Tottenham Hotspur are believed to be targeting Xabi Alonso as their next potential manager and Jamie Redknapp has hailed the 42-year-old amid the reports.

Are Spurs eyeing Xabi Alonso as their next manager?

The north London club's season is currently petering out on a whimper at the moment following a stretch of four league games without a single victory.

Indeed, their last four games in the Premier League have only provided Spurs with one win as their defence has seen 14 goals conceded in those matches.

Amid their struggles in the Premier League, a managerial merry-go-round has been going on in the background with Ryan Mason having been handed the responsibility following the departure of both Antonio Conte and Cristian Stellini.

But it seems as if Daniel Levy is still targeting a different permanent manager ahead of the summer with the likes of Julian Nagelsmann being linked with the club.

The search appears to have expanded to other young up-and-coming managers with the Bayer Leverkusen boss, Alonso, also believed to be on their radar.

Indeed, Dutch reports suggest the former Liverpool midfielder is, in fact, the leading candidate for the job in north London amid links to Feyenoord's Arne Slot.

And speaking to the media, Sky Sports pundit Redknapp has hailed the Spaniard and suggested he could be an excellent fit for the Lilywhites:

"Since he's gone there transformation in that team has been astronomical. So he obviously knows what he's doing and such a classy guy, classy player.

"See, I'm not surprised one bit that Tottenham are in for him but there'll be a lot of other clubs as well."

Would Alonso be a good fit for Spurs?

The 42-year-old has now been at the helm of the Bundesliga side for 31 games across all competitions in which he has overseen 17 victories (via Transfermarkt).

There have certainly been some frustrating defeats along the way including to the likes of Augsburg in the German top flight.

However, Leverkusen have now put together a run of 14 games across all competitions without defeat – including 10 wins.

Alonso has been described as an "exciting" prospect by journalist Manuel Veth and his 4-3-3 formation has produced a return of 65 goals from his 31 games at the helm.

But there will be major question marks asked over his side's ability to defend having also conceded 40 times in those games.

And that is something which is certainly an issue in north London with Tottenham holding the sixth-worst defensive record in the Premier League – despite sitting up in sixth spot.

Alonso's playing career can leave no questions, but given Leverkusen look set to lose out on Champions League football under Spaniard to the likes of Union Berlin and potentially Freiburg, he may need to do more to earn the Spurs job.

Tottenham also look set to miss out on the Champions League spots this season, but could Alonso be the man to change that for next season?

First met second in this top of the South Group clash in the Natwest T20 Blast in Cardiff, and it was Gloucestershire who secured victory against Glamorgan to become leaders

ECB Reporters Network10-Jul-2016
ScorecardMichael Klinger helped ensure a comfortable chase•Getty ImagesFirst met second in this top of the South Group clash in the Natwest T20 Blast in Cardiff, and it was Gloucestershire who secured victory against Glamorgan to become leaders. Going into this game the teams were level on points with only net run-rate separating them.Wickets for Graeme van Buuren and tight bowling from Benny Howell and Tom Smith restricted Glamorgan to 119 for 6. It was never enough runs to defend and an unbeaten stand of 97 between Michael Klinger and Ian Cockbain took Gloucestershire home. Both men reached fifty as they secured victory with 23 balls to spare.A slow pitch with low bounce confronted the teams at Cardiff and it was surprising that Glamorgan chose to bat first on a pitch that was used for the match against Sussex on Thursday night. Right from the start of the home side’s innings the Gloucestershire bowlers were on top. A steady batting Powerplay took Glamorgan to 40 without loss but the introduction of spin bowling helped the visitors take control.Van Buuren took two wickets with his slow left-arm bowling in this first over, and they were the scalps of Glamorgan’s two in-form T20 batsmen. First David Lloyd looped the ball off a leading edge to Michael Klinger at mid-off and two balls later Colin Ingram was pinned lbw by a quicker delivery.From there the Glamorgan batsmen struggled to find any timing against some canny Gloucestershire bowling. It became clear very early on that pace off the ball was the way to go, and the Gloucestershire attack was perfectly suited to doing just that. Howell conceded just 13 runs from his four overs of medium pace and van Buuren finished with 3 for 19.It looked as if Glamorgan would fail to reach 100, but 32 from Graham Wagg, which included the only two sixes of the innings, helped them set a target of 120. Wagg scored 18 runs off the 20th over, bowled by Andrew Tye, to give his team a chance, albeit a slim one.A Glamorgan attack that featured the pace of Shaun Tait and Timm van der Gugten was far less equipped to cause real issues on this tired Cardiff pitch, and the extra pace allowed the Gloucestershire batsmen to time the ball with much greater ease than the opposition.The early wicket of Hamish Marshall, well caught down the leg side by Mark Wallace off van der Gugten, gave Glamorgan some hope but from there Gloucestershire cruised to victory. With a lack of slower bowling options available to him Rudolph brought himself on to bowl his part-time legspin for the first time in the T20 Blast this season in attempt to try something different. By then the run rate was down to four an over and there was no need for Gloucestershire to take any risks.This defeat is a setback for Glamorgan but they still have four matches left in this competition and are well placed to secure a quarter-final spot. For Gloucestershire one more win from their remaining two matches and they are mathematically certain of qualification for the knockout stages.

