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After two sensational first seasons in Europe, the Canada international has now become the first million pound player in the women's game

Just months after Naomi Girma became the first million dollar player in the women's game, the sport has delivered another milestone, with Olivia Smith usurping the Chelsea defender at the top of the most expensive transfers list by becoming the first million pound player in history.

For some, Smith will not be a particularly familiar name. Still only 20 years old, she has just finished her first season in England's Women's Super League with a Liverpool side that finished in the bottom half of the table. It was only her second campaign in the senior professional game, too, after she decided to end her time at college in the United States prematurely in search of a path that suited her better.

Yet, Arsenal have seen plenty. The Gunners, the reigning European champions, have completed a £1 million ($1.35m) deal for the Canada international as she swaps Merseyside for north London. Why do Arsenal value her so highly? What will she bring to the table? Is she worth such an incredible fee?

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  Where it all began

  Smith started playing football at the age of three and, after turning out for some local teams as a young girl, she would soon join the Canadian national team programme in the Ontario region. There, she would constantly excel at levels well beyond her age, so much so that, at 15, she became the youngest player in the history of the Canada women's national team.

  "She can do so much already," then-head coach Kenneth Heiner-Moller said after granting Smith her senior debut in a clash with Brazil. "She can already perform at a level that's beyond what you could think a kid her age could actually do. So it's about taking very, very good care of her, but also pushing her."

  Smith would soon take the traditional North American route of college, committing to Florida State University. However, a change of coach would prompt her to transfer to Penn State instead and, then, after just one season, she decided to opt for a different path altogether. She went pro.

  Believing that the style of play in the U.S. didn't suit her, the forward decided to cross the pond and sign for Sporting CP. There, she would quickly make a serious impact, so much so that Liverpool signed her for a club-record fee a year later. It was form that caught the eye back home, too, with Smith's four-year wait for a recall to the senior national team also ending in a season that saw her named Player of the Year in the Portuguese top-flight.

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  The big break

  Coming into a high-profile competition like the WSL allowed Smith's talent to grab more headlines and earn much more attention. It helped that she regularly turned up in the big fixtures, too, most notably Liverpool's win over Manchester United at Anfield and the FA Cup shock that the Reds produced against Arsenal. At the end of her first season in England, the 20-year-old had seven goals, plus another couple in cup competitions, from 20 games in a team that finished in the bottom half of the table.

  "She needed to go somewhere where she knew she would be important, she would play and I think she's been smart about that, at Sporting and then at Liverpool. I think it's been good for her," Mariana Cabral, Smith's coach in Portugal, told GOAL earlier this year, before adding, with a laugh: "I would already say that she is ready for bigger steps, but one thing at a time!"

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  How it's going

  That bigger step is here in the form of Arsenal, with the £1m transfer having been made official, and it feels like the right-sized move for Smith, again. The Gunners are a massive power in the women's game, winning the Champions League less than two months ago, but there will also be opportunities for the forward to get minutes right away in a squad that isn't too big.

  After settling into the WSL last term, the switch would see Smith exposed to a higher level of expectation, higher stakes matches in competitions like the Champions League and she'll have a serious chance of winning some of the top honours. That would help her development massively, all while she continues to establish herself more firmly in the picture with Canada, two years out from the next World Cup.

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  Biggest strengths

  In Smith, Arsenal will pick up an incredibly exciting forward who can play as a striker or a No.10, but is certainly at her best out wide. There, she has the freedom to run at defenders and make things happen, showcasing her wonderful skill, dribbling abilities and crossing, as well as her eye for goal. "She's also an intelligent girl, so you talk to her, tell her you need to do this or that and she adjusts and she does it," Cabral added.

  The Canada international isn't just an asset with her technical excellence and attacking prowess, either. She has a marvellous work rate and will not shirk her defensive responsibilities. That only six players in the WSL won possession back more often in the final third last year is evidence of how that can be of use in a team's pressing.

  Perhaps most significant of all, given she has become the first million-pound player in the women's game and joined a huge club, is that she has a fantastic attitude. Wise beyond her years and with a good head on her shoulders, Smith is regarded as a dream to coach and someone who never forgets those who have helped her along her journey.

She praised Ayanda Hlubi and Eliz-mari Marx, who shared four wickets, and said they would go on to have ‘massive careers’

Ekanth07-Feb-2024Marizanne Kapp showed she is an all weather, all-conditions and all-situations match-winner yet again with a player-of-the-match performance in Sydney that took South Africa over the line against Australia for the first time in their ODI history, and she knows the significance of this result.”It’s a proud moment,” Kapp said, “not only for me but for South African cricket as a whole. We all know we’ve never beaten Australia in a one-day game. So, to be able to perform and help my team over the line is a massive achievement for me.”It wasn’t straightforward as South Africa’s innings was hit by a couple of rain breaks in the middle overs, after they were sent in to bat. Kapp wasn’t always comfortable but that didn’t stop her from grinding away to 75 off 87 balls, which carried the visitors to a healthy total of 229 in a shortened 45-over innings.Related

