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Among the draws – all 18 of them – there have been protests, flare-ups and the odd moment of success

Andrew Miller29-Nov-2022After consecutive “home” series on neutral ground in the UAE, Pakistan are finally set to host England for their first Test visit in 17 years. It promises the renewal of a rivalry that has not exactly been packed with tense contests down the years, but has produced an extraordinary amount of controversy. Here’s a recap of England’s eight previous tours.1961-62 – England won 1-0
A curious itinerary greeted MCC’s first official tour of Pakistan, with the three-match series wrapped either side of a full five-Test visit to India – whose subsequent plans to tour West Indies had caused a fixtures rejig. And as it transpired, the one-off Test in Lahore in October could not have been further removed from the two follow-ups in Dacca and Karachi in January and February, where the tone would be set for a diet of lifeless decks over the subsequent two decades. By then, however, England were already 1-0 up in the series after a gripping final-hour win in Lahore, where the new captain Ted Dexter marshalled a high-tempo run-chase with the elan he would soon be bringing to the new-fangled Gillette One-Day Cup. It would be England’s only victory in the country for 39 years, and one of only two to date in 24 Tests and counting.Ted Dexter (second left) and members of the England touring party after returning from Pakistan in 1962•Hulton Archive/Getty Images1968-69 – Series drawn 0-0
South Africa had been England’s original winter destination, but the D’Oliveira Affair put paid to that prospect, and as MCC scouted around for a back-up plan, they hit upon a country that was lurching, with ever more volatile certainty, towards revolution. “The Pakistan tour was a fiasco”, Wisden intoned, at the end of a stalemate in which the three Tests became focal points for mounting unrest, from the first day of the series in Lahore, to the third and final day of the third Test in Karachi, where play was abandoned after a mob had torn down the gates and vandalised the pitch. In between, the schedule was controversially rejigged to send the teams 1100 miles east to Dacca (now Dhaka), where law and order was already breaking down ahead of the bloody war that would, two years later, lead to the birth of Bangladesh. With the city in a state of siege, it was left to a group of teenaged student leaders to guarantee the team’s safety. On the field, a quartet of England centuries were the tour’s stand-out performances: Colin Cowdrey in Lahore, D’Oliveira in Dacca, and Colin Milburn and Tom Graveney in Karachi, where Graveney struck two intruders on their backsides with his bat, and quipped: “They were the two best strokes I made on the whole tour.”1972-73 – Series drawn 0-0
An arduous four-month tour, encompassing five Tests in India, three in Pakistan and a first-class stop-over in the newly-renamed Sri Lanka, came to a dispiriting end on a trio of pitches in Lahore, Hyderabad and Karachi that, Wisden moaned, would still have ended as draws “had they gone on playing for the rest of their lives”. That said, England were twice obliged to guard against mishap after conceding challenging leads in the first two Tests, but on neither occasion were they bowled out in their second innings. The Karachi Test, once again, was marred by crowd unrest and pitch invasions, and was eventually abandoned early due to a dust-storm, after Norman Gifford’s five-for had briefly given England hope of a win against the head. The match also happened to be the last of Tony Lewis’s brief reign as captain – he would play one more Test back in the ranks before being dropped for good the following summer – but its most notable detail was arguably the fact that Majid Khan, Mushtaq Mohammad and Dennis Amiss were all dismissed for 99.Shakoor Rana and Mike Gatting infamously faced-off in Faisalabad on the 1987-88 tour•Getty Images1977-78 – Series drawn 0-0
By the end of another chaotic campaign, England had played 12 Tests across 16 years of touring in Pakistan, and drawn each of the last 11 – a record that Wisden attributed to various factors including food, accommodation, crowd indiscipline and “a shadowy political background” but, most of all, to the hosts’ “obsessive fear of defeat”. The emergence of the legspinner Abdul Qadir seemed to offer Pakistan the means to unlock their own benign surfaces – most particularly in the second Test in Hyderabad, where he exploited the rough created by Bob Willis’s heavy-limbed followthrough to take a first-innings 6 for 44. However, Wasim Bari’s overly cautious declaration killed off any remaining jeopardy, and not for the first time, the tour’s main talking points came off the field: the riots in Lahore that stemmed from a premature celebration of Mudassar Nazar’s century, then the threatened recall of the so-called “Packerstanis” – Imran Khan, Mushtaq Mohammad and Zaheer Abbas – all of whom had signed to play in Kerry Packer’s inaugural season of World Series Cricket, but whose arrivals in Karachi prior to the third Test caused uproar. It wasn’t entirely clear at whose behest they had turned up – it might even have been a publicity stunt from Packer himself – but at the eleventh hour, the Pakistan board confirmed that they would not be considered, and the threat of an England boycott fell away.1983-84 – Pakistan won 1-0
