كشفت تقارير صحفية إسبانية، أن هناك رغبة في أحد أندية إيطاليا الكبار للتعاقد مع المدرب كارلو أنشيلوتي بعد نهاية الموسم الجاري مع ريال مدريد.
كارلو أنشيلوتي تولى قيادة ريال مدريد في صيف 2021 وهي الولاية الثانية له، وتوّج بجميع البطولات الممكنة مع النادي الملكي، بعد عامين من 2013 وحتى 2015، أعاد من خلالهم لقب دوري أبطال أوروبا الذي غاب عن جدران كبير العاصمة الإسبانية 12 عامًا.
أنشيلوتي ينتهي عقده بنهاية الموسم المقبل في صيف 2016، مع تزايد الأنباء حول اعتزاله التدريب بعدما حقق جميع الألقاب الممكنة، وتتويجه ببطولة الدوري في الدوريات الخمس الكبرى.
طالع أيضًا.. “أحيانًا أكون على حق”.. أنشيلوتي يكشف كيف حفز مبابي للتألق مع ريال مدريد
صحيفة “موندو ديبورتيفو” الإسبانية، أكدت أن ريال مدريد ينوي التعاقد مع تشابي ألونسو الصيف المقبل، وعدم استكمال كارلو عقده حتى نهايته في ظل تراجع مستوى النادي الملكي.
في الوقت ذاته، أكدت صحيفة “لاجازيتا ديلو سبورت” الإيطالية، أن فريق روما وضع كارلو أنشيلوتي ضمن الأسماء التي يمكنها تدريب الجيالوروسي في الموسم المقبل.
روما عانى منذ رحيل مورينيو يناير الماضي، وخلال عام 2024، قام بتدريب النادي 4 مدربين، بعد جوزيه جاء دي روسي، الذي خلفه يوريتش، ثم الآن يتولى قيادة الفريق كلاوديو رانييري.
وأشارت التقارير إلى أن رانييري يحاول اقناع أنشيلوتي بتولي قيادة روما خلفًا له في الموسم المقبل، نظرًا للعلاقة القوية بين الثنائي الإيطالي.
وعلى الرغم من أن أنشيلوتي قاد 10 أندية طوال مسيرته التدريبية التي بدأت عام 1995، إلا أنه لم يتول قيادة روما وهو الفريق الذي تألق في صفوفه عندما كان لاعبًا.
ولعب أنشيلوتي لـ روما خلال الفترة من 1979 وحتى 1987، واعتزل في 1992 مع فريق ميلان.
أثنى جاري نيفيل، النجم السابق لفريق مانشستر يونايتد، على أحد لاعبي فريق ليفربول بعد مباراة الأمس ضد توتنهام، في بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.
وتلاقى الفريقان في قمة منافسات الجولة السابعة عشر من الدوري الإنجليزي، حيث فاز ليفربول بستة أهداف مقابل ثلاثة.
ونال لاعب ليفربول ترينت ألكسندر أرنولد ثناءً كبيرًا من قِبل جاري نيفيل، في تصريحاته الصحفية الخاصة تلك المباراة.
اقرأ أيضًا.. جماهير ليفربول تختار أفضل لاعب في مباراة توتنهام بـ الدوري الإنجليزي
وتواجد جاري نيفيل في الاستوديو الخاص بشبكة “سكاي سبورتس” حيث أعجب بأداء ترينت ألكسندر أرنولد، خاصة في الشوط الأول.
ومرر أرنولد الكرة ناحية محمد صلاح بعد 10 دقائق من الشوط الأول، وعن ذلك قال نيفيل: “التمريرة رائعة، كان إدخال الكرة إلى تلك المساحة أمرًا مذهلًا حرفيًا”.
ولكن ما ضاعف إعجاب جاري نيفيل هو تمريرة أرنولد العميقة الدقيقة إلى لويس دياز، حيث سجل الكولومبي الهدف الأول.
اقرأ أيضًا.. أوين: محمد صلاح قد يحطم رقمًا قياسيًا لم أتخيل أن يصل إليه أبدًا
وعن ذلك، قال: “العرضية كانت شيئًا آخر، الأمر يتعلق بالدقة، هناك عدد قليل جدًا من اللاعبين الذين رأيتهم في تاريخ الدوري الإنجليزي يمكنهم تسديد الكرة على هذه المسافة بهذه الدقة، إنه أمر مثالي تمامًا”.
