Category Uncategorized

Eric Simons, a member of the panel that recommended Ottis Gibson as South Africa’s head coach, also said building a healthy relationship with captain Faf du Plessis factored into his appointment

Firdose Moonda14-Sep-2017A coach with experience of winning a global tournament, while also building a strong connection with Faf du Plessis were the two main reasons behind Ottis Gibson’s appointment as South Africa’s head coach. Gibson was recommended by a CSA-convened panel that included two former national coaches, Gary Kirsten and Eric Simons, who decided Gibson’s clarity of thought made him the right candidate to take over. Gibson also won the World T20 in 2012 with West Indies.”He is going to bring a fresh outlook. He has got a lot of experience now,” Simons told ESPNcricinfo at the official unveiling of the Stellenbosch Kings franchise, where he is assistant coach. “He has coached at a number of levels. He has coached West Indies, where he ended up losing his job, and I think in that process as a coach, you end up learning a lot. .”Ottis is a very detailed coach. We asked a lot of questions about him – what is he like, what is his style is and we obviously need to marry the relationship, not only with him and the team but especially with the captain. I think they are going to fit well together from that perspective. Ottis is a good thinker, a good planner of the game and I think that’s what Faf likes. He likes that information.”Earlier this week, before Gibson’s arrival in South Africa, du Plessis was confirmed as South Africa’s captain in all three formats after being given the ODI reins. That means du Plessis will likely take South Africa to the 2019 World Cup, a trophy they are desperate to win.To have a a coach who understands that need is essential. Even though du Plessis and many other current players gave Russell Domingo – the only coach under whom South Africa have won a World Cup knockout game – their vote of confidence, the panel felt a change in thinking, and specifically a foreign coach with experience was necessary.”It was not just a case of picking the person, you also have to marry what’s needed. We are not far away from an ICC tournament, although it may feel far away. Ottis has been there, he has won a tournament, and he has been part of a professional set up. So he emerged as the right person,” Simons said.”We wanted someone with international experience, someone that is going to bring fresh ideas and look at things from a different perspective. You’ve seen teams that have done that. Mickey Arthur has worked well in Pakistan, Gary Kirsten did it in India, an outsider. Sometimes being able to look at it from a different perspective is refreshing. We have had a really mature and clear-thinking captain in Faf and I think what Ottis is going to bring to Faf is going to be very good.”Gibson was not among the initial applicants for the South African job, which included Lions’ Geoffrey Toyana, who has won four trophies in five seasons. He was considered the front-runner but was head-hunted after CSA were understood to be unconvinced by the candidates that had put themselves in contention. As a result, the panel missed their deadline.They were initially due to put forward their preferred name at a CSA board meeting on July 21. It emerged a week later, in a report, during the third Test against England that Gibson had been approached. He was only confirmed as coach later in August once his release from his ECB contract, where he was employed as bowling coach, was secured. Gibson is scheduled to arrive in South Africa next Monday, giving him 10 days to prepare for his first assignment against Bangladesh.”It was a very good process. Everybody started on an equal footing,” Simons said. “With coaches, we hire them when we shouldn’t and fire them when we should hire them. Ottis has walked a very good path as a coach. In speaking to him and the players around him, he was very honest about what he has learnt and what he has become. That was a part of it and the other part is that we think he is going to be very good for Faf.”

Among the most well-balanced teams on paper, an over-reliance on Andre Russell and a late stumble in the league phase cost Kolkata Knight Riders a second shot at making the final

Akshay Gopalakrishnan26-May-2016

Where they finished

Fourth on the league table. Crashed out after a 22-run defeat to Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Eliminator.