• Kapp's stunning all-round display secures South Africa another famous win

“At first it was okay,” she said, “but then I probably got a little bit annoyed because I was worried that the wicket might get too wet and it might make things difficult later on. I definitely felt like at the back end when I batted it got really tough, one or two balls really sprung at me especially off a length.”I knew It was gonna be tough. In saying that, I knew Australia would have to bat on it as well. So it was something that went both ways.”But this was Australia, a team that has sustained long-term excellence thanks to their talent and professionalism. However, this was also a team in transition. They no longer had Meg Lanning, who had led them from the front for nearly a decade. And while they still boasted a strong side, they didn’t carry that air of invincibility. There’s another side to the story though, and it’s not all that bad.”There’s definitely a change and I’ve mentioned it previously as well,” Kapp said of Australia. “Losing someone like Lanning, you’re never going to be able to replace her, not her captaincy and I don’t think her batting as well. I remember too many games where we had Australia in trouble and she came in to bat and she saved them. So, yeah, I think everyone’s catching up a bit around the world. Even your Associate teams are picking up against your lower-ranked teams. It’s good for the women’s game. It’s a lot more challenging and, hopefully, this can continue.”Ayanda Hlubi dismissed Ellyse Perry for her first ODI wicket•Getty Images

South Africa themselves are an evolving side looking to fill the void left by Shabnim Ismail, who drew curtains on a 16-year-old career last year. Apart from Kapp and Nadine de Klerk, no bowler in their side has picked up more than five wickets with an average below 30 since her retirement. It led to some introspection and soul-searching within the side.”We had a [the] odd chat,” Kapp said. “I feel like, a lot of times, we don’t wanna speak straight and say it as it is, and we had that chat. We asked the whole squad to just to go to your room, look at yourself a bit and come back with [answers]. It’s always easy to say, ‘it was tough conditions or they really bowled well,’ but we also bowl well. You have to try things and you have to be positive. I feel like, today, we were a little bit better at that.”After a thumping in Adelaide, they brought in young blood to strengthen their bowling despite the series being on the line. Nineteen-year-old Ayanda Hlubi was handed an ODI debut and 21-year-old Eliz-mari Marx came in as well. The duo repaid the team’s faith by sharing four wickets, including big guns Ellyse Perry and Ashleigh Gardner.”I’m relieved, I’m not gonna lie.” Kapp said of the two youngsters joining the attack. “It meant I could ease off a little bit. They’re two upcoming youngsters. I love the way they bowl. I’ve seen them in the nets. It’s a big thing to come for them in their career.”It obviously helps when you get a wicket like this to bowl on. But they’ve been been brilliant. I feel like they have massive careers ahead of them. For now, it’s big boots to fill. We all know how good Shabi is and she is missed, I’m not gonna lie, she is missed, but it’s good to see different bowlers picking up their hands.”The conditions were tricky and South Africa managed to get over the line this time. What if it happens again in two days’ time in the series decider? Kapp not only dismissed those concerns but also welcomed the challenge.”I think it’s probably the rain that made it so tough,” she said. “I think it’s usually a flat wicket, it’s very good for batting. It was one of those days where it got a little bit too wet and it moved around a bit. So I feel like it’ll probably be a little bit flatter the next game. But that’s cricket. Look, as an allrounder I get so annoyed when we keep on playing on these flat and low wickets. You want wickets like this where you need a little bit more skill and it brings the bowlers into the game as well.”

Cristiano Ronaldo wants Al-Nassr to pursue a move for Chelsea left-back Marc Cucurella.

• Ronaldo offers Al-Nassr transfer advice
• Saudi Pro League side set to sign Joao Felix
• Want another Chelsea star as well

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Marca journalist Jose Felix Diaz reports that Ronaldo wants Cucurella to join Al-Nassr. The news comes after the Saudi club agreed the transfer of Joao Felix from Chelsea for an initial fee of €30m (£26m/$35m). That deal could eventually rise to €50m, as per Fabrizio Romano, who reports the deal has "add-ons and a significant sell-on clause".

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Cucurella has become a key part of Chelsea's starting XI in the past few years, after an initial battle for game-time with Ben Chilwell after joining from Brighton in 2022. The Spanish left back made 54 appearances in all competitions for the Blues last term, including 36 games in the Premier League.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Cucurella is under contract until June 2028, placing the west London side under no real pressure to sell. A firm favourite of his manager Enzo Maresca and the Stamford Bridge faithful, there will is little indication that Chelsea will sell.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  CR7 will likely have to be content with one ex-Blue making the switch to the SPL. Felix will become an Al-Nassr player upon the completion of his medical. This move represents a fresh start for a talented player that failed to make good on his immense promise. The same certainly cannot be said of Cucurella who continues to thrive in west London.

