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سينتقل حارس مرمى الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي إشبيلية، ياسين بونو، إلى صفوف الهلال السعودي خلال الساعات القليلة المقبلة.

هذا ما أكدته شبكة “سكاي سبورتس” والصحفي المتخصص في سوق الانتقالات، فابرزيو رومانو، عبر حسابه الرسمي على “تويتر”.

وأفاد رومانو عبر المنصة منذ قليل أن اللاعب تأكد انتقاله إلى الزعيم السعودي، وسيتم توقيع العقود اليوم، الخميس، لمدة 3 سنوات مقبلة حتى يونيو 2026.

اقرأ أيضًا.. رئيس إشبيلية عن مستقبل بونو بعد خسارة السوبر الأوروبي: كان يفكر في شيء واحد فقط

Yassine Bono to Al Hilal, here we go! Documents to be checked today for Moroccan GK who’s joining Saudi league on three year deal 🔵🇸🇦

Sevilla agreed €21m package deal with Al Hilal on Tuesday. Medical booked.

Next one to close after Neymar and Bono: Aleksandar Mitrović. pic.twitter.com/k6lFamC0Ma — Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 17, 2023

ووافق إشبيلية على رحيل بونو بقيمة 21 مليون يورو إلى الهلال يوم الثلاثاء الماضي، وتم تحديد موعد الكشوفات الطبية.

ووفقًا للصحفي الإيطالي فإنه بعد نيمار وبونو سينهي الهلال صفقة ألكسندر ميتروفيتش مهاجم فولهام لتدعيم آخر في الهجوم.

الجدير بالذكر أن الهلال قد تعاقد مع نيمار من باريس سان جيرمان ومالكوم من زينيت سان بطرسبرج لتقوية الخط الأمامي وفقًا لطلبات المدرب، جورجي جيسوس.

In Sri Lanka’s fickle cricketing landscape, Pakistan have lately been viewed as one of the friendliest foes

Andrew Fidel Fernando09-Dec-2013In Sri Lanka’s fickle cricketing landscape, Pakistan have lately been viewed as one of the team’s friendliest foes. Sri Lanka fans’ admiration for Pakistan’s cricket has been founded on shared ground. Most obviously, there is resemblance in cricketing philosophy; Lasith Malinga and Sohail Tanvir are products of their unique milieu, but it is not difficult to imagine a round-arm slinger from Rawalpindi, or a wrong-footed left armer from Rathgama. No other nation, perhaps, could have easily produced either.There is also the rich recent history of spin, shrouded in mystery. Between Pakistan and Sri Lanka, they have owned the progenitor of the in Saqlain Mushtaq, the man who made the ball famous in Muttiah Muralitharan, its best current practitioner in Saeed Ajmal, and a rising bowler with an improving version of the ball, in Sachithra Senanayake.Then there are the shambolic administrations, which more often appear to hinder the national sides than support them, while Sri Lanka’s newly-formed one-sided rivalry with India has bred another thread of fraternal goodwill. Coincidentally too, the tour will be both Dav Whatmore and Graham Ford’s final weeks in charge of their sides. The former was effectively let go, the latter chose to walk.Both sides also have produced alluring players of spin, many of whom have retired or are just about to, and young men are now charged with filling shoes and scoreboards. In that regeneration, though, there are mutual hints of decline.Ten months of selection policy focused on grooming the next generation has not future-proofed Sri Lanka’s batting unit yet. Dinesh Chandimal and Lahiru Thirimanne have had encouraging returns in Tests, but their limited-overs statistics don’t yet suggest they are the next Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara – whom they will inevitably be compared with. Jayawardene’s absence from the limited-overs leg of this series may allow both batsmen to bat higher up in the order, which should suit their abilities better than the finishing roles they had been saddled with.In Tests, both teams will also be fielding young, inexperienced opening pairs. Shan Masood and Khurram Manzoor are at almost identical places in their career as Sri Lanka’s likely openers, Dimuth Karunaratne and Kaushal Silva. All four have a shot at embedding themselves in the international arena, on tracks that should not be far from those on which they excel at home.Though they are at disparate ends of their careers, there are similarities for the teams’ main captains too. Misbah-ul-Haq is an unpopular captain for some, and while Angelo Mathews has had moderate success at the helm, he is still treading lightly as a leader and his personal form has been inconsistent. A poor tour for either man might have loosened their grip on the reins, only, there are few viable alternatives.The teams are well-matched on most counts. Pakistan beat Sri Lanka 1-0 in their last Test series in the UAE, but Sri Lanka reversed that scoreline at home, when they dominated the three-match series last year. Sri Lanka’s batting perhaps gives them the edge in ODIs and Twenty20s, while Pakistan have just returned from a successful trip to South Africa, where the highly-rated India side is presently being humiliated.And, perhaps, that is Pakistan’s greatest advantage in the approach to the tour. While Sri Lanka have been reduced to playing matches against themselves and watching rain ruin their first meaningful cricket since July, Pakistan are fighting-fit from five months on the international treadmill. Their Test loss to Zimbabwe in September now seems a distant memory, after more encouraging results against South Africa.Sri Lanka, meanwhile, have not played overseas since July, and in Tests, the New Year’s Eve match will be their first against a top-eight opposition since this year’s New Year Test in Sydney. One of the foremost reasons Sri Lanka Cricket refused Pakistan’s request to play one Test under lights is because its players would already be adjusting to playing Tests again; an orange ball and floodlights may have complicated preparation further – particularly as there are no practice matches before the Tests.There is already buzz in Sri Lanka for this tour, primarily because the public has had so long to look forward to it. It is a stage for young men of both teams to make defining plays, and with two major limited-overs trophies now on the horizon, raising stakes further, the subplots unfolding over a six-week battle may prove just as engrossing as the major narrative.

