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After playing a pivotal role in Chelsea’s Club World Cup triumph, Cole Palmer has used his time off to reconnect with his heritage as he travelled to the island of St Kitts in the Caribbean. The island is the birthplace of his grandfather, Sterry Palmer, and it marks the Chelsea star’s first-ever trip to the country.

Palmer inspired Chelsea to CWC winVisited his granddad's Caribbean birthplaceRousing welcome upon arrivalFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Although he was born and raised in England, Palmer has always maintained strong emotional ties to his Caribbean roots. In fact, he regularly wears football boots adorned with the flags of both England and St Kitts and Nevis as a tribute to his dual heritage.

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Upon his arrival, Palmer was met with a rapturous reception. Among those waiting to greet him were Dr. Hon. Geoffrey Hanley, the Deputy Prime Minister of St Kitts and Nevis, and the country’s Minister of Tourism, Hon. Marsha T. Henderson. A vibrant performance by a local troupe of traditional masquerade dancers featured a special act for the esteemed guest.

WHAT PALMER SAID

Clearly moved by the reception, Palmer expressed his joy at finally visiting the place that inspired his family’s love for the sport.

"Landing in St Kitts off the back of winning the Club World Cup felt really special," he told reporters. "It’s where my grandad’s love for football started. The island’s beautiful and really chilled. I can’t wait to explore the mountains, rainforest and sea – and to try out the food."

GettyWHAT NEXT FOR PALMER?

Palmer’s visit comes during a brief window of downtime before the Premier League gears up for its return in just a month's time. Chelsea begin their campaign with a challenging stretch of matches starting with Crystal Palace, followed by clashes against West Ham United, Fulham, and Brentford.

With declining interest, and the madness of the soccer calendar snatching away talent, competitive play may not be enough

Jeremy Antonisse took his time. After all, he had plenty of it. The Curacao winger had made a burst forward in 94th minute, his side trailing 1-0 to Canada. And after an incisive feed into his path, the PSV winger had the space to consider the angles, ponder the distance between him and the goal, take an extra touch, and slot home past a helpless goalkeeper.

He turned away in celebration, but as he looked towards the fans, his teammates mobbing him, he peered into what was a largely empty stadium, Curacao supporters dotted in the seats throughout Shell Energy Stadium, home of Houston Dynamo. Part of that, of course, was due to the fact that some of the loyal support had flooded out of the gates, assuming there was no way that the team could piece together a miraculous 1-1 draw.

But it spoke to a broader issue. This was one of the biggest games in the nation's history, the chance to pip a CONCACAF rising power. And the game didn't come close to selling out.

Such has been the story of the 2025 Gold Cup. It has offered plenty of quality, countless memorable moments, and a reinforcement of the jeopardy that the federation can bring. But with seemingly declining interest in the tournament itself, widely vacant stadiums, and the madness of the football calendar snatching some of its best talent away, there is a sense that even a good competition won't quite be enough.

The tournament is at a crossroads like never before. And no one quite has a solution.

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  What the Gold Cup should be

  As a quick refresher. The Gold Cup is a competition played by (almost) every team in CONCACAF every other year – plus one invited guest. Qatar were in it for a couple of tournaments in a row. Saudi Arabia are involved this time. It was founded in 1991, and it was pretty much the only measuring stick for CONCACAF sides outside of the World Cup.

  UEFA had the Euros. CONMEBOL had the Copa America. CAF had the African Cup of Nations. This was CONCACAF's response. The Confederations Cup rather muddled things for a while, but that brought in outside teams that treated it with varying degrees of seriousness. The Gold Cup was, well, the Gold standard.

  The key word there is . In theory, the Gold Cup was North and Central America's equivalent to the major tournaments held by other federations. It didn't matter that in the early days Mexico were by some distance the best side with the most complete history. This was the way to measure up.

  In the early 2000s, it became more relevant in the United States – if only because the USMNT improved. The 2002 iteration felt seminal. Although the U.S. had won it before, that particular squad set the tone for what was undoubtedly a rise in the quality of American soccer.

