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Where to watch Champions League clash between Real Madrid and Chelsea – team news, kick-off time and more.

Real Madridwill host Chelseain the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Wednesday.

📺 Watch Real Madrid vs Chelsea live on Paramount+ in the US

Madrid faced Liverpool in the Round of 16 and beat them 6-2 on aggregate to seal a last-eight berth. The Whites have scored in each of their eight Champions League contests this season and with an in-form Karim Benzema upfront, it will not be surprising if they score past Kepa Arrizabalaga.

Meanwhile, Chelsea got the better of Borussia Dortmund in the last round after overcoming a first-leg deficit to win 2-1 on aggregate. However, this time, Frank Lampard will be in charge of the team instead of Graham Potter and the former England international will be eager to prove his worth after they succumbed to a 1-0 loss to Wolves over the weekend in the Premier League.

The two teams met at a similar stage in the tournament last season and despite Chelsea bagging a 3-2 win at the Bernabeu, the Blues crashed out due to an inferior aggregate score (5-4). In fact, even in 2021, Chelsea did not lose away to Madrid as Los Blanocs were held to a 1-1 draw on that occasion. Chelsea then went on to win 2-0 at Stamford Bridge in the second leg to progress to the final.

GOAL tells you all you need to know about Real Madrid vs Chelsea below – including team news, squads, kick-off time and more…

Getty ImagesKick-off timeDate:April 12, 2023Kick-off time:4pm EDTVenue:Estadio Santiago Bernabeu

The game is scheduled for April 12 at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid.

It will kick off at 4pm EDT in the US.

AdvertisementGettyHow to watch Real Madrid vs Chelsea online – TV channels & live streams

Country TV channel Live stream

USUnivision, TUDN USAParamount+, ViX+, TUDN.com

In the United States (US), the match will be available to watch on Univision, Paramount+ and ViX+.

Getty ImagesTeam news & squadsReal Madrid team news

Barring Ferland Mendy, coach Carlo Ancelotti does not have anyone in the Real Madrid treatment room.

The manager did not name key players like Luka Modric, Toni Kroos, Eder Militao and Eduardo Camavinga in the starting XI in their 3-2 defeat to Villarreal but they should all return to the line-up against Chelsea.

Federico Valverde, who allegedly punched Villarreal's Alex Baena, should also be available for the game.

Real Madrid possible XI: Courtois; Carvajal, Militao, Rudiger, Alaba; Modric, Camavinga, Kroos; Valverde, Benzema, Vinicius Jr

Position Players

Goalkeepers:Courtois, Lunin, Luis LopezDefenders:Carvajal, E. Militao, Vallejo, Odriozola, Lucas Vazquez, Rudiger, Nacho, AlabaMidfielders:Kroos, Modric, Camavinga, Valverde, D. Ceballos, TchouameniForwards:Hazard, Benzema, Asensio, Vini Jr., Rodrygo, MarianoChelsea team news

Mason Mount (abdominal issue)remains doubtful for this fixture while Armando Broja (knee), Cesar Azpilicueta and Thiago Silva (knee) will definitely miss the clash with injuries.

Although N'Golo Kante missed the trip to Wolves, the Frenchman should be fit to face Madrid along with defender Ben Chilwell.

Whereas, Benoit Badiashile, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Noni Madueke and David Datro Fofana are not part of the Blues' Champions League squad.

Chelsea possible XI: Kepa; James, Fofana, Koulibaly, Chilwell; Kovacic, Fernandez, Kante; Sterling, Havertz, Felix

Position Players

Goalkeepers:Arrizabalaga, Mendy, Bettineli. Defenders:Chalobah, Chilwell, James, Koulibaly, Cucurella, W. Fofana. Midfielders:Fernandez, Kante, Kovacic, Pulisic, Sterlong, Mount, Zakaria, Ziyech, Gallagher, Chukwuemeka, Webster, Hall. Forwards:Havertz, Felix, Loftus-Cheek, Mudryk.Head-to-head record

Date Result Competition

13/04/2022Real Madrid 2-3 ChelseaChampions League07/04/2022Real Madrid 3-1 ChelseaChampions League06/05/2021Chelsea 2-0 Real MadridChampions League28/04/2021Real Madrid 1-1 ChelseaChampions League31/07/2016Real Madrid 3-2 ChelseaFriendlyENJOYED THIS STORY?

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It has been a dramatic summer across Europe as billions have been spent and clubs have scrambled to get deals done

So that’s it for another summer. The circus can stop, the rumours can slow and the football world can finally sit down and take a deep breath.

