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Ponting, it is understood, will take the final call on the rest of the coaching staff

Nagraj Gollapudi18-Sep-20246:27

What is Ponting’s biggest challenge at Punjab Kings?

Ricky Ponting has been appointed head coach of Punjab Kings (PBKS) from IPL 2025, a little over two months after he and Delhi Capitals parted ways ending his seven-year tenure at the franchise.ESPNcricinfo has learned that Ponting has signed a four-year contract with Kings, a franchise with multiple owners. Ponting, it is understood, will take the final call on the rest of the coaching staff. There is no clarity yet on who remains on the books from the coaching unit from last year: Trevor Bayliss (head coach), Sanjay Bangar (head of cricket development), Charl Langeveldt (fast-bowling coach), Sunil Joshi (spin-bowling coach).”I am grateful to Punjab Kings for presenting me with the opportunity to be the new head coach,” Ponting said. “I am excited to take up the new challenge. I had great conversations with the owners and the management about the way forward and was truly elated to see the alignment of our visions for the team. We all want to repay the fans who have stayed with the franchise over the years and we promise that they will see a much different Punjab Kings going forward.”Ponting will be the third head coach in four seasons at Kings, who finished ninth in the 2024 season. They have not qualified for the IPL playoffs since 2014, when they finished runners-up. Ponting’s first challenge would be shortlisting players who could be potentially retained for the next season even as the franchises wait for the IPL to finalise the retention rules.Related

Punjab Kings part ways with Bayliss and Bangar

Ricky Ponting on his Punjab Kings role: 'We are not going to sit back and just accept mediocrity'

Ricky Ponting and Delhi Capitals part ways

Shikhar Dhawan retires from international and domestic cricket

Dravid unveiled as Rajasthan Royals head coach

Harshal Patel, who won the purple cap for the second time in IPL 2024, along with the uncapped Indian pair of Shashank Singh and Ashutosh Sharma were among the key performers for Kings last season. Kings also have India left-arm fast bowler Arshdeep Singh, wicketkeeper-batter Jitesh Sharma, legspinner Rahul Chahar in their squad along with a healthy bunch of overseas players, including the England trio of Sam Curran, Liam Livingstone, Jonny Bairstow and South Africa quick Kagiso Rabada.With Shikhar Dhawan retiring recently, Kings will also be keen to identify a new captain.Ponting has been part of the IPL set-up since the inaugural season in 2008, first as a player at Kolkata Knight Riders followed by Mumbai Indians where he stepped down as captain midway through the 2013 season, paving way for Rohit Sharma to take over. Mumbai won the title the same year, with Ponting continuing in an advisory role in 2014 and then serving as head coach for two seasons in 2015 and 2016.In 2018, Ponting took charge as head coach of Capitals who made the playoffs for three successive seasons between 2019 and 2021, during which period they qualified for the first IPL final in 2020. After ending his association with Capitals in July, Ponting was head coach during Washington Freedom’s title-winning campaign in the 2024 season of Major League Cricket (MLC).

We will be rooting for runs Monday night as the Red Sox take on the Astros at Minute Maid Park in Houston.

Both teams are in the running for an AL Wild Card bid, and Houston will be looking to make up ground on the Rangers for the AL West title. The Red Sox are coming off a three-game win streak vs. the division-rival Yankees, and the Astros are coming off a three-game losing streak after being swept at home by the division-rival Mariners. I expect both teams to be feisty tonight.

Cristian Javier gets the start at home tonight for the Astros. That’s probably good news for the Red Sox, as Javier has not looked like the dominant pitcher we expected this season. His 55.4% fly ball rate is third in the MLB among starters behind only Nestor Cortes and JP Sears. The Red Sox should be able to get in their knocks. Boston has been averaging 4.5 runs per game in August. Rafael Devers, Tristan Casas and Justin Turner have all been swinging the bat well and could easily go yard tonight.