The Bangladesh A batsmen struck out for the third straight time in England, resulting in a 7-wicket loss to Lancashire at Old Trafford in Manchester

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Aug-2013
ScorecardThe Bangladesh A batsmen struck out for the third straight time in England, resulting in a seven-wicket loss to Lancashire at Old Trafford in Manchester. Bangladesh had earlier struggled to chase down modest totals against Hampshire and Yorkshire, and this time, their first attempt to set up a competitive total also fell flat.Bangladesh had earlier won the toss and elected to bat, but the stand-in captain Naeem Islam’s decision backfired immediately, as Imrul Kayes, Anamul Haque and Marshall Ayub were all dismissed inside 40 minutes.However, Naeem and Shamsur Rahman revived the innings with a 85-run fourth-wicket stand, the pair striking seven fours and two sixes in total. Offspinner Arron Lilley put an end to the brief recovery by dismissing Shamsur for 51, on his way to figures of 3 for 24.Shamsur’s wicket triggered a collapse, as Bangladesh lost all the remaining six wickets for just 55 runs. Offspinner Steven Croft took three wickets, while medium-pacers Kyle Hogg and Oliver Newby picked up two each, as Bangladesh, struggling against spin, were bundled out for 171.Lancashire had little trouble in their pursuit of 172, with opener Stephen Moore anchoring the innings with a 63-ball 61 that included nine fours. Paul Horton remained unbeaten on 43 to take Lancashire home with 16.5 overs remaining.Bangladesh next take on Nottinghamshire on August 14 in their penultimate tour game in the lead-up to a three-match series against England Lions.

MatériaMais Notícias

Principal jogador do elenco do São Paulo, Hernanes protagonizou um momento profético em sua conta no Instagram. Após o fim do treino desta manhã, no CT da Barra Funda, o meio-campista fez uma analogia entre quatro coisas distintas.

