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Glasgow Rangers’ transfer model over the years has been remarkably inconsistent, with players arriving from various leagues and countries to different degrees of success.

One area tends to stand out, however, and that is south of the border. Since the Light Blues secured promotion in 2016, very few players have arrived from England and shone.

Of course, there have been a few exceptions, such as Joe Aribo, Calvin Bassey and Connor Goldson, but the overwhelming majority failed to shine.

Joey Barton, Jordan Rossiter and Matt Crooks arrived in the summer of 2016, but they all struggled in Glasgow. As did Graham Dorrans and Declan John, who signed the following season.

Elsewhere, Ben Davies, Tom Lawrence and George Edmundson failed to transition well from English football, never quite living up to expectations north of the border.

While there have been a few successes, Martin must tread carefully in English waters, especially if he wishes to sign players who will improve the squad.

Emmanuel Fernandez has been signed from Peterborough, but first impressions suggest he could turn out to be like Bassey rather than another Davies.

One of the worst signings made by Rangers in recent years is Kieran Dowell. The midfielder was brought to Glasgow by Michael Beale in the summer of 2023, but he turned out to be a waste of a wage.

Kieran Dowell's dismal Rangers record

On the surface, securing Dowell’s signature on a free transfer appeared to be a decent bit of business for the club.

The midfielder made his breakthrough with Everton, playing twice in the Premier League during the 2015/16 season.

Loan spells with Nottingham Forest, Derby, Wigan and Sheffield United saw him prove his worth in the second tier and he eventually made the move to Norwich City in 2020.

He made 75 appearances for the Canaries between 2020 and 2023, which included 19 games in the top flight, before swapping East Anglia for Glasgow.

The attacking midfielder won the U20 World Cup with England in 2017, before making 16 appearances for the U21s, but a senior cap never came.

Kieran Dowell’s Premiership stats for Rangers
Metric	2023/24	2024/25
Goals	2	0
Assists	2	0
Big chances created	1	3
Touches per game	33.8	16.6
Key passes per game	0.7	0.7
Via Sofascore

A move to Rangers was the chance for Dowell to reinvent himself, but he didn’t get the chance. Indeed, the 27-year-old played just 16 times for the club during the 2023/24 campaign.

The first half of 2024/25 saw Dowell feature 17 times for the Ibrox side, yet only three of those came in the starting XI, and he was loaned to Birmingham City for the second half of the season.

Across his 12 Premiership matches last term, he created just three big chances, while winning less than 50% of his total duels per game and averaging 16.6 touches per match.

Dowell spent the second half of last season out on loan at Birmingham City, helping them return to the Championship.

With Martin needing to move players on this summer, the former Everton starlet must surely be offloaded in order to raise funds and free up the wage bill.

In the future, the Gers must be wary of the English market, but it looks as though they have been linked with another midfielder from down south recently…

Rangers eyeing up move for former West Brom midfielder

Both Joe Rothwell and Fernandez have secured moves to Rangers over the previous few days, as Martin seeks to bolster his first-team squad.

Transfer Focus

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

He won’t be finished there, however, especially with major surgery required this summer.

Luton Town’s Norwegian midfielder Thelo Aasgaard is reportedly in talks with a move to Ibrox according to the Scotsman, while Nasser Djiga of Wolves is also another transfer target.

A new name has appeared, according to Sports Boom, with former West Bromwich Albion midfielder John Swift reportedly being eyed for a move north of the border in the coming weeks.

The Englishman – who is also attracting interest from a raft of EFL clubs – is out of contract and wouldn’t cost the club a penny should he move to Glasgow.

Given the fact Martin has already signed Rothwell, plus is looking to bring Aasgaard to Scotland, a swoop for Swift certainly appears unnecessary.

Indeed, he could turn out to be another Dowell-like signing. A player who fails to truly showcase his true class if he made the move to Rangers.

Why Rangers should avoid a move for John Swift

Swift did impress significantly at Reading, having made the move from Chelsea in 2016. Across 202 games for the club, he scored 34 goals and grabbed 37 assists in all competitions.

His form saw Leeds prepare a bid for the midfielder in 2019 and journalist Billy Meyers even said that Swift is the “perfect type of player that Bielsa should be targeting” upon the link. Former Baggies boss Tony Mowbray has also hailed him as an “amazing footballer” at his best.

While his numbers in the second tier have been decent – 15 goal contributions in 2022/23 and ten during 2023/24 – the midfielder is now 30 and isn’t exactly at his peak.

Last season, he only managed three goals and one assist for the Baggies in 36 league matches. Furthermore, he only created one big chance last term for the club, while averaging just 0.3 dribbles and one key pass per game in the second tier.

He even ranked in the lowest 30% for progressive carries (1.55) and successful take-ons (0.62) per 90 when compared to his positional peers in the Championship last term.

Additionally, Swift also ranked in the lowest 23% for assists (0.05) and in the lowest 8% for touches in the attacking penalty area (1.6) per 90 for West Brom.

Considering he spent the campaign playing as an attacking midfielder, these figures are worrying, to say the least. As such, avoiding a move for Swift, despite the fact he is available for free, is perhaps the best course of action.

Martin will be able to use that sort of wage on a player or two who are not only younger, but who could potentially make the Gers a profit in the years to come.

Swift could turn into Dowell 2.0, that’s for sure.

Perfect for Rothwell: Rangers in advanced talks to sign £3m "machine"

Following Joe Rothwell’s arrival at Rangers, could the Glasgow giants sign another midfielder, labelled a “machine” by a former Scotland star?