How they got there

For a team that on paper looked supremely balanced, Kolkata Knight Riders slipped up at a critical point of the tournament, winning just two of their last five league matches. At one point, Knight Riders’ XI consisted of as many as 10 players who had played some form of international cricket, and yet, never once did they look like the most dominant or threatening force in the competition.Gautam Gambhir and Robin Uthappa’s flourishing opening partnership was the dominant theme of the first half. But their alliance did not transcend to the next level, occupied by the likes of AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli. The Uthappa-Gambhir combine had veiled Knight Riders’ frail middle order. But Yusuf Pathan’s timely return to form bailed them out once the duo cooled off in the latter stages.For an attack that is as spin-heavy as theirs, Knight Riders’ bowling numbers weren’t too skewed. Piyush Chawla, Sunil Narine, Shakib Al Hasan, Brad Hogg and Kuldeep Yadav’s combined tally of 37 wickets was one short of what their pace quartet of Morne Morkel, Umesh Yadav, Andre Russell and Ankit Rajpoot managed. Chawla, with a quicker, seam-up variation added to his arsenal, was Knight Riders’ best spinner, but Kuldeep, the 21-year old chinaman bowler, also made viewers sit up by smartly mixing up his length and pace.Usually a formidable side at their bastion, Eden Gardens, Knight Riders won four and lost three at home – a stark contrast to 5-1 in 2015 and 4-0 in 2014. That Knight Riders relied heavily on particular individuals became apparent when they struggled to cope with the absence of Manish Pandey when he was down with chickenpox. Their quest to find a suitable replacement at No. 3 even extended to trying Chawla out at that position. They were able to keep their head above water when Andre Russell picked up an ankle injury, and beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by 22 runs in their final league match to seal a playoffs berth. But Russell’s absence was telling in the Eliminator when they lost to the same opponents by the same margin.

Highlights

A domineering presence in the middle order, Yusuf showed that opponents still had good reason to be wary of him. Yusuf’s purple patch began with an unbeaten 29-ball 60 against Royal Challengers Bangalore that fired Knight Riders to an improbable win. Yusuf followed that up with scores of 19*, 63* and 37* before he biffed an unbeaten 52 in their last league match that took his team through to the playoffs. In all, he crunched 361 runs – third behind Gambhir and Uthappa – at 72.20 and struck at 145.56.Russell was Knight Riders’ undisputed MVP. Brute force and an uncanny ability to clear the boundary with ease have made Russell among the most feared finishers in T20 cricket, and he provided an uninhibited display of that. While Russell was duly heralded for his prowess with the bat, it was with the ball that he made a greater impact. Russell worked his way to the top of his team’s bowling charts with 15 scalps, and among the main pacers – Morkel, Umesh and himself – was the only one with an economy rate of less than eight.

Disappointments

Suryakumar Yadav had enjoyed a rich vein of form in the 2015-16 Ranji Trophy, cracking three centuries and five half-centuries on his way to 788 runs. In the first real opportunity he got in IPL 2016, Suryakumar made it count, striking 60 off 49 balls against Rising Pune Supergiants to help Knight Riders chase down 161 in a last-over finish on a turning track. But Suryakumar wasn’t able to stay switched on thereafter, with a lack of opportunities and a failure to capitalise on starts highlighting his campaign. In all, he managed only 182 runs from 11 innings at a strike rate of 127.27.

Key stats

• Knight Riders used eight different batsmen at No. 3 – the most by any team in this IPL. Only Delhi Daredevils have used more players at that spot – nine in 2011 and 2013. Knight Riders themselves had used eight players in 2010.
• Gambhir and Uthappa added 566 runs – the second-most by an opening pair in this IPL after Shikhar Dhawan and David Warner, and the most ever by a Knight Riders pair.
• Knight Riders took 25 wickets in the Powerplay overs of the league stage – the most by any team.

Best win

After half-centuries from KL Rahul and Virat Kohli had lifted them to 185 for 7, Royal Challengers had Knight Riders on the mat at 69 for 4 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. Russell joined Yusuf and the duo struggled to middle the ball, and with 81 needed from six overs, the home team was ready to apply the choke. That was until Russell and Yusuf launched a sensational assault, plundering 58 runs in three overs. Russell fell with 21 needed, but Yusuf sealed a remarkable come-from-behind win with five balls to spare.

