Kev Lawson, Isak has the colour and verve to become a centre-forward for the ages at Anfield.

If FSG are determined to upgrade on Nunez, this is the move to make.

Biggest gem since Trent: Liverpool have found an £89m star in the making

Liverpool have an academy talent who could be every bit as good as Trent Alexander-Arnold.

By
Angus Sinclair

Nov 12, 2024

The Timbers goalkeeper etched his name in record books with two penalty saves against Nashville SC

• Pantemis second goalkeeper in MLS to save two penalties in one half
• Nashville SC win 2-0 despite goalkeeper's heroics
• Timbers face LA Galaxy next in the MLS

• WHAT HAPPENED

  In a thrilling match at GEODIS Park, Portland Timbers goalkeeper James Pantemis made MLS history by saving two penalties in a single half against Nashville SC.

  The Canadian’s remarkable feat puts him in elite company, as he becomes just the sixth goalkeeper in MLS history to save two penalties in the same match – first since 2017. Not only that, he is only the second goalkeeper to save two penalties in a half, joining Tony Meola, who did so in 2002.

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• WHAT PANTEMIS SAID

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Despite Pantemis’ heroics, the Timbers still fell short against Nashville, 2-0.

  The home side earned three points thanks to Ahmed Qasem’s first career MLS goal after Andy Najar’s opening strike. That was despite a stellar performance from Pantemis in goal who made seven saves, aside from the two penalty stops.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT’S NEXT?

  Following the 2-0 loss to Nashville SC, Portland sits 11th on the Western Conference table and are six points behind league leaders Vancouver Whitecaps.

  They host the LA Galaxy next at Providence Park before going on the road to face Colorado Rapids at DSG Park on March 16 and 22, respectively.

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Mar-2015Quinton de Kock’s nervous innings was brought to an end by Amjad Javed•Getty ImagesDavid Miller put on 108 runs with AB de Villiers for the fourth wicket but fell one short of his fifty•Associated PressDe Villiers struck six fours and four sixes for his 82-ball 99 to take South Africa past 250•Getty ImagesKamran Shazad got de Villiers out for his first 99 in ODIs, leaving South Africa at 257 for 5•ICCFarhaan Behardien led the late surge for South Africa and his 31-ball 64 took the total to 341•ICCUAE batsmen were peppered with short-pitched bowling and found themselves on 45 for 3, after early blows from Morne Morkel•Associated PressSwapnil Patil and Shaiman Anwar put on 63 for the fourth wicket, Patil with 57 was UAE’s top-scorer•Getty ImagesDe Villiers also turned his arm over and picked up two wickets in his three overs for 15 runs•AFPUAE’s chase folded for 195 as Vernon Philander and Dale Steyn cleaned up the tail, giving South Africa a 146-run win•Getty Images

Unai Emery’s transfer business during his time in charge of Aston Villa has been excellent. Not only has he moved on players such as Moussa Diaby and Douglas Luiz for lavish fees, but he has brought in players who have wonderful futures in the game.

It marks a change from the recruitment that had occurred under previous manager Steven Gerrard, with several players failing to live up to their hype.

Steven Gerrard’s recruitment at Aston Villa

The former Rangers manager took charge in November 2021, tasked with leading Villa to the European spots. Gerrard made a few decent signings during the January 2022 transfer window, bringing in players such as Philippe Coutinho and Lucas Digne, who made solid impacts.

That summer, Coutinho’s loan deal was made permanent, before the likes of Robin Olsen, Leander Dendoncker, and Diego Carlos were signed ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

Out of these players, only Carlos is still featuring for the first team, but what once looked like an impressive signing has potentially turned into a financial mistake…

How much Aston Villa spent on Diego Carlos

The Brazilian defender cost the club £26m in 2022, but he suffered a serious injury on his first Premier League start for Villa, ruling him out for the majority of his debut season.

He returned to full fitness last term, making 38 appearances in all competitions, yet Carlos has fallen down the pecking order this season, starting just seven times in all competitions under Emery.

The £100k-per-week defender has struggled in the Premier League. Across four games in the top flight, the centre-back has won just 1.3 total duels per game – a success rate of 31% – while losing possession six times per game and making only 0.5 tackles each game.

Hardly the statistics of a player at the top of their game. Will Emery consider his future when the January transfer window rolls around in a couple of months? Especially as he can call on several other players who appear to be favoured in his position.

These performances haven’t exactly done wonders for his current market value since joining the Midlands side, as it has dipped drastically over the previous two years…

Diego Carlos’ current market value at Aston Villa

Spending £26m on a player when the club had no European income was a risky piece of business and, in this regard, it has not paid off.

