Atalanta slammed for appointing 'worst manager in history' Ivan Juric as manager to replace club legend Gian Piero Gasperini after terrible Southampton spell

Atalanta fans are stupefied by the club's decision to sign Southampton flop Ivan Juric to replace Roma bound head coach Gian Piero Gasperini.

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Atalanta sign Juric to replace Gasperini Fans of Atalanta unhappy with the signing Previously sacked by Southampton and RomaFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

Gasperini left Atalanta this summer after having spent nine years with La Dea, as the legendary Italian coach signed with AS Roma. The latter side had been on the lookout for a replacement for the retiring Claudio Ranieri, and signed Gasperini as head coach on a three-year contract. In the follow-up, Atalanta decided to sign former Roma boss Juric, who had been sacked by Southampton in April after leading the Saints to an early relegation from the Premier League. Atalanta fans are now questioning the 49-year-old's signing despite his last two jobs having ended with a sacking.

AdvertisementWHAT THE FANS ARE SAYING

X user @LeandroComo wrote: "Percassi and Paglicua intentionally want to find THE WORST manager in Serie A history to destroy the club.. Ivan Juric is an absolute flog. How is this guy still working?? Sacked always. Please go away, Juric."

@VujatovicAlex added: "Football's so odd man, had an absolute stinker with Southampton and then gets a role at a top-five Serie A club."

@SportsTraderIT wrote: "WHY????? He was bad with Roma, relegated in the Premier League, and he is getting hired by Atalanta."

Southampton fan @JustSaints_ joked: "Ivan Juric returning to a top Serie A job after winning one match in the PL, relegating Saints FC, playing Joe Aribo at centre back & smoking a few cigs at the training ground."

GettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

In all fairness, Juric has had to contend with a fair few issues at both Roma and Southampton, as he had to lead both sides without any preseason. He had taken over from Daniele De Rossi just a month into the season at I Giallorossi before he was ultimately sacked as well after less than two months. The same happened during his stint with the Saints, where he took charge of an underwhelming squad from Russell Martin.

WHAT NEXT FOR JURIC?

Despite the move seeming to be a weird decision, Juric has proven to be a very tactical manager during his time with Torino, and Atalanta will be hoping that the stylistic similarities between Juric and Gasperini will make the transition less turbulent than it could have been.

Stop-clock trial begins with T20I series between West Indies and England

The first T20I between West Indies and England on Wednesday will see a stop clock used for the first time in international cricket. Part of a six-month experiment announced last month by the ICC, the stop clock will aim to restrict the time taken between overs and quicken the pace of play.The bowling team will need to be ready to bowl the first ball of their next over within 60 seconds of the previous over being completed. After two warnings, a third default by the bowling side will result in a five-run penalty imposed against them.The third umpire will start the clock at the completion of an over – the countdown would be displayed on the big screen at the ground, too. In case the batters have called for equipment change, drinks or if there is an injury break, and the 60 seconds are over the fielding time will not be penalised.In the scenario where the bowler is ready, but the batter is not ready, the match officials will deduct the time allowance from the batting team. For example if the batting team exceeded their allowances by two minutes, and are fielding second, then that additional time will be deducted from the overall time which could potentially lead them incurring both in-game and financial penalties if they fail to finish the overs before the cut-off time.As it stands, the stop clock will be used only in men’s ODIs and T20Is and goes one step further from the ICC’s change in playing conditions from 2022 where slow over-rates would force fielding sides to keep one fewer fielder outside the circle in the final over of a game. These in-game sanctions are in addition to any monetary fine that teams have to pay for slow over-rates under the ICC’s playing conditions.Stop clocks aimed at speeding up play are not new in sport. In major tennis tournaments, a player gets 25 seconds to get ready to serve between points. The idea of a stop clock in cricket was proposed in 2018 by the MCC’s World Cricket Committee that included Ricky Ponting, Saurav Ganguly and Kumar Sangakkara, among others, to reduce the ‘dead-time’ between overs in international games.The five-match T20I series between West Indies and England runs from December 13 to December 22, with the sides playing the series opener in Bridgetown, then moving to St George’s for two fixtures and finishing the series with two matches in Tarouba.

