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Matt Prior, the former England wicketkeeper, has stepped up his war of words with Australia’s Nathan Lyon

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Nov-2017Matt Prior, the former England wicketkeeper, has stepped up his war of words with Australia’s Nathan Lyon, warning the offspinner that it could be his own career that is ended if England repeat their Ashes triumph of 2010-11.Prior, an integral part of the side that won the Ashes Down Under in 2010-11, was one of the most prominent England failures on their return trip three years later, making 107 runs in six innings before being dropped for the fourth Test of the series.

I sincerely hope you’re not part of a losing @CricketAus team on home soil @NathLyon421. I still remember being sat on the outfield at the SCG after winning 3-1 while your press&fans were tearing into the Oz players. You want to end careers? Just make sure its not yours that ends

— Matt Prior (@MattPrior13) November 21, 2017

Last time someone spouted a whole load of BS about me I stayed quiet not this time.To be clear I may have been playing badly fair enough but there was no way I was getting on a plane home. You’ve embarrassed yourself @NathLyon421 & this game has a funny way of biting back.

— Matt Prior (@MattPrior13) November 21, 2017

However, having already hit back at Lyon’s claim that he had been “scared” of the extreme pace generated by Mitchell Johnson in that series, Prior went one step further in a pair of Twitter posts, as he addressed Lyon’s desire to “end some more careers” when the 2017-18 series gets underway on Thursday.”I sincerely hope you’re not part of a losing @CricketAus team on home soil @NathLyon421,” Prior wrote. “I still remember being sat on the outfield at the SCG after winning 3-1 while your press&fans were tearing into the Oz players. You want to end careers? Just make sure its not yours that ends.”Prior is no stranger to wars of words, having been the subject of a vitriolic attack from his former team-mate, Kevin Pietersen, who labelled him the “big cheese” in his autobiography in 2014.By and large, Prior kept his counsel on that occasion, but he has been less willing to take Lyon’s comments lying down.”Last time someone spouted a whole load of BS about me I stayed quiet not this time,” he wrote. “To be clear I may have been playing badly fair enough but there was no way I was getting on a plane home. You’ve embarrassed yourself @NathLyon421 & this game has a funny way of biting back.”

MatériaMais Notícias

A rodada de sábado da Série B começa a partir das 11h (Horário de Brasília) com o duelo entre Avaí e Cuiabá, marcado para o estádio da Ressacada, em Florianópolis.

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Como chegam

O Avaí chega para o duelo pressionado. Com um dos maiores investimentos da competição, o Leão não conseguiu se apresentar dentro de campo e chega com duas derrotas na conta. Agora, a ordem de Geninho e cia é dar um bico na crise e iniciar uma reação dentro de casa.

Por outro lado o Dourado chega empolgado. Na rodada passada, o Cuiabá levou a melhor diante do Confiança e entrou no G-4, zona que dá vaga à elite do futebol nacional.

Prováveis Escalações:

Avaí: Lucas Frigeri; Iury, Rafael Pereira, Betão, Victor Salinas e Capa; Ralf, Bruno Silva e Valdivia; Gastón Silva e Kelvin. Técnico: Geninho.

Cuiabá: João Carlos; Hayner, Everton Sena, Anderson Conceição e Romário; Auremir, Rafael Gava e Elvis; Yago, Felipe Marques e Jenison. Técnico: Marcelo Chamusca.

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery could look to weaponise his knowledge of the Spanish market to secure further signings at Villa Park this summer, according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano.

How has Aston Villa's transfer window gone so far?

Aston Villa have made some excellent additions in the summer transfer window after managing to bring in the services of Pau Torres, Moussa Diaby and Youri Tielemans, as per Transfermarkt.

Marvelous Nakamba, Wesley Moraes, Morgan Sanson and Viljami Sinisalo have all departed the club either on loan or permanently while Ashley Young and Jed Steer left Villa Park upon the expiration of their contracts at the end of last term.