Indeed, according to Football Transfers, Carlos is currently valued at just €4.5m (£3.7m), clearly representing a massive drop from the fee Gerrard spent to secure his signature.

Market Movers

Football FanCast's Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club's star player or biggest flop worth today?

Emery must now ruthlessly ditch him from the squad in January, although Villa may have to take a huge loss on the defender, as his current market value does not suggest that any team is likely to spend £26m on him now.

This works out as a staggering 86% decrease from the original £26m fee in just over two years, proving that it hasn’t been the best piece of transfer business conducted by the club in recent years.

Aston Villa can make Duran more unplayable by signing "insanely good" star

Aston Villa’s young marksman and their target could form a deadly partnership

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Nov 1, 2024

Good things worth waiting for as allrounder is relaxed at prospect of delayed Test debut

Vithushan Ehantharajah30-Nov-2022″If it doesn’t happen, it doesn’t happen.”On Tuesday, Ben Stokes announced Liam Livingstone will be making his Test debut against Pakistan in Rawalpindi. Just 24 hours later, with the start of the first Test up in the air as a virus coursing through the England squad threatened to leave them shy of 11 fit cricketers, Livingstone remained at ease when asked if he was prepared to wait a little longer. With a decision to be taken at the last possible moment at 7:30am PKT on what may or may not be day one of the first Test in Rawalpindi, another night’s sleep won’t affect him too much. Livingstone is unmoved, in every sense.He had already opted out of the final day’s optional training at the ground before players began reporting symptoms late on Tuesday. “I’ve spent most of the morning on the golf simulator,” he says, like a man who had walked bleary-eyed to and from his local shop to buy a Diet Coke in the midst of a Zombie Apocalypse. “It was quite weird. Everybody was going down one by one. Thankfully I’ve been clear up to now.”I’ve just been chilling upstairs, had breakfast with Sax (Mark Saxby) who’s just come back from being ill, so I haven’t seen anyone. I don’t know what’s going on. Thankfully it’s way above me (the decision on whether the Test will begin as planned). I’ll stay way out of it. I’ll prepare as if I’m going to make my debut tomorrow and that’s that, if it doesn’t happen, it doesn’t happen but I won’t be wasting any energy thinking about what’s going to happen tomorrow.”Related

• Brendon McCullum: 'We'll be pushing for results. If we get outplayed, that's okay'

• Liam Livingstone to make England Test debut against Pakistan

• Rise and fall of an English dynasty in just five years of Pakistan Tests

• Morning decision for Rawalpindi Test as sickness bug disrupts England plans

• Ben Stokes leaves door open for possible U-turn on ODI retirement

If you wanted an insight into Livingstone’s mindset, and what Stokes and Brendon McCullum see in him, there it is, in bold brash Cumbrian. The Lancashire batter is a man of his own mind who rarely sweats the small or big stuff.A lot has been made of the decision to hand cap number 708 to a player who last played first-class cricket at the start of September 2021, and has since made his reputation – and money – across the world as a franchise gun-for-hire, whether abroad or at home, notably when he carried the first edition of The Hundred as part of Birmingham Phoenix. That decision for specialisation, he cedes, was tactical, with an element of uncertainty.”The reason for that was to get into a World Cup squad in 2021,” he says. “That looked a long way off when I went out and played all these franchise tournaments and I guess I thought I was closer to a Test squad then than what I was.””Over the last couple of years I’ve pretty much lived life day by day, enjoying the fact that we’re travelling the world… we’re going to all these cool different countries to play in their franchise tournaments. I’ve learned that you really don’t know what tomorrow can bring and, if anything, this sort of proves that. If you asked me two or three months ago if I was going to be playing in this Test series, I’d have said probably not.”And yet, there is an element of fate to how things have panned out over the last month, starting with the victory in 2022’s edition of the T20 World Cup, then this call-up. Australia was the site of both, in many ways. Prior to the tournament, Stokes, a long-term friend of Livingstone, took the 29-year-old to one side to ask if he’d be interested in coming to Pakistan. It was a very quick yes. “When Stokes and Baz ask you if you want to play Test cricket, it’s quite hard to say no to them two.”It would also have been hard given as a kid, long before Twenty20, let alone franchise competitions, this offer was the stuff of garden hit and giggles.”The two things whenever I played in the garden with my brother was you’re either playing Test cricket for England or playing for England in a World Cup. So I guess being able to live them two dreams over the last couple of weeks and even more so win a World Cup and make my Test debut two weeks later is pretty cool.”An elated Liam Livingstone jumps on Ben Stokes after England’s T20 World Cup triumph•Getty Images