Shamar Joseph takes seven to bowl WI to magical win

Australia fall eight runs short after a defiant 91 not out from Steven Smith

Tristan Lavalette28-Jan-2024
Shamar Joseph defied his injured toe and sprinted around the Gabba in jubilation after his remarkable seven-wicket haul powered West Indies to a monumental upset of Australia in a pulsating eight-run victory in the second Test.Shortly after dinner, Joseph knocked over Josh Hazlewod to cap his heroic performance and end West Indies’ two-decade Test drought against Australia.Steven Smith was the only batter who was able to thwart Joseph and struck his first half-century as an opener to finish unbeaten on 91 not out. He had a riveting battle with Joseph, who summoned speeds around 150kmh and bowled 11.5 overs straight before and after dinner.Australia resumed after dinner at 187 for 8 and still 29 runs short. In the first over after the resumption, Alzarri Joseph dropped Nathan Lyon in his follow through only to produce a thin edge off the next delivery to put West Indies on the brink of a famous victory.Related

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With the field spread, a nerveless Smith unfurled an outrageous scoop for six that was more reminiscent of T20 cricket and reduced Australia’s target to 14 runs. But Joseph proved unstoppable as he finished his all-time great performance in style and with the figures of 7 for 68.It meant the series finished 1-1 and brought the curtains down on the Australian Test summer with the hosts surprisingly challenged by inexperienced Pakistan and West Indies teams on tough surfaces with none of the five matches going into the fifth day.Australia tasted defeat on home soil for the first time since losing to India at the Gabba in January 2021.Like Pakistan earlier in the summer, a youthful West Indies became a crowd favourite through their entertaining style of play and vivaciousness led by Joseph, who single-handedly hauled his team back in the contest.Australia appeared to be cruising towards the target of 216 at 113 for 2 until Joseph turned the match on its head with the wickets of Cameron Green and Travis Head in consecutive balls. He then dismissed Mitchell Marsh and Alex Carey as Australia lost 4 for 23 and were still 80 runs short of victory.Joseph claimed his second five-wicket haul in as many matches by dismissing Mitchell Starc, who had briefly counterattacked, just before dinner as he sunk to his knees with his head on the ground.But he pushed through the pain barrier and exhaustion to nick off Pat Cummins.Shamar Joseph led the celebrations for West Indies•Getty Images

There had been grave doubt over whether Joseph could bowl after he was struck on the toe by an inswinging delivery by Starc late on day three that forced him to retire hurt.But he was cleared of a fracture and produced a spell in overcast and humid conditions that rocked Australia and set up a grandstand finish after dinner.There were fears of the day’s play being majorly interrupted after heavy showers lashed Brisbane overnight and in the morning. But the bad weather cleared and play resumed on schedule with Australia resuming at 60 for 2 and needing a further 156 runs.After starting aggressively late on day three, with his driving a standout, Smith focused on picking off the bowling for singles. But Green was anchored to the crease and intent on survival as Kemar Roach and Alzarri Joseph bowled on a dangerous length outside off stump.Green scored just 13 off his first 54 deliveries before he pounced on a rare Roach delivery that strayed on the pads to notch his first boundary. He was gifted three runs in the next over after a hash of a fielding attempt at mid-off from skipepr Kraigg Brathwaite.Smith looked comfortable until being squared up by a menacing delivery from Alzarri Joseph that flew through the vacant third slip to bring up the 50-run partnership.West Indies needed a spark and Shamar Joseph made an immediate impact when he came into the attack by producing a thick edge from Green that flew over the slips.Green started to settle until Joseph produced a rearing delivery that hit his back elbow and fell onto the stumps. He then on the next delivery delivered a scintillating yorker that clean bowled Head and left Australia stunned.It completed a king pair for Head, who suffered his third golden duck in his last six innings. Joseph was unable to complete a hat-trick, but soon had Marsh edging to second slip and clean bowled Alex Carey with another gem of a yorker.Starc decided to take on the bowling and it proved effective until he holed out. Play was extended by 20 minutes after Joseph dismissed Cummins, but he could not get through Smith and Lyon.But Joseph was not to be denied as he finished with one last epic celebration to wrap an astonishing debut series.