  Landon Donovan starred in the midfield. Kasey Keller held it down in goal. Brian McBride, Cobi Jones and Carlos Bocanegra were all a part of that team. The U.S. won comfortably in the final. That set the standard going forward.

  "I was probably the most motivated I've been in my career," Landon Donovan told the U.S. soccer site.

  And it hummed along after that. The tournament is where the likes of Tim Howard, Clint Dempsey, Michael Bradley and others U.S. stars cut their teeth at the international level. They played through injury. They wanted to win this thing. Sure, some managers used the month-long affair as a chance to experiment. But in general, it felt like equal parts extended tryout and must-win competition.

  "I think it's a wonderful way to get your feet wet in terms of what it means to be in an international competition – the cadence of the games, how you recover, the different types of styles of opponents that you're going to play," former USMNT midfielder Dax McCarty told GOAL.

  That has since changed. And this year's tournament is most emblematic yet of the shift.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  A crowded football calendar

  The concerns start with the crowding of the football calendar. This is nothing new. More and more tournaments have been forced into the fray. Club teams – both in North America and in Europe – have to contend with more fixtures. Traditional competitions are longer. Contests such as the Leagues Cup have added a whole new slate of games to things.

  FIFA has perhaps played the biggest role, though. There were fears that the introduction of the Nations League – marketed by FIFA but run by CONCACAF – would strip away interest in the Gold Cup. That competition checked some of the boxes that the Gold Cup did, while also offering a chance for various visions of competition.

  Everyone is involved, while the stronger teams are consolidated into individual groups. It is tricky to field a weaker side when you know that your opponents will bring out their big guns. One only has to look at the meltdown following the USMNT's Nations League semifinal defeat to Panama in the spring to see how important the contest has become.

  "More importance has been placed on the Nations League," Herculez Gomez told GOAL.

  The Club World Cup has also played a role. Some top players remain with their club teams. The U.S. are without presumptive starters Weston McKennie and Tim Weah, who are playing in the CWC with Juventus.

  There is also, more generally, a sort of fan fatigue. There is no doubt that American supporters of the Premier League or top European teams long for the sport to come back when their clubs aren't in action during the summer. But packing the calendar has, in reality, had something of an opposite effect.

  Where once there was nothing, there is now seemingly too much, the Gold Cup and CWC clashing, simultaneously held in the U.S. over the past two weeks, and running into next month. There is only so much time in the day.

  And some don't even have an interest in the CWC. Why might they look elsewhere?

  "I don't see any situation where I'll be watching the CWC in the summer," CBS analyst Jamie Carragher told GOAL. "I'll be on holiday. I don't even think I'll keep abreast of the games. I might watch the semifinals or the final, if it's two really big teams."

• Getty
  

  Fans, fans and more fans

  Perhaps the best way of encapsulating the interest in a competition, though, is how many people show up to watch it. The Club World Cup has had its issues with both massive and minimal crowds, but the Gold Cup's problems have perhaps been more pronounced.

  The USMNT, this tournament's , have played in less than full stadiums. Only 12,000 showed up to see them take on Trinidad & Tobago – which kicked off at 3 p.m. local on a bright and beautiful day – and just 11,727 attended their the second match against Saudi Arabia. 

  Mexico, too, have struggled to sell out. Only 34,000 showed up in cavernous AT&T Stadium to see Mexico beat Suriname, 2-0. That venue has historically driven nearly 70,000 supporters of . CONCACAF's response after it became clear that sales weren't strong was to close off several sections, including the entirety of the 400-level nosebleed seats. But even then, the lack of support was clear.

  And then there are the smaller nations. Trinidad & Tobago-Haiti was played in front of just 2,405 fans.

  There are two potential reasons for that. The first is the political climate and immigration issues in America, which have actively discouraged some fans from attending games. The second is a switch in tradition. Gold Cup games used to be played in back-to-backs. Go to one game and you could stick around for another. That would encourage even some with no apparent stake in the game to watch.

