All posts by h79snht.top

Waqar Younis on , on the various issues facing Pakistan cricket

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Aug-2016It’s hard for Pakistan to replace cricketers at the national level these days, because there are few top-class replacements coming through from domestic cricket – one of the fallouts of Pakistan’s international isolation, says Waqar Younis.4:37

‘We have forgotten first-class cricket’ – Waqar

‘Passion for cricket needs to be looked after’Cricket brings the nation together, but the lack of cricket in Pakistan means people will move away from the game if their passion is not nurtured.1:02

‘Passion for cricket needs to be looked after’ – Waqar

‘Was more upset with Butt than Amir’Waqar on how he, as Pakistan coach, reacted to the news of the spot-fixing in 2010, in what was a “sickening” time for all involved.4:39

‘Was more upset with Butt than Amir’ – Waqar

‘In our days there was no analytical information’Data analysis is now a part of Pakistan cricket, but one must be careful to not over-coach naturally skilled players, says Waqar Younis.1:36

‘In our days there was no analytical information’ – Waqar

أعلن نادي ريال مدريد تشكيل الفريق لمباراة الديربي أمام أتلتيكو مدريد، في الدوري الإسباني “الليجا” لموسم 2023-2024.

ويستقبل ريال مدريد نظيره أتلتيكو مدريد مساء اليوم الأحد على ملعب “سانتياجو برنابيو”، في مباراة بالجولة الثالثة والعشرين لليجا.

طالع موعد والقناة الناقلة لمباراة ريال مدريد وأتلتيكو مدريد اليوم في الدوري الإسباني.. والمعلق

يدخل ريال مدريد اللقاء متصدرًا للدوري الإسباني برصيد 57 نقطة، وخصمه أتلتيكو مدريد في المركز الرابع ويملك 47 نقطة.

وتعرض البرازيلي فينيسيوس جونيور للإصابة في الإحماء وحل إبراهيم دياز بدلاً منه في التشكيل الأساسي. تشكيل ريال مدريد أمام أتلتيكو مدريد

حراسة المرمى: لونين.

خط الدفاع: داني كارفاخال، فيرلاند ميندي، ناتشو، لوكاس فاسكيز.

خط الوسط: توني كروس، كامافينجا، فيدي فالفيردي.

خط الهجوم: إبراهيم دياز، بيلينجهام، رودريجو جوس.

البدلاء: كيبا، دييجو بينيرو، مودريتش، خوسيلو، سيبايوس، فيران جارسيا، إبراهيم دياز، أردا جولر.

حجز منتخب نيجيريا مكانًا له في نهائي كأس أمم إفريقيا 2023، بالفوز على حساب جنوب إفريقيا بعد مباراة ماراثونية انتهى وقتها الأصلي والإضافي بنتيجة (1-1) ثم فازت نيجيريا بركلات الترجيح بنتيجة (4-2).

لعب منتخب جنوب إفريقيا أمام نيجيريا، مساء اليوم الأربعاء، ضمن منافسات بطولة كأس أمم إفريقيا 2023.

تقدم منتخب نيجيريا في الدقيقة 67 بركلة جزاء تحصل عليها فيكتور اوسيمين وصوبها بنجاح القائد ايكونج في وسط مرمى الحارس ويليامز.

وأحرز أوسيمين هدفًا ثانيًا لنيجيريا في الدقيقة 90، لكن عقب العودة لتقنية الفيديو قرر الحكم إلغاء الهدف واحتساب ركلة جزاء لبيرسي تاو صوبها موكيانا بنجاح في الدقيقة 90 لينتهي الشوط الأصلي للقاء بهدف لمثله.

إقرأ أيضًا..موعد مباراة نهائي كأس أمم إفريقيا 2023 بعد صعود نيجيريا

وفي الشوط الاضافي الثاني نال جرانت كيكانا لاعب جنوب إفريقيا بطاقة حمراء في الدقيقة 116 ولم يستغل نيجيريا النقص العددي للبافانا بافانا لينتهي الشوط بالتعادل بهدف لمثله ويتم اللجوء إلى ركلات الترجيح.

