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Ajinkya Rahane, India’s Test vice-captain, has joined the chorus of pink-ball supporters, and suggested he was keen to try it out in the Duleep Trophy, which will be played as a day-night tournament this season

Arun Venugopal23-Jun-2016

Ajinkya Rahane, India’s Test vice-captain, has joined the chorus of pink-ball supporters, and suggested he was keen to try it out in the Duleep Trophy, which will be played as a day-night tournament this season. While Rahane has played with a pink ball of a different brand in the past, he felt the dynamics of playing with the Kookaburra ball were different and that the Duleep Trophy would help players get a feel of it.”[I am] really excited about this pink ball,” Rahane told ESPNcricinfo in Mumbai. “A long time back, I think, in an Emerging [Players] tournament we played with a pink ball, we played with fluorescent, green ball,” he said. “But that was a different company – we played with Platypus ball [then], but this Kookaburra is different and we will get an idea in the Duleep Trophy [as to] how it is behaving, what the bounce is like.”I saw this club match [Mohun Bagan v Bhowanipore] on TV. The ball was doing a bit, swinging [more] than red ball, bounce was slightly more than red ball, but once we play, once we practice with that, then only we will get an idea of how to go about it.”Rahane’s observations come two days after former India captain Rahul Dravid told ESPNcricinfo that players needed to keep an open mind about day-night Test cricket with the pink ball. Other India players like Mohammad Shami and Wriddhiman Saha, who played in the country’s maiden pink-ball game in Kolkata, have provided positive appraisals as well.Rahane also gave a thumbs up to the BCCI technical committee’s recommendation to play Ranji Trophy matches at neutral venues. While some former players, coaches and administrators have expressed reservations over the suggestion, Rahane felt playing at neutral centres would help players become mentally tougher.”I think the decision which BCCI made is really good. It is challenging when you play at neutral venues,” he said. “Players will learn about their game, they will get to know how to go about it. You are actually thinking more about your game, your preparation will be more [and] your strategies before the game will be slightly different. Because, when you play home games you know your home conditions, but when you play neutral games I think players will get mentally tougher.”On the personal front, Rahane used the downtime after the IPL to enjoy a brief vacation in Thailand before resuming practice a week ago ahead of the West Indies tour next month. He has been practising with wet rubber balls and tennis balls to get used to the varying pace found on different surfaces in the Caribbean.”[A] few wickets [in West Indies], they have good bounce and pace. Jamaica has good bounce. Few wickets, there might be some turn, some help for the spinners,” Rahane said. “It’s rainy season in Mumbai, so we cannot practise outdoors so I am just practising indoors, but just simulating whatever conditions I am going to face.”I was practising with wet rubber balls, just to get my reaction right, my hand-eye co-ordination right. Because sometimes wickets are softer, two-paced wickets, it [also] helps to practice with a tennis ball. The tennis ball comes [on to the batsman] slightly slower than a rubber ball. So I have been practising with tennis ball, rubber ball and leather ball.”Rahane also said he was excited and motivated by BCCI’s decision to name him vice-captain for the tour. “Whenever I am on the field I always try and think that ‘if I am the captain what should be my field, what I am going to do in certain situation, certain conditions.’ I always think that way so that whenever opportunity comes I am ready for that,” he said.According to him, the camaraderie in the team helped the players get the best out of themselves. He said there was no competition among the likes of himself, Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan, and instead there was a culture of looking out for one another. “Competing with each other would be the wrong word. I think we help each other. That’s the right word,” Rahane said. “During our fitness sessions, during our net sessions, we try and help each other to improve our game and improve our fitness. We motivate each other, that’s the important thing. If you are willing to help your team-mate, if you are willing to improve your team-mate’s game, eventually your team will go up and you are helping yourself also.”This group has been playing together for the last two to two and a half years together. We have a good combination not only on the field but off the field [too]. We go out for dinner, go out for lunch, sometimes we just have some discussion not only on cricket but in general about what’s going on in the world. I think that journey together is what we have. We enjoy each other’s success in the team.”

