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While all eyes turn towards the on-loan Arsenal star, two American strikers have a chance to boost their own chances of claiming a starting spot.

The most talked about U.S. men's national team-eligible striker isn't even currently on the U.S. men's national team.

He is in Orlando, though, and his presence is looming large over everything going on ahead of the return of the Nations League.

For many in the USMNT program, the hope is that Folarin Balogun could be the guy at the No. 9 position. He's proven to be exactly that in Ligue 1 with Reims, where he's scored 17 goals this season while on loan from Arsenal.

But despite his trip to Orlando and all it implies, there's a chance Balogun may not be the guy. At 21, his career is still just taking off and, to be fair, no one is totally sure whether or not he will ever put on a USMNT shirt.

What we do know, though, is that there are two guys in USMNT camp that could also provide an answer at the position, even after missing the World Cup.

Both have been anointed at one point or another and both have experienced frustrating setbacks in their young careers.

But here they are, back in the picture with a chance to stake their claim.

Balogun is the talk of the town, but might this week be remembered as the week where either Ricardo Pepi or Daryl Dike staked their own claim?

GettyBack in camp

It's been a winding road for both Pepi and Dike, both of whom have seen their stocks rise and fall in rapid fashion.

Pepi, once touted as the USMNT's striker of the future, was the starter through much of World Cup qualifying before being dropped from the World Cup squad amid a poor run of form.

He's rediscovered his confidence with Groningen and is back scoring goals ahead of his national team return.

Dike, meanwhile, was plagued by injuries at the worst possible time as he tumbled down the depth chart ahead of the World Cup.

He scored three goals in eight appearances in 2021, but hasn't appeared for the USMNT since after missing much of 2022 with West Brom.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesWorld Cup stars stay at home

Balogun's potential arrival isn't the only thing adding to the urgency of this camp. The absence of the USMNT's World Cup strikers also makes this a big moment for Pepi and Dike.

Jesus Ferreira, who started the USMNT's defeat to the Netherlands, was left at home, like every MLS player not named Miles Robinson.

Josh Sargent and Haji Wright, meanwhile, have been nursing injuries and weren't deemed fit enough to make the long journey stateside.

Those were the three men that claimed the striker spots on Gregg Berhalter's roster as Pepi and Dike were left out, and this camp is a chance to make up ground while that trio now sits at home watching on.

GettyThe case for Pepi

Pepi's tumble down the depth chart wasn't due to a lack of skill. Everything that made him such a highly-touted prospect is still there: the intelligence, the finishing, the timing, the strength on the ball.

What Pepi lost, and what ultimately cost him a World Cup spot, was confidence. His move to Augsburg was nothing short of a disaster and that proved his undoing.

Pepi is now at Groningen, and he's scoring goals again. He's got 10 of them this season, in fact, for a Groningen team that is struggling mightily in the Eredivisie.

That, in some ways, makes those 10 goals more impressive as Pepi is proving that he can find the back of the net even when service is lacking.

USMNT interim boss Anthony Hudson was quick to point that out, adding that Pepi was and remains a likeable figure around the camp.

"Ricardo's such a great kid," Hudson said. "He's so good around the group, great energy.

"We follow him every single weekend. His team's having a difficult time but what you see, even with his team like this, this guy just doesn't stop working.

"He's made some great runs behind the line. He's been scoring goals. And I think it was important for us to get him back in the group and give him confidence, so he deserves a chance."

For Pepi, much will depend on this summer, though. His future will be reassessed after this loan to Groningen, and reports have linked him with a move up the Dutch ladder to PSV.

At 20 years old, Pepi will need to get this next move right after getting his initial transfer to Europe so very wrong. His national team future for the 2026 cycle may depend on it.

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Getty ImagesThe case for Dike

They say that the most important ability is availability, and that'll be key for Dike going forward.

His injury nightmare seems to be behind him as he's back scoring goals in the Championship. He's got seven goals for West Brom this season, with four of those coming within the last month.

It's a positive sign for the former Orlando City man, who burst onto the scene so quickly in 2021 before fading to the background.

"For Darryl, he has been somebody who's been in with us," Hudson said. "Obviously a very different profile to a few strikers that we have.

"He did very, very well in the Championship with Barnsley. I think when he went there, they were fighting relegation and he scored a bunch of goals and then they were right in the playoffs.

"Then, he got a well deserved move to West Brom and, unfortunately, missed a load of programming with us because of injury, but he's been doing well in the Championship. His game has improved."