ونجح منتخب نيجيريا في تحقيق الفوز على حساب جنوب إفريقيا بنتيجة (4-2) بركلات الترجيح لتضمن مكانًا لها في المواجهة النهائية لتنتظر الفائز من نصف النهائي الآخر بين الكونغو الديموقراطية وكوت ديفوار.

جنوب إفريقيا تأهلت إلى دور نصف النهائي بعدما فازت على الرأس الأخضر بركلات الترجيح بنتيجة 2-1 عقب انتهاء المباراة في وقتيها الأصلي والإضافي بالتعادل السلبي.

منتخب جنوب إفريقيا بمشاركة لاعب الأهلي بيرسي تاو قدم أداء أكثر من رائع في بطولة أمم إفريقيا حيث استطاع اخراج منتخب المغرب المرشح الأبرز للتتويج بالبطولة من دور الـ 16 بالفوز عليه بهدفين دون رد.

وعلى الجانب الآخر، منتخب نيجيريا وصل إلى دور قبل النهائي من أمم إفريقيا بعد تحقيق الفوز أمام أنجولا بهدف دون رد في مواجهة ربع النهائي. أهداف وركلات ترجيح مباراة نيجيريا وجنوب إفريقيا

تشكيل منتحب نيجيريا أمام جنوب إفريقيا

حراسة المرمى: ستانلي نوابالي.

خط الدفاع: كالفن يوجيلومبا – سيمي أجايي – إيكونج – تي أينا.

خط الوسط: أليكس إيوبي – فرانك – أوساي صامويل.

خط الهجوم: لوكمان – فيكتور أوسيمين – سيمون. تشكيل منتخب جنوب إفريقيا أمام نيجيريا

حراسة المرمى: رونين ويليامز.

خط الدفاع: موداو، كيكانا، مفالا، موديبا.

وسط الملعب: موكوينا، سيثولي.

وسط الملعب الهجومي: بيرسي تاو، ثيمبا زواني، سياندا كسولو.

الهجوم: ماكجوبا.

يمكنكم متابعة تفاصيل وأحداث المباراة مباشر بالفيديو لحظة بلحظة من هنا الشوط الأول

د1: بداية الشوط الأول.

د2: سقوط فيكتور أوسيمين مصابًا في أول لقطة لكنه يتعافى سريعا. فرصة خطيرة لمنتخب نيجيريا

د14: تصويبة من سيمون يتصدى لها رونين ويليامز.

د16: تصويبة من بيرسي تاو لكنها سهلة بين أيدي نوابالي.

د27: موداو لاعب جنوب افريقيا يطالب بالحصول على ركلة جزاء بسبب لمسة يد على مدافع منتخب نيجيريا.

د27: بعد العودة لتقنية الفيديو يتم رفض احتساب ركلة جزاء لجنوب افريقيا. فرصة بيرسي تاو

د35: الكرة تطول من بيرسي تاو وتحرم منتخب بلاده من انفراد بالحارس نوابالي.

د37: تصويبة رائعة من أليكس أيوبي يتصدى لها الحارس ويليامز.

د40: تصويبة سحرية رائعة من ماكجوبا وتصدي أروع من نوابالي.

نهاية الشوط الأول بالتعادل السلبي. الشوط الثاني

د46: بداية الشوط الثاني.

د51: انطلاقة سريعة من بيرسي تاو لكن تدخل رائع من الحارس نوابالي قبل وصول الكرة للاعب الأهلي المصري.

د57: رأسية رائعة من فيكتور أوسيمين تمر فوق عارضة مرمى جنوب إفريقيا.

د64: فيكتور أوسيمين في وسط ثلاثة لاعبين يراوغ ويحصل على ركلة جزاء في الدقيقة 64. هدف منتخب نيجيريا الأول

د67: جوووووووووووووووول أول لمنتخب نيجيريا في الدقيقة 67 بواسطة إيكونج الذي سدد الكرة في منتصف المرمى معلنا أولى أهداف اللقاء لمصلحة النسور.