أصدر نادي مانشستر يونايتد بيانًا رسميًا بشأن أزمة لاعب الفريق ماركوس راشفورد، والتي كانت مادة للتقارير الصحفية في اليومين الماضيين.

وفاز مانشستر يونايتد أمس، ضد نيوبورت كاونتي، بأربعة أهداف مقابل هدفين في إطار منافسات كأس الاتحاد الإنجليزي (لمطالعة التفاصيل من هنا).

ولم يشارك ماركوس راشفورد في تلك المباراة حيث غاب عن قائمة الفريق بداعِ المرض.

ولكن تقارير صحفية ذكرت أن راشفورد كان في زيارة إلى أحد الملاهي الليلية، يوم الخميس الماضي، قبل تغيبه عن التدريبات في اليوم التالي بحجة إنه يعاني من حالة مرضية.

وأكد تين هاج المدير الفني للفريق أنه سيتم التعامل مع الأمر باعتباره شأن داخلي، مع العلم أن راشفورد توجه إلى مقر تدريبات مانشستر يونايتد اليوم لإجراء محادثات مع المدرب الهولندي.

ونشرت شبكة “ذا أثلتيك” الإنجليزية، منذ قليل، بيان رسمي على لسان مانشستر يونايتد جاء به: “لقد تحمل ماركوس المسؤولية عن أفعاله، تم التعامل مع هذا باعتباره مسألة تأديبية داخلية، وهي مغلقة الآن”.

وأضاف النادي: “عاد راشفورد إلى التدريبات وسيكون متاحًا للمشاركة أمام ولفرهامبتون يوم الخميس”.

Essex’s batsmen piled on the agony by batting all day to establish a 273-run lead over promotion rivals Kent.

ECB Reporters Network04-Jul-2016
ScorecardRavi Bopara made his best Championship score of the season•Getty Images

Essex’s batsmen piled on the agony by batting all day to establish a 273-run lead over promotion rivals Kent.Kent toiled in the field as Essex feasted on some indifferent and uninspired bowling to add 373 runs on the second day. Essex claimed maximum bonus points to reclaim their place at the top of Division Two.Four Essex batsmen went past fifty, but three of them – Tom Westley, Ravi Bopara and Dan Lawrence – perished within sight of three figures. Captain Ryan ten Doeschate, meanwhile, remained unbeaten on 77.The foundation for Essex’s big score was laid by a third-wicket stand of 169 in 44 overs between Westley and Bopara. The pair completely dominated the Kent attack throughout the morning session and deep into the post-lunch one as well.Westley scored heaviest in the early part of the partnership, being particularly severe on Mitch Claydon. He hit two fours in one over, steering the ball through midwicket and then another through gulley.Westley also dealt with the questions that South African quick Kagiso Rabada had posed early on for Ravi Bopara, to whom he bowled 23 consecutive dot balls. Westley smashed four off the second ball he faced from the man who dismissed England captain Alastair Cook late on Sunday.Bopara started circumspectly, and when he bounced down the wicket to hit Darren Stevens over the top it was a rare outbreak of aggression. But once he was settled, Bopara matched Westley’s scoring rate.Westley reached his fifty first, off 75 balls, when he pushed a single off Adam Ball to mid-off. Bopara’s half-century took 102 balls and arrived just before lunch when he swept James Tredwell for two.Both batsmen, though, survived sharp chances. Westley had added one more to his eighth Championship fifty in 13 innings when he hit low and hard to Sam Northeast at short mid-on, but the Kent captain couldn’t cling on. Soon after, Bopara swished at Tredwell and the ball flew over and through a diving Ball at first slip.Bopara accelerated after lunch and twice advanced down the wicket to hit first Stevens and then Tredwell over the top for fours. The assault ended when Westley became bogged down against Claydon and chased a delivery that was both short and wide to be caught behind. He departed, deeply frustrated, for 88 off 150 balls, with a dozen fours.Bopara went within five overs, attempting to drive but playing loosely at Stevens and being caught low down by Sean Dickson at short extra cover for 94. It was Bopara highest Championship score of the season and took 157 balls and included 11 fours.Jaik Mickleburgh and Lawrence put on 59 for the fifth wicket in 20 overs of sensible batting before Mickleburgh nibbled at one from Ball and gave Tredwell a catch at first slip.Essex were still 43 runs short of maximum batting points at that point with eight overs remaining. Ten Doeschate hit his first two balls for four, and then cut Stevens for a third to show his intent. Lawrence also hit Stevens for successive fours, the first past square leg bringing up a 78-ball fifty, and later lofted Tredwell over long on for six.The pair passed the 400-run threshold, and the fifth batting point, with nine balls to spare, having put on 45 in little more than seven overs. Ten Doeschate took two successive boundaries off Joe Denly to pass 50. He needed just 54 balls to get there, hitting nine fours along the way.The sixth-wicket pair had just brought up the 100 partnership in 18 overs when Lawrence went for another big shot and found substitute fielder Matt Hunn at long-off.

