Half-centuries from Ghulam Shabber, Rameez Shahzad and Muhammad Usman underpinned UAE’s 82-run victory over Papua New Guinea in Abu Dhabi

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Mar-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsFile photo – Muhammad Usman struck six fours and a six•Peter Della PennaHalf-centuries from Ghulam Shabber, Rameez Shahzad and Muhammad Usman underpinned UAE’s 82-run victory over Papua New Guinea in Abu Dhabi. Mohammad Naveed and captain Rohan Mustafa, meanwhile, made cameos as UAE ran up 292 for 5. Spinners Ahmed Raza and Imran Haider then claimed combined figures of 7 for 79 to dismiss PNG for 210.PNG, though, had started positively in their chase with Tony Ura and Vani Morea adding 82 for the first wicket. Legspinner Haider then claimed three wickets in three overs to jolt PNG. Raza, the left-arm spinner, smothered the middle order further with the lone source of resistance coming from Sese Bau who contributed with 42 off 51 balls. The last five wickets tumbled for six runs as PNG were bowled out in 47.3 overs.Having been inserted, UAE lost Mohammed Qasim early to Chad Soper, but a string of fifty stands from the middle order shaped the innings. Shabber was circumspect, making 50 off 96 balls while Shahzad, Usman and Naveed went at better than a run a ball as UAE threatened the 300 mark. Seamer Alei Nao picked up 2 for 47 on ODI debut.

From the moment Javagal Srinath announced his arrival on the international scene, taking 3 for 59 in Australia’s first innings at the Gabba in the 1991-92 tour, the belief was that he would take over from Kapil Dev as India’s strike bowler. It was a huge ask, and while there were periods when performance didn’t quite match expectations, Srinath’s 11-year career had its share of high points.The first of those was at Cape Town in 1992-93, when Srinath tore through the South African top order, dismissing Kepler Wessels, Andrew Hudson, Hansie Cronje and Daryll Cullinan to return magnificent figures of 27-10-33-4. It didn’t quite win India the match, but his hostile spell got him his first Man of the Match award, and more importantly, suggested that India had at last discovered a genuine fast-bowling talent.Srinath didn’t better that effort in his next 11 Tests, though – a period when question marks were raised about his ability to deliver on the early promise. Then came another Test series against South Africa – this time at home – and Srinath’s first matchwinning performance – 6 for 21 on an Ahmedabad dustbowl, which swung a close Test India’s way.In fact, like most of the top fast bowlers from the subcontinent, Srinath revelled more in home conditions, averaging 26.61 in India and 33.76 abroad – a difference of more than seven points. His greatest performance in a Test match came at home too, at Eden Gardens in Calcutta, when he singlehandedly wrecked the Pakistan batting with figures of 5 for 46 and 8 for 86 (match haul of 13 for 132). As was the case so often in Srinath’s career, though, his display wasn’t enough to win India the match. Lack of support from the other end and Saeed Anwar’s classy unbeaten 188 secured Pakistan a famous victory, leaving Srinath with only the joint Man of the Match prize for consolation.That was a story which repeated itself often: of the ten five-wicket hauls he took in 67 Tests, only two translated into Indian wins. Apart from the Ahmedabad triumph, the only other occasion when Srinath’s five-for won India the match was at Delhi against Zimbabwe in 2000-01.The later years hardly suggest it, but in his early days Srinath was extremely handy with the bat too. His average reached a peak of 25 (after his 19th Test) and stayed above 20 till his 21st. On the tour to New Zealand in 1998-99 he notched up a fine 76 at Hamilton, but that remained his highest score, and the last of his four half-centuries. The batting slump began soon after: in 22 Tests starting from the tour to Australia in 1999-2000, Srinath mustered a mere 125 runs, with not a single 20-plus score. The batting form came back in his last Test series, though, with 137 coming from four innings at home against West Indies in 2002-03.Srinath made no bones about his dislike for the ODIs, but given the opportunity to bowl in seamer-friendly conditions in New Zealand (in the five-match series) and South Africa (in the World Cup), he excelled. His last 18 ODIs fetched him 34 wickets at less than 17.By opting to retire just before the Australian tour, though, Srinath has denied himself the opportunity to rectify a huge blot in his resume: in eight Tests in Australia, he has managed 20 wickets at 50.70, figures that hardly do justice to the man.S Rajesh is assistant editor of Wisden Cricinfo.

