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Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has admitted that his side could be better at the back, with a move for a new defender a priority in the upcoming window

With the end of the season fast approaching, planning has begun at Manchester United for the next campaign and how Ole Gunnar Solskjaer can take his team from title challengers to real contenders.

Manchester City look set to run away with the 2020-21 Premier League trophy but United’s results – and some of their performances – this season have shown that perhaps with a couple of tweaks they could have what it takes to properly push for top spot.

There are arguments for strengthening in a number of positions but, with Covid-19 affecting finances, the club will unlikely be able to fund every single one of their targets.

One of the main priorities is a centre-back. Victor Lindelof has come under fire for his performances in recent weeks and there is not enough depth in the position. 

Solskjaer admitted ahead of his side’s clash against Chelsea this weekend that he wants to see defensive improvements from the whole team.

“We know we have scored a lot of goals and of course we need to be a better team defensively,” Solskjaer said. “We have conceded too many goals so we need to improve on that and winning tighter games.”

It is understood, therefore, that United are in the market for a central defender this summer. Here, Goal analyses the names they’ve looked at in the past, a wild card and a few candidates for the future to potentially solve their defensive dilemmas.

Also considered are a couple of in-house solutions should United fail to get the deal done. 

Getty ImagesJules Kounde – Sevilla

Kounde is one of the hottest defensive prospects in Europe and it’s hardly surprising United are interested in the 22-year-old.

Manchester City tried to land him last summer but ended getting up Ruben Dias instead after being put off by the price set by Sevilla. Afterwards, sporting director Monchi admitted that their price may have been inflated.

It will be interesting to see what kind of bid might prove to be acceptable this summer. A compromise would have to be reached as United would not be willing to pay over the odds, especially in the current climate.

Although Solskjaer is after a left-footed centre-back and Kounde is right-footed, he is comfortable on the left side and also fits the profile as a young, exciting player – the kind of player that the United boss wants to fill his side with.

Another positive is that he is able to play right-back. United have been looking at right-backs to provide competition for Aaron Wan-Bissaka. If budgets become a problem and decisions have to be made over which positions to prioritise that could prove to be a benefit.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesDavid Carmo – Braga

Portuguese defender Carmo is another who fits the profile as the kind of player Solskjaer is keen to have in his squad.

The 21-year-old centre-back, who has already been likened to Virgil van Dijk, also fits the bill in terms of being left-footed. He would compliment the right-footed centre-backs Solskjaer already has at his disposal.

Real Madrid are also believed to be keeping an eye on the Braga stopper, while he was briefly linked with Liverpool in the January window.

Carmo is currently recovering from a bad ankle injury suffered two weeks ago which saw him leave the pitch in an ambulance.

Nevertheless, he remains on Solskjaer’s watchlist.

Getty ImagesIbrahima Konate – RB Leipzig

Young Frenchman Ibrahima Konate is another hot prospect when it comes to centre-backs in Europe.

The RB Leipzig defender has been linked with the majority of the big Premier League clubs and has been monitored by United.

The 21-year-old has developed a good relationship with compatriot Dayot Upamecano and their success in Julian Nagelsmann's backline has led to interest from a variety of clubs.  

With Upamecano already agreeing to join Bayern Munich in the summer, it is hard to see Leipzig letting the other key man in their defence leave in the same window.

The fact that Konate has attracted attention from a number of clubs is even more striking given that he has missed a large chunk of this season through injury and has only started four times in the Bundesliga. 

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Getty ImagesRaphael Varane – Real Madrid

Compared to the other, younger candidates, Raphael Varane is heading towards the veteran category at 27 years old. That would not be seen as a negative though with Solskjaer having such a young dressing room.

The United boss has regularly spoken about the experience of older players helping to mould the younger generations and Varane has had plenty of experience at Real Madrid and also in winning the World Cup with France.

A proven winner, he’s out of contract in the summer of 2022 and has yet to agree an extension which could see him move on in the next window.