– Existem quatro coisas na vida que só servem quando se abrem: um livro, um guarda-chuva, a mente e a passada. Começamos a abrir a passada por aqui, porque quando a gente acha que está fazendo a coisa certa, mas coisas podem dar certo. Mas quando estamos fazendo a coisa certa, ela tem que dar certo. E vai dar certo. Vamos sorrir – profetizou o craque do Tricolor.

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O Profeta está recuperado de uma tendinite na perna direita e está fazendo alguns trabalhos específicos para recuperar sua melhor forma física. O camisa 15 treinou com o elenco na última quarta e também nesta quinta e deve ir a campo no domingo, quando o São Paulo mede forças com o Bragantino, pela 9ª rodada do Campeonato Paulista.

Em crise, o Tricolor precisa voltar a vencer para afastar a pressão que ronda o CT da Barra Funda. O time foi eliminado de forma precoce da Copa Libertadores e está fora da zona de classificação para o mata-mata do estadual. Hernanes, a principal contratação para a temporada, é uma das esperanças da torcida de dias melhores.

Jordan Clark, a 22-year-old Lancashire batsman who has yet to make his first-class debut, earned himself a place in cricket history by hitting Yorkshire left-arm spinner Gurham Randhawa for six sixes in an over

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Apr-2013

Jordan Clark, a 22-year-old Lancashire batsman who has yet to make his first-class debut, earned himself a place in cricket history by hitting Yorkshire left-arm spinner Gurman Randhawa for six sixes in an over during a 2nd XI match in Scarborough.The feat came on the second day of the contest as Clark latched onto Randhawa’s 13th over and struck all his blows over the midwicket area. His modest response to the achievement was to say that he thought the time had come “to step it up a little.” Until the point of the 36-run over, Randhawa had figures of 2 for 15 in 12 overs.Although Clark’s striking did not come in a top-level match it had him being mentioned in the same breath as Garry Sobers, Ravi Shastri, Yuvraj Singh and Herschelle Gibbs who have achieved the rare full house of sixes in first-class, List A or Twenty20 cricket.”I hit the first few pretty well, had a chat to my team-mate, and I just carried on really,” he told BBC Sport. “I just remember feeling a bit of pressure on the last ball and thinking ‘I have got to have a crack’.”Clark, who was part of Lancashire’s 2nd XI Trophy-winning team last year, has so far been restricted to one-day and Twenty20 appearances for the first team having joined the club’s academy in 2008.He was not the only fringe county batsman to launch a barrage of sixes on Wednesday as Middlesex’s Adam Rossington, playing against Cambridge MCCU, hit five consecutive sixes in an over against Akbar Ansari although Rossington was never in with a chance of matching Clark as the over had begun with a dot ball. He did, however, strike the next ball he faced from Ansari in the following over for another six.

Last season’s finalists have been off the boil in IPL 2025

Sreshth Shah02-Apr-20253:35

‘The latest Venkatesh Iyer should walk in at is No. 4’

Big picture: Rematch of the IPL 2024 finalThe last time Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) met, it was in the IPL 2024 final. But three games into IPL 2025, they are at the wrong end of the points table. SRH are eighth and KKR tenth, and the only team either of them have beaten is Rajasthan Royals, sandwiched in between at ninth.For defending champions KKR, their whole batting line-up has been fragile. Last season, their opening partnership set games up by averaging 43.9 at a strike-rate of 207. This season they are averaging 15.3 and striking at 100. The batters between Nos. 4 to 8 – which includes the retained quartet of Venkatesh Iyer, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell and Ramandeep Singh – are averaging 17.22 and striking at 117.3. They appear to have picked up a vulnerability to the short ball too. Nine of the 12 KKR dismissals to fast bowling this season are to balls pitched between the 8 and 10 metre mark or shorter.SRH have had poor powerplays with both bat and ball. The shots off Abhishek Sharma’s bat have sounded sweet but he has scored only 31 runs in three innings. Against Lucknow Super Giants and Delhi Capitals, their batters kept attacking even as wickets tumbled to finish with totals that turned out to be below-par. Their fast bowling was supposed to be an upgrade but they’ve not made an impact in the first six overs. Their powerplay economy (11.4) is the poorest among all teams this year, and even with the quality of Pat Cummins, Mohammed Shami and Harshal Patel, the economy rate (11.7) of their pace attack is in the doldrums. Only RR’s quicks (11.8) have fared worse.Although both teams are facing similar issues, their approaches remain different. Cummins said after the last defeat that SRH will not change their batting plan, while KKR mentor Dwayne Bravo said on match-eve their batters will have to move beyond being aggressive and be crafty. Thursday will show which philosophy succeeds.3:12