Despite coming off a brutal sweep to the Mariners, the Astros have also been hitting the ball well in August, scoring an average of 5.28 runs per game. Specifically, they have been hitting lefties well, and that bodes well for the matchup with James Paxton. Paxton is the kind of pitcher that can get hit hard if he doesn't have his best stuff. Paxton is the better pitcher in this matchup on paper with a 3.34 ERA this season, but Houston is hitting .271 (sixth) vs. lefties with a .338 OBP (fifth), .799 OPS (fourth), .461 SLG (fourth) and .190 ISO (fourth). Kyle Tucker (who should return to the lineup today after an illness) is hitting .335 with 11 homers vs. southpaws this season while Yordan Alvarez is hitting .315 with six round-trips. And let’s not forget Jose Altuve, who just notched career-hit 2,000 on Saturday. Altuve is hitting .333 with two home runs in 10 career at-bats vs. Paxton. Even if Paxton gives Boston a strong start, Houston should be able to tag their bullpen for more than a few runs. Boston’s pen has an ERA of 6.27 in August.

It’s even money to play the over, so that’s what we are going to do.

The Bet: Red Sox-Astros over 9 runs (+100)

India lead the series 1-0 after winning the first Test in Chennai by 280 runs

Hemant Brar26-Sep-20242:23

Manjrekar: I will play Kuldeep Yadav in the second Test

Big picture: Another stern test awaits Bangladesh

Bangladesh came into this series riding on the high of winning 2-0 in Pakistan. It peaked when they had India 144 for 6 in the first innings in Chennai. But then India once again showed why they are arguably the strongest home side in Test history and went on to steamroll Bangladesh by 280 runs.It was a show of India’s depth in both batting and bowling. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli managed only 34 runs between them across four innings, but India had three centurions and two half-centurions. When it came to bowling, their seamers shared eight wickets in Bangladesh’s first innings and the spinners nine during the second.Things will not get easier for Bangladesh in Kanpur, where New Zealand’s tail had held on to secure a draw the last time a Test was played here. There is also some uncertainty about the pitch. The ground staff were preparing two surfaces and, as of noon on the eve of the match, it was not clear which one would be used.Related

• Green Park's C stand deemed 'unsafe' for India-Bangladesh Test

• Shakib 'eligible for selection' for Kanpur Test against India

• Ravindra Jadeja, the quick and the deadly

Kanpur generally offers good Test-match pitches that help fast bowlers on the first morning before flattening out and assisting spinners on the last two days. However, the weather could be an issue this time, with rain forecast on the first three days. That could impact not just the pitch but also the toss decision and team compositions.But all is not bleak for Bangladesh. In their second innings in Chennai, their openers gave them a solid start, followed by Najmul Hossain Shanto’s return to form with 82. In their first innings, Shakib Al Hasan, Litton Das and Mehidy Hasan Miraz all got starts. But to be competitive against this Indian team at home, you have to be at your best for much longer periods. Can Bangladesh do that?

Form guide

India WWWWW (last five Tests, most recent first)
Bangladesh LWWLL0:48

Manjrekar: Bangladesh attack lacks quality and experience

In the spotlight: Shubman Gill and Shakib Al Hasan

Shubman Gill knows his ceiling. Even after scoring 452 runs with two hundreds in the home series against England earlier this year, he recently said he was yet to fulfil his expectations as a Test player. Gill got out for a duck in the first innings of the Chennai Test against Bangladesh but scored a stroke-filled unbeaten 119 in the second. Given India are to face tougher opponents in the coming months – New Zealand and Australia – Gill would be keen to fine-tune his game at No. 3.When is Shakib Al Hasan not in the spotlight? While batting in Chennai, he was seen biting a black strap, wrapped around his neck, to keep his head from falling over. When it was time to bowl, there were murmurs about his workload, ineffectiveness and discomfort with the spinning finger. And after Bangladesh head coach Chandika Hathurusinghe confirmed Shakib’s availability for the second Test, he dropped a bombshell about his future on the eve of the match.

Team news: Wait and watch?

