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A look at security arrangements ahead of Karachi’s biggest cricket event in nearly a decade

Umar Farooq in Karachi24-Mar-2018After nine years with no cricket of comparable magnitude, Karachi, the largest city in Pakistan, is gearing up to host the Pakistan Super League final. This is the second major venue after Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium to host a high-profile game in recent years, and it is considered a crucial step on the long road to reviving international cricket in the country.The final between Islamabad United and Peshawar Zalmi will be played at the National Stadium and the entire route from the hotel to the stadium will be lined with guards from Pakistan’s paramilitary force, the Rangers, and the Sindh police. A full house (around 33,000) is expected, with tickets sold out hours after they were released. There is a three-tier security layer, heavily guarded by security forces. Deputy Inspector General Traffic Imran Yaqoob Minhas, while addressing a press conference, said a total of 8500 police personnel will be deployed around the stadium for the match.The landscape of the city has changed drastically over the last nine years and the law and order situation has improved significantly. Karachi still remains the venue of the last completed Test match in Pakistan, a few days before the 2009 terror attack on the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore.Karachi is generally viewed as a more challenging city in terms of its law-and-order situation, and providing a complete security plan, what with the nearest hotel being at least 12 km from the National Stadium, is harder than it is in Lahore.The stadium is situated in the centre of the city, and all major routes from all four directions that connect with the stadium will be closed for the general public. The two biggest hospitals of the city, Agha Khan and Liaquat National, are located close to the stadium, but the roads leading to them will be open. A shuttle service will be in place to take fans from the parking area to the stadium gates. The flow of traffic is likely to be reduced, but a strict directive has been issued to follow the day’s plan to avoid congestion. The fact that the game will be held on Sunday will help.”It’s a big occasion for Karachi and the whole country,” said Rashid Latif, the former Pakistan wicketkeeper who is now team director at Karachi Kings. “I am very much thankful to the PCB for making this possible. This was a much-needed step because you cannot revive cricket by playing at one venue. It’s important to involve at least three or four cities to get this going. Otherwise, you cannot have a positive impact. Karachi is a huge city and I cannot explain in words how big this would be for us and for this country.”We have played a month in Dubai and Sharjah but we actually felt the intensity when cricket came to Lahore for the playoffs. We realised how people are hungry for cricket and how desperate they are to have cricket back in their stadiums. This is huge for fans; they are really passionate about the game and during isolation we have suffered a lot in world of cricket.”I think the security is somewhat overdone. I don’t want to be critical but I feel security should be given to the foreigners only, not to us. When we were in Lahore for playoffs, even local players and officials were restricted from going out freely. So this shouldn’t be the case because this will give off a bad impression among the overseas players.”The security protocols are being overseen by international security consultant Reg Dickason who has praised the “remarkably thorough” security arrangements for the final, saying they were “as good as I have seen in all my years”.The PCB plans to bring a major chunk of the next edition of the PSL to Pakistan, with at least three venues hosting more than 15 games in total. “We plan to have half of the PSL next year in Pakistan,” Najam Sethi, the PSL chairman, said on Friday. “But for that, we need four stadiums. As of now, we have Lahore, Karachi and Multan ready to host big matches, so now our focus is on preparing the stadiums of Rawalpindi and Peshawar. We’ve been working day and night to bring international cricket back to the country.”

Leeds United have now been provided with an injury update on a key player, who manager Daniel Farke has previously described as “unbelievable”.

Leeds already struggling on the injury front

With three games played of the new Premier League season, Leeds are likely to be happy with the start they’ve made, having collected four points and kept clean sheets in both of their games at Elland Road.

That is despite the fact two first-team players have already suffered injury setbacks, namely Ao Tanaka and Ethan Ampadu, who are set to spend a little while longer on the treatment table due to MCL issues.

Losing Tanaka will be particularly frustrating for the manager, as the midfielder made a fantastic start to the campaign, being voted Player of the Match for his performance in the 1-0 victory against Everton.

With the international break now upon us, the most important thing for Farke will be all his players returning to Elland Road unscathed, but there has already been a cause for concern.