Cricinformed: Are Sunrisers selling themselves short?

Form guide

Kolkata Knight Riders LWL
Sunrisers Hyderabad LLW

Team news: No major injury concerns

SRH are expected to back their primary XII, but the type of pitch (more on that later) could dictate whether they play Adam Zampa, Wiaan Mulder, seamer Simarjeet Singh or spinner Zeeshan Ansari. Anrich Nortje, KKR’s fastest bowler, is still not match ready.Kolkata Knight Riders: (probable) 1 Sunil Narine, 2 Quinton de Kock (wk), 3 Ajinkya Rahane (capt), 4 Venkatesh Iyer, 5 Angkrish Raghuvanshi, 6 Rinku Singh, 7 Andre Russell, 8 Ramandeep Singh, 9 Harshit Rana, 10 Spencer Johnson, 11 Varun Chakravarthy, 12 Vaibhav AroraSunrisers Hyderabad: (probable) 1 Travis Head, 2 Abhishek Sharma, 3 Ishan Kishan, 4 Nitish Kumar Reddy, 5 Aniket Verma, 6 Heinrich Klaasen (wk), 7 Abhinav Manohar, 8 Pat Cummins (capt), 9 Wiaan Mulder/Adam Zampa, 10 Harshal Patel, 11 Mohammed Shami, 12 Simarjeet Singh/Zeeshan Ansari

Big question

Adam Zampa made a return to the IPL on the back of great performances since 2024. In that period, his 50 appearances have brought 76 wickets at a strike rate of 14.3 and economy of 7.7. He is especially useful between overs 7-16 since 2024, where he has bowled 80% of all his overs. Is it time for him to be a permanent fixture in SRH’s line-up?

In the spotlight: Aniket Verma and Andre RussellNitish Kumar Reddy was SRH’s standout domestic player in 2024 and the team has found another exciting talent in Aniket Verma this season. Even with wickets tumbling, Aniket, bought for INR 30 lakh, has found a way to smash bowlers. His 13-ball 36 against LSG was a trailer of what would follow as he went on to hammer a 41-ball 74 against DC. Aniket has been among the most destructive players of spin in IPL 2025, hitting them for a boundary once every three balls, at a strike rate of 238. His 11 sixes against spin is second only to Nicholas Pooran’s 12. With KKR possessing Narine and Varun Chakravarthy in their bowling XI, will Aniket continue his dominance?2:47

Bangar: Don’t see any change in SRH’s approach

Since the end of IPL 2024, Andre Russell has scored only 586 runs in 41 T20 games at an average of 18.9. He also has just nine runs in two innings this IPL. Last season, Russell had given KKR power at the death, averaging 31.20 with a strike-rate of 185. His highest score in IPL 2024 of 64 not out came against SRH at Eden Gardens.

Pitch and conditions: Turn on the cards?

The surface at Eden Gardens has been in focus over the last week. The pitch that was used in the season opener against RCB backfired on KKR, with the captain Rahane asking for something slower that would suit the team’s spinners. Two pitches have been prepared for this fixture, both having very little grass, which suggests the team’s demand may well have been met.