Inside Cricket assembled a panel of ten experts, including Dennis Lillee and Greg and Ian Chappell, to choose the best Australian Test XI from 1995 to 2005

Adam Burnett30-Nov-2005

The XI 1 Matthew Hayden, 2 Mark Taylor (capt), 3 Ricky Ponting, 4 Mark Waugh, 5 Steve Waugh, 6 Adam Gilchrist, 7 Ian Healy, 8 Shane Warne, 9 Jason Gillespie, 10 Craig McDermott, 11 Glenn McGrath.The openers
“The opening batsmen spots were tricky – talk about spoilt for choice,” says the former New Zealand opener Mark Richardson. Plenty agreed, but in the end, one player was drawn from each of two of the most successful opening partnerships of all time. Matthew Hayden was the most popular choice to head the Australian batting line-up; his dominance of bowling all over the world for a sustained period – combined with his overall record – proved irresistible for eight of the panellists.Mark Taylor was preferred next, finding his way into half the sides. Terry Jenner described Taylor as “the best Australian captain since Ian Chappell,” while Chappell himself cited Taylor’s catching ability as another factor in his favour. Justin Langer received four votes and Michael Slater three. The fact this pair missed out is indicative of the talent Australia has had at the top of the order in recent times.No. 3
The No. 3 position came down to a battle between Tasmania’s two favourite sons. Greg Chappell and Darren Berry selected David Boon to fill what many perceive as the most demanding batting position. And both chose Boon’s successor of Tasmanian pride, Ricky Ponting, at No. 4, as did Dennis Lillee. Yet the current Australian captain fills the No. 3 spot. “His ability to dominate bowlers either on the front or back foot is peerless in the current game,” says Jenner, while Geoff Lawson acknowledges Ponting’s brilliance in the field would add further quality to the side. Nos 4 and 5
If there’s a sniff of class in the top three, the side is positively reeking of it by the time we get through to No. 6. Ponting’s three votes at No. 4 were automatically ruled out and the only other selection at second drop was Mark Waugh. “Wonderful to watch his batting,” says Lawson. “Simply class,” enthused Richardson. “For pure entertainment it is impossible to go past the junior Waugh’s stylishly effortless batting,” adds Jenner. Only Darren Berry wielded the selection axe on the gifted New South Welshman.As with Ponting, Steve Waugh collected votes from all panellists, from positions three to six. He was favoured most heavily at No. 5 and his ability to be cool in a crisis, as well as his ruthless and determined attitude, were the major reasons given for Waugh’s inclusion. In fact, “an automatic selection” was generally the only comment given – or needed – regarding Australia’s most successful skipper.Nos 6 and 7
The final middle-order place came down to a choice of two. Damien Martyn narrowly missed selection but our panel opted to play Adam Gilchrist at No. 6 and relieve him of the wicketkeeping duties. Ian Healy, with five votes at No. 7, pipped Martyn’s four and sneaked, shifting Gilchrist, whose ten votes were evenly divided at six and seven, up the order.”Healy is the best keeper and it’s a specialist position,” says Ian Chappell, “plus he was no slouch as a batsman. However, Gilchrist is such a devastating batsman that he’s ideal for the No. 6 slot, where a match can be won by a couple of hours of scintillating stroke play.”

No. 8
Guess who? The bamboozling leggie SK Warne was a walk-up starter with comments such as “the best spinner in the game’s history,” from Lawson being the prevailing wisdom. The next creator of controversy was Warne’s brilliant back-up and sometimes-spinning sidekick, Stuart MacGill. Could a side with the Waugh twins at their peak go into battle with two quicks and two spinners? Four experts thought so. “MacGill’s numbers [169 wickets at 27] are hard to ignore,” said Jim Maxwell. “Most teams can’t play legspin, so why not have two?” Lawson asked. Yet, much like his real life story, MacGill was consigned to the bench.Nos 9 and 10
The first two of the three quicks – Jason Gillespie and Craig McDermott. Gillespie’s 251 wickets at 26 are outstanding and this was acknowledged by our panellists. “At his best, Gillespie was on a par with Warne for difficulty of handling,” says Richardson. McDermott’s feats as Australia’s spearhead early in his career and then at the start of this era were rewarded by six panellists, earning him selection just ahead of MacGill. Brett Lee, who was favoured ahead of Gillespie by Lillee, Michael Kasprowicz and Damien Fleming all received votes yet the men with the most wickets on the board – 542 between them – got the nod.No. 11
The final member of the side received all 10 votes. McGrath takes the honour of receiving the new ball and leaving Gillespie and McDermott to share it with him. “His record speaks for itself,” Lawson said, while others were quick to highlight his absence as the key reason why Australia lost two Ashes Tests in 2005.The leader
The selection of a captain was also a close call. Mark Taylor was elected skipper in every side in which he appeared. Steve Waugh received four nominations and Mark Nicholas deemed Shane Warne worthy of the honour. “Ideally, Warne’s inventive and attacking cricket brain would captain this team, which is a choice of personal favourites rather than anything else,” Nicholas says. With five votes Taylor, the man who led Australia into the era, takes up the reins.Selectors Dennis Lillee, Ian Chappell, Greg Chappell, Mark Nicholas, Terry Jenner, Geoff Lawson, Mark Richardson, Darren Berry, Dean Jones, Jim Maxwell.