Villans boss Emery spoke excitedly about his ideals for the new season in an interview cited by The Daily Mail, stating: "I am very excited with this phase we are going to have this year. 'Now is the moment to try to build, to create a small family between us and big commitment with every player."

Ramon Rodriguez Verdejo, otherwise known as 'Monchi', was appointed as Aston Villa's new President of Football Operations last month and has been tasked with navigating 'football matters' at Villa Park, which will enable him some degree of a say on potential incomings at the club moving forward.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, transfer guru Romano thinks that Aston Villa could 'explore some possibilities' in the Spanish market between now and the close of play in the window.

Romano stated: “I think they will move on other targets, for example, full-backs. I will keep an eye there for Aston Villa because they're exploring some possibilities in Spain.

“And then we will see, but for sure, Villa are very satisfied with the work they've done in the market.”

Who have Aston Villa been linked with in recent times with Spanish connections?

In keeping with the Spanish connection referenced by Romano, Football Insider claim that 27-year-old Spain international Adama Traore is being courted by Aston Villa in what would be a surprise transfer pursuit.

Traore is believed to be on a shortlist of attacking targets alongside several other options as Emery looks to add some pace in the final third heading into the new campaign.

One report in Spain has indicated that Aston Villa 'continue to push on the offensive side' to try and land Barcelona forward Ferran Torres; nevertheless, any prospective agreement would be difficult to reach with the former Manchester City star, who isn't keen to leave his current employers this summer.

Barcelona are unlikely to make a decision on the future of Torres until the future of Ousmane Dembele is solved amid interest from Paris Saint-Germain in his services.

Mundo Deportivo via TEAMtalk state that Aston Villa could financially outmuscle competitors Sevilla, Almeria and Real Betis in the race to sign Levante full-back Marc Pubill, who is expected to join a bigger club this window.

Levante find themselves in financial trouble and would be willing to sell the 20-year-old and Aston Villa President of Football Operations Monchi has identified Pubill as someone who could make an impact at Villa Park.

David Warner has questioned whether CA want to help Australia win the Champions Trophy, after it released a video aimed at persuading players to give up the revenue sharing model

George Dobell at Edgbaston08-Jun-2017David Warner has questioned whether CA want to help Australia win the ICC Champions Trophy, after the board released a video aimed at persuading players to agree to giving up the revenue sharing model. CA and the Australian Cricketers Association, which represents the players, have so far struggled to make headway in negotiations to arrive at mutually-acceptable terms after the present MoU expires on June 30.Australia play England at Edgbaston on Saturday knowing that defeat or another abandonment could end their Champions Trophy campaign. Warner, the Australia vice-captain, suggested that releasing the video – which features CA’s chief negotiator Kevin Roberts claiming the players’ demands took money out of junior cricket – just ahead of the match had done nothing to help them focus.”If CA want to try and help us win I think they wouldn’t be releasing videos like that,” Warner said. “We have an important game coming up this week and that is our focus. The MoU can wait until after the game and the tournament.”The video, which features Roberts contradicting the ACA’s claims about the costs of running the game, was posted on-line and emailed to professional players in Australia. While it may have been intended as clarification, it has been interpreted as an attempt to circumvent the players’ body and was dismissed by Warner, on Twitter, as containing “half-truths.”But it is the timing of the video’s release that irritated the players. The Champions Trophy ends in little more than a week and the players were hoping they would be given the space to concentrate on their cricket before being dragged into public negotiations.”It [the timing] is disappointing,” Warner said. “But I am not going to comment on what CA are trying to do. They obviously haven’t thought about the process. We’ve given back almost 30 million to grassroots cricket. But at the end of the day we’re here to win and if CA want to try and help us win I think they wouldn’t be releasing videos like that.”As we’ve said, we just want a fair share but leave it [the negotiations] until after the games. We have 100% support with the ACA to get to the table with CA. All the players are sticking together as one.”The revenue-sharing model – whereby players receive a fixed percentage of the gross income of Cricket Australia each year – has been in place since the ACA was founded in 1997. CA claim that model has served its purpose and they require more money to develop the game.The players will be out of contract if an agreement is not reached by June 30, and Warner had said that if the players were not contracted, they would not be able to play for Australia. He even raised questions over whether CA would have a team for the Ashes, and stood by that stance when asked again about it during the Champions Trophy.