The transfer window is closed, for a few months at least. Managers now know which players they will be able to count on for the first part of the campaign, while supporters can line up new heroes – and villains. 

In England, around £2billion (€2.3bn/$2.3bn) was spent on signings, a new record which makes a mockery of the idea, floated by some not so long ago, that the coronavirus pandemic would bring about a moment’s pause and force clubs to reconsider their approach to the transfer market.

Across Europe, however, the picture looks a little more bleak, as talent continues to drain away from Italy, Germany, Spain and France and towards the Premier League. How do these leagues hope to compete with a competition that is set to earn upwards of £10bn (€11.6bn/$11.6bn) in TV rights over the next three years alone?

With all that in mind, GOAL takes a look at the winners and losers from a dramatic window…

GettyWinner: Barcelona

Forget they did it, just for a moment. Instead, let’s focus on Barcelona have done in this window.

Strengthening an already-talented squad with the likes of Raphinha, Jules Kounde, Franck Kessie, Andreas Christensen and Hector Bellerin is one thing, but adding Robert Lewandowski to the mix? No wonder Xavi has smiled his way through the opening weeks of the campaign.

Sure, there have been plenty of losers from the Catalans’ lever-powered dash through the market – Martin Braithwaite, for example, or Memphis Depay – but in purely footballing terms, Barca have managed to assemble one of the most exciting sides around.

Somehow.

AdvertisementGettyLoser: Cristiano Ronaldo

This was not how Cristiano Ronaldo’s dream homecoming was supposed to play out.

The Portugal legend has spent the summer trying – and miserably failing – to secure a move away from Manchester United, having quickly discovered the Old Trafford grass is not quite as green as when he left in 2009.

All of Europe’s top clubs have been offered the chance to sign Ronaldo, but none were willing to take the plunge on a player who still knows where the net is, but who will be 38 in February and has shown himself not only to be a player around whom a cohesive tactical system is difficult to build, but who seems as though he creates division and uncertainty inside the dressing room with his behaviour.

United may well get some good moments out of him this season, but anyone who thinks his return to Manchester has been a success is deluding themselves.

GettyWinner: Nottingham Forest

It has been a remarkable couple of months at the City Ground, with the newly-promoted Premier League side bringing in no fewer than 21 new players, at a cost of more than £150m (€175m/$175m).

Those include the club-record signing of midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White from Wolves, a pair of Nigerian international forwards in Taiwo Awoniyi and Emmanuel Dennis, goalkeeper Dean Henderson and England forward Jesse Lingard from Manchester United and, perhaps most eye-catching of all, the loan capture of Brazil left-back Renan Lodi from Atletico Madrid.

Whether such investment pays off remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure; manager Steve Cooper is going to have some major selection headaches in the coming weeks and months.

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GettyLoser: Serie A

Matthijs De Ligt, Franck Kessie, Ivan Perisic, Fabian Ruiz, Dejan Kulusevski, Lorenzo Insigne, Cristian Romero, Dries Mertens, Alexis Sanchez, Kalidou Koulibaly, Giorgio Chiellini, Fernando Bernadeschi, Gianluca Scamacca, Aaron Hickey, Mikkel Damsgaard, Nahuel Molina, Remo Freuler, Cesare Casadei.

The list of talented players – young and old – to have left Italy this summer is a long one. Serie A had the best title race in Europe last season, but its biggest stars continue to jump ship, most of them seduced by the money on offer in the Premier League.

]New ones will emerge, no doubt, and the league should be ultra-competitive again this season, but it looks unlikely that we will see an Italian side competing for Champions League glory any time soon.

And how sad is that, given their history in the competition?

Goal counts down the transfers that have surprised over the years in the world's most popular sport

The appointment of college football coach Ted Lasso as Richmond FC's new manager might be one of the more bizarre signings in football, but the sport's history is littered with shock transfers – successful and infamous…

Getty20Ronaldinho – AC Milan to Flamengo

In 2011, Ronaldinho had a whole host of admirers when he was leaving AC Milan.

His transfer to Flamengo was not exactly a shock as he returned to his homeland, but the real head-scratching moment was the fact that Brazilian rivals Gremio were so sure they had they had re-signed their former player that they held a celebration with their fans before Flamengo came in and snatched him from under their eyes.

AdvertisementMarco Luzzani19Andrea Pirlo – Juventus U23 to Juventus

Andrea Pirlo was no stranger to a shocking switch, having first traded Inter for AC Milan and later joined Juventus on a free transfer, prompting Gianluigi Buffon to claim "God exists".