By
Ben Gray

Jul 3, 2025

Career-best 94 not out salvages run-chase after four-wicket haul had bowled out Northants

ECB Reporters Network24-Jul-2024Derbyshire 236 for 8 (Chappell 94*, Whiteley 65, Weatherall 4-50) beat Northamptonshire 235 (Gay 59, Bartlett 50, Chappell 4-39) by two wicketsZak Chappell smashed a List A career-best unbeaten 94 to propel Derbyshire to an unlikely eight-wicket victory over Northamptonshire in their Metro Bank One-Day Cup clash at Wantage Road.Chappell came together with his skipper Ross Whiteley with Derbyshire in tatters at 79 for seven chasing 236 to win, but they turned the game on its head with a record eighth-wicket partnership of 131 (23.4 overs) for the visitors against any opposition.Despite Northamptonshire’s teenage pacer Raphy Weatherall sparking the initial collapse and finishing with figures of four for 50 on his List A debut, the momentum was all with Derbyshire as Chappell and Whiteley made hay.Earlier Emilio Gay (59) and George Bartlett (50) each struck half-centuries in a partnership of 79 in 15 overs. Saif Zaib and Lewis McManus then picked up the mantle and looked set to propel Northamptonshire towards a competitive total during a stand of 69 in exactly 11 overs.But their departure precipitated a Steelbacks collapse, five wickets falling for 22 in 33 balls. On a day to remember for Chappell, the quick bowler finished with career-best bowling figures of 4 for 39, while veteran all-rounder Samit Patel took 3 for 41 as the hosts were bowled out for 235 in 47 overs, which looked well below par.Northamptonshire rued losing two early wickets to poor shots as Chappell made a double breakthrough. He first removed last season’s prolific run-scorer Prithvi Shaw, caught in the deep by David Lloyd after he top-edged an attempted hook. In Chappell’s next over, Ricardo Vasconcelos flashed at one outside off-stump and was caught at cover without scoring.Gay was enjoying himself, tucking into the bowling of Sam Conners, stroking five boundaries as he drove down the ground and swung hard through midwicket.While an inswinging yorker from Luis Reece accounted for Rob Keogh’s leg stump, Bartlett was soon into his work. Fresh from a ton against Norfolk, he opened his account with a textbook cover drive, followed by another boundary through midwicket before powering Patel over his head.Gay brought up his half-century by smiting Reece over mid-off (68 balls), but when he came down the wicket to Patel, he was smartly stumped by keeper Brooke Guest.Next over Bartlett, who had posted his own half-century (57 deliveries), pulled Harry Moore straight to Lloyd who took another well-judged boundary catch.McManus showed early intent, muscling a short ball from Conners through midwicket but gained a reprieve when Lloyd failed to hold onto a more straightforward boundary catch.Zaib announced himself by going down on one knee to flick Reece over fine leg for six. He put away a slow ball beamer from Reece for four and then swept the free hit for another maximum before gaining a life when Patel put down a chance at fine leg.Derbyshire broke through when McManus was bowled playing back to Patel for 25 and Zaib was caught behind off Chappell, attempting to run the ball down to third.Wickets tumbled as Patel trapped Ben Sanderson lbw and Gus Miller was brilliantly run out by Mitch Wagstaff attempting a risky single. Chappell then comprehensively bowled Jack White to wrap up the innings.In Derbyshire’s run chase, Harry Came made 21, but his stay was soon ended by Sanderson, bowled off the inside edge. Reece greeted Weatherall by pulling him behind square for four, but Northamptonshire built pressure and after nine dot balls, Guest prodded at one from Weatherall, Shaw taking an excellent diving catch at first slip.Weatherall struck again in his next over, this time having Reece caught off the leading edge by Miller at backward point. Next over White, who was finding significant movement, was into the action having Matt Lamb caught behind. Weatherall struck again three balls later when Patel pulled him straight to Gay at fine leg.Lloyd carved Miller square for four as he and Whiteley sought to rebuild. The pair put on 33 for the sixth wicket before spinner Keogh found some drift to trap Lloyd lbw for a run-a-ball 21, Derbyshire ending the 20th over in disarray on 78 for 6. Three balls later, they were seven wickets down when Wagstaff edged Sanderson to Shaw at slip.That, though, brought Whiteley and Chappell together, who profited when Northamptonshire introduced the slower bowlers despite the seamers extracting plenty of movement, and Derbyshire started the final 10 overs needing a comfortable 53 to win.Whiteley hit Keogh through extra cover before taking a boundary off Zaib to reach his 50 off 78 deliveries.In a display of power hitting, Chappell punched Weatherall through the onside and pulled him high over midwicket. He smashed Zaib down the ground and went to 50 off 48 balls before crunching Keogh through midwicket to pass his previous highest score. When White was unable to hang onto a diving catch in the deep off Weatherall, Chappell responded by smashing the teenager down the ground for consecutive boundaries.Weatherall finally broke the partnership, Whiteley playing an unnecessary big shot and Gay taking a well-judged catch on the boundary. But with only 26 still needed in six overs and Chappell still there, Derbyshire sealed the win with eight balls to spare.

First, what is a drop-in pitch?

A drop-in pitch is the same as a normal 22-yard cricket strip, but is prepared and kept encased in a steel tray and not developed at the ground, as is traditional. It is prepared in favourable conditions – it can be outside the ground or at a turf farm – and comprises layers of soil, clay and grass that are bedded in together for a period of time. Once it is “dropped in” on the main square, the pitch gets the same care as a traditional pitch. This includes rolling, watering, and cutting the grass before match days.Related

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Why were drop-in pitches chosen for New York?

While the ICC had cast the net wide to identify the right big venue for the World Cup in 2021, it was only in September 2023 that the Nassau County venue, located in Eisenhower Park in Long Island, was finalised. Mindful of the tight timeline, the ICC decided on drop-in pitches as a turnkey solution. Accordingly, ten drop-in pitches – four for the main ground and six for the practice facility in Cantiague Park, a few miles from the main venue – were used.The original trays were prepared in Adelaide by Adelaide Turf International, which also oversees the preparation of the drop-in pitches at Adelaide Oval. The trays were shipped in December 2023 to Florida because it is sunnier and warmer there compared to New York, which has freezing temperatures from December to March. The pitches were then moved to New York at the end of April before being fixed in the main square and practice venue in early May.

Is it usual for international cricket to be played on a drop-in pitch before any trial games?

Usually, a fresh, relaid pitch at a stadium’s main square will be tested with several practice matches and even domestic games before international cricket is played on it.In the case of the New York project, the organisers had to raise the entire venue from scratch in just 106 days between January and May before South Africa played Sri Lanka on June 3. Two days prior to that, Bangladesh and India played a warm-up match at the venue – it was the first proper match there.Eight of the 16 matches in the USA leg were allotted to the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York•ICC via Getty Images

What is the nature of the drop-in pitches at Eisenhower Park?

Damian Hough, the head curator at Adelaide Oval, who made the drop-in pitches for the New York project, explained that strips usually need high clay content to facilitate good pace and bounce. In this case, for the soil, Hough used the local American variety of soil called BlackStick, which has a clay content of over 60% [considered high], similar to the Adelaide Oval. Bermuda grass has been used both for the pitch and the outfield, which is commonly used for cricket grounds.