If Rangers were to sell Romanian international Ianis Hagi this summer, "it would be quite a surprise", claims transfer insider Dean Jones.

Rangers transfer news – what's the latest on Ianis Hagi?

Rangers have been undergoing something of a squad overhaul in recent weeks, with the Teddybears seeing senior players like Scott Arfield, Alfredo Morelos and Ryan Kent all leaving the club and a swath of new faces arriving.

So far, the Glasgow giants have signed six new players this summer, splashing the cash on striker Cyriel Dessers, who cost £4.5m from Cremonese and fellow centre-forward Sam Lammers, who cost the club £3m from Atalanta.

With the club clearly spending big this summer and more potential incomings on the way, several players have been linked with moves away from Ibrox to help free up more capital to fund Michael Beale's overhaul, with one of those linked with a move being Hagi.

According to Football Insider, Serie A side Lecce view the player as a 'concrete target' this summer and have already made contact with the Scottish giants over a potential transfer.

Rangers legend Alan Hutton told the publication that while he hopes the player stays, he thinks the club could sell:

"There is definitely a question mark there. Hagi had a stop-start season with a serious injury that did not allow him to play as much football as he wanted, but you still think at this moment in time, he would be knocked down the pecking order, especially with the new signings.

"I would like to see him stay but if they did get a reasonable offer in they would listen to it. "

What has transfer insider Dean Jones said about Ianis Hagi and Rangers?

Jones was quick to point out that the departure of Hagi seems unlikely at this point, as everything around the club suggests he will be staying.

Speaking to Football FanCast, he said: "I mean, he seems unlikely (to leave), and actually, it would be quite a surprise at this point if he did go. I mean, the noises around it seem to suggest that they will be staying."

How good is Ianis Hagi?

It has been a tough few years for the Romanian international, having started his career at Ibrox brightly in the 2020/21 season to having it abruptly cut short the following season due to a knee injury.

That injury required surgery, which caused the dynamic midfielder to miss a whopping 69 games for the Gers across 371 days from January 21st 2022 to January 27th 2023.

Before his injury, however, he was electric north of the border, especially in that first season when he started 20 games, scored six goals, and assisted a further nine, picking up an average rating of 6.93.

It was this kind of form that led Gigi Becali, the owner of Steaua Bucharest, to make a very bold prediction:

"I think he will be a great European footballer in the future. For me, he will be worth €100m (£85m) in just two years."

His then-manager Steven Gerrard was also full of praise for the Romanian youngster, hailing him as "magic" after a spectacular Europa League goal at Ibrox in 2020.

With the now 24-year-old just getting back to his best after the tough journey he's been on over the last 18 months, Rangers should do all they can to find a place for him in the team going forward, even if he doesn't quite live up to that €100m (£85m) prediction.