However, in 2020, he went one step further, taking over as coach of Juventus's Under-23 side without any coaching experience before being promoted to the top job just a week later following the sacking of Maurizio Sarri.

Getty Images18Julien Faubert – West Ham to Real Madrid

French winger Julien Faubert had an unexpected career journey. He went from Cannes to Bordeaux to West Ham before stunning the world when Real Madrid came in with a deadline day loan offer for him in January 2009.

He played just twice for Los Blancos, even being pictured sleeping on the bench during a game and missing training as he got his day off mixed up.

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Getty17Edgar Davids – Retired to Barnet

In 2012, former Ajax, Juventus and Netherlands legend Edgar Davids came out of retirement to play for his local London club.

But rather than a Premier League giant, the Champions League winner was appointed joint player-coach at… League Two side Barnet.

There, he wore the shirt number 1 and would not travel to away games if the team was required to stay in a hotel overnight.

Barnet were relegated but Davids stayed on and managed the team in the Conference. He left in 2014 and has not had a managerial job since.

Even though South Africa lost their first T20 in six matches, captain Faf du Plessis was impressed with their attempt at defending 204

Firdose Moonda06-Mar-20163:36

‘When the game is on the line, have to get the basics right’ – Du Plessis

Even though South Africa lost their first T20 in six matches, captain Faf du Plessis was impressed with their attempt at defending 204. Du Plessis identified the extras – South Africa sent down eight wides and two no-balls compared to Australia’s three wides and one no-ball – as the difference between a successful second innings and a failed one.”As a captain all you can ask of your bowlers is to be skillful at the death and bowl the ball in the right areas and we did that,” du Plessis said. “I am not overly disappointed. The disappointing thing is that when the game is on the line, you want to make sure you get your basics right. To bowl two free hits in the last two-and-a-half overs, is a match swing of about 10 or 12 runs.”Chris Morris was responsible for one no-ball and two wides in the 17th over, Dale Steyn for a no-ball in the 18th over and Kagiso Rabada for two wides in the final over but du Plessis said he will stick with them as his death-bowling options, especially Rabada who came close to defending 11 off the last over. “You can’t always be hyper-critical on every situation,” du Plessis said. “We’ve got our death bowlers, Dale, Morry and KG. I’ve got no issue trusting a 20-year-old to bowl the last over. That’s how far he has come.”Du Plessis also had praise for Steyn, who was making his comeback after more than two months on the sidelines. “I wasn’t too worried about his pace. On his first game back, you can’t expect a guy to bowl 150[kph],” du Plessis said. “I was really impressed with his control. The plans that he had were really good. It was almost like he never left, so yes, a really good day for Dale.”Steyn was not used to open the bowling, bowled his four overs in the mid 130s kph and claimed two wickets, thanks to superb catches, and will have to get through the final match to confirm his inclusion in South Africa’s World T20 squad. That match is the series decider in Cape Town, which du Plessis hopes can give South Africa one last test before the World T20.”It gives us another opportunity to have a crack at a real pressure game. It’s nice going to the World Cup, just to make sure and to see when the pressure is really on you how we react,” he said.Hashim Amla will likely displace Quinton de Kock in that match as part of South Africa’s plan to “give everyone a go” and in keeping with the strategy of AB de Villiers opening, even though de Villiers has not come off against Australia. “We decided on AB at the top a while ago and to change that would be a sign of panic” du Plessis said. “I think our strongest team is with AB at the top in India. If the World Cup was in South Africa the thinking would be different.”That does not mean there won’t be place for all of Amla, de Kock and de Villiers, particularly if the middle order don’t fire. “If we are struggling to find guys in the middle order who are not in form, we can maybe look at how to get AB in there but at the moment everybody is in good touch,” du Plessis said.Aaron Phangiso will also play the final match, if his bowling action is declared legal. Phangiso will be tested on Monday with results expected by Wednesday at the latest to determine his availability for the World T20. Should Phangiso not be cleared to go, his replacement may play in Wednesday’s match and whoever that is – possibly, Eddie Leie who has returned to bowling after suffering a hamstring injury – will beed to be wary of getting the small things right. “It’s the one percenters we can learn from, from a bowling point of view,” du Plessis said.