Worst defeat

Before their match against Gujarat Lions on May 8, Knight Riders were the No. 1 team on the points table, and with a healthy net run rate, a win would have put them comfortably ahead of the rest and consolidated top spot. But an early wobble reduced them to 24 for 4 and it took half-centuries from Yusuf and Shakib Al Hasan, who shared an unbroken fifth-wicket partnership of 134, to lift them to 158. Dinesh Karthik’s half-century and contributions from the rest of the order helped Lions seal the chase in just 18 overs and Knight Riders were displaced from the top. The defeat also began a stumble that ended with Knight Riders having to settle for fourth place and losing an extra chance to make the final.

What they need to do next season

Cut out their dependency on Uthappa and Gambhir to give them a good start, and for Russell to provide the final flourish. Knight Riders need their middle order to take more responsibility. Knight Riders could also freshen up their line-up to avoid becoming predictable and making it easier for opponents to plan against them.Despite having had a decent season, Sunil Narine seems past his prime and isn’t a particularly unsettling prospect for opponents anymore. Knight Riders, therefore, may need to hunt for a new strike bowler.

Plays of the day from the second quarter-final between Bangladesh and India at the MCG

19-Mar-2015The celebration ()Ajinkya Rahane’s less than fluent innings ended with a less than fluent kerplunk to mid-off, mistiming a drive at the feisty young pacer Taskin Ahmed. Shakib took the catch, and Bangladesh, after an ominous first ten overs, had India 115 for 3 after 28 overs, and had established themselves in their first World Cup knockout match. They celebrated with the zeal of a team relishing this competitiveness. Taskin and captain Mashrafe Mortaza bumped chests, shouted at each other, bumped chests again, and fell over. It was a high-tariff celebration that previous Bangladesh teams might not have had the confidence even to attempt.The dubious call ()Bangladesh had been admirably disciplined in the first 35 overs of India’s innings. Then, in the Powerplay, Raina and Rohit began a charge that would produce 147 in the final 15. In the 40th over, with Rohit on 90 and India’s innings poised for a last-ten-overs onslaught, Rubel – 1 for 25 off 7.3 impressively controlled and hostile overs at that stage – erred for almost the first time with a high full toss. A high, rapid full toss. A high, rapid full toss that was homing in unerringly on a place where batsmen do not like cricket balls to home in. Rohit, in probably the least elegant shot of his mellifluous career, clumped it straight to deep square leg.The umpires instantly called a no-ball – perhaps in line with what Rohit was fearing – and Bangladesh were denied a potentially decisive wicket. Was it a hasty decision? Was it a wrong decision? Perhaps the umpires were swayed by the manner in which Rohit played the shot, a curious flinching thwamp from a crouched position, that suggested that he was extremely and understandably concerned that 5½ ounces of hard leather, travelling at close to 90mph, was about to hit him, shall we say, slightly below the waist. It made the delivery look dangerous; technically, it should not have been called a no ball, and Bangladesh were denied a wicket that might have restrained the Indian charge to a less imposing target.The Dive ()It’s rarely seen but when it appears, it strikes. Or rather the bowler strikes. MS Dhoni has been guarding his hands, his knees, his back and all other bruised parts of his body over the last few years. Many days only stopper, not keeper, at the MCG, Dhoni turned into an acrobat from the past. As Soumya Sarkar tried to fend one from Shami that climbed slowly and followed him from midriff to chest to face, the best that could happen for it was a slow looping edge. Sniffing an opportunity to get rid of one of the gems revealed in the Bangladesh line-up in this World Cup, Dhoni went for it full stretch. In fact, he had to, there was no slip waiting and Dhoni got to it, one-handed with his left hand, and leapt up claiming it fair and square. Bangladesh four down. Not quite game over, but really…The send off ()The last time Rubel Hossain had dismissed Virat Kohli in an ODI, he had already scored 136 off 122 balls. This time, he took just four balls, limiting Kohli to 3, and set off on a celebratory run worth three wickets, at least in terms of time. He ran up to the batsman, kept jogging in his place, making sure he was always facing Kohli who was slowly trudging past him, then punched the air while letting a scream out. The celebration had it’s roots in the past too. Youtube it.The hokey-pokey ()The hokey-pokey catch has become such a regular feature in cricket that teams spend time working on it during their practice drills. It was no wonder Shikhar Dhawan completed one with a smile. He showed poise at the fine-leg boundary to take Mahmudullah’s top-edge in the 17th over. He took it with both hands, realised he was off balance, tossed the ball up, went outside, came in and completed it. But it wasn’t the catch that was the lead story. Dhawan’s left foot was a bit too close to the skirting that some saw move and some didn’t. The third umpire thought it was fine, but was it?

