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Captain’s 68 and 2 for 36 ensures another chastening day out for Middlesex

ECB Reporters Network13-Aug-2023Jack Leaning starred with bat and ball as the Kent Spitfires pummelled Middlesex by 133 runs in the Metro Bank Cup at Beckenham. The Kent skipper top-scored with 68 as the hosts posted 288, before claiming two key wickets as the visitors were all out for 154 with 13.2 overs remaining.Ryan Higgins had earlier taken 4 for 33 and Luke Hollman 3 for 53 as Middlesex bowled the Spitfires out in 49.1 overs, but 60 from Ben Compton and 58 from Daniel Bell-Drummond helped the hosts to a total that Middlesex never seriously threatened. Leaning was one of five Kent bowlers to finish with two wickets.Buoyed by Friday’s rout of Surrey at The Oval, Kent abandoned their usual strategy of bowling first after winning the toss, putting faith in their spinners to defend whatever they posted.Progress was solid but ponderous during an opening stand of 109 and when Compton was dropped on seven by Ryan Higgins off Ishaan Kaushal in the ninth over. Some of the less patient home fans wondered if it might have been deliberate.It was an absolute dolly but Higgins then took a far more difficult chance to break the partnership in the 21st, sprinting in from long on to get Bell-Drummond, after he’d skied a delivery from Hollman, who was then denied a second wicket when Leaning was dropped in the slips on six.It took 79 balls for Compton to hit his first boundary, pulling Ethan Bamber for four to reach 50 but when he was then out, chipping Higgins to Bamber, his contribution took on a different perspective as the Spitfires lurched from 188 for one to 222 for six. Hollman returned to take two wickets in two balls, bowling Alex Blake for 10 and then bowling Harry Finch for a golden duck.Jaydn Denly was bowled by Higgins for six and James Bazley went for a duck when he wafted Hollman to Martin Andersson. The hosts urgently needed a counter-attack and the 45th over went for 24, with Grant Stewart hammering Andersson for three successive sixes, the first of which was parried over the boundary by Jack Davies attempting a catch.After a stand of 51, the momentum swung back towards Middlesex. Leaning hit Kaushal to Joe Cracknell and Stewart was bowled by Higgins for 43. Two balls later Higgins bowled Jas Singh for the third duck of the innings. Matt Parkinson and Hamid Qadri added 12 for the final wicket before the former was caught by Kaushal off Bamber with four balls to spare.Any disappointment Kent felt at having failed to bat their overs melted away as their bowlers swept through the Middlesex top order. Cracknell went in the second over, trying to reverse-sweep Leaning and wafting him to Bell-Drummond at point.Bazley then took wickets from successive deliveries. Sam Robson went for 24, caught by Qadri, and Jack Davies edged him behind. Higgins tried to reverse sweep Parkinson and was lbw for 21 and in the next over, the 18th, Mark Leaning bowled Stoneman for 25.With Middlesex in danger of imploding at 79 for 5, Hollman and John Simpson bedded in for the next ten overs, but their stand of 41 ended when the former was bowled by an unplayable delivery from Qadri. Jas Singh had Josh de Caires caught by a diving Bazley for seven and any realistic hope Middlesex had of making a game of it went when Qadri had Simpson caught behind for 39 with the final ball of the 33rd.Andersson swatted the next ball, from Singh, high into the south London sky before he was taken by Parkinson and an emphatic win was sealed when the same bowler had Kaushal caught on the boundary by Denly.The Spitfires have now won three of their five Metro Bank games while Middlesex are yet to get off the mark after four attempts.