Key Stats: SRH’s dependency on their openers

• KKR won all three games against SRH in IPL 2024: one league game, the first qualifier and the final. KKR have also won eight of the last ten matches against SRH.
• KKR have the second-lowest powerplay run-rate (7.8) this season, ahead of only CSK’s 7.4. They also have the joint worst powerplay bowling strike-rate of 54.
• Travis Head has the second highest strike-rate against fast bowling (206) since IPL 2024 (min. 100 balls faced). Abhishek Sharma has the best IPL strike-rate of 206 for the first ten deliveries of an innings (min. 75 balls)
• Heinrich Klaasen has never been dismissed by Sunil Narine in five IPL innings, scoring 34 runs off 22 balls. Against Varun Chakravarthy, Klaasen has scored 35 runs off 20 balls, but has been dismissed once.
• SRH have an 80% win record when both Head and Abhishek survive the powerplay. It drops to 71% when one of them is dismissed and dips to 17% when both are out.

Quotes

“The bowlers have an attacking plan, but also have a defensive plan. When we are under pressure, you will see our bowlers go to a defensive plan. But when we are also picking up wickets, we will continue to try and pick up more.”
“Our team is suited to play an aggressive style, but we don’t speak about 300 as an expectation that are put on us by other people. We try to play a positive brand of cricket. It’s a strength of ours and we try to double down on our strengths.”

تحدث مدرب مانشستر يونايتد، إريك تين هاج، عن سقوط فريقه في فخ التعادل أمام توتنهام، بعدما كان متقدمًا بثنائية نظيفة.

وفرض توتنهام تعادلاً إيجابيًا على مانشستر يونايتد بهدفين لمثلهما، ضمن منافسات الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

وقال تين هاج متحدثًا إلى بي تي سبورت: “بالطبع عندما تكون متقدمًا 2-0، فإنك تشعر بخيبة أمل بعض الشيء عندما تتعادل، هذا واضح تمامًا، لقد أتيحت لنا الفرص للتسجيل بعدما أصبحت النتيجة 2-1، ولم نفعل ذلك واستقبلنا الهدف الثاني، أعتقد أنه في هذا الأسبوع 2-2 تعادل جيد”.

وأضاف: “كان علينا تسجيل هدف ثان ولكن بصراحة كان بإمكانهم التعادل قبل نهاية الشوط الأول مباشرة، قبل أن نسجل هدفًا، لا أعتقد أننا كنا بهذه الجودة خلال 90 دقيقة، بعد نهاية الشوط الأول كان علينا تسجيل هدفًا آخر”.

وعن البدلاء وتأثيرهم، أردف تين هاج: “كنا متشابهين بعد نهاية الشوط الأول، كان الأمر نفسه كما كان قبل نهاية الشوط الأول وفقدنا السيطرة، استقبلنا الهدف ويمكننا رؤيته قادمًا وكانت التغييرات متأخرة جدًا”.

وبشأن المباراة المقبلة ضد أستون فيلا، أشار الهولندي: “إنها مباراة أخرى ونحتاج إلى الطاقة وعلينا أن نكون مستعدين ليوم الأحد”.

وأفاد تين هاج: “كان رأيي أننا لم نلعب جيدًا، لم نلعب بشكل جيد، لكننا سجلنا هدفين ثم يتعين عليك إنهاء المباراة”.

وعن الفرص الضائعة، شدد مدرب مانشستر يونايتد:” بالطبع (كرة فرنانديز بالعارضة كانت محبطة)، لكن لا تلوم لاعبًا واحدًا، وأعتقد أنه كان علينا تسجيل المزيد، الأهداف التي استقبلناها كانت سهلة للغاية وكان بإمكاننا تجنبها”.

واستطرد: “لقد جئنا إلى هنا، مثل كل مباراة، من أجل أن نحقق الفوز، كان من الواضح كيف أداروا المباراة وأردنا الفوز، وهو ما لم نفعله”.