As reported by the BBC’s Adam Pope, Joe Rodon has withdrawn from the Wales squad ahead of their matches against Kazakhstan and Canada, but thankfully it is not thought to be a major issue.

Pope added: “I’m told it’s not serious & he should be ok to face Fulham.”

It has since been widely reported that concussion protocols meant Rodon couldn’t be called up for his national side, which will no doubt be frustrating for the 54-time international, but it is a boost for Leeds that he should be fit for the trip to Fulham on September 13th.

"Unbelievable" Rodon has made impressive start to the campaign

Getting a positive result at the Emirates Stadium was always going to be a tall order, and the Whites struggled as expected, but otherwise they have made a promising start to the new campaign, and the Welsh defender has looked impressive.

The 27-year-old has started all three games, most recently putting in a solid display to keep Newcastle United at bay, with a point against a Champions League side certainly not to be sniffed at.

Farke has also made it clear just how highly he rates the defender, who is widely reported to pocket £40k-a-week, saying: “He has unbelievable pace and it is good when we have to defend that high in the field, it helps.

“He brings also aerial threat into our game, we have many smaller, not the tallest players, (it’s) also important for us in terms of set-pieces he is strong in duals and build up passes in his technique.”

As such, the Leeds boss will be grateful Rodon’s injury is likely nothing to be worried about, ahead of their trip to Craven Cottage in just over one week.

Sky Sports' Gary Neville hilariously shovelled snow back onto the Anfield pitch in a bid to postpone Manchester United's clash against Liverpool.

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• Neville shovelled snow back onto Anfield pitch
• Tried to get Liverpool vs Man Utd called off
• Anfield clash was in doubt due to adverse weather

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Neville and Jamie Carragher were granted pitch-side access at Anfield hours before kick-off of the Premier League clash between Liverpool and Manchester United. The ex-England stars were spotted using a shovel to scrape off chunks of snow from the pitch. While Carragher tried to remove the snow from the pitch, Neville did exactly the opposite.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  On Saturday night, adverse weather in the north of England led to suggestions that the Reds' game with United could be postponed. On Sunday, authorities decided that the match would go ahead as planned.

• WHAT NEXT?

  After the big-ticket encounter on Sunday, the Red Devils are set to face Arsenal in the FA Cup on January 12, while Arne Slot's side will meet Tottenham in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final on January 8.

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has provided an update on one of his big money signings, stating he may not be in the squad for weeks or even months.

The Red Devils are going into the international break in poor form, as they have just endured their second defeat in the first three games of the Premier League season. It hasn’t been the start that ten Hag would have dreamt of at the beginning of the campaign, as pressure is already starting to mount on the manager after poor individual mistakes cost his side a 3-0 defeat to Liverpool.

Alongside Casemiro: Man Utd must axe 3/10 ace who's fighting for his career

Casemiro didn’t cover himself in glory against Liverpool.

2

By
Matt Dawson

Sep 2, 2024

Calls for Casemiro to be dropped after Liverpool horror show

United were very much brushed aside by the better team on Sunday, as the team and the tactics chosen were not good enough to match their arch rivals. However, it's fair to say the game could have looked very different without some costly individual errors. There weren’t many, if any, United players who could walk off that pitch and feel they played well enough to have their heads held high, but Brazil midfielder Casemiro was particularly poor.

The Real Madrid legend, who won everything there is to win in Spain, looked unfit and looked lost at sea during his 45 minutes before he was hooked at half time for young midfielder Toby Collyer.

The midfielder had a pass accuracy of 70% in the 45 minutes he played, with two of his possession losses leading directly to goals scored by Liverpool. Furthermore, the Brazilian won just two of his five ground duels, but it is the possession lost statistic that is alarming, as he lost the ball 14 times in the first half, was dribbled past twice, and obviously, made two errors that led to goals. He finished the game with a Sofascore rating of 5.1.

Former Man United captain Gary Neville gave his response during Sky Sports' coverage: “I don’t think he would have brought him off for the two mistakes. I think it was what happened after that and the reaction of the crowd. I feel for him.”

After the game, ten Hag revealed that a Manchester United player might not be in the squad for a few months, but surprisingly it wasn’t about Casemiro.