Arsenal have enjoyed an impressive 2022/23 campaign and have put up a strong title fight against reigning champions Manchester City; however, look like they will just be pipped by Pep Guardiola's men.

Nevertheless, Mikel Arteta has led the Gunners to Champions League qualification and Europe's elite competition will return to the Emirates Stadium for the first time since 2016/17.

In the summer, the Spaniard is likely to invest in several positional areas to add squad depth in order to balance domestic and continental future. Despite this, Football Insider report that left-back Kieran Tierney could be set to depart in the off-season, with Newcastle United said to be in a 'very strong position' to secure his signature.

Electing to sell the Scotland international, who has been a more than able deputy for first-choice left-back Oleksandr Zinchenko when needed, would be a brave move by Gunners' chiefs and could potentially leave them with more work to do in the transfer window.

What's the latest news on Kieran Tierney and how has he faired this season?

As per FootballTransfers, Manchester City are also keen on Tierney this summer and are in talks with Arsenal over a swap deal that could see Joao Cancelo and the 25-year-old swap places between the respective clubs. And, David Ornstein has claimed that the defender could also join Newcastle United in the summer window.

The report claims that the Gunners are in the market for a new left-sided defender in the forthcoming transfer window, which could spell the end for Tierney in north London.

In 2022/23, Tierney has featured 34 times for his current employers in all competitions, registering one goal and two assists, as per Transfermarkt.

Last year, former Arsenal icon Martin Keown even went as far to tip Tierney for the captaincy at the club, stating in an interview with The Daily Mail: "I am a really big fan of Tierney, we spoke last year about captain material. I think he has had to show a lot of resolve when he has been third choice for a lot of the season, he is not really the third choice, he has come on in ten or eleven games."

Ex-Manchester United striker Andy Cole is also perplexed as to why the Gunners would look to sell Tierney, as he told King Casino Bonus with quotes transcribed by The Daily Express: "I like Kieran Tierney, he's had a few problems with injuries but he is talented. If Arsenal are prepared to sell him, he would not be struggling for options." He later added: “If you look at Tierney's situation previously, you have to ask what did he actually do wrong? He's never let Arsenal or Mikel Arteta down, of course, he's had a few injuries but he's always played well. He's a kid with a brilliant attitude."

It does seem a little odd that Arteta would look to let a consistent performer like Tierney leave the club in the off-season, especially considering that he has successfully combated 85.7% of dribbles he has faced in 2022/23, as per FBRef.

His injury problems may have played a part in the Gunners' thinking, though the same outlet report that the Scot has also ranked well in comparison to his positional peers in Europe's top five divisions in the art of progressive carries, managing to carry out 2.92 per 90 minutes across the last 365 days, putting him in the top 20% of full-backs for this metric, showing that he can carry an offensive threat from the left flank.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Ben Jacobs has indicated that Tierney may have to leave the Gunners this summer to experience more first-team football, stating: "There's a few sort of intriguing ones. Kieran Tierney is probably the most interesting for me because if you're Arsenal, you perhaps want that depth, but Tierney's kind of been ousted and lost his place since the arrival of Zinchenko. As a consequence, if he wants that game time, he's not necessarily going to get it anymore at Arsenal, even with Champions League football and more games."