Qadir’s threat was no secret this time around, but his mastery of flight and variation remained unfathomable to England. Barely three days after arriving from a chaotic tour of New Zealand – one beset by injury, ineptitude and subsequent accusations of recreational drug use – England rocked up to the first “result” wicket that they had encountered in more than a decade of Pakistan tours, and finished a distant second-best in a misleadingly tight three-wicket loss. Nick Cook claimed 11 wickets to Qadir’s eight, but the legspinner’s bamboozling display was best epitomised by a stunning googly that Ian Botham was barely able to pick even after it had nestled in short-leg’s hands. “Only a philistine could watch Qadir without fascination,” wrote John Thicknesse in The Cricketer. He was briefly neutered on a dead deck in Faisalabad, but burst back to prominence with ten wickets at Lahore as the series ended amid a compelling tussle for the upper hand. Going into the rest day with England still trailing on their second innings, England’s captain David Gower – by now deputising for the injured Willis – promised positivity in a bid to square the series, and delivered in person with a magnificent 173. But, after Mohsin Khan and Shoaib Mohammad had matched that total in their opening stand, Gower rather went back on his word with a go-slow in the field, and it took a late five-for from Norman Cowans to guard against an unlikely defeat.Nasser Hussain and Graham Thorpe celebrate victory in the dark, Karachi 2000•Getty Images1987-88 – Pakistan won 1-0
Bad blood abounded in one of the most acrimonious series of all time. Mike Gatting’s infamous finger-jabbing row with umpire Shakoor Rana in Faisalabad was the image that flashed around the globe in an embodiment of the “it’s not cricket!” cliché that the sport still, somehow, clings to to this day. And yet, their stand-off was very much in keeping with the animosity that existed between England and Pakistan throughout the 1980s, as years of festering grievances home and away came to an inevitable climax. Barely four months had elapsed since Pakistan had prevailed on an ill-tempered tour of England, during which complaints about the home umpiring – specifically an old adversary, David Constant – had been batted away by the TCCB. Factor in a draining World Cup campaign in between whiles, in which England’s defeat in the final had matched Pakistan’s semi-final elimination on home soil in the anti-climax stakes, and the time was hardly ripe to renew such a fractious rivalry. The fuse was lit during the first Test at Lahore, where umpire Shakeel Khan gave – by England’s count – nine erroneous decisions, among them Chris Broad, who had to be persuaded to leave the crease by his opening partner, Graham Gooch. The irony was that, with 9 for 56 in the first innings, en route to a series haul of 30 at 14.56, Qadir hardly needed a leg-up to be the difference between the teams. Even so, when the flashpoint came, late on the second day in Faisalabad, it was with England in a position of rare dominance – with Pakistan five-down in their first innings and still almost 200 runs behind. But the loss of the third day’s play, with Rana refusing to officiate until Gatting had issued a grudging written apology, kiboshed any hope of a result.2000-01 – England won 1-0
Fresh from their first victory over West Indies in three decades, Nasser Hussain’s England sealed another famous series win, and in incredible circumstances too, with the winning runs in Karachi coming amid ever-encroaching darkness on the final day of the tour. The advent of central contracts and the appointment of Duncan Fletcher as head coach had been significant factors in a heightened team cohesion, but ultimately this tour was a triumph for Hussain’s hard-bitten leadership – in particular his insistence that England “stay in the game at all costs”, and wait for the pressure to tell on their hosts. Graham Thorpe epitomised this indomitability with a grindingly slow century in Lahore, which contained a solitary boundary in his first 100 runs and in the process thwarted Saqlain Mushtaq, whose eight wickets in the innings came at a cost of 164, and despite a wobble in Faisalabad, they were never seriously in danger of defeat. Then, in Karachi, Mike Atherton responded to Inzamam and Yousuf’s twin hundreds with a ten-hour 125, spanning 430 balls at a tempo slower even than his great Johannesburg rearguard – an effort that the Telegraph correspondent Michael Henderson had described as “insufferable”. Its impact, however, soon became apparent as Pakistan – in what would these days be acknowledged as a “tricky third innings” – chose neither to stick nor twist in stumbling to 158 all out. England’s target, then, was 176 in 44 overs, a chase that Atherton himself ignited with a sprightly 26 from 33. Moin Khan, Pakistan’s captain, was unconcerned, knowing full well that the fast-setting winter sun would come to his aid if he slowed the game down. But umpire Steve Bucknor was having none of it, and – with England’s 12th man Matthew Hoggard dispatched to sightscreen duties – Thorpe donned his night-vision goggles to seal a famous win with an under-edged cut through fine leg, and with mere minutes of serviceable light to spare.Marcus Trescothick bats during his 180-run stand with Ian Bell in Multan•Getty Images2005-06 – Pakistan won 2-0
After the extraordinary highs of the 2005 Ashes, England crashed back to earth in a thoroughly dispiriting fashion in Pakistan, with a brace of defeats – one agonisingly close, the other crushingly complete – that epitomised the sudden dismantling of a fleetingly world-class team. Already lacking Simon Jones through injury, the loss of the captain Michael Vaughan to a knee injury was a further grievous blow, although one that his stand-in Marcus Trescothick seemed to have taken in his stride in leading from the front with a brilliant 193 in the first Test in Multan – sadly the mental toll of that effort would only become apparent in hindsight. In between whiles, Andrew Flintoff bowled supremely to drive England towards victory, only for Shoaib Akhtar and Danish Kaneria – in a classical Pakistani pace/legspin double act – to swipe the match by 22 runs in a breathless finish. Inzamam-ul-Haq’s twin hundreds in Faisalabad scotched England’s attempts at a fightback, and when Mohammad Yousuf racked up a career-best 223 in the third Test in Lahore, the end was meek and inevitable. Despite the heightened security surrounding the tour, England’s first post 9/11, there was little sign at that juncture that they would not be returning for another two decades.