There was no indication from the Indian camp whether they would play three spinners. Even if they do, it may not be a straightforward choice. If the pitch is too slow, Axar Patel could be handy with his pace and attacking the stumps. But India already have a similar spinner in Ravindra Jadeja. In Kuldeep Yadav’s favour, this is his home ground. So he is a tempting option, too. If India play one of Axar or Kuldeep, Akash Deep could be the one to miss out.India (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 3 Shubman Gill, 4 Virat Kohli, 5 Rishabh Pant (wk), 6 KL Rahul, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 R Ashwin, 9 Kuldeep Yadav/Axar Patel, 10 Jasprit Bumrah, 11 Mohammed SirajIf Bangladesh go with three spinners, Taijul Islam could replace Nahid Rana. That could also help with Shakib’s workload, if required.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Shadman Islam, 2 Zakir Hasan, 3 Najmul Hossain Shanto (capt), 4 Mominul Haque, 5 Mushfiqur Rahim, 6 Shakib Al Hasan, 7 Litton Das (wk), 8 Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 9 Taijul Islam, 10 Hasan Mahmud, 11 Taskin AhmedGautam Gambhir and Abhishek Nayar inspect one of two pitches in consideration for the Kanpur Test•AFP/Getty Images

Pitch and conditions: Slow and low bounce?

The red-soil pitch in Chennai had decent bounce for both seamers and spinners in the first Test. Kanpur will be different. The two pitches being considered for the match are black-soil surfaces. They are likely to be flatter, with lower bounce, and are expected to become slower as the Test progresses. All that could change if it rains as forecasted, and bad light could become a factor too towards the end of each day.

Stats and trivia: Jadeja double on the cards

• For the first time in their Test history, India have more wins (179) than losses (178).
• Jadeja is one short of becoming the seventh Indian to take 300 Test wickets.
• When Jadeja gets there, he will also complete the double of 3000 runs and 300 wickets. If he does it in Kanpur, in his 74th Test, he will be the second fastest to do so after Ian Botham (72).
• Virat Kohli is 129 short of 9000 Test runs.
• Taijul is five short of 200 Test wickets. Only Shakib (242) has more Test wickets for Bangladesh.

Quotes

“We don’t particularly pattern bad pitches. But we try to make sure the conditions are tough enough so that the players are challenged. A lot of these guys have played for so many years. Only if they’re challenged are they going to get better. So sometimes the thought process is just to challenge them differently so that your game and you, organically and mentally, grow.”

Inter manager Christian Chivu has highlighted the problems players face at the ongoing Club World Cup due to frequent delays in matches.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Chivu highlights problems faced due to delays in fixtures
• Six Club World Cup matches have been affected by weather
• Inter to face Fluminense later today

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Chivu has demanded action from the organisers of the Club World Cup, citing the problems a team has to face due to the weather causing delays during matches.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Due to thunderstorms, six Club World Cup matches have witnessed a delay, including the round of 16 clash between Portuguese side Benfica and Premier League heavyweights Chelsea, which lasted for four hours and 39 minutes, and saw the Blues secure a 4-1 victory. Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca even called it ‘a joke’ and Chivu appears to be on the same page, saying that such long delays must be stopped.

• WHAT CHIVU SAID

  Speaking at a pre-match press conference ahead of his team's clash with Fluminense, Chivu said: “Weather? I hope a decision is made before it starts. If we arrive and they tell us to wait two hours it becomes difficult because it is not something that can be postponed from one minute to the next, it is about how and how much we eat. How much we drink. We are professionals and to express ourselves for 120 minutes we have to be ready. I hope that by tomorrow we will be clear to understand if there could be an alert and take the responsibility of deciding without affecting the game and the players.”

• AFP
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR INTER?

  Inter will take on Fluminense at the Bank of America stadium on Monday, and the players from both teams will hope the weather doesn’t play villain to impact the outcome of the last-16 tie.

حدد الاتحاد الإفريقي لكرة القدم، طاقم حكام مباراة بيراميدز ونهضة بركان المغربي، في كأس السوبر الأفريقي 2025.

وكان بيراميدز، قد توج ببطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا، بينما نهضة بركان حصد بطولة كأس الكونفدرالية الإفريقية.

طالع.. بيراميدز يعلن تشخيص إصابة محمود زلاكا أمام الجيش الرواندي

ويبحث بيراميدز عن إضافة بطولة جديدة في خزائنه حيث توج بكأس مصر ودوري أبطال إفريقيا وكأس القارات الثلاثة (إفريقيا، آسيا والمحيط الهادي). موعد مباراة بيراميدز ونهضة بركان في السوبر الإفريقي

وتلقى بيراميدز اخطارًا بموعد مباراته أمام نهضة بركان والتي ستقام في الثامنة من مساء السبت 18 أكتوبر الجاري على استاد الدفاع الجوي بالقاهرة. حكم مباراة بيراميدز ونهضة بركان

واستقر الاتحاد الإفريقي، على إسناد قيادة المباراة للسوداني محمود إسماعيل، ويعاونه مواطنه محمد عبد الله المساعد الأول، والكيني جيلبيرت شيرويه المساعد الثاني، والموريتاني عبد العزيز بوه حكمًا رابعًا.

