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Brathwaite will be part of a team that is looking to put pressure on Surrey at the top of the Division One table

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Aug-2018

Nottinghamshire have bolstered their batting for the County Championship run-in by signing West Indian Kraigg Brathwaite after Quinton de Kock was withdrawn from his deal by Cricket South Africa.Brathwaite goes straight into Nottinghamshire’s squad for their match against Hampshire at the Ageas Bowl. They are currently second in Division One, nine points behind Somerset, with Surrey holding a considerable lead at the top.Brathwaite is a proven Test match opener, averaging 37.94 over 49 Tests, which included scores of 134 and 95 against England at Headingley last year when West Indies produced a memorable chase on the final day.He does not feature in T20 cricket – so there is no clash with the ongoing CPL – and is a rarity among the current generation having never played in the format in his career.”I’m excited about getting going at this great Club and hopefully I can help the side push for the Championship title in the run-in,” said Brathwaite.”Being able to call Trent Bridge home for a few weeks will be a great feeling and I’ll be looking to give my best for the team across the final five games. Testing myself in English conditions will develop my game and I’m hoping to continue my good form with the bat, starting on Sunday.”Mick Newell, Nottinghamshire’s director of cricket, said: “Kraigg will bring great experience to the side having played nearly 50 Test matches and we hope he can continue his form on these shores. Put simply, he adds quality and depth we’re hopeful that he can make contributions in the final weeks of the season.”

كشف الجهاز الفني للنادي الأهلي بقيادة السويسري مارسيل كولر، عن بدلاء الفريق، في مواجهة طلائع الجيش، التي تقام ضمن منافسات بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز، اليوم الإثنين.

الأهلي يلتقي مع طلائع الجيش، في إطار منافسات الجولة الـ 30 من عمر مواجهات بطولة الدوري المصري، ذلك على ملعب استاد القاهرة.

ويخوض الأهلي المباراة، هو يحتل المركز الثاني في جدول ترتيب الدوري المصري الممتاز، برصيد 54 نقطة من 22 مباراة.

طالع | تشكيل الأهلي أمام طلائع الجيش في الدوري المصري

بينما فريق طلائع الجيش، يتواجد في المركز الحادي عشر بترتيب جدول الدوري، برصيد 35 نقطة، من 28 لقاء. بدلاء الأهلي اليوم أمام طلائع الجيش في الدوري المصري

محمود الزنفلي وخالد عبد الفتاح وعمر كمال عبد الواحد ورضا سليم وحسين الشحات وأليو ديانج وعمرو السولية ‏ومحمد مجدي أفشة وكريم نيدفيد.

Tottenham Hotspur and chairman Daniel Levy by extension are making "early explorations" to sign an in-form 6 foot 2 star for manager Ange Postecoglou.

Latest Spurs news

Spurs are absolutely flying so far this season following Antonio Conte's disastrous final Premier League campaign in charge of the club. The north Londoners, lead by their new head coach Postecoglou, are yet to taste top flight defeat under the Australian and have won five out of a possible seven league matches. Impressive wins over Man United, Bournemouth, Burnley, Sheffield United and (perhaps controversially) Liverpool, mean Spurs sit pretty in second – just behind league leaders Man City.

Before the international break, Tottenham next take on newly-promoted Luton Town, and look likely to clinch another three points against Rob Edwards' struggling side who've been tipped to go straight back down to the Championship. Postecoglou's start in the Spurs dugout has been ecstatic, and not just going by the results. His Lilywhites side have showcased an exciting, attack-minded style in contract to Conte's more dogmatic philosophy; something which is also thrilling supporters in the stands.

Spurs' summer signings have also taken to life in north London with real aplomb, especially both defender Micky van de Ven and England midfielder James Maddison, who are now fixtures in Postecoglou's starting eleven and stand out as a few of his star players.

What's the latest Spurs transfer news?

Regardless of their fine form, a case can be made for Tottenham's lack of depth on the substitute's bench. If one of van de Ven or Cristian Romero were to be sidelined through injury, or even suspended, Postecoglou has few names of real quality he can turn to. As a result, it has been reported that Spurs are on the look-out for another central defensive option, with the likes of Lloyd Kelly (Bournemouth), Edmond Tapsoba (Bayer Leverkusen), Victor Nelsson (Galatasaray) and Juventus star Gleison Bremer mentioned as options recently.