Sri Lanka’s 78-run defeat against South Africa leaves them on the brink of being eliminated from the Champions Trophy, but all isn’t lost for them yet

S Rajesh24-Oct-2006

Sri Lanka’s 78-run defeat against South Africa leaves them on the brink of being eliminated from the Champions Trophy, but all isn’t lost for them yet. Since they have played all three matches in the group, the situation isn’t in their hands any more, but if other results pan out well, Sri Lanka might still make it to the semi-finals.For that to happen, though, Pakistan will need to win both their remaining matches, which will put them on top of the group with six points, leaving New Zealand, South Africa and Sri Lanka with one win each. In such a case, the net run rate will decide which team joins Pakistan in the semi-finals.Currently, Sri Lanka’s NRR of -0.195 is below that of South Africa (-0.090) and New Zealand (0.414). For them to make it, Sri Lanka will have to hope that Pakistan demolish South Africa and New Zealand by big enough margins to make their NRR drop below Sri Lanka’s.In fact, South Africa’s NRR is so marginally above Sri Lanka’s that even a narrow defeat against Pakistan will be a huge setback – if, for example, Pakistan score 250 and South Africa lose by 30 runs, their NRR will still drop to -0.26.For Sri Lanka to beat New Zealand’s NRR, though, they’ll need greater help from Pakistan. If Pakistan manage 250, they will have to restrict New Zealand to less than 189 for Sri Lanka to get through. Considering the way batsmen have struggled in this tournament, such a margin of defeat can hardly be ruled out. It’s not the ideal situation for Mahela Jayawardene and his team, but it’s hardly time yet to pack their bags and head home.

There may be little for Pakistan to play for in Jaipur, apart from the
clichéd pride and a morale-boosting win going into the first Test

George Binoy16-Nov-2007

There may be little for Pakistan to play for in Jaipur, apart from the
clichéd pride and a morale-boosting win going into the first Test, but the touring batsmen will have to rally
together to match a confident Indian line-up and avoid a 4-1 defeat in the
one-day series.Though Shoaib Malik blamed defeat in Gwalior on his opening bowlers failing to
rein in a vintage Sachin Tendulkar, the initiative had been lost earlier in
the day, when their batsmen failed to bat around Mohammad Yousuf, who was left
stranded on 99.Yousuf had a strike-rate of around 90 throughout his innings and formed
substantial partnerships of 51 for the third wicket with Younis Khan, and 94 for
the fifth wicket with Misbah-ul-Haq. Pakistan had another steady partnership
when Malik added 78 for the second wicket with Younis but they didn’t score 300 because the set batsmen got out
precisely when it was time to accelerate.Malik tried to up the ante and was bowled by Zaheer Khan. Yousuf joined
Younis and began to efficiently anchor the innings. The ideal blueprint
would have been for the batsmen at the other end to play the aggressor while
Yousuf built his innings at a run-a-ball. However, both Younis and Misbah
lost their wickets when the partnership was just lifting off the ground.
Shahid Afridi’s failure to fire also left Yousuf in a familiar dilemma; whether to
risk his wicket trying to accelerate, or continue the anchor role and
see Pakistan through to a reasonable total. As it turned out, Pakistan
finished with 255, a difficult total to defend under normal, dewy conditions
and impossible with Tendulkar on a rampage.

Gwalior wasn’t the first time the batsmen failed to support Yousuf in the
series. In the first game in Guwahati, Yousuf scored 82 off 88 balls on a
sluggish pitch but received little support and, at Kanpur, Salman Butt
batted nearly 47 overs for his hundred but Pakistan still fell short by 46 runs.Treating the batting order like a pack of cards after each match hasn’t helped either. Kamran Akmal opened in the first two games but
was shunted to No. 7 and 8 in Kanpur and Mohali. Afridi was promoted to
open in the third ODI after batting at No. 5 and 7 in the first two. He was
pushed back to No. 5 in Gwalior while Malik put on the opener’s boots after
batting at No. 5 and 6 in the first three games.It doesn’t just sound chaotic. It was.Butt has called for openers to be identified and persisted with but that
ideology should apply to the rest of the order too. Making a policy change
for a final one-day match of a series might seem like too much trouble ahead of
the Test series but if Pakistan were to plot out a batting plan with more
stability rather than flexibility, bordering on instability, they could
perhaps take some positives out of this one-day series after all.Their batsmen, free of pressure in Jaipur, playing clearly defined roles –
the opener, the anchor, the aggressor, the finisher – while allowing for
changes according to the match situation, might just bring out the chutzpah
that’s been sorely missed.Things might not go according to plan, but you do need a plan.

Deccan, down, out and lost even for good excuses, Delhi’s sense of relief soured by the stone-throwing buffoon. Some days, no one wins