وأسند كاف تقنية الفيديو للحكم الغاني دانيل لاريا، ويعاونه المساعد الأول توم أبو نجيل من جنوب أفريقيا، والمساعد الثاني ستيفين أونيانجو من كينيا.

ويراقب المباراة الغاني رانسفورد آبي، ومراقب الحكام رينيه دانيل من الكونغو، والمنسق العام عصام شعبان من السودان، والمنسق الأمني للمباراة، أوكي أوبي من نيجيريا، ومساعد المنسق العام المعتز بالله داشراوي من تونس.

Key burst of 3 for 6 in ten balls blows hole in Derbyshire’s resistance

ECB Reporters Network26-Jun-2024

Middlesex 433 and 302 (Robson 67, Higgins 67, du Plooy 59, Thomson 4-115) beat Derbyshire 339 (Reece 125, Donald 54, Roland-Jones 5-81) and 202 (Chappell 50, Thomson 41, Bamber 3-48) by 194 runsAn inspired burst from Ethan Bamber tore the heart out of Derbyshire’s rearguard as Middlesex secured a 194-run win on the final day of their Vitality County Championship division two clash at Lord’s.The Seaxes’ seamer took 3 for 6 in 10 balls on route to final figures of 3 for 48 as the visitors slid from 58 for 1 to 70 for 5 in pursuit of what would have been a record fourth-innings chase for the county.Brave resistance from Zak Chappell with 50 and Alex Thomson 41 prolonged the game deep into the final session, but Henry Brookes with 3-29 returned to clean up the tail and seal a third win of the season for the hosts which keeps them in second place behind leaders Sussex.For Mickey Arthur’s side, the morning’s carnage marked a second collapse in 24 hours, having lost six wickets for 22 runs in their first innings on the third morning. Defeat means it’s now 25 games without a red-ball win.Toby Roland-Jones, architect of the visitors’ first innings capitulation, bowled a probing opening spell, repeatedly passing the outside edge of Luis Reece and David Lloyd’s bats, but without reward.The hosts did though get an early breakthrough Ryan Higgins finding the leading edge of Reece’s bat, the ball flying to substitute Martin Andersson in the gully.New batter Brooke Guest edged his first ball just short of Sam Robson at second slip, but thereafter, for a while at least, progress was made without undue alarm.A debatable umpiring decision changed the course of the morning. Guest was struck on the pad by a ball sliding down leg-side, but Naeem Ashraf raised his finger, signalling the collapse which followed.Brookes struck in the next over, jagging one back from outside off to pin Lloyd lbw trapped on the crease before Bamber again took centre-stage, producing a beauty which swung into Wayne Madsen and straightened on pitching, beating the outside edge and crashing into off stump.Bamber wasn’t finished there, striking again in his next over when wicketkeeper Jack Davies, standing up to the stumps held on to an edge to send Aneurin Donald packing for just two.Lunch provided brief respite before Roland-Jones trapped Anuj Dal with one which kept low from back of a length eight balls after the resumption.Matt Lamb resisted for a while in a stand of 42 with Thomson before the introduction of leg-spinner Luke Hollman accounted for him caught at square leg on the sweep.Thomson in company with Chappell continued the defiance, the spinner adding to his excellent game with the ball, though he was dropped by Leus Du Plooy, a tough chance away to his left from the bowling of Nathan Fernandes in the last over before tea.Helped by that reprieve the pair raised a 50-partnership, chewing up 121 balls in the process.Chappell’s response to fielders crowding the bat was to drive Hollman straight for four, before pulling Roland-Jones for six on his way to 50 from 89 balls.Perhaps it was his growing confidence, which was his undoing, as no sooner had he reached the landmark he drove a full ball from Hollman into the hands of Fernandes at cover ending a stand of 71.Thomson’s two-hour vigil was ended by Brookes, who struck twice in as many overs as Middlesex clinched victory just before the start of the last hour.

Newcastle United are now keen on goalkeeper who’s so good with his feet he’s been described as “Guardiola style,” according to a new report.

Pope good enough for England – Anderson

Despite helping Newcastle United lift the Carabao Cup – their first major trophy in 64 years – earlier this month, Nick Pope wasn’t included in Thomas Tuchel’s first-ever England squad, with the German manager picking Jordan Pickford, Aaron Ramsdale, Dean Henderson and James Trafford ahead of him.

Former Newcastle defender John Anderson believes he was unlucky to be left out: “Pickford is obviously England’s number one and rightly so, but I would say Nick Pope is definitely better than the rest of them.”

Trafford, meanwhile, has been touted as a potential summer signing for the Magpies after what has been a record-breaking season in goal for Burnley in the Championship. The 22-year-old has kept a record 27 clean sheets in 38 games so far, conceding just 11 goals – an astonishing achievement that has put Scott Parker’s side well in the race for automatic promotion.

On the potential of Newcastle signing Trafford in the summer, Anderson said: “He is up and coming and has had an exceptional season with Burnley. He is young and can only get better.”

Magpies eyeing Lammens but face stiff competition

Another keeper who is reportedly on Newcastle’s radar ahead of the summer transfer window is Royal Antwerp shot-stopper Senne Lammens. According to a new report from The Sun, the Magpies are one of a number of clubs alongside West Ham United, Manchester City and Manchester United that have got the 22-year-old on their radar.

The newspaper reports that Lammens is rated at around £30 million, and describe him as a “Guardiola-style” keeper because of his ability with his feet – something that be music to the ears of Newcastle fans given Pope’s well-documented struggles in that department.

Described by football scout Nikita Korneev as “one of Europe’s most exciting young keepers”, Lammens has already cemented himself as Antwerp’s first-choice goalkeeper, impressing in this season’s Champions League before they were eliminated.

A regular for Belgium’s U21s, he was also recently called up to Belgium’s national team for the first-ever time and could yet become the long-term successor to Thibaut Courtois for his nation.

Recently, Lammens opened up on being linked with a move to Old Trafford, saying: “The first time I heard it, I thought, ‘Wow, a world team that follows you. That is special.’

“They are still just rumours,” he explained. “Those top clubs have so many scouts and follow so many players. So it doesn’t have to mean anything yet. It will only become clear in the summer whether anything comes of it.”

يرى عصام الحضري، حارس مرمى منتخب مصر السابق، أن محمد الشناوي حارس الأهلي من الحراس الكبار ولا يُوضع تحت التقيم مثل باقي الحراس.

وقال الحضري خلال تصريحات عبر قناة “أون سبورت”: “محمد الشناوي حارس مرمى كبير وحارس مرمى منتخب مصر، يمكن الظروف الحالية في النادي الأهلي، مأثرة عليه وليس هو فقط بل كل اللاعبين”.

وأضاف: “أول شيء، أنا من وجهة نظري كـ عصام الحضري لا أقيم محمد الشناوي، هو حارس مرمى كبير بتاريخه والبطولات التي حصل عليها، حتى إذا لم يكن موفقا في أي مباراة”.

طالع | موعد والقناة الناقلة لمباراة الأهلي وحرس الحدود اليوم في الدوري المصري

وأكمل: “يوجد في كرة القدم لاعبين وحراس مرمى تخطوا مرحلة التقييم لانهم أصبحوا لاعبين كبار وحراس مرمى على مستوى عال”.

وأتم: “محمد صبحي حارس الزمالك، علي لطفي، من زد، أحمد الشناوي، بيراميدز، عامر عامر، عزل المحلة، حارس الجونة صبحي سليمان، عصام ثروت حارس المصري، هؤلاء ظهروا بمستوى جيد خلال مباريات الدوري الفترة الماضية”.

South Africa are headed for their busiest summer ever, with the pressure of a World Cup and a new T20 League looming; they will need their captain to nail his targets

Firdose Moonda26-Sep-20172:24

‘It’s a new beginning for us’ – Rabada

You’ve heard of five-year plans and ten-year timelines to live your best life, but Faf du Plessis will have to make do with less. Having often spoken of the 2019 World Cup as a logical end-point for him, du Plessis’ may be a three-year tryst with the South African captaincy, which is approaching its most important period now.The middle season of du Plessis’ leadership sees South Africa embark on their busiest home summer in history. They host four teams – Bangladesh, Zimbabwe, India and Australia – and will play 10 Tests, (pending the ICC’s approval of the four-day, day-night match against Zimbabwe as a Test) nine ODIs, and five T20Is, against the backdrop of distraction their domestic T20 league will bring.The inaugural Global T20 promises to add glamour and gravitas to the South African calendar and du Plessis, who is part of it as captain of the Stellenbosch Kings, will have to make sure his men stay focused on the national cause despite the excitement of the new event.Luckily for South Africa, in his first year in charge, du Plessis showed he could demand focus. South Africa won four out of five Test series to climb from No.7 on the rankings to No.2 and achieved their first-ever 5-0 ODI whitewash of Australia. They did all that while dealing with uncertainty on several fronts: from the future of the coach, Russell Domingo, to the commitment of the former captain AB de Villiers.As speculation sprouted on both subjects, du Plessis was the one person who could be counted on to be honest. He was steadfast in his support for Domingo and said both he and the team wanted Domingo to stay on. When they didn’t get that, du Plessis immediately sought information on the new man, Ottis Gibson, from the England changeroom and began to build a relationship with him.Faf du Plessis with Russell Domingo•Getty ImagesAt the same time, du Plessis was the one revealing de Villiers’ difficulties in managing his time playing both international cricket and in T20 leagues while also trying to prioritise his young family, Du Plessis did not expect de Villiers to avail himself to the Test side again; he probably also didn’t expect de Villiers to step down as one-day captain and hand him the full set of captaincies.It is now du Plessis’ job to lead South Africa in all three formats and he knows that means it his job to win the World Cup. Though still 21 months away, it will be talked about incessantly and annoyingly, the way a child talks about Christmas toy in January. It will be analysed until all there is left to analyse is the analysis itself. And it will be coveted, because until South Africa get their hands on the trophy, they will desire it with everything they have. If there is one man who understands how much of a toll that will take, it’s du Plessis.In the aftermath of South Africa’s failed Champions Trophy campaign, du Plessis was as much at a loss as anyone else but he was also the only person who accepted personal responsibility – he was involved in two run-outs in the must-win game against India. South Africans appreciated that. As angry as they were in the team’s inability to exorcise the ghosts of tournaments past, they could see genuine disappointment and hear an admission of guilt from du Plessis. They couldn’t fight with that. All they could do was hurt with him.In essence, that’s what allowed du Plessis to win friends and influence people in the year he has been captain. He is just plain likeable.Faf du Plessis waits to lead South Africa out•Getty ImagesHe has the backing of the change room – like during the ball-tampering allegations in Australia – and of the country. While Graeme Smith had faced the wrath of nation when he missed the homecoming press conference after the 2011 World Cup because he travelled to propose to his girlfriend, du Plessis found himself wrapped in support when he opted out of the Lord’s Test to spend a few extra days with his wife following the difficult birth of their first child. Sure, South Africans have grown up a little and come to see their sportsmen as people; but the sportsmen have grown up too, and see themselves as part of the people, not above them.This is also true of the way du Plessis interacts with opposition. He is well-respected across the cricket world, from Australia where Steven Smith backed him over ball-tampering, to Pakistan, where du Plessis was picked to captain the World XI earlier this month. Du Plessis is trusted for his maturity, which he will need as South Africa embark on the second year of his leadership.Foremost in du Plessis’ mind will be adapting the team to the style of the new coach, Gibson, and integrating the Barbadian into their values. But beyond the philosophical, there is also the real stuff. Du Plessis will have to play a role in managing players over the course of the next six months, particularly bowlers, of whom South Africa are already carrying four wounded ones. He will want to plough into the talent pool to find some of the missing pieces for all the international sides – batsmen, especially batsmen of colour, for the Test XI, death-bowlers in limited-overs cricket and players with big-match temperaments.Against Bangladesh, du Plessis may have a relatively gentle easing in, but things will get tougher as the summer unfolds. Against India, South Africa have a point to prove. It was only two years ago that South Africa were humbled on Indian dust-bowls, and with talk of green mambas ready to bite, the series should be filled with fireworks that a calm captain will have to have a careful watch over. After that, when fatigue may be setting in, South Africa host Australia, a side they have not had a home Test series win over since readmission.Faf du Plessis tries to nail his targets•Getty ImagesImportantly, du Plessis is not in this alone. His successor is being groomed under his nose and that’s no bad thing. South Africa have learnt from the mistake they made when they settled so deep into a comfort zone under Graeme Smith that they barely gave a thought to who would be next. That complacency cost them because it took more than three years after Smith stepped down in March 2014 to find out.Aiden Markram, the 2014 under-19 World Cup winning captain who was put in charge of the Titans franchise last week, is widely expected to become the next national leader and he will have a decent apprenticeship. Markram’s international career will start in two days’ time, when he opens the batting for Test team against Bangladesh. If all goes well, Markram will have ten Tests to bed in and may even find himself in a limited-overs’ side as the season develops.All of that should be encouraged because the more Markram can learn from du Plessis, the better. The more Markram can become part of the du Plessis era, the easier the transition will be.For now, its du Plessis’ team to mould and make a success of. Though he has already had some, du Plessis’ has most recently dealt with disappointment. The England tour, especially the Tests, were blighted by injuries and absentees but South Africa’s return home with nothing was a cause for concern. It suggested there is a need for a more serious introspection than the one South Africa had last winter, just before du Plessis took over, when they outlined goals. Now, they need clear plans and they need to find a way to stay competitive while dealing with myriad challenges – from a packed calendar to Kolpak. They need calm heads. They need to remember to have some fun too.They need du Plessis’ three-year plan to take shape.