After former Spurs star Harry Kane sealed a blockbuster transfer to Bayern Munich over the summer, it's also claimed that Tottenham are weighing up possible replacements for the future. One player who could come to succeed Kane is in-form Stuttgart striker Serhou Guirassy.

The Guinea international, according to journalist Dean Jones for TEAMtalk, is a target for Spurs as they make "early explorations" to sign the 6 foot 2 forward. He's scored 10 goals in six league matches already this season, with Jones commenting on the widespread interest in Guirassy.

"It is understood Tottenham Hotspur are also one of the teams making early explorations around a man who is currently ahead of their old talisman Harry Kane in the German scoring charts," wrote the reporter.

"Tottenham’s groundwork for replacing Kane in the squad is being carefully considered for the long term but the club will step up the process in 2024. The scouting of Guirassy is to be stepped up, and it is no surprise. He has a €20 million release clause (£17m) in his current Stuttgart deal – and signing him at that price would seem one of the best bargains in world football."

The 27-year-old's tempting clause may well be an irresistible pull for Levy and co to at least consider a move for him next year.

Manchester United suffered yet another Champions League defeat, this time to Galatasaray and the 3-2 loss represents the first time that the Red Devils have lost their first two matches in the competition.

Erik ten Hag is under pressure, there is no doubt about it and with a Premier League fixture coming up against Brentford on the weekend, he will task his side with improving otherwise they could slip to their fifth league defeat of the season and it's only October.

There were only a couple of shining lights in midweek. Rasmus Hojlund scored two goals and he has looked at ease on the European stage which will give Ten Hag confidence he could repeat these performances domestically.

Bruno Fernandes also tried to make a difference, making two key passes while succeeding with four of his six dribble attempts and winning seven out of ten ground duels, which suggested he was keen on making an impact.

The majority of the side were poor, however, and Mason Mount failed to showcase why Ten Hag shelled out £60m for his services.

How did Mason Mount perform vs Galatasaray?

The Englishman has played just five times for the club so far and managed to record only one assist, hardly earth-shattering numbers.

Against the Turkish outfit, the 24-year-old was rather ineffective while being deployed on the left of a three-man midfield, a slightly deeper position than he is used to.

Indeed, the former Chelsea man completed just 30 passes during his time on the pitch, while failing to score despite having four shots in total.

Mount didn’t even attempt a dribble while he won just two of the nine duels he contested and these statistics indicate that he didn’t quite enjoy the finest of performances.

Ten Hag should consider a change for the weekend, with Christian Eriksen being unleashed in the starting XI against his former club.

Will Christian Eriksen start for Manchester United vs Brentford?

The Dane came on at half-time for Hannibal Mejbri and took almost the same amount of touches as Mount did despite playing nearly 45 minutes fewer (48 to 49), while he managed to make three key passes compared to zero for Mount and completed 29 passes, again just one fewer than the one-time Derby County gem.

Eriksen hasn’t quite been at the races so far this season, receiving a Sofascore rating of 6.9 which ranks him 13th across the United squad in the Premier League, but he does have one goal and one assist to his name and this metric ranks him third, proving that his attacking talents haven’t deserted him.

The £150k-per-week gem has previously been dubbed as a “world class player” by former Manchester City forward Craig Bellamy and there is no doubt he could make the difference against the Bees should he be given a chance.

When compared to his positional peers in Europe's top five leagues, the 31-year-old ranks in the top 8% for shot-creating actions per 90 (3.96) while also ranking in the top 2% for assists per 90 (0.32) across the previous 12 months and if he recaptures this type of form in the next few weeks, United may begin to win a few matches.