Man United signing may not be fit for months

After the game against Liverpool, ten Hag revealed that new summer signing Manuel Ugarte may not be in the squad for months, as he hasn’t played this season and needs to build up his fitness after his initial £42m transfer from PSG.

Ten Hag said, via Man United Zone: “It’s not like I’m Harry Potter. If you see Ugarte, he hasn’t played in the season so far. He needs to build his fitness. It will take weeks, maybe months.”

This news will come as another blow to Man United fans, as after the display against Liverpool, they will be keen to see Casemiro replaced and their new signing in Ugarte brought into the team straight away.

The one positive that United may have is that the midfielder will join up with his national team in Uruguay, and if he features for them, he could return to Manchester in better shape for the next phase of the season.

Manchester United winger Marcus Rashford has attracted interest from AC Milan but the Rossonerri have one demand of the Red Devils.

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• Marcus Rashford wanted by AC Milan on loan
• AC Milan want Man Utd to foot major part of wages
• United yet to decide whether they are willing to agree

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Rashford is highly unlikely to continue at Manchester United past this season as the England international claimed publicly that he is looking for a new challenge after being dropped from five of the last six matchday squads by new boss Ruben Amorim. The Red Devils are now looking for avenues to offload the 27-year-old this January.

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  AC Milan have been one of the clubs interested in the situation of Rashford at United. The Guardian have now claimed that the Rossonerri are keen on signing the England international on loan this January for new boss Sergio Conceicao but have demanded that United foot a major part of Rashford’s salary if the Red Devils want them to take the 27-year-old off their hands.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Rashford is reportedly the top earner in Manchester United's first-team this season paid more than the likes of Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro. The 27-year-old earns reported wages of £365,000 per week ($457k) and AC Milan are unwilling to pay the majority of those wages.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR RASHFORD?

  It remains to be seen if Rashford will play another match for Manchester United this season if the Red Devils are keen on parting ways with the England international to avoid another Jadon Sancho-esque situation.

Adam Lyth, Dawid Malan seal simple chase after bowlers restrict Bears to 101

ECB Reporters Network10-Jun-2022Yorkshire opened the Vitality Blast North Group table right up with a ten-wicket win over Birmingham Bears at Edgbaston.Yorkshire put a brake on Bears’ strong start to the campaign as they gained fulsome revenge for their ten-wicket Blast defeat at Edgbaston in 2021.Bears chose to bat but were bowled out for 101 with 19 balls unused. A superb collective Vikings bowling display was led by skipper David Willey (3 for 17) with excellent support from Dominic Drakes, Mathew Revis (both 2 for 18) and Adil Rashid (2 for 22).The visitors then galloped to 106 without loss in 12.5 overs as Adam Lyth struck 58 not out off 45 balls and Dawid Malan 38 not out off 33. The final throes were conducted in front of a large but subdued home crowd wishing they had more cricket to watch on a gorgeous summer evening.Related

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Yorkshire seized control from the start as four different bowlers delivered the first four overs and each took a wicket.Willey bowled Paul Stirling to leave the Irishman nursing a third successive duck; Drakes, son of former Warwickshire seamer Vasbert, forced Alex Davies to play on; Revis had Sam Hain caught behind, attempting to scoop, and Dominic Leech ousted Jacob Bethell, caught at extra cover, as the Bears lurched to 28 for 4 from 28 balls.Adam Hose and Chris Benjamin have provided a productive engine-room for the Bears this year but this time their counter attacks were cut off early. Hose was trapped lbw by Rashid and Benjamin lifted Willey to deep midwicket.Yorkshire’s bowlers maintained the pressure immaculately to keep the Bears innings in chains. Revis returned to have Carlos Brathwaite caught in the ring, Rashid’s sharp return catch did for Craig Miles and Drakes’ first ball back took Olly Stone’s outside edge.Last-wicket pair Jake Lintott and Danny Briggs found themselves with 29 balls at their disposal but survived only nine before Willey bowled Lintott.Bears needed quick wickets to have any chance of retrieving the game but none arrived. Under no pressure, Lyth and Malan worked the ball around without needing to take great risks to reach 50 in 37 balls, posted with six over third man by Lyth off Stone.Another six, pulled off Brathwaite, took Lyth to his half-century from 40 balls and Yorkshire cruised home to reboot their qualification bid in the most spectacular fashion.