د84: لوكمان يهدر فرصة خطيرة أمام حارس منتخب جنوب افريقيا بفشله في مراوغة الحارس.

د85: جووووووووووول هدف ثاني لمنتخب نيجيريا من توقيع القاتل فيكتور أوسيمين.. الهدف جاء في الدقيقة 85 من هجمة مرتدة بدأت عند لوكمان الذي مرر الكرة للجناح الأيمن أوساي صامويل الذي مرر الكرة لأوسيمين الذي أودع الكرة في مرمى جنوب إفريقيا معلنا عن هدف ثاني للنسور.

د88: بعد العودة إلى تقنية الفيديو تقرر إلغاء الهدف للنسور النيجيرية مع احتساب ركلة جزاء بشكل مفاجىء لمصلحة منتخب جنوب إفريقيا. هدف جنوب إفريقيا الأول

د 90: جوووول لمصلحة منتخب جنوب إفريقيا سجله موكوينا من ركلة جزاء في الدقيقة 90 على يسار الحارس نوابالي ليعادل النتيجة إلى التعادل (1-1). فرصة موداو الخطيرة

د92: موداو ظهير جنوب إفريقيا يهدر فرصة سهلة أمام مرمى نيجيريا.

نهاية الشوط الثاني بالتعادل بهدف لهدف..الآن للأوقات الاضافية. الشوط الاضافي الأول

د91: بداية الشوط الاضافي الأول

د94: تصويبة قوية من موكوينا لكن بعيدة عن مرمى نيجيريا.

د101: تصويبة صاروخية من أوسيمين من 30 ياردة يتصدى لها ويليامز ببراعة. الشوط الاضافي الثاني

د106: بداية الشوط الاضافي الثاني.

د106: عرضية من فيكتور أوسيمين بجوار القائم الأيمن لحارس جنوب إفريقيا.

د110: نزول موفي بدل من فيكتور أوسيمين.

د112: موفي يطلب بركلة جزاء والحكم يرفض احتسابها. طرد كيكانا لاعب جنوب إفريقيا

د114: بعد الرجوع إلى تقنية الفيديو: طرد كيكانا مدافع جنوب افريقيا واحتساب خطأ من خارج منطقة الـ18.

د118: تصويبة من ايهيناتاتشو يتصدى لها ويليامز.

د120: بطاقة صفراء لمدافع نيجيريا ايكونج.

نهاية الشوط الاضافي الثاني والتحول لركلات الترجيح. ركلات الترجيح

ركلة الجزاء الأولى لمنتخب نيجيريا: موفي يسجل 

ركلة الجزاء الأولى لجنوب إفريقيا: موكوينا يصوب ويتصدى لها نوابالي.

ركلة الجزاء الثانية لمنتخب نيجيريا: أوميرو يسجل بشكل ذكي وبهدوء

ركلة الجزاء الثانية لمنتخب جنوب إفريقيا: مايا مبالا يسجل على يسار نوابالي.

ركلة الجزاء الثالثة لنيجيريا: أولانيا يهدرها بعيدا عن المرمى.

ركلة الجزاء الثالثة لمنتخب جنوب إفريقيا: ماكوبا يهدرها.

ركلة الجزاء الرابعة لمنتخب نيجيريا: ايكونج يسجل.

ركلة الجزاء الرابعة لمنتخب جنوب إفريقيا: مفالا يسجلها 

ركلة الجزاء الخامسة لمنتخب نيجيريا: ايهيناتشو يسجل

نيجيريا تفوز بنتيجة 4-2 بركلات الترجيح وتصعد إلى النهائي.

Wolverhampton Wanderers are set to have a busy summer, but not necessarily for the right reasons.