Separados por um fast food: Palmeiras e Flamengo serão vizinhos em Brasília

MatériaMais Notícias

da 888casino: Adversários na Supercopa do Brasil, Palmeiras e Flamengo serão “inimigos íntimos” neste sábado, às 16h30, no Mané Garrincha. E isso não se deve apenas à rivalidade recente entre as equipes. As delegações dos clubes estarão, literalmente, lado a lado durante este período em Brasília. Os hotéis escolhidos pelas diretorias são vizinhos e separados apenas por uma rede de fast-food. Veja acima!

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da bet7k: Uma caminhada de 300 metros é suficiente para ir do hotel onde Abel Ferreira, Dudu e companhia ficarão hospedados para o local que acomodará Vítor Pereira, Gabigol e os demais rubro-negros. No trajeto, apenas uma famosa rede de fast-food os separa. O local, no Setor Hoteleiro Norte de Brasília, foi escolhido pela proximidade do Estádio Mané Garrincha, que fica a menos de 1,5 km dali.

Barra FC acerta empréstimo do volante Kevyn, capitão do Sub-20 do América-MG

MatériaMais Notícias

da bet nacional: O jovem atleta Kevyn foi anunciado oficialmente pelo Barra FC. O jogador de apenas 20 anos chega para reforçar o clube na disputa do Campeonato Catarinense de 2023. O atleta vinha de três temporadas no América-MG. Kevyn falou sobre essa nova oportunidade na carreira.

-Estou feliz pela oportunidade de poder jogar mais um campeonato estadual profissionalmente. Para mim, é mais um passo rumo ao meu objetivo que é atuar no mais alto nível possível. Teremos um campeonato difícil, com grandes equipes e agradeço demais a oportunidade de vestir essa camisa- disse.

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da betobet: Ao todo foram 63 partidas pelo América-MG, onde foi capitão da equipe Sub-20. O jogador tem no currículo um título do Campeonato Mineiro Sub-20 além de uma classificação para as semifinais da Copinha de 2022.

O jogador também estreou pela equipe profissional do Coelho em 2022, ao qual jogou duas partidas do estadual. Kevyn também acumula uma passagem pela base do Palmeiras. Em 2019 realizou 30 partidas pelo Verdão e conquistou a Copa do Brasil Sub-17.

O jovem chega para acumular experiência em uma competição profissional, visto que o atleta tem contrato com o América-MG até dezembro de 2023 em contrato que foi renovado ainda em julho do ano passado.

Matthews' all-round heroics hand Barbados Royals WCPL title

Matthews’ 82 and Wellington’s four-for the highlights in narrow win over Amazon Warriors