After a characteristically slow start, this summer is turning into a massive one for Arsenal.

Mikel Arteta’s side have already announced the signings of Martin Zubimendi, Christian Norgaard and Kepa Arrizabalaga, and they don’t look close to being done there.

Andrea Berta and Co have finally agreed a deal in principle for Viktor Gyokeres, and then Noni Madueke’s arrival should be announced any day now.

Furthermore, links to £77m Real Madrid superstar Rodrygo won’t go away, and if recent reports are to be believed, they could soon sell a first-team regular, which could free up space and finances for the Brazilian superstar.

Why Arsenal would want to sign Rodrygo

Being the incredible player he is, there are several reasons why Arsenal would want to splash the cash on Rodrygo, such as his raw output.

Since the start of the 23/24 campaign, the “world-class superstar,” as dubbed by Luka Modrić, has scored 31 goals and provided 20 assists in 105 appearances, totalling 7159 minutes.

That means even though he has played out of his favour left-wing position for most of that period, the former Santos gem was still able to average a goal involvement every 2.05 games, or every 140.37 minutes.

Appearances

51

54

Minutes

3707′

3452′

Goals

17

14

Assists

9

11

Goal Involvements per Match

0.50

0.46

Minutes per Goal Involvement

142.57′

138.08′

Furthermore, while he would almost certainly spend most of his time at the Emirates off the left, his ability to play across the frontline would undoubtedly be another of the reasons Arteta and Co would want to bring him in.

It would allow him to cover for Bukayo Saka at times, or even start as a false nine and give the team a whole new dimension in challenging games.

Finally, the 24-year-old has also won all there is to win in the club game and played a crucial role in the Spanish giants’ multiple Champions League triumphs.

In other words, he’d bring some much-needed know-how to an already talented side who have been so close to getting it over the line on so many occasions now.

With all that said, bringing in a world-class talent like Rodrygo would be a massive financial commitment, although it looks like Arsenal might be making some changes to the squad, which could help facilitate it.

What Rodrygo's arrival would mean for Arsenal

With Gyokeres and Madueke set to join the club and then links to Eberechi Eze refusing to go away, it seems incredibly unlikely that Arsenal would sign Rodrygo without first making an attacking sale.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

The likes of Saka and Kai Havertz aren’t going anywhere, and Gabriel Jesus is still out injured, so the options fall on the left-hand side.

Gabriel Martinelli was linked with a big-money move to Al Hilal earlier this summer, but it was then revealed to be nothing more than paper talk.