Cricinfo staff15-May-2008

Less than a day after Glasgow Rangers supporters went on the rampage in Manchester, it was the Delhi Daredevils’ turn to reflect on moronic behaviour from so-called fans. The game was tantalisingly poised, with the Deccan Chargers needing 24 from 11 balls and the in-form Venugopal Rao on strike. At that moment, Virender Sehwag ran in from the boundary to speak to Brian Jerling, the umpire. There was a lengthy delay, with no one quite sure what was going on. Only later, at the post-match press conference, did the reason come forth.”It’s a matter of shame that something like this happened in Delhi,” said Sehwag. “And that too a stone thrown at a Delhi player.” When asked about the identity of the player, he said: “Virender Sehwag”. Perhaps the imbecile who threw the projectile was grumpy about zeroes in consecutive matches, including Thursday night, and he clearly didn’t have the powers of recall to remember the thrilling knocks that had inspired Delhi to victory earlier in the competition.The sordid incident wiped the smile off Sehwag’s face, though there was considerable satisfaction at ending a four-match drought. With three more home games to play on a surface that suits their hard-hitting batsmen, Delhi are once again in the semi-final shake-up.As well as the batsmen played today though, it was the bowlers that pulled this one out of the fire. The headlines on Friday may well be about Amit Mishra’s hat-trick, but no self-respecting bowler is likely to boast about the scalps of Ravi Teja, Pragyan Ojha and RP Singh. Instead, Mishra will take immense pride in the two early interventions that utterly changed the complexion of the game.Despite the loss of Adam Gilchrist, brilliantly caught by Tillakaratne Dilshan off the bowling of his old comrade, Glenn McGrath; Shahid Afridi and Herschelle Gibbs appeared intent on showing an increasingly glum crowd just what they were capable of, racing to 50 from just 4.1 overs. Even the redoubtable McGrath got a pasting, and Delhi were punch-drunk and reeling when Sehwag tossed the ball to Mishra.The first delivery revealed the ugly side of Afridi. For all the boom-boom strokeplay, shot selection has never been his strength, and a impetuous hoick was sliced behind point. With Gautam Gambhir off the field, Delhi’s fielding was boosted by the presence of AB de Villiers, and his catch, while running backwards, turned the tide.In Mishra’s next over, Gibbs, who had briefly played like the man of Wanderers-175 fame rather than the IPL imposter, charged forward like the Light Brigade. And despite beautiful cameos from Rohit Sharma and Rao, that was effectively that. Rohit might well think about the wisdom of playing the worst shot in the game, the infamous Misbah scoop, to a die-straight ball from Farveez Maharoof, while Rao once again failed to
take his team over the line after some thrilling four-and-six hitting.Delhi’s batting still resembles Chesty Morgan of 1970s fame, but after a couple of games
of underachievement, the top-order once again did the business. Gambhir is fast becoming a master of this cricket genre, playing to his strengths with genuine aplomb. He strikes the cross-bat shots as well as any Indian, and his footwork to the spinners was also hugely impressive.Sehwag’s blob didn’t hurt them either, with Shikhar Dhawan once again showing off his maturity and tremendous bat speed. Whether it was hustling the ball through the covers or whipping it off the pads to fine leg, he struck it with such a punch that even fielders in the vicinity didn’t bother to chase. The quick thrashes from Maharoof and Dilshan at the end were a nice little bonus.Gilchrist laughingly called this losing run “good for the soul”, but he wasn’t smiling when he spoke about Delhi’s use of substitute fielders. Mohammad Asif, who looked well short of form and fitness, went off and then came back on to bowl, prompting Gilchrist to say: “I think I should express my concern. If a bowler’s fit enough to bowl, he’s fit enough to
field.” He cited the catches taken by de Villiers and Shoaib Malik [who came on for Asif], but his insinuations about Delhi bending the rules evoked a sharp response from Sehwag.”It was an external injury [split webbing on his hand] that Asif had,” said Sehwag. “You can check the rules. When blood is being spilled, the umpires allow you to go off and then come back on. If they have no problem, neither should Gilchrist.”That pretty much summed up the mood of the evening. Deccan, down, out and lost even for good excuses, Delhi’s sense of relief soured by the stone-throwing buffoon. Some days, no one wins.

In a five-part preview series, Cricinfo profiles the Super League teams

Cricinfo staff27-Oct-2008

Delhi

Delhi finally got it all together last year. One of the big anomalies of Indian domestic cricket – why the most talented team couldn’t win the Ranji Trophy – was eliminated. And unlike the last three champions – Railways were relegated during their title defence, Uttar Pradesh and Mumbai just about avoided the ignominy, Delhi seem to have the required class and stability to take themselves to the next level.While there is a change in the leadership – Aakash Chopra takes over from Mithun Manhas as the captain, most of the other personnel is the same this time. What they will look forward to is the comeback of the mercurial Ashish Nehra, who did well in the IPL. They can also look forward to a good draw too – the dangerous teams in their group being Saurashtra, semi-finalists last year, and Mumbai. Punjab, Rajasthan, Orissa and Hyderabad are strictly dangerous floaters. They play four away matches, and three at home. Feroz Shah Kotla, though, will be available for only one of those.Vijay Dahiya, the coach, knows the team well, and worked wonders for them in the season just after his retirement. He will want to do more of the same this year, a year when after a long time Delhi will start the favourites.What they did last season
It was an almost perfect season for Delhi last year. And even when it was not perfect, they managed to escape without burns. They were bowled out for 119 on the first day of the Ranji Trophy, but came back to clean Rajasthan up for 89, and win the match by 172 runs. In their fourth match, against Himachal Pradesh, when they were bowled out for 75 in the first innings, they managed to hold on for a draw, while following on.They managed crushing victories against Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu, and also first-innings points against Saurashtra and Mumbai, which took them to the semi-finals. The fighting spirit resurfaced in the knockouts. In the semi-final, Gautam Gambhir led a 272-run chase in the final innings. In the final, Chopra and Rajat Bhatia scored centuries to take them from 36 for 4 to 290, still a 52-run first-innings deficit. Another Gambhir century in the second innings took Delhi to the title, their first in 16 years.Five of Delhi’s batsmen crossed 500 runs – Chopra, Gambhir, Bhatia, Mithun Manhas and Shikhar Dhawan. Two of them – Chopra and Gambhir – crossed 700, and were also Nos 2 and 3 respectively on overall run-getters’ list. Bhatia more than chipped in with the ball, taking 26 wickets at an average of 12.65. The 17-year-old Pradeep Sangwan was Delhi’s main strike bowler, with 33 wickets at 19.24.Men to watch
Nehra, just for endearment value, should be the man to watch out for. He has spent two seasons unfit, and in and out of the team, but his comeback during the IPL was superb. Whether he can carry it to a format where he will be bowling 20 overs by himself during a day will
be interesting to see. Virat Kohli, who led India U-19 to the World Cup triumph last year, is definitely the one for the future – for Delhi, and possibly for India. Dhawan would want to carry on from his last season’s form too. And then there are the strong seasoned heads for Delhi: Bhatia, one of the most valuable allrounders on the domestic circuit, Chopra, and Manhas.