MatériaMais Notícias

da imperador bet： Muito provavelmente o meio-campista Renato Augusto não teve uma lesão grave. Pelo menos foi isso que indicaram alguns testes que os médicos do Corinthians fizeram com o jogador ainda no vestiário do estádio Centenário, em Montevidéu, onde o Timão venceu o Liverpool por 3 a 0, na estreia da Libertadores.

O camisa 8 corintiano foi substituído logo no início da partida, após fincar a perna direita no chão com força. O atleta desabou no gramado sentindo fortes dores e dando socos no chão. Na saída de campo, chorou bastante.

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da supremo： +Róger Guedes marca dois, e Fagner se destaca nas assistências em vitória do Corinthians na Libertadores

– Fizemos os testes clínicos para saber mais ou menos (a gravidade da lesão). Quando é (lesão de ligamento) cruzado, normalmente dá para saber no teste clínico. Agora é esperar a imagem para saber realmente o que vai ser feito para eu poder voltar bem – disse Renato Augusto, na zona mista após a partida.

Como o elenco corintiano retornou do Uruguai em voo fretado, logo após a partida contra o Liverpool, a tendência é que esses exames já sejam feitos nesta sexta-feira (7). Eles darão melhor noção do problema de Renato e também darão uma estimativa do tempo de recuperação.

+ Confira tudo sobre o grupo do Corinthians na Libertadores

Antes da estreia na Libertadores, Renato já havia saído contundido no triunfo corintiano sobre o Santo André, por 3 a 1, na última rodada da primeira fase do Paulistão, no último dia 4 de março. Na ocasião, foi constatado um estiramento também no joelho direito, que o tirou das quartas de final da competição estadual, quando o Timão foi eliminado pelo Ituano, nos pênaltis.

Durante os 25 dias que o Corinthians ficou sem jogar, Renato se recuperou e se recondicionou fisicamente, processo que muito possivelmente será repetido com o novo problema físico.

– Triste, me preparei bem, me recuperei bem. Agora é ter paciência. Menos mal que não foi nada muito grave. Pelo menos ligamento a gente viu que não foi, isso tira um peso. Agora é esperar os exames para saber o que realmente aconteceu – destacou o camisa 8.

O próximo compromisso do Timão será na próxima quarta-feira (12), contra o Remo, pela Copa do Brasil. Será muito difícil a presença de Renato Augusto nesta partida.