Captain Dimuth Karunaratne also says he is looking forward to seeing a young bowler step up in the retired Suranga Lakmal’s absence

Madushka Balasuriya13-May-2022Sri Lanka have played twice in Chattogram over the past eight years, and on both occasions the matches had petered out to fairly uneventful draws. Sri Lanka captain Dimuth Karunaratne was a part of both those Tests, and though he only managed to register 46 runs across three innings, the lasting memory is undoubtedly that of his peers from both sides racking up the runs.Indeed, each of those matches saw in excess of 1,400 runs scored, and Karunaratne expects another batting haven come Sunday. That said, the last three touring sides to have played a Test in Chattogram – Afghanistan, West Indies and Pakistan – have emerged victors. Each of those wins however required exceptional individual performances; Rashid Khan produced an 11-for; Shaheen Afridi and Hasan Ali combined for 14 scalps; and Kyle Mayers produced a double-ton of epic proportions to mastermind a highly improbable chase.Related

• Sri Lanka seek fresh start under Silverwood; Shakib available for Bangladesh

• Russell Domingo: 'When we have a bad session, we have a really bad session'

• Five months into 2022, Bangladesh unsure of Test philosophy

• Allan Donald wants Bangladesh to focus on 'old-ball bowling'

• Shakib tests negative for Covid-19, in contention to play first Test

Karunaratne therefore knows his side have their work cut out for them in looking to produce a result in the first Test, starting on Sunday.”The last match [we played here] saw around 1,400 runs scored while the match before also saw over 1,000 runs scored. This too will most likely be a batting-friendly wicket, a wicket where a result will be hard to come by,” Karunaratne said. “But we will still try to figure out a combination to give us the best chance of getting 20 wickets and winning this match.”Sri Lanka’s task has been made harder by the fact that they go into the game with one of their most inexperienced bowling attacks in quite some time. Suranga Lakmal’s retirement and Dushmantha Chameera being rested means that Vishwa Fernando will now be charged with leading the line-up. And with the pitch unexpected to take much turn, it’s unlikely spinners from either side will gain much assistance. As such, one option might be to play an extra bowler.”We’ve seen a lot of runs scored on this wicket before, so we know we’ll need some wicket-taking bowlers in the team, and we’ll have to see if we go in with an extra bowler or not,” Karunaratne said.He is however hopeful of his young bowlers, especially the seamers, stepping up to the occasion and grabbing the opportunity to stake a claim for a permanent role in the side.”This will be a good experience for some of the younger guys. We’ve come into this tour well prepared. Even after the NSL [National Super League tournament], the players underwent a training camp for a few weeks. If you look at the fast bowlers, there’s Kasun Rajitha – I played with him and I know him well. Vishwa [Fernando] as well had a good tournament. So, there’s a good competition among the fast-bowling unit as to who will make it to the playing XI. As a senior, it’s something I really like to see. It means that the fast-bowling unit is in good stead.”Suranga’s [Lakmal] retirement has also given a good opportunity for the youngsters to come in, perform and establish a spot in the side. In the past we’ve seen that it was primarily Suranga that was holding up one end in terms of fast bowling, but there’s now a chance for someone else to grab that spot. So, I look forward to seeing who puts their hands up.”The tour will also be the first under new head coach Chris Silverwood. Karunaratne cautioned against expecting too much too soon, though he expressed confidence in the former England head coach’s ability to take the team to the next level.”Chris is a very experienced coach, and we saw what he was capable of when he brought his England side down to Sri Lanka last year and won. One things is he’s not trying to change too much about the players too soon, he wants them to play with freedom. He likes to take on a challenge. He likes to play fearless cricket. This is first series and he’s not tried to make any major changes as yet.”But I think you’ll see little, little improvements and shifts as time goes on – the standard of cricket we’re playing now, I think you’ll see at least a 20-30% improvement just purely on the strategies he’s looking to implement. He will of course teach us these things little by little, but I don’t expect there to be a big change all at once because he’s also only been with the team for a couple of weeks.”Dimuth Karunaratne wants more from Niroshan Dickwella with the bat•SLC