Was there an ICC inspection before the venue got the go-ahead?

As part of its protocol, the ICC sends an expert team to carry out due diligence at all their venues – including the ground itself, the pitches and practice facilities – before granting them international status. While there was no formal announcement of the New York venue getting international status, on May 15, the ICC launched the stadium for the World Cup.

Is the scheduling an issue?

Yes. Eight of the 16 World Cup matches of the USA leg of the T20 World Cup were allotted to New York, and these have been scheduled across ten days between June 3 and 12, with the last six matches – including the marquee game between India and Pakistan on June 9 – on consecutive days. Such a schedule is unprecedented at an ICC event. This has been the biggest challenge for Hough and his team, because it is not just one pitch, but the entire square comprising all four strips that need attention at all times.India will play Pakistan in New York on June 9•ICC/Getty Images

How many pitches have been used so far?

Three*. Pitch No. 4 has been used for three matches so far: Bangladesh vs India warm-up (June 1), India vs Ireland (June 5) and Canada vs Ireland (June 7). Pitch No. 1 was used for the South Africa vs Sri Lanka game on June 3. Pitch No. 2 was used for the Netherlands vs South Africa game on June 8. Pitch No. 2 was a more true pitch than the others, but fast bowlers still had a bigger say.

Has the ICC identified any factor(s) contributing to the variable bounce?

ESPNcricinfo has learned that Hough had spotted lines of grass sprouting in the cracks in some spots on the pitch, which he suspected could have contributed to the uneven bounce that frequently caused distress to batters in the South Africa vs Sri Lanka and India vs Ireland matches. Another contributing factor was the overcast conditions – the moisture played a role in the exaggerated sideways movement, and the swing the fast men generated.

Was any remedial work carried out?

It is understood that ahead of the Canada vs Ireland match on Friday, Hough covered the areas where grass shoots were growing under the cracks with topsoil and rolled it to make the surface much flatter.

Did it make a difference?

On Friday, while the odd ball did keep low, the surface was much truer, albeit a bit sluggish as a consequence of overnight rain. Ireland captain Paul Stirling pointed out that the pitch looked totally different to the one used for the India match, with much of the greenish tinge wiped away.

It will be fascinating to see whether Jadon Sancho will remain at Chelsea beyond this season. The England international is currently on loan at Stamford Bridge from Manchester United, and has a £25m buy obligation in his contract.

However, a recent report from the Mirror suggested the Blues will not activate the option and will instead send Sancho back to Old Trafford this summer. His record in West London is respectable, with four goals and ten assists in 39 games for the club this season. Eight of those goal involvements came in the Premier League.

If Chelsea decide not to keep Sancho beyond this season, they will be in the market for a new winger and could make a move for one former Premier League star.

Chelsea’s search to replace Sancho

One of the most interesting sagas in the summer transfer window will be that of Leroy Sane. The Bayern Munich star, formerly of Manchester City, could well be on the move again this summer, with a return to the English top flight on the cards.

Transfer Focus

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

According to a report from Football Insider, Chelsea are thought to be ‘are intensifying their interest in the winger’ and could make a move for him this summer.

With a view to replacing Sancho, the German could be one of their primary targets.

However, they will not be alone in the race for Sane, who is out of contract next month. London rivals Arsenal are also interested in the 29-year-old, with the Gunners and Enzo Maresca’s Blues considered the ‘frontrunners’ this summer.

Why Sane would be a good signing

Should Chelsea sign Sane this summer, there is no doubt about the experience and quality he would bring to Stamford Bridge. The German international has had another impressive season, helping Bayern reclaim the Bundesliga title under his former teammate, Vincent Kompany.

In 44 appearances this season for the German giants, Sane has managed 13 goals and six assists across all competitions. 17 of those goal involvements have come in the Bundesliga, in just 29 appearances.

The former Schalke academy star is a consistent goalscorer, too. He has only ever gone four games this term without a top-flight goal or assist, although he managed just one goal and no assists in 13 Champions League games.

What a player Sane was during his first stint in England, for City. He managed 39 goals and 44 assists in 135 games. According to Statman Dave, the 29-year-old was “phenomenal” at his peak for City.

Well, his Premier League numbers speak for themselves. Not only did he help City to two top-flight titles during his three full seasons at the club, but he managed to score and assist 55 goals in 90 appearances in the competition.

Sane stats per PL season for City
Stat	2016/17	2017/28	2018/19
Games	26	32	31
Minutes	1787	2424	1867
Goals	5	10	10
Assists	4	15	11
Mins per G/A	198	96	88
Stats from Transfermarkt

Chelsea will surely be hoping Sane can replicate the impact Cole Palmer has had at Stamford Bridge. Of course, there are parallels between the two, given that they both played for the Citizens, although Palmer’s opportunities were few and far between at the Etihad Stadium.

He played just 41 times for Pep Guardiola’s side, and since his move to West London, has become “the best player in the Premier League”, which Jamie Carragher claimed back in October.

If Sane can somewhat replicate the England international’s 40 goals and 25 assists in 88 appearances in Blue, he will be a successful signing, to say the least.

Palmer has certainly been an excellent addition to the club, and Sane would surely hope to follow in his footsteps in that sense.

For what would be a free transfer, this seems like a deal Chelsea can’t miss out on. They would be signing a proven Premier League player who can still contribute at the highest level.

A better signing than Osimhen: Chelsea in talks to land the "next Haaland"

Chelsea appear to be making moves to land a star who would be better than Victor Osimhen.

1

By
Ethan Lamb

May 14, 2025

Leeds United supporters are in dreamland at the moment as Daniel Farke’s men – who notoriously make things hard for themselves – managed to lift the Championship title on the final day.

The true character and resolve of Farke’s men was on full display away at Plymouth Argyle, with a last-gasp goal from Manor Solomon managing to turn the tie around to gift Leeds that much-needed victory to be crowned champions.

Solomon’s memorable impact upon proceedings surely means he’s up there as one of Leeds’ best buys from last summer, with the Tottenham Hotspur loanee’s constant class a big plus during his team’s successful pursuit of Premier League football.

Solomon's promotion-winning heroics

Snapping up Solomon’s services, albeit on a temporary basis, would have been viewed as somewhat of a risk last August, considering the 25-year-old attacker’s injury-prone status back at his parent employers.