She admits captaining in the Ashes brought new challenges which she hopes to learn from

AAP11-Sep-2023Declaring herself reinvigorated by captaining Australia in the Ashes, Alyssa Healy has halted any talk of retirement by signing a three-year deal with the Sydney Sixers.Off contract since the end of last summer, AAP can reveal Healy has agreed a contract extension to keep her in the WBBL with Sixers until the end of 2025-26.Leaving the club was never realistically an option for Healy, with the main decision for Australia’s stand-in skipper being how much longer she wanted to commit for.The 33-year-old has spoken in the past about considering her future, with an ongoing joke between her and husband Mitchell Starc that she has changed her mind multiple times.Related

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Players often continue in franchise cricket after the end of their international career, but Healy’s long-term deal is an indication she is not planning to walk away any time soon.After taking the reins with Meg Lanning unavailable for Australia’s retention of the Ashes in England earlier this year, Healy will start the summer captaining the side against West Indies.And the she said her leadership role in England had rejuvenated the way she thought about cricket, with a multi-format tour of India and a T20 World Cup in Bangladesh to come in the next year.”The only thing we pondered was how long we wanted the deal to be,” Healy told AAP of her Sixers contract. “The beauty of the situation is I have had an exciting opportunity to captain the side in the Ashes.”Whether that is something that will happen moving forward or not doesn’t matter. It has reinvigorated the way I think about the game and the way I am enjoying it.”There is an exciting 12 months ahead with World Cups and trips to Bangladesh. I am still loving playing for Australia, but the WBBL is great to be part of.”Elevated to the captaincy a week before the Ashes tour when Lanning was ruled out, Healy had one of the tougher series of her career with 126 runs at 15.75 across all formats.She is desperate to rebound, and be better prepared to juggle the captaincy and her own game at short notice.”It’s made me think about what I need as an individual,” Healy said. “Throughout my whole career it has just been ‘do my job for the team, do what the team needs’.”I have always enjoyed being vice-captain because that is the way you think; you are in the right position to read the game and help the captain out.”But being skipper you don’t have time to think about anything. You are focusing on the game and tactics, and I forgot to think about what I need to make sure I perform. It has made me think about my game and what I can do to be better.”

El Tri, which have gone 293 minutes without conceding a goal, will face Honduras Wednesday at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara

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Mexico have reached the semifinals in 10 straight Gold Cups holds six wins and one draw against Saudi ArabiaMexico gone 293 minutes without conceding a goalFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱AFPTELL ME MORE

Mexico secured their place in the Gold Cup semifinals after defeating Saudi Arabia 2-0 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Goals from Alexis Vega in the 49th minute and a late own goal by Abdullah Madu sealed the win for , who will now face Honduras in the next round.

Mexico’s first-half performance echoed familiar struggles from earlier in the tournament – lacking cohesion, fluid buildup, and control in the midfield. The team failed to assert dominance over the Saudi side and only came close to scoring in stoppage time, when Vega fired a powerful shot from distance that narrowly missed the target.

The second half told a different story. Right after the restart, Vega found the net following a well-executed move, though the goal was initially ruled offside. After VAR review, however, the goal stood – putting Mexico ahead and shifting the momentum in their favor. continued to press down the flanks and use their pace to stretch the Saudi defense, eventually finding a second goal in the 81st minute via an own goal by Abdullah Madu.

With the win, Mexico advance to the semifinals for another shot at defending their 2023 Gold Cup title – and chasing a record-extending 10th championship.

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Mexico became the first national team in history to reach 200 goals in the Gold Cup. has a long-standing rivalry with Honduras, having faced them a total of 46 times, with Mexico winning 27, drawing nine, and losing 10 to

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Alexis Vega may not have been the most clinical throughout the match, but he showed why he wears the coveted No. 10 jersey for Mexico. Always eager to receive the ball, Vega leads the attack, constantly looking to be involved – sending in crosses, driving forward, and taking responsibility in the final third. While greater consistency is expected from the Toluca forward, his current form is promising. If he sharpens his finishing, he could help score more goals. On this night, he earned Man of the Match honors after netting the opening goal and further solidifying his place as a starter under Javier Aguirre.

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The big loser: the Gold Cup.

While Mexico’s matches haven’t drawn poor attendance figures, they also haven’t matched the packed stadiums seen in previous editions, when regularly played in front of sellout crowds.

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Coach Aguirre has made frequent rotations throughout the tournament, signaling that he’s using the competition to test players and shape his roster for the 2026 World Cup. That approach has affected the team’s performances, which in turn has led to underwhelming games – and fans not getting the level of entertainment they’ve come to expect.