R Ashwin has said that he believes patience will be the key for him and India’s other bowlers on the slow tracks of the West Indies

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Jul-20163:28

‘We are prepared for the long haul’ – Ashwin

Offspinner R Ashwin believes patience will be the key for him and India’s other bowlers on the slow tracks of the West Indies. He would have to be “as boring as possible”, Ashwin said, stubbornly sticking to good lines and lengths to get the better of the batsmen during the four-Test series that begins on July 21.”I’m sure it’s going to be challenging because of the kind of wickets, the kind of heat … From whatever I saw in the last [warm-up] game, the wickets were pretty slow,” Ashwin told . “I’m sure I’ll have to be as boring as possible in terms of trying to plug away all day long.”Ashwin did not play India’s first warm-up game, but said he learnt a lot from watching legspinner Amit Mishra – who picked up four wickets – bowl. “[The pitches are] getting slower. If the wickets are going to be tailor-made for us, if it starts spinning, then we come into our own. But until then, it’s all about patience.”The other day you saw Mishy bowl for about 15-16 overs without any wickets, but once he got a breakthrough, he started breaking through at regular intervals. So that’s what we have to look for – especially the first couple of days or probably even three days of the Test match, there is not going to be a lot in it for the spinners. There might be a little bit of bounce or little bit of slowness in the wicket that you can exploit, but it’s got to be pretty boring lines and lengths and keep teasing with your flight.”Ashwin said watching new head coach Anil Kumble bowl in the nets was already benefitting him. He had spoken to Kumble, he said, and knew what the coach expected of him. “He has brought in a lot of meticulousness among the group. There is some very good discipline in the nets. The batsmen get out to the nets at the perfect time for a start, and that’s not been going around for some time [laughs].”And he [Kumble] has already started bowling in the nets, which is something I pick out notes from. So far, he has provided me with a lot of confidence and a lot of responsibility. It’s been more of giving me the license to try and express myself, which is something I really relish. We’ve had a very open chat and he has already told me what he’s looking forward to from me, and I have already told him what I’m looking forward to him teaching me. “With captain Virat Kohli largely preferring a combination that features five bowlers, Ashwin’s batting could also come into play for India. He had been working on it with batting coach Sanjay Bangar, Ashwin said. “That [batting] is something I work very hard on. I have set some goals with the coaching staff, as to what I want to achieve – not just in terms of numbers, but in terms of how correct I can be, how much more solid I can become as a batter.”And that’s a process, because the first phase is to not give your wicket away and then you can accelerate – I’ve got the shots to do it. Sanjay has worked day in and day out with me, and, at last, he seems to be happy with how it’s shaping up.”India play a second warm-up game in Basseterre from July 14, over three days, before heading to Antigua for the first Test.

Manchester United have some talented youngsters thriving in their academy who could be ready to challenge for a first team spot sooner rather than later.

The likes of Manni Norkett, Marc Jurado, Joe Hugill and Alvaro Fernandez have either shone out on loan this term or impressed in the youth age groups and Erik ten Hag will be delighted that he has a range of talent to cherry-pick over the next few years.

One youngster who has been superb during a temporary move is Amad Diallo.

The winger has been impressive for Sunderland this term, helping them reach the playoffs, and he has scored 13 times for the club, showing much of the promise which convinced United to splash out £19m for him in 2021.

Does he have a long-term future at Old Trafford, however?

Ten Hag may have plans for him next year, although there is another starlet coming through at Carrington which could disrupt Diallo’s development in Mateo Mejia.

Who is Mateo Mejia?

