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A fiery burst from pacer Jaffar Nazir all but put Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) into the final of the Quaid-i-Azam National Cricket Championship after Faisalabad were forced to follow on at National Stadium here on Tuesday.Jaffar captured six for 31 in an unchanged spell of 17 overs from the University Road End to skittle out Faisalabad for 105 in their first innings on the second day of the four-day tie.Batting a second time with 231 runs in arrears, Faisalabad fared slightly better to reach 75 for three. Asif Hussain was holding the fort with a battling 38.KRL now have to wait until Thursday morning to complete an inevitable victory in this first semi-final after Wednesday’s unexpected rest day because of Kashmir Day.Faisalabad’s woes were further compounded by an injury to Mohammad Salman, normally a wicket-keeper but playing in this game as a batsman, who was unable to bat after requiring four stitches in his right hand.Salman was incapacitated while catching Naeem Akhtar in the slips as KRL added 73 to their overnight score of 263 for six.Wicket-keeper Zulfiqar Jan hammered 37 while putting 30 for the last wicket with Mohammad Asif.Barring any miracle, KRL’s opponents in the Feb 17-21 final, scheduled to be played at National Stadium, will be decided when PIA meet Rawalpindi in the second semifinal at UBL Sports Complex from Thursday.ScoreboardKRL (1st Innings), overnight 263-6):M. Ramzan c Asif b Moazzam 4Saeed Anwar Jr c Wasim b Moazzam 9Intikhab Alam lbw b Nadeem 20Saeed bin Nasir c Zaman b Tauqir 87Misbah-ul-Haq c Zaman b Moazzam 68Ali Naqvi lbw b Farooq 33Yasir Arafat run out 28Naeem Akhtar c Salman b Tauqir 19Zulfiqar Jan c Tauqir b Wasim 37Jaffar Nazir b Tauqir 4Mohammad Asif not out 10EXTRAS (B-4, LB-9, W-1, NB-3) 17TOTAL (all out, 100.5 overs) 336FALL OF WKTS: 7-268, 8-293, 9-306.BOWLING: Nadeem Afzal 23-5-56-1 (1nb); Moazzam Ali 26-3-102-3 (2nb); Tauqir Hussain 22-5-81-3 (1w); Farooq Iqbal 19-8-43-1; Zeeshan Asif 2-0-17-0; Wasim Haider 6.5-1-12-1; Asif Hussain 2-1-12-0.FAISALABAD (1st Innings);Zeeshan Asif lbw b Jaffar 5Hasnain Haider c Zulfiqar b Jaffar 4Asif Hussain lbw b Jaffar 2Mohammad Zaman b Jaffar 9Sami-ul-Haq c Ramzan b Yasir 10Wasim Haider c Zulfiqar b Jaffar 22Tauqir Hussain run out 16Farooq Iqbal c Zulfiqar b Yasir 4Nadeem Afzal not out 15Moazzam Ali b Jaffar 5Mohammad Salman absent injured -EXTRAS (LB-2, W-1, NB-10) 13TOTAL (all out, 33 overs) 105FALL OF WKTS: 1-9, 2-12, 3-17, 4-27, 5-39, 6-72, 7-82, 8-92, 9-105.BOWLING: Jaffar Nazir 17-6-31-6 (1nb); Mohammad Asif 7-3-8-0 (2nb); Yasir Arafat 9-0-64-2 (3nb, 1w).FAISALABAD (2nd Innings, following-on):Zeeshan Asif lbw b Asif 4Hasnain Haider c Zulfiqar b Jaffar 5Asif Hussain not out 38Tauqir Hussain b Saeed Jr 10Sami-ul-Haq not out 4EXTRAS (LB-4, NB-10) 14TOTAL (for three wkts, 28 overs) 75FALL OF WKTS: 1-8, 2-14, 3-69.BOWLING (to-date): Jaffar Nazir 5-1-10-1 (1nb); Mohammad Asif 7-1-13-1 (3nb); Yasir Arafat 8-1-23-1 (2nb); Naeem Akhtar 3-0-18-0 (4nb); Ali Naqvi 4-2-6-0; Saeed Anwar Jr 1-0-1-1