The arrival of the South African fast bowler on a two-year Kolpak deal will invite hopes of a Championship challenge

Subhankar Bhattacharya10-Apr-2018Former South African fast bowler Morne Morkel has signed a two-year contract with Surrey. Morkel will slot into Surrey’s setup as a Kolpak registered player and will be available to play in all three formats of the game.Having retired only a few weeks ago from international cricket, several English counties had expressed their interest in roping in the big South African, but Surrey possessed the most financial muscle and his presence will encourage hopes that they can press for their first Championship since 2002.Morkel called time on his international career at the end of what was a controversial Test series against Australia, but one in which he became only the fifth South African bowler to bag 300 Test wickets. He also took the Man of the Match award in his penultimate Test, fittingly on his home ground at Cape Town, for his match-winning figures of 9 for 110.Known for generating genuine pace and bounce, Morkel is likely to extract the best out of The Oval’s otherwise gentle surface. The presence of another South African Kolpak in county cricket will invite criticism, but Surrey are rightly proud of their largely homegrown staff.”It is a real honour that Surrey asked me to join after my retirement from international cricket,” Morkel said. “I’ve got fond memories of playing at the Kia Oval and am looking forward to settling into London with my family for the summer.”Although he arrives on Wednesday, Morkel is not expected to take to the field in Surrey’s opening home fixture against Hampshire which begins on April 20. With his deal with Surrey confirmed, the paceman joins a list of current South African cricketers who will feature in this year’s county season, including Aiden Markram, Hashim Amla and Dale Steyn.

Hong Kong scored their first ever ODI win over a Full Member when they beat Afghanistan by 30 runs on a rainy afternoon at the Bulawayo Athletic Club

The Report by Liam Brickhill in Bulawayo08-Mar-2018
ScorecardHong Kong scored their first ever ODI win over a Full Member when they beat Afghanistan by 30 runs on a rainy afternoon at the Bulawayo Athletic Club. The victory was built around Anshuman Rath’s half-century and was sealed by an outstanding spell of offspin bowling from Ehsan Khan, backed up by some inspired fielding.As a result, Afghanistan were left needing a miracle to qualify for the 2019 World Cup. They have lost three out of three matches in this tournament so far and will need several things going their way to stay in contention.Afghanistan were trundling along steadily in pursuit of 242 when Ehsan was brought on from the clubhouse end in the 16th over. With loop and flight, he tempted Rahmat Shah into an expansive drive. With dip and turn, he spun the ball sharply in between bat and pad to disturb the stumps. With that, Afghanistan were 56 for 2, and Hong Kong had their opening. Before his first over was up, Ehsan had also dismissed the set Ihsanullah for 20, a gloved sweep landing in the hands of Rath, tumbling to his left at slip.At 57 for 3, with Mohammad Nabi still to bat, Afghanistan might still have considered themselves in a favourable position. But Hong Kong’s bowling attack never let the pressure drop, with Tanwir Azfal’s medium pace particularly effective. Bowling a wicket-to-wicket line with Scott McKechnie up to the stumps, Afzal didn’t give the batsmen much to work with. Having made the first incision with the wicket of Javed Ahmadi for 22, his figures in his first spell were 6-0-15-1.The pressure built up by the bowlers brought desperate strokes against Ehsan at the other end. With the required rate closing in on six an over, Samiullah Shenwari bent low to sweep but missed the ball entirely to be bowled for 9, as Afghanistan slipped to 73 for 4.Hong Kong gather around wicket-taker Ehsan Khan•ICCStill, though, Afghanistan were not entirely out of the match. Mohammad Nabi shepherded the middle order, helping to keep a fidgety Najibullah Zadran in accumulation mode. They nudged and pushed their way through a 59-run stand.With the required rate climbing and ominous rain clouds closing in from the north, Najibullah eventually decided to have a go at Nadeem Ahmed’s left-arm spin. He couldn’t get anything on his slog sweep, however, with the ball crashing into his pad and the umpire upholding a vociferous lbw shout. Two overs later, Sharafuddin Ashraf missed a huge slog across the line and was bowled for 1; Afghanistan 134 for 6.Hong Kong’s discipline soon brought results, Ehsan Nawaz sprinting around at short third man to cut off a dab, and firing a flat throw to McKechnie to find Nabi short of his ground and run out for 38.Fifteen minutes later, rain, thunder and lightning arrived to force the players from the field. When they returned, Afghanistan’s total was revised to 226, with three overs left to play. Dawlat threw the bat around, but they were never going to get close. For his career best figures of 4 for 33, Ehsan was named Man of the Match.Earlier in the day, Rath provided the bedrock of Hong Kong’s innings, helping them recover from an early wobble which saw them reduced to 43 for 3. He put together stands of 50 with captain Babar Hayat and 67 with McKechnie to keep Hong Kong ticking over, looking particularly effective when playing off the front foot through the covers.Rath, who was Hong Kong’s leading run-scorer during the World Cricket League Championship with 678 runs at 75.33, started in measured fashion against both pace and spin. His innings eventually gained momentum, and he came out on top during a fascinating duel with Afghanistan’s quicks, cutting and pulling both Dawlat and Shapoor Zadran. With Tanwir Afzal smashing 22 from just 9 deliveries towards the end, Hong Kong reached a total that would prove more than enough.