وأردف: “دي بروين، وبيكهام، وترينت ألكسندر أرنولد، وربما جيرارد في قمة عطائه يمكنهم التمرير بهذا الشكل”.
Newcastle United are now reportedly closing in on signing a "long standing target" in a move that mirrors their deal to sign Anthony Gordon from Everton in 2023.
Newcastle transfer news
The Magpies have already been busy this summer, welcoming Lloyd Kelly on a free deal following the expiry of his Bournemouth contract at the end of last season. His arrival instantly aids Newcastle's defensive depth problem with Sven Botman and Jamaal Lascelles set to miss the start of the next campaign. And solving such issues could be a sign of things to come for the Magpies in the transfer window this summer.
Those at St James' Park have also been linked with further defensive reinforcements, from Euro 2024 star Riccardo Calafiori all the way to Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford, who they've reportedly agreed personal terms with. The shot-stopper could arrive to provide instant back-up for Nick Pope, before eventually stepping into the number one role at Newcastle.
"Exceptional" Newcastle bid for "superb" winger could "happen very quickly"
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That said, it's not just Eddie Howe's backline that the Magpies are looking to add more depth to, given that they had just Callum Wilson and Alexander Isak to call on when it came to natural strikers last season.
According to Luke Edwards of The Telegraph, Newcastle are now "closing in" on signing Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who is a "long standing target" at St James' Park. Whilst a deal is yet to be struck with Everton, Newcastle are reportedly pushing ahead in pursuit of reaching an agreement to sign the Goodison Park star this summer.
The forward could find himself following in the footsteps of Gordon, who swapped Merseyside for Tyneside in a deal worth a reported £45m back in January of 2023.
Move for "great" Calvert-Lewin raises Wilson question
As much as attacking depth is important, Calvert-Lewin's arrival would instantly raise some awkward questions regarding Wilson's role under Howe next season. Will the former Bournemouth star remain at least second in the pecking order behind Isak? Or will he find himself reserved to an emergency option role, with Calvert-Lewin stealing in ahead of him to compete with the Sweden international?
Dominic Calvert-Lewin celebrates against Liverpool
It's also worth noting that Wilson's Newcastle future came into question altogether not so long ago and with his contract set to expire next summer, an exit wouldn't send shockwaves around St James' Park in the coming months.
Premier League stats 23/24 (via Fbref)
Dominic Calvert-Lewin
Callum Wilson
Minutes
2,171
991
Goals
7
9
Assists
2
1
Expected Goals
12.9
8.8
Despite his struggles to find his clinical touch in front of goal last season, Calvert-Lewin has been at the centre of praise in the past, including from Frank Lampard. The former Everton boss described the Toffees forward as "great" during his time in charge and may now be among those watching on as he completes a move to St James' Park this summer.
Neste domingo (22), oSão Paulo conquistou o título da Caju’s Winter Cup, torneio nacional sub-15 com jogos realizados no CT do Caju, pertencente ao Athletico Paranaense. Na decisão, o Tricolor goleou o Furacão por de 4 a 0, após passar pelo Grêmio e pelo Coritiba na primeira fase.
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Um dos destaques da equipe foi o meia William Gomes, que marcou dois gols no torneio, sendo um deles na final. O jovem atleta celebrou o título e destacou a importância dos próximos jogos do Tricolor, pensando na preparação para o Campeonato Paulista Sub-15, que tem início no próximo sábado (28).
– Esse torneio envolveu quatro clubes de alto nível, que investem forte na base. Fico feliz pelos gols e pela conquista do título, mas ainda mais por ver que estamos muito bem preparados para lutar pelo estadual, principal competição do nosso calendário em 2021 – declarou o atleta que recentemente foi convocado para a seleção brasileira da categoria.
O São Paulo estreia no Campeonato Paulista Sub-15 no próximo sábado (28), enfrentando o Ituano, no Estádio Novelli Júnior, em Itu. Na primeira fase, o Tricolor faz parte do grupo 5, que conta também com Desportivo Brasil, Grêmio Osasco, SKA Brasil e SC Brasil.