Orissa

Orissa were the surprise package in Group B in 2007-08, winning two successive games to upset everybody’s calculations. However, they failed to extend their dream run and crashed out in stunning fashion against Punjab before the semi-finals. Orissa have a new coach, Venkatapathy Raju, the former Indian spinner, and they should hope to do better than last season. Orissa have retained Shiv Sunder Das, the former India opener, as captain. Das replaced Pravanjan Mullick during the previous season to help the side retain its place in the Super League. Most of Orissa’s performances still revolve around Das and Debasis Mohanty, easily the two most recognisable faces in the team, but with no players lost to the ICL, the side needs its youngsters to step up.What they did last season
Orissa finished fourth in Group B last season, winning two games out of six. Their first match was an innings defeat to Uttar Pradesh and after losing a thriller to Andhra in round three, after the fourth round they sat at the bottom. Then they got into form with an outright away win over Hyderabad, followed by a six-wicket win over Bengal with more than a day and a half to spare. Suddenly Orissa had ten points from four matches. However, that seven-wicket loss to Punjab will sting; in their second innings, Orissa were bowled out for 76 – VRV Singh took a hat-trick – with the last nine entries on the scorecard reading 1, 0, 0, 0, 0, 4, 6, 0, 0*. Orissa signed off their season with a draw against Baroda.Statistically, Das was again Orissa’s highest run-getter with 394 at 39.40, with one hundred. Coming in at second was Pinninti Jayachandra with 286 at 31.77. There were only three centuries all season, indicative of Orissa’s failure to go deep. As for the bowlers, Debasis Mohanty finished with 30 while his namesake, Basanth, had 20. Preetamjit Das, a left-arm medium-pacer, came in third with 15.Men to watch
Mohanty, at 32, remains Orissa’s leader of the pack. His assets remain an ability to control his swing – this did it for Bengal last season – and the experience he brings to the side is invaluable. Like Das, another player with national experience, Mohanty’s success could well dictate how Orissa progress in 2008-09. Preetamjit, who took a five-wicket haul in his fifth first-class match, was steady without being spectacular last season and should get plenty of opportunities. Young Halhadar Das, the wicketkeeper, notched a maiden first-class century last season and was competent behind the stumps. He is one of the more promising Orissa players.

Railways

Three seasons ago, Railways stirringly came back from the brink of relegation to the national championship. That fairytale story made for plenty of copy in Indian journalist circles, and rightly so. Then came the descent: the next year they were relegated to the Plate League. They’re back in the Super League by virtue of making the Plate finals last season, and will need to be at the top of their game to avoid relegation again.Sanjay Bangar lead well last season in the absence of Murali Kartik, away on national duty, and his role with Railways will always be special. He topped the wickets tally with 38, 17 more than the next best, new-ball bowler Harvinder Singh, and also scored 293 runs from seven matches at 32.55. Railways’ batting clicked for most of the season: apart from their star, Bangar, Harshad Rawle, Mahesh Rawat, Sanjib Sanyal and Karan Sharma all scored over 300 runs at over 60.00. Life will be tougher in the Super League, so a repeat of such impressive numbers will be needed.Railways have plenty of experience in Bangar, Amit Pagnis, Raja Ali and Harvinder Singh, which should keep them in good stead as they aim to recapture at least a little bit of the glory years.What they did last season
Railways topped the Plate League’s Group B with three wins from five matches, without a loss. They began by routing Jammu & Kashmir by an innings and 88 runs in less than three days and their second win, over Jharkhand, also took three days. To enter the Super League, they managed a 45-run first-innings lead over Kerala in Nagpur and then denied Kerala’s best efforts to force a result. In the final Railways, led by Bangar’s six-wicket haul, fought valiantly on the final day but Gujarat hung on for a one-wicket win to become the Plate League champions. Bangar took eleven wickets in the match but was unable to prevent Gujarat from winning a nailbiter in Mumbai.Men to watch
As always, Bangar and Kartik will be relied on heavily. But there are some youngsters who Railways can turn to. One such is Rawle, who moved from Mumbai before last season and scored 528 runs from seven matches to help Railways get promoted. Mahesh Rawat, the wicketkeeper who switched from Haryana and also represented the Rajasthan Royals in the IPL, impressed too. His exposure to international players in the IPL may lift his game this year. Madan Yadav, a left-arm spinner, turned in parsimonious figures of 22.4-12-22-4 in the first innings against J&K and will need further such outings to support his seniors.