National Cricket Academy XI completed a second trouncing in successivedays of the Combined Zonal Academy team at the RSI Ground in Bangaloreon Wednesday. NCA’s 115 run victory was built around a rollickingcentury by opener Deep Dasgupta, ably supported by lusty efforts fromGnaneswara Rao and Ishan Ganda. In a game that was reduced to 45 oversa side due to overnight rain, NCA piled up 303/5 and then rolled overtheir opponents for 188.NCA skipper Ajay Ratra won the toss and elected to take first strike,opening the batting himself with his fellow stumper Dasgupta. Ratra -playing as a specialist batsman – fell to Mihir Diwakar for 22 butDasgupta and Rao (67) proceeded to compile a 134 run second wicketpartnership. Dasgupta, who was among the probables for the Zimbabwetour, hoisted a 98 ball ton, advancing to 122 off 115 balls, before hebecame spinner Abhishek Sharma’s second victim. A late onslaught fromGanda who belted an unbeaten 66 off just 48 balls saw NCA top the 300run mark. Neither Gautam Gambhir nor Gulzar Inder Singh who put on a204 run opening stand for NCA on Tuesday got to bat. Sharma was by farthe best bowler on view with 3/40 in nine overs.The Combined XI never appeared remotely in the hunt, offering only afew pockets of resistance in the form of opener SM Dholpure’s 57 andAmbati Rayudu’s 43. Stuart Binny smacked three sixes in his 28 beforebeing ninth out and the game meandered to its desultory end shortlyafterwards. Six bowlers shared the wickets for the victors withManinder Singh, SG Yadav, Mulewa Dharmichand and Ishan Ganda scalpingtwo apiece.

Manchester United have a very important decision to make regarding their managerial position.

At this point, we expect that interim manager, and well-known advocate of the gegenpress; Ralf Rangnick, will be moving upstairs to begin his consultancy role.

Going by the latest reports, the race to become Red Devils boss is between managerial heavyweights Erik ten Hag and Mauricio Pochettino, with Luis Enrique said to be concentrating on his job with the Spain National Team.

What’s the word?

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has given his opinion on the apparent front-runner, Erik ten Hag.

Pep worked with the 52-year-old Ajax manager at Bayern Munich and believes there is no doubt that ten Hag would be a success in the Premier League.

When asked about ten Hag, the Spaniard said:

“Are you asking me if Erik ten Hag could be here? Definitely. A lot could be here and I think he could be one of the ones.

“For the way he approaches the game, definitely, definitely.”

Glazers can win back United

City boss, Pep Guardiola, is a fan of ten Hag and his philosophy, describing him as “incredible” whilst praising his Ajax side as a team.

Ten Hag has previously been tipped to takeover Guardiola’s position when he eventually opts to call time on what has so far been a very successful spell at the club.

Prompted about this, Pep said that he would endorse him to City’s director of football Txiki Begiristain as he said “I will say it to Txiki now.”

With Pep’s endorsement for his fellow mass-possession advocate, the reported 87.9% of the United fanbase who want the club’s board to appoint the 52-year-old will be ecstatic.

A mere 12.1% of supporters want Pochettino and thus, if the Glazers end up picking the Dutchman, they could win back the Old Trafford faithful and also guarantee a much rosier future.

After all, the Argentine has already struggled with the big egos of Neymar and Kylian Mbappe at PSG and considering the number of stars in the United side, it wouldn’t bode well.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

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Whilst this endorsement from one of the most successful managers of all time is wholeheartedly positive, it’s an act that may panic United fans with Guardiola well into the final 18-months of his contract and potentially due to call-time on his Manchester City career in 2023.

The Red Devils faithful will surely want the club to act now, before noisy neighbours Manchester City hijack the deal in what would be an incredibly astute move and ultimate act of one-upmanship from the Citizens.

Taking away a head coach from the jaws of their City rivals would surely go down well with fans and everyone associated with the red side of Manchester. It really does feel like there are only cons to hiring the 52-year-old. Pep does think he’s incredible, after all.

In other news – Man Utd now plot bid to sign £31.5m dynamo, he’s ever better than Rashford – opinion