The ongoing National T20 Cup to be used to showcase Pakistan’s preparedness for the international white-ball series
Umar Farooq03-Oct-2020
Zimbabwe were the first Full Member to tour Pakistan after the 2009 Lahore attack•AFP
Zimbabwe Cricket will send a five-person delegation to Pakistan to assess the arrangements for the bio-secure bubble ahead of their six-match limited-overs series in the country.The PCB is currently staging the six-team National T20 Cup in the country in biosecure bubbles. The first leg of matches is currently on in Multan, where the ODI leg of the Zimbabwe series will be played, and the remaining games will be in Rawalpindi, the venue for the T20Is. The National T20 Cup is expected to serve as an example for the Zimbabwean delegation. Lahore, meanwhile, is hosting the National T20 Cup for the second XIs, while the first-class Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, with both the first XIs and second XIs, will be held entirely in Karachi across six venues from this month.Comprising three ODIs and as many T20Is, the tour is scheduled to begin on October 30 in Multan with the ODIs, which are a part of the World Cup Super League. Zimbabwe will carry a 32-member squad to cater to both the formats as well as for the intra-squad warm-up matches.This will be Zimbabwe’s first tour of Pakistan after 2015, when they became the first Full-Member nation to visit the country after the terror attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in 2009. On that occasion, each of the touring Zimbabwe cricketers was paid US$ 12,500 by the PCB to make the visit, a practice the PCB continued till 2018 in a bid to get international cricket going in Pakistan again. With the situation having changed significantly in recent years, there is no financial inducement for the Zimbabweans to visit this time, five-and-some years on from that historic visit.The delegation, comprising two health officers, one security in-charge, and two ZC executives are expected to land in Islamabad on October 10. Their official inter-city travel will begin after they return two negative tests within 48 hours of arrival in Pakistan’s national capital. Once given the go-ahead, they will begin their inspection in Rawalpindi during the National T20 Cup, followed by a visit to Multan. The Zimbabwe squad will also undergo two Covid-19 tests within a space of 48 hours: one in Harare prior to their departure on October 19, and the other upon arrival in Islamabad on October 20.On September 4, the PCB had announced a full domestic season, with six associations staying and playing in bio-secure bubbles, and opening up the training facilities at its National High Performance Centre in Lahore – all in a strictly controlled bio-secure environments. It has also issued an advisory to restart the sport at the grassroots and recreational levels with adequate safety measures in place.The Covid-19 situation in Pakistan is understood to be getting better, with a sense of normalcy beginning to trickle in since last month. Tourism, stores and malls, restaurants, educational institutions and public transport have resumed operating.
كشف المدير الفني لنادي سيراميكا كليوباترا، أيمن الرمادي، حقيقة الرحيل عن الفريق، في الوقت الحالي، من أجل تولي أحد الأندية في الدوري العراقي.
أيمن الرمادي يتولى تدريب فريق سيراميكا كليوباترا منذ الموسم قبل الماضي، حصل معهم على لقبين لـ كأس الرابطة المصرية.
ويحتل فريق سيراميكا كليوباترا، في الموسم الحالي، مع الرمادي، المركز الخامس في جدول ترتيب الدوري المصري الممتاز، برصيد 12 نقطة بعدما خاض 7 مباريات، فاز في 3 وتعادل في مثلهما، خسر في لقاء وحيد.
وقال الرمادي خلال تصريحات نقلها مراسل “بطولات”: “أندهش من تلك الأخبار التي تخرج، ما يتردد أنني سأرحل عن تدريب فريق سيراميكا كليوباترا من أجل تولي فريق الشرطة العراقي غير حقيقي”.
وأضاف: “أنا أمتلك تطلعات كبيرة مع فريق سيراميكا كليوباترا في الموسم الحالي، وطموحات مختلفة، بعد الفوز بنسختين متتاليتين من بطولة كأس الرابطة”.
وتابع: “لدي ثقة في قدرة لاعبي سيراميكا على الاستمرار في المنافسة، ضمن المربع الذهبي للدوري، خلال الموسم الحالي”.
طالع.. فيديو | في مباراة مُثيرة.. المصري يتعادل مع سيراميكا كليوباترا بالدوري
وواصل: “طموحات سيراميكا كليوباترا، تمتد إلى الذهاب لأبعد نقطة في كأس مصر خلال نسخته الحالية، أسعى لاستغلال البداية الجيدة في الدوري، خلال المشاركة في بطولة الكأس”.
وأتم: “سعيد بالتواجد داخل منظومة نادي سيراميكا كليوباترا، في ظل حالة الاستقرار التي ينعم بها الفريق، وتوفير الإدارة كل متطلباته، الأمر الذي يساعده على النجاح”.
ويستعد فريق سيراميكا كليوباترا، لمواجهة لافينا، غدًا السبت، في إطار مواجهات دور الـ 32 من عمر بطولة كأس مصر للموسم الحالي 2024-2025.