  Overall, the Gold Cup averaged just more than 19,000 fans per game in the group stage, a 32-percent decrease from an average of 28,055 in the 2023 tournament. The drop was even more dramatic for the USMNT and Mexico matches, down 57 percent and 21 percent, respectively. CONCACAF, which – like FIFA for the Club World Cup – uses dynamic ticket pricing for its matches, says it’s distributed nearly 50,000 for the Gold Cup final, which kicks off at 7 p.m. ET on July 6 at NRG Stadium in Houston.

  There is a school of thought that suggests that fans will pay closer attention as the tournament continues, and the matches become more important. Historically, the U.S. has strolled through the group stage, benched its starters, and brought in the bigger names for later rounds of the tournament.

  That won't happen for the USMNT this summer. Christian Pulisic, Antonee Robinson and a virtual starting lineup of players are missing because of CWC commitments, injury, rest or other reasons, and won't be coming in as the calvary, even if Mauricio Pochettino's team advance in Sunday's quarterfinal against Costa Rica.

  For now, the trends aren't particularly good.

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  The USMNT predicament

  For the USMNT, it's difficult to gauage, exactly, what this all means. There are two schools of thought. The first is that the Gold Cup means something – a theory built on the idea of tradition and American exceptionalism. The opposing one is that, well, it doesn't – a summation based on a widespread apathy and need for player rest.

  Both things can be true at the same time. It is entirely plausible that the U.S. want to win – something that last happened in 2021. Pochettino has insisted that he is not here to treat the tournament like a training exercise. His decision to take identical squads to the pre tournament friendlies and the competition itself alone outlined that he wanted continuity over the course of a month.

  And with limited competitive windows ahead of the 2026 World Cup, some have suggested the USMNT needed a more robust roster for this Gold Cup. So yes, then, there are the absentees. Weah, McKennie and Gio Reyna all have club obligations. Robinson is injured. Sergino Dest still needs time to fully recover from knee surgery. Pulisic asked for the summer off due to fears of load management and stress put on his legs after another campaign in which he sustained an injury.

  His decision angered the USMNT sphere in full, and led to a mud-slinging match among former U.S. nationals and the player himself. Pulisic claimed that he wanted to play in the pre-Gold Cup friendlies, but Pochettino said no. Former USMNTers weighed in, claiming Pulisic had misplaced priorities or, worse, was disloyal. Clint Dempsey pointed out that he would play through anything if it meant having the chance to represent his country.

  "For me, it was never a question if I was going to go into the national team and play,” Dempsey said. “Whether it was Gold Cup, World Cup qualifying, the Confederations Cup, Copa America, the World Cup, I wanted to be there because as a kid, I dreamed about representing my country."

  Whether you think Pulisic is right or wrong doesn't matter. His decision, more broadly speaks to the clear divide during the competition.

  "I hate to take wind out of the talking heads that want to be hyperbolic in this moment, but the Gold Cup has almost never created the majority of a World Cup roster," TNT commentator and former U.S. international Kyle Martino told GOAL. "This Gold Cup roster of missing stars is no different than any Gold Cup roster in the past. Sorry to go against the narrative that we should all pull our hair out and yell at people that aren't dedicated, but this is how it's always looked."

Fast bowler left out of table-toppers’ opening two T20 fixtures after fallow recent form

ESPNcricinfo staff24-May-2024

Issy Wong is switching Sparks for Storm•ECB via Getty Images

Issy Wong, the England fast bowler, has joined Western Storm on loan for the Charlotte Edwards Cup after she was left out of the Central Sparks team for their first two matches of their T20 campaign.Wong, who turned 22 last week, played for England as recently as September and featured for Mumbai Indians in the Women’s Premier League in March. But after a quiet start to the season in the 50-over Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, she was not selected by the Sparks for their opening T20 fixtures and has pursued a move away.The ECB – who are Wong’s primary employer, as a centrally-contracted player – have approved her loan move to ensure she will be playing competitive cricket. Storm said in a statement: “The ECB have sanctioned the move to ensure fast bowler Wong is able to maximise her playing time over the coming weeks.”Wong played all three formats for England in the 2022 summer at the age of 20 and was one of the stars of the inaugural season of the WPL, taking 15 wickets to help Mumbai Indians to the title – including a hat-trick in the eliminator. But she has struggled for consistency since and has lost her place in England’s squads.This season, she has taken three wickets at 56.33 in five Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy fixtures and has also featured for an ECB Development XI against the touring Pakistan squad. She was a surprise omission from the Sparks’ T20 side, though they have won their opening two fixtures.Wong is likely to play a more prominent role for a Storm side who have lost their opening two matches and are currently without Lauren Filer, who is on England duty. She will also target more opportunities with the bat, having spent most of this season batting at No. 8 in 50-over cricket.