Steven Smith, like his namesake Hannibal Smith, loves it when a plan comes together. And Australia’s plans for this tour of India – a campaign of which Smith is immensely proud regardless of what happens in the final Test in Dharamsala – have been coming together since they were humiliated with a 0-3 defeat in Sri Lanka last year.For Smith, that tour was a wake-up call. Prior to that series Australia had only ever lost a single Test to Sri Lanka; now they lost three in a month. Their run of consecutive Test defeats in Asia had stretched to nine. And so Smith and coach Darren Lehmann needed a new approach, a new resolve, when a four-Test tour of India was on the horizon.A two-week training camp was scheduled in Dubai prior to Australia’s arrival in India, so they could control the types of surface on which they trained, and formulate plans for difficult conditions. Still, it is hard to imagine that even the Australians themselves believed they would dominate the first Test in Pune in quite the way they did, and would remain alive in the series with one Test to play.”I learned a lot out of Sri Lanka when we lost there, just about playing in the subcontinent and leading in the subcontinent,” Smith said in Dharamsala ahead of the fourth Test against India. “I had a reasonable idea before I went to Sri Lanka of how I wanted to do things, how I wanted to do thing a lot differently and didn’t want to over-attack and things like that.”I think you can see it in the way that you have to play here. You can’t attack non-stop. You have to have defensive fields at times and people are going to be critical at that but they’re not the ones out in the middle that have to do the job. I know that if you get a bit defensive on occasions and build a bit of pressure.”Back home when you’re talking about building pressure you talk about maiden overs but here it’s more if you go for two an over it’s pretty good over. It’s very hard to contain the scoreboard. If you’re limiting the boundaries, keeping the runs down and building the pressure that you need it makes a big difference.”As unsexy as such talk of defence and containment can be, Smith’s plans have put him within touching distance of becoming the first Australian captain since Adam Gilchrist in 2004 to lead a series victory in India. That would not have been the case but for some impressive fight from Peter Handscomb and Shaun Marsh on the final day in Ranchi, where they toughed out a draw that felt like a win.”If you look at past sides that have come here recently that day five result we had the other day where we were able to play out the draw, that’s just ended pretty quickly for us on a few occasions where we’ve just rolled over,” Smith said. “Having the fight and willingness to work hard to get the results we’re after, it’s been great from the boys.”I thought the way we fought out that draw was magnificent. I’m sure they [India] would be disappointed that they couldn’t get the result they were after. In that regard I’d rather be in our boat than theirs.”Steven Smith on Matt Renshaw: “For a guy that’s only played a handful of Tests, to go out there and just play his game and back what he’s worked on over the last few weeks has been amazing.”•Associated Press

In particular, Smith has been thrilled with the work of the young opening batsman Matt Renshaw in this series, in what is his first exposure to cricket in the subcontinent. Renshaw will turn 21 during the Dharamsala Test but has outperformed most other batsmen in the series – only Smith and Cheteshwar Pujara from either side have faced more deliveries this series than Renshaw.”I’ve been really impressed with Renshaw,” Smith said. “For a guy who’s never been here before it’s almost a different game when you get out to the middle and you see guys around the bat and crusty wicket, things like that, and that can get to players, players who have played for a long period of time.”For a guy that’s only played a handful of Tests, to go out there and just play his game and back what he’s worked on over the last few weeks has been amazing. I think a lot of the guys, the more senior players, have taken a bit out of the way he’s done things having only been a youngster and not been here before. That’s been really good.”The teams enter the final Test with the series locked at 1-1, meaning the winner in Dharamsala’s inaugural Test will claim the Border-Gavaskar Trophy – and in the unlikely event of a draw, Australia will retain it as the current holders. Smith said that although much hard work remained over the next few days, he was proud of his men regardless of the final outcome of the series.”We all know that this is one of the toughest places to come to play as an Australian team,” he said. “Regardless of what happens in this last Test match I think the way we’ve played has been a credit to each and every individual here. We’ve played some very good cricket. We probably did a couple of things wrong in Bangalore where we could have wrapped up there series or had a two-nil lead. The cricket we’ve played has been really good.”Right now we’re in a good position. We’ve got to play well this week and hopefully win the series here but we’ll do that by doing the things that we’ve done well in this series so far and just doing it for just a little bit longer. I’m not worried about the result as such … It’s obviously a relatively young side and this team could be together for a very long time.”

Aston Villa have started to make early moves in an attempt to bring Juventus star Federico Chiesa to the Premier League, according to reports.