وأتم: “إذا فزنا يوم الأحد، فسيكون هذا أسبوعًا رائعًا ولكن علينا أولاً أن نصل إلى هناك ونحتاج إلى كل الطاقة، نتعافى ونستعد للمباراة ونركز وننطلق مرة أخرى”.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Vitória disponibilizou nesta terça-feira 15 mil ingressos no valor promocional de R$ 10 para a partida contra o Corinthians, válida pelo Campeonato Brasileiro.

Com a intenção de lotar o Barradão, a promoção vale até esta quarta-feira ou enquanto durar o lote. Os ingressos serão comercializados em todos os pontos de venda: nas bilheterias do estádio e nos shoppings Capemi, Lapa e Paralela.

Ao término da promoção, o preço do ingresso para o setor de arquibancadas será o já praticado anteriormente no Brasileirão: R$ 40 (inteira) e R$ 20 (meia). A partir de quinta-feira os ingressos para o setor de Cadeiras serão comercializados, assim como para o setor da torcida visitante.

A equipe de Paulo Cézar Carpegiani tenta embalar outro triunfo após derrotar a Chapecoense na última rodada do torneio nacional. O duelo contra o Corinthians está marcado para o próximo domingo, às 16h.

VENDA DE INGRESSOS PARA VITÓRIA X CORINTHIANS

Internet: das 12h de terça-feira até 12h de domingo, via futebolcard

Terça-feira: bilheteria do Barradão (12h às 18h), Shopping Capemi (12h às 18h30), Shopping Lapa (12h às 19h) e Shopping Paralela (12h às 19h), valor promocional de R$10 (setor arquibancada) apenas para torcida mandante*.

Quarta-feira: bilheteria do Barradão (9h às 18h) Shopping Capemi (9h30 às 18h30), Shopping Lapa (10h às 19h) e Shopping Paralela (10h às 19h), valor promocional de R$10 (setor arquibancada) apenas para torcida mandante*.

Quinta-feira: bilheteria do Barradão (9h às 18h) Shopping Capemi (9h30 às 18h30), Shopping Lapa (12h às 19h) e Shopping Paralela (12h às 19h).

Sexta-feira: bilheteria do Barradão (9h às 18h) Shopping Capemi (9h30 às 18h30), Shopping Lapa (12h às 19h) e Shopping Paralela (12h às 19h).

Sábado: bilheteria do Barradão (9h às 17h) Shopping Capemi (9h30 às 15h30), Shopping Lapa (12h às 19h) e Shopping Paralela (12h às 19h).

Domingo: bilheteria do Barradão (10h às 19h)

*Enquanto durar o lote promocional.

VALORES

PROMOCIONAL (TERÇA E QUARTA)

Arquibancada: R$ 10 (apenas para mandante no setor de arquibancada)

A PARTIR DE QUINTA

Arquibancada: R$ 40 (inteira) | R$ 20 (meia)

Cadeira: R$ 60 (inteira) | R$ 30 (meia)

Visitante: R$ 40 (inteira) | R$ 20 (meia)

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Fast bowler Mohammad Sami and middle-order batsman Faisal Iqbal, neither of whom have played for Pakistan since 2010, have been recalled for the Sri Lanka series