The Chattogram track also presents an opportunity for Sri Lanka’s wicketkeeper batter Niroshan Dickwella to target a maiden Test century. Dickwella presently lies second in the list of players with the most Test innings without a century, and Karunaratne said the left-hand batter’s wastefulness has been topic of conversation.”There are no issues in terms of his wicketkeeping, but in terms of his batting I’ve spoken to Dikka on numerous occasions about aligning his goals with that of the team. A wicketkeeper batting at No. 7 getting a century is a huge boost, but I think when we look at our team it’s difficult to expect someone like Dickwella to get a century batting with the tail.That said, whenever he’s had the opportunity, he’s not grasped it and I’ve personally spoken to him about what he can do to change that. A new player [Kamil Mishara] has also come into the side as a wicketkeeper-batter, so there might be some pressure for his place going forward.”

ESPN pundit Shaka Hislop has moved to criticise a £50 million player in the Arsenal ranks, even claiming the star has "done nothing" to earn a place among Mikel Arteta's star-studded team.

Arsenal follow window with dropped points v Brighton

The summer transfer window is officially closed following Friday night's 11pm cut-off, with Edu Gaspar's recruitment team working wonders to strengthen the squad.

Edu was planning shock late Arsenal bid to sign once-£100m star pre-deadline

Chelsea were after him too.

By
Emilio Galantini

Aug 31, 2024

After their previous summer deals for David Raya on a permanent transfer from Brentford, Riccardo Calafiori's transfer to the Emirates and Mikel Merino's arrival, Arsenal sealed two first-team signings on deadline day.

Edu agreed a season-long loan deal to sign Neto for Arsenal, who will replace the departed Aaron Ramsdale as Raya's goalkeeping understudy in north London. Arsenal also sealed a last-gasp temporary move for winger Raheem Sterling from Chelsea, with the England international apparently agreeing to a pay cut, as both clubs split his wages 50/50 (Ben Jacobs).

The Gunners were after an alternative for the likes of Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard out wide, and were linked with a host of high-profile names throughout the summer before eventually landing on a deal for Sterling.

"To be fair, we never planned really to sign him when we started the transfer window, just to be very transparent. For different reasons," said Edu on the late signing of Sterling.

"But we always say to everyone that you have to be prepared for every single scenario. So when that opportunity came to me, and I checked the squad, I checked how he plays, and spoke to Mikel of course.

"I spoke to Tim [Lewis], our vice-chairman, to check if everyone is comfortable for the step we are going to take, and it makes a lot of sense. Yes, it makes a lot of sense to have someone like him because I’m pretty sure he is going to add a lot [to] the squad.

"He has experience, he understands more than anyone the league, he’s played in the Champions League many times. He won the Premier League a few times as well, so I think he can add a lot to our squad and I feel really happy to see someone like him in our squad."

While Edu is delighted with the 29-year-old's arrival from Chelsea, the same cannot be said for Hislop.

Hislop criticises Sterling at Arsenal and questions deadline day signing

Speaking to ESPN on Friday, former top-flight goalkeeper Hislop claimed Sterling has "done nothing" in the last two years to justify such a high-profile move to Arsenal.

"I have to say I don’t get this, I really don’t,” said Hislop (via TBR).

"I understand Arsenal want bodies, want pedigree and they find that in Raheem Sterling, but Sterling has done nothing in the last two years that suggests he makes Arsenal any better, even as a squad player.

"And so if we are here talking about a £20million package or £150,000 a week for a player who is there to cover Saka, to give him a rest, to maybe add some experience to a dressing room, I find that a lot of money to pay for a player who doesn’t make you better. I just don’t see the value in this."

Sterling, who cost £50 million for Chelsea to sign from Man City in 2022, could make his Premier League debut for Arsenal in a highly anticipated north London derby clash against Tottenham after the international break.