There are ongoing pressures behind the scenes regarding the club’s Financial Fair Play status, with Wolves needing to make a profit this summer while aiming to progress under Julen Lopetegui.

The Spaniard pulled off an incredible feat in keeping the Midlands club safe from relegation after being bottom of the table on Christmas Day.

While Wolves require assistance in attack this summer, being the Premier League’s lowest scorers this campaign, the club have been linked with a player of an opposing position.

What’s the latest on Sergio Herrera to Wolves?

As reported this week by Spanish news outlet Noticias de Navarra, Osasuna goalkeeper Sergio Herrera is wanted by Lopetegui at Molineux.

The report states that the 29-year-old is ‘very much to the taste’ of the Spanish coach, who could hunt for another ‘keeper this summer.

According to Football Transfers, the player is valued at €10.1m (£9m).

What could Sergio Herrera bring to Wolves?

Lauded as having “great intuition” by Osasuna manager Jagoba Arrasate after saving two penalties against Real Madrid last season, the 29-year-old has been one of the club’s best performers this season, as per Sofascore.

The Spanish "hero" – as per Graham Hunter – has saved 50% of penalties he’s faced over the past year, ranking him in the top 9% of ‘keepers in Europe’s top five leagues in that expertise – as per FBref.

His style of play, as per WhoScored, states that he enjoys coming off of his line to prevent threats, as well as being a strong passer from the back.

While Wolves have a competent shot-stopper in Jose Sa, the club’s number one has been inconsistent this season, on the back of being named Molineux’s player of the season last campaign.

It’s healthy for players to have competition for starting places in every position, with the specialist area of a goalkeeper sometimes being overlooked with rotation sparse in comparison to those who play outfield.

When comparing the seasons of Wolves’ “top drawer” keeper – as praised by former club star Lee Naylor – and Lopetegui’s reported target, the Spaniard’s potential arrival could bring bad news to Sa.

The 30-year-old Molineux ace has contributed to four errors leading to shots this season, as well as one leading to a goal, with the Osasuna shot-stopper making two errors leading to a shot and none to a goal – as per Sofascore.

The rise of Daniel Bentley has left the Portuguese player out of the starting XI as of late, with pressures potentially mounting on his position if Herrera was to arrive.

It seems as though Lopetegui will have to be smart with his finances this summer, and signing a ‘keeper as rounded as Herrera for a price as low as £9m could prove to be a bargain should the deal materialise.

Steven Smith seemed relaxed and upbeat ahead of Australia’s third Test against Sri Lanka, highlighting the progress his side is making in adopting a more proactive approach on turning tracks