The United hierarchy are believed to be admirers and his key attributes would compliment captain Harry Maguire at the back.

With Socios.com providing an app for fans to have their say, Goal looks back at five major decisions that formed one of Europe’s elite

Every fan has the right to make their voice heard, wherever they are in the world.

And Socios.com offers you the chance to do exactly that. A first-of-its-kind mobile app for football fans, Socios gets you closer to the team you love by allowing you – the superfan – to vote on club-specific decisions through Fan Tokens.

Fan Tokens are digital assets that give you the power to influence the decisions of your favourite teams.

One Fan Token is all a fan needs, allowing them to participate in every poll. Fans can also put their skills to the test against other fans from around the world in games, competitions and quizzes, competing in global leaderboards and earning real-life and digital club-related accolades, benefits and experiences along the way on Socios.com. 

Fans can also access exclusive content and experience Socios.com’s geo-location, augmented reality feature ‘Token Hunt’.

Paris Saint-Germain are one of over 70 massive clubs on the Socios.com app, which also features the likes of Juve, Barca, Inter, AC Milan and Atletico Madrid as well as Arsenal, City, Everton, Leeds and Villa from the Premier League.

Now that fans have the chance to make the calls at their clubs, we’ve decided to start a series looking back on the big decisions that shaped today’s footballing elite – starting with PSG.  Below, Goal looks back on the five major decisions Les Parisiens made that helped transform them into the superpower they are today.

Getty1Enlisting the help of Santiago Bernabeu to form the club

There are few more iconic names in the world of football than that of Santiago Bernabeu, whose legendary status is such that the stadium of Real Madrid – perhaps the most iconic club in the world – bears his name.

But it is not just in the Spanish capital where Bernabeu’s hand has had a profound legacy in the game. He was also involved in the formation of PSG, playing an important role simply to get the club off the ground.

Born when the newly formed Paris Football Club was merged with Stade Saint-Germain in 1970, PSG were designed to provide the French capital with a formidable footballing force.

PSG was the brainchild of Guy Crescent, Pierre-Etienne Guyot and Henri Patrelle, but the trio were concerned about the financial viability of the club. They approached Bernabeu for advice and he told them to start a crowdfunding campaign, which ultimately proved successful and formed the origins of PSG as we know the club today.

Getty2Having fashion designer Daniel Hechter design an iconic shirt

PSG has long been an iconic footballing brand. They were once instantly recognisable due to their distinctive logo, which contained the Eiffel Tower to represent Paris, and the fleur de lys and Louis XIV’s cradle, representing Saint-Germain.

More striking, though, was the club’s unique shirt. The classic PSG jersey – one to which the fans have a remarkable attachment – consists primarily of blue, with two vertical bands of white flanking one of red in the centre.

No other club in the world can boast such a shirt, making PSG tops both identifiable and stylish. 

Such a shirt is fitting for a club with its home in one of the fashion capitals of the world, and indeed it was conceived by Daniel Hechter, a French designer who took over the presidency of the club in 1973 and gave this shirt design as his welcoming gift.

The ‘Hechter shirt’ as it’s known, has become the definitive PSG look, helping to build the iconic brand that has attracted record investment in recent years.

Getty3Signing George Weah

The arrival of George Weah in 1992 from Monaco provided the trigger that saw PSG enjoy their first golden age in the mid-90s. During that spell, they reached five consecutive European semi-finals, including a first Champions League final four.

Weah was to the fore of many of their most important moments during this remarkable period in which the Parc des Princes would crackle with excitement on European evenings. 

An early highlight was bouncing back from a 3-1 first-leg deficit away to Real Madrid in the UEFA Cup by winning 4-1 after extra-time in Paris, with Weah bagging the opener. The Liberian then notched the only goal in the Bernabeu the following year as PSG again ousted Los Blancos, this time in the Cup Winners’ Cup.