Indeed, across both the 2022/23 season for Fulham and the following campaign for Spurs, the dimunitive forward would miss a substantial 50 clashes owing to injury, which adds up to 425 days missing from action.

However, it’s fair to say he’s made up for all that lost time whilst on the books of Leeds, with Solomon uttered in the same breath as Elland Road legend Pablo Hernandez now when picking up a blistering 22 goals and assists this season from 39 league outings.

Leeds would love to hold onto their silky number 14 for good, with a potential now for one of Solomon’s teammates in North London to link up with the on-fire attacker in West Yorkshire.

Leeds could seal Solomon repeat with £30m "nuisance"

Of course, not every risky move in the transfer market pays off like Solomon’s did.

But, Leeds could be about to try and a seal repeat of the 25-year-old’s golden deal anyway with a new striker purchase, with The Boy Hotspur now reporting that the newly promoted side are just one suitor intrigued by a potential deal for Spurs attacker Richarlison.

Newcastle United and Wolverhampton Wanderers are also named as keen onlookers, but Leeds will hope they can advance to the front of the queue for the Brazilian’s services, knowing full well he can be a lethal finisher of chances in the Premier League when on his A-game.

Unfortunately, much like Solomon, the South American is prone to a spell on the sidelines due to injury, but his superb goal record at the level when injury-free really does speak for itself.

Richarlison’s record in the PL by season

Season

Games

Games missed through injury

Goals

Assists

24/25

13

37

4

1

23/24

28

10

11

4

22/23

27

11

1

4

21/22

30

13

10

5

20/21

34

2

7

3

19/20

36

2

13

3

18/19

35

0

13

2

17/18

38

0

5

4

Sourced by Transfermarkt

Looking at the table above, the former Everton hero has managed to amass a sturdy 64 Premier League strikes from 241 total appearances in the competition.

Four of those have come about this season even whilst Richarlison has wrestled with various different injury issues, meaning he could kick on and be the star Farke desires up top next campaign when the treatment room is hopefully left behind.

Previously praised as a “constant nuisance for defenders” by current boss Ange Postecoglou, the £30m-rated forward’s arrival on the scene could just be what Leeds need to become clinical up a level.

Yet, splashing out such a high amount on an injury-heavy presence might well be deemed too risky, but as was seen in Solomon’s success story, hazardous deals are sometimes worth signing off on.

Related Pablo Hernandez 2.0: Leeds seriously eyeing move for "dazzling" £35m star

Leeds are interested in signing a Premier League star who could be the club’s new Pablo Hernandez.

Posts ByDan Emery May 4, 2025

Chelsea, BlueCo and chairman Todd Boehly want to sign three high-profile players for Enzo Maresca this summer, and the trio could end up costing the Stamford Bridge side around £200 million.

Chelsea "ready to spend big again" in the transfer market

According to reliable Blues journalist Simon Phillips this week, Chelsea are “ready to spend big again” in the next transfer market, with Champions League football potentially on the line, not to mention their participation in the Club World Cup.

Chelsea make contact for "elite" player who could go for cut price of £34m

The west Londoners are set for another intriguing summer.

1 ByEmilio Galantini Apr 8, 2025

The west Londoners will also have from June 1st to June 10th to sign players before the CWC, an opportunity Chelsea could well seize considering Maresca’s side stand a chance of winning £100 million in prize money from the tournament.

Ipswich Town (home)

April 13th

Fulham (away)

April 20th

Everton (home)

April 26th

Liverpool (home)

May 4th

Newcastle (away)

May 10th

Qualification for the Champions League will be crucial in determining who they’ll get over the line this summer (Simon Phillips), with Chelsea looking to reinforce many areas throughout Maresca’s squad before his second full season in charge.

Chelsea are targeting a new striker this summer, and it is rumoured that they have their eyes on Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap and RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko. Meanwhile, it is also believed that Maresca has asked Chelsea to sign a new goalkeeper, with concerns surrounding both Filip Jorgensen and Robert Sanchez.

Chelsea are also in the market for a new centre-back, while there is believed to be BlueCo interest in Barcelona midfielder Marc Casado as a potential partner for Moises Caicedo in the midfield.

With Kepa Arrizabalaga, Alfie Gilchrist, Armando Broja, Raheem Sterling, David Datro Fofana, Renato Veiga, Carney Chukwuemeka, Ben Chilwell and Axel Disasi all likely to leave the club this summer as well, once they return from their loan spells, Chelsea appear set for yet another busy summer indeed.

Chelsea want Huijsen, Gyokeres and Rodrygo in £200m triple summer deal

Now, a major claim has surfaced from Europe on the club’s plans to bolster Maresca’s squad – with Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyokeres, Real Madrid starlet Rodrygo and Bournemouth defender Dean Huijsen all on the agenda.

According to a report from Spain, Chelsea want to sign Gyokeres, Rodrygo and Huijsen this summer, who could all set the club back around £200 million in total.

They’re apparently planning to trigger Huijsen’s £50 million release clause, while Chelsea have allegedly “already” made an offer of around £65m for Gyokeres.

Chelsea also want to “tempt” Rodrygo to the English capital with a promise of regular football, but he’s said to be valued at around £86m. Maresca’s side are hatching this “ambitious plan” to bring all three of the aforementioned players to Chelsea, a triple signing which would “revolutionise” their project.

Huijsen has stood out as one of the Premier League’s most promising young defenders after his excellent season at Bournemouth, while Gyokeres is enjoying another incredibly prolific campaign in Portugal with 44 goals and 11 assists from 44 appearances in all competitions.

Rodrygo has predominantly showcased his best on the right wing for Real this season, enjoying a real purple patch of form midway through the campaign, and his quality is evident for all to see despite tailing off a bit lately with no goals or assists in La Liga since January.