Ashley Cole once labeled Tierney as a "warrior", as per The Mirror, and it is easy to see why some fans may be on edge about the £110k-a-week ace potentially departing in the next few months.

Arsenal need all the strength in numbers they can get for an assault on Champions League football next year and letting go of Tierney would be a big blow given his consistent level of performances shown at the club.

James Sutherland was left mystified after Australia’s Test team performed so poorly in the recent Sri Lanka series despite spending more time in Asia than just about any generation of cricketers before them

Daniel Brettig23-Aug-2016

James Sutherland, Cricket Australia CEO, wants to know why Australia’s Test team performed so poorly in the recent Sri Lanka series despite spending more time in Asia than just about any generation of cricketers before them.In a pointer to the lines of enquiry to be pursued following the 3-0 defeat to an unfancied opponent that cost Australia the No. 1 Test ranking, Sutherland said he was somewhat mystified as to why ever more frequent visits to India in particular had not translated into better displays in the region. The loss of the third Test in Colombo meant Australia have now lost nine Tests in Asia in a row over three series.”If you have a look going back in time over recent years, some of our Test cricketers are playing more in India than they’ve ever played before,” Sutherland said in Melbourne. “They’re used to subcontinental conditions through their experiences in the IPL and on other tours representing Australia. These are conditions we are more familiar with perhaps than we have been in decades gone by, and it comes back to the ability to adapt. That’s something I’ll be interested to hear more about.”It’s probably a whole lot of different things. The critical thing is adaptability to conditions and that’s what we ought to understand better. Clearly conditions here are very different to England, which are very different to what we see on the subcontinent, and to be the best team in the world, to be the No. 1 team, you need to be able to win away, and that’s what we’re about.”In reflecting on the conditions faced by the players, Sutherland said little more could be done in terms of pre-tour preparation, and also expressed the view that the pitches encountered at Pallekele, Galle and Colombo were more or less as had been expected. “We’re certainly disappointed with the performances of the team in this Sri Lankan series and the review will tell us more but I don’t think we can complain in terms of the preparation we had over there in Sri Lanka,” he said.”I don’t think there would be any expectation gaps in terms of the facilities and the pitch condition we expected to find over there. I don’t think things are clearly broken, but at the same time we need to get better at adapting to conditions. In different parts of the country there are pitches prepared for different situations, certainly we’ve got hybrid pitches that have been developed at the NCC, they’re things that we’re continuing to progress. But it’s one thing to have those conditions and facilities, another to provide opportunities for players to do that.”Sutherland also said Australian cricket is searching for ways to ensure more of its 1.31 million participants graduate from junior programs to club teams and the levels above even as the latest survey of participation revealed the game had outstripped Australian football as the most popular sport in the country.Another year of steady gains in 2015-16, following a similar increase in 2014-15 and an Ashes-inspired spike the season before now allows Cricket Australia to boast that there are more cricket participants than in any other game, outstripping the 1.25 million registered triers of Australian football reported by the AFL last year.These numbers are driven largely by school-age Milo Into Cricket and Twenty20 Blast programs, with high female participation and increased engagement by diverse Australian communities also factors. However, the number of players actually registered as club or community cricketers lags some way behind at 454,657, albeit a rise of 9.5% on last year’s figures.Sutherland said that the game’s custodians were looking intently for ways to ensure the stream of players running from junior and school programs to clubs and ultimately the higher echelons of the game would increase.”It’s a lot about that experience and about creating a positive learning environment and a fun environment for kids to play the sport,” Sutherland said in Melbourne. “I think that’s where the T20 Blast has allowed kids to bridge between entry level programs and playing what some people might call ‘real cricket’. We’ve seen success but also sustained participation through into the teenage years. Very pleasing in these results to see growth in that area for the first time in a couple of years.”The total number of participants increased by 8.5% when lined up against that of 2015, which had itself been 9% up on 2014. However, the increase three years ago had been a more dramatic 16% following a victorious Ashes summer. Given the fate that had just befallen Australia’s Test side in Sri Lanka, Sutherland did not want to draw too close a link, but acknowledged team performance and grassroots participation could certainly help one another.”I think there were a number of things that kicked in that year, certainly that was one of the formative years in terms of the T20 Blast but also we saw significant growth in those entry level programs with the Milo Into Cricket program,” he said of 2014. “What we’d like to see is those entry level programs be a continuous wave for us into the junior secondary years and see some sort of sustainable participation particularly at club level.”In some ways they certainly do complement each other, but at the same time we’ve now gone down to No. 3 in the world on the Test rankings, we’re still no. 1 in one-day cricket. From that perspective the profile of the game is still high and I think the aspiration of young people to play cricket at the highest level will continue to be there. In time when we come to review the Sri Lanka series we’ll take a very keen interest in what the recommendations coming out of that are.”