Ben Hilfenhaus bent the ball, toyed with batsmen and showed Australia they have a swing bowler they can start to depend on

Peter English at Lord's17-Jul-2009Ben Hilfenhaus was the fifth Australian fast bowler in line to play in this series but after three innings he has become the opposition’s most difficult prospect. It’s no surprise that a swing man is doing well in England and Hilfenhaus was tipped for this tour as far back as his new team’s previous Ashes success.There have been no huge hauls or bleeding batsmen, just regular movement at swift speed, challenging the batsmen to play or leave. In Cardiff, Kevin Pietersen was teased by the line and was bowled trying to let it pass; at Lord’s it was Andrew Strauss who looked foolish. In the opening over he lifted his bat out of the ball’s reach before it arced back into the off stump. Plenty of batsmen in Australia’s domestic scene have suffered that embarrassment so it has been satisfying for Hilfenhaus to know he can trick the game’s elite.With Mitchell Johnson unable to bowl two balls in the same spot and Peter Siddle looking sicker than the attack leader’s economy-rate, Australia needed to remove Strauss quickly to prevent the total inflating. Hilfenhaus trotted in, running and bowling faster than Terry Alderman in the 1980s, and fulfilled his team’s wish with the second delivery of the morning.In his following over he bowled Broad, playing on for 16, to have two breakthroughs in his first 12 balls. The final partnership hung around, extending his figures to 4 for 103 from 31 overs and preventing him from a maiden five-wicket haul, but it was his best display in five Tests. On the opening day Hilfenhaus out-thought Ravi Bopara, catching him lbw, and also removed Andrew Flintoff with an edge to second slip. Australia will rely on him again in the second innings, especially if the fitness problems with Siddle (illness) and Nathan Hauritz (dislocated finger) persist.Michael Hussey hasn’t been surprised by Hilfenhaus’ emergence in England and expects him to continue to do well. “He’s a workhorse, he loves bowling and the conditions over here really suit him,” he said. “He’s a genuine swinger of the ball and history suggests that people who do swing the ball can have success here. I was really disappointed for him and was hoping he could have got a five-for and his name on the honour board.”While some bowlers require perfect conditions to move the ball, or can do it in May but not June, Hilfenhaus has always been able to swing it. He never tried for curl, it just happened, and he has kept the gift despite back stress fractures. Due in the West Indies with the Test squad in 2008, he was held at home by injury and it was not until the series in South Africa earlier in the year that he was handed a baggy green.Seven wickets at 52.28 didn’t seem an appropriate return, but all his wickets were highly qualified batsmen. In two Tests in England he has more than doubled his tally, kick-starting his Ashes with five victims in Wales after sneaking in ahead of Stuart Clark.The fellow Tasmanians, Ricky Ponting and David Boon, a selector, have been strong supporters and given Hilfenhaus the belief he can succeed in the international arena. Life in Hobart, where he opens for the Tigers, assisted him in his first-class journey and there was cloud cover to encourage him on the second day. He bent the ball, toyed with batsmen and showed Australia they have a swing bowler they can start to depend on.

He picked up a bat as a refugee in Pakistan and Hamid Hassan’s life has been cricket, cricket, cricket ever since

Will Luke15-Apr-2009Hamid Hassan turns 22 in June. For a young man, he has already achieved the sort of dreams that many of his peers in Afghanistan might dismiss as outlandishly ambitious. Even foolish. Not only has he
visited Europe and stayed in “lovely, lovely” Britain, he has reached cricketing nirvana by playing at Lord’s. His aspirations jut as high as the rocky peaks of Bati’Kot in the eastern province of Nangarhar, near Jalalabad, where he grew up.Afghanistan’s improbable rise has been well documented. Less obvious is which among them have the talent to succeed for years to come. Hassan’s career has only just begun, but his whippy action and pace have already impressed the likes of MCC’s Head of Cricket, John Stephenson, and Mike Gatting and Robin Marlar, all of whom were won over by his natural ability to bowl quickly, and rushed him on to the Lord’s ground staff in 2006. He has been clocked at 90mph and, a few days ago was too quick for Ireland in the World Cup Qualifiers. Four were bowled in Hassan’s 5 for 23, his best figures, in Afghanistan’s greatest win.Like the once-potholed roads of Jalalabad, Hassan’s path has been predictably bumpy. As many of his team-mates have, Hassan’s family sought refuge in Pakistan – a journey trod by thousands, exemplified in its treacherousness in Khaled Hosseini’s .”We moved from Jalalabad when I was five or six. It became too unsafe. Really unsafe, with bombs and so on. Our house was shot at, too, but we all escaped. So, we moved to Peshawar. I saw cricket for the first time in Peshawar, in Tehkal. Boys playing on streets and roads – everywhere. And I just picked up a bat and started hitting balls. I didn’t know how to hold it, but I just wanted to play – hitting it like a baseball bat. From then on, life was cricket, cricket, cricket.”School got in the way, or tried to. His family were all bored by the game and unimpressed by his seemingly foolish ambition to forsake education for cricket. “I had to play in secret,” he says, with detectable pride. “My father always hated cricket. In an exam, I’d just write my name at the top and the date and throw it down and run away. My dad heard about me failing one or two papers, so I began revising from 2am until midnight.”But eventually my mum said ‘Okay, it’s your life, I won’t tell you any more.’ My father was always angry, but now he phones me and says: ‘Hi son. I am so proud of you.’ He phoned me last night after my five wickets changed the game [against Ireland], and he was so happy. ‘Do it again for Afghanistan, son. Do it for me.'”So impressed were his once-apathetic family that a few days ago, sweets were handed around his tiny hometown. “Our village boy took five wickets!” they sang. “They bought a huge lamb and gave it to all the poor people,” Hamid said.” They spent 100 dollars on it and then handed little bits around to everyone, as many poor people as they could. All in my name. It was incredible.”Like all parents, Hamid’s only want what is best for their son. They may not know or care that he learned reverse swing from one of his heroes. And his mother would certainly be more alarmed than proud that one of her sons nearly broke toes of several opposing batsmen a couple of years ago.