They’re building towards a strong squad for the tournament, but some concerns linger

Andrew McGlashan08-Nov-2025The damp final match of the T20I series in Brisbane brought an end to a run of 16 T20Is for Australia since late July against West Indies, South Africa, New Zealand and India. They won’t play again until after the T20 World Cup squad is named next February. Having come away with 10 wins and three defeats over the last four months, and used 21 players, it’s a good time to ask where they stand heading into that tournament.”I think it’s been an amazing couple of months of cricket for our team,” Mitchell Marsh said after the washout at the Gabba. “We’ve had a lot of moving parts, probably to do with the Ashes build-up, but I think we’ve played some really good and consistent cricket, and I’m really proud of the run we’ve had.”We set out to create a squad that can hopefully win us the World Cup. We wanted to make some slight changes after what we saw as a couple of failed attempts, so we’ve been consistent with that.”Power and depth, but is there an Achilles heel?It’s hardly reinventing the T20 wheel to emphasise power, but Australia have clearly stacked their line-up with pure hitters. And it has worked. Since the last T20 World Cup, they are the second-fastest scoring Full Member, marginally behind England.They were already strong in the powerplay – in the 12 months including the previous World Cup they ranked top – but have pushed things even further. They’ve been happy to trade wickets for tempo, helped by the presence of many frontline batters as true allrounders. They can bat down to No. 7 and still have an abundance of bowling options.Related

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Josh Inglis has spoken about working on the strength side of his game to regularly clear the ropes, while Cameron Green’s brute force in the West Indies, albeit on smaller grounds, was eye-catching.However, one vulnerability showed up against India, especially on slower, turning surfaces. India’s spinners caused problems, posing the question of whether Australia have a Plan B to navigate such circumstances.”The Indian surfaces that we’ll face generally will be very good in smaller grounds, so we’ve certainly played a consistent style we want to continue and now it’s about carrying that into the World Cup,” Marsh said.David’s new roleA subtle but key shift in Australia’s planning has been the elevation of Tim David. Once seen only as a finisher, he was sometimes underused, playing only a limited number of deliveries. But over the last four series he has batted at No. 5 and, in Green’s absence, at No. 4, with destructive results.”He’s just gone up another level in the last six to 12 months,” Nathan Ellis said during the India series. “The coaching staff deserve credit. They’ve empowered him to back his natural game, given him freedom higher up the order – just don’t change the way you play. It’s freed him up tenfold.”His century in St Kitts was spectacular and he followed that with 83 off 52 balls against South Africa when Australia were in early trouble but refused to consolidate. Against India, he hammered 74 off 38 balls in Hobart.Before July he had never batted in the powerplay for Australia, but this year his strike rate in that period is 215.15, behind only Namibia’s Jan Frylinck.”In the powerplay, any ball you hit past the field is a boundary,” David said in Hobart. “You don’t have to hit over the fielders, so it can be a bit easier. It’s a new challenge for me, having not done it much, but I’m getting experience up the order now and trying to make the most of it.”Winning batting first?Marsh now sits 21 from 21 in terms of winning the toss and bowling first in T20Is. But he insists he’s not wedded to the tactic if conditions call for batting first. In this series, the one time they were forced to bat – when India won the toss in Hobart – they made 186 but couldn’t defend it.”There’s been a bit of talk about that hasn’t there?” Marsh said with a wry smile. “I often ask would I get asked the same question if I’ve batted first every time, so I don’t necessarily see it as an unusual tactic that we employ. There will be times when the conditions suit and we will bat first so we’re not closed-minded by that in any sense. But a lot of the grounds and a lot of the conditions that we face we feel that we’re best suited to chasing. [On] the day it’s 40 overs of cricket so as long as we score more runs than the other team we’ll win.”Hazlewood’s metronomic bowling and T20 smarts makes him nearly unplayable on some days•Getty ImagesHazlewood’s cutting edgeMitchell Starc has retired from T20Is and it remains uncertain if Pat Cummins will be available for the T20 World Cup, even if he plays in the Ashes. Australia have built their T20 pace depth, but Josh Hazlewood remains a vital strike weapon. His presence was missed in the last three games against India. Across three series (he was rested for the West Indies matches after the Tests), he has only once gone for more than 30, when Dewald Brevis had a day out in Darwin.In his most recent outing against India at the MCG, he was almost unplayable with 3 for 13 as the ball nipped and bounced. Among bowlers with 100-plus powerplay deliveries this year, Hazlewood has the fifth-best economy rate, of 6.72.Ellis: the variation kingYou can’t discuss Australia’s pace attack without mentioning Ellis. After biding his time for an extended run in the team he has grasped it with both hands. Against India he took nine wickets – the most for Australia in a bilateral series – at an economy rate of 8.02. While known for his death bowling, Ellis is now trusted at any stage.Ellis’ hallmark is variation – he has a full range of slower balls – but he can be sharp when he wants to, as he showed with the bouncer to Abhishek Sharma in Hobart. Across 12 matches since the West Indies tour, he has 18 wickets and has only once gone for more than 40, but Ellis tries to distance himself from the numbers.”I think the role I’m doing now, and it’s hard in a stat-based game, but I really try not to live and die on the numbers,” Ellis said. “I think there’ll be games where I bowl one in the powerplay and three at the death and I might bowl well and go for heaps. I think that comes with the role. I’m really trying to not associate a good night or a bad night with numbers.”Places up for debateInjuries could yet play their part, but the majority of Australia’s likely World Cup squad appear locked in. Green will return as a middle-order option and, fitness permitting, offer another pace option. Ben Dwarshuis should have done enough to secure his spot, especially with fellow left-armer Spencer Johnson still sidelined.One call for the selectors will be whether to carry a specialist reserve wicketkeeper. If so, Matthew Short or Mitchell Owen could be squeezed out. If Cummins isn’t available, one pace-bowling slot could open up. The upcoming BBL season could could be a chance for 50-50 players to sway the selectors.Possible T20 World Cup squadMitchell Marsh (capt), Travis Head, Josh Inglis (wk), Cameron Green, Tim David, Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell, Matt Short, Alex Carey, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Josh Hazlewood, Adam Zampa, Matt Kuhnemann, Xavier Bartlett/Pat Cummins.