ScorecardJesse Ryder whittled out Glamorgan•Getty Images

Jesse Ryder’s career-best figures put Essex in firm control against Glamorgan at Chelmsford, snapping the visitors’ excellent run of recent form with the bat.Ryder, the New Zealander, picked up 6 for 47 in 15 overs as Glamorgan were bowled out for 162, the first time this season they had failed to get a batting point in a completed innings. Essex were left with a first innings lead of 117 on a day when 46 overs were lost through rain or bad light and they added another 78 runs before the close.In overcast conditions, Ryder used a combination of seam and swing to undermine the visitors’ innings after they had resumed on 40 for 3 and he beat the bat so often that he could have reaped a greater harvest.Ryder claimed the first five wickets of the innings to fall with only 59 on the board and at that stage, Glamorgan were in danger of being asked to follow-on after replying to an Essex total of 279. But they steered clear of having to do so largely through the efforts of Colin Ingram, Mark Wallace and David Lloyd.Ingram adopted a positive approach while gathering 43 from 56 balls with the help of five fours and a six while Wallace’s 21 included five boundaries. Both were eventually dismissed by paceman David Masters who trapped Wallace leg before wicket before he bowled Ingram for 43. Lloyd hit out boldly while making an unbeaten 20 that included a six and three fours.Masters finished with 3 for 53 while Napier picked-up the remaining wicket when Michael Hogan was bowled off his pads to bring Glamorgan’s replay to an end in the 41st over.With Jaik Mickleburgh suffering from back spasms, Liam Dawson, on-loan from Hampshire, was promoted to open the innings with Nick Browne and the pair never looked in any real trouble as they pressed home Essex’s advantage. They defied a succession of bowling changes while raising the fifty stand with some fine strokes on either side of the wicket and they put together the highest partnership of the match so far.They were still together when bad light brought play to an end with the total on 78 without loss. Browne was within eight runs of his half-century while Dawson will resume on 30.Essex have certainly put themselves in a healthy position to inflict upon promotion-chasing Glamorgan their first defeat of the summer, one that would be a blow to their hopes of reaching Division One. But the real winner could yet prove the weather with outbursts of rain, some prolonged, forecast over the next couple of days.All-rounder Liam Dawson admitted that his Essex side are in a good position. “To go into day three almost 200 runs ahead with twn wickets left is a position that you want to be in. I think there is enough in that wicket if you bowl well over a period of time to take wickets. The longer the game goes on and the more runs we get on the board, the more we put the pressure on Glamorgan. When we come to bowl against them again, whether it is late tomorrow or the start of day four, there is plenty in that wicket to encourage us.”Glamorgan head coach Toby Radford added: “It was a disappointing day for us, I thought that Ryder bowled exceptionally well, used the conditions overhead and got a lot from the pitch, swung it and nipped it both ways. I was still disappointed though that we couldn’t get closer to the Essex first innings score and then we failed to take any wickets this evening. So we are under pressure and have to play well over these last two days.”

West Indies’ first ever Twenty20 international, in Auckland, ended in a bowl-out © AFP

It’s the new wave of the international game, so we might as well get used to it. Those who measure the quality of a cricketer by his performances over the long haul, and have grown to tolerate one-dayers as a necessary evil, will probably look scornfully upon the two Twenty20 Internationals between the West Indies and England.Just as the 50 over version was ridiculed in its fledgling years as “pyjama cricket” with its coloured clothing and other gimmicks, so too has the 20 overs-per-side hybrid been dismissed as a glorified whipping session, where the subtleties and complexities of the real thing are abandoned in the quest to clear the boundary ropes almost every delivery to the accompaniment of ear drum-puncturing noise from the resident DJ.Given their stubborn refusal to accept those ODI innovations in the immediate aftermath of Kerry Packer’s revolutionary World Series Cricket, it is more than a little ironic that this latest consumer-friendly variety has really taken off in England, as evidenced by the overwhelming popularity of the domestic version since it was introduced to a very receptive audience four years ago.They were not the first to experiment with an even shorter form of one-day cricket, but it is fair to say that its instant success convinced the ICC of the need to get in on the action, seeing as almost every match, whether domestic or international, is played in front of capacity crowds that are representative of every strata of society, from hardcore party animals to whole families enjoying an evening’s entertainment.And that’s essentially what it is: entertainment. Not a complex series of sub-plots and individual skirmishes, all unfolding over time in a duel that has almost as many twists, turns and changes of pace as the most complex scandal-laced soap opera.In an era when those who have extra money can’t enjoy the luxury of much spare time, Twenty20 fills the breach almost perfectly.

The West Indian public embraced the Stanford 20-20 tournament last year © Joseph Jones