Daniel Brettig in Colombo12-Aug-20162:02

‘We need to play with courage’- Smith

Two days out from the Colombo Test, Steven Smith wanders into the lobby of the team hotel, and grabs a spot at the in-house cafe and bar. As Australia’s captain, he’s carrying the weight of consecutive heavy losses to Sri Lanka, the first of his leadership tenure, and the continuation of a long and increasingly tiresome theme of Asian underachievement.But there is little sense that Smith is letting all this get him grumpy or sullen. He has not, after all, withdrawn to his hotel room. After a few minutes, he is instead joined for a coffee by young batsman Travis Head, here for a Test squad apprenticeship and then the ODI matches that follow. Smith and Head talk jovially and clearly about the game, the older man conversing easily with his junior amid much cricketing gesticulation.This conversation, like Head’s mere presence, is an investment in the future. Knowledge gained in Sri Lanka over the past few weeks is to be used in pursuit of better results in this part of the world next time around, namely India next year. The looming Colombo Test can be seen in a similar light – not as the third Test of the Sri Lanka series, but the first preparatory assignment for the trip to India.”It has been disappointing,” Smith said of the tour thus far. “We have got a lot of work to do to change the way we play in these conditions. Having said that, I thought we made some good strides in the second innings [in Galle]. The way we were proactive in our thinking, the way we went about it.”As long as we can take that into the first innings of this Test match, and try and make it go a for bit longer – I think looking at the wicket it is going to be another tough one to bat on. It looks like it is going to be pretty dry again, and take a fair bit of spin, so if you can bat for a day, I dare say you will put yourself in a reasonable position.”Australian attitudes have changed over the past few weeks, as best demonstrated by the varying words of the vice-captain David Warner in Pallekele and then Colombo. There are variations within the variations provided by Asian conditions, summed up by the contrasts between the pitches of India in 2013, the UAE in 2014 and Sri Lanka in 2016. Smith reckons these surfaces have more in common with those of three years ago than those utilised so well by Pakistan the year after, meaning spinners could not be allowed to settle.”I think it has a little bit,” Smith said of whether his batsmen’s attitudes had shifted. “I think you still have to try and bat time. I guess that is what Test cricket is all about. At the same time, you do need to be proactive in your thinking, finding a way to get off strike, get down the other end and if you are down there, you can’t get out. Or, you shouldn’t get out!”It’s difficult at any time. In Australia we don’t get wickets that do what these wickets do so it’s very foreign. You almost have to reinvent your game to be successful on these surfaces. In Australia, you don’t get balls that are turning like they are here and skidding on, everything’s pretty consistent. So it’s finding a way I guess and getting outside your comfort zone.”It might be about sweeping or coming down the wicket or getting deep in your crease. Sometimes it’s easy to do in the nets and when you get out in the middle there are guys around the bat, there’s the pressure of the game, it’s a whole different ball game. It’s just having the courage and faith to sometimes take a risk you may not take in Australia and different ways of thinking to get around different situations.”That thinking extends beyond the batsmen to the bowlers, and particularly the spinners. Nathan Lyon and Jon Holland have had to adapt almost as much, from Australian overspin to Asian under-cutters. Another parched surface at the SSC ground means both will get another chance to work on their methods, and Smith has been buoyed by Holland’s progress in a short space of time.”I was watching him bowling [at training],” he said. “In Australia, he’s got quite nice shape on the ball. He gets over it and gets good drop. He’s dropped his arm path a little bit since being here. It’s hard to do just before you play your first Test, when you only come in a few days before the game when you weren’t originally here.”He didn’t have a great deal of time to find the right way to bowl in these conditions and having watched him, he’s certainly dropped his arm down a little bit and he’s getting around the ball which I think is crucial for these conditions. It looks like the seam he’s presenting looks a lot harder to play.”An hour or so later, Smith has moved to another table in the cafe, joined this time by two more senior tour members in Adam Voges and Shaun Marsh. The chatter is jovial again, the attitude that of learning. This tour has shown that Smith the captain can handle the emotions and problems of defeat; Colombo will show how much his team has learned from it.

يواصل البرتغالي فيتور بيريرا أدواره في منصب رئيس لجنة الحكام رغم الأنباء التي تطارده بشأن إمكانية الرحيل عن منصبه.

وعلم “بطولات” أن هناك تحالفًا بين الحكام الدوليين للإطاحة بفيتور بيريرا من رئاسة لجنة الحكام.

ويأتي ذلك برعاية مجلس إدارة اتحاد الكرة برئاسة جمال علام، الذي لا يرغب في استمرار بيريرا، خاصة بعد رحيل روي فيتوريا.

وقد يخرج هؤلاء الحكام بتصريحات إعلامية قوية ضد فيتور بيريرا وعشوائيته في إدارة لجنة الحكام وهذا سيأتي بمباركة اتحاد الكرة.

وكان اتحاد الكرة جهز عقود إنهاء التعاقد مع  فيتور بيريرا في مناسبتين سابقتين؛ ولكن تم الإبقاء عليه بعد تدخل من روي فيتوريا، وفقًا لما وصل إليه “بطولات”.

اقرأ أيضًا.. خاص.. انقسام في اتحاد الكرة حول مصير بيريرا بعد نهاية الموسم

وكان هناك شبه إجماع في مناسبتين على رحيل فيتور بيريرا، وقام اتحاد الكرة بتجهيز العقود بشأن رحيله؛ ولكن تدخل فيتوريا أوقف ذلك القرار ليظل في منصبه.