Former Hampshire captain is in favour of Lord’s taking central role in London Spirit

Matt Roller21-May-2024

Mark Nicholas, the incoming MCC chair, pictured ringing the five-minute bell during a Test at Lord’s•Getty Images

Mark Nicholas has left his role as chair of Southern Brave’s board. His decision to step down comes as he prepares to take over as Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) chair, at a time when the club – who are proprietors of Lord’s – could become majority owners of London Spirit.Nicholas, who captained Hampshire during his playing career, is a close friend of the club’s ex-chair Rod Bransgrove. He was appointed chair of Southern Brave – who are run jointly by Hampshire and Sussex – in 2019 ahead of the Hundred’s launch, but has now stepped down from that role in recognition of his growing involvement with MCC.Southern Brave filed paperwork to Companies House last week stating that Nicholas has resigned as a director of the company. An MCC spokesperson told ESPNcricinfo: “We can confirm that Mark has left his role as chair of Southern Brave. There aren’t currently any plans for him to join the board of London Spirit.”Related

Mark Nicholas recommended to take over as MCC chair

Mervyn King to replace Mark Nicholas as MCC president

Hundred sell-off could be cricket's 'Premier League moment' – Leicestershire chief exec

ECB secures counties agreement on Hundred 'direction of travel'

Nicholas has been MCC president since last year, and will take over as chair in October. He has been prominent in the club’s communication with its members around the imminent changes to the ownership model of Hundred teams, which is expected to see the ECB hand 51% stakes to their hosts – in London Spirit’s case, MCC.MCC has discussed the possibility of owning a stake in London Spirit with its members since late last year and Chris Rogers, the club’s treasurer, is chair of a ‘Hundred working group’. Nicholas has expressed his interest in MCC becoming majority owners, telling members he likes the idea of the club coming together to support a single team under its banner.The global profile of Lord’s means that London Spirit is expected to be the most lucrative team when the ECB invites bids later this year. MCC may consider using a potential windfall as an endowment for the MCC Foundation, to invest in the club’s museum, and to continue to improve the facilities at Lord’s, with approval recently granted for a £61.8 million redevelopment of the Allen and Tavern Stands.

Aston Villa were knocked out of the Champions League in dramatic fashion on Tuesday night as they beat Paris Saint-Germain 3-2, only to go out 5-4 on aggregate.

The Villans went 2-0 down early on but brilliantly battled back to put themselves 3-2 ahead on the night, only to fail to find a late equaliser to take the tie to extra time.

Irrespective of the final outcome, it was a sensational effort from Unai Emery’s team as they fought to the very last second to save their campaign, with impressive performers across the board – including Marcus Rashford.

Why Marcus Rashford is now undroppable

After a difficult start to the match, losing possession in the build-up to PSG’s first goal, the Manchester United loanee went on to play a key role in the spirited attempted comeback.

The England international completed four dribbles on the night and two of those came in the build-up to Ezri Konsa’s goal, as he impressively beat two defenders before putting the ball on a plate for the defender to stroke the ball into the bottom corner.

Rashford, who also had two shots on target on the night, was constantly trying to make things happen for the Villans – attempting nine dribbles – and provided the PSG defence with plenty of problems.

The United loanee has now produced three goals and two assists in his last seven appearances for Villa and should be undroppable at this point, due to his form in front of goal, but he is not the only player who should now be considered undroppable.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Why John McGinn is undroppable

John McGinn stepped up with a phenomenal display for the Villans against PSG on Tuesday and should now be as undroppable as Rashford for Emery.

The Scotland international has not been a guaranteed starter at times this season, coming off the bench in each of the last two Premier League matches, but his showing against PSG should change that, as it was one that was rewarded with a 9/10 player rating by the Birmingham Mail.