What happened to Federico Chiesa?

Chiesa is a left-sided winger who currently plays his football at the Allianz Stadium, having permanently moved there last summer following a successful loan from Fiorentina.

Across both spells, he’s been a regular feature of Massimiliano Allegri’s squad when fit, making 94 appearances to date but missing large parts of the last 18 months due to a nasty ACL injury suffered mid-way through last season.

The Italy international’s contract with the Serie A outfit isn’t set to expire for another two years, but the level of his performances have attracted the attention of a couple of clubs in England, one of those being Unai Emery's side in the Midlands.

Speaking to Steve Wraith, CBS reporter Ben Jacobs name-checked the Villans as the “ones to watch” in the race for the 25-year-old despite also crediting Newcastle United with an interest, and NSWE already appear to be trying to convince him to join.

Are Aston Villa signing Chiesa?

According to Italian newspaper Tuttosport (via Sport Witness), Aston Villa have made "concrete steps" for Chiesa and are, at present, the most interested suitor in the forward even though he's being targeted by Liverpool and the Magpies.

However, Juventus' star has assessed the project and has decided that it "does not convince" him, nor is he "enthusiastic" to complete the switch, so it doesn't sound like he will be putting pen to paper unless Monchi can do some serious convincing.

Aston Villa and indeed new President of Football Operations Monchi are showing plenty of ambition by targeting a player whose calibre is as high as Chiesa's, having been hailed as "one of the most exciting players around” by journalist Josh Bunting.

And despite the fact he’s not open to the move at this stage, he could be a fantastic recruit should he have a change of heart.

The Italy star, who pockets £153k-per-week, racked up seven goal contributions (five assists and two goals) in 21 Serie A outings last season and was averaging 4.34 shot-creating actions per 90, which was the third-highest total throughout his squad, via FBRef.

The 2022/23 Champions League participant is also an extremely versatile operator having been deployed in seven various positions since the start of his career, including everywhere across the frontline and even three roles in the midfield, so all in all, he would be a great option for Emery to have at his disposal.

Wolverhampton Wanderers have reportedly reignited their January interest in a La Liga ace, as Julen Lopetegui prepares for his first summer in charge at Molineux.

Despite the link, it’s expected to be a tough transfer window for the Spaniard following the emergence of the club’s FFP woes, however, the latest target could be one to bolster the side with little financial burden.

What’s the latest on David Garcia to Wolves?

As reported by Spanish outlet AS yesterday (via Sport Witness), Wolves are part of the chase to sign Osasuna centre-back David Garcia.

The report states that ‘several’ English clubs seek the Spaniard, suggesting that ‘especially Wolves’ are interested in his talents this summer.

AS add that the Midlands club were interested in the defender in January, and had ‘already tempted’ the 29-year-old who has a release clause of €20m (£17m).

What could David Garcia bring to Wolves?

Hailed as “commanding and excellent” by journalist Josh Bunting, Garcia has had a solid season in La Liga, as supported by his average Sofascore match rating of 6.93, ranking him in the top three of Osasuna’s best performers.

The 29-year-old has contributed to eight clean sheets this campaign, acting as a strong presence in defence as shown by winning 59% of his total duels in La Liga with an average of 4.3 per game, via Sofascore.

Wolves have had a more testing season than Los Rojillos, who finished seventh in the Spanish top-tier, with their biggest achievement of the term confirming their survival after sitting rock bottom of the Premier League on Christmas day.

Lopetegui will opt for reinforcements this summer on a tight budget, and for £17m, the former Real Madrid boss could get a bargain in Garcia.

With a lot of speculation regarding the future of centre-back Max Kilman who is reportedly on the radar of Tottenham, Molineux could land themselves an upgrade on the Englishman in the Pamplona-born gem.

As per FBref, the Spaniard has performed better than the 26-year-old over the past year, averaging a higher rate per 90 in most defensive areas.