تعرف على موعد والقناة الناقلة لمباراة الاتحاد والفيصلي اليوم في كأس خادم الحرمين الشريفين.. والمعلقين.

يلتقي فريق اتحاد جدة مع الفيصلي، مساء اليوم الأحد، في المباراة التي تجمعهما ضمن منافسات بطولة كأس خادم الحرمين الشريفين.

ويتواجه اتحاد جدة مع الفيصلي، في إطار مواجهات دور ربع النهائي من بطولة كأس خادم الحرمين.

وكان اتحاد جدة تأهل إلى دور الـ8 (دور ربع النهائي) بعد الفوز على الفيحاء 3-0، بينما الفيصلي تخطى عقبة فريق النجمة بثلاثية أيضًا.

طالع | ليكيب: مفاوضات لإبعاد بنزيما عن اتحاد جدة ونقله إلى نادِ سعودي آخر

وتأهل إلى دور نصف النهائي من بطولة كأس خادم الحرمين الشريفين، الهلال والنصر والخليج والمقعد المتبقي بين اتحاد جدة والفيصلي. موعد مباراة الاتحاد والفيصلي اليوم في كأس خادم الحرمين الشريفين

تقام المباراة اليوم الأحد 4 فبراير 2024، في تمام الساعة 5:15 بتوقيت القاهرة، 6:15 بتوقيت السعودية. القناة الناقلة لمباراة اتحاد جدة والفيصلي اليوم في كأس خادم الحرمين

تنقل المباراة على قناة SSC Hd 1. معلق مباراة اتحاد جدة والفيصلي في كأس خادم الحرمين

حاتم بطيشة – فارس عوض.

ويمكنكم مطالعة مواعيد ونتائج جميع المباريات لحظة بلحظة عبر مركز المباريات من هنا

An update has emerged on Burnley and their plans to bolster their midfield options in the upcoming summer transfer window…

What's the latest on Fabio Carvalho to Burnley?

According to Football Insider, the Clarets are interested in a deal to sign Portuguese attacking midfielder Fabio Carvalho from Premier League giants Liverpool.

The report claims that the club are keen on adding the ex-Fulham starlet to their squad for the 2023/24 campaign and are willing to bring him in on loan or on a permanent basis.

It is stated that manager Vincent Kompany wants to add a cutting edge to his midfield and would like to recruit a player who can play in a multitude of roles.

Who is Fabio Carvalho?

He is a 20-year-old midfielder who is capable of playing in multiple positions across the middle of the park and attack. The ace has been deployed as a number ten, on both flanks, up front, and as a central midfielder, in his short career to date.

Carvalho has only played 727 minutes, across 22 appearances, in the Premier League this season but caught the eye with his sensational performances for Fulham in the Championship in 2021/22 and could form an exciting partnership with current Burnley star Josh Brownhill.

The Englishman scored seven goals and provided eight assists in 41 outings in the second tier for the Clarets to help them on their way to the title. He has proven himself to be a player who can burst forward from midfield positions to make telling contributions in the final third with goals and assists, which is a skill that Carvalho could also provide.

In the 2021/22 campaign, the youngster, who Liverpool pundit Paul Machin dubbed "tremendous", scored ten goals and assisted eight in 36 appearances for Fulham in the Championship. He created a whopping 13 'big chances' for his teammates – four more than Brownhill this term – and these statistics show that the prodigy has the potential to make a huge impact at the top end of the pitch.