The former Real Zaragoza winger joined United from the Spanish second-tier side in 2019 at the tender age of 16, and he has since progressed through the age groups with swift progress.

Although not as big a goal threat compared to Diallo, his positional dexterity – having played across the front three this season – will allow Ten Hag to have multiple uses for the 20-year-old should he graduate to the first team over the next 12 months.

Four assists from 15 appearances in the Premier League 2 prove he is always creating opportunities for his teammates and this selfless nature will stand him in good stead during his career.

Broadcaster Bolarinwa Olajide even described the 20-year-old as a “wonderkid” before he arrived in Manchester, and he is certainly living up to this praise, with even greater things to come, surely.

Mejia is among a group of youngsters who are ready to make that jump to the next level and gain some first team experience.

Ten Hag signed Antony in order to operate on the right wing, and he isn’t likely to be going anywhere anytime soon, however, if the Red Devils find themselves in a fixture predicament in playing twice a week for the majority of the campaign as they have done this term, then the Dutchman will require a far bigger squad.

Instead of splashing out millions on another winger who will fight with the Brazilian over a first team berth, it makes more sense to ease the Colombian in gently and seeing what he is made off, and he could surprise a lot of people with his ability.

Journalist Craig Hope has claimed that Newcastle United winger Miguel Almiron could be on the bench this weekend.

What's the latest injury news for Newcastle and Miguel Almiron?

The 29-year-old winger has been out injured for a little while now and has not actually played in any of the club's last four Premier League games.

However, with Aston Villa to face away from home, it looks as though he could be in contention to make a return to the bench.

Indeed, while speaking to the press ahead of this game, manager Eddie Howe provided an interesting update on the winger.

He said (via Shields Gazette) “He’s done really well. He’s ahead of schedule at the moment. Fingers crossed, he gets through training, and could be available very soon.”

He was then asked if Almiron could play against Villa, and remained vague with his answer but admitted it was a “possibility".

While talking about this on his own YouTube channel, Hope claimed that Howe's words were enough to confirm that the Paraguay international will definitely make the bench.

He explained: “We've learned to read Eddie when it comes to fitness and otherwise.

"But for him to say that Miguel Almiron is back and training, and see how he come through today's session, that tells us that he will be on the bench down at Aston Villa tomorrow, which is two weeks ahead of schedule, which is a huge boost for them."

How many Premier League goals has Almiron scored this season?

Before the break for the winter World Cup, Almiron was in the form of his life, scoring eight goals and providing one assist in the Premier League.

Since then, however, the £60k-per-week star has lost a little bit of momentum and form, adding just three more league goals to his tally (for a total of 11 in 25).

Perhaps this little time on the sidelines will have done him so good then, just to let him reset before the final run-in.

At the very least, he certainly seems raring to go if he is indeed ready to get back on the bench to play Aston Villa ahead of schedule.

Indeed, while Howe wasn't prepared to confirm Almiron would play any part, journalist Hope seems to be sure that the winger be involved in some capacity as part of the matchday squad for the first time since 12th March.

Chhattisgarh have named Sulakshan Kulkarni, the former Mumbai wicketkeeper, as their coach for the next three seasons. Kulkarni will begin work with a camp in Raipur, attended by 30 probables.”I’m happy to be back in the Ranji Trophy again as a coach. I will enjoy helping develop a team like Chhattisgarh, which would play in the Ranji Trophy for the first time,” Kulkarni told the .”We had received applications from many coaches, some of whom are former players,” Rajesh Dave, the Chhattisgarh State Cricket Sangh secretary, said. “Kulkarni has a good track record with Vidarbha and Mumbai, and our committee felt he would be the ideal man to coach our boys, who’re talented but need his guidance and polishing since they lack experience at the Ranji level. We want to do well in our maiden Ranji appearance.”The Chhattisgarh State Cricket Sangh, which was an associate member of the BCCI, was elevated to full-member status after a special general meeting in February this year, paving the way for their Ranji Trophy debut in the forthcoming season.Kulkarni previously coached Vidarbha between 2009 and 2011, before serving in the same capacity with the Mumbai team from 2011 to 2014. He was in charge when Mumbai lifted their 40th Ranji Trophy title in 2012-13.