Hobart Hurricanes looked destined for a total under 100 before Naomi Stalenberg engineered a fightback

Tristan Lavalette25-Oct-2023Beth Mooney smashed a rapid half-century at a batting-friendly WACA ground as Perth Scorchers continued their stranglehold over Hobart Hurricanes with a crushing win.Openers Mooney and Lauren Winfield-Hill ate into the target of 159 with a 68-run partnership. But Winfield-Hill slowed down after seemingly being hobbled by a leg injury and fell in ungainly fashion when her reverse sweep lobbed to third short.Mooney raced to her half-century off 28 balls before being bowled by quick Shabnim Ismail after stepping away and exposing her stumps. Scorchers were never in danger as youngster Maddy Darke found form. She had only hit 38 runs in 10 previous WBBL innings, but calmly made 45 not not as Scorchers chased the target down in the 19th over and bounced back from a loss to Brisbane Heat.Related

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Hurricanes, however, failed to shrug their perception as an also-ran. After a big home defeat to Scorchers in their season-opener, they appeared set for more humiliation when they were reeling at 67 for 6 at the halfway mark of their innings.But they fought back with an 84-run partnership between Naomi Stalenberg and Hayley Silver-Holmes dominating the second half of the innings as Hurricanes finished with an unexpected flurry.It ultimately proved nowhere near enough with Scorchers’ batters dominating on a WACA pitch that for the first time this domestic season had trademark characteristics of bounce and pace.In searing late afternoon heat of 34 degrees Celsius, Hurricanes elected to bat on a green-tinged pitch that played notably differently to the bland surface used in last week’s Sheffield Shield match.On a faster surface and quick outfield, Hurricanes eyed a strong start in the powerplay and skipper Elyse Villani obliged with enterprising batting after missing the season-opener due to illness.She collared speedster Stella Campbell with scoop shots, but mistimed a flick to fine leg only for Piepa Cleary to drop a straightforward chance.She powered Hurricanes to 27 runs in the powerplay before Lizelle Lee holed out to offspinner Lilly Mills in the fifth over. Scorchers relied on their spinners to claw back into the contest with legspinner Alana King, who opened the bowling, dismissing Bryony Smith and Ruth Johnston.King’s most important contribution might have been running out Villani, whose 26-ball 39 ended disappointingly when she hesitated turning back for the second run.King and Mills frustrated Hurricanes by expertly utilising the pitch with quicker, darting deliveries that caused all sorts of problems for a succession of bewildered batters.Hurricanes were also in a rut against Scorchers’ seamers with 18-year-old quick Chloe Ainsworth clean bowling Heather Graham with a pearler of a delivery that knocked out middle stump.Celebrating with gusto, Ainsworth continued her impressive start to her WBBL career having also dismissed Graham in the previous match.When Cleary bowled Molly Strano, Hurricanes appeared headed for embarrassment and their second straight match of being unable to cross triple figures.But Stalenberg and Silver-Holmes stepped up under pressure and put the foot down with 22 runs in the two-over power surge.They capitalised on increasingly ragged Scorchers fielding before Stalenberg holed out in the 19th over.Hurricanes’ momentum was unable to spill over with the ball as Scorchers romped to a convincing victory to spark cheer from the smattering of fans on the WACA’s refurbished famous grass banks.

Kylian Mbappe dedicated his world-class overhead kick goal to late Portugal and Liverpool player Diogo Jota. Jota and his brother tragically passed away on July 3 in crash crash in Zamora, Spain. Mbappe paid tribute to the Reds star by gesturing two and zero, Jota's jersey number at Anfield. The Frenchman scored a late goal to help Los Blancos to a win over Dortmund.

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Mbappe dedicated goal to JotaScored Madrid's third goal against DortmundLos Blancos will face PSG in semi-finalFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Mbappe scored his team's third goal in the 94th minute after coming on as a substitute. The France captain found the back of the net with a brilliant overhead kick goal from Arda Guler's cross. Madrid eventually beat Dortmund 3-2 to progress to the semi-final of the Club World Cup.