In 1994-95, PSG completed the incredible achievement of winning all six games in a Champions League ‘Group of Death’ that included Bayern Munich, Spartak Moscow and a highly accomplished Dynamo Kyiv. Weah struck a historic solo goal away to Bayern during that run. Johan Cruyff’s Barcelona ‘Dream Team’ were then dispatched but AC Milan proved too good in the semi-finals.

Nevertheless, it was clear that Weah had elevated PSG and he ultimately won the Ballon d’Or in 1995, so far the only player to have played a portion of the year with the Parisian club before lifting that prize.

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Getty4Recruiting Thiago Silva and Ibra in a watershed summer

The summer of 2012 was when PSG announced themselves as a continental force in Europe once again, aided by the backing of their new owners.

QSI had taken command of the club a year earlier, adding Javier Pastore from Palermo in a much-publicised deal. However, this was quickly pushed into the shadows as PSG completed two massive signings in the form of Thiago Silva and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, both of whom joined from AC Milan and would become icons at the club.

Thiago Silva’s composure and quality in the centre of defence over nearly a decade at the club would underpin PSG’s European rise, while the mercurial presence of Ibrahimovic offered them both more media visibility and on-field ability than they previously boasted.

Thiago Silva has gone on to be a defensive legend at Parc des Princes, while Ibrahimovic became the club’s all-time leading scorer in just four seasons – a tally since surpassed by Edinson Cavani.

Arsenal fans came up with a brutal 'half our f*cking team' scored chant to mock Burnley fans as the five-star Gunners ran riot at Turf Moor.

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Arsenal beat Burnley 5-0Gooners on a roll at Turf MoorHumiliate home fans with songGetty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

The Gunners looked unstoppable on Saturday afternoon as they thrashed Burnley by five goals in a Premier League encounter. It was one-way traffic right from the first whistle and the travelling fans were having a gala time at the visitor's stand as their favourite team ruthlessly put the Clarets to the sword.

AdvertisementWATCH THE CLIPWHAT WAS THE CHANT

To add flavour to the festive spirit and mock the opposition support, the Arsenal fans debuted a new chant: "Who put the ball in the Burnley net, half our fucking team did".

Martin Odegaard opened the scoring as early as the fourth minute and then Bukayo Saka added two more each side of half-time. Leandro Trossard got in on the action and then in the final quarter, Kai Havertz added the icing on the cake with the fifth of the night to cap off a relentless performance.

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THE BIGGER PICTURE

Arsenal have scored 11 goals on the road in their last two league games. They seem to have hit top gear at the right time as they continue to challenge Liverpool and Manchester City for the title.

It will again a case of India’s batting v Pakistan’s bowling as the archrivals face off in the Asia Cup