That then brings us to Leandro Trossard, and based on a recent report from Sport Bild’s Christian Falk, Bayern Munich are interested in him.

The German journalist has revealed that the Belgian international could be FC Hollywood’s “next big signing,” and while he makes no mention of how much the fee could be, reports from earlier this month claimed that the Gunners would want £20m.

According to separate reports from Just Arsenal, Bayern have already opened talks with the player’s camp regarding a move.

Appearances

54

56

Minutes

3452

3455′

Goals

14

10

Assists

11

10

Goal Involvements per Match

0.46

0.35

Minutes per Goal Involvement

138.08

172.75′

While the former Brighton & Hove Albion star has been a useful player for Arteta over the last two and a half years, it would be good money for a winger who is set to turn 31 at the end of the year, and wasn’t massively impactful last season.

For example, the “sensational” ace, as dubbed by journalist Charles Watts, produced 20 goal involvements in 56 appearances, totalling 3455 minutes, which comes out to a goal involvement every 2.8 games, or every 172.75 minutes.

In contrast, the Real monster scored 14 goals and provided 11 assists in 54 appearances, totalling 3452 minutes, which comes out to a goal involvement every 2.16 games, or every 138.08 minutes.

Ultimately, Trossard has been an undeniable success at Arsenal, but with where the team want to go and the players they need to take them there, this feels like the right time to say thank you and goodbye.

Gyokeres will adore him: Arsenal eyeing £80m star who "finishes like Henry"

The international ace would add even more quality to Arsenal’s frontline.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Jul 14, 2025

After announcing the arrival of Antonio Cordero, Newcastle United have now reportedly entered talks to sign a long-term target who Eddie Howe loves in a deal worth £30m.

Newcastle announce Cordero arrival

Having spent the last two windows watching other clubs spend big and welcome key additions courtesy of their PSR concerns, Newcastle and PIF wasted no time before getting their business started this time around. Securing the addition of Cordero, the young Spanish winger will arrive at the end of his Malaga contract on July 1.

Welcoming Cordero to the club in what could be one of his final acts at the club, departing sporting director Paul Mitchell said: “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.”

PIF are not done there though. In search of a winger instead of Bryan Mbeumo, who could soon be on his way to Manchester United, the Magpies have been linked with moves for the likes of Anthony Elanga as well as Brighton forward Joao Pedro.

Elanga is a name that was mentioned last summer before Newcastle were ultimately unable to make their move. One year on, however, they’ve got the necessary breathing room to spend and have reportedly already enquired about a potential deal to sign the Nottingham Forest star.

The Swede isn’t the only target that Newcastle could revisit this summer, either. Making up for last summer’s disappointment, those at St James’ Park are now “in talks” to sign a long-term target who Howe loves, according to reports.

Newcastle "in talks" to sign £30m Trafford

According to Sky Sports, Newcastle are now “in talks” to sign James Trafford from Burnley, who value their shot-stopper at just £30m this summer. The England international is a player that Howe has had ‘long-term admiration and interest in’ and wants Trafford to compete with current No.1 Nick Pope next season.

The latter has struggled on the injury front over the last 12 months and the addition of Trafford could see his place come under threat.

Newcastle’s interest in Trafford is, of course, far from new. The Tyneside club even agreed personal terms with the goalkeeper last summer before failing to negotiate a deal with Burnley.

One year on, whether that agreement remains in place or Newcastle are forced back into negotiations will be interesting to see, especially if Trafford’s stance has changed.

The dream XI Newcastle can build: No Gordon; Joao Pedro & £120m trio sign

Newcastle are looking to make sweeping changes as they step back into the Champions League.

1 ByAngus Sinclair Jun 10, 2025

Dubbed “world-class” by Burnley boss Scott Parker, Trafford has more than earned the interest of a Champions League club and may yet arrive at Newcastle before taking Pope’s starting spot.