The £40k-per-week wizard has also shown signs of promise at the top level at Anfield this season. Carvalho has scored 0.39 non-penalty goals per 90 – two in 17 appearances in the Premier League and Champions League combined – and this places him in the top 1% of players in his position in the Men's Big Five Leagues and European competitions over the last 365 days.

This suggests that the potential is there for him to score goals in the top-flight and that is why the magician could be an excellent addition to Burnley's squad and form an exciting partnership with Brownhill.

The attacking midfield pairing could provide a huge goal threat from the middle of the park to go along with their excellent creativity in possession, which could be vital in helping the Clarets to avoid relegation back to the Championship by scoring and assisting match-winning goals next season.

كرم مجلس إدارة اتحاد الكرة المصري اليوم الأربعاء، برئاسة جمال علام، الحكام المصريين الذين شاركوا في إدارة مباريات كأس أمم إفريقيا 2023، التي استضافتها كوت ديفوار.

وشهدت بطولة كأس أمم إفريقيا مشاركة سبعة حكام مصريين وهم، أمين عمر، محمد عادل ومحمد معروف “حكام ساحة”، محمود أبو الرجال وأحمد حسام طه “مساعدان” ومحمود عاشور ومحمود البنا “VAR”.

طالع | ميدو: اتحاد الكرة خالف لوائح “فيفا”.. وصور توقيع حسام حسن عقود تدريب المنتخب أثارت التساؤلات

كما تم تكريم محمد الماشطة المستشار القانوني لاتحاد الكرة بعد اختياره عضوا في لجنة الانضباط لبطولة أمم إفريقيا، وموظفي اتحاد الكرة فريد سلطان لاختياره في لجنة التحليل الفني والأداء وتجهيز المواد العلمية للحكام، ومحمود سعد مسؤول التصاريح الخاصة بالمباريات.

وأكد جمال علام رئيس اتحاد الكرة أنه سعيد بالظهور المميز للحكام المصريين في بطولة كأس الأمم الإفريقية، وإدارة أكثر من مباراة هامة وأن مجلس الإدارة بالكامل يدعم الحكام واللجنة في أي أمور خاصة بهم والعمل على تطويرهم، وظهورهم في أكبر المحافل الدولية.

كما أكد خالد الدرندلي نائب رئيس اتحاد الكرة أن هناك ثقة كبيرة من مجلس الإدارة بالحكام وسعيد بالمظهر المشرف لهم خلال البطولة، وطالبهم بالاستمرار على نفس الأداء في جميع البطولات الدولية والمحلية.

Liverpool will be confident they can fend off rival interest from Premier League suitors in target Alexis Mac Allister, according to Ben Jacobs.

What's the latest transfer news involving Alexis Mac Allister?

According to Football Insider, Liverpool will meet Mac Allister's release clause and shell out a fee of between £55-60 million to bring the Argentina international to Anfield.

The report states that personal terms have already been agreed and the £50k-a-week ace will be set to triple his wages and move to the Reds on a contract that will net him £150,000 per week at Jurgen Klopp's side.

As per The Guardian, Chelsea and Manchester United have also expressed an interest in the 24-year-old as he gears up to seek a new challenge away from the South Coast.

Manchester City are also keen on the playmaker and Pep Guardiola is believed to have identified Mac Allister as a potential replacement for one of either Bernardo Silva or Ilkay Gundogan, as detailed by The Mirror.

Guardiola is also an admirer of Mac Allister's teammate Julio Enciso, who has burst onto the scene at the Amex Stadium and scored a terrific goal against Manchester City last month in the Premier League.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Jacobs thinks that Liverpool will feel they have 'control' of the situation surrounding Mac Allister at present.