Middlesex will begin the final day against Warwickshire at Edgbaston needing seven wickets to take a huge stride towards lifting their first Championship title for 23 years

ECB Reporters Network02-Sep-2016Warwickshire 172 and 74 for 3 need a further 264 to beat Middlesex 242 and 267 for 7 dec (Robson 74, Eskinazi 53)
ScorecardSteve Eskinazi dug in for a half-century as Middlesex set Warwickshire 338 to win•Getty Images

Middlesex will begin the final day against Warwickshire at Edgbaston needing seven wickets to take a huge stride towards lifting their first Championship title for 23 years.While nearest challengers Yorkshire were held up by the weather in Southampton, up in Birmingham Middlesex advanced to a position from which they would be devastated not to close out victory. Warwickshire closed the third day on 74 for 3 in pursuit of the target of 338 set by the Division One leaders when they declared their second innings at 267 for 7 at tea.Half-centuries from Sam Robson and Stevie Eskinazi underpinned Middlesex’s batting, which was largely unhurried despite the possibility of rain taking time out of the final day.They have backed their bowlers to feed again upon the fragility evident in Warwickshire’s first-innings batting when their last eight wickets disappeared for 50 runs. Those bowlers duly removed the top three – Varun Chopra, Ian Westwood and Jonathan Trott – before the close to leave Warwickshire requiring a massive salvage operation in which they will look to captain Ian Bell, unbeaten on 12 overnight, for the backbone.Resuming on the third morning on 61 without loss, Middlesex lost two quick wickets as Nick Gubbins (46) fell lbw to Jeetan Patel and Nick Compton’s middle-stump was plucked out by Keith Barker. Dawid Malan edged Patel to wicketkeeper Alex Mellor but Robson and Eskinazi batted in measured fashion to add 97 in 33.4 overs before, with tea looming, a belated attempt to increase the tempo brought a flurry of wickets for the spinners.Robson swept Patel to deep square-leg and Eskinazi was bowled by Josh Poysden, who also castled Toby Roland-Jones and had James Franklin caught at deep gully. The young legspinner finished with 3 for 80 for match-figures of 8 for 133.Chasing 338 in a day and a session, Warwickshire soon lost Chopra who edged Roland-Jones to Robson at slip. On a used pitch which has assisted spinners throughout, the slower bowlers were soon operating and both quickly struck. Ravi Patel’s 19th ball trapped Trott lbw and Rayner won a leg-before against Westwood to acquire his sixth wicket of the match.Bell and nightwatchman Chris Wright saw it through to the close but Middlesex left the field knowing they have done most of the hard work towards a huge victory.

ScorecardSam Curran showed his skills with bat and ball•Getty Images

As the evening shadows lengthened at Lord’s, so ended a riveting day’s cricket. It had contained eleven wickets, and dramatic collapses from both sides, yet was ultimately defined by a partnership that occupied almost half the day.Sam Curran and Ben Foakes are two young players whose futures are brimming with possibility. Yet while they have been noticed more for their other skills – Foakes by his adroit keeping, Curran by his alluring left-arm pace bowling – their batting aptitude is palpable too.They had to summon all their skill after Surrey had stumbled from 47 without to 108 for 6 – at one point losing 4 for 0 – albeit still with a lead of 230, against high-quality bowling. Curran and Foakes recognised the dangers of the situation, and responded assiduously: their first 49 runs took 22.3 overs, and were marked by impeccable defence.But as Surrey’s lead begun to approach, and then cleared, 300, the stand gained impetuous. Foakes pulled a six off Ollie Rayner’s offspin, and added some efficient flicks of his hips; Curran unfurled some sumptuous late cuts and then a reverse sweep. If their batting strengths differ a little – Foakes favours the on-side, Curran the off – the two were united by their sagacious judgement of sharp runs, and haring between the wickets.By the time they walked off, their alliance still unbroken, the two had added 126 in 274 balls, and reshaped the match to Surrey’s will. That Foakes now has a first-class average of just over 40, and Curran one just under, gives notice of the resolve in Surrey’s lower-middle order.How Surrey needed it. After lunch the game seemed to be drifting inexorably away from Middlesex: Surrey’s lead had moved to 169, with all their second innings wickets intact. In such positions prospective champions must show their worth, and Toby Roland-Jones had the look of one here.Bounding in down the slope from the Pavilion End, he forced Rory Burns to play on, attempting to cut. Four balls later Zafar Ansari was caught leaden-footed and snared lbw. In James Harris’ next over, Dominic Sibley’s rather inert innings, 7 from 51 balls, was ended by flashing the ball behind; and then, from the very next delivery, Roland-Jones removed Aaron Finch, playing across the line, lbw. And so in 13 deliveries Middlesex had claimed four Surrey wickets for no run, and Roland-Jones had claimed three of them, enhancing his reputation as a man who can bring chaos out of order.Jason Roy is not the sort to be perturbed by such a situation. He promptly thrashed his first delivery, from Harris, through the covers for four, and then did the same from his third and fourth balls: a distillation of the virtues of a counter-attacking No. 5. But Roy’s dismissal, bowled round his legs attempting to sweep Rayner, just after Steven Davies had chipped the offspinner to cover, showed the risks of such an approach, too.When the day was eventually done – it had been elongated by a sedate over rate, one downside of Roland-Jones bowling with such vim – Surrey could reflect on how, with stealth and skill, they had manoeuvred themselves into a dominant position. In Foakes’ judgement, the wicket is keeping low and showing signs of variable bounce and turn. While his partnership with Curran showed that the pitch to be far from devilish, it is one on which Surrey, with their high-quality pair of spinners, will expect themselves to take ten wickets in a day.A declaration within half an hour in the morning, with a lead of 400, seems probable. How far away such a position looked when, at 108 for 6, Surrey had a lead of 230, and Middlesex had designs of chasing well under 300 to extend their lead at the top of the County Championship.But as grateful as Gareth Batty was to Curran with the bat, he had equal cause to marvel at his dexterity with the second new ball, which earned Surrey a 122-run first innings lead. Curran not only swung the ball considerably from over the wicket, but did so viciously late. The upshot was 4 for 20 from 5.3 overs, and, ably assisted by his brother Tom, a spell that changed the complexion of the match.As Sam ended the day with his highest first-class score, still scampering twos that suggested that his vigour will be undiminished when it comes to bowling at Middlesex again, it seemed remarkable to reflect that he only turned 18 two months ago. Never mind potential; what a cricketer he already is.