The Osasuna ace averages a huge 5.07 clearances and 1.14 tackles per 90, as well as 1.51 interceptions and 2.82 aerials, proving himself to be an assured figure in the box at 6 feet tall.

The Wolves central defender falls short of the Spaniard, averaging 4.46 clearances, 2.34 aerials, 0.98 tackles and just 0.52 interceptions, via FBref, suggesting that the 29-year-old could be an upgrade should he opt to depart this summer.

Another area that Garcia could benefit Lopetegui in is his average of 3.53 progressive passes per 90, with the Spanish coach identified to want his team to ‘play out from the back’, as noted by Adam Scully at Total Football Analysis.

Molineux could land themselves a gem this summer for a slim price considering his talents, however with a swarm of clubs following the centre-back, only time will tell if Wolves can get their man.

Manchester United's pursuit of a new striker may not take them to Harry Kane after all, with Sky Sports reporting that they are unlikely to make a bid for the player this summer due to Tottenham's reluctance to sell to a rival.

Are Manchester United signing Harry Kane?

The Red Devils have made it clear that they are in the market for a new striker this summer, with the club struggling to bag goals in the Premier League this campaign. They managed a total of just 58 and only Marcus Rashford hit a double-digit haul in the top flight despite not always playing as a centre forward. Anthony Martial and Wout Weghorst couldn't break the ten-goal barrier.

There has been plenty of talk about who Erik Ten Hag will move to sign for that forward line and one of the biggest names mentioned is Harry Kane at Tottenham. The England international is coming off the back of another personally successful year, with the striker bagging 30 goals in the league and three assists to boot. However, with Spurs once more failing to achieve Champions League football or to win any silverware, there has been rumblings that he could finally leave White Hart Lane and head to Old Trafford instead.

Now, a report from Sky Sports states that it won't be the case. Despite interest from United this summer, the Glazers will pull out without making an official offer for Kane because of Daniel Levy. The Tottenham chairman is reluctant to let such a key player leave to join a Premier League rival and with him now unwilling to budge, it means that United will have to look elsewhere for their attacking options this summer.

How many goals has Harry Kane scored for Tottenham?

Even with Kane now aged 29, he would still be a massive addition to the United frontline if they added him to their ranks. He already has an astonishing 213 top flight goals to his name and his haul of 30 over the course of the 2022/23 season is his best total in five seasons – showing he isn't slowing down either.

Ten Hag is an admirer of the player, who could cost any interested party around £85m this summer. The Dutchman stated that Kane is a "clever player" and a "great player" ahead of his side's match against Tottenham – so it is clear that the boss appreciates the goalscoring and general ability of the Spurs man.

It doesn't look as though United will be snapping up the Tottenham man this summer then, which will be a blow for the club's fans. However, he is still at the top of his game and even if the side have to wait another season, he would still be a fantastic striking addition.

Pakistan completed a 3-0 whitewash of West Indies with a comfortable eight-wicket win in Abu Dhabi that exposed the World T20 champions’ weaknesses in conditions not conducive to big hitting

The Report by Karthik Krishnaswamy27-Sep-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details0:43

By the Numbers – 18 of 20 overs by left-arm bowlers

Pakistan completed a 3-0 whitewash of West Indies with a comfortable eight-wicket win in Abu Dhabi that exposed the World T20 champions’ weaknesses in conditions not conducive to big hitting. Sent in to bat, West Indies stuttered to 103 for 5 in their 20 overs, failing to get into gear after losing three top-order wickets to Imad Wasim’s non-turning left-arm spin.Debutant Kesrick Williams on…