Aston Villa had a strong summer in the transfer window, with the Midlands side making impressive captures to bolster their squad for the treacherous 2023/24 season ahead.

The Villans hit the jackpot when they hired Unai Emery back in October 2022, with the club going from peering at the relegation zone in 16th place at the time of his arrival, to sealing a European finish come the end of the 2022/23 campaign.

Not many would have anticipated the effect that the manager’s arrival would have on the club, as he utilised the talent in the squad he inherited from Steven Gerrard and transformed the outlook at Villa Park.

Higher performances and new goals has put the Villans on course to have an encouraging 2023/24 campaign, with the side set to endeavour in their first European journey since 2010 after successfully qualifying for the UEFA Europa Conference League.

While Emery was the driving force between the elevation of standards in the Midlands, the squad equally rose to the occasion with a host of names proving themselves to be fundamental to the club at present.

Ollie Watkins contributed to 21 goals in 37 Premier League appearances in 2022/23, however the marksman’s efforts weren’t enough for him to win the club’s player of the season award, with another star leading the way for his teammates to follow.

How much did Aston Villa sign Douglas Luiz for?

Signed by Aston Villa in 2019 from Manchester City, the £15m paid for Douglas Luiz now looks to be one of the better pieces of business done by the club in their history.

Captured at the age of 21 by Dean Smith, the Brazilian was dubbed an “extremely talented” youngster with an “outstanding pedigree” by the manager, praise that has been supported by the calibre of player he has developed into.

The midfielder began his career in his homeland with Vasco da Gama, rising through the academy to eventually impress in the senior side, at which point he made the move to Europe to join City.

His career in Manchester was transitioned to Spain, where he played on loan at Girona due to work permit difficulties preventing him from representing the Citizens in a single competitive appearance.

The youngster managed to secure the experience in Europe sufficient to make another Premier League move, where he was snatched up by the Villans just two years after the start of his anonymous time at City.

At the time of his arrival in the Midlands, the combative ace stressed his desire to finally achieve things in England, saying “I cannot just talk the talk but also walk the walk and that's my main aim”, via Sky Sports.

Walk the walk is exactly what the midfielder has done, taking his opportunity at Villa Park with both hands and prevailing as one of the club’s most critical squad members in recent years.

What is Douglas Luiz’s market value now?

Purchased for a mere £15m with reference to the impact he’s had on the side, Luiz’s value has soared to £34m as per CIES Football Observatory, amounting to a rise of 126% since the point of his arrival in the Midlands.

Good performances not only attract attention from those within the club, but outside too, with there being a slight worry over the midfielder’s future at Villa with interest reported from two clubs in particular over the transfer window.

Back in July, The Sun reported that the Brazilian had been eyed in north London, with both Arsenal and Tottenham said to want to add the highly-rated 25-year-old to their ranks.

Luckily for Villa, nothing progressed in the speculation, however it did tell of the calibre of talent they have at their disposal, with a suggestion of just how much the former City man could be worth at the point that he does leave the club.

Why is he worth that much?

Earning both the Supporters Player of the Season and Players’ Player of the Season last term, Luiz had a campaign to remember in 2022/23, in a year that he came to life under Emery alongside his teammates.

The Brazilian played all but one of Villa’s games in the league last season, showing his importance in the middle of the park by scoring six goals and claiming six assists while maintaining his authority as one of the first names on the team sheet.

Lauded as a “warrior” by journalist Jack Grimse, the 25-year-old’s level of performance was told by evidence far beyond his contributions to goals in claret and blue.