Most people were more preoccupied with the staggering sums of money shovelled out than the quality of the cricket played, but Allen Stanford’s ground-breaking Caribbean version of the frenetic spectacle proved such a hit last August in Antigua that, just for a moment, we almost believed his baseless boast that “West Indies cricket is back on track!” just after Narsingh Deonarine smashed a six off the penultimate ball of the final to give Guyana a pulsating victory over Trinidad and Tobago.It’s all about instant gratification, so there’s no point griping about it lacking the depth of the longer contest. That is not to say, of course, that any fool can dash to the nearest phone booth and be transformed Clark Kent-style into a Twenty20 superhero.Indeed, there is enough evidence to suggest that the concentrated demands of this extremely abbreviated style have contributed to even sharper fielding, while batsmen exposed to it on a regular basis are now more inclined to attack much earlier and with more clinical efficiency in both Tests and one-dayers.Still, it doesn’t appeal to all players, despite the financial rewards. Two years ago, Brian Lara commented that he didn’t enjoy having to swing for the hills almost from the word go when rain reduced an ODI against South Africa at the Queen’s Park Oval effectively to a Twenty20 affair.A number of Australia’s senior players, including skipper Ricky Ponting and 2007 World Cup final hero Adam Gilchrist, have cautioned against exposing younger players too much to a form of the game that could see them developing habits inimical to ensuring the country’s continued dominance at Test level.Still, Twenty20 has well and truly claimed its place in the cricketing world with the ICC approving the inaugural World Cup in South Africa in September. It is unlikely, however, given the increasing complaints about squeezing more matches into an already congested international schedule, that Twenty20 will enjoy the unfettered growth of its 50-over relation.Of course, as with anything else, it takes some getting used to, and Sunday’s 84-run humiliation at the hands of Derbyshire is not an encouraging sign for Chris Gayle’s reconstituted side. Hopefully, the final warm-up against the PCA Masters at Arundel would have proven more encouraging ahead of their first clash with Paul Collingwood’s England at The Oval in London.In their only Twenty20 International before the upcoming matches, the West Indies lost out in a tie-breaking bowl-out in Auckland at the start of their New Zealand tour in February of last year. It was an entertaining experience with a thrilling finale, but apart from the fact that it marked the farewell of allrounder Chris Cairns to international cricket, hardly anything else is worth remembering.But that’s Twenty20 for you: gratification without any real meaning, much like life in the 21st century. It is very much a game for the times.

“Unless he leaves, cricket in Bengal will further deteriorate” © Getty Images

Buddhadev Bhattacharjee, the chief minister of West Bengal, has labelled Jagmohan Dalmiya’s re-election as Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) president as a “victory of evil over good”. Bhattacharjee, who had backed Dalmiya’s prime opposer Prasun Mukherjee, the police commissioner of Kolkata, has vowed to remove Dalmiya in the interest of cricket.”So far [as] I’m concerned I’ll not compromise with this man,” he told reporters. “The battle will continue. I want him to leave this post. I want him to leave the organization. So long [as] he is there in the CAB the future of cricket in Bengal is doomed. He has many interests … vested interests … all interests other than cricket. Unless he leaves, it will further deteriorate.”Bhattacharjee had publicly opposed Dalmiya’s campaign for the top spot well before the election date but his words had little effect on the result. Dalmiya went ahead and filed his nomination and won the highly politicised election late Sunday.Bhattacharjee backed his anti-Dalmiya campaign again and emphatically stated that this was not a battle between two individuals. “It’s a fight between good and evil forces. Evil has triumphed this time. It happens at times,” he said. “Whatever I said, I said consciously. In normal circumstances one does not take such a stand. But there are times when it is a crime not to intervene when such interventions are necessary. I said this in the interest of Bengal cricket, the cricketers and to save the Eden Gardens which has become a condemned stadium. And accordingly I had requested Sports Minister Subhas Chakraborty to persuade Dalmiya to stay away.”Bhattacharjee also felt that there were plenty in West Bengal who were apprehensive of the CAB’s management. “Cricketers, both former and current, and also budding ones, do not like it,” he said. “Some well-meaning persons wanted to bring about a change in the CAB. But unfortunately they were defeated.”However, veteran CPI(M) leader Jyoti Basu on Monday disapproved of Bhattacharjee’s statements, asserting that Dalmiya had triumphed through democratic means. “I don’t know what he has said. We will discuss it in the party,” Basu said when his comment was sought. When it was pointed out that Bhattacharjee had described Mr. Dalmiya as an “evil force,” Basu said the CAB president had won the election in a democratic way.Chakraborty, who openly sided with Dalmiya despite Bhattacharjee’s request, summed up Dalmiya’s win as a victory for democracy. “I congratulated Dalmiya on his re-election and Prasun Mukherjee whose defeat proved that political interference in cricket was wrong,” he said. “It will be a bit of an embarrassment to the chief minister as his nominee Kolkata Police Comissioner Prasun Mukherjee could not win.”Bhattacharjee refrained from comment on Chakraborty’s stance during the controversial election.