The Preview by Karthik Krishnaswamy01-Mar-2014Match facts March 2, 2014
Start time 1400 local (0800 GMT)India and Pakistan face each other for the first time since the Champions Trophy•AFPBig pictureIndia and Pakistan have won one match each, and have each lost a close game against Sri Lanka. It’s a cliché to call this India-Pakistan meeting a virtual semi-final, but that, under the circumstances, might well ring true. Neither side has performed to anything like full capacity so far. India’s bowlers didn’t look particularly threatening even against Bangladesh, and Pakistan’s top-order tardiness nearly cost them against Afghanistan. Both teams made match-turning errors against Sri Lanka.Ordinarily, as has been the case throughout the recent history of the two sides, this would be billed as a clash between India’s batsmen and Pakistan’s bowlers. Those are still the respective teams’ strong suits, but an inexperienced middle-order might put India at a disadvantage in that particular mini-contest. Pakistan will also be playing an India side that could be a little low on confidence, having won only one out of their last nine completed ODI matches.A lot of Pakistan’s batsmen looked good out in the middle in their first two games, but nearly all of them threw their wickets away with silly shots or, in the case of their captain Misbah-ul-Haq, a comedy run-out. After their match against Afghanistan, Misbah said the batsmen couldn’t afford to keep repeating the same mistakes, but indicated he would keep faith in the same batting order. Fawad Alam waits in the wings, but it might be a little unfair on Sharjeel Khan or Sohaib Maqsood to single one of them out for two displays of collective carelessness.Zaheer Abbas, Pakistan’s chief cricket consultant, said on Saturday that the rash shots might have been cases of the batsmen looking to get out of jail on a sluggish Fatullah pitch. The ball, he said, was likely to come on a little quicker in Mirpur.Pakistan’s players trained on Saturday, while the Indians – barring Varun Aaron and Cheteshwar Pujara – didn’t. Aaron bowled to a dummy batsman, with a circular target attached to the net behind off stump, while Pujara faced a group of net bowlers who were barely club class. Of the two, Aaron seems likelier to play against Pakistan, with India perhaps looking to give their middle-order combination one more chance before making any changes. With no one talking to the media, though, this remains pure conjecture.Aaron hardly covered himself in glory against Bangladesh, and was left out for the allrounder Stuart Binny for the Sri Lanka game. Binny, in that match, was out for a duck and only bowled four overs. More than their respective displays, the shift in venue might prompt India to go back to having a genuine third seamer.Spinners have more or less similar records in Fatullah and Mirpur, but the quicker bowlers have done distinctly better at the Shere Bangla National Stadium. India have Aaron and Ishwar Pandey to choose between for that third seamer’s slot, but the amount of time Aaron spent bowling on Saturday suggests he might have a role to play.Form guide (Completed matches, most recent first)
India LWLLT
Pakistan WLLWW
Watch out forBhuvneshwar Kumar made an impressive international debut against Pakistan 14 months ago, and has looked good with the new ball so far in the tournament without having the wickets to show for it. He also seems to have worked on his death bowling, and was particularly accurate with his yorkers against Bangladesh. That aspect of his game suffered against Sri Lanka, with dew making it difficult to grip the ball, but it will help India greatly if he can hit the blockhole consistently in this game.Ahmed Shehzad’s gotten off to fine starts in both his innings so far, but he will want to make bigger scores than 28 and 50. Shehzad has the spiky hair and prominent eyebrows of Virat Kohli, and some of his shots suggest a comparable level of talent. There’s no better way to prove that than making big score against India.Match facts If the pitch in Mirpur plays true to its history, India will want a genuine third seamer rather than a medium-pace-bowling allrounder. This means Varun Aaron might come back in for Stuart Binny, but the side is likely to remain unchanged otherwise.India (likely): 1 Rohit Sharma, 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Virat Kohli (capt), 4 Ajinkya Rahane, 5 Dinesh Karthik (wk), 6 Ambati Rayudu, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 R Ashwin, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 Mohammed Shami, 11 Varun Aaron.Pakistan’s top-order hasn’t been consistent, and Shahid Afridi, in his current avatar, seems to be occupying a place too high in the batting order, but they are unlikely to make any changes from their eleven against Afghanistan.Pakistan (likely): 1 Ahmed Shehzad, 2 Sharjeel Khan, 3 Mohammad Hafeez, 4 Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), 5 Sohaib Maqsood, 6 Umar Akmal (wk), 7 Shahid Afridi, 8 Anwar Ali, 9 Umar Gul, 10 Saeed Ajmal, 11 Junaid Khan.Stats and trivia If he plays, Ravindra Jadeja will make his 100th ODI appearance . The last meeting between India and Pakistan in Mirpur, in March 2012, was Sachin Tendulkar’s last ODI appearance.Quotes “It is more of a media creation. It is not really for the players. They play their normal game. The pressure always comes from the public as they want their country to win.”