ESPNcricinfo staff10-May-2012

Fast bowler Mohammad Sami and middle-order batsman Faisal Iqbal, neither of whom have played for Pakistan since 2010, have been recalled to the Test squad for the series in Sri Lanka starting next month. Afaq Raheem, the 26-year-old Islamabad batsman, and 32-year-old Sialkot batsman Mohammad Ayub, who were the top two run-getters in the Quaid-e-Azam trophy this season, were the new faces in the 16-man squad.Sami also featured in the one-day pool for the tour of Sri Lanka, and there was a recall for opener Imran Farhat, who was dropped for the Asia Cup. Rahat Ali, the 23-year-old Khan Research Laboratories left-arm fast bowler, was a new inclusion in the ODI squad, while fast bowler Wahab Riaz and allrounder Hammad Azam were left out.Wahab was also excluded from the Test squad and so was Mohammad Talha, the 23-year-old National Bank of Pakistan fast bowler. Neither of them had played the Tests against England though they had been part of the squad. Umar Akmal and Farhat, two other players who had been on the fringes of the Test starting XI, were also left out.Ayub, who took one of their spots in the batting line-up, has been close to national selection for several years, having been among the top performers on the domestic circuit. He has played 93 first-class matches and was last in contention before the England series earlier this year.Raheem is also an experienced batsman, having played 75 first-class matches. His career was disrupted by a knee injury which cost him nearly two seasons starting from June 2009. He returned last year and capped a successful season by top-scoring in the Quaid-e-Azam.Opening bowler Ali had not played much List A cricket in the 2011-12 season, but put in a fine showing in first-class cricket, in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy Division Two. He finished fourth on the wickets charts, with 44 scalps from nine games at 17.45.Comeback man Iqbal has previously failed to make establish himself in the Test team, playing 26 matches over the past decade. The highlight of his career came in early 2006, when he scored a second-innings century to help set up Pakistan’s 341-run win against India in Karachi. Following a steady Quaid-e-Azam 2011-12 season, in which he averaged 46.87, he scored two hundreds in the two games he played for Sind in the Faysal Bank Pentangular Cup. He aggregated 263 runs at an average of 87.66 in the tournament, a performance that probably prompted his national recall.Test squad: Mohammad Hafeez, Taufeeq Umar, Azhar Ali, Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), Younis Khan, Asad Shafiq, Adnan Akmal (wk), Umar Gul, Saeed Ajmal, Abdur Rehman, Mohammad Sami, Faisal Iqbal, Junaid Khan, Afaq Raheem, Mohammad Ayub, Aizaz Cheema
ODI squad: Mohammad Hafeez, Nasir Jamshed, Younis Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), Umar Akmal, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), Shahid Afridi, Umar Gul, Rahat Ali, Saeed Ajmal, Abdur Rehman, Mohammad Sami, Asad Shafiq, Aizaz Cheema, Azhar Ali, Imran Farhat

Graeme Swann has hit out at what he perceives is a “witch hunt” against Andrew Strauss following England’s four Test defeats this year and the captain’s poor return with the bat and backed him as the best captain in the game.

Andrew McGlashan in Colombo04-Apr-2012Graeme Swann has hit out at what he perceives is a “witch hunt” against Andrew Strauss following England’s four Test defeats this year and the captain’s poor return with the bat and backed him as the best captain in the game.Strauss was the major talking point from an England point of view heading into the Colombo Test. While the team was winning, as they have done for much of the last three years, the fact Strauss was not contributing hugely with the bat was generally overlooked. He has scored one Test hundred in 48 innings although showed the fighting qualities he has always had with his 61 on the second day in Colombo.Swann, who took 4 for 75 to help bowl Sri Lanka out for 275, insisted Strauss had not been affected by the debate while adding the dressing room has barely given it another thought.”He hasn’t shown any signs,” he said. “We only realise he’s under scrutiny because some of us can read. I see it as a bit of a witch hunt and I think it is unjustified, but you wouldn’t tell from way he carries himself. He’s very laid-back and phlegmatic. He’s the best captain in world cricket and a world-class opening batsman. He’ll get nothing but support from me.”Barring his first two Tests against India in 2008, during Kevin Pietersen’s brief time in charge and the two games Alastair Cook captained in Bangladesh, Swann has played his entire Test career under Strauss. He believes there is still a huge amount of credit available to him for his time at the helm which has included two Ashes series victories and the climb to No. 1 in the world.”When anyone’s in a position like Straussy and when things aren’t going well like they have been then pressure builds up,” he said. “My view is that he should be afforded leeway because of what he’s done over the last two or three years.”I don’t think there’s any man as capable of leading a team in world cricket. He’s not in horrible nick, he’s getting good starts and it’s just one of those things all players go through. His barren spell is a lot better than other people’s has been and he’ll bounce back and be scoring hundreds before you know it.”