West Indies’ performance: Even though we lost the game, our guys are actually getting better. You can see some good performances coming up still. It’s tough, it’s really tough, it’s really hot there and takes a while to get adapted to the conditions but we are tough cricketers and we always look to give our 110%. Probably some played good cricket, kudos to them.
His debut: I just went out there with my mind free, not thinking that we lost the series. I enjoyed playing CPL and that’s what I did here tonight. I didn’t look at it as I was playing against Pakistan, or against Sharjeel Khan or whatever. I look at it like I’m playing cricket at home, don’t try to overthink it and do what I do best.
His wicket celebration: That celebration I formulated in the Caribbean when I got my first wicket. I just threw my hands in the air and I did a little thing, I put a little jig into it, and it was known as the ‘Kesi-Bounce’. So I’m going to stick to that, it’s my thing, my dance, it’s the way I enjoy my cricket and whenever I enjoy my cricket I do well.

Chasing less than six runs an over, Pakistan were never under pressure, especially after Jerome Taylor sprayed the new ball around in his first two overs, conceding four leg-side fours, a leg-side wide, and a set of leg-byes down to the fine leg boundary. Kesrick Williams, the debutant fast bowler, dismissed both openers in the sixth over of the innings, but Pakistan easily shrugged that setback aside as Babar Azam and Shoaib Malik steered them home with an unbroken partnership of 68 for the third wicket. Malik ended the match off the first ball of the 16th over, shovelling Carlos Brathwaite for a six over long-on.When they won the World T20 earlier this year, West Indies only really struggled in two games, a narrow win against South Africa and a defeat to Afghanistan. Both games came in Nagpur, the venue with the largest outfield and most spin-friendly pitch of the tournament. Abu Dhabi’s outfield is even larger, and while its pitch didn’t offer much turn, it didn’t give the batsmen much bounce or pace to work with. This meant West Indies would need to look outside their usual T20 template to find a trustworthy run-scoring method.They didn’t. By the start of the ninth over, three of their batsmen had been bowled by Imad’s stock in-ducker, and only one of them, Chadwick Walton, could claim mitigating circumstances. Having just come to the crease, he was undone by a back-of-a-length ball that crept through him at shin height.The previous ball, knowing fully well the dangers of going across the line to an unfailingly stump-to-stump bowler on a pitch of low bounce, Johnson Charles had attempted a slog-sweep and missed. Then, Dwayne Bravo, having added 14 with Marlon Samuels in 21 balls, was bowled through the gate going for an open-faced sliced drive.In typical T20 conditions, it is almost essential for batting teams to take such risks. In the specific circumstances of Tuesday’s game, West Indies needed a different approach. Perhaps they needed to peek into the Virat Kohli/MS Dhoni playbook, perhaps, and bunt the ball towards deep fielders and push for twos.West Indies didn’t try that approach: they only ran nine twos in their 20 overs. Not coincidentally, Marlon Samuels, never the fleetest or most enthusiastic runner between the wickets, was at the crease for all but 2.3 overs of the innings. From the non-striker’s end, he also played a part in Andre Fletcher getting run out in the fifth over.In the end, Samuels finished unbeaten on 42 off 59 balls, but he was by no means alone in struggling to up the tempo. Conditions are certainly not conducive to big hitting when Kieron Pollard ends up not out on 16 off 17 balls without hitting a boundary or a six.A lot of this was down to Pakistan’s bowling. The spinners hit an awkward, short-of-good-length area and attacked the stumps, the ideal strategy for a pitch with low bounce, denying the batsman the opportunity to get on the front foot while also imperilling the horizontal-bat shots. The three left-arm seamers, including the debutant Rumman Raees, hit the same sort of length while constantly taking pace off the ball.The few boundaries that came were off rare deliveries that offered a bit of swinging room: Samuels played a crisp front-foot cut off Imad, and pulled a too-short slower ball from Sohail Tanvir; Nicholas Pooran slog-swept Mohammad Nawaz into the grass banks, a shot that may have cleared the stadium roof in Sharjah.Two balls later, West Indies were served another reminder of the difficulty of hitting big shots on this ground, as Pooran connected meatily with another big swing only to pick out deep midwicket.