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Sep-2023

Hayley Matthews made 82 off 59 balls•CPL via Getty Images

Hayley Matthews’ all-around heroics helped Barbados Royals beat Guyana Amazon Warriors by eight runs in the final as Royals clinched the Women’s Caribbean Premier League title in Tarouba on Sunday. The Royals captain scored a 59-ball 82 to take the team to 169 for 7 and then picked up two wickets with her offspin.Chasing a competitive total, Amazon Warriors started off well, scoring 47 runs for the loss of one wicket in the powerplay. While Sophie Devine made 22, her opening partner Suzie Bates scored a run-a-ball 36. But Shemaine Campbelle and Natasha McLean picked up pace in the middle order, hitting 47 not out and 28 respectively, with the equation coming down to 29 off 15 balls.However, McLean’s run-out triggered a collapse as Warriors went from 141 for 3 to 161 for 8. Australia legspinner Amanda-Jade Wellington’s crucial 19th over fetched her three wickets, with all of Shabika Gajnabi, Shreyanka Patil and Sheneta Grimmond getting stumped in the same over. Wellington finished with excellent figures of 4 for 23, which includes the wicket of Stefanie Taylor just after the powerplay.Earlier in the game, Royals lost their opener Gaby Lewis for 21 in the fifth over, bowled by Shabnim Ismail, which propelled Matthews to take charge. She hit ten fours and two sixes in her innings and stitched a match-saving stand of 108 runs with Rashada Williams for the second wicket, with the wicketkeeper contributing 36 runs from 23 balls. Ismail then struck twice in the 17th over to remove Williams and Laura Harris as Royals lost four wickets for five runs in 11 balls. Wellington then smashed ten runs in four balls to lift Royals at the end. Ismail added one more wicket to her tally to finish with 4 for 30.Devine was adjudged the Player of the Series for 253 runs and five wickets in five innings. Shreyanka, the uncapped Indian allrounder, ended the competition as the highest wicket-taker with nine scalps.

Rafael Leao salary: How much does AC Milan star earn per week and annually in Serie A?

Everything you need to know about Rafael Leao's salary details playing for AC Milan

Rising through the ranks at Sporting CP, Rafael Leao made headlines during his debut season with Lille in the 2018-19 campaign. It didn’t take long before AC Milan swooped in and brought the young Portuguese talent to San Siro.

Since his arrival in Milan, Leao has established himself as one of the club’s undisputed stars and one of the best players in the league.

The Portuguese winger played a pivotal role in leading Milan to a Scudetto win in the 2022-23 season — their first league title in over a decade.

Leao is well compensated for his contributions to the Rossoneri’s success and his status as the team's main man. He signed a contract in 2022, keeping him at the San Siro until 2028, and is among the highest earners in the squad.

But exactly how much does he earn?

GOAL delved into the numbers with Capology and found out!

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  • Rafael Leao's wages at AC Milan in numbers

    Rafael Leao, under his current Milan contract, stands as the top earner in the AC Milan squad, drawing a weekly salary of £105,960 ($139,998). His impressive annual earnings reach £5.5 million ($7.2m).

    Player

    Nationality

    Weekly wages in GBP

    Weekly wages in USD

    Annual wages in GBP

    Annual wages in USD

    Rafael Leao

    Portuguese

    £105,960

    $139,998

    £5,509,933

    $7,279,913

  • Advertisement

  • Getty Images Sport

    Top earners at AC Milan

    As highlighted earlier, Rafael Leao stands as AC Milan's highest-paid player, leading the earnings chart.

    Trailing closely behind is Tammy Abraham, the former Chelsea and AS Roma striker, with seasoned fullback and ex-Roma star Alessandro Florenzi securing the third position.

    In fourth place is the recent addition, Youssouf Fofana, while American international Christian Pulisic completes the top five earners.

    Player

    Nationality

    Weekly wages in GBP

    Weekly wages in USD

    Annual wages in GBP

    Annual wages in USD

    Rafael Leao

    Portuguese

    £105,960

    $139,998

    £5,509,933

    $7,279,913

    Tammy Abraham

    English

    £95,381

    $126,020

    £4,959,800

    $6,553,057

    Alessandro Florenzi

    Italian

    £91,909

    $121,434

    £4,779,827

    $6,314,558

    Youssouf Fofana

    French

    £91,909

    $121,434

    £4,779,827

    $6,314,558

    Christian Pulisic

    USA

    £84,801

    $112,042

    £4,409,666

    $5,826,022

  • Top earners in Serie A

    While Milan players enjoy lucrative salaries at the San Siro, led by Rafael Leao, they still trail behind the league's top earners. Not a single Milan player makes it to the highest-paid list, unlike their fierce competitors Juventus and Inter, who boast players with significantly higher earnings.