Andrew Flintoff is hoping that his professional comeback with Lancashire is not just a brief career revival

ESPNcricinfo staff31-May-2014Andrew Flintoff is hoping that his professional comeback with Lancashire is not just a brief career revival but Ian Botham has said Flintoff’s plans are a “massive mistake.”Flintoff, who last played in 2009, signed a T20 deal with his county on Friday and will play for his original club, St Annes, on Saturday as he puts the final pieces in place to make a return to the Lancashire side, which could come in the Roses clash against Yorkshire next Friday.However, Botham fears that Flintoff may not have fully appreciated the gamble he is taking after the knee injury which previously curtailed his career.”While I wish him all the very best, I think he is making a massive mistake,” Botham wrote in his column the . “We’ve not seen Fred on a cricket field since those memorable days in 2009 – and five years is a long time out of the game.”For those that can’t remember that far back, Fred had no choice but to quit cricket because of a chronic knee injury that had made walking difficult let alone bowling at 90 miles an hour. Unless he’s managed to swap knees with someone, I don’t know how it has suddenly got better, allowing him to tear in and play the game properly.”To come back after five years out of the game and with that injury still in the background is a huge risk. I just hope he does not let himself down too badly.”When the comeback was first rumoured a few weeks ago it was soon being reported that Flintoff was gaining interest from Big Bash League franchises in Australia and the Caribbean Premier League, which begins in late July, could be another option for him to expand his T20 portfolio if his Lancashire return does not hit problems.After putting pen to paper at Old Trafford, Flintoff had no designs on this being a short-lived return to the cricket limelight and instead looked at those players still performing regularly into their late 30s and early 40s.”I don’t want it to be one year,” he said an interview with the BBC. “You see Brad Hogg playing in the Big Bash, Brad Hodge is playing for Australia at 39, Glen Chapple’s 40 and still charging in in four-dayers.”When I’m bowling it still hurts a bit, but I’m loving running in to bowl and if I can take that into a game I might be quite dangerous.”I’d sooner try and have it not come off than sit at home for the rest of my days thinking, ‘I should have tried this, I should have had a go.’ I don’t live like that.”On Friday evening, having trained with Lancashire before their T20 Blast match against Warwickshire, Flintoff was expressing his excitement over Twitter.”What a day, like starting school again if Carlsberg made schools!” he posted, before adding, “Off to bed for a sleepless night, playing Penrith tomorrow! Must Remember to bite my lip if they sledge , too old for that nonsense I hope!”He also joked that he may find it difficult to get into the Lancashire side after they secured their fourth win in a row by beating Warwickshire. “Should have come back a couple of years ago when we weren’t as good @LancsCCC !! Going to be tough to get in this side.”

Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews admitted that it has been difficult to focus on the cricket following the death of Phillip Hughes

Andrew Fidel Fernando28-Nov-2014There will be tragic symmetry when Sri Lanka take the field for the second ODI in Colombo, as many on social media have noted. When a 20-year-old Phillip Hughes struck his maiden Test hundred in Durban, he had worn a black armband following the Lahore terror attack on the Sri Lanka team. On Saturday, in Colombo, Sri Lanka will wear black armbands for Hughes.Sri Lanka and England had spoken of abandoning the second match, but had eventually decided to play it, in tribute. Though, it has been tough to focus on the cricket, Angelo Mathews said.Angelo Mathews – “Everyone had a tough day. Even though he’s an Australian, he’s our mate. When you lose a friend of yours, it is very difficult to go through”•Getty Images”It hasn’t really been easy to concentrate,” Mathews said. “That was the first thing I heard when I woke up last morning, and I had a very tough day going through it. Everyone had a tough day. Even though he’s an Australian, he’s our mate. When you lose a friend of yours, it is very difficult to go through. I hope and pray that we never ever hear of such an incident again in cricket, or any other sport.”Hughes had enjoyed playing Sri Lanka, going by his scores. In Tests, he had hit 435 runs at an average of 43.50 against Sri Lanka, who were also on the receiving end of both his ODI hundreds. Hughes had also made a second-innings 126 at the SSC, when Sri Lanka were pushing for a series-leveling win, in 2011. But although Hughes kept Sri Lanka in the field for longer than they would have liked, the team remembered Hughes as a “cheerful and friendly person”, Mathews said.”Phil Hughes was a very humble guy, and a fighter when it comes to cricket,” he said. “His loss will be a big one for the game. He played his first ODI against us. If I remember right, he hit a hundred in that match. He was a very good player, and a thorough gentleman. Our whole team conveys our condolences and sadness to his family, loved ones, teammates, Australian fans, and fans around the world.”Although Hughes’ death has brought the danger inherent in cricket into sharp focus, Mathews said his team would seek to play as they have always done. Hughes had been hit by a bouncer in a part of the neck not protected by helmets, and sustained an injury that has only been seen around 100 times in recorded medical history.”We never expect something like this to happen when you bowl a bouncer. Even when the bowlers are aggressive, you don’t expect the batsman to get hurt. It’s just the game of cricket, and it was an unfortunate incident. There won’t be any thoughts regarding those bouncers. It was an unfortunate incident. All we can do is hope that player safety can improve.”Though Sri Lanka did not lose a teammate in the 2009 attack, even in 2014, players have spoken of ongoing psychological repercussions stemming from that ordeal. Mathews said there was little Hughes’ team-mates could do, but gradually work through their emotions. “It’s not easy to get over things like this. You’ve got to move on, but it will take a lot of time to recover.”