“The thing that impressed me the most was the method that he used,” captain Morgan said of Rana’s knock

Sidharth Monga11-Apr-20212:11

Morgan: Rana’s aggressive method impressed the most

The level of care he would have got is of course beyond the imagination of most of the country right now, but the country could possibly take some heart at this bleak time that the Man of the Match in the third game of the IPL is someone who has just beaten Covid-19.Last month, Nitish Rana became the first player in this IPL to test positive for Covid-19 with a reported vacation in Goa after having successfully participated in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy becoming the talking point. In that light, the preparation could not have been anywhere close to ideal.However, the first ball Nitish Rana got on Sunday night was a juicy wide half-volley, and he took the approach that sets the Kolkata Knight Riders apart from others: attack if you can, there are others behind you if you fail. He smacked Bhuvneshwar Kumar away for four, and set the tone for the rest of the innings.Related

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“I just saw the ball was in my slot, and I went after it,” Rana said on Star Sports when receiving his Man-of-the-Match award. “I have only one thing in my mind when I bat: if the ball is in my half, I have to try to convert it into a boundary.”Rana converted 13 of those into boundaries in his 56-ball 80, impressing his captain Eoin Morgan, who along with coach Brendon McCullum have to be the most positive leadership group in a cricket set-up. When you impress such a champion of aggressive cricket with your approach – never mind the results – you must have done something right.”Delighted for Nitish,” Morgan said at the post-match press conference. “Obviously a match-winning innings. The thing that impressed me the most today was the method that he used. He played really aggressively, and always took a positive option, which really did set up our batting innings. Rahul [Tripathi] played extremely well, which allowed our lower middle order [to play with freedom], one of whom came off today in Dinesh Karthik, so I am delighted for Nitish.”Rana and Tripathi added 93 runs in 50 legal deliveries, all of them in the dreaded middle overs on a dry and slow track. Thanks to that onslaught, the blip in the end – just 42 runs in the last five overs – wasn’t enough to restrict the Knight Riders to a par total. It was only after they were dismissed that the difficult nature of the pitch became apparent.”Just catching up really,” Morgan said when asked what the conversations were like once Rana came out of isolation. “[He was] delighted to be out of quarantine and have a negative report. Then when he joined the squad, getting back to playing in the camp, netting and then batting in the practice match as well, his game [was] in really good touch. We witnessed it today on a wicket that wasn’t as good as he made it look to bat on. We are delighted for him.”What might have been a challenging pitch for the others possibly took out an aspect that challenges Rana. Teams have looked to go quick and short at him with impressive results, but the pitch didn’t have that kind of pace nor did the Sunrisers Hyderabad have that kind of bowlers. The Knight Riders’ next match is on the same square: Rana will be keen to end the pattern in his last six IPL innings: 0, 81, 0, 87, 0 and now 80.

Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra scored half-centuries before India’s offspinners took complete charge

Sidharth Monga24-Oct-20241:56

Manjrekar: Small sample but Washington shows promise as Ashwin’s successor

India 16 for 1 (Southee 1-4) trail New Zealand 259 (Conway 76, Ravindra 65, Washington 7-59, Ashwin 3-64) by 243 runsThree days ago, Washington Sundar was not even part of this Test squad, instead scoring a hundred and taking a couple of three-fors against Delhi in the Ranji Trophy. Brought in the XI ahead of the incumbent spinner (Kuldeep Yadav) and the back-up (Axar Patel) in the squad, he took seven wickets on the first day of a Test to bowl New Zealand out for 259. Five of his victims were bowled, one lbw and one caught as he took out the last seven wickets following three taken by Tamil Nadu team-mate R Ashwin.While this was Washington’s maiden Test five-for and his best figures in first-class cricket, the three wickets took Ashwin past Nathan Lyon’s 530 in 25 fewer Tests. The two could be involved in a showdown later in the year in Australia, but right now India were in a fight to defend their 18-series winning streak at home. Washington proved to be just the ally he needed.R Ashwin didn’t take much time to get among the wickets•BCCI

India called up a second offspinner from outside the squad ostensibly to lengthen their batting without compromising on taking the ball away from left-hand batters, but two left-hand batters in the top order – Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra – still scored fifties and threatened to take New Zealand to a big total after winning the toss on a track on which batting last won’t be fun. New Zealand were 138 for 2 when Ashwin got Conway, and 197 for 3 when Washington accounted for Ravindra.As the series moved from Bengaluru to Pune, the clouds, seam and extra bounce all disappeared. There was no concept of good-toss-to-lose here. Nothing is ever easy in Test cricket, but this was one of the easier starts to an innings with the openers racing to 30 in seven overs without any trouble. But Ashwin was introduced early, and it took him just five balls to drift one in and then turn it past the outside edge to trap Tom Latham lbw.There was turn from the good part of the pitch, but not consistent. The partnership between Conway and Will Young looked threatening, but a sharp review demanded by short leg Sarfaraz Khan returned a faint touch of the glove to send Young back. Now Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja kept troubling the batters: in the 11 overs they bowled in tandem, they drew 24 false shots and conceded just 30 runs.Rachin Ravindra got to yet another milestone in his fledgling Test career•BCCI