Liverpool are prepared to offer a "world-class" player a huge salary in order to sign him ahead of a European giant in the summer transfer window, according to an exciting new update.
Liverpool transfer news
The Reds continue to be linked with some eye-catching signings in the coming weeks and months, not least Newcastle United winger Anthony Gordon, who grew up supporting them as a youngster. Talks reportedly took place with the England international, although it remains to be seen if a move will come to fruition with the Magpies trying to sell other players instead to comply with PSR.
Meanwhile, Valencia and Georgia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili has also been backed to seal a summer move to Anfield, although that would only happen if Alisson moves to the Saudi Pro League, which clearly wouldn't be the preferred outcome.
Valencia goalkeeperGiorgi Mamardashvili.
Hoffenheim forward Maximilian Beier has also been mentioned as a potential addition for Liverpool, although Chelsea are also thought to be rivalling the Reds for his signature. The 21-year-old scored 16 goals in 29 Bundesliga appearances last season, and could add firepower to an attack that has suffered plenty of criticism of late, in terms of wasteful finishing from Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez, in particular.
The Merseysiders have made an enquiry regarding the availability of Real Madrid teenager Arda Guler, too, but sealing his signature on a permanent basis could be difficult, considering how highly he is thought of at the reigning Champions League holders.
Liverpool ready to offer "world-class" ace huge salary
According to Sport [via Sport Witness], Liverpool are potentially leading the race to sign Bayern Munich ace Joshua Kimmich for just £25m this summer, and are willing to offer him bigger wages than fellow suitor Barcelona.
It is stated that the Reds "may have taken the lead" for the Germany international due to their willingness to splash out on his salary. He is currently earning a whopping £318,000 per week at the Bundesliga giants, who need to sell or risk losing him for free next year.
Kimmich is an outstanding footballer who has enjoyed such a glittering career, winning eight Bundesliga titles and one Champions League crown, among numerous other trophies, so he could be a signing of real intent by Liverpool.
The 29-year-old is an elite player who is capable of excelling at both right-back and in central midfield, and German legend Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has waxed lyrical over him, saying: "It is no exaggeration to say that Joshua Kimmich is the very embodiment of world class. There's only one Joshua Kimmich and we're very glad he plays at Bayern."
Meanwhile, Jose Mourinho has described Kimmich is "absolutely phenomenal", and he could add so much experience, providing competition for Trent Alexander-Arnold at right-back, but perhaps most likely being brought in as a midfielder primarily.
Liverpool could sign “formidable” £50m Nunez partner
A number of top Premier League outfits have been named as admirers for this trophy-laden star.
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That being said, he is now 29 years of age, and increasing the extortionate wages he is already on seems unlikely. It feels more sensible that Liverpool will target a younger option in the middle of the park instead, as was the approach with the likes of Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai and Ryan Gravenberch last summer.
O técnico Renato Gaúcho deve ter um reforço caseiro para enfrentar o Palmeiras no próximo domingo, às 16h, no Allianz Parque. Isso porque o zagueiro Rodrigo Caio participou de uma atividade completa ao lado do elenco do Flamengo pela primeira vez desde a lesão no joelho nesta quarta-feira. Assim, se tudo ocorrer conforme o esperado, segundo o site “ge”, o jogador deve estar em campo contra a equipe paulista.
>Flamengo disponibiliza ônibus para time rival voltar para casa após jogos
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Sem atuar desde 25 de julho, Rodrigo Caio, inclusive, chegou a realizar um trabalho de reequilíbrio biomecânico e muscular, segundo o clube, após uma série de lesões.
> Veja a tabela do Brasileirão
Ainda vale destacar que Rodrigo Caio será avaliado nas atividades antes do jogo contra o Palmeiras.Nas últimas partidas, Renato Gaúcho tem optado por Gustavo Henrique e Bruno Viana.
Por outro lado, Bruno Henrique segue o trabalho à parte no gramado e sob a supervisão de fisioterapeutas. O atacante, vale lembrar, se recupera de uma lesão na coxa que sofreu na partida contra o Grêmio, válido pelo jogo de ida das quartas de final da Copa do Brasil.