Michael Vaughan: back in the side © Getty Images

Michael Vaughan has recovered from his groin strain and will play against Australia at Edgbaston in the eighth match of the NatWest Series. Vaughan, who was forced to sit out of the last two matches, will be seeking to reimpose England’s authority at a time when Australia are showing signs of galvanising after their shaky start to the tour.Both sides are guaranteed a place in Saturday’s final thanks to their victories over Bangladesh at the weekend, so this match has become a high-profile dress rehearsal. Australia have the momentum at present, having won their day-night encounter with England at Chester-le-Street, although it is unlikely that England will choose to field first if they win the toss today – which was the mistake that Marcus Trescothick made last time around.Australia have made a solitary change to their side. Michael Clarke has recovered from his back injury and reclaims his place ahead of Shane Watson, with Mike Hussey slipping down the order to No. 7. Meanwhile, England’s Ian Bell and Jon Lewis have been released to play in the Twenty20 match between Warwickshire and Gloucestershire at Bristol this evening.England 1 Marcus Trescothick, 2 Andrew Strauss, 3 Michael Vaughan (capt), 4 Kevin Pietersen, 5 Andrew Flintoff, 6 Paul Collingwood, 7 Geraint Jones (wk), 8 Ashley Giles, 9 Simon Jones, 10 Darren Gough, 11 Steve HarmisonAustralia 1 Matthew Hayden, 2 Adam Gilchrist (wk), 3 Ricky Ponting (capt), 4 Damien Martyn, 5 Michael Clarke, 6 Andrew Symonds, 7 Mike Hussey, 8 Brad Hogg, 9 Brett Lee, 10 Jason Gillespie, 11 Glenn McGrath.

Sourav Ganguly has a bit to worry about © AFP

Sourav Ganguly has said the Indian team is worried about the security situation in Pakistan, a month before they are scheduled to tour. “We are not worried about the Pakistan tour, we are worried about the security there,” said Ganguly, after India had lost the second final of the VB Series at Sydney.”We are concerned because we have families at home and it is not going to be easy. We have to go back and talk to the BCCI and get a clearer picture,” said Ganguly. The BCCI’s three-man advance team left for Pakistan on the morning of February 9 to inspect Lahore, Multan, Peshawar, Rawalpindi, Karachi and Faisalabad, the various venues India is scheduled to play at. The team, comprising Ratnakar Shetty, the joint secretary of the BCCI, Amrit Mathur, director of communication and Yashvardhan Azad, a security expert.However, Ganguly clarified that the team had not made any decision yet about withdrawing from the tour. “I have heard some reports that players are not going to tour Pakistan, which is untrue. Our only worry is security. Any further comment won’t be fair at this stage.”

The past, present and future generation of West Indies cricketers will be on show today at the Carlton Club ground for a worthy cause.In an effort to raise funds to help with the construction of an autism centre, the Variety Club of Barbados has organised two matches, the first starting at 4 p.m. and the other at 7:30 p.m. under the lights.The feature attractions brings together a "West Indies" team and the Barbados team, and the preceding affair to set the stage will involve a clash with the island’s leading primary schools, Marshall Trading St Catherine and Barbados Public Workers Co-operative Credit Union Wesley Hall.Leading the list of former West Indies stars are: Senator Desmond Haynes, along with ace fast bowlers, Joel Garner, Courtney Walsh and Curtly Ambrose.Recent West Indies players: Stuart Williams, Keith Arthurton and Adam Sanford. West Indies Under-19 selectees, Patrick Browne and Alcindo Holder, arealso in the "West Indies" line-up which has borrowed Barbadians Sherwin Campbell and Philo Wallace.The most known names in thematch featuring the juniors are:Anthony Alleyne, captain of recently-crowned primary schoolschamps St Catherine,and his rival skipper Roston Chase.The night match, which is a 35-overs-a-side affair, will feature coloured clothing and black sightscreens.Admission is $10.

The Indian cricket team’s participation in the three-match limitedovers series against Australia in September was yet to be approved bythe Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).BCCI secretary JY Lele, who was in Mumbai on his way to Chennai, toldPTI that a decision whether to accept the invitation from theAustrailan Cricket Board (ACB) to play would be taken at the Board’sworking committee meeting to be held in the third week of July."We had asked for a change in the dates from the ACB as they clashedwith the Asian Test championship tie with Pakistan from September13-17 and the ACB has acceded to our request," he said. "However,the final decision whether to send a team for the series rests withthe working committee+, Lele said.The ACB announced from Australia yesterday that the three matchesagainst India will be held on September 21 and 23 (Colonial IndoorStadium in Melbourne) and September 26 at the Gabba in Brisbane.