Hudson is right: Dike has improved. The trademark traits are still there, including the physicality that makes him a perfect Plan B for the USMNT.

But he's also showed plenty of finesse in recent weeks, including a fantastic volleyed finish in a recent win for West Brom.

Worst case, Dike's skillset should keep him in the picture, simply because he is different than, say, a Pepi or a Ferreira.

However, he'll need to stay healthy and keep scoring goals if he wants to make a push for that top spot, something he is totally capable of as he develops over in England.

While Manchester City and Liverpool dominated our main team of the year, as many as 10 clubs are represented in the under-21 edition

Manchester City and Liverpool's battle for the title dominated this season's edition of the Premier League, but they are scarcely represented in Goal’s Under-21 Team of the Year – with young talent impressing all over the division in 2018-19.

A total of 10 clubs feature in our side of starlets, with performances in all competitions taken into account in order to compile this best XI.

From finalists in the Champions League and Europa League to players who spent their seasons fighting relegation, here is the Premier League Young Team of the Season.

GettyGK | Arijanet Muric

It’s been quite the season for Arijanet Muric. In between turning 20, choosing to play and then debuting for the Kosovo national team and winning the Premier League with Manchester City, the young goalkeeper was chosen by Pep Guardiola to be his first choice in the EFL Cup. Muric played five of City’s six games as they lifted the trophy, keeping four clean sheets, conceding just one goal and saving two penalties in their quarter-final victory over Leicester.

AdvertisementGettyRB | Trent Alexander-Arnold

There are a whole host of young, talented right-backs in the Premier League right now – but Crystal Palace’s Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Southampton’s Yan Valery only get honourable mentions thanks to Trent Alexander-Arnold. The Liverpool man has had a stellar campaign, registering an incredible 12 assists in the Premier League – the most of any defender. But the 20-year-old has been formidable defensively too, making 33 interceptions and winning 37 of his 57 tackles as the Reds fell just short of the title. 

GettyCB | Juan Foyth

Few managers nurture young talent as well as Mauricio Pochettino, so Tottenham Hotspur have a real star in the making in Juan Foyth. His season ended in reckless fashion after a red card at Bournemouth, but the 21-year-old has impressed otherwise. An accomplished passer who presents an aerial threat and also a versatile option with his ability to play at right-back, Foyth is also now a full Argentina international, making his debut in October.

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GettyCB | Joe Gomez

Joe Gomez’s season was hampered by injury again this term, but he still showed why Liverpool are excited about his talent. The young defender has played an important part in the Reds’ season, with performances at home to Brighton and Red Star Belgrade particular highlights. He’s alternated between right-back and centre-back roles since moving to Anfield, but if his future is in the latter position with Alexander-Arnold in the former, both England and Liverpool should be licking their lips.

After breaking their transfer record to sign the Brazil attacker, the Blaugrana are set to offload a number of players, either now or in the summer

Getty Images1Javier Mascherano

As reported by Goal, Javier Mascherano's proposed move to Hebei China Fortune is almost a done deal. All that remains now is for the deal to be finalised, meaning the Argentine's eight-year stay at Camp Nou is coming to a close.

The versatile defender will depart with his head held high and with the gratitude of Blaugrana fans the world over, having helped the Catalan club win 17 trophies, including two Champions Leagues, since arriving from Liverpool in August 2010.

AdvertisementAA2Arda Turan

Arda Turan is another player almost certain to leave Camp Nou before this month. The Turkish attacker has not made anything like the same impact as Mascherano, having failed dismally to justify the €34 million fee Barca paid Atletico Madrid for his services in 2015.

Of course, Arda was not eligible for selection until January of the following year due to the Catalans' transfer ban but even when he has played, the winger has severely underwhelmed.

As a result, Barca are now desperate to remove him from their wage bill and the 30-year-old is set to join Istanbul Basaksehir before the week is out.

Getty Images3Gerard Deulofeu

Gerard Deulofeu revitalised his career during a sensational six-month loan spell at AC Milan, prompting Barcelona to enact the buy-back clause they had inserted in the winger's contract when they sold him to Everton in 2015.

The 23-year-old had hoped that his second spell at Camp Nou would turn out differently to his first but, in spite of the considerable void left by Neymar's move to Paris Saint-German and an early-season injury to Ousmane Dembele, Deulofeu has been unable to convince Ernesto Valverde that he is worthy of a regular starting berth. 