Opportunities for players has never been higher but fixture clash undermines tournament

Matt Roller17-Jan-2024Laurie Evans is the fastest-scoring batter in the Big Bash League this season and blitzed 72 off 34 balls in Perth Scorchers’ final-ball defeat to Sydney Sixers on Tuesday, their final game of the regular home-and-away portion. But when Scorchers face Adelaide Strikers in Saturday’s Eliminator, he will be 9,000km away in Abu Dhabi.Evans is one of seven players who will miss the BBL’s knockout stages in order to feature in the early stages of the ILT20 in the UAE. It is a scheduling clash which leaves three Englishmen – who have a single international cap between them – as the only overseas signings left standing in Australia, and one which diminishes a season that has reinvigorated the BBL.Strikers are the worst-affected club: they will lose this season’s joint-highest wicket-taker in Jamie Overton and the third-highest run-scorer in Chris Lynn, as well as Adam Hose. Brisbane Heat will be without Sam Billings and captain Colin Munro for Friday’s Qualifier against the Sixers, who themselves will have to cope without James Vince.The principal reason does not take long to work out: the ILT20 pays players more than the BBL. “All the way through my career I’ve made a name for myself in finals and big games,” Evans said on Tuesday night. “It’s absolutely the worst time to be leaving, but I’ve got a job to do and a family to feed. It’s just the nature of the beast.”Despite a 50% increase in the BBL’s salary cap ahead of this season, the ILT20 has more financial muscle. ILT20 franchises can spend up to US$2.75 million – including two ‘wildcard’ players – on salaries for a four-week tournament, while BBL teams are capped at US$2m for a seven-week period. Put simply, players earn more money for less work.But wages are not the only consideration: most players had signed ILT20 contracts long before the BBL’s overseas draft. When Overton signed off from the Big Bash with an Instagram post on Monday, he denied a fan’s comment that Gulf Giants will pay him more. “They aren’t,” he said. “I had signed for them before I got drafted with the Strikers.”The first two overseas drafts have split opinion and have added needless uncertainty for players who would otherwise have been retained directly. Billings, for example, has spent the last two seasons with the Heat, but had to go through the uncertainty of a televised draft between them rather than simply signing a contract extension.

Some people forget that a draft literally has zero guarantee of being picked up…

All players want to play finals

— Sam Billings (@sambillings) January 16, 2024

Evans believes that there is also a “general consensus” among players that the BBL’s 44-match season could be played in a tighter timeframe: “I certainly feel that the BBL could squeeze some more games in. We’ve had a lot of downtime and I think that way, you’ll get the best players coming back over without any clashes, and get the finals done.”It’s great that I can go and play as many tournaments as I can in a year,” Evans said. “I just think you need to move with the times. You’ve seen it in England with the Hundred: they want it done inside a month and it’s a brutal schedule, but that’s the game we’re in. The 10 games [per team] is about right, but I definitely think we could shorten the start and end.”Several ILT20 franchises have the advantage of a global footprint. Evans will be aware that if his form continues in an Abu Dhabi Knight Riders shirt over the next month, it could result in contracts with their affiliates in the US (Los Angeles), the Caribbean (Trinbago) and even India (Kolkata) down the line. There is no equivalent with Scorchers.The game is at saturation point worldwide: from Friday, the BBL’s finals will compete for attention not only with the ILT20, but also the Bangladesh Premier League, the SA20 and a swathe of bilateral international series, including Australia’s Test series against a West Indies side missing several players to those leagues.The status quo is not working. Take Nicholas Pooran: he played three games in five days for Durban’s Super Giants in the first week of the SA20 but has since joined MI Emirates, whom he will briefly captain before flying to Australia for a T20I series. Players have never had so many opportunities to earn a living, and the global market has never been more competitive.Even still, the BBL remains an attractive league for overseas players: they can base themselves and their families in Australia over Christmas, play for established teams in front of engaged crowds, and earn a competitive wage while doing so. Holding onto a set of high-quality overseas players for the knockout stages should not be an impossible task.The BBL has been a major success this year, with the decision to reduce the number of games vindicated by a significant spike in crowd numbers and a compelling narrative that has sustained the league’s 13th season. But the talent drain to the UAE should remind its administrators that there is no room for complacency.

Visitors’ top four’s numbers so far in 2022 read 13 ducks with only six fifty-plus scores, and a collective average of 21.65

Mohammad Isam17-Jun-2022Shakib Al Hasan hasn’t looked this helpless for a long time. Shortly after Kyle Mayers delivered a double-wicket maiden to gut the Bangladesh middle order, there was nothing left for the new captain to do. He hadn’t faced a single ball while his team had crashed to 45 for 6 one hour into the match.If their 2018 visit to Antigua and their 2022 batting form is anything to go by, then the fate of the innings, the Test and the series was all but decided in the first hour.Within minutes of assessing the depth of Bangladesh’s collapse, Shakib proceeded to slog, hack and chance his arm for the remaining hour-and-a-half. It was definitely ugly. It was not first-day Test-match batting by any stretch of the imagination. But what could he do, really? Shakib’s 51 off 67 balls at least got Bangladesh to three-figures.Unless the bowlers put together a miraculous comeback on the second day, West Indies are already on top of this contest. Kemar Roach and Jayden Seales gave them a strong start, before Mayers and Alzarri Joseph rammed home the advantage with tight lines and subtle movement. Bangladesh were bowled out for 103.Mind you, Seales, Joseph, Mayers and Nkrumah Bonner, who took two catches at slip, had only just arrived in Antigua from Multan where they played an ODI series against Pakistan. Modern cricketers are used to jetlag, but they’re still human beings. And human beings can’t just rock up to a Test match after flying halfway across the world and not feel some aftereffects.Bangladesh had an opportunity to exploit that. Instead, they succumbed to their demons. Fresh off a home Test defeat in which their batters scored six ducks in the first innings, they proceeded to get exactly as many on the first day in Antigua too.Young opener Mahmudul Hasan Joy continued to blow hot and cold as he got out for without scoring for the fifth time in seven Tests. He has also made 78 in New Zealand and 137 in South Africa, but poking at everything outside off stump is fast becoming a (bad) habit. At No. 3, Najmul Hossain Shanto’s ‘talented’ tag is wearing thin. He is considered Bangladesh’s future, but just one half-century in his last 17 Test innings is testing this idea heavily.ESPNcricinfo LtdMominul Haque, in his first innings after resigning from Test captaincy, was again behind the eight ball. He is going through a bad patch, which every player does. But being rushed against fast bowling doesn’t look good for someone who, just a year ago, had seemed so at ease in Test cricket.The Bangladesh top four’s numbers in the first six months of 2022 don’t make good reading: 13 ducks with only six fifty-plus scores, and a collective average of 21.65. Much of it is due to the poor form of Mominul and Shanto.Tamim Iqbal, Mahmudul, Shanto and Mominul were all gone by the 14th over in Antigua. Without Mushfiqur Rahim and his understudy Yasir Ali, this was self-defeating to say the least. When Mayers removed the in-form Litton Das and Nurul Hasan in the same over, it wasn’t just two meaty blows to the visitors’ batting line-up. It was the end of the match as a contest.Litton didn’t show a semblance of patience, which was a surprise given his impressive form this year. Nurul, whose domestic form demanded a return to both the red- and white-ball teams, was lbw while leaving the ball.All this left Shakib having to swing at everything. He managed to get set despite trying to slog half the balls in an over, and trying to farm the strike in the other three. When he was set, he started to pick gaps by going over the fielders. Shakib didn’t even have the time or space to bat properly.Bangladesh’s tail-enders were never in with a chance. And it is a proper tail after Mehidy Hasan Miraz gets out, especially when they don’t pick Taijul Islam. Russell Domingo, Jamie Siddons and Khaled Mahmud have their work cut out managing not just the top order, but also in giving the tail some confidence.The BCB have ensured ample training camps for the South Africa, Sri Lanka and West Indies series, but no amount of training or motivation seem to be working for the Bangladesh batters. West Indies applied the same, simple formula that South Africa and Sri Lanka did in the preceding few months. They waited for the Bangladesh batters’ mistakes, and those came thick and fast.Perhaps it really was best that none of this was shown on TV back home.