Post-lunch, when India started with Jasprit Bumrah and Washington, runs came freely: 35 off the eight overs. Ashwin brought control first and then the wicket of Conway. Again the ball turned, but this time it was the drift and dip that put Conway out of position, and the turn made him look like pushing at a ball he didn’t need to play.Ravindra, Player of the Match in Bengaluru, brought New Zealand much-needed solidity because Daryl Mitchell was extremely uncertain at the start of his innings. He survived an lbw on umpire’s call, played risky sweeps of both kinds, and only looked comfortable after 20 balls or so. Ravindra, though, gave the bowlers nothing. Akash Deep got close to getting him with at short midwicket but the hit was too ferocious to catch for a fielder so close. An outside edge after two bouncers managed to beat slip and brought up his fifty.Ten minutes before tea, now in his third spell, Washington began to get it right. The first ball of this spell turned from middle and off to go past Ravindra’s bat and hit the top of off. Things began to happen now as balls went straight on or turned from the same spot. The penultimate ball before tea beat Tom Blundell’s outside edge, and the last one, slower and wider, turned back in through the gate to take top of middle.Tom Blundell was bowled by Washington Sundar on the stroke of tea•BCCI

Post-tea, Washington bowled in all his glory: at the stumps, but getting variable turn from the pitch. An inspired review accounted for Mitchell in a rare dismissal: offspinner getting an lbw from over the wicket when the batter is forward. As it turned out, this had turned just the right amount to both be hitting him in line and taking the leg stump.Tied down, frequently going back to full balls, Glenn Phillips ended his struggle of 9 off 31 with a chip straight to deep mid-off. Had you seen just the shot and not the field, you wouldn’t have been wrong to assume the mid-off was up tight and he was just looking to clear him.Mitchell Santner hit two sixes in his fighting 33, but Washington kept hitting the stumps at the other end. To Tim Southee he went wide on the crease from around the wicket. The angle beat the outside edge and hit top of off. Ajaz Patel was caught back to a full ball, and played on. To bookend his work, Washington produced another beauty to account for the set batter, Santner: one that pitched on middle and off and took the top of off.The accuracy and variations of pace and seam position, with a little help from the pitch, proved to be too good for New Zealand.With just 10-odd overs to bat to stumps, India shelved some of their ultra-aggressive approach from their last two Tests. Still, Southee swung and seamed one past Rohit Sharma’s watchful bat to take top of off. A small bit of joy for New Zealand at the end of a tough session.

ألقت تقارير دنماركية، الضوء على تعيين ياس سوروب مدربًا للنادي الأهلي، بعد توصله لاتفاق مع مجلس إدارة القلعة الحمراء بقيادة محمود الخطيب.

ووفقاً لـ”سبورت” الدنماركية، فقد نشرت أنه قد يكون من الصعب على المواطن الدنماركي العادي فهم ما يفعله سوبورب في القاهرة والذي أصبح يدرك ذلك بنفسه.

وأجرى سوروب مقابلة مع قناة “TV Sport2” حول انتقاله لكرة القدم المصرية والذي لا يعد أمرًا مألوفًا، رغم أنه أصبح واقعًا، وقال: “إذا نظرنا إلى قارة مثل إفريقيا، نجد أن أكبر ناد هناك يضم أكثر من 80 مليون مشجع”.

وأضاف: “الأمر أشبه بمحاولة الوصول إلى أوروبا والانتقال لبرشلونة أو بايرن ميونخ، إنه ناد من هذا المستوى”.

وأضاف عن عرض تدريب الأهلي: “لقد أغراني أن يفتح لي ذلك أبوابًا جديدة وقارة جديدة، مع ما يصاحب ذلك من ضغط، لذلك وافقت في النهاية على هذا التحدي الهائل”.

اقرأ أيضاً.. الأهلي يعلن تفاصيل الجهاز المعاون لـ ياس سوروب.. وموعد وصوله

وكان النادي الأهلي قد حقق لقب الدوري المصري ثلاث مرات متتالية، وبلغ مجموع ألقابه 45 بطولة في تاريخه.