A January return to Italy now sees inevitable, with Napoli and Inter leading the chase to sign a player who is desperate to represent Spain at this summer's World Cup in Russia. Barca, though, will not accept anything less than €10m for Deulofeu.

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Getty4Rafinha

After an injury-plagued year, Rafinha is now looking to revitalise his career and Barcelona believe that the versatile midfielder would be well served by a move away from Camp Nou, given the intense competition for places within the Liga leaders' starting 11.

The Catalans are open to offers for their youth academy product but, given suitors such as Serie A side Inter have understandable doubts over his fitness, a January loan deal with the option of a permanent switch at the end of the season seems the more likely outcome.

Liam Livingstone’s penultimate ball heave for six leaving Lancashire requiring three from the final delivery but he was run out off the last delivery

George Dobell26-Jun-2015
ScorecardRecordo Gordon took career-best figures to help Birmingham win a low-scoring contest•PA PhotosIt was the sort of night where it paid to take it slowly.After an accident on M6 stretched Birmingham’s journey time above six hours – this game started half-an-hour late as a result – the teams found themselves playing this match on a dry, used pitch that rewarded spinners, cutters and bowlers who take pace off the ball.Perhaps it rewarded patience, too. A game that, by T20 standards, dragged for long portions – Birmingham hit only five fours after the first 37 balls of their innings – eventually rose to an exciting conclusion with Liam Livingstone’s penultimate ball heave for six leaving Lancashire requiring three from the final delivery. A mis-hit drive straight to mid-off resulted in a run-out as the batsmen attempted an almost impossible second to secure the tie.Victory, their 12th in 14 completed T20 games, takes Birmingham top of the table, though only three points separate the top four. Lancashire have now lost five of their nine T20 games this season. Only Middlesex and Derbyshire have lost more.But it seems a shame that a high-profile game – these sides were last year’s finalists and this game was televised – should be played on a pitch that did so little to encourage attacking strokeplay.Not that there is not a certain value – and charm – to these low-scoring contests. There will be times, in Asia in particular, when England teams play on such surfaces and the next World T20 is in India. Perhaps such matches offer perfect preparation.But was it the sort of surface to attract new spectators to the game? And isn’t that the point of T20 cricket? After an ODI series drenched in boundaries appeared to have revived interest in the sport, it was hard to avoid the conclusion that this was another own-goal by domestic cricket.It is not necessarily the groundsman’s fault. The huge amount of cricket required from their squares renders it almost inevitable that pitches will be reused and reduces the amount of preparation time for each track. Television coverage might also have been relevant here: cameras set-up for the ODI – played on the same pitch – would not have to have been moved by using the same surface. Perhaps there is something to be said for playing more games at out grounds?Bearing in mind the surface, it was particularly impressive that a young fast bowler should scoop his second Man-of-the-Match award in succession. Like all fast bowlers, 23-year-old Recordo Gordon loves to bowl with pace. But here, realising that such a tactic would be self-defeating, he unveiled a range of cutters and slowers balls – including a particularly good slower ball bouncer – that left batsmen struggling to pick up his length or settle against him. A haul of 4 for 20 was reward for an admirably mature, calm and skilful performance.Gordon also hit the only six of the Birmingham innings. Bearing in mind the margin of victory, it proved an important contribution.Winning the toss helped Birmingham. By the time Lancashire realised what sort of surface they were playing on, Birmingham had plundered 49 from the Powerplay with Brendon McCullum, on debut, thumping three successive boundaries and helping contribute to the highest partnership of the match. Varun Chopra’s 40 and Willaim Porterfield’s 36 were the highest individual scores of the game.But once Lancashire’s three spinners came into play, run-scoring became far more difficult. They delivered 12 of the next 14 overs and Birmingham never again scored more than eight from an over and added only 50 in their final eight overs. Stephen Parry, England’s seemingly forgotten left-arm spinner, was particularly impressive in conceding just 19 from his four overs; reward for his control and his excellent variations.While the target appeared modest, Lancashire rarely looked as if they would overhaul it. Paul Horton was run out after a hesitation, Ashwell Prince carved straight to the fielder and Steven Croft slog-swept to deep backward square. Although James Faulkner, who added 39 with Jordan Clark, looked as if he might power Lancashire to victory, his drive to mid-off made life extremely tough.Birmingham, confidence soaring from their run of success, have become expert at applying pressure in the field, with the young legspinner, Josh Poysden, complementing the reliable Jeetan Patel.Lancashire might reflect that their fielding cost them, by comparison to Birmingham, half-a-dozen runs. It was a fault highlighted by their coach, Ashley Giles, early in the tournament and, while it has improved, it remains some way below the current T20 champions. In games decided by such small margins, it is a crucial factor.