Averaging an impressive 2.24 tackles and 1.23 interceptions per 90 in the Premier League last term, the midfielder flexed his dominance in protecting the back line, averaging 4.4 total duel wins per game for the Villans, via Sofascore.

His expertise went beyond his defensive strengths, with his passing and assistance in the final third also a key element to his game, as told by him averaging 1.38 key passes and 4.55 progressive passes per 90 in the league.

As his game develops, it becomes more and more clear of how complete his talents are in the position he is most effectively deployed at, with his leadership skills also coming to life in commanding the midfield at Villa Park.

How much does Douglas Luiz earn?

Considering the importance of his presence in Emery’s set-up, the Brazilian doesn’t even rank in the top ten of Villa’s highest earners at present.

Earning £75k-per-week, the 25-year-old picks up a weekly wage half the value of his midfield counterpart Boubacar Kamara, who is the joint-highest earner with Clement Lenglet and Youri Tielemans.

From salary, to his £15m price tag, Luiz is one of Villa’s bargains and a player that represents one of the most successful pieces of business that the Midlands club have done in recent times.

While his services are critical to Emery’s, it bears consideration just how much the £34m-rated ace could be sold for in the future, with clubs already swarming to keep a close eye on his movements in the transfer windows to come.

Dean Smith is well remembered at Villa Park for his work in restoring the club to the top flight from the Championship, however his part in signing Luiz is up there with his greatest achievements while in the Midlands.

Steven Finn, the England fast bowler whose tour of Australia was cut short by a knee injury, believes that the off-field antics of the current England team are nothing compared to those of the victorious 2010-11 Ashes squad, and fears that the sport will risk a further alienation from its fan base if the controversies of the current tour discourage players from being seen in public in the future.Finn, who was a junior member of the squad that won the Ashes under the leadership of Andrew Strauss seven years ago, said that some of the abiding memories of his career centred around the Barmy Army parties that the players attended throughout the tour, in particular at Sydney in the wake of their innings victory in the fifth Test.But now, following Ben Stokes’ arrest in Bristol in September, Finn recognises that the mood has shifted when it comes to players letting their hair down at the end of a day’s play. The furores surrounding Jonny Bairstow’s and Ben Duckett’s antics in Perth have further heightened the scrutiny even if, as Finn insists, the current squad are far better behaved than their reputation would imply.”I toured away in Australia in 2010-11 when I was a young man and there was a lot of alcohol drunk on that tour,” Finn said during a Chance to Shine and NatWest event. “There was lots of going out, way, way more than what happens under this current regime.”I remember being in the middle of that 2010-11 tour with the fans,” he added. “The guys there were in a four-storey building in Sydney after we won that series and you’re enjoying making memories with the fans – the people there supporting you, who’ve paid money to be there. It’d be a real shame if we lost that approachableness in light of what’s happened, but it’s a very fine line.”I think the beauty of cricket has meant this group of guys have been approachable to the public, to the press. What makes cricket awesome is the fact that you’re able to have those human interactions with people where it doesn’t feel like they’re behind a concrete wall the whole time and you can interact with people.”Finn was not involved in the current tour for long enough to form any definitive opinions of the players’ behaviour – he suffered his knee injury during England’s first nets session in Perth in October and flew home a week later. However, as a regular part of the set-up since Trevor Bayliss was named as coach in 2015, he was adamant that the issues were being exaggerated.”For the last two years there’s certainly no underlying culture issue in my opinion,” Finn said. “Because I have been a part of three eras of English cricket now. When Strauss and [Andy] Flower first started, a genuine way of building team rapport and trust was to spend time together like that. But as we’ve moved through time, it becomes a more sensitive line as to what is acceptable behaviour and what’s not.”If anything, it’s the awareness of where that line is, that is more important now than what it has been before. Certainly, from having been involved in both eras, I’d say in 10-11 one of my fondest memories of the trip is going out a lot and enjoying yourself, embracing the culture. But obviously, what’s happened has changed that.”I think that it’s very hard because I only know what’s been reported in the press. I make a point when I speak to people I don’t ask about that stuff. It’s none of my business, I’m not there.”I don’t think anyone who’s not there has a true hold of what’s actually going on. It’s bad publicity for cricket, which is bad for us as a sport in general not just this Ashes tour. I think that we have a responsibility to be aware of the situation that we’re in. But there is a very fine line between acceptable behaviour and just overstepping that mark.”Maybe in a couple of situations we’ve not been quite as aware as we could’ve done, but in the past these things wouldn’t have caused any offence or outrage. It’s only in light of what’s happened that they do. The guys will be a lot more aware now.”They’re not an irresponsible bunch of guys and the way that they’re being painted sometimes is really unfair on them, because they’re not bad people or troublemakers. Through performances on the pitch, rebuilding that trust is really important.”If they can turn this series around, they will paint themselves in a really good light, because I know they’re good people and I know there’s no malice in anything they’re doing.”