Former Australia captain Michael Clarke has signed with Kowloon Cantons for the inaugural edition of Hong Kong’s domestic Twenty20 league, the Hong Kong T20 Blitz

Daniel Brettig11-May-2016A marriage of convenience will see Michael Clarke try to kickstart his Twenty20 career via the fledgling Hong Kong Blitz later this month.Clarke, who retired from international cricket in August 2015, then announced his return to grade cricket too late to be considered for the IPL auction and has not yet stirred much interest from clubs ahead of next season’s Big Bash League. T20 was not his strong suit as a cricketer – he played his last recognised T20 game in 2012 – and the decision to offer his services to Hong Kong around two weeks ago suggests he knows he has to start somewhere.Equally the organisers of the new competition, set to be played from May 27 to 29, are delighted to have secured a cricketing name of Clarke’s stature. Ashes and World Cup victories make him an instantly recognisable figure to help promote a tournament designed to build interest in T20 in the region.”To summarise Michael’s credentials is impossible, he is simply one of the best cricketers of this generation, if not ever,” Hong Kong Cricket Association (HKCA) chief executive Tim Cutler said. “Hong Kong cricket has delivered many firsts recently, however to have a recent Test captain who oversaw a famous Ashes whitewash, the 2015 World Cup victory and whom sat atop the world batting rankings a number of times is just incredible.”Not only does this vindicate the effort in putting the tournament together, it also shows the growth of cricket in East Asia. With over 80,000 participants in China there is immense potential in East Asia. With rugby and soccer both making strategic plays into the nascent Chinese sporting market, we look forward to working with the ICC and Asian Cricket Council in growing cricket throughout the region.”Clarke’s contract with the tournament also includes a mentoring component, and he has committed to a pair of two-hour sessions discussing cricket and leadership with the developing men’s and women’s squads. The men’s team appeared at the World T20 tournament in India earlier this year.”A key area for our national squads, both men and women, is to grow strong leadership, and to have someone such as Michael Clarke to spend some time mentoring and providing input in this key area is very exciting,” the HKCA director of cricket Charlie Burke said. “It’s not every day you get to pick the brains of a former Test and World Cup winning captain that has had a very successful time at the helm.”It says a lot about Michael that he wants to help cricket grow in an emerging region, and we thank him for reaching out to us.”Hong Kong Cricket has ambitions to build on the initial Blitz, perhaps by attracting BBL fixtures to the city in the future whenever Cricket Australia decides to expand the number of matches and/or teams.

A round-up of the Regional 4 Day Tournament matches that ended on February 28, 2016

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Feb-2016
ScorecardEvin Lewis cracked nine fours and one six during his 41-ball 56•WICB Media/Ashley AllenOpener Evin Lewis struck a quick fifty as Trinidad & Tobago knocked off 107 within 14 overs to secure 18 points; their first win at home this season.Lewis was dismissed for 56 off 41 balls but Kyle Hope stayed unbeaten with Marlon Richards to seal the victory. This meant that Leeward Islands remained rooted to the bottom of the table with a solitary win in eight matches.Leeward Islands were left to play catch-up right from the first day, when they were bowled out for 225. Debutant Keacy Carty, who had steered West Indies Under-19s’ tense chase against India Under-19s in the World Cup final, was the first to go, bowled by Rayad Emrit for 5. Daron Cruickshank soon became Emrit’s second victim. Nkrumah Bonner mounted some resistance with 47 before Jahmar Hamilton and Rakheem Cornwall added 74 together, but the lower order was cleaned up by pacer Marlon Richards.Legspinning allrounder Imran Khan pitched in with two wickets. He then led T&T’s batting effort with his ninth first-class fifty, at the top of the order. Narsingh Deonarine and Steven Katwaroo also stroked fifties to give their side the advantage with a first-innings lead of 181, despite Cornwall’s five-for.Leeward Islands fared marginally better in their second dig, managing 287, but the small target was brushed off by T&T. Carty hit a fifty as did Cornwall, but Imran’s four-wicket haul rattled the middle order. His match haul of six wickets eventually put him joint second on the wickets charts, with 37 scalps.
ScorecardRonsford Beaton’s five-for in the first innings followed by Leon Johnson’s 107 shaped Guyana’s six-wicket win against Windward Islands in St Lucia. Guyana picked up 18 points with the win to strengthen their position at the top of the points table.After being inserted, Devon Smith and Jelornie Robinson set Windwards up nicely with a 120-run partnership for the second wicket after Beaton had removed Tyrone Theophile early. Raymon Reifer broke the stand by removing Robinson for 57, a wicket that triggered Windwards’ middle-order collapse. A combined bowling effort from Guyana, led by Beaton, ensured that no other Windwards crossed the score of 20 as they lost nine wickets for 80 runs. Beaton cleaned up Windwards’ tail quickly as they were bowled out for 216.Guyana’s strong response was built on Johnson’s century, while Vishaul Singh and Tagenarine Chanderpaul (46) played the support roles. Johnson struck 13 fours in his 107 and also shared a 119-run fifth-wicket stand with Vishaul, who made a patient 58 – a partnership that put them in control after they were at a wobbly 100 for 4. Guyana got a late push when Johnson and Reifer combined for the seventh wicket to add 62, a stand that set them up for over 300. Mervin Matthew’s late wickets, that helped him complete career-best figures of 6 for 81, helped Windwards bowl Guyana out for 339, a 123-run lead.Windwards suffered another batting collapse in the second innings that had them lose seven wickets for 41 runs as they slumped to 131 for 9. Smith’s 51 was the only score of note before Shane Shillingford provided lower-order resistance with a quick 26 that took his side to 161 before they were bowled out. Reifer led Guyana’s bowling effort, picking up 4 for 35, while Devendra Bishoo and Beaton accounted for a total of five wickets.In their pursuit of 39, Guyana were reduced to 13 for 4 by Shillingford and Kyle Mayers. Johnson then came out full of positivity though, and smashed a quick 17 to take his side home without further damage.
ScorecardJustin Greaves’ 5 for 41 and fifties from Kraigg Brathwaite and Roston Chase set up Barbados’ six-wicket win over Jamaica at Sabina Park. The result, though, had no bearing on the points table as Barbados maintained their second position, while Jamaica follow at third.Shacaya Thomas and Andre McCarthy struck fifties but Greaves’ five-for cut through Jamaica, bowling them out for 177 as only two other batsmen made double-digit scores, both without touching 20.Nikita Miller led the hosts’ bowling effort, cutting through the visitors with a haul of 8 for 67. Barbados, though, were rescued and helped to a 40-run lead by Brathwaite and Chase’s fifties. Brathwaite stroked 11 fours during his 130-ball 66, while Chase’s knock came with eight fours.Jamaica slumped to 80 for 7 in their second innings before Devon and Jason Dawes combined to add 63 for the eighth wicket. Their partnership helped the hosts set Barbados a fighting if still small target of 118. Jomel Warrican and Hayden Walsh combined to pick up 6 for 90 for Barbados, while Miguel Cummins finished with 2 for 20.Brathwaite combined with Jonathan Carter to help take Barbados to 77 for 1 in the chase, before both batsmen fell in consecutive overs. Chase then came in and smacked a brisk 35 to take them home with six wickets in hand.