M Vijay’s inconsistent ODI career was given a boost after his career-best 72 in the second ODI that was the undergird to India’s total of 271

Liam Brickhill12-Jul-2015M Vijay has had to wait a long time to move from an understudy to a main act as an Indian opener in ODIs, with 16 ODIs spread over more than five years since his debut against South Africa in 2010. When he wafted Brian Vitori to second slip in the opening match of this series, it appeared he may have fluffed his chance once again, but his 72 in the second ODI – a career-best score – was the undergird to India’s unassailable 271 and their series win.”I’ve been there or thereabouts in the one-dayers and have been the third opener for quite some time, so this is a good opportunity for me to establish myself as a one-day player,” Vijay said. “I always wanted to play this format and play all three formats. So it’s just around the corner. You’ve got to wait your turn. I’m not in a hurry, but when I get an opportunity I’m keen to score runs.”It’s hard to fathom why it’s taken so long for Vijay to settle in this format – he averages over 40 in List A cricket and was one of India’s most consistent batsmen in Test cricket in 2013 and 2014. “[There are] a lot of variables. I don’t want to think about it now because it’s done and dusted – for me this is a new beginning and I’m looking forward to the opportunities coming for me. I think I’m batting well, which is more important, and I’m enjoying my cricket, so whichever format doesn’t matter to me so long as I’m batting.”Before today, he had scored 25 or more six times without passing 33, but while he was pleased to pass fifty he felt that he should have scored more than his 72 today.”It’s not really [a good return] but I’m enjoying my game so I’m not looking too far ahead. As long as I’m enjoying my cricket I think everything will fall into place. To be honest I was not playing at my best, but according to the conditions we decided not to give early wickets because then the team is under more pressure. We thought 260 or 270 was a good score on this wicket because it was getting slower and lower.”Ultimately, Vijay’s opening stand with Ajinkya Rahane was the tonic which allowed India to reach that score, and though he couldn’t push on to a maiden ODI century he was pleased to have stuck to the gameplan. “You saw in the first game we had a bit of a collapse, so we thought rather take time and play our game, so that we give the middle order an opportunity to come and do their job. We did that,” he said

Yet again, Rajasthan Royals are doing the early running in a season, with three wins out of three, and are the team to beat

The Preview by Abhishek Purohit15-Apr-2015Match factsThursday, April 16, 2015
Start time 2000 local (1430 GMT)3:07

Agarkar: Form of top-order batsmen positive for Sunrisers

Big pictureYet again, Rajasthan Royals are doing the early running in a season, with three wins out of three. The challenge for them has been to sustain that momentum towards the end of a long tournament, but for now, they are the team to beat. So far, they’ve won the crunch moments that decide games, something they have often let slip in the past.They also let Kieron Pollard and Corey Anderson counter-punch a century stand after having Mumbai Indians in trouble, but their chase flowed so smoothly that their death bowling did not cost them in the end. With captain Shane Watson expected to play their next game – if not this one – after recovering from a hip injury, Royals’ batting will be further strengthened.Their opponents are Sunrisers Hyderabad, who themselves hit back with a commanding chase against Royal Challengers Bangalore after being outclassed by Brendon McCullum and MS Dhoni in Chennai.Both teams have never played in Visakhapatnam and the side that bats first will have to take a few overs to judge the nature of the pitch. “The pitch will be very good for batting. It has a little bit of grass and there will be good bounce as well,” curator Naga Mallaiah said.Some rain is forecast in the port city around noon but the evening is expected to be clear.Watch out for…World Cup winner Steven Smith has carried his form from the Australian summer to the Indian, and his unbeaten 79 off 53 deliveries carried Royals home against Mumbai Indians. Smith’s taking apart of Lasith Malinga in the decisive 19th over was authoritative. He has been wasted down the order in the past but the Royals stand-in captain is enjoying the responsibility in the top order.KL Rahul’s unbeaten 44 against Royal Challengers was only his second score of 40 or more in the IPL, where his strike-rate is still under 110. This has been his breakthrough season, with a Test hundred in Australia, a triple in the Ranji Trophy followed by a big century in the Ranji final. Confidence from such a run can easily transcend formats, and Rahul showed signs of achieving that against Royal Challengers.Stats and trivia Only two IPL games have been played previously in Visakhapatnam, back in 2012 Royals have a 3-2 head-to-head record against Sunrisers Among active IPL franchises, Sunrisers have the lowest team batting strike-rate – 117Quotes”I think he is on par with AB de Villiers at the moment and Virat Kohli when he is at his best. It is incredible to see him just continue to pile on the runs in every format. It looks like it’s not going to end and let’s hope it doesn’t for quite a while.”
“Trent Boult has been in fantastic form. Look at how he bowled in the World Cup. We feel Trent is just ahead of Dale (Steyn). We will definitely use Dale in the tournament. At the moment Trent is going fantastic so Dale just misses out.”