McGinn, who also scored off the bench against Southampton last time out in the top-flight, was a constant nuisance to the PSG team with his all-action performance in midfield, getting stuck in as well as providing quality on the ball.

Minutes

66

Goals

1

Assists

1

Pass accuracy

75%

Dribbles completed

2/2

Duels won

4

Fouls

3

The Villa star, as you can see in the table above, made three fouls and won four duels to break up play, but he also scored a deflected strike from distance and teed up Youri Tielemans for his goal.

McGinn also had more touches (40) than the Belgian wizard (31), which shows that he was constantly taking responsibility in possession to make things happen, and lost the ball 15 times.

It was a terrific captain’s performance by the Scottish midfielder and one that should convince Emery to make him an undroppable figure in the team for the weeks to come.

Aston Villa working to seal deal for £12.5m player keen on Villa Park move

The Villans are working on a move for a midfielder, who is interested in a move to Villa Park.

ByDominic Lund Apr 15, 2025

Afghanistan will be topping up their Test-match experience in double quick time by facing Sri Lanka and Ireland in February 2024.With most of the focus on the two limited-overs formats, Afghanistan ended up playing just one Test match over a better part of the last three years. Now, however, they’ve found space in the calendar and have announced two separate all-format series taking place between February 2 and March 18.The busy period begins with their first-ever Test match against Sri Lanka in Colombo, which will then be followed by three ODIs and three T20Is. Seven days after the end of their tour of Sri Lanka, Afghanistan will be in the UAE hosting Ireland for a one-off Test match between February 28 and March 3. This series also includes a limited-overs leg as Afghanistan build towards the next T20 World Cup due to take place in the West Indies and the USA in June.Afghanistan’s tour of Sri Lanka was always going to feature a Test match and three T20Is. “The addition of these three ODIs,” ACB chief Mirwais Ashraf said, “is a significant move to ensure a complete and comprehensive tour which not only provides good exposure to Afghanistan Cricket but will also foster stronger relations between the two nations. Playing Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka is always tricky but is a challenge that Afghan Atalan can easily embrace.”Prior to all this, Afghanistan will play their first-ever bilateral series against India this month and their chief executive Naseeb Khan was hopeful that all these games would set the team up for the challenges ahead. “The upcoming tours of India, Sri Lanka, and then the home series against Ireland will help us to prepare the team for the much-important T20 World Cup. Eagerly looking for the multiple series upfront.”Along with announcing schedules for these tours, the ACB also modified the sanctions that they placed on Mujeeb-Ur-Rahman, Naveen-ul-Haq and Fazalhaq Farooqi for wanting to forego their national contracts. All three players were initially barred from playing in any T20 leagues for the next two years but now the board has had a change of heart.

Afghanistan tour of Sri Lanka

February 2-6, 2024 One-Off Test, Colombo
February 9, 2024, 1st ODI, Colombo
February 11, 2024, 2nd ODI, Colombo
February 14, 2024, 3rd ODI, Colombo
February 17, 2024, 1st T20I, Dambulla
February 19, 2024, 2nd T20I, Dambulla
February 21, 2024, 3rd T20I, Dambulla

Afghanistan vs Ireland in the UAE

February 28-March 3, 2024 One-Off Test, Abu Dhabi
March 7, 2024, 1st ODI, Sharjah
March 9, 2024, 2nd ODI, Sharjah
March 12, 2024, 3rd ODI, Sharjah
March 15, 2024, 1st T20I, Sharjah
March 17, 2024 2nd T20I, Sharjah
March 18, 2024, 3rd T20I Sharjah

واصل قائد منتخب الأرجنتين وفريق إنتر ميامي، ليونيل ميسي، إثارة قلق محبيه وجماهير بلاده فيما يخص إمكانية مشاركته في بطولة كأس العالم المرتقبة، نسخة 2026.

كان ليونيل ميسي قد خاض آخر مباراة رفقة الأرجنتين، على ملعبهم، في الساعات الأولى من صباح اليوم الجمعة وذلك ضد نظيره منتخب فنزويلا، ضمن تصفيات قارة أمريكا الجنوبية المؤهلة إلى كأس العالم 2026.