Manchester United are believed to be keeping tabs on Fiorentina midfielder, Sofyan Amrabat, following the recent capture of Mason Mount.

What's the latest on Amrabat to Man United?

According to Sky Sports journalist, Dharmesh Sheth, the 26-year-old – who has a year to run on his existing deal in Italy – is said to be a player that United are "looking at", albeit with any deal said to be "contingent" on possible player sales at Old Trafford.

This comes amid a report from the Daily Mail which has claimed that the Red Devils are ready to revive their interest in the Moroccan international after previously monitoring his situation in January, with the player's current side said to be ready to sell for a fee of around £30m.

As per Manchester Evening News, Erik ten Hag's side are reportedly considering whether to move for another midfielder, despite having only just wrapped up a deal for Mount.

Who is Sofyan Amrabat?

As Sheth stated above, a pursuit of the former Club Brugge maestro is likely to depend on any possible outgoings at the Theatre of Dreams this summer, with there a potential for Amrabat's capture to allow United to cash in on Scotland international, Scott McTominay.

The latter man – who has been linked with a move to Newcastle United of late – is reportedly valued at around £40m by Ten Hag and co, with uncertainty mounting as to whether the 26-year-old will remain at the club beyond the end of the summer.

Previously described as "not good enough" by club legend Roy Keane, the academy graduate was restricted to just ten Premier League starts last term following the signing of Casemiro, having been unable to truly establish himself under the former Ajax boss.

As such, it would be no surprise if McTominay was to be sent packing by the acquisition of Amrabat, with the Fiorentina star having previously shone under Ten Hag's tutelage, after registering 11 goals and assists in 50 games for FC Utrecht while the Dutchman was at the helm.

Lauded as a "colossus" by talkSPORT pundit Stuart Pearce after shining for his country at the World Cup in Qatar, the Netherlands-born ace could potentially offer a more creative midfield presence to that of McTominay.

That is shown by the fact that while the current United man ranks in just the bottom 6% for progressive passes and the bottom 17% for attempted passes among those in his position in Europe, Amrabat, by contrast, ranks in the top 8% and the top 11% for those same two metrics, respectively, thus showcasing his front-foot approach.

Equally, Amrabat's superior composure in possession is illustrated by the fact that he ranks in the top 5% for pass completion, while McTominay ranks in just the bottom 46% in that regard.

Also described as "extraordinary" while on international duty by Spain boss Luis Enrique, the United target can also chip in defensively having averaged 1.3 tackles per game from his 29 Serie A outings last term – the same as what the Lancaster native achieved in 24 Premier League appearances.

With Amrabat clearly something of an all-round package – as well as being a player that Ten Hag is familiar with – sealing a deal must surely be something of a priority for the Red Devils before the season kicks off next month.

ألمح جناح الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي باريس سان جيرمان، كيليان مبابي، عن موعد إعلانه قراره النهائي بشأن مستقبله سواء بالبقاء أو الرحيل.

وينتهي عقد مبابي مع باريس سان جيرمان في 30 يونيو المقبل، وبالتالي، إذا لم يجدد عقده مع الفريق الفرنسي سيرحل بالمجان.

ويأتي ذلك مع ارتباط اسم المهاجم بإمكانية الانتقال إلى صفوف ريال مدريد بداية من الموسم المقبل، رغم عدم وجود أي تأكيدات من النادي الإسباني.

اقرأ أيضًا.. إنريكي يرد على أنباء مفاوضات ريال مدريد ومبابي

وتحدث مبابي عن مستقبله في حوار عبر قناة “TF1” الفرنسية، وقال: “سيعرف الناس مستقبلي، سأشارك في يورو 2024 وأنا مرتاح البال”.

وتابع: “أنا هادئ بالفعل، لم يعد هذا الموضوع مطروحًا للمناقشة في باريس سان جيرمان، لم يعد المسئولون يتحدثون معي عنه”.