On the eve of Pakistan’s final group game against Ireland, the captain Misbah-ul-Haq roused his bowlers to be more aggressive

Daniel Brettig14-Mar-2015If Pakistan are trying not to let the memories of 1992 lull them into a sense that history is about to repeat, then they have also adopted a strategy that carries heavy overtones of Imran Khan, Wasim Akram and the “cornered tiger” approach.Lacking a confident or prolific batting line-up, the captain Misbah-ul-Haq and the coach Waqar Younis have instead invested much time and effort into rousing their pace bowlers to be the aggressors and ultimately the victors. After subdued displays against India and the West Indies, a far greater sense of danger has grown through encounters with UAE and Zimbabwe, before a tournament-turning effort against South Africa.On the eve of their final group encounter with Ireland, Misbah returned to this theme, espousing the virtues of searching for wickets rather than sitting back and hoping for containment. It was not quite Imran telling Wasim not to worry about wides or no balls and go for the jugular, but it was close.”I think our approach is straightforward, simple for the last three games: go out there, be positive, and especially when you are there to bowl, just try to get wickets,” Misbah said. “Try to get the other team out, and that’s what we have been doing, and that’s what our plan is even tomorrow.”A win settles down a lot of things normally, and I think now everybody knows their role, especially the pacers are really bowling well. All of them are wicket-takers, aggressive bowlers. And that’s what we need if we are not batting well. We need some really good backing by the bowling, and all the pacers are really doing their job getting wickets, putting pressure on the opposition.”Mohammad Irfan, Rahat Ali, Wahab Riaz and Sohail Khan have all had their moments, underlining the remarkable depth of pace bowling in Pakistan. They have encouraged a change in philosophy by Misbah and Waqar, who entered the tournament expecting to play both Shahid Afridi and Yasir Shah, but now find themselves leaning primarily towards pace in a departure from the Saeed Ajmal ascendancy of recent years.Misbah has admitted that it will be difficult to drop any of his seamers•Getty Images”At the moment all the seamers are really bowling well,” Misbah said when asked if Yasir might play against Ireland. “You could say that against South Africa they were very good against pace. These seamers bowl really well, and they’re just taking wickets. So it is difficult to drop any of them. What we have noticed playing in Australia is that it’s really difficult once you have two spinners on your side to just bowl 20 overs of spin because sometimes you lose that pressure which is built by the pacers, especially up front.”Let’s see. I mean, it’s a general perception, but what I feel is the Irish are really good against spin. Some of them struggle against the off spin, the left-handers. But I think overall we notice even when we are playing in Ireland, they are playing spin really well.”Pakistan’s building sense of momentum has been created in part by their World Cup draw. The team’s mental anguish and hesitance was palpable ahead of the opening meeting with India, and the fog did not lift in time for their second match against the West Indies. But now there is a strong sense of direction and confidence, something Ireland will have to counter in addition to the talents of individuals”It was just a matter of we were playing against two tougher oppositions up front just at the start of the tournament, and they played better cricket than us,” Misbah said. “That was the only reason I think, then after that we got a little, you could say, weaker sides, and we just get our momentum back and get our confidence back.”So this is always in these sort of tournaments when certainly you are against tougher sides at the start sometimes you just lose your confidence and momentum. But as we get back into a winning situation, the confidence and momentum is back.”Whether the momentum is comparable to that of 1992 can only be known after Sunday, and Misbah was adamant that while his men could take inspiration from history, they must not allow it to push them into complacency. “You could say you could take some positives from that,” he said. “We were in difficult situations in 1992, and Pakistan team is always capable of this from really difficult times, difficult situations, and this is a team which can really stand-up and perform very well. So that could be, you could say, a motivational factor for the team.”But what I believe is it is totally different. You can’t just sit and hold that we did it in 1992 so we are going to do it again. It’s totally a different story, and we have to perform. We have to go and deliver. Otherwise, just on based that we did it in 1992, so we are going to do it again, it’s not going to work. It’s not going to help. We have to really pull up our socks and we have to really perform well.”