وحقق منتخب الأرجنتين فوزًا على فنزويلا بثلاثة أهداف دون رد، حيث سجل ليونيل ميسي هدفين في مباراة كانت الدراما والدموع عنوانها الأول، وسط تحية الجماهير الحاشدة له وحزنهم على ظهوره الأخير وسطهم.

وأدلى ليونيل ميسي عقب المباراة، بتصريحات مقلقة حول موقفه من المشاركة في النسخة المقبلة من كأس العالم 2026، والتي تستضيفها الولايات المتحدة، كندا والمكسيك.

وأكد ميسي أن المنطق يميل إلى كونه لن يشارك في كأس العالم بسبب العمر وتأثيره على الجسد، ولكنه أوضح في الوقت نفسه أنه لم يتخذ قراره بعد (لمطالعة التفاصيل من هنا).

واستمر ميسي في إثارة قلق جمهور الأرجنتين حول إمكانية مشاركته في المونديال، حيث كتب عبر “إكس”: “ليلة مميزة جدًا جعلتني غير قادر على الحديث من شدة التأثر”.

وأضاف: “شكرًا جزيلًا للجميع على حبهم ودعمهم الدائم لنا، مهما حدث ومهما خبأ لنا المستقبل، الله وحده من يعلم ذلك، هيا أرجنتين”.

Una noche muy especial que todavía me deja sin palabras de la emoción. Gracias de corazón a toda la gente por el cariño y por estar bancándonos siempre. Pase lo que pase y sea cual sea el futuro, que solo Dios lo sabe… ¡VAMOS ARGENTINA! 🇦🇷 pic.twitter.com/rdHkxsvcRt — Leo Messi (@leomessisite) September 5, 2025

Former Manchester United wonderkid Ravel Morrison has revealed his ambitious plan to return to Old Trafford.

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• Morrison was a prodigious young talent
• United spell did not work out
• Has eyes on returning in a new role

Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Morrison came through the youth system at United, and was hailed as a future first-team star, as he played alongside Paul Pogba and Jesse Lingard, but his career did not pan out that way. Instead, after just three first-team appearances, he moved to West Ham in 2012, and has since embarked on something of a nomadic career.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Morrison has played for eight clubs permanently since leaving United and is currently playing for Precision in the United Arab Emirates. Now, he has outlined his plans for once he hangs up his boots, and has confirmed that he is attempting to gain his coaching badges, with one eye on a potential appointment at Old Trafford.

• WHAT RAVEL MORRISON SAID

  Morrison told the Undr The Cosh podcast: "I've got my B licence now – I did it in the summer.

  'I do want to get into some type of coaching [after I retire]. That'd be good. I'd like to go back to United!'

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT?

  Morrison is now 32 so he may look to move into coaching sooner rather than later. Given his unique career trajectory, culminating in a call-up to the Jamaica national team, he may well have some sound advice to pass on.

Brazil superstar Neymar has treated himself to a brand new Ferrari SUV, complete with personalised trim, as he adds to his supercar collection.

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• Neymar buys new supercar
• Splashes out over £1m on Ferrari SUV
• Has also added a personal touch to latest extravagance

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Neymar's latest addition to his garage is a black four-door, four-seater Ferrari Purosangue. The car is thought to have cost the Brazilian ace over £1m and goes from 0-60mph in just 3.2 seconds. It had a two-year waiting list to buy when it first arrived in Brazil in 2023, according to Globo.

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• THE GOSSIP

  Neymar has also added a personalised trim to his new Ferrari and showed off his new look on Instagram. The car is Neymar's latest extravagance and adds to other supercars in his collections including a Rolls-Royce Ghost, Bentley Continental GT, Lamborghini Huracan Mercedes G Wagon and Aston Martin DBX.

  Instagram

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Neymar is currently preparing to welcome another new addition to his family. Girlfriend Bruna Biancardi is expecting the couple's second daughter after the couple rekindled their relationship last year.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR NEYMAR

  Neymar returned to Santos in the winter but is currently sidelined through injury once more. However, the Brazilian club are hoping to keep hold of the forward past the end of his current contract.