    Leading the pack is Juventus' Serbian striker Dusan Vlahovic, with Argentines Lautaro Martinez and Paulo Dybala securing the second and third spots.

    Italian midfielder Nicolo Barella ranks fourth, while Hakan Calhanoglu completes the top five.

    Player

    Nationality

    Weekly wages in GBP

    Weekly wages in USD

    Annual wages in GBP

    Annual wages in USD

    Dusan Vlahovic

    Serbian

    £321,352

    $424,581

    £16,710,313

    $22,078,237

    Lautaro Martinez

    Argentine

    £275,563

    $364,083

    £14,329,265

    $18,932,316

    Paulo Dybala

    Argentine

    £214,235

    $283,054

    £11,140,208

    $14,718,825

    Nicolo Barella

    Italian

    £199,027

    $262,961

    £10,349,391

    $13,673,970

    Hakan Calhanoglu

    Turkish

    £183,653

    $242,649

    £9,549,978

    $12,617,758

  • AFP

    Highest paid players in the world

    Serie A players, despite their high earnings, are not among the top five highest-paid footballers globally.

    The top five are all from the Saudi Pro League, with Cristiano Ronaldo at Al Nassr earning the most.

    Karim Benzema, formerly of Real Madrid, is second, and Riyad Mahrez, now with Al-Ahli, is third.

    Sadio Mane and Kalidou Koulibaly, both from Senegal, are fourth and fifth, respectively.

    Player

    Club

    Weekly wages GBP

    Weekly wages USD

    Annual wages GBP

    Annual wages USD

    Cristiano Ronaldo

    Al Nassr

    £3,216,155

    $4,210,425

    £167,250,468

    $218,942,120

    Karim Benzema

    Al Ittihad

    £1,608,178

    $2,105,213

    £83,625,234

    $109,471,060

    Riyad Mahrez

    Al Ahli

    £839,469

    $1,098,921

    £45,652,372

    $57,43,893

    Sadio Mane

    Al Nassr

    £643,271

    $842,085

    £33,450,094

    $43,788,424

    Kalidou Koulibaly

    Al Hilal

    £558,038

    $730,509

    £29,017,956

    $37,986,458

Mudryk poised for surprise January return as club eye Chelsea loan deal

Suspended Chelsea winger Mykhailo Mudryk is in line for a surprise return to action next month after not featuring for over a year, according to reports.

Mykhailo Mudryk banned for positive drugs test

Mudryk’s absence from Chelsea’s first-team setup has now exceeded twelve months, with the Ukrainian international last appearing competitively on November 28 last year before his career ground to a dramatic halt.

The 24-year-old tested positive for meldonium, a performance-enhancing substance prohibited under anti-doping regulations.

Following confirmation of his B sample analysis in June, the FA formally charged Mudryk, leaving him facing a potential ban ranging between two and four years if found guilty.

Throughout the ordeal, Mudryk has maintained complete innocence, and even voluntarily undertook a lie detector test which supported his version of events.

Ukrainian sports journalists have theorised that contaminated stem cell treatment administered during international duty may explain the adverse finding, suggesting the injection originated from cattle previously exposed to meldonium.

Chelsea sanctioned the record £88.5 million transfer from Shakhtar in January 2023, initially viewing him as a transformative attacking signing after hijacking Arsenal’s deal.

However, his Stamford Bridge career proved underwhelming even before the suspension materialised, with inconsistent performances failing to justify the enormous investment.

The club reassigned his prestigious number ten shirt to Cole Palmer following Mudryk’s suspension, signalling their acceptance of a prolonged absence.

Chelsea also reinforced their attacking options by striking deals for Alejandro Garnacho and Jamie Gittens in the summer, further blocking any potential pathway back into Enzo Maresca’s plans.