وأشار “بطولات” في وقت سابق إلى أن هناك اتجاهًا داخل اتحاد الكرة المصري بأن يتم الاستعانة بعنصر مصري لرئاسة لجنة الحكام مع نهاية الموسم الحالي.

وتستمر المحادثات داخل الاتحاد المصري لكرة القدم، من أجل حسم مصير بيريرا واتخاذ القرار المناسب.

Mayank Agarwal and Gautam Gambhir struck half-centuries for India Blue before thunderstorms washed out close to two sessions in Greater Noida

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Aug-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsFile photo: Gautam Gambhir reached his 61st first-class half-century before rain hit Greater Noida•AFP

A thunderstorm that turned the Greater Noida Sports Complex ground into a swamp washed out close to two sessions of play after Mayank Agarwal and Gautam Gambhir struck half-centuries at the top of the order after Yuvraj Singh’s India Red elected to bowl.Yuvraj, perhaps mindful of his side being bowled out in under two sessions in their Duleep Trophy opener at the same venue last week, was left to wonder what may have been had they converted two opportunities – one each from Gambhir and Agarwal – in the 34.2 overs that were possible. A majority of those were bowled by the pace trio of Nathu Singh, Pradeep Sangwan and Ishwar Pandey in search of seam movement when there was none on a fresh surface that had less grass cover than the one used for the previous game.Gambhir, batting with an open-chested stance, seemingly in a bid to negate the away-going deliveries that have often discomfited him over a period of time, was troubled early on by his Delhi team-mate Sangwan. In the third over of the morning, the left-arm pacer saw an edge fall short of second slip and then had a shout for lbw turned down, but released the pressure in the very next over when he grassed a miscued pull at fine leg off Nathu.Agarwal’s technique outside off stump also came under scrutiny, but unlike Gambhir, he was happy to trust the bounce and hit through the line. After Nathu’s initial burst, he looked increasingly comfortable against the Pandey and the spin of Akshay Wakhare and Kuldeep Yadav.Kuldeep, the left-arm wrist spinner who picked up his maiden five-wicket haul last week, didn’t get the kind of purchase he would have hoped for. He was also guilty of bowling a touch flat and short as Gambhir, who captains him at Kolkata Knight Riders, eased him repeatedly behind square on the off side.Agarwal, who had a lucky reprieve minutes from the tea break when he fended a Nathu bouncer back for a return catch off a no-ball, got to his fifty in the second over after the break when he lofted Kuldeep over the infield. Gambhir then struck Sangwan for successive boundaries to raise his half-century before retiring to the dressing room to see a gentle drizzle turn into a thunderstorm.

Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane will be involved in discussions with chairman Daniel Levy in a bid to resolve his future this summer, according to journalist Paul Brown.

What's the latest transfer news involving Harry Kane?

As per The Evening Standard, Kane has 'reiterated' that he will be a part of talks with Levy at some point in the near future to establish plans moving forward.

In an interview with Standard Sport, the England international said: "I think there’s a conversation [with the chairman] to be had anyway in terms of some of the values of the club. It will be a conversation, we’ve had many conversations before like that on how we can improve, and that will be the case again."

Sky Sports report that Kane is Manchester United's number one transfer target heading into the off-season and is joined on a three-man shortlist by Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount and West Ham United captain Declan Rice.

The outlet claim that the Red Devils hold a 'long-standing' interest in the striker; however, Spurs are said to be reluctant to lose their prize asset this summer, who's £200k-a-week contract is set to expire in north London next summer.

On the final day of the Premier League season against Leeds United, Kane equalled former Manchester United icon Andy Cole's record of netting 26 top-flight goals for Newcastle United in 1993/94 by scoring a double, as per talkSPORT.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Brown has also stated that Kane will have talks with the Tottenham hierarchy to discuss what the future may hold for both parties.