Chelsea were an extremely busy force in the transfer market last summer, bringing in multiple new additions in what seemed to be a new dawn for everyone involved at Stamford Bridge under new ownership.

One of their most high-profile signings was Marc Cucurella, who arrived to much excitement from Blues' supporters for a fee in excess of £60 million, as per Sky Sports.

Nevertheless, he, like many of Chelsea's players have flattered to deceive this campaign, leaving the west London-based outfit sitting 11th in the Premier League table with just three fixtures left to play alongside being dumped out of all cup competitions.

Undoubtedly, Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly has a lot to answer for this season and the American businessman may live to regret making such an expensive signing with little to show for it in return.

What's the latest news involving Marc Cucurella?

Cucurella has come under fire for his performances at Chelsea this season and was criticised by talkSPORT pundit Jamie O'Hara after the Blues' Champions League quarter-final first-leg tie against Real Madrid, as the pundit said: “Cucurella is a disgrace, absolutely killed Chelsea.”

Daily Mail journalist Kieran Gill also delivered a crushing verdict of the Spaniard in early February and questioned his willingness to try and be progressive on the ball, writing: "Cucurella looks like a footballer devoid of confidence, as if he’s too scared to take the risky option.

One compilation of his ‘highlights’ against West Ham showed a series of moments when, instead of passing to Mykhailo Mudryk on the left wing, he chose safety."

In his time at Stamford Bridge, Cucurella has been an underwhelming presence on the left-hand side of defence, making 33 appearances in all competitions and registering two assists, as per Transfermarkt.

WhoScored notes that Cucurella has earned an average match rating of 6.55/10 for his exploits on the pitch this term, ranking him 13th out of Chelsea's 32-man squad in terms of the consistency of his displays, demonstrating room for improvement.

Gill's assessment of Cucurella not being brave enough on the ball also stands up to scrutiny, as FBRef details that the 24-year-old ranks in the bottom 10% of full-backs across Europe's top five divisions for successful take-ons completed over the last 365 days, as he has managed just 0.29 per 90 minutes.

Former Chelsea ace Frank Leboeuf even slammed the transfer as he called it a "crazy" decision.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Paul Brown thinks that Boehly and company may have paid over the odds to sign Cucurella.

Brown told FFC: "I think the only regret that Chelsea should have over Cucurella is the price they paid. I think there's clearly a good player there who still has time to make an impact for the club, but it's clear they just paid a figure that was way above his market value to get him. I mean, I think everyone went a bit wide-eyed at the time when those figures came out."