Rajasthan Royals, despite controversy and a poor away record, had their best season in five years

Devashish Fuloria25-May-2013Where they finished
Third. When the tournament started, Rajasthan Royals were the outsiders, a team that relished the role of the underdog and was regarded as arguably the best of the second-tier sides; never too far from making it to the playoffs, but never considered a serious enough challenger to the big four. Led by an inspirational Rahul Dravid, who said the Champions League later in the year may be the last time he’ll play for them, the team proved that the whole was more than the sum of its parts by humbling one side after the other on a juicy pitch in Jaipur, but found the going tough away from home on pitches that were either too slow or too flat.They played their last three matches under tremendous pressure post the spot-fixing allegations and came close to sneaking into the finals during a tight finish against Mumbai Indians. It was Royals’ first top-four finish since winning the title in 2008.What went right
Royals made the most – winning eight out of eight – of helpful conditions in Jaipur which were suited to their bowling attack replete with medium-pacers, and where their technically sound top-order batsmen were able to take their time while Shane Watson bludgeoned his way through. But more than anything, they played as a team, with most turning up with more than one useful contribution during the tournament.Royals preferred chasing and did it well, with nine of their 11 wins coming in that fashion. Ajinkya Rahane was the rock in the batting, Dravid took the role of the floater, young Sanju Samson delighted all with his attractive strokeplay, and Stuart Binny capped off a solid domestic season with some aggressive match-winning hands in the IPL. The balance in their batting was apparent in the numbers – three of Royals’ batsmen scored more than 400 runs in the tournament with Mumbai Indians the only other team to do so.Royals’ bowling lacked express pace, but they swung the ball and mixed up the pace to return with rich hauls. James Faulkner picked up a couple of wickets whenever the team needed one, and he received solid support from Watson, Kevon Cooper and Siddharth Trivedi.What went wrong
As a team, Royals were effective but not feared and more often than not, they slipped while playing away from home, with only two wins during league stages. The lack of a quality spinner in their ranks hurt them when they played on more benign pitches where their medium-pacers lacked potency.The other issue was their batting: Apart from Watson and Binny, others failed to find the extra gear when the situation demanded more runs. Most surprising was the pace at which Rahane scored his runs. Last year, he maintained a high strike-rate throughout the season, but this year, his 488 runs came at a strike-rate of 106.55.The rug was pulled under Royals’ feet the moment the news about the spot-fixing allegations on three of their players surfaced. It was just before the playoffs and took the gloss away from a relatively successful season.Best player
Shane Watson continues to be at the heart of Royals’ campaign. He was there in the first season and he is still here after six seasons, bullying bowling attacks and picking crucial wickets. He started the season with four relatively quiet matches, but found his groove in his batting once he also started to bowl. It was in his fifth match – in Chennai – that he opened up, smashing a 61-ball 101 and followed it up with an unbeaten 98. But his best innings came in Jaipur, against Chennai Super Kings, when he tore the bowling apart in a blinding 34-ball assault that won Royals the match with ease after their batting had been left in tatters by the Super Kings seamers. After taking a few months break from bowling, Watson returned to bowl more than 40 overs and picked up 13 wickets.Poor performer
Shaun Tait should have ideally found the conditions in Jaipur to his liking, but his tendency to spray the ball meant he watched most of the season from the sidelines. In the three chances that he got, he bowled 10 overs and was expensive giving away 98 runs.Surprise package
Bought for $400,000 in the 2013 auction, James Faulkner proved to be an excellent return on investment. Thought to be a handy lower-order batsman, he was pushed up the order a few times with poor results. However, he made it more than up with his bowling, picking up 28 wickets in the season – the joint highest in any season along with Lasith Malinga’s haul in 2011. He also picked up two five-wicket hauls – the only bowler to do so in the IPL.Recommended for retention
Shane Watson, Ajinkya Rahane