Brown told FFC: "You might see a few high-profile names leave Spurs. I think a lot is going to depend on what kind of manager they get and what he wants to do with certain players and where he wants to go in terms of systems and bringing people in. It still feels to me like it might be best for all parties if this is the summer when Kane finally goes, but he's going to sit down with Daniel Levy and discuss the future. Kane's future probably also depends on who, if anyone comes in for him and what kind of serious offers are made. I'm pretty sure that if a top-tier Champions League club came in with a big offer for Kane, he'd be interested and I'm sure if the money was right, Spurs would sell, knowing that his contract situation is what it is."

Why are Tottenham Hotspur so keen to keep hold of Harry Kane?

Spurs are so keen to keep hold of Kane because he is one of the best strikers in world football and always has a knack of producing the good in front of goal, even in a struggling side.

That sentiment rings true this term, as despite Tottenham slumping to an eighth-place finish, the 29-year-old still managed to bag 32 goals and five assists in 49 appearances across all competitions, as per Transfermarkt.

As per FBRef, Kane also excelled as a chance provider in 2022/23, successfully carrying out 159 shot-creating actions in total for his current employers.

WhoScored takes into account that the England international racked up around 3.4 shots per game in the Premier League, indicating that he is a constant menace for opposition backlines to contain.

Moving forward, Tottenham will have a tough job convincing Kane to stay at the club, though they will be a tough club to negotiate with as they look to keep their star man for as long as possible.

Celtic are set to make an official approach to speak with Manchester City assistant manager Enzo Maresca, according to a recent report from Football Scotland.

Who is Enzo Maresca?

Barring a short 14-game stint in charge of Italian side Parma, Maresca has worked in the Premier League for a number of years now, starting off at West Ham United before making the switch to Manchester City as manager of the U23s.

In his one season in charge of the Man City development squad, the Italian won the league title, and he clearly did enough to impress Pep Guardiola, who brought him back to the club in July 2022 following his dismissal from Parma.

Celtic did consider appointing the 43-year-old prior to making the decision to bring in Ange Postecoglou, and they could now turn to him as the Australian's successor.

According to a report from Football Scotland, the Hoops are set to make an official approach to speak with the Man City assistant manager, with the Premier League champions braced for contact in the coming days.

Having impressed Dermot Desmond back in 2021, Celtic have continued to follow the former Parma manager's career, and they are understood to be interested in speaking with him again, following Postecoglou's departure to Tottenham Hotspur.

Should Celtic appoint Maresca?

It is fair to say the former Sevilla assistant was not a success in his first managerial job, averaging just 1.21 points as manager of Parma, before ultimately being sacked and eventually returning to Man City.

However, it would be very unfair to judge the young manager based on just 14 games of professional management, and he is clearly rated highly by Guardiola, given how quickly he brought him back following his dismissal.

Having worked under the tactician at West Ham United, former player Robert Snodgrass spoke very highly of him, saying: “What you see with Pep and his style of play – that’s what Enzo looked up to. When he was at West Ham there were three or four different managers he’d study and try and work like in and out of possession. I thought he was top class. An elite level coach. You could see he had all the credentials to be a top gaffer.”

Maresca's lack of experience would undoubtedly make appointing him a risk, but there is evidence he could bring some exciting football to Celtic Park, given that he has worked under Gurardiola, and admires the Spaniard's style of play.