Their season appeared doomed at the start, now they have a shot at making the semi-finals for the first time

Shashank Kishore in Jammu19-Feb-2020In September 2019, Irfan Pathan handed copies of a letter he had signed to his young Jammu & Kashmir team-mates. In it was a line that read: “We will qualify for the knockouts in at least one format this season.”To make sure it wasn’t just words, mentor Irfan joined hands with close friend and former Baroda player Milap Mewada, the head coach of the side. At the outset of the Ranji Trophy season, Mewada gave a name to the team’s plan: JK’s Mission. Not mission, mind you. Jammu-Kashmir, a united force.Unfortunately for the mentor and the coach, the players’ minds were “elsewhere” as their season was in danger of never even getting on the rails.The Indian government’s decision to bifurcate Jammu & Kashmir into two union territories last August resulted in restricted access to the region from other parts of the country. Internet connectivity was withdrawn, telephone lines went blank, and private television channels were taken off air for a while. Government offices were empty, petrol stations dry, and food supplies were limited.In such an environment where everyday life was a struggle, there was little hope of assembling a squad together, let alone trying to compete or win against the best in the country. At the J&K Cricket Association office in Srinagar, there was a circular on the notice board that asked players to report for a camp on August 16. Except, there was no way for that information to go out. Only two weeks earlier, the players had been sent home.”For three weeks, we didn’t have contact. The season was approaching and we had to do something. I instructed the district police office to personally go to the homes of a many players and bring them safely to Jammu,” Syed Ashiq Bukhari, a former IPS office and current CEO of JKCA, says. “One of the players, when the police went to his house, started running away, thinking he had committed an offence. The police had to explain to the boy’s father and then he came. The other thing we did was to run tickers in our local TV channel asking for players to report in Jammu.”Yet, Parvez Rasool’s team has managed to cast aside all such distractions and focus on the cricket. This is only the second time they have entered the Ranji quarter-final in their 50-year history. A first-ever semi-final appearance is a step away. Irfan’s prophecy has come true, but he and Mewada, just like the rest of the squad, are hoping for something bigger, something historic. They have come a long way. They want to go further.Jammu & Kashmir have had a fantastic run through the group stage•ESPNcricinfo Ltd’Go back, go back, don’t take another step’
Mewada remembers August 6 as if it were just yesterday.”On one side, there were stone pelters. The other side, there were cops. A curfew had been called, and I was told to return to my hotel,” Mewada recalls his attempts to return home to his anxious family in Baroda. “The cop was shouting: ‘go back, go back, don’t take another step.’ I was stunned. We were told in no uncertain terms that ‘you get past us, and we can’t guarantee you anything’. I was scared, and told my driver to turn back.”Mewada was the lone guest at his hotel in Srinagar, sitting by himself with no contact to the outside world. The next day, he somehow made a dash to the airport only because his driver happened to show up unexpectedly. He had a printed copy of his ticket – luckily, because there was no internet. “Else, god knows how I would have travelled.”All along, he was anxious about his players’ safety. It had been 72 hours and he hadn’t heard from any of them. It would be that way for the rest of the month. Six weeks of intense preparation in the summer, Mewada feared, was on the verge of going to waste.Months before the domestic season had started, the team management had got a professional trainer in VP Sudarshan, who had the experience of working with the senior Indian team in the past. Yo-yo fitness was as important as the ability to bowl or bat. Fielding sessions were scheduled in the heat of the afternoon sun to test endurance. The focus was on specifics. Irfan even brought in a throwdown specialist in Pritesh Joshi, himself a club cricketer in Baroda with aspirations of being a fast bowler. They put the players through army-style fitness sessions to get them match ready.”We noticed the players had no concept of fitness and training during the off season,” Mewada says. “So every time they turned up from a break, they were carrying niggles or took a while to get back into shape. We wanted to change that before this season. But all the work we did was disturbed by the forced six-week break, where we didn’t have any contact at all.”

We always wanted to give Irfan a free hand. We knew someone of his experience can deliver only if he’s allowed the space and freedom. It’s fair to say we have managed to build on well from the previous season to this oneSyed Ashiq Bukhari, JKCA CEO