It was a day when the honours, in the grand scheme of things, were too early to dish out. But Worcestershire enjoyed enough success at the beginning of the day to claim it.

Vithushan Ehantharajah at Uxbridge21-Jun-2015
ScorecardJames Franklin rescued Middlesex from a tricky position•Getty ImagesIt was a day when the honours, in the grand scheme of things, were too early to dish out. But Worcestershire enjoyed enough success at the beginning of the day to claim it. Rarely will the opening day of a Championship game bring wickets on its first and last ball, but strange things tend to happen at Uxbridge.As a place, it’s hard to describe. Uxbridge Cricket Club sits as its own green off-shoot from an A road that for moments of the day were parted for sirens and, occasionally, the odd motorbike treating the recommended speed limit as a previous high score. It may not have the quaintness of an Arundel, or the postcard print of New Road, but it is very Middlesex. The clubhouse sits raised at 45-degrees to the closest end. Inside, mates congregate to talk runs, wickets and wrong-uns from the set of league fixtures the day before. The beer is fizzy, the standards are mixed but the desire is real and raw.Few of these weekend warriors were in when Sam Robson was walking back, having edged the first ball of the match from Charlie Morris to Tom Fell at third slip. Not surprising, though, given the timing of Robson’s dismissal was actually a minute before the official start time. But they were well-sauced and in full voice when Morris’ hands were pierced by a James Franklin hook that bounced just in front of the rope for four. It would take the Middlesex captain to 124 and be the only let off he enjoyed during a second Championship century of the season, before his innings was finished at the day’s end.Having won the toss and decided to bat, Franklin returned to the middle in the 20th over, with the electronic scoreboard reading 51 for 4 (as ever at club grounds, the rate at which the manual one updated suggested it was still operating on Greenwich Mean Time).His innings was put into context by his teammates. Nicks Gubbins and Compton were staunch in defence but unable to really get full value for their attacking shots. The frustration was palpable when Compton, having been served a leg-stump full-toss from Joe Leach, hammered it aerially to Richard Oliver at midwicket, who dived forward to take a smart catch. Compton indicated that he thought it had bounced in front of Oliver, but the umpires dismissed the claim.Joe Burns accompanied Franklin in a partnership of 51, gritted out first before playing some well-timed, almost open-chested drives through the off-side in making 57. Having done the hard-work, he seemed to have wrestled back control of his own fate before becoming Jack Shantry’s third wicket of the match.It was Shantry who benefitted the most from a green pitch that slowed rather than seamed, as evidenced by his wicket of Gubbins; Shantry getting the ball to hold-up and pop, as ever, giving Saeed Ajmal a simple catch at mid-on. And it was Shantry who brought the day to a close when he got his fourth by making a 15-over old new ball tail and skip into Franklin, who worked it around the corner to leg-slip.From nought to 120, Franklin was flawless. It is hard to remember a false stroke or even one meant for the floor that spent time in the air. Everything seemed to come out of the middle. When he’s in this kind of form, the Kiwi looks less practical batting-allrounder and more moving art installation: his arms and joints moving with the breeze rather than reacting to the tics and twitches he has honed from more than a decade of cricket. Given that the ball was not coming onto the bat, his drives down the ground were worth savouring, particularly his straight checked effort on the front foot off Shantry, which took him from 99 to 103.Franklin added 72 in the middle session, part of which contributed to a 170-run partnership with John Simpson, who made 41. With both gone, batting time might be a tough ask for the Middlesex lower order; the likes of Ollie Rayner, James Harris and Toby Roland-Jones would rather live fast than die old.At stumps Shantry, one away from a second consecutive Championship five-wicket haul, said three more wickets within the allotted bonus point overs would be ideal. If they manage that, and if this Uxbridge track plays to type and flattens out, they will be in a sound position.As for Moeen Ali, he got little from a dull track. If there can be any criticism from his 12 overs, it could be that his length could have been drawn back a fraction to get the batsmen pushing out to him. He was given the token over before lunch, the one before tea, only to miss out on the holy trifecta when Daryl Mitchell gave him the penultimate one before the close.

