India legend Kohli announces Test retirement
Legendary India batter Virat Kohli has announced his immediate retirement from Test cricket.
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Reuters
an hour ago
- Reuters
Hong keeps focus on World Cup after successful end to fraught campaign
June 7 (Reuters) - South Korea coach Hong Myung-bo sought to focus on his team's preparations for next year's World Cup rather than the fraught campaign that eventually ended with the country celebrating qualification for an 11th consecutive finals. A 2-0 victory over Iraq in Basra on Thursday confirmed South Korea's progress as one of two automatic qualifiers from Group B of Asia's preliminaries, and came 11 months on from Hong's controversial reappointment as head coach. "It's an opportunity for us to test young guys who may be able to play at the World Cup next year," Hong said of Tuesday's remaining qualifier against Kuwait in Seoul. "We won't have too many opportunities like this. It's one thing for those guys to watch from the bench, and quite another for them to play." Ex-national team captain Hong returned for a second spell in charge in July last year after a series of caretakers had been appointed following Juergen Klinsmann's underwhelming tenure, the German leaving in the aftermath of South Korea's Asian Cup elimination. The 56-year-old's appointment was greeted by protests among hardcore fans, many mindful of the team's performance under Hong at the World Cup in Brazil in 2014, when a highly-fancied squad crashed out in the group phase. Relations with supporters were further damaged by early struggles in qualifying, with players booed off the field in Seoul following an opening 0-0 draw with Palestine in September. That showing was one of several that highlighted the team's issues on native soil. While Hong's side are unbeaten across the nine matches played so far in the third phase of qualifying, the Koreans have won just one of four matches at home. The poor quality of the pitches used was blamed by players for their underwhelming performances and was another reason tensions increased between the country's football hierarchy and the support base. Despite those issues, qualification means the Koreans will extend a run of unbroken World Cup appearances that stretches back to 1986, with Hong now charged with building his squad for the challenge that lies ahead in North America. That will mean giving opportunities to less experienced performers as he looks for long-term options to stalwarts such as Tottenham Hotspur's Son Heung-min and Hwang Hee-chan of Wolverhampton Wanderers. "From this moment on, everything we do will be geared toward preparing for the World Cup," said Hong.
BBC News
5 hours ago
- BBC News
Understated Dawson shows England magic they've been missing
Tall or short. Right-arm or left. Leg-spin, off-spin or Dan Mousley's men bowled spin for England between Liam Dawson's 20th and 21st international bowler Ollie Robinson has even turned his arm over with some offies during a miserable Ashes defeat in Adelaide since Dawson's last in taking 4-20 against West Indies in the hosts' 21-run win in the first T20, Dawson gave a hint at what England have been missing."I have not played international cricket for three-and-a-half years," the 35-year-old told BBC Test Match Special."To contribute to a win is a really special feeling." Even that sentence tells you had, in fact, been two years and six months since Dawson's last England appearance but he would be forgiven for thinking it had been an England squad was named - or they lost a Test - Dawson's absence was a hotly-contested times verging on culture-war status, county fans were dumfounded the leading English spinner in the County Championship in 2023 and 2024 was being consistently managing director Rob Key famously said Dawson was "not someone who wants to go around India as the 15th or 16th man" after leaving him out of a Test then, Dawson had accepted the call from England would never come again."Probably not," he said on Friday, when asked if he expected this international comeback to happen."For a couple of years I have not expected to play."I want to go out and enjoy my cricket, whoever I am playing for. To come back and do well, I am very proud and it is pleasing."Dawson has shown - from Lord's to Lahore, Dubai to Durban - he a dependable operator in his time away from international cricket. He has been a regular pick on the franchise circuit and was named a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in at the start of a new era under captain Harry Brook, in need of wins to halt a slide that has lasted 18 months, England finally realised that dependable was no longer a criticism but a strength."I have played against Daws quite a bit," said Brook. "I played with him for England a few times."He's such a good bowler. He's good bloke as well, which helps."Recalling Dawson was not solely Brook's decision, although it is significant the comeback came for the Yorkshireman's first T20 series in three poor white-ball tournaments in a row, Key said earlier this year England had to improve their bowling of left-arm spin in a hint at