An inspired bowling performance by Aamir Aziz, the left-arm spinner, helped Jammu & Kashmir register their first win of the 2017-18 season in Jamshedpur. However, it was certain that both J&K and Jharkhand were out of contention for a quarter-final berth with one game to play.Aziz picked up five second-innings wickets to take his match tally to 9 for 149 as Jharkhand, who began briskly in a steep final-day chase of 350, were bowled out for 243 in 49.4 overs. The openers Ishan Kishan (52) and Mohammad Nazim Siddique (38) added 87 in 11.5 overs to give their chase a fillip. Utkarsh Singh, at No. 3, made a solid 47 to further strengthen their prospects of a second win, but the middle order imploded.Shahbaz Nadeem reduced the margin of victory by making 53, but that was scant consolation. Parvez Rasool, the J&K captain, who top scored with 70 in the second innings to help stretch the lead past 300, finished with 5 for 99, his 12th five-for in first-class cricket. Earlier in the day, J&K added 19 to their overnight 246 for 7 before declaring their second innings in the first session to set up the possibility of their outright win, which they achieved in the second session.Saurashtra continued to remain to top of the Group C standings as they walked away with the first-innings honours against defending champions Gujarat in Rajkot. The top two – Gujarat are currently second – in the points table continued to remain as they were, but the race for the quarter-finals intensified, with Kerala, two points adrift of Gujarat, also in the fight.Gujarat, who rode Priyank Panchal’s 145 to make a pitch for a lead, were bowled out for the addition of 110 to their overnight 303 for 4, conceding a lead of 157. Once the first-innings honours were decided, the game went into snooze mode with Saurashtra opting for batting practice. Robin Uthappa’s return to form was a big positive. The Karnataka opener, who joined them prior to this season as a professional, struck his first half-century of the season, and was unbeaten on 64. Saurashtra had posted 98 for 1 when players shook hands.

South Africa’s players were not properly consulted about CSA’s plans to pioneer four-day Tests, and are not in favour of shortening the format. That may not matter when South Africa host Zimbabwe for a four-day, day-night match, even though the man who initially touted the idea, former CEO Haroon Lorgat, is no longer in charge.Lorgat left his post last Thursday after his relationship with the CSA board had become untenable but CSA will still petition the ICC to allow them to trial the concept, at the Chief Executives Conference in New Zealand next week. CSA will be represented by Acting CEO Thabang Moreo and president Chris Nenzani, who confirmed the administration’s commitment to the cause. “We are an organisation and when the organisation comes up with an idea it is not the product of one person. We as an organisation decided on this,” Nenzani said.However, that organisation did not seek the views of those who will have to make the idea a reality, the players. Lorgat held some discussions with the South African team management when Russell Domingo was still the coach, as far back as August, and were due to have a final consultation with players, which never took place.For the South African Cricketers’ Association, that is a sticking point. “I expressed the same concern to CSA before Haroon left – the fact that there was no proper consultation. There are a lot of cricket aspects involved. It is quite a big change to a format. It’s four days and day-night, playing against a team that has never played with a pink ball. It’s the combination of four-day and day-night that concerns,” Tony Irish, SACA CEO said. “I understand why CSA want to do this. They want to provide content over a period (Boxing Day) where there is traditionally cricket. I am not sure that a four-day, day-night Test against Zimbabwe is the answer.”After the first Test against Bangladesh in Potchefstroom, which South Africa won 84 minutes into the final morning, both captain Faf du Plessis and opening batsman Dean Elgar expressed their desire to keep Test cricket as is.”I am a fan of five-day Test cricket. I believe the great Test matches have gone to the last hour of the last day on day five. That’s what is so special about Test cricket,” du Plessis said. “For five days you have to graft it out. Bowlers have to bowl a lot more and batters have to construct much bigger innings. A day five was needed today. If it was a rain off yesterday, it would have been very disappointing so I am a fan of that.”Elgar went as far as to question why Test cricket’s traditional make-up is being experimented with. “I’m a five-day Test specialist, and it must stay that way in my opinion. I don’t think you should tinker with something that’s not broken. If you go and play around the world, Test cricket is followed quite well. If you play in Australia, if you play in England, even if you play in South Africa against the relatively big nations you still get very good crowds. There are other formats that are being experimented with. I don’t see why Test cricket should suffer. I am purist when it comes to that. Hopefully the game can have longevity in the five-day format,” Elgar said.’I don’t think you should tinker with something that’s not broken’ – Dean Elgar•AFP