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Tributes have poured in from across the world since Jota and his brother's tragic deaths. Before Mbappe dedicated his goal to the Portuguese player by gesturing the number 20 with his hand, Ousmane Dembele also paid tribute to Jota after scoring the winner for Paris Saint-Germain against Bayern Munich earlier on Saturday.

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AFPWHAT NEXT FOR REAL MADRID?

Xabi Alonso's side will be back in action on Wednesday in the Club World Cup semi-final as they take on Champions League winners PSG.

Dean Huijsen’s father cheekily mocked Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Manchester City ahead of Real Madrid’s Club World Cup quarter-final.

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Don Huijsen reposted a viral Club World Cup memeBarca, Atleti and City mocked in satirical bracketPost included fake teams like “Al-TV” and “Remote Control”Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Don Huijsen, the father of Madrid defender Dean, took a playful jab at the three clubs by reposting a satirical Club World Cup bracket on Instagram, mocking their absence from the knockout stages. The meme humorously paired them with fictional teams like "Al-Sofa" and "Remote Control" in a dig at them being made to watch the rest of the tournament from home, while Madrid gear up for a clash with Borussia Dortmund.

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The post added fuel to long-standing rivalries, especially between Madrid and Barcelona, who were not involved in the tournament this year. With the Club World Cup spotlight on Los Blancos, fan banter has escalated across social platforms.

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Madrid defender Huijsen is one of the team's breakout stars of the Club World Cup and has adapted quickly under new coach Xabi Alonso. His performances have drawn praise following his transfer from Bournemouth.

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Los Blancos will take on Dortmund in the Club World Cup quarter-final in New York, with the winner going on to face either Paris Saint-Germain or Bayern Munich.

Pat Cummins’ team has struggled in all facets, while their opponents have leaked runs at an alarming rate and also lost Dasun Shanaka to injury

Andrew McGlashan15-Oct-20231:39

Moody: This Australian team is far from the previous champion sides

Big PictureEven in a tournament with nine group-stage matches which allows room for a slip up or two, you don’t want to be 0-3 early in the competition. But that’s exactly the situation which will confront one of Australia and Sri Lanka after they face off in Lucknow in what already shapes as a contest to retain realistic semi-final hopes. It has been a tough start for both sides, but two points in this fixture will revive belief that they can still challenge for the top four.The struggles of Australia, with their World Cup pedigree, are creating headlines. They were handed a demanding start to the tournament by facing hosts India and a confident South Africa, but they have been significantly off the pace in all three disciplines. Sri Lanka have managed to put runs on the board – more than 300 both against South Africa and Pakistan – but their problem has been that they have conceded runs at an even higher rate: 773 from 98.2 overs in two games at 7.86 runs an over, meaning even Kusal Mendis’ sparkling century against Pakistan wasn’t enough.To add to their problems, they have lost captain Dasun Shanaka to a tournament-ending injury, which means Mendis will now take on the captaincy. However, even though the bowlers have been put to the sword, the spinners will fancy their chances of having an impact against the Australians.Related