Meanwhile, even as Bukhari tried to assemble the squad in Jammu and take them elsewhere, the team had to pull out of the invitational Vizzy Trophy in Andhra Pradesh. Irfan then requested Samarjithsinh Gaekwad, scion of the royal family that owns the Moti Bagh Stadium in Vadodara, to help.Mewada remembers Gaekwad promising “all that you want”.Now they could get the team together at training, but a key hurdle remained.”The boys were down mentally,” Irfan says. “On the field, they were playing cricket. Then they were worried about selection, which I tried to insulate them from. I gave them confidence that you will be backed. But cricket aside, every now and then, you could see the bigger worry. They had left their families behind, and had no contact. While those from Jammu were slightly better off because at least landlines were working, the Kashmir boys were upset.”Mewada adds, “They needed a lot of emotional support. Some of them were very young. So apart from just training and shaping them for the season, we had to engage a sports psychologist. Things started improving, and we even beat a full-strength Baroda side in three 50-0ver games heading into the Vijay Hazare Trophy. The mood was slightly better towards the end of September.Team Donkey, Team Monkey
As much as the challenge was to ready them for on-field action, Mewada noticed something missing off it. He sensed a disconnect between certain players. He felt there were factions.To foster better understanding and team spirit, he split the team into four groups of four each, each group with a designated leader with whom the others fixed specific dinner plans which no other group was privy to. Then there were games, where each member of the groups was to reveal an unknown facet about his life to the other, and the quietest person in the camp would then reveal it to everyone else, on stage with a mic.Such gestures slowly brought the team together.Mountains, sunshine and water trickling down towards a dam to produce electricity…•ESPNcricinfo Ltd”The situation has changed now,” Mewada says. “We had senior players who didn’t get along. They are not part of the team now. The new generation doesn’t understand divisions. We give everyone a role and they are asked to perform that role. We want to imbibe a sense of leadership and responsibility.”Waseem Raza, for example, is our senior left-arm spinner, but he hasn’t got game time because we felt Abid Mushtaq was better equipped to certain conditions. When Abid got wickets, Waseem was the first to run up with a bottle of water or a hug. Such gestures create warmth and puts everyone in a good frame of mind.”The biggest eye-opener was the painting game the team played a day before their first game of the season. Each team had to come up with a painting. The theme was: ‘What you feel about the Jammu-Kashmir cricket team.’Team Donkey, led by fast bowler Ram Dayal, drew an axe, a few trees, and four logs, one on top of each other. Mewada explains: “With one axe, one log of wood can be chopped down, but the same can’t cut four logs bound on top of the other. This exhibited team work.”Team Monkey, led by Rasool, depicted mountains, sunshine and water trickling down towards a dam to produce electricity. “In between, they also depicted a few leaks,” Mewada says. “This was to suggest that water produces electricity, but the leaks are ensuring less production. To them, leaks signify a disconnect within the team. So then they said, ‘if we fix the leaks, we will be driven to be more powerful’.”Another team, led by Shubham Khajuria, came up with a drawing of a man – who they said was their coach and mentor. And then a goat, inside which they drew a tiger’s face. “The coach sees us, goats, like tigers,” Mewada explains. “He thinks we’re stronger than what we seem. That should be the way we think as well.”Such off-field activities have helped bring the fun element, while allowing the team to reconnect with each other, amid the hectic travel. Mewada and Irfan address the group as “champions”. Mewada is a believer in the power of the subconscious mind, and wants this thought to be firmly planted in their heads. To him, all of them are champions.A Match-winner for every situation
Like these, there are so many interwoven narratives. The off-field camaraderie has come together on the field too. For starters, players haven’t felt insecure because of the confidence the group has in Mewada, Irfan and the selectors. And in every game, they have found someone raising their hand. After all, winning six out of nine games is no joke.”We always wanted to give Irfan a free hand,” Bukhari says. “We knew someone of his experience can deliver only if he’s allowed the space and freedom. The management, the JKCA, everyone took a collective decision to change things this time around and see where it takes us. It’s fair to say we have managed to build on well from the previous season to this one.”Parvez Rasool shares some smiles with team-mates after yet another Jammu & Kashmir victory•PTI One of the examples of that free hand was the decision to hand Mujtaba Yousuf, the left-arm pacer, a debut in their last league game against Haryana. Until then, he was in the system, and being monitored.”I worked with him at different stages on developing an inswinger,” Irfan says. “I took examples from my own career and told him to avoid the mistakes I made. The learnings I had from my career, I passed on to him. We worked on his wrist position, follow-through and using of his crease better. When we were confident he had worked on these significantly, we played him and he got a six-for on debut.” Yousuf’s is just one example of the work put in resulting in performance.In the game against Services, Jammu & Kashmir were tottering after their top order was taken out inside the first hour. Rasool came in and hit 182 in the team’s total of 360 to drive the game forward. Rasool is their biggest name, the most popular player, and a performance from him went a long way in inspiring a young unit.Against Assam and Jharkhand, it was 18-year-old Abdul Samad, who proved he’s one worth investing in. Both his centuries – 103* and 128 – came at more than a run a ball. Until then, Samad was just known to be a talented young bat who could strike big and make destructive 30s or 40s. Interestingly, it took Irfan just one look at him at a district trial last year to ask for his statistics.”I saw him drive on the up like I hadn’t seen from any other batsman,” he remembers. “He was effortlessly making runs on an up-and-down surface. I fished out his scores and I saw consistent starts, but none higher than fifty. I took him aside and told him, he will be put in the probables, and we worked on the value of preserving his wicket. We set small goals for him, and today, there are a few results along the way. This was possible only because we didn’t go by the convention of simply looking at his numbers and dismissing him as a short-format player.”Then there’s the example of Umar Nazir, the fast bowler. He made a vow at the start of the season that he wouldn’t let off-field worries affect his cricket, and he’s stuck to his commitment. Nazir hasn’t been to his hometown in Pulwama since July. He hadn’t heard from his family, but found peace in ripping out middle stumps with yorkers and bowling quick bouncers. On a green deck in Pune, he had Maharashtra’s batsmen hopping around. He picked up a five-for in a match-winning effort then.The common theme here is match temperament and self-belief. Mewada made it clear at the start that this wouldn’t be about nine games, but 11, possibly 12. “The idea took a while to digest, but once they were convinced they are winners, it got stuck in their head,” he says. “There was a bit of silence early on, but once they knew I was serious, they all bought in to the idea.”It has been a team effort all right: four batsmen have over 400 runs (a fifth has 386), five bowlers have more than 20 wickets. The entire team has showed indomitable spirit.Often, when an underdog goes into uncharted territory, questions of sustainability crop up. Mewada is quick to point out that irrespective of where they go from here, this team will be work-in-progress for the next two years. Whether they can go one better, into the semi-finals and beyond, and replicate it next year is a debate for another day, but the very fact that they have made everyone sit up and take note of their on-field exploits when no one gave them a chance, says enough about their character.In two days’ time this united J&K team will lock horns with favorites and multiple-title winners Karnataka. But the players and their coaches remain undeterred. Mewada is a touch philosophical when asked if this is where the magic could end.”See, we’re champions, we have nothing to lose,” he says. “They don’t know our bowlers, our players. We knew each and everyone of them. We have plans. This team has fought through adversities. In front of all that, this is just a cricket match, and if they treat it as one, anything can happen.”