The Supreme Court has asked the BCCI to make information available on which “administrators”, as defined by their rules, would be affected should the clause permitting board officials to have a commercial interest in the IPL and the CLT20 be struck down

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Dec-2014The Supreme Court has asked the BCCI to make information available on which “administrators”, as defined by their rules, would be affected should the clause permitting board officials to have a commercial interest in the IPL and the CLT20 be struck down.The hearings regarding the IPL 2013 corruption case have moved from the findings of the Mudgal committee to the BCCI’s internal functioning, as well as the constitutional amendments that led to the ownership of a franchise being awarded to India Cements, owned by N Srinivasan, currently the BCCI’s sidelined president. Srinivasan was the board treasurer when the Chennai Super Kings franchise was purchased by India Cements.The BCCI’s counsel CA Sundaram had originally divided the BCCI’s functioning into two parts: one pertaining to first-class and international cricket, and the IPL which “was in a different class of its own” and served a distinct commercial function. The two-man bench of the Supreme Court, comprising Justice TS Thakur and Justice FM Kalifullah asked Sundaram about whether any BCCI administrator, apart from Srinivasan, owned an IPL team. The response was no and the bench went on to say that the format of the IPL did not “depend” on an administrator owning a team and would not “collapse” should the clause 6.2.4 go back to its original form. Sundaram was also asked whether the board could not have found an eighth buyer outside the BCCI if seven other buyers “could be found” for the IPL franchises in 2007.The bench was also direct in its response to the BCCI’s argument of falling under the “legislation and powers” of the Tamil Nadu Societies Registration Act, in which all two-party disputes could be internally settled and did not require any external intervention. The external intervention was a reference to the involvement of the litigants’ Cricket Association of Bihar in the IPL corruption case.The bench did not accept this and told the BCCI: “Your rules may be sacrosanct for you but not for us. You should take that off your mind that the court is powerless.”The bench went on to advise BCCI counsel that any attempt to “limit” the Supreme Court’s jurisdiction “doesn’t take you anywhere.” Justice Thakur said the court was exercising its authority in the case “not to promote your or any other person’s cause, it is to promote the purity if the game.” The BCCI was told: “If you want clause 6.2.4 to be saved, please satisfy us.”The board assured the court that “some” of its functions could be defined as public ones. When asked to list those functions, Sundaram said, “Sending out a team, selecting a team, calling it team India, offering players opportunities to play, barring players from discharging these opportunities because of a rule violation.” Going by that definition, the bench said, “millions” of people believed in the assumption that a game they were viewing was fair. The bench said, “If you falter in that, you are answerable to us.” Justice Thakur then asked, “How fair is it to have somebody as an administrator of the BCCI and to have a team?”Earlier in the hearing, Rajeev Dhawan, counsel for IS Bindra whose intervention concluded on Tuesday, said the ongoing case was “not the case of a Masonic lodge or a co-operative society.” He said that the BCCI’s argument of autonomy should “not stand in the way of the public interest” and if it happened the work of the Court-appointed Mudgal Committee would come to naught.There will be hearings on Wednesday morning and Thursday afternoon during which all concerned parties are expected to conclude their arguments. The court will then break for vacation for the next two weeks, leading to the possibility that final orders from the court in the IPL 2013 corruption case are likely to emerge only in the new year.