Just 20 years and 14 ODIs old, Quinton de Kock gave the Johannesburg faithful 135 reasons to roar and cheer for one of their own

Firdose Moonda at the Wanderers05-Dec-20130:00

‘Indian bowlers bowled short instead of going fuller’ – de Kock

Quinton de Kock held his own against the best ODI team in the world with utmost maturity•Associated PressThe Wanderers roar. It has the bass that comes out of a hollow drum when someone – and there is always someone who can’t resist – lets out a long, lonely “helloooooo” deep into it. It has the volume of the speakers being fitted into cars the size of jelly tots, which somehow accommodate amplifiers three times that size. It boils over with emotion.Today, the roar was expected to be one of anger – towards the Indian players because the South African public holds the BCCI responsible for shortening what would have been the headline tour of the summer. Instead, it was resonant with joy. For Quinton de Kock.From the moment the 20-year old walked out to sing the national anthem, people were cheering for him. He is the only member of South Africa’s ODI XI born in this city, and to see him represent it on the biggest stage is a source of great pride for the Johannesburg faithful. As de Kock stood alongside his team-mates, he looked only a little taller than the child whose hand he was holding, and his expression was as innocent. Clothed in a delicate pink, he seemed as harmless as candyfloss. How deceiving some looks can be.It took three balls for de Kock to dispel all thoughts of tameness when he stepped out to clip Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s first delivery, a half-volley, through midwicket. Four balls later, de Kock punctured the gap in the covers, and India’s attack knew they were up against a man with a good eye and a powerful arm, not a boy.Hashim Amla probably went to de Kock at the end of that over and told him to take it easy, as is the job of the senior partner, but it seemed as though de Kock wasn’t going to listen. He flashed and missed as much as he pushed and connected.He seemed to understand the weaknesses of India’s bowlers quickly – the struggle to find the right length on an unfamiliar pitch, and a tendency to bowl half-volleys and full tosses – and he knew he could exploit them. Every time he did, that roar grew louder.Of course, de Kock got lucky on a few occasions. Aggressive batsmen often get those breaks. Against India’s best bowler on the day, Mohammad Shami, he inside edged and was fortunate the ball did not go on to his stumps.De Kock held his own even against the spinners. R Ashwin pitched too short, and de Kock’s movement on to the back foot to pull was instinctive. He brought up his 50 off Ashwin, and the noise levels at the Wanderers rose to meet the overhanging thunder.He raised his bat: first to the changing room, and then to every section of the crowd. To call the cheers a mixture of clapping and chanting would be doing the fans a disservice. They composed a chorus for him.They would have expected a little more exuberance from their local lad a little later on. But despite having scored his first international ton in a home ODI, de Kock was restrained in his celebrations. He had saved himself for the bowling. He spotted holes in areas India thought they had covered, and widened them. He drove wide of cover, swept high enough to clear short fine leg, and with Amla gave South Africa their first opening century stand in 68 ODIs – a span of three years.De Kock watched Amla play the ball onto his own stumps and Jacques Kallis offer a tame catch. It was up to him to ensure South Africa did not waste their start. De Kock showed how solid he could be off the first free-hit he was offered. He assumed the position of a lamp – a firm, broad base and a wide ambit for a shade – and swung hard. The ball disappeared into the sunset and landed on the other side of long-on.De Kock had moved within one scoring shot of a century, and the anticipation was heaving. This crowd demanded instant gratification and wanted to see his hundred off the very next ball. They abandoned the slow clap in favour of one long cheer and it died quickly in obvious disappointment when he only got a single to move to 99.AB de Villiers handed de Kock the strike immediately. Again, the cheers began and again, the quick silence ensued when de Kock played a defensive prod. Then, he tucked the ball to square leg and ran the single that produced the loudest roar of the day.If de Kock remembers one thing about his hundred, it will be that sound. It filled the stadium as though it would suffocate it. It rose higher and higher, attempting to lift him off the ground by the sheer power of noise. He remained grounded.There was no boisterous punch in the air, or dramatic levitation. As the roar grew with impatience, Kock neatly put his bat down, fiddled with his helmet to remove it and then greeted his home crowd.It was only the 35th over and he would have remembered his captain talking about the need for one player to bat through. He would have known the person to do that was him. So he carried on, giving the crowd more and more reasons to roar. He teed off again against Ravindra Jadeja, went inside-out against Ashwin and blasted Virat Kohli over long-on.By the time he handed Kohli a return catch, de Kock had done what he needed to. The way AB de Villiers and JP Duminy used that platform to launch a withering assault – scoring 105 off 46 balls with the freedom of escaped prisoners – gave de Kock’s innings more value.That’s why part of every roar heard on the night belonged to de Kock. Yes, some of it was reserved for the BCCI, and some of it was for de Villiers and Duminy, but most of it was for the youngest player on the park, who lit up a tour that had been marred by administrators’ squabbles.It wasn’t the roar of the usual Wanderers crowd saluting a South African achievement. It was the roar of a community welcoming its favourite son, now all grown up with so much more to achieve.