وسيحصل سوروب على عقد لمدة عامين ونصف، ووفقًا لما نشرته “Tipsbladet” الدنماركية، فإنه من المتوقع أن يتقاضى راتبًا سنويًا يقارب 20 مليون كرونة دنماركية.

ولم يتم الكشف عن المبلغ المحدد الذي سيحصل عليه المدرب صاحب الـ55 عامًا، لكنه اعترف بأن العرض المادي لعب دورًا في قبوله المهمة.

وواصل سوروب: “لا أتحدث عن الأمور المالية فهي ليست جزءًا من هذا، سأذهب إلى هناك لتحقيق بعض النتائج ولأخطو خطوة مهمة في مسيرتي المهنية، من الواضح أن الراتب جزء من ذلك وهو بالتأكيد جيد، لكن مهما كان الأمر سأحتفظ به لنفسي”.

وأتم المدرب الدنماركي عن مشروع تدريب الأهلي: “إنه مشروع متكامل، تجلس وتدرسه في النهاية وتقيم ما إذا كان يناسبك المشروع ككل، الأهلي تواصل معي عدة مرات، لكن هذه المرة فقط تمكنا من تحقيق أهدافنا”.

وسئل سوروب عن مشاركة الأهلي المثيرة في كأس العالم للأندية حيث يأمل المدرب في إضافة لمسة مميزة لأداء النادي: “هم يحققون أداء جيدًا أيضًا في البطولات الكبرى، إنه ناد يضم العديد من اللاعبين الدوليين، لذلك فهو لا يسعى فقط للفوز بالدوري المصري بل عليه أن يبذل قصارى جهده لبناء سمعة طيبة لنفسه عالميًا”.

وختم سوروب: “ما رأيته خلال الشهر الماضي من كرة القدم المصرية، هو دوري يتمتع بجودة فردية عالية لكنهم يفتقرون للقليل من الفهم التكتيكي للفريق، والذي آمل أن أتمكن من المساعدة فيه واتخاذ الخطوة التالية للأمام للتطوير”.

Lewis Hill’s 71* also pivotal in eight-wicket win over Yorkshire

ECB Reporters Network08-Aug-2024Ian Holland starred for champions Leicestershire with ball and bat as they maintained hopes of a Metro Bank One-Day Cup title defence with a rain-affected eight-wicket win over Yorkshire at Scarborough, the Foxes chasing a revised 22-over target of 150.All-rounder Holland took the new ball and returned 2 for 39 from 10 overs before opening the batting with 42 off 25 balls as Leicestershire won for the fourth time in six fixtures to move into the top three places in Group B.Helped by captain Lewis Hill’s excellent 71 not out off 54 balls with four sixes, Holland dented Yorkshire’s chances. They lost for the third time in six having made 236 for 7 from 50 overs after being inserted before rain at the mid-innings interval forced a two-hour delay to 5pm.The Vikings recovered from 118 for 6 thanks to a career-best 60 from Dom Bess and 55 not out for Matthew Revis, the seventh-wicket pair sharing 112. But the exploits of Holland and then Hill usurped their contributions.Alongside Holland, Tom Scriven and 17-year-old debutant Alex Green also struck twice apiece in Leicestershire’s five-man seam attack.The champions were exceptional with the ball during the first half of the innings having elected to bowl on the same pitch used for Yorkshire’s win against Essex on Tuesday.Along with taking four early wickets, reducing the Vikings to 79 for 4 inside 25 overs, they exerted significant control and conceded only three boundaries in that time.Tall Academy seamer Green encouraged after Holland had struck twice with the new ball to get Fin Bean caught behind and Shan Masood at cover.Holland also had a hand in the third wicket as he took the catch at mid-on after Harry Duke had miscued a pull at Scriven before James Wharton, for 23, pulled Roman Walker to deep midwicket.
Just when Yorkshire tried to accelerate, with George Hill and Luxton hitting a six apiece, they were checked by both men departing in quick succession as the score fell to 118 for six in the 35th over.Hill was caught in the ring off a miscued pull at Green before Luxton was caught behind against Scriven.But as good as Leicestershire were early on, Bess and Revis matched them late on in their century partnership to give Yorkshire a competitive total.They shared three leg-side sixes and reached their fifties late in an innings which saw 93 runs come from the last 10 overs. Revis got to 50 first off 47 balls and before Bess’s came off 48. Both finished having faced 51 balls.Bess had hit an unbeaten 53 – also a career best – in Tuesday’s win against Essex.Even though Leicestershire were helped by Duckworth Lewis Stern, their task still didn’t look straightforwards given ideal bowling conditions under gloomy skies.But Holland set the tone by square driving Hill for four after three balls of the chase.He found the boundary regularly afterwards and was strong on both sides of the wicket.And the loss of opening partner Sol Budinger – caught at mid-on off Hill, 18 for one – was not costly.When Holland fell, well caught at square-leg by diving sub-fielder Yash Vagadia off Dom Leech, the Foxes had control at 62 for two in the eighth over.Hill hit Dan Moriarty’s left-arm spin for six over long-off – his second six – as Leicestershire reached the 10-over mark at 80 for two. And when Hill reached his fifty off 37 balls, the game was all but over at 113 for two in the 14th.Hill dominated an unbroken 90 stand with third-wicket partner Ajinkya Rahane (28) as victory was sealed with 2.2 overs remaining.