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In what was quite an un-Australian move, they made two changes after just one match. The omission of Cameron Green was largely expected against South Africa, but the axing of Alex Carey was a major talking point even if his form had been patchy. They are still competing with a 14-player squad, with Travis Head yet to rejoin the group, and it’s only Sean Abbott who has yet to feature.The batting is becoming a concern with no one yet to reach a half century – Australia currently have the lowest batting average of any team in the tournament at 18.80, and have failed to reach 200 in the first two outings.In ODIs, the most recent meetings between these teams came in mid-2022 in a five-match series, when Sri Lanka had prevailed 3-2.Kusal Mendis now has captaincy added to his workload•AFP via Getty ImagesForm guide
Australia LLWLL
Sri Lanka LLLWLIn the spotlight: Adam Zampa and Kusal MendisAustralia gambled in their final squad by not replacing Ashton Agar with a like-for-like player, and while Glenn Maxwell has held up his end of the bargain with his part-time offspin, their problems have been compounded by a rare loss of form for Adam Zampa. Since taking 4 for 48 in Bloemfontein, he has claimed 7 for 430 with an economy of 7.41 in six games. Zampa battled niggling injuries leading into the tournament, while former captain Aaron Finch said he also has a hip problem, and is currently struggling to either take wickets or keep the economy rate down.”Don’t think he’s bowled as much in the lead up as he would have in the past,” Finch told ESPNcricinfo. “He’s had neck and shoulder issues. I know he’s got a bit of a hip niggle at the moment. Whether that’s just affecting him technically slightly – legspin bowling is not my expertise – but he didn’t bowl [at] his absolute best against India. But you are also bowling against the best players in the world. I think back to the first over he bowled, and he got cut for two boundaries. One of them was a good ball – might have hit the top of off stump to KL [Rahu] – and it slides past backward point for four. Then you are on the back foot because your best ball has been hit for four. You start overthinking it at times and you might stray away from your No. 1 plan.”On the flip side, Kusal Mendis is in spectacular form. If you include his warm-up innings against Afghanistan, he has made 356 runs in his last three knocks, with his 122 off 77 balls against Pakistan a career-best in ODIs. But the question will be whether he can sustain such a free-flowing nature with the additional burden of captaincy, adding to an extensive workload with him also being the wicketkeeper. Mendis has a good one-day record against Australia, averaging 50.33 from 11 innings.There is pressure on the big three quicks to lift their game and make early inroads•BCCITeam news: Australia likely unchanged; Sri Lanka need reinforcementsAustralia are likely to be unchanged, which means Josh Inglis will retain the keeping gloves, but there is pressure on the big three quicks to lift their game and make early inroads. There have previously been issues with Marcus Stoinis playing back-to-back matches but he only bowled two overs against South Africa, so that shouldn’t be a factor.Australia (probable): 1 David Warner, 2 Mitchell Marsh, 3 Steven Smith, 4 Marnus Labuschagne, 5 Josh Inglis (wk), 6 Glenn Maxwell, 7 Marcus Stoinis, 8 Mitchell Starc, 9 Pat Cummins (capt), 10 Adam Zampa, 11 Josh HazlewoodShanaka has been ruled out of the tournament, replaced by Chamika Karunaratne, a bustling seam bowler and a hard-hitting lower-order bat, who could come straight into the mix. They may also be without slingy fast bowler Matheesha Pathirana, who has a right shoulder problem and is “under observation” according to the team manager.Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Pathum Nissanka, 2 Kusal Perera, 3 Kusal Mendis (capt, wk), 4 Sadeera Samarawickrama, 5 Charith Asalanka, 6 Dhananjaya de Silva, 7 Dunith Wellalage, 8 Chamika Karunaratne, 9 Maheesh Theekshana, 10 Kasun Rajitha, 11 Dilshan MadushankaPitch and conditionsThe surface at the Ekana Stadium had got trickier as the match wore on when Australia faced South Africa, and it had certainly nipped around for the quicks in the second half. That may have a bearing on what the captain who wins the toss decides to do. However, Pat Cummins and Shanaka, before his injury, had won both their tosses, done different things each time, and watched their team get beaten on each occasion. So they may just want to leave it to the other to decide. Meanwhile, it’s set to be another hot day in Lucknow.Stats and trivia Sri Lanka have not beaten Australia in seven attempts at an ODI World Cup since they claimed the title in 1996. Don’t be surprised to see Dhananjaya de Silva given an early bowled against David Warner: Dhananjaya has dismissed Warner four times in ODIs, the most he has claimed any batter. Australia have caught barely half their chances in the first two matches: eight from 14. It gives them the lowest catch percentage of all the teams so far at this World Cup.Quotes”A lot of Australian teams, when they’re backed into a corner, play their best cricket. We find ourselves in a corner early on in this tournament, but we’ve got to come out and put in a really good performance against Sri Lanka.”