Dimitri Mascarenhas, the former Hampshire and England allrounder, will have a chance to help defeat former team-mates after being named as New Zealand’s interim bowling coach to replace Shane Bond for the tour of England in May

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Mar-20151:16

Will miss Bond behind the scenes – Vettori

Dimitri Mascarenhas, the former Hampshire and England allrounder, will have a chance to help defeat former team-mates after being named New Zealand’s interim bowling coach to replace Shane Bond for the tour of England in May.Bond will finish in his position after the World Cup having decided he wants to spend less time away from home and will focus on his role with Mumbai Indians in the IPL.Mascarenhas, 37, who played 20 ODIs and 14 T20s for England between 2007 and 2009, is currently in his first year as coach of Otago who are second in the Plunket Shield table and reached the preliminary-finals stage of the one-day Ford Trophy but finished bottom of the domestic T20.”After being in New Zealand for only a year, to have an opportunity like this come up is pretty special and I am honoured to be chosen for this position,” Mascarenhas said. “Bondy has done an extremely good job with his bowling unit; they have operated with real pace, skill and tactical awareness.”During this World Cup they have been phenomenal and I am looking forward to working with those guys to keep developing them and helping them achieve success on the international stage.”Mascarenhas finished his Hampshire career in 2013 and believes his recent experiences in England will serve him well with New Zealand when they arrive for a tour which includes two Tests, five one-day internationals and a T20.”I am newly out of the scene there as a player and I know most of the guys in the current team very well,” he said. “The new guys I have played a lot with in county cricket and I know all the grounds we are playing at intimately so those factors will be useful in terms of the scouting and bowling plans.”It will be a tough assignment to follow Bond who has been widely credited with the development of New Zealand’s bowling attack into one of the best in the world. Alongside the incisive new-ball pair of Tim Southee and Trent Boult, who have flourished under Bond’s tutelage since he became bowling coach in 2012, there is the upcoming Adam Milne in the World Cup squad alongside Mitchell McClenaghan and Kyle Mills.Matt Henry was unlucky not to make the World Cup while Neil Wagner, the left-arm pace bowler, will likely feature on the Test leg of the England tour as could Doug Bracewell.However, Mascarenhas will not have all the first-choice quicks to work with during the early days of the England with New Zealand’s IPL-contracted players – which include Southee and Boult, the latter who went for more than US$800,000 to Sunrisers Hyderabad in the recent auction – having been given permission to arrive in the UK by May 19, which is two days before the opening day of the first Test at Lord’s.The England tour will be an audition for Mascarenhas with a decision on a full-time replacement for Bond set to be taken later in the year before the tour of Zimbabwe and South Africa, which begins at the end of July.