Jesse Ryder has been recalled to New Zealand colours for the first time since February 2012 as part of a 13-man squad for the one-day series against West Indies

Andrew McGlashan19-Dec-2013Jesse Ryder has been recalled to New Zealand colours for the first time since February 2012 as part of a 13-man squad for the one-day series against West Indies.Elsewhere in the squad, Martin Guptill has returned from injury and will partner Ryder at the top of the order, meaning that Tom Latham misses out. Tim Southee will miss the first two matches of the series to have a toe problem dealt with, but is expected to return for the third ODI in Queenstown.Ryder has not played at international level after being dropped for disciplinary issues during the one-day series against South Africa. He has since had to serve a six-month suspension for taking banned stimulants, a period which coincided with his recovery from the serious assault he suffered in Christchurch earlier this year.Bruce Edgar, the national selector, said it was a credit to his perseverance that he has responded to so many setbacks. “He’s in great form and he’s in a great space. Go back a number of months ago and it could have been the end of his career. He’s come back with a vengeance and wants to play well and play for the Blackcaps, and that’s what we want.”Since returning to domestic cricket for Otago, following a move away from Wellington, he has scored 454 runs at 64.85 in four Plunket Shield matches. There has been understandable caution about Ryder’s return to the New Zealand fold, but Ryder is now ready to put a tough period behind him.”I set the goal to make it back earlier this year and it is a great end to a tough year for me,” Ryder said. “I’m more motivated than ever to perform for the Blackcaps.”And there won’t be any extra safety nets put in place for Ryder’s return. “Jesse is in the team environment so there’s plenty of support in that environment,” Edgar said.It has also been confirmed that Luke Ronchi will have the wicketkeeping gloves throughout the series. Last week Mike Hesson, the New Zealand coach, confirmed that Brendon McCullum’s days as a wicketkeeper were over due to his back problems.Adam Milne, the 21-year-old Central Districts pace bowler, who was part of the squad in Sri Lanka has been retained despite not taking a wicket in those three matches.Squad: Brendon McCullum (capt), Corey Anderson, Martin Guptill, Mitchell McClenaghan, Nathan McCullum, Kyle Mills, Adam Milne, Colin Munro, James Neesham, Luke Ronchi, Jesse Ryder, Ross Taylor, Kane Williamson

Callum Hudson-Odoi has dominated the headlines at Chelsea over the last few weeks, with the English winger linked with a move to Bayern Munich (via the Daily Mail). He hasn’t featured all that much at Chelsea this term, all things considered, and Bayern seemingly want to offer him more minutes and a more prominent role in the squad.