Rodrigo De Paul has lifted the lid on the powerful influence Lionel Messi exerts on those around him, praising the Argentina captain’s ability to lead through action rather than words. The Atletico Madrid midfielder offered rare insight into Messi’s understated authority while also hinting that their on-field chemistry might soon be rekindled, this time in the MLS with Inter Miami.

Messi & De Paul share a close bondAtletico midfielder lavished praise on forwardHinted that move to Inter Miami might be on the cardsFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

De Paul and Messi share an incredible camaraderie as they have stood shoulder to shoulder in Argentina’s most historic footballing moments, winning the Copa América in 2021 and then conquering the world at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. The midfielder is also often seen socialising with Messi off the pitch, and recent speculation suggests that he might soon link up with his close friend in the United States.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportWHAT DE PAUL SAID

Describing Messi’s leadership style, De Paul explained how the former Barcelona star quietly commands respect without uttering a word. In an interview with , he said: "He doesn’t speak a lot, but his actions set the tone. If lunch is at 1 pm, he’s already there before 1. Without saying a word, he creates discipline."

The pair’s connection transcends verbal instructions. On the pitch, a glance is often enough for them to read each other’s intent and adjust accordingly.

"Sometimes we just look at each other and know what’s needed to reorganise the team. It makes the process more fluid," he said.

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Inter Miami are reportedly actively pursuing a deal for De Paul, whose contract with Atletico Madrid expires in 2026. While no final agreement has been reached, talks are reportedly progressing. Atletico are open to letting De Paul leave this summer if the right offer arrives.

However, one of the major hurdles in facilitating high-profile signings in MLS is adhering to the league's salary cap structure. De Paul would either need to join on a salary of around $850,000, within the league's standard budget parameters, or Inter Miami would have to clear a Designated Player (DP) slot to accommodate him at a higher wage. However, the midfielder has insisted that money will not be the driving force behind his next move, hinting that a transfer across the Atlantic might be on the cards.

"At one point I told Racing, ‘I just want to play the Copa Libertadores. Don’t pay me.’ I wasn’t looking for money. I just wanted to be in a place where I felt wanted," he said.

"Sometimes it’s not about the financial side. It’s how a club makes you feel. When Udinese gave me the No. 10 shirt, the same number Di Natale wore, I felt they trusted me. That matters more than a contract. I’ve worked hard, of course, but I’m not motivated by money. I need to feel valued. That’s what pushes me."

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR INTER MIAMI?

Amid their ongoing efforts to build a dominant team around Messi, bringing in someone like De Paul, who understands the Argentine icon pretty well, could be a game-changer. The Herons will be back in action against Cincinnati in a midweek fixture in the MLS.

Johnson called Bailey’s inference to his mental health ‘pretty disgusting’

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Dec-20231:30

Bailey: ‘Ultimately, Warner is in our best XI’

Mitchell Johnson says he had received a “pretty bad” text message from David Warner earlier in the year which in part prompted his attack on Australia’s Test opener in his column while he called chairman of selectors George Bailey’s response “quite disgusting”.Johnson set off an extraordinary public slanging match among the former Australia team-mates when he penned an article in the querying why Warner was getting a hero’s send-off in Test cricket despite his substandard form and whether chair of selectors Bailey was too close to the players.Bailey was asked to respond to Johnson’s article during a press conference after Australia’s Test squad for the first Test against Pakistan was announced on Sunday and said “I hope he’s okay.”Related