ESPNcricinfo presents the plays of the day from the second one-day international in Port Elizabeth

Firdose Moonda in Port Elizabeth23-Oct-2011Micro-battle of the day
When Mitchell Johnson met Graeme Smith in 2009, the result was a broken hand. The Australian left-armer did not get a chance to square off against Smith in the first ODI at Centurion and although Johnson said he did not mind missing out then, he relished it at St George’s Park. Smith looked a more fluent player than he has all series, which made the encounter even more challenging. He started tentatively but built confidence as his innings went on and when Johnson got in the way of him completing his 29th run, Smith had a few words and even wagged his finger. Two balls later, Johnson had the opportunity to run Smith out after the former South Africa captain was late off the blocks. The throw was horribly wayward and Smith had enough time to make his ground.Injury of the day
Shane Watson’s hip injury had healed sufficiently by the day before this match and Michael Clarke was confident that he would make a return. The importance of ensuring he is fit for the Test series has been on Australia’s mind but they were also keen to get him back in the starting XI and to get him playing as an all-rounder again, after he did not bowl in the Champions League for New South Wales. He bowled three overs and four balls without incident but with the fifth ball dragged his arm through his follow through and pulled up, clutching his left side. He had to leave the field and looked in severe pain as he limped off. Some quick treatment ensured he came out to bat lower down the order which was a positive sign for his future participation.Denial of the day
It is not often the umpire has a milestone to reach but Shaun George, standing in his first ODI, did. When Xavier Doherty appealed for lbw against David Miller in his last over and George lifted the finger, he had given his first international dismissal. And then, it turned out that he hadn’t. Miller asked for the decision to be reviewed and HotSpot showed that he got an inside edge, albeit a faint one. The small white mark on the game’s most expensive technology meant that George had to u-turn on his pronouncement and Miller was allowed to bat on. He ended up reaching his highest ODI score with a quick half-century.Six of the day
With South Africa in a brutal mood, the ball was getting comfortable being on the other side of the rope. However, it probably didn’t expect to be launched onto the roof of the President’s suite pavilion. Cummins got a lesson in the problems with bowling length on a flat pitch when JP Duminy launched him over his head and onto the tin roof. The media box is just below that and members of the press could hear the ball rolling along and saw it drop off the other side.Captain’s calamity of the day
The South African leadership appears a poisoned chalice and it seems that when one of the captain’s gets something, another one cannot. It was Hashim Amla’s day to have a hard time and the pain started when he was out for a duck off the first ball of the innings. But things got much worse when Amla dropped a sitter while fielding at mid-on. David Warner fed a slower ball straight to him and Amla had his fingers around it before the ball spilt out of his hands. Lonwabo Tsotsobe, who had bowled well up to that point and already had a wicket to his name, was distressed at not being able to add a second but had to bite his tongue to avoid cursing his captain. Song of the day
Port Elizabeth’s steel band makes it one of the most unique venues to watch cricket. Every season, they seem to have an adaptation of a modern song. This time it was Pitbull’s , which was played a good few times. They also had their usual hits which include the national anthem, the traditional tune and South African favourite . But on Sunday, they had a special song to play. It was , which they belted out for Brad Haddin in celebration of his 34th year. They followed it up with , which Haddin must have heard, but did not acknowledge.