Phil Simmons could be forgiven for phoning his old friends at Ireland and asking if his former job was still available. Less than a month into his new role as West Indies head coach, the sheer enormity of his task has become apparent

George Dobell in Barbados29-Apr-2015Phil Simmons could be forgiven for phoning his old friends at Ireland and asking if his former job was still available. Less than a month into his new role as West Indies head coach, the sheer enormity of his task has become apparent.It is not that his team lacks talent. It is not that they lack the will to win or the stomach for the fight. It is that regional cricket in the Caribbean has declined to such an extent – and is played on such rotten pitches – that the gap between it and international cricket has become a chasm.Simmons’ job, then, is not just to coach a team, not just to improve a squad of players, but to cut through the politics and self-interest and apathy to improve cricket across the Caribbean. It is a colossal task and will surely feel, at times, like herding cats.But he is not the sort to be easily discouraged. Far from it. While he admits to having been “startled” by the “reckless” batting on the final day in Grenada, he is “very encouraged” that West Indies have recorded four centuries in the two Tests and that three of them have been scored by players aged 23 or younger.Phil Simmons on…

Injuries: “Jerome Taylor bowled two spells in the nets on Tuesday, so we’ll see how his shoulder reacts. Jason Holder has recovered well and will bowl on Thursday.”

Shivnarine Chanderpaul: “He’s having a bad series, but all the greats have had bad series. We didn’t drop them. I remember Clive Lloyd at 41; I remember Gordon Greenidge at 41. Shiv is still 40. And he is working as hard as anyone. We have four experienced guys in the side and they all need to make their presence felt.”

Pitches: “In an ideal world, I’d like a nice, quick, bouncy wicket where who can bat, will bat and who can bowl will take wickets. But I can’t think of anywhere in the world where there’s one of them now. I know there’s a cynical view that we’re doing this for a tactic or to make sure that Tests last five days, but I don’t think it’s true.”

James Anderson: “I was impressed by the extra effort he put in on the last day. It was what his side needed. That’s why he’s played 100 Tests and taken most wickets for England. When he sees a small gap, he pushes through it. He showed his leadership skills.”

His challenge is to help the team extend their good play from one session to three a day. And to do that, he feels the standard of regional cricket must improve.”The thing is, our young players are learning international cricket on the international stage,” Simmons said. “And that’s not ideal.”When you play county cricket, the level is close enough to Test cricket. And when I think back to my days – and I hate to do that – I learned a lot in regional cricket. But I don’t think there’s a lot to be learned at that level now. So it’s when you come up here that you start learning.”You can get away with reckless batting in our four-day game. It seems to be the normal thing to do. But you don’t get many bad balls and you have to bat for longer when you play international cricket. And if Bishoo bowled 50 overs in our four-day cricket, he would take 20 wickets.”I saw a 50-over game a while ago. The standard of the wicket was terrible. Terrible. That is the first part of my job. Not the international team. The biggest part of my job is getting the proper coaching set-up, the proper fitness set-ups, the proper wickets in our regional cricket right around the Caribbean.”We have to address these things. I don’t know how yet, but we’ll find a way. That’s the only way we’ll produce better cricketers.”Simmons has decided to take a ‘glass half full’ attitude to West Indies’ performances in the series to date. So while he could have been infuriated by aspects of the batting in Grenada or the bowling in Antigua, he has instead seen the largely untapped potential in his side.”I’m very encouraged by what I’ve seen,” Simmons said. “We had two hours of negligence on the last day in Grenada and we lost the game. It was a reckless period. It just needed a couple of guys to bat for another half-hour or so and we would have saved the game.”I’d like to see us play two or three sessions consistently. We’ve played well in one, been bad in the next, then come back in the one after that. But we’ve not played consistently well for three sessions.”We just need our young players to understand that how they play must be determined by what the teams needs and what the scoreboard reads.”But they don’t do that because of the level of our first-class cricket, so they have to learn here that, if the score is 40 for 4, you might have to bat for two sessions and come back the next day to get your big score. The mindset has to change. They have to realise you have to bat for longer.”Jermaine Blackwood exemplifies the issue. While he made an impressive century in the first innings in Antigua, he has been dismissed in both second innings in remarkably reckless fashion: once coming down the pitch and attempting to slog over the leg side and once caught at mid-off as he tried to drive Chris Jordan over the top. For a side looking to save a Test, they were odd shots.”He didn’t assess the situation properly,” Simmons said. “He assessed it properly in the first innings of the match. He still played his shots, he still hit over the top off the fast bowlers, but he did it in the right situation. In Grenada he didn’t. But he’s in his what? Fifth Test? It will take him some time to learn.”You hear people talk about how bad this is, or how bad that is. But when you’re in the camp, it’s not all as bad as people say. But there has been nothing as startling as the way we batted on the last morning in Grenada. There is learning to be done.”