Jacobs told FFC: "Liverpool's only concern is obviously that another suitor comes in and creates a complication, which is again why they're trying to be as fast as they possibly can because it's obvious that Mac Allister has had an outstanding season and was brilliant at the World Cup. There's been rumblings of Chelsea because of the Pochettino factor, but Chelsea, prior to Pochettino, had other targets; they've really moved away from Mac Allister and more towards Caicedo. If they pivot and there is a surprise, it will very much be Pochettino-led, but at the moment, Liverpool feel that they're in control of the situation."

What could Alexis Mac Allister add to Liverpool's midfield?

Mac Allister is a cultured midfielder that can add creativity and a goal threat at any level and his arrival at Anfield would be greeted with excitement by Reds supporters.

In 2022/23, Mac Allister made 40 appearances in all competitions for Brighton, registering 12 goals and three assists in total, as per Transfermarkt.

WhoScored also note that the 24-year-old had an average of 2.5 shots per game in the Premier League, demonstrating his ability to regularly trouble opposition backlines despite not being a striker.

FBRef also illustrate his inventive nature in the engine room and detail that Mac Allister successfully carried out 106 shot-creating actions this term.

Liverpool need to add fresh ideas to their midfield and Mac Allister would be a statement signing at Anfield if he is to join the Reds this summer.

Liam Plunkett has paid a personal tribute to Jason Gillespie who announced on Monday that he would be leaving his position as Yorkshire’s head coach at the end of the season

Andrew McGlashan29-Aug-2016Liam Plunkett has paid a personal tribute to Jason Gillespie who announced on Monday that he would be leaving his position as Yorkshire’s head coach at the end of the season.Plunkett’s career was revived under Gillespie’s watch after he signed from Durham in late 2012 after a difficult period following the loss of his England place. He became a key part of Yorkshire’s impressive pace attack and earned a recall to England’s Test side in 2014 before finding a place in the one-day set-up in the post-World Cup rebuilding under Eoin Morgan, Trevor Bayliss and Paul Farbrace.Initially it was a bit-part role last season and he then endured a frustrating winter where he did not feature in the one-day series against Pakistan and South Africa before belatedly being called into the World T20 squad when Steven Finn was injured. Once he made the XI he impressed with his hostility and that has continued with this summer’s one-dayers against Sri Lanka and Pakistan in which he has taken 13 wickets in seven matches.The confidence he is now feeling in an England shirt stems from the rebuilding process he underwent with Gillespie. He remembered an early stint in the Yorkshire nets during the winter that he signed for the club – following the 2012 season where he had played just one Championship match for Durham – where he could barely get the ball down straight and wondered whether he would have a future.”One of reasons I moved to Yorkshire is that he was a bowler himself and went through his ups and downs,” he said. “One of the first net sessions I had with him was in the winter and I hit the side netting. I thought that was the end of my career at Yorkshire right then but he said don’t worry about it, it is November and he pretty much said he just wanted me to run up and bowl fast.”Plunkett singled out the belief Gillespie had helped give him rather than focussing too much on the technical aspect of his bowling. It has been Plunkett’s pace – which can top 90mph – that has made him an asset to England’s one-day side even though he is no longer in the immediate Test match plans.”At that time, he was what I needed. I was a bit raw, and struggling with my action,” Plunkett said. “I thought it was all about technical. But it wasn’t – it was just about backing myself.”When I went there, that was what he picked up straightaway. He does other stuff with different people, but he knew what I wanted. He just said to me ‘bowl fast’, and he backed me. With that came confidence and performance.”Whenever you have a bad spell he is always there patting you on the back and saying, ‘no worries, mate, you can change the game next spell’. I take my hat off to him, I owe him quite a bit.”I’m obviously gutted – because he was good for me, and good for the team. It’s a tough decision that he’s made. But I want to thank him – he’s been great for me. He’s brought me back to playing for England. So I wish him the best, and look forward to catching up when I get back to Yorkshire.”Yorkshire have gone out of both limited-overs competitions – the T20 Blast and Royal London Cup – at the semi-final stage over the last two weekends but a hat-trick of County Championship titles remains in view as they sit second in the table, five points behind leaders Middlesex.”I hope we can make it three this year in the Championship,” Plunkett said. “That would be a nice note to leave on. I’m sure there will be quite a few people trying to get that job.”