So impressed were Hassan’s once-apathetic family that a few days ago, sweets were handed around his tiny hometown. “Our village boy took five wickets!” they sang. “They bought a huge lamb and gave it to all the poor people”

“We played against MCC in Mumbai, March 23, 2006. I remember it well. It was the biggest day in my life. The ball was 20-overs old and I came on in training shoes. Flat shoes. Not spikes.”So I pitched it short, and the keeper went back a bit. And he kept going back. I pitched it up and hit some of them on the toes – four were injured. I finished with something like 2 for 8 from six or seven overs. When I finished the game, this friendly old man called me over. ‘Come here, son. How old are you? What are you doing?’ he asked. I was 19 or
something. He said: ‘Why are you bowling in these shoes? You have to try spikes’. I had only ever bowled in flat trainers. And he said I should come and learn cricket in England.”I didn’t know who he was. Maybe he was just a fan, just some Englishman watching the game. I thought he was just joking. Then I heard other players talk to him. ‘Hi, Mr Robin Marlar’, they say. And then I realised he was president of MCC – a big man. I was shocked.They invited all the players for dinner, and he called me over. ‘Hamid, come here, I want to talk to you alone.’ We spoke for 30 minutes about what I wanted from my life, if I wanted to play in England, and I said, ‘Of course, I’d love to.'”And so in 2006 he came to England and met his hero, Andrew Flintoff, while England and Pakistan practised at Lord’s. Even mentioning Flintoff’s name has Hassan shaking his head. “I learned reverse swing from him over those four days. When I first saw him, I was in shock – my mouth wide open. He had big hands – a heavy, huge person and brilliant bowler. A brilliant body and a good face, too – everything just like an English hero. So friendly, always smiling, always encouraging. ‘Good ball, buddy,’ he’d say.”I hit Monty Panesar on the helmet and broke it. He said, ‘You owe me 200 pounds, these things are expensive’. Well, I didn’t have any money, but luckily he was joking.”So impressed were they by his pace and control, MCC organised, and helped pay, for him to play Lancashire League cricket in 2007, with the help of Asif Mujtaba to translate, after Afghanistan’s maiden tour of England in 2006.”It was a trial game. The keeper was standing quite close. Mujtaba was umpiring and an MCC person was nearby. And the keeper said, ‘Yeah, not much pace here. He’s a bit slow.’ So Mujtaba turned round and said ‘Right, come on boy. You are Afghan. Fire up.’
So I fired in a quick one which smashed the wicketkeeper’s hands, and he threw off his gloves. I was timed last year at 90mph.”Surely, you’re joking Mr Umpire: Hassan appeals for all he’s worth in a World Cricket League game earlier this year•ICC/CricketEuropeEngland, he says, was not unlike the small district of Peshawar where he moved to as a small boy. Fruit is abundant in Tehkal, a green and lush land, where olive trees grow wild.”We saw England in films and movies, but it was so different. When I arrived, it was like seeing a film in colour for the first time, having watched it in black-and-white. Different people, culture, styles, everyone so nice. English people are very kind and friendly. I was playing in Rochdale: small hills, rolling little hills – green, so green everywhere. Lovely, lovely place. I spent five months there. I would love to go there again.”His family no longer hate cricket, now that they have begun to see the world through Hassan’s wide eyes. And Hassan’s ambitions are predictably lofty. “I want to be a future big international cricketer. I want the world to know me, to be famous. ‘Look, it’s Hamid,’ they might say.”Mostly, though, his mission is to spread the good name of Afghanistan, to break down the barriers of prejudice. “Everyone knows the country has had 30 years of war, with the Russians, the Americans. And still the Americans carry on…” A silent pause confirms his distaste for the current situation.”But hopefully we are showing the world we are a good team and a country of friendly, peaceful people. We are not what people say, when they say we only fight. We are also good cricketers and [have] good talent, and want to prove to the world Afghanistan is a country full of people like us. Insh’allah we will do that.”A few hours later, Afghanistan’s World Cup hopes lie in tatters after they are thumped by Canada. The team lay out prayer mats just inside the boundary rope, and most of the squad kneel in silent reflection while the Canadians whoop and cheer.Afghanistan may not reach the 2011 World Cup, but Hassan’s own personal future seems far more assured.