A host of state players have been forced into self isolation, but Adelaide Test not yet considered at risk
Daniel Brettig16-Nov-2020
The view across Adelaide Oval•AFP
A mass airlift of Australian and BBL players and staff into Sydney looms large as Cricket Australia attempts to keep its summer plans afloat in the wake of the developing Covid-19 outbreak in South Australia.After Western Australia, Queensland and Tasmania closed their borders to SA on Monday, CA’s planners worked quickly to figure a way to get Australian white-ball, Test match and Australia A squads, plus the Adelaide Strikers BBL squad, into position to travel into New South Wales as early as Tuesday morning to enable forthcoming fixtures to go on smoothly.While there is not yet any suggestion that the Adelaide Oval Test itself will move – ESPNcricinfo understands it is likely to remain in place even in the event of no crowds being permitted for the opening match of the marquee series between Australia and India – the likelihood of a spontaneous airlift is a reminder of a febrile environment that has taxed sporting administrators, players and coaches.Tim Paine and Matthew Wade (Tasmania), Marnus Labuschagne, Joe Burns, Michael Neser and Mitchell Swepson (Queensland), Cameron Green (Western Australia) and Travis Head and Kane Richardson (South Australia) are among the players looking at an early arrival into Sydney once logistics of travel, including possible charter flights, and accommodation are ironed out. The Strikers are expected to move early to evade the danger of being barred from entering Tasmania for the first batch of BBL games in mid-December.Sporting bodies have learned it is better to be safe than sorry in terms of travelling as soon as possible if there is any danger of Australia’s state borders tightening, a dance that the AFL and the NRL completed more successfully earlier this year than the A-League.A Cricket Australia statement on Monday evening said: “Our biosecurity and operational teams are closely monitoring the situation and working to put in place the necessary plans to ensure players, coaches and staff are available for upcoming fixtures.”CA has always maintained that it would need to be agile as border conditions change and we thank the players, coaches and staff involved for their flexibility and all parties for their support. We will continue to provide updates as the situation evolves and look forward to hosting a safe and successful summer across all formats.”Australia’s Test captain Paine was among a host of players forced into self-isolating as state governments responded to the outbreak in Adelaide’s northern suburbs. Players and support staff from Tasmania, Western Australia, New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria all returned home from their Sheffield Shield hub in Adelaide last week, later than the November 9 date of arrival from SA that state governments have nominated as now requiring mandatory self-isolation.During Monday Queensland’s state government confirmed that anyone who has arrived from SA since November 9 will need to get tested and quarantine for 14 days which will impact the state squad while the Western Australia team were also isolating.”Following the State’s border closure to South Australia, WA players and staff who arrived from Adelaide on Saturday afternoon are currently undergoing 14 days of self-quarantine,” a WACA statement said. “The group started their quarantine on Saturday 14 November at 11:59pm, following the completion of the Marsh Sheffield Shield hub campaign, and will undergo Covid-19 testing over this period. The WACA is working closely with the relevant authorities to determine the best means of approach for player management over the two weeks.”However, the New South Wales premier Gladys Berejiklian has indicated that its borders will not be closed. NSW players returning from Adelaide have not been requited to self-isolate, but have a standing requirement to get tested and self-isolated should any experience possible Covid-19 symptoms.CA will continue assessing the state of play in SA, not only in terms of self-isolation requirements for domestic players but also in terms of how the current outbreak may affect plans for the start of the India Test series. The first match is scheduled to be played at Adelaide Oval from December 17 with Australia’s Test squad due to gather in the city during the previous week. The city is also due to host BBL matches from late December.Pat Cummins, Australia’s vice-captain, remained confident a way would be mapped out to enable the main part of the season – the series against India and the BBL – to take place.”CA have thought of every contingency,” he said. “I think if we can fly over to the UK and play in a bubble over there, it shows that we’ll find a way, whatever it takes. So we’ve done England, we’ve done IPL, the Shield guys and the WBBL girls have all had different kinds of bubbles they’ve been involved with, so we’ll see what level that’s at, but whatever it is, the priority is once we get there we play cricket.”It might be one of those cases where it’s different in different states. I think everyone knows we’ve got to be adaptable, I think the last six months more than any other time, you literally have to take it day by day.”The India squad – and the Australia players who were at the IPL – are currently undergoing 14 days quarantine in Sydney during which time they are able to train at Blacktown. That period ends on the eve of the ODI series which begins on November 27 at the SCG which will stage the first two matches before Canberra hosts the third ODI and first T20 with that series then returning to Sydney.India have two warm-up matches against Australia A in Sydney ahead of the Test series, the first at Drummoyne Oval from December 6-8, which overlaps with the T20 series, followed by a day-night match at the SCG from December 11-13.