While we’re on family, it’s worth bringing in Livingstone’s father. A Facebook post from Steve Livingstone on November 12 talking about the imminent pride of travelling to Australia to watch his son in a World Cup final went viral on social media. Will he be able to do the double and see his son make his Test debut?”No,” answers Livingstone. “It was a trade off, he didn’t know which one to do. I guess being able to see your son win a World Cup would have been too hard to turn down. I don’t know what he would have done if we’d have lost that final but… thankfully that all worked out really well.”It’s a very proud moment to give back for years and years of driving up and down the M6 three times a week for three or four years while I was still at school and college. I owe a lot to mum and dad and I guess tomorrow will probably be more about them than it will be about me.”Even contained within the support, there was the odd moment his father could not hide the fact that Livingstone’s career looked like it was taking him away from this moment.”Dad has always said he wants me to play Test cricket. Even times when I’ve had chats with him thinking I’m probably not going to get that opportunity anymore, you could always see in his face that he was quite disappointed with that.”The closest he came before was a 2018 tour of New Zealand in which he was a non-playing squad member. That came off the back of his most productive first-class season for Lancashire, with two centuries within 805 runs at an average of 42.36, which followed an England Lions winter in which he scored twin hundreds against Sri Lanka A in the same match. Though the immediate red-ball experience between then and now is very different, he rates himself better equipped now for the whims of Test cricket.”I guess I don’t really have the red-ball cricket behind me of what I did back then, but I definitely didn’t have the experience back then of what I do now. The situations and challenges that are going to come up, I’m sure I’ll have seen them all before.”It doesn’t matter what colour the ball is, what format of cricket you play. There are always challenges you’ve got to take on. I’m sure this week will be no different. It’s the bit that excites me, the different challenges that can come up in five days of cricket rather than 20 overs of cricket.”No doubt the big hits will grab the attention. Stokes even went as far to state earlier in the week that Livingstone will try and clear the media centre at the Rawalpindi ground. But it is his part-time bowling, of leg spin and off spin that has him ahead of Surrey’s Will Jacks as the third spinner, behind Jack Leach and Joe Root. It has long been a nifty short-form selling point for Livingstone to clubs and country. Now, Stokes hopes it will have the same effect of almost coaxing dismissals out of quiet passages of play.”Having the skill-set to do different things is what has made me very selectable for Baz and Ben,” he boasts, matter-of-factly. “I’ll see what we need, what fits best at that certain time. It doesn’t always mean spinning the ball away from the bat: there may be rough outside a left-hander’s off stump that you can use to bowl leg-spin into, so being open-minded and making sure I can use them skill-sets to my advantage and ultimately try and make an impact of England winning a Test.”Whether the bowling translates to the longest format is all part of a bigger conversation as to whether Livingstone will translate to the longest format. Given how vague the predictions have been regarding conditions for the next three Tests, this might only be a selection for the here and now.Either way, a cricketer who has long been a glorious fantasy as a Test cricketer will soon become a reality. And there is perhaps no better setting for it to happen than in a group that encourages participants and observers to dream big.” The last couple of days, being around the environment, it’s been very different to the previous Test squad I was in,” Livingstone reflects. “The messaging is very simple, very clear and I guess the way I play my cricket is probably going to fit perfectly with the way Baz and Stokesy want to play their cricket. I’m just really excited for what’s to come.”As are the rest of us.

Bayern Munich are looking to sign Brighton's Bart Verbruggen as they identify the Dutch goalkeeper as Manuel Neuer's long-term replacement.

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• Bayern want to sign Bayern's Verbruggen
• Kompany known to be an admirer of Verbruggen
• German side looking to replace Neuer

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Per , Bayern have shown strong interest in signing Brighton goalkeeper Verbruggen in the summer as they look to find a long-term replacement for their legendary custodian Neuer. The Bundesliga giants will, however, have to shell out £50 million ($63m) if they are to convince the Seagulls to sell.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Bayern boss Vincent Kompany is a long-time admirer of the Dutch goalkeeper and had worked with him at Anderlecht. The Belgian coach later tried to sign Verbruggen at Burnley in 2023, but Brighton eventually secured his services. The 22-year-old has been impressive between the sticks for the Seagulls and has played an important in the club fighting for a European slot in the 2024-25 campaign.

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  Neuer signed a fresh deal at Bayern Munich last month which will now keep him at Allianz Arena at least until June 2026. The club, however, have started to look for possible options who could replace the veteran as the club's No.1 in the long run.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR BAYERN MUNICH?

  Harry Kane and Co will be back in action next Wednesday as they take on Bayer Leverkusen in the first leg of their Champions League round of 16 fixture.