Senwes Park, a small venue not regarded as one of the premier grounds in the country and has only hosted one Test before the match against Bangladesh, had a festive atmosphere though it was sparsely attended over five days. For Elgar, that did not lessen the importance of the match or make a case for shorter games, especially as South Africa do not play Test cricket at their second-tier grounds often.”It doesn’t happen every summer where we get to play a game in Potchefstroom where there isn’t a big crowd,” he said. “Us as players, we know we still have to have a job. We have to go out and play for five days. I don’t think you should tinker with the duration of the match depending on who you are playing against. That’s when you start disrespecting the game a little bit and ultimately not favouring the format. You can ask me this as many times as you want. I am a five-day specialist and that’s the way it should stay.”The strong views aired by two of South Africa’s senior-most players were not heard in the CSA boardroom. Moroe “only found out today” about the players’ concerns through SACA at a CSA meeting. As far as Moroe understands, they have agreed to play the Zimbabwe match, as long as the match has Test status. “If ICC sanctions it, players will play,” he said.To that end, du Plessis’ expressed an “understanding and appreciation” for the broader thinking behind four-day Tests, even though he expects they will present less of a challenge. “It’s difficult because as cricketers we are used to it for now and its something difficult to change. If it happens, we will move on and accept the change,” he said. “If four-day Test cricket comes around, you will have creative captaincy, more aggressive game plans, sporting declarations, but I think with the way Test cricket is at the moment it’s about how long you can go, how long can your skill sets last. That’s the challenge with Test cricket.”Further evidence supporting that theory also came on Monday in Abu Dhabi, where a thrilling final day between Pakistan and Sri Lanka brought an otherwise dreary affair to life. Matches in the UAE are prime cases for five-day Tests. Since 2010, when Pakistan began playing regularly there, 75% of matches have gone to the fifth day. Globally, in the same period, 58% of Tests, have gone to the fifth day but South Africa (43.3%) and India (47.1%) are two countries where less than half of Tests have needed five days.Perhaps, that’s why South Africa can position itself as the obvious choice for the first four-day match, even though the global player body FICA “do not have an official position” on the concept yet, according to Irish, who is also the FICA head. “We don’t think there’s enough work being done into it. In the survey, the majority of players were not in favour. That’s an issue over the concept. It’s about looking at the advantages and disadvantages,” he said.Still, it is widely expected the ICC will back the CSA’s plan, but if it does not, Moroe has already begun working on a contingency plan. CSA’s General Manager Corrie van Zyl and Commercial Manager Clive Eksteen have been tasked with deciding how CSA will approach matters if they draw a blank in Auckland, given that CSA have promised to provide some content over the Boxing Day period. “Our broadcasters need content. We need players to play cricket,” Moroe said.Ironically, South Africa will do that more than ever this summer. They have just begun their busiest home season yet with tours from Bangladesh, Zimbabwe, India and Australia visiting and the inaugural edition of the T20 Global League in a summer that will last seven months. Player fatigue has already come under the spotlight with four premier fast bowlers, Dale Steyn, Vernon Philander, Chris Morris and Morne Morkel all injured. As new inventions crop up, perhaps player power also will.