Pakistan fight back through Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf before falling well short
Alagappan Muthu18-Dec-2020
Jacob Duffy picked up three wickets inside the powerplay•Getty Images
Bounce, baby! Bounce! There was a fast-bowling feast at Eden Park. And the batsmen were just not welcome.A rash of mis-hits, screams of annoyance and a flood of wickets suggested Pakistan could not cope with the conditions, where hitting back of a length not only made balls rear up at them, they did so at varying speeds.Watch cricket on ESPN+
New Zealand vs Pakistan is available in the US on ESPN+. Subscribe to ESPN+ and tune in to the series
Babar Azam, who was at the ground, would have given a firm (broken) thumbs down as he watched his team struggle without him, slipping to 39 for 5. That couldn’t have been the score stand-in captain Shadab Khan was looking for when he won the toss. But things did improve in the back end of the innings, to such an extent that Pakistan made 102 runs in the last nine overs. That gave their bowlers a total of 153 and they made it look pretty big at the start of the New Zealand chase.Tim Seifert, though, rode the pressure put on him and the rest of his team by a quality attack that was pumped all the way up and produced a half-century that was just about enough to clinch a very tight T20I game.The debutant’s ball Jacob Duffy had to wait eight years to make it to international cricket and when he did on Friday night, he picked up a wicket with his second ball. That was the first sign that this wasn’t an Eden Park belter. It stopped on the batsman. It kicked up off the surface. It hit high on his bat. And a flick shot, intended to go along the ground through midwicket, ended up a catch at mid-on.Duffy finished with 4 for 33, the best figures by a Black Cap on debut, and the Player-of-the-Match award, which was all a lovely bonus considering all he wanted was “not to get knocked out of the park too often”.Related
Jacob Duffy ready to do Southland proud as debut looms
His night could have been even more spectacular but for a stray little finger. In the tenth over, while fielding at deep third man, he ran full tilt to his right and leapt up to intervene with an upper cut from Khan that looked destined for six. The ball stuck in his outstretched right hand, but as he came down, protecting it from touching the ground, just a tiny bit of his other hand – his left hand – brushed against the advertising triangles and ruined what might have been one of the great boundary catches of all time.The captain’s knock Khan was 9 off 13 at that point. He too was hopping around thanks to the extra bounce on offer, but his shot selection was considerably better than those that had come and gone before him.On a pitch where occasionally the ball didn’t come on to the bat, the flick shot is loaded with danger. Abdullah Shafique and Haider Ali found that out in the worst way. Cross-bat shots are much more useful, but for that, you have to stay in long enough to adjust to the bounce on offer. Mohammad Hafeez didn’t and fell so tamely.But from the ruins of 39 for 5, Khan (42 off 32) and later Faheem Ashraf (31 off 18) counterpunched their way to a total that looked rather unimaginable just a few overs previously. A total that they could defend.Tim Seifert hooks during the course of his half-century•Getty Images
Pure passion Khan took centre stage again when he produced a ripping catch to dismiss Martin Guptill early and send his bowlers into a state of wicket lust.Haris Rauf was stricken with it. He had a pitch he could turn into his own personal playground. And anyone who entered it, had to deal with nearly 150kph rockets that – once again – were bouncing awkwardly. He took a wicket with his second ball. Devon Conway gone. He then came back to break the most threatening partnership of the New Zealand chase. Glenn Phillips gone. And in the slog, after watching Ashraf put down a simple catch with the equation reading 35 off 27, he knocked over the batsman that benefited from that piece of poor fielding. Mark Chapman gone.Seifert’s greatest trick New Zealand’s wicketkeeper has so many funky shots that sometimes he feels obliged to play them. Sometimes they go for four. Other times it’s he who goes back to the pavilion.At Eden Park, he concentrated on playing within himself. So much so he produced two of the shots of the game: a straight drive that was nothing more than an extension of defence, and an extra cover drive that kept gaining speed as it travelled to the boundary. Restraint is often the key to success and Seifert found that out just in time to save his team.His dismissal with 44 runs needed off 32 balls put the game back in the balance, but New Zealand have worked on their chasing. Gary Stead has been very particular about it; demanding his players not succumb to pressure and instead, break the runs down into blocks and tick them off. Chapman took that advice to heart. So did Jimmy Neesham and the captain Mitchell Santner as well, who finished the game off with an emphatic six.As good as that must feel, the Pakistan side they beat was a rusty one. Khan even admitted that at the presentation. But they got better as the game went on and given the way they fought, this is going to be one great series.