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Warner has not reacted publicly but his manager James Erskine spoke on radio on Monday and said Johnson was entitled to his opinion but thought it was “a bit sad” to see ex-cricketers criticising the current players.Usman Khawaja defended Warner and called Johnson’s criticism of Bailey “harsh” while a host of ex-Australia players and coaches had had their say on the furore in various media outlets.Johnson then spoke on his podcast , hosted by journalist Bharat Sundaresan, on Tuesday and claimed that the foundation of his attack on Warner had come from a text message he had received in April following another article Johnson wrote where he had queried both Warner’s form and Candice Warner’s public defence of her husband’s Test place on a Fox Sports television show .”I got a message from Dave, which was quite personal,” Johnson said. “I tried to ring to try and talk to him about it, which I’ve always been open to. I know I’ve been open to the guys when I finished playing. I said if I’m in the media and writing things or saying things that you don’t like, just come and speak to me.”It was never a personal thing then until this point. This is probably what drove me to write the article as well, part of it. It was definitely a factor. Some of the stuff that was said in that, I won’t say it. I think that’s up to Dave to say it if he wants to talk about it. There was some stuff in there that was extremely disappointing, what he said, and pretty bad to be honest.”Former team-mates Mitchell Johnson and George Bailey have fallen out•Getty ImagesJohnson went on to state that his attack on Bailey had also been sparked in part by an overnight text message he had received from Australia’s chairman of selectors after another article he wrote recently where he queried why Western Australia quick Lance Morris had been withdrawn from a Sheffield Shield game to manage his workloads ahead of the Test summer.”He had sent me a message after the Lance Morris article that I wrote,” Johnson said. “It was just a little bit condescending. When you receive it at all hours of the morning, it was pretty disappointing.”Johnson was also furious at Bailey’s response to his article on Sunday, which he interpreted as a reference at his mental health.”To ask if I’m okay because I’ve had mental health issues is pretty much downplaying my article and putting it on mental health, which is quite disgusting, I think,” Johnson said.”It’s basically having a dig at someone’s mental health and saying that I must have something going on, a mental health issue has made me say what I have said. That’s not the truth. That’s completely the opposite. I’m actually clear-minded.”I’m okay. I want to make sure everyone knows that I’m okay and I’m actually in a good headspace.”I’m not angry, I’m not jealous. I’m just writing a piece that I felt like I needed to write. I probably was set off by getting a message from him at all hours of the morning and not having the respect to make a phone call.Mitchell Johnson and David Warner played together for six years•Getty Images”I wouldn’t say I was hurt by the messages. I was disappointed and it was unexpected. It probably just threw me off a bit.”The thing I struggle with the most is not having those phone calls. I would prefer to have a conversation with those guys face-to-face or over the phone. Preferably face-to-face would be the best way to do it. So to get those messages were to me, very disrespectful.”Johnson took full ownership of the article even though it was written in conjunction with a ghostwriter from the . He said his only regret was not withdrawing a line in the piece suggesting “Bunnings would sell out of sandpaper” if fans were asked to bring something to wave for Warner’s farewell.”It was probably distasteful and something that I think didn’t need to be said,” Johnson said. “Apart from that, it’s all proof read and I sign off on it.”I did come up with this myself. This was something that popped into my head early in the week that I wanted to speak about. And I actually gave myself a few days to go through it.”I’m not looking for attention. It’s just my opinion and how I see it.”

India batter has been out of action since injuring his ankle in South Africa

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Jan-2024India batter Suryakumar Yadav has had surgery on his groin in Munich on January 17 for a sports hernia, a condition that worsened over time and required medical intervention. This is the second surgery he has had in recent months after the one for an ankle injury he suffered during India’s tour of South Africa in December.”I want to thank everyone for their concerns and well wishes for my health, and I am happy to tell you all that I will be back very soon,” he said in a post on X after the surgery. Suryakumar had been in Bengaluru until a week ago for rehab for the ankle surgery and he is likely to begin rehab after the groin surgery in mid-February. He is likely to return to action in IPL 2024, which is set to begin in the third week of March.Suryakumar had been named India’s T20I captain for the three-match series in South Africa in Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya’s absence. He scored 56 off 36 balls in the second T20I in Gqeberha on December 12 and 100 off 56 balls in the third T20I in Johannesburg on December 14.While he was not part of India’s ODI squad for the subsequent three-match series in South Africa, he was unavailable for selection for the recent T20I series at home against Afghanistan because of his injuries.India beat Afghanistan 3-0 in their last T20I series before the 2024 T20 World Cup starting in June in the USA and the West Indies. The final match of the series in Bengaluru was the first T20 international in history to be decided after two Super Overs.