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Kelan Sarson

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Reports have suggested that, once Mudryk is eligible to play again, Chelsea could allow the forward to join sister club Strasbourg on loan in a bid to reignite his career.

Mykhailo Mudryk in line for January return as Sevilla eye Chelsea loan deal

Now, according to journalist JM Villalba and Canal Sur Radio, that eligibility could be as early as next month.

Speaking to the Spanish broadcaster, Villalba has reported that Mudryk will be able to play again after January 17, and this has piqued interest from La Liga side Sevilla.

Chelsea's MykhailoMudryk

The club are considering a deal for Mudryk once he comes back midway through next month, which is a surprise when factoring in how very little we’ve heard about the winger’s return timeline.

If Mudryk is indeed eligible for a January renaissance, BlueCo should certainly green-light a temporary move away for him.

He quite simply needs game time and renewed confidence following the lengthy layoff, controversy and serious drop down Maresca’s pecking order, with the Spanish top flight potentially providing that needed reintroduction to competitive action.

That being said, it should be a dry loan with no option or obligation to buy, with Chelsea poised to make a key decision about Mudryk’s long-term future.

He still has six years remaining on his current contract, giving the Blues plenty of time to do so.

Alongside Pedro: Howe readying move to sign £16m-a-year star for Newcastle

With their summer business officially underway courtesy of Antonio Cordero, Newcastle United and Eddie Howe are now reportedly ready to make their first approach to sign a big-money Premier League winner.

Newcastle confirm Antonio Cordero arrival

Starting as they mean to go on, Newcastle confirmed Cordero’s arrival from Malaga last week. The young Spaniard is set to officially arrive on 1 July when his current contract expires and he becomes free to complete his move to Tyneside.

After putting pen to paper, the young winger told the club website: “It’s truly an honour to be here, truly a pleasure. I am a person who likes to aspire high. Why not come to one of the best places in the world to do it. It’s a big step, and that’s one of the reasons I’m here. I’m happy to do it and have a great desire to get going already.”

Meanwhile, in what is likely to be one of his final acts as sporting director, Paul Mitchell welcomed Cordero to the club, saying: “Antonio is an exciting talent. We’re delighted to bring him to Newcastle United amidst interest in Spain and across Europe. He has lots of potential, and the next phase of his development will be for the club to select a loan move that will challenge him and build on his experiences.”

Following an impressive start to the summer, it seems as though the Magpies are only just getting started. Recent reports have indicated that they’ve already made an enquiry to sign Nottingham Forest star Anthony Elanga and Brighton’s Joao Pedro as they look to make up for missing out on Bryan Mbeumo.

Sweden's AnthonyElangacelebrates scoring their fifth goal with Alexander Isak

Attacking reinforcements seem to be top of their wishlist too, with Howe now reportedly ready to make his first approach to sign a Premier League winner this summer.

Howe and Newcastle ready to make Grealish approach

According to The Sun, Howe is now ready to personally make an approach to sign Jack Grealish on loan from Manchester City as he looks to help the England international revive his career courtesy of Newcastle.

The midfielder was dropped by Pep Guardiola on the final day of the season and reports have since revealed that he could miss out on a place in Manchester City’s Club World Cup squad as the exit door swings open.

The next move is key for Grealish with the World Cup coming up next summer and Thomas Tuchel recently making it clear that he needs to be back playing every week if he is to work his way back into the England squad.

£50m star so close to joining Newcastle his club are lining up replacement

The Magpies are reportedly closing in on a statement signing…

1

By
Sean Markus Clifford

Jun 8, 2025

The Three Lions boss told reporters: “He is never shy of pressure. It’s the opposite. He grows in big matches but he’s a player who needs minutes and minutes and minutes and simply does not get them for a very long time. That’s basically everything. Nothing has changed.”

With that said, if any side can offer the former Aston Villa star that and cover his hefty £16m-a-year salary, it may well be Newcastle this summer.