Aakash Chopra analyses play from the run-fest in Mumbai, where Kings XI prevailed over the hosts

Aakash Chopra11-May-2017Kings XI’s batting gamble
In the first half of IPL 2017, Kings XI afforded so much importance to their batting that they opted fill all their overseas slots with batsmen. In their last two games, though, they decided to play with only five batting options, including wicketkeeper-batsman Wriddhiman Saha. Allrounder Axar Patel slotted in at No. 6, and then it was only the bowlers. With Glenn Maxwell doing better with ball of late, they could’ve easily fielded an extra batsman in Gurkeerat Singh, but they took a more risky route in two must-win games.Mumbai bait Kings XI
Kings XI were 126 for 1 in 10 overs. Rohit Sharma went to Lasith Malinga and Jasprit Bumrah in successive overs in search of a wicket. The four fielders inside the circle were stationed close enough to stop the easy singles; it was a proper attempt to build pressure and break Kings XI’s momentum. But Kings XI did not try even one risky shot till the last ball of Bumrah’s over. Just when it seemed that they’d avoided the trap, Maxwell fell to Bumrah’s last delivery, looking to slice the ball square on the off side. If he had not fallen, Rohit would have been hard-pressed with his bowling options. Maxwell’s departure allowed him to bowl Harbhajan Singh and Karn Sharma at that stage.Malinga loses his sting
Malinga has lost a little pace and accuracy. He is no longer the go-to bowler for the death overs; both Bumrah and McClenaghan are preferred over him for the tougher overs. So, what has gone wrong apart from getting a little slower? Malinga’s previous successes were based on his unorthodox action creating deception, and a radically different flight path for the ball backed by pinpoint accuracy with regards to yorkers and slower ones. Even when he wasn’t really accurate, the extra pace made it difficult for the batsmen to get under the ball.If you look at his stats from IPL 2015 – he missed the 2016 edition with injury – and this year, the difference is telling. The numbers suggest that whenever the yorker has found its target, he has been equally economical (5.20 runs per over) in both seasons. While the frequency of the full balls (attempted yorkers) has remained the same (33%) in both seasons, the lack of pace has taken the batsmen’s strike-rate off these deliveries through the roof this season – 175.80 this year to 138.05 in 2015. The same holds true for attempted bouncers; the lack of pace has allowed the batsmen to strike at 380 off these deliveries (181.82 in 2015).The West Indians’ old-school big hitting
T20 might be cricket’s newest format, but it seems West Indies batsmen have cracked its batting code by revisiting the age-old formula for big hitting. In years gone by, all big hitters would hold the bat handle right at the top, have a high back-lift, and an uninhibited swing of the bat. Lendl Simmons does this, so does Pollard. Hands at the top of the handle increases reach, and the long levers provide more power.Three times the fielding innovation
Innovative field placements are one of the striking features of T20 cricket. One such field includes three fielders inside the circle on the off side, behind square for spinners. This field is put out when a batsman is on the offensive but doesn’t have the game to play the switch-hit or reverse-sweep, which is the case with most Indian batsmen. Pollard is also from the same school of batting, and so Rahul Tewatia and Axar had such a field for both Hardik Pandya and Pollard.