Naturally, then, it would be a blow for the Blues if they were to lose him, but make no mistake: Hudson-Odoi isn’t the crown jewel of the Chelsea academy that some are making him out to be. Is he a brilliant player? Of course he is, but 18-year-old ace Ethan Ampadu is even more deserving of a first-team role than the in-demand winger.

Hudson-Odoi has incredible talent, but it’s obvious that he’s raw. Though he scored for Chelsea against Sheffield Wednesday, that was pretty much all he did, with many of his other passes and strikes missing their desired targets. That’s fine, of course, as he’s still developing – but that highlights how much training he still needs.

Ampadu, meanwhile, is already looking like a player that should be playing every week. The 18-year-old – who Chelsea signed from Exeter in 2017 – is equally capable in defence and midfield, and he proved that on Sunday, with a great performance for the Blues.

He tailed off slightly towards the end of his 60+ minute run in in the team, but for much of the game, he looked brilliant.

Perhaps most impressive is his leadership. From the first minute, despite being a teenager, Ampadu was consistently pointing and screaming at his teammates, directing them where to pass it and highlighting where the space was.

In addition, his range of passing was evident, whilst his brilliant tackling was proven by the overturned VAR decision that prevented Sheffield Wednesday from getting an undeserved penalty.

Hudson-Odoi is great, but Ampadu is emerging as Chelsea’s best academy star.

Thoughts?

Ben Rohrer, Ahmed Shehzad and Davy Jacobs have been drafted in to the CPL as replacements for Steve Smith, Shaun Marsh and Aaron Finch

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Jul-2013Ben Rohrer, Ahmed Shehzad and Davy Jacobs have been drafted in to the Caribbean Premier League as replacements for Steve Smith, Shaun Marsh and Aaron Finch, after the Australian trio was unable to get no-objection certificates from Cricket Australia.Rohrer will replace his countryman Smith for Antigua Hawksbills, Pakistan opener Shehzad will step in for Marsh for Jamaica Tallawahs, and South African wicketkeeper Jacobs will be coming in for Finch for Trinidad & Tobago Red Steel.Rohrer, who scored 295 runs at a strike-rate of 152.09 in the 2012-13 edition of the Big Bash League, said that he was relishing the prospect of working with Hawksbills coach Viv Richards and Ricky Ponting, who is part of the squad.Shehzad was part of the Pakistan squad that won the 2009 World Twenty20 and reached the semi-finals of the 2011 World Cup. He has scored two domestic T20 centuries and has a strike-rate of 134.23.”Losing Shaun is a shame but we have got a like-for-like replacement with Ahmed Shehzad who is perfect for the team’s balance,” Paul Nixon, the Tallawahs coach, said. Nixon also praised Shehzad’s “special ability” as a top-order batsman.”Chris (Gayle) knows him well and we believe that he will be a match-winner who can really make his mark on the world stage. He is a very gifted and classy player and we feel he is the last piece in our jigsaw.”Jacobs, like Shehzad and Rohrer, initially missed out on a spot with one of the six franchises in the draft in June. He captained South African franchise Warriors to their first ever Twenty20 title in 2010-11.”Davy Jacobs is a proven performer in Twenty20 cricket,” Gordon Greenidge, coach of the Red Steel, said. “The fact he can bat anywhere in the top order is great as it provides us with real flexibility and I like the balance of our squad.”He will add steel to the Red Steel dressing room and bring a winning mentality and vast experience to the squad.”The inaugural Caribbean Premier League starts on July 30 in Barbados and concludes on August 24 in Trinidad.