Of course, Cucurella still has time to turn things round at the Blues and can be an exceptionally effective player when on form. As per The Evening Standard, UEFA’s Technical Observer Panel praised him in the aftermath of Chelsea's 2-0 triumph in the Champions League last-16, stating: “Cucurella was fantastic, claiming numerous turnovers in the first half and reading the game intelligently as well as showing aerial strength and an accuracy of distribution which underpinned the victory for Chelsea.”

Nevertheless, a return to consistency needs to be a priority for the former Seagulls ace heading into next campaign as Chelsea look to wash away their memory of a dismal 2022/23.

Pakistan deserve to be rated the No. 1 Test side, according to their captain, Misbah-ul-Haq, in recognition of their success despite being unable to play any games at home

George Dobell at The Oval14-Aug-2016Pakistan deserve to be rated the No. 1 Test side, according to their captain, Misbah-ul-Haq, in recognition of their success despite being unable to play any games at home.Pakistan won the final Test against England at The Oval to square the series 2-2. It means that, should Sri Lanka defeat Australia by a margin of 2-0 (or better) and West Indies draw the Port of Spain Test, Pakistan would claim the No.1 spot for the first time since the official rankings were introduced in 2003. Their highest placing to date is second, which they achieved following the series win over England in the UAE at the end of 2015.Misbah believes that, for a side obliged to host its home series in the UAE due to concerns over the security situation in Pakistan since 2009, that is a remarkable record.”This team deserves that for six years of not playing any games at home,” Misbah said. “Sometimes people think it’s really easy for us playing in the UAE. They think the wickets suit us and we win there.Misbah on …

Mohammad Amir:”He did OK. He was unlucky a lot of catches were dropped off his bowling. But overall his behaviour and attitude and commitment were there. He played a crucial innings with Younis Khan, too.”

England playing in Bangladesh: “It’s their decision but if a team is not playing at home, it’s really not good for cricket. People in Bangladesh love cricket. They have a craziness for it. If they are deprived of hosting cricket, it could be a big loss for them.”

“But just living every day away from your country, without your family and friends, and playing every game away from Pakistan, is really difficult. It’s mentally tough.”I can only see my mother once a year. I only see my sister once a year. Some of my friends, I could not see for three or four years because of these commitments. We are out of the country all the time. There are a lot of tours and even our home series are in the UAE. We go from West Indies to New Zealand to Australia. It’s not easy.”But still the team is winning. Still the team is playing competitive cricket. There were lots of questions before we came here about whether we could only play in Asian conditions, but we have shown that we are good enough to play even in these conditions. At one stage we were winning this series.”I’m really proud of this team and I think that, if we can be No. 1 after all these results, then we really deserve that.”The key to Pakistan’s success was, according to Misbah, their self-belief. Despite a thumping loss at Manchester and a final-day collapse that cost them the Edgbaston Test, they showed admirable resilience to fight back at The Oval. And while he admitted that losing from an apparently strong position at Edgbaston still hurt, he felt the final result was “not a bad score”.”I am happy with the character shown by the Pakistan team,” Misbah said. “After two defeats, they fought back in this game and won. This is pleasing for me. This team has character and stood up the occasion, fought hard and levelled the series. Winning this match means a lot.”The important point is that you should keep believing as a team and individuals. These players have been playing for six years and they have performed in difficult situations. Asad Shafiq, Azhar Ali and Younis Khan have played winning knocks under pressure and our bowling always stands out. We knew that, when the batsmen found form and we were able to combine our performances with the bat and the ball, we could do well. We had belief throughout the series.”After the situation we were in after the third day at Edgbaston, I am a bit disappointed that the series is level. Losing from there is a little disappointing. But credit must be given to England.”While recent Pakistan tours to England have sometimes ended in acrimony – the Oval Test of 2006 was awarded to England after Pakistan refused to return to the field after an interval following allegations of ball-tampering, while the 2010 series was overshadowed by the spot-fixing scandal – it was noticeable this time that supporters of both sides gave the Pakistan team a warm ovation as they completed a lap of honour around the boundary. It was, Misbah felt, a fitting celebration for a team and a nation making the anniversary of their Independence Day.”Cricket matches are won and lost,” Misbah said, “but to win people and supporters, that is really important. This series has been played in good spirits. Both teams fought well and everyone will remember this series for the sort of cricket we played. There were no off-field issues. We are really happy to conclude the tour on a pleasing note. On and off the field we made friends.”Keeping in mind it was Independence Day, it was something special to draw the series here after being 2-1 down. The way the team fought back… I’m a really happy captain.”