This World Cup has already been an unprecedented experience for New Zealand. It is not about to calm down as they face Australia at Eden Park

Andrew McGlashan in Auckland27-Feb-20153:40

‘Playing Australia doesn’t change anything’ – McCullum

This World Cup has already been an unprecedented experience for the New Zealand side. It is not about to calm down as they face Australia at Eden Park in what is expected to be the biggest crowd for a cricket match in the country for more than 30 years.The record attendance in New Zealand is 42,000, for the 1982 match between the same two sides, and that will not be broken on Saturday with Eden Park’s current capacity set at 40,000. Still, with the sharply tiered stands that now surrounded the stadium set to be packed, it is likely to be an atmosphere rarely felt by the home side.That game in 1982 was a victory for New Zealand despite a century by Greg Chappell and also marked the debut of Martin Crowe, who will be inducted into the ICC’s hall of fame during the interval on Saturday. A repeat result this time will maintain the frenzy of excitement that has enveloped the New Zealand campaign.The team has had time to soak up the mood since thrashing England in Wellington in front of a crowd in excess of 30,000. The side split up for a few days to take advantage of the week’s break, but the hype has not died down. When the squad went to an event in the Auckland city centre there was a throng of fans wanting autographs and selfies.Embracing the mood of the nation has been a key part of New Zealand’s outlook during this tournament, and this match was a specific focus from very early in the planning stages as the team’s on-field results started to raise the level of expectation.”We knew that was going to be the case, especially if we started the tournament well,” Brendon McCullum said of the focus on his team. “We tried to factor that into our plans a long time ago, for the whole squad, not just those on the field but the back-room staff as well.”We’ve seen the way the public has reacted, the guys have loved it. Full houses are great and people driving past with flags hanging out of their cars. We’ve encouraged everyone to enjoy the tournament and lap up the chance to go out and about rather than a burden.”That was the beauty of preparation we had coming in. We were able to deeply ingrain that mentality among the group. The anticipation for this game is big but I feel the guys are in a good place because of the work we have done. I don’t think we will be overawed.”New Zealand’s stability and confidence was reinforced as they named an unchanged XI for the fourth match in a row. McCullum, though, was also keen to stress that there is no more, or less, riding on this match than the three previous outings in the group stage.”The points that are on offer tomorrow are no different to those against Sri Lanka, Scotland or England,” he said. “It is a big game, will be a great atmosphere and one the guys will remember for long time, but the points are still the same.”New Zealand’s approach in the middle has been one of all-out – but calculated – aggression whether with the ball or bat. McCullum has been central to that, from driving his first ball of the tournament for four to slaying England last weekend and hurling himself around the field.The outstanding performance against England, coupled with the implosion of Eoin Morgan’s team, means New Zealand have not yet been pushed in the tournament but that will not be a signal for them to alter the mindset for their toughest assignment so far.”We have a blueprint which has worked very well for us and it’s how we do that in front of 40-odd thousand people,” McCullum said. “If we can do that I’ll be pretty pleased, win or lose. Obviously we want to win but we can only control the cards in our hand. If we do that we’ll be pretty happy.”One of the areas where McCullum values having “control” is with the fielding. Their display against England was breathtaking and McCullum called it “the best I’ve seen from a New Zealand team.””Everyone wants to score runs and everyone wants to take wickets, but it’s not how the game works. Fielding you can control,” he said. “Fielding for us is non-negotiable. It’s a sign of attitude and shows how desperate we are as a team.”The team may be desperate to achieve success, but they are equally aware of it not becoming so overbearing that they forget to enjoy the magnitude of what they are undertaking. “We are living the dream,” McCullum said, “playing a World Cup at home and tomorrow will be a great event – 40-odd thousand people and playing against Australia, it doesn’t get any better.”

Michael Klinger made his first century for his newest state, Western Australia, as they ground out 4 for 231 on a slow-scoring opening day against Tasmania in Hobart

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Nov-2014
ScorecardMichael Klinger made his first hundred for his new state (file photo)•Getty Images and Cricket AustraliaMichael Klinger made his first century for his newest state, Western Australia, as they ground out 4 for 231 on a slow-scoring opening day against Tasmania in Hobart. Klinger edged James Faulkner to slip late in the day and was out for exactly 100, leaving Shaun Marsh at the crease on 16 when stumps was called.Having moved from South Australia during the off-season, Klinger began the Sheffield Shield season with a pair of half-centuries in the first two games and followed it with a patient hundred. His 279-ball innings was his 20th first-class century and frustrated the Tasmanians after their captain Alex Doolan won the toss and sent the Warriors in.Andrew Fekete picked up the early wicket of opener Marcus Harris for 6 before Klinger and Cameron Bancroft combined for a 116-run partnership that ended in unfortunate fashion. Bancroft was on 61 when a deflection off the hand of the bowler, Fekete, caught him short at the non-striker’ end. Fekete later added the wicket of Western Australia captain Adam Voges, who was bowled for 41.