Championship challengers keep the deficit to 12 points ahead of crucial meeting next week

ECB Reporters Network26-Jun-2024

Essex 339 (Walter 134, Critchley 53, Potts 4-71) and 208 for 2 (Elgar 120*, Westley 63*) drew with Durham 587 and 184 for 8 dec (Borthwick 71, Harmer 4-75, Porter 3-18)Dean Elgar reaped his 50th first-class century as he and Tom Westley dropped anchor to secure a draw against Durham in the Vitality County Championship.Former South Africa international Elgar batted the whole of day four, almost exclusively with Westley, to make sure Durham didn’t have a sniff of victory.He ended up with 120 after an epically stoic 165 runs, 421 balls and 276 minutes third wicket stand with Westley – who scored 63 not out.Essex are now 12 points behind leaders Surrey ahead of their meeting next week, while Durham remain in the chasing pack having collected 16 points from a match they led throughout.The hosts needed 405 runs to win on the final day, a tough but not impossible task, but made no attempt to secure a fifth victory of the season.The rationale made sense with a draw meaning Essex would fall 12 points behind table-toppers Surrey – but victory at the Kia Oval next week would likely even things back up.Durham’s initial aim had been to see off the night watcher Jamie Porter.They managed to do that in the fifth over as the day when Matthew Potts beat his fellow fast bowler for pace and crashed into his off stump.From then on, Elgar and Westley got their tents and airbeds out to camp out for the day – as Durham couldn’t extract anything from the pitch to aide a wicket.Westley took 19 balls to get off the mark, and when he did, he also ended a 27-ball spell barren of runs.The lack of opportunity or entertainment seemed to get to the Durham team who took to slow clapping the bowler, in a similar manner to a long jumper preparing to leap.Members of the crowd did not take kindly to the jesting and things got testy when a shout of “no ball” went up as Ben Raine was halfway through his run-up. The incident prompted the umpires to chat to Durham captain Scott Borthwick, while angry comments were volleyed between spectators and fielders.Elgar and Westley were unfazed by the shenanigans as they reached lunch with just 54 runs scored in the morning session.Things didn’t change afterwards, but milestones began to appear. The fifty stand came in 168 balls, Elgar reached a half-century in 96 deliveries and the century partnership in 247 balls.As close as Durham came to a wicket was when Elgar tried to clip Borthwick into the leg side but the ball struck Michael Jones at short leg and ballooned up for Ollie Robinson to pouch. But the umpires, and subsequent replays, made it clear it had been a bump ball.It was one of only three appeals against Elgar, with the other two hopeful lbw shouts at best, with technique and temperament coming to the fore.His maiden first-class century had been scored in Bloemfontein for Free State against Limpopo in 2007 as a 19-year-old.Now 37, Elgar has a half-century of them to help Eagles, South Africa A, Knights, Somerset, Titans, Surrey and Northerns, although his most prized will be the 14 Test tons he plundered before retiring from international cricket last winter.This one came up in 170 balls with a pronounced tickle around the corner before he lifted his helmet, clapped the balcony, and earned a hug off Westley.A mere 85 runs came in the afternoon session, and once Westley had reached an 86th first-class fifty in 198 balls – and 17:00 BST had been reached the hands were shaken on a draw.To sum up Elgar and Westley’s solidity, exactly 400 dot balls had been delivered in Essex’s second innings.