They go to Australia and New Zealand with a relatively inexperienced squad, but only few would underestimate the fight and determination of Ireland, who already have two big World Cup scalps to their name

Alex Winter31-Jan-20150:43

Team Profiles: Ireland

SummaryIreland’s continued case for a bigger part in international cricket relies on a competent show in major tournaments. The calamitous qualifying defeat to Netherlands at the World T20 was a blow, but at least they are straight into the main draw of the World Cup with a guaranteed six matches to convince doubters that they are deserving for more international matches.They bring a squad to Australia and New Zealand who are either a youthful group who can go and play with zest and abandon, or an inexperienced squad with little credibility for a meaningful campaign. Their bowling attack is greener than the team’s shirts; the retirement of Trent Johnston at the end of 2013 and loss of Boyd Rankin to England has left a big hole. Tim Murtagh’s injury is a major blow to their hopes but they coped without him to win the tri-series in Dubai.Ireland rely on several steady seamers who will prefer conditions in New Zealand, but only two of their six group matches are scheduled there and one is against India. It is easier to be positive about Ireland’s batting with the experience of Will Porterfield and Ed Joyce – both enjoyed excellent county seasons – leading the line up. They are likely to need plenty of runs.Ireland will eye a third-consecutive giant-killing, but will surely judge beating UAE and Zimbabwe as the base for a successful tournament.ESPNcricinfo LtdWorld Cup pedigreeThis will be Ireland’s third World Cup, having appeared in the last two editions. Their debut in 2007 included upsetting Pakistan, having bowled them out for only 132, and also a hammering of Bangladesh. Four years later, they tipped up England in a remarkable run-chase of 328. They have left a mark on both tournaments, proved that on their day they can be a serious danger, and have earned the right to be respected.X-FactorDetermination. Ireland are a plucky bunch who rarely fail to make the point that they are capable of holding their own on the grand stage. Under the original plans, they would never have been at this World Cup so expect another big effort to send a message to the administrators that even considering their exclusion was a crass mistake.Fact box

Ireland at the World Cup
P15 W4 L10 T1
Highest score – 329 for 7 v England, 2011
Lowest score – 77 v Sri Lanka, 2007
Squad
William Porterfield (Capt), Andrew Balbirnie, Peter Chase, Alex Cusack, George Dockrell, Ed Joyce, Andrew McBrine, John Mooney, Kevin O’Brien, Niall O’Brien (wkt), Paul Stirling, Max Sorensen, Stuart Thompson, Gary Wilson, Craig Young
Fixtures
February 16, v West Indies, Nelson
February 25, v UAE, Brisbane
March 3, v South Africa, Canberra
March 7, v Zimbabwe, Hobart
March 10, v India, Hamilton
March 15, v Pakistan, Adelaide

Players in focusEd JoyceIn the form of his life after scoring 1398 runs at 66.57 in the 2014 County Championship, with seven centuries. Joyce is a calm, experienced head who has averaged 44.38 in ODIs for Ireland since the start of 2012 – including a century against Pakistan. Ireland will need his runs to be competitive.William PorterfieldPorterfield leads his side into a second World Cup as one of the longest serving captains in the competition. With the bat he has been a steady, if unspectacular, performer but like Joyce, has enjoyed his best season yet in county cricket. His ability to be aggressive at the start of the innings is a strong asset.George DockrellA remarkably experienced 22-year-old having played 42 ODIs and three full seasons at Somerset, Dockrell is vital to Ireland’s chances with his left-arm spin the main variation in an attack containing right-arm seamers, most of them at medium pace.Game styleEnglish; as you might expect by a team from the British Isles. Their bowling attack lacks pace and relies on a moving ball; spin options are capable but orthodox. Defending a total would appear difficult so chasing is perhaps their best route to victory; there is more encouragement from their batting line up.PredictionIreland could well win three group matches. Their opener against West Indies in Nelson has the potential for an upset. Their second match is against UAE and Ireland could well be two from two with Zimbabwe still to play. Difficult to make a case for them being competitive against South Africa or India and facing Pakistan in Adelaide is an unfortunate piece of scheduling.World Cup stats Ireland played in one of only four ties in World Cup history during their debut match in 2007 as Zimbabwe collapsed badly chasing 221 in Jamaica. Niall O’Brien is Ireland’s leading runscorer in World Cup matches with 421 runs at 30.07.If they were an actorChristoph Waltz: Little-known 10 years ago, now a compelling scene-stealerTheme songPaint the town green – The Script