'Be fearless, don't play safe' – Ratnayake spells out SL's mantra

He took over during a crisis, but has helped script a series of successful mini-chapters

Shashank Kishore02-Oct-2024Sri Lanka have been on an unprecedented high. The team hasn’t looked in a better shape than they are currently, having come off a historic first-ever series win in England followed by the Asia Cup triumph.There’s boisterous energy around the group that stems from “having walked the talk” in the words of Rumesh Ratnayake, their head coach, ahead of their women’s T20 World Cup opener against Pakistan in Sharjah.In February 2023, weeks before the previous T20 World Cup in South Africa, Ratnayake was summoned from the academy to steer a team that appeared to have been stuck in a rut of insipid results and lack of direction within the leadership. Ratnayake wasn’t sure if he’d continue for long, but a week of being with the team convinced him there was enough to work with.Related

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Sri Lanka’s upset of South Africa on the opening night in Cape Town was mere validation of his intuition. It set the ball rolling for a fruitful association that has seen several successful mini-chapters along the way. Like the Asia Cup and England triumph.The SLC mandate when he took over was “do it your way.” Ratnayake explains he was big on inclusivity. “By that, I mean involving everyone in decision making, not merely me giving instructions and them following,” he explains. “This included all staff as well as playing members. It was never like ‘this is my way of doing.'”Everyone had to show the same level of commitment and fit into the culture we wanted to create. We’ve come a long way since, but it’s an ongoing process. We made them believe first that they could grow. For that, along with skill enhancement it needed a commitment to fitness. We’ve worked towards achieving that.”Ratyanake had to hit the ground running, having little time to familiarize himself with the group. It wasn’t ideal, but he had the complete backing of Chamari Athapaththu, the captain, and SLC. The women’s setup, in a way, has been a deviation from the norm: of coaches coming and going. And recent results are merely a byproduct of that faith and continuity.”We have a good leader in Chamari. I also had the backing of the board, which was huge,” he says. “The entire group also quickly bought in to the direction we wanted to take. And it was to be fearless, and not take the safe way. Not being intimidated by the bigger teams.”A team like New Zealand for example, anyone would be overawed by their build. But we knew cricket’s not a game of physicality. It’s about skills, execution and mindset. You can win with smart options. We spoke about what those smart options were. Mind you, it was a hard road. It certainly wasn’t as easy as people picture it to be.”Taking good decisions in the middle when you have little time to decide involves training in a certain way. We’ve tried to take fear out of the minds. After almost two years now, I can say that it certainly happened in a way which now makes it seem like a picture-perfect walk.”Ratyanake’s primary goal in his time as coach is to develop players. It annoyed him that the team’s chances were always dependent on Athapaththu. “When I came into the system, when Chamari did well, Sri Lanka did well. There’s truth to it no doubt, but it sort of ignited me to make sure others elevate their standards to get to where Chamari had.”When I came into the system, when Chamari did well, Sri Lanka did well. There’s truth to it”•Sri Lanka Cricket”So, in every aspect, especially in batting, we made plans, specific scenarios we worked on at training. We worked on what we wanted to achieve and how we were going to. I’m not saying we’re fully close to it yet, but yes, we are somewhat there, where we can say, even if Chamari fails one particular day, there are others who can win games for us.”Ratyanake exudes cautious optimism around Sri Lanka’s chances. He knows they’re in the “stronger group.” And the only way to think they can progress is by thinking “every game is a final.””We want to win those moments,” he says. “We want to concentrate on building a set of small moments together. We’ve tried to instill that into our thinking. This is a very happy bunch of players. They’re united and looking after each other. That’s something you can’t instill; it has to come naturally. Aa coaches we’re fortunate to have that culture.”It’s huge for us. I believe they know their tasks to deliver at the right moment. But there’s no guarantee. And when we get the small things, we hope that we’ll do well to string them together to win the big moment.”

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