Cricinfo asked former and current women players for their lasting memories from each of the eight World Cups so far. Janette Brittin, the former England batsman, remembers an eminently forgettable game from the fourth tournament

08-Mar-2009
Brittin, not in crawl mode © Getty Images
1988, Australia
JanetteBrittin
My memories aren’t very happy ones because it was not one of England’s besttournaments, and it certainly wasn’t for me personally. England may have reached thefinal, but unfortunately we didn’t make much of a game of it. It was quitea painful experience.I remember standing in the dressing room at the MCG andlooking out into the vast stadium and thinking, “Wow, this place is just massive.” Theground was wall-to-wall seating with no one sitting in them, which didn’t lenditself to a big-match atmosphere. We won the toss and elected to bat on a slow, lowtrack. Lyn Fullston, or Lefty as the Aussies called her, did all the damage withher unorthodox slow left-arm spin, and she was ably assisted by Lyn Larsen, theAustralian captain and legspinner.It was like watching paint dry and then playingin glue when you got out there (or so it seemed). Struggling to break through thering and get the scoring ticking over was just awful. We crawled to a paltrytotal of 127. Then to our dismay the Australians came out and appeared to blasttheir way to our total. I remember the ground seemed a very large and a very lonelyplace during those overs.

Kylian Mbappe has rubbished reports he refused to carry the Olympic flame in Paris because he wanted to be the final torchbearer.

Mbappe allegedly refused to carry Olympic torchReal Madrid star rubbishes storyFrance star was "on the other side of the globe"Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

French publication Le Canard Enchaine claimed that Mbappe refused to be the masked torchbearer for the Paris Olympics opening ceremony last year when asked by three-time Olympic canoeist champion Tony Estanguet. The report adds that the 26-year-old declined the offer as he wanted to be the last person to hold the Olympic torch, a role that went to ex-200m sprinter Marie-José Pérec and three-time Olympic judo champion Teddy Riner. In response, the Real Madrid star sardonically dismissed the story on social media.

AdvertisementWHAT MBAPPE SAID

In response to the tweet, he wrote on X: "LOL. You forgot to mention that I also wanted to be the leader of the French basketball team, I think… I was just chilling on vacation on the other side of the globe. No reason to be the last torchbearer since I have no history with the Olympics."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Mbappe has been on the receiving end of a lot of bad press over the past year or so, particularly during the end of his Paris Saint-Germain spell, his start at Madrid, and with the French national team. But the best way to kill a story like this is to tackle it head on and Mbappe has done just that, here.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?

After helping Madrid reach the semi-finals of the newly rebooted Club World Cup this summer, Mbappe is currently enjoying his holidays before returning to the Spanish giants for their abridged pre-season campaign.

Argentina boss Lionel Scaloni has spoken on the future post-Lionel Messi as a possible farewell to international football on home soil looms.

Scaloni was asked who Messi's successor will beEmotional goodbye could await for bothDefending champions preparing for 2026 World CupFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Scaloni said there will never be a successor to Messi and played down any hopes of there being one. Argentina face Venezuela in World Cup qualification on Thursday with their place in the 2026 tournament already secured. But it could be an emotionally-charged day nonetheless, as it could end up being the last-ever official match for Argentina on home soil for both Messi and Scaloni.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Messi will turn 39 during the World Cup and there have been hints that he may hang up his boots and retire from international football afterwards. While he is still going strong for Inter Miami at club level, the end of an unforgettable career is beginning to draw closer for the man who many around the globe believe to be the greatest of all time.

WHAT SCALONI SAID

Scaloni said: "An heir to Messi in Argentine or world football? No, there can't be one. There won't be. There may be great players who define an era, but what he has done for so long, I think will be unrepeatable. Football has many unimaginable things, but I can almost assure you that it will be impossible to see something like that. I think he has no rival.

"Tomorrow will be an emotional match. If it's true that it's the last game of the qualifiers, then it's going to be special".

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

GettyWHAT NEXT FOR MESSI?