West Indies captain Jason Holder has credited Shoaib Malik as the catalyst for Pakistan’s series-clinching victory in the second ODI at Sharjah

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Oct-2016

West Indies captain Jason Holder has credited Shoaib Malik as the catalyst for Pakistan’s series-clinching victory in the second ODI at Sharjah. Pakistan had lost two wickets in three balls to bring Shoaib to the crease at 40 for 2 in the sixth over, but the allrounder scored 90 off 84 balls and teamed with Babar Azam to add 169 for the third wicket to put Pakistan back on course for a match-winning total.”If I go back to our innings when we bowled, I just felt we leaked too many boundaries at a crucial stage of the innings,” Holder said after the game. “I thought Shoaib Malik played an outstanding innings. He changed the impetus in terms of the middle overs. I think he put us under some pressure in the middle overs which we probably didn’t react to as well as we would like.”Successful nations have given their team time – Azhar

Pakistan’s ODI captain Azhar Ali has asked fans and other stakeholders in the country’s cricket set-up to be patient with the results of a side that he said is still rebuilding.
“A team takes one-and-a-half to two years to rebuild, regardless of how many times the captain changes. In Pakistan, the rebuilding process has always been short because we don’t have patience,” he said, speaking to the media after his team clinched the three-match ODI series against West Indies with a 59-run win in the second match in Sharjah. “We want to win immediately. When a team is rebuilding you also play and lose. In our nation, if the team is not winning, you get frustrated and want to change everything. Any nation that has done well in cricket has given their team time. As a nation, the various stakeholders will also have to take this responsibility. Most importantly, the people who play in the middle need to be patient and need to play with a lot of confidence.”
Azhar was also effusive in his praise for 21-year old Babar Azam, who struck a second successive ODI century, scoring 123 off 126 balls in Pakistan’s win.
“We know how talented Babar Azam is, we know how capable he is. He was playing really well in England, but couldn’t convert his 30s and 40s into a big score. We spoke to him and he realised that as a batsman, you don’t want to score 30-40 when you get set. That’s a tough period, and you want to score big. And he really converted those two big hundreds.”

Holder defended his tactics after the game when asked if he had attacked enough with Pakistan two men down inside the Powerplay. Sulieman Benn, who Holder said was his best bowler in the first ODI, was held back until the 19th over, but Shoaib responded to his arrival by hitting him for a six in his first and second overs before striking three more off consecutive deliveries in the 27th.”Our most successful bowler in the last game was Sulieman Benn and he was taken to by Shoaib Malik,” Holder said. “Again I thought Shoaib truly changed the momentum of the game there. I didn’t think Benn bowled badly but I just think he got on top of Benn at that stage. I went to my two wicket-takers and Sulieman Benn at that stage. He got the better of Benn today.”The West Indies captain also paid tribute to Babar Azam, who top-scored with 123 for his second century in as many games. Holder had encountered Azam at junior level too and said his batting pedigree was just as strong then.”I first saw Babar a couple years ago in Under-19 cricket and he scored a hundred against us there,” Holder said. “He’s a good player. I felt he played really really nicely. He assessed the conditions quite well and he took his time. He was able to take his time in both innings. He had lots of overs to bat and I think credit must go to the way he played. Having said that as I said before, we could tighten up a bit more especially on the boundaries that we leaked and I think once we do that we can make it a lot more competitive.Facing a target of 338, Holder said he felt it was not out of reach. However, a clump of wickets fell between the 35th and 45th overs, disrupting momentum at a pivotal time.”Chasing 330 odd, you really need to stay up with the run rate,” Holder said. “We fell behind, not too far behind quite early but I still felt we were in the game with 20 overs left. We had bargained for 160 odd to chase in 20 overs or probably 180 odd in the last 20 but at the end of the day we were probably too far behind. It was a lot to do for the lower half. I thought the Pakistani bowlers bowled well and made it difficult for us to hit.”Despite the loss, Holder remained positive about the improvements made from the first ODI loss. He highlighted Alzarri Joseph’s performance on debut – 2 for 51 in eight overs – and said the team had done well in certain periods but that the team needed to find more consistency to come out on top.”There’s still quite a few positives we can look at,” Holder said. “Alzarri Joseph making his debut today I thought he was pretty outstanding. Kraigg Brathwaite coming into his second game, he showed a lot more promise, a lot more fight. Darren Bravo getting a score as well and Marlon Samuels continuing his good form. So still a few positives to look at. I just think we just need to bring together that one complete game.”