what was to come for an outfit that had previously packed their side with pace. Dawson, meanwhile, admits he does not try to do anything "flash".While Shoaib Bashir and Tom Hartley have their high release points and Rehan Ahmed his googly, Dawson is a throwback - the old-school magician who can still deceive you with two hands and a pack of cards, without the need for saws, fire and flashing Chester-le-Street, he outfoxed West Indies with that understated routine of conceding only four runs from the first over, Dawson struck in his extra loop, he dropped 10mph from his previous delivery and found the sharpest turn in the match. Johnson Charles charged towards him to be left stranded and there, after two opening overs that cost only seven, Dawson rested and West Indies returned, the dangerous Sherfane Rutherford on strike, and the spinner delivered for Brook as the left-hander hit to credit for that one would be generous, Dawson's next scalp - two balls later - came with another drop in pace and, crucially, a wider outside off stump Roston Chase gave Ben Duckett another catch in the deep to make England huge favourites once boundaries flowed at the other end - younger men Jacob Bethell, Will Jacks and Matthew Potts among those punished - Dawson was not hit to the rope until his fourth dangerous Rovman Powell struck him for four twice but a ball later Dawson changed and flatter he went, Powell was bowled and Dawson had his best T20 international 4-20 was also the best by a left-arm spinner for England in the format. Key could hardly have asked for backdrop to England's win is the T20 World Cup that looms next year. They have only 12 matches in this format before travelling to India and Sri Lanka, where spin is expected to be crucial."That's not even come into my thoughts," said Dawson, when asked if he had one eye on making that World Cup squad."I'm just happy to be back involved in this, take one game at a time and enjoy every time I play."Dawson was an unused squad member when England won the 50-over World Cup in years on, he may finally be the one they need.
The Independent
6 hours ago
- The Independent
England T20 captain Harry Brook: I'm already preparing for 2026 World Cup
Harry Brook has been England's T20 captain for exactly one match but admitted he was already taking decisions with one eye on next year's World Cup. Friday's 21-run win over the West Indies in Durham was Brook's first outing as skipper in the format but he knows time is short to get his feet under the table. England have just 14 more games scheduled before the next global tournament in India and Sri Lanka in February, meaning the time is now when it comes to making plans. That meant lining up with just two seamers for the first ever time in home conditions, with 12 overs of spin giving a hint at the structure England are likely to lean on in the sub-continent. While Brook's predecessor Jos Buttler set things up with a dominant knock of 96, Liam Dawson walked away with the player-of-the-match award in his first international appearance in nearly three years. The 35-year-old Hampshire stalwart claimed career-best figures of four for 20, while there were also wickets for Adil Rashid and Jacob Bethell. 'We don't want to look too far ahead but we've got to trial some things like this,' said Brook. 'The next World Cup is going to be in Sri Lanka and India. We're not completely set on this structure for the team but it's worth a go and it worked this time. 'I just think that having two very good spinners – frontline spinners – makes a massive difference. 'As a batter, when you're facing two experienced spin bowlers, you have to decide which end you're going to attack. 'These two (Rashid and Dawson) have been playing the game for so long, they know T20 cricket, they know the grounds and they've played against so many of these boys, that having them both in the side will help us going forward.' Dawson, who has been overlooked consistently for a rotating cast of spinners with inferior records on the county circuit, was praised for an 'awesome' comeback performance that saw him get the best of Johnson Charles, Sherfane Rutherford, Roston Chase and Rovman Powell. 'He bowled beautifully. He's got so many skills. He's been playing the game for pushing on 20 years and he's learned a lot of things along the way,' said Brook. The West Indies were frustrated to be missing one of their own left-arm spinners on a helpful pitch for the slower bowlers. Akeal Hosein has yet to make it to English soil after delays related a change in UK visa requirements for Trinidad and Tobago. Cricket West Indies said 'attempts to expedite the visa process' had been unsuccessful but a spokesperson confirmed on Friday that the 32-year-old could arrive ahead of Tuesday's series finale in Southampton. All-rounder Jason Holder said: 'He was missed, he's one of our frontline players. It's an unfortunate situation. 'We can't control that so we can only control what's in front of us. We've got players here who are willing and able to do a job for the West Indies. 'We had a team that was good enough to beat England but we fell a little short, particularly with the bat.'