The ultimate dream for Messi will be to inspire his nation to become back-to-back world champions in North America next summer. Afterwards, the path remains unclear. It is likely that Messi himself has not yet decided. Whatever happens, when the great man does decide to wave a heartfelt goodbye to his national side, the whole world will be watching and celebrating arguably the greatest ever.

The American defender will not be ready in time for this weekend's season opener

• Robinson out for start of season
• Underwent knee surgery this summer
• Fulham set to face Brighton this weekend

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Fulham manager Marco Silva has confirmed that U.S. men's national team defender Antonee Robinson will not be ready for the start of the Premier League season.

  "Jedi had the small surgery; it will take a little bit more time for him to be ready," he said Sunday. 

  Robinson has not participated in Fulham's preseason after undergoing knee surgery in May. That surgery prevented him from featuring in the Gold Cup, with the defender also previously missing the CONCACAF Nations League matches in March due to injury issues.

  Fulham are set to open their Premier League season this weekend against Brighton, and after Robinson sat out of this past weekend's 1-0 friendly win over Eintracht Frankfurt, Silva confirmed that the fullback was not yet ready to play.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT SILVA SAID

  Silva bemoaned Fulham's lack of new signings with the Premier League season less than a week away, a situation that further compounds the team's current injury woes.

  “We expected much more activity from ourselves in terms of recruitment, players in," Silva said. "Unfortunately, they are not here. The worst thing we can have now is more injuries. 

• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Robinson was integral to Fulham's performance last season, contributing more assists than any other Premier League defender did during the most recent campaign. In addition, he captained Fulham 18 times as they finished with their record-high Premier League points tally.

  The USMNT, meanwhile, has missed him for all of 2025 so far, with his absence surely felt during Nations League losses to Panama and Canada as well as the summer run, which included five Gold Cup wins sandwiched between losses to Turkey, Switzerland and Mexico.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT?

  After opening the season against Brighton, Fulham will then face Manchester United and Chelsea ahead of the international break. During that break in early September, the USMNT will host South Korea and Japan for a pair of friendlies.

Lancashire have announced the signing of Australia spinner Chris Green for the Vitality Blast. Green will replace Nathan Lyon in Lancashire’s plans after Cricket Australia revoked clearance for Lyon to play white-ball cricket during his spell in England.Green, 30, made his name as a T20 specialist adept at bowling with the new ball – although he made a first-class debut in 2022 and has played for New South Wales over the last two Sheffield Shield seasons. He has T20 experience around the world, notably in the Big Bash and Caribbean Premier League, and has had three previous stints in the Blast, representing Birmingham Bears and Middlesex.Green made his T20I debut for Australia in December but is not expected to be part of their T20 World Cup plans.”Following the news that Nathan would no longer be available to play T20 for us, Dale [Benkenstein] and I were really keen to ensure that when going back into the market for an overseas replacement, they would have full availability across both group stage blocks in the Blast which we believe is important to get some continuity in the team,” Lancashire’s director of cricket performance, Mark Chilton, said.”The attraction with Chris was his full availability combined with his skillset – which is the ability to bowl spin across all phases of the game – and also his batting as Chris has become really effective towards the back end of an innings, an area in which we felt the team could do with a bit of strength.”Chris is also a really experienced campaigner, captain of Sydney Thunder in the BBL, and at times we may field a young T20 side this year so adding experience in that format will be a real help for us.”Across 200 games of T20, Green has taken 164 wickets with an economy of 7.03. He took over the Sydney Thunder captaincy for 2023-24 but saw the team finish bottom, winning just one of their ten games.Green said: “I am really pleased be joining Lancashire for this year’s Vitality Blast and can’t wait to meet up with my new team-mates next month. It’s a really strong squad at Lancashire and after speaking with Mark Chilton and Dale Benkenstein ahead of signing, I am really excited about what we can achieve together this summer.”I have really enjoyed my previous experiences of playing in the Blast in England and I am looking forward to heading to Manchester and playing at Emirates Old Trafford for the first time.”