Indian coach lauds “exceptional leader” Rohit Sharma for “giving so much of his time and energy in the dressing room to the boys”

Yash Jha19-Nov-20235:24

Dravid: ‘We gave it everything we had’

India fell “30-40 runs short” of a good total in the final, but it wasn’t because of a safety-first approach in the middle overs – that’s the line Rahul Dravid took in the wake of his team’s defeat to Australia in the 2023 World Cup title bout in Ahmedabad.”I won’t agree that we played with fear. We had 80 runs in ten overs. We had lost wickets, and when you lose wickets you have to change your strategy,” Dravid said at the post-match press conference.Rohit Sharma’s 31-ball 47 had set India on their way, with the team reaching 80 at the end of the first powerplay. But they only managed four boundaries in the rest of their innings to eventually finish on 240. Dravid attributed the slowdown to the loss of wickets at regular intervals, and not a lack of intent.Related

Rohit: 'It was not so easy to just move on' from World Cup final defeat

India's heartbreak is most poignant in the dashed hopes of Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid

India lost to the conditions, but could they have been braver with the bat?

How Australia silenced 90,000 voices

Rohit Sharma: 'We were not good enough today'

“We haven’t played any fearful cricket in this final. In the middle overs, they bowled really well and we had lost three wickets. So a period of consolidation was needed, and every time we thought we could get on the attack, we would lose a wicket,” he said. “If you lose wickets, you have to rebuild. We didn’t set out to play defensively.”While Australia eventually coasted to the target with seven overs to spare and six wickets in hand, Dravid reckoned the game would have played out differently had India got 30-40 more runs on a surface he believed was tougher to bat on in the afternoon.”Just felt like the ball was stopping in the afternoon a little bit more than it did in the evening,” he said. “It felt like the ball came on to the bat a lot better in the evening. There was that period where the ball was stopping and we weren’t able to get boundaries. We were able to rotate the strike but we weren’t able to get those boundaries.”If we had got to 280-290 and they were 60 for 3 then it might have been a very different game. But 240, I think they were always one partnership away from getting there.”Sunday’s loss extended India’s run of near-misses at global events; in the last 13 months alone, they have faced a semi-final exit at the T20 World Cup, lost the World Test Championship final, and now the ODI World Cup final.”I’ve been involved in three… and I think we haven’t played really well on the day,” Dravid said. “I thought we were a bit short in Adelaide, in the semi-final [of the T20 World Cup, against England]. We lost the first day in the World Test Championship [final]. We didn’t bowl particularly well after Australia were three down. And here we didn’t bat well enough.”There’s not one particular reason you can pin it down to. I didn’t feel at any stage going into this game that there were any nerves or the guys were intimidated by the game. I thought the energy and the mental space the boys were in leading into this particular game was spot on.”Dravid, whose two-year contract as head coach runs out this month, heaped praise on Rohit for his leadership and his batting throughout the World Cup.”I think he has been an exceptional leader, always felt he’s led this team fantastically well,” Dravid said. “He’s given so much of his time and energy in the dressing room to the boys. There’s been a lot of planning, a lot of strategy, he’s always committed to those things.2:06

Should one of Kohli or Rahul have taken charge?

“His batting as well, I thought it was fantastic the way he set the tone for us. We knew that we wanted to play a certain way, we wanted to play a positive, attacking brand of cricket, and he was very committed to doing that. He wanted to lead by example, and I thought right throughout the tournament he was superb. Can’t speak more highly of him, as a person and a leader.”Dravid, who had made the walk towards the press-conference room even as Australia were being handed their winners’ medals, admitted that emotions were running high in the Indian dressing room.”There was a lot of emotions in that dressing room. It was tough to see as a coach, because I know how hard these guys have worked, what they’ve put in, the sacrifices they’ve made,” he said. “But that’s sport. That happens. It can happen. And the better team won on the day. I’m sure the sun will come up tomorrow morning.”We’ll learn from it, we’ll reflect, and we’ll move on. That’s what you do as sportsmen. You have some great highs in sport, and you have some lows in sport. And you keep moving on. You don’t stop.”