Virat Kohli and Graeme Smith both expressed their surprise at the other team not going for the win in the final few stages of the Test

Sidharth Monga in Johannesburg22-Dec-20130:00

‘Shocked SA didn’t push for a win’ – Kohli

This great Test ended with both teams blaming the other for not going for the win, trying to claim a psychological advantage.Until Faf du Plessis’ run-out, with 16 to get off 20, it was anybody’s guess which team was more desperate to win and which was going for safety, but both the sides waited for the other to make the play in the last three overs.India began to bowl bouncers to Dale Steyn, who seemed content to not play them. They then sent all nine fielders to the boundary in the penultimate over, faced by Vernon Philander who was striking the ball well. Zaheer Khan bowled full and wide, but Philander kept turning down the single. The last two balls were harmless bouncers, which didn’t seem to faze Philander.In the last over too, Steyn didn’t show much intent to go for the win until there were only three balls left. The crowd present for the rollercoaster game booed both the teams in the end.Man-of-the-Match Virat Kohli fired the first salvo when he came for the press conference. “Everyone was pretty shocked honestly,” Kohli said of South Africa’s approach. “We didn’t think that they would stop going for the score because with eight runs an over and with Philander striking the ball pretty well – and he can bat, we have seen that in the past – I don’t know what happened. We had our plans, and that was going for the wickets but to see them not going for that score was pretty surprising for all of us.”In response, Graeme Smith pointed out to the fields set during the penultimate over. “They (India) certainly didn’t have four slips, short leg and a gully,” Smith said. “I can throw the thing back at you if you want. I think certainly they didn’t play like a team that had been wanting to win the game. In the end probably a fair result for both the teams. I know there is a lot of emotion around, public sentiment, naturally so, but as a team I think we are in a strong position going into Durban.”Much to India’s bemusement, Vernon Philander did not go for the attack when South Africa needed just 16 off 20•Associated PressSmith said MS Dhoni had reason to be more disappointed after how well they had done over the first four days. “I’d be surprised if MS didn’t feel that his bowlers should have won the game for them,” Smith said. “I would certainly as a captain – 450-460 on the board, 132 [136] overs – you have got to believe that on this surface you have the bowling attack that will do the job. Credit to our guys and the way we played. One thirty-two overs with a short turnaround to the next Test, there are probably a few things that they are thinking about.”Certainly they were ahead of the game. I think they will be very disappointed they didn’t win the game. There was certainly a huge amount in that wicket to work with to win the Test. Knowing the mental drain it is to play from behind from day two… Day two was an extremely difficult day to bat. Once we were behind, it was always going to be difficult to make a play. Credit to the guys and the ability that we have. The mental strength and the ability to find a way to get something out of this Test match, we have done extremely well with that.”Kohli disagreed with Smith’s assessment of India’s intent. “Most part of that last session, we were looking to attack,” Kohli said. “Not so when Faf and AB [de Villiers] were playing. The moment AB got out, all we looked to do was get wickets and get the result our way. We were never aiming for a draw. Or thinking that we needed to draw this game.”Kohli said that South Africa’s refusal to go for the win had renewed India’s confidence. “If you ask me if we claim an emotional victory, we were on top on the first four days of the Test match,” Kohli said. “The fifth day they played brilliantly, but in the end when they had the chance to actually go for the total, they didn’t. That was surprising for us. That revived or rejuvenated our confidence once again. It doesn’t feel nice when there is a big partnership. You are low and down, and the bowlers cannot put in so much of effort continuously. But they gave us an opening in the end again so I think we take a lot of confidence from that.”There was respect, though, for how difficult it was to beat South Africa. “It was not easy when Faf and AB were batting,” Kohli said. “It was a fifth day’s wicket, and Ashwin was getting a bit of bounce and a bit of turn when they were batting but I think for the fast bowlers it was difficult. I think they bowled pretty well throughout this Test match. They kept attacking the stumps. If you see, there were so many edges falling to the right or left of the fielder, so many inside-edges missing the stumps.”I think we bowled well, but we have to accept that those two guys batted brilliantly. They showed a lot of character, and that is why they are the No. 1 side in the world. It is not easy to defeat them in a Test match, and you have to fight it out, and it was totally the brilliance of their batting.”