واستمر: “لا توجد مخاوف بالنسبة لي، سأكون في كأس أمم أوروبا مع منتخب فرنسا بذهن صافي ومتأكد من أننا سنقوم بأشياء عظيمة”.

ويبدو وأن تصريحات مبابي تلمح إلى أن القرار سيتم الإعلان عنه قبل بداية كأس أمم أوروبا والدخول في معسكر مع منتخب فرنسا استعداداً للبطولة التي ستبدأ في 14 يونيو المقبل.

Leeds United will try and reduce the fee required to sign Liverpool central defender Nat Phillips this summer, transfer insider Dean Jones told FootballFanCast.

The 26-year-old played only 232 minutes last campaign for the Merseyside outfit.

Is Nat Phillips signing for Leeds United?

According to a report from the Athletic, Leeds are interested in bringing Phillips to Elland Road ahead of the club's first season back in the Championship after a three-year top-flight spell.

The Whites have recently appointed former Norwich City and Borussia Mönchengladbach manager Daniel Farke, who held an interest in signing the former Bolton Wanderers youth player during his time managing the Canaries.

The report states that Liverpool are hoping to get a fee in the region of £10m for the defender who gained cult hero status among the terraces of Anfield following his performances throughout the side's tumultuous 2020/21 campaign.

The West Yorkshire side are in the market for a defender this summer amidst rumours that both Robin Koch and Diego Llorente are set to depart for Eintracht Frankfurt and Roma respectively following the club's relegation.

Leeds are set to face competition from Dutch Champions Feyenoord for the Englishman's signature however, and the Eredivisie side could have the advantage due to being able to offer Champions League football.

According to Jones, whilst the club are interested in the centre-back, they may try and knock the price down from £10m.

What did Jones say about the potential deal?

Speaking to FootballFanCast, Jones stated that whilst Phillips is a "decent" Championship-level signing, that may be his ceiling.

Jones said: "Nat Phillips is a decent signing for the Championship. That might be the ceiling of it, I'll be honest. I mean, we don't really know what levels he can reach here, there's not much evidence to make a judgment call on that. I think Nat Phillips will be cheap, about around 10 million pounds. I would still expect that Leeds would to try to knock that price down even if they wish to try and do a deal with it, see if there was any interest."

Would Nat Phillips be a smart signing for Leeds United?

Phillips has all the potential to be a really smart pickup by Leeds.

The defender has enjoyed a spell in the Championship before, spending the second half of the 2021/22 season on loan with eventual promotion-getters Bournemouth, making 17 appearances and recording a Whoscored average rating of 7.01, suggesting that the central defender can more than hold his own at this level of football.

The 26-year-old has received plenty of praise throughout his time at Liverpool despite his limited number of appearances, with manager Jurgen Klopp calling the player "unbelievable" and stating that his development as a player has been "absolutely insane".

This might finally be the summer where Phillips gets his move, with the Reds having previously blocked the exit path multiple times due to defensive injuries, curtailing potential moves to the likes of Bournemouth, Southampton, Galatasaray and Benfica.

Should Leeds manage to beat out the competition to sign the Liverpool man, they could have the perfect, ready-made Koch replacement as they try to return to the Premier League at the first time of asking.

Arsenal are among the sides willing to pay Fenerbache star Arda Guler's release clause and he wants a transfer away immediately, according to reports.

Who will join Arsenal this summer?

As widely reported, the Gunners have agreed a £105 million total fee for the transfer of West Ham United star Declan Rice, who is now expected to make the move to north London.

Arsenal, though, don't appear to be done there after also sealing a £65 million deal to sign Kai Havertz from Chelsea. Indeed, Southampton's Romeo Lavia is firmly on manager Mikel Arteta's radar this summer, with Ajax defender Jurrien Timber coming as another who Arsenal are currently in talks for.

This could end up being one of Arsenal's busiest transfer windows in recent memory, with reports suggesting they may spend north of £200 million on fresh faces.

New targets are appearing on a consistent basis too, as Emirates transfer chief Edu is credited with an interest in signing Fenerbache's Guler.

The in-demand Turkish wonderkid, who is already capped at international level, has attracted a plethora of suitors both abroad and domestically.

Spanish outlet Diario AS expand on this, claiming Guler is wanted by "half of Europe", with Newcastle United, Manchester United, PSG, Borussia Dortmund, Milan, Sevilla, Barcelona and even Real Madrid chasing his signature.

It is believed that the 18-year-old wants to leave Fenerbache "right away", which is where Arsenal come in, as AS state that the north Londoners are "willing to pay" his €17.5million (£15m) alongside the aforementioned sides.

If Arsenal are to make a move for Guler, they will need to hurry, as both Barca and Real will soon make attempts to convince the player.

Who is Arda Guler?

Branded the "Turkish Messi", Guler is amassing quite the reputation, having stood out as one of Fenerbache's best-performing players per 90 as a teenager last campaign (WhoScored).

The talent racked up seven goal contributions in 20 league appearances over 22/23, all while averaging making more key passes per 90 than any Fenerbache player (WhoScored).

Italian football legend Andrea Pirlo, commenting on Guler recently, even said he has the potential to play anywhere in the world.

"Arda Guler is a very talented player,” Pirlo said.

“He has the potential to play anywhere in the world. He has quality, he can read the game well, and he has great technique. If he keeps developing his game, there is no limit to his potential.”

New Zealand’s discipline gave them four South African wickets on a pitch that was rather seamer-friendly on a day marred by rain

The Report by Alagappan Muthu24-Mar-2017
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball details1:30

Moonda: New Zealand let South Africa off the hook again

Two sessions is often too little time to divine where a Test match would go and such was the case in the decider in Hamilton. New Zealand took the early lead when they took two wickets in the first three overs. South Africa would still have felt comfortable with Hashim Amla sticking around and making his 32nd half-century. So enthralling was the action that rain came by no less than three times in five hours and eventually just didn’t leave. So a score of 123 for 4, achieved an hour after lunch, remained until stumps.It was typical that a day when the bowlers were having more fun than the batsmen had to be cut short. Helping them was a pitch that bore a strange look, with tufts of grass in some areas – 11 to 12 mm long according to the host broadcaster’s pitch report – and completely bare patches right alongside them. That meant the same delivery, off a similar pace and length, behaved in different ways after pitching. It sped up when it hit the green bits and slowed down off the bald areas.Amla negotiated the challenge well, batting outside his crease, and playing as late as he could. His 50 included a couple of scorching straight drives, and a picture perfect back-foot punch through the covers that indicated he was settling in for the long haul. But then came the most dramatic ball of the day, not because it did anything extravagant, simply that it made a set batsman play all around it and then shattered the middle stump.At that time South Africa were 97 for 4, with Faf du Plessis forced to sit through a disdainful examination of technique by Neil Wagner. Again, there was nothing spectacular happening. The left-arm quick was simply testing the South African captain’s judgment of off stump, and occasionally sneaking in the bouncer to catch him off guard.New Zealand’s entire day was built around bowling like that, within themselves. The line was wicket-to-wicket to exploit the swing in the air and the surface ensured there was that little bit of seam movement. The batsmen knew they were high atop a bed of nails. They also knew it could be avoided. Easily, if they had enough balls to leave. If only Matt Henry and Colin de Grandhomme didn’t take such despicable delight in pushing people over the edge.The first to go was debutant Theunis de Bruyn. For most of his 36 first-class matches, he had been a middle-order player. On Test debut he was thrust up to open and couldn’t quite deal with the challenge. Fishing at a back of a length delivery from Henry, far enough outside off to be left, he nicked off to second slip.Hashim Amla was bowled playing around a straight ball•AFP

Then de Grandhomme managed the inverse sucker ball from around the wicket. It pitched on a length and was wide enough to make Dean Elgar think of no reason to play it. Moments later, he was staring at a flattened off stump. The batsman who had spent 772 minutes canoodling the crease in Dunedin was gone inside 15 in Hamilton.Henry, charging in for his second spell, toppled JP Duminy for 20 with a bouncer just before lunch. The batsman went for an ill-advised hook – what with the ball climing up towards his badge and its line on middle stump not affording him any chance to put power on the shot – and was caught on the long leg boundary. It was an awkward dismissal – both in terms of timing and for the fact that a batsman at No. 4 in a Test side had fallen to the short ball on what has largely been a slow pitch.So barring the weather, Kane Williamson did not have too many reasons to feel displeased. Things did begin in a fashion that might make him question if his fairy godmother was shirking her duties. He had lost Tim Southee and Trent Boult on the eve of the match and so had to lead a New Zealand side without both its spearheads for the first time in five years. On the day of the match, he lost his eighth toss in a row – so long were those odds that du Plessis buckled over in laughter when he had called tails and the coin came down as he had bid. But it appeared Williamson’s bad luck had reached a limit right there, meaning not much of it could seep into the actual Test, one they have to win to level the series. He could use some DRS tips though.In the 11th over, Wagner’s first, Duminy was pinned in front of middle stump. Umpire Bruce Oxenford thought it would have slipped down leg, but replays indicated it would have crashed into the target. In the 18th, they opted to review another lbw appeal that was struck down on the field and were told umpire Rod Tucker had good reason to because it had pitched outside leg. The worst, though, was yet to come. In the 29th over, Williamson was persuaded to tee it up for another lbw only to find the ball had smashed into the middle of the bat. Predictably, when DRS was no longer an option, Wagner produced a peach that took du Plessis’ outside edge through to the wicketkeeper and the umpire didn’t notice.With rain forecast on all five days of the Test – Sunday shapes as the worst to be affected – South Africa have not fallen too far behind. They have a 1-0 lead and could pocket another trophy on the road with even a drawn result.

Fulham are now targeting Chelsea forward Callum Hudson-Odoi this summer and Mauricio Pochettino's side are open to selling him, according to reports.

Who will Fulham sign this summer?

In the past week, Whites transfer rumours have been seriously hotting up, both in terms of potential departures and signings for Marco Silva.

Fulham enjoyed a successful first full campaign back in the Premier League after being promoted from the Championship, comfortably avoiding relegation and finished mid-table.

While they couldn't quite do enough to seal European football for next season, the foundations to build are there, and it is believed the west Londoners are looking at strengthening a variety of positions.

Southampton midfielder James Ward-Prowse, Japan international Ao Tanaka, Coventry City's Viktor Gyokeres, Fenerbache defender Ferdi Kadioglu and Roma centre-back Roger Ibanez have all been linked in the past 10 days.

Meanwhile, it is believed top flight rivals are eyeing moves for star Fulham players Joao Palhinha and Antonee Robinson, with Leicester City also apparently looking to steal away club captain Tom Cairney.

If these rumours come to fruition, it could well be a busy summer at Craven Cottage, with news emerging of another target on their radar.

Hudson-Odoi, who spent last season on loan at Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga, is apparently being targeted by Fulham.

That is according to The Guardian and reliable journalist Jacob Steinberg, who claims Fulham, Milan and Nottingham Forest have registered interest in the £120,000-per-week forward.

Chelsea are prepared to sell Hudson-Odoi, and could do so for just £15 million, with the winger looking likely to leave Stamford Bridge this summer.

He's out of contract next year, and with just 12 months remaining on his current deal, Fulham could offer him the chance to remain in west London.

Hudson-Odoi has offers from the Middle East, though it is thought his preference is to remain in Europe at this stage.

What's been said about Hudson-Odoi?

Frank Lampard once tipped the 22-year-old for stardom at Chelsea, calling him an "incredible" player back in 2019 whilst claiming he could be "huge" for the Blues.

Fast forward to now, and that hasn't quite worked out, but Lampard isn't the only person to have seriously endorsed the winger.

FourFourTwo writer Mark White, taking to Twitter just last year, called Hudson-Odoi a "special" player and drew particular attention to his "unbelievable vision" and "sheer mentality".

Given he is available for just £15m, and Fulham are in need of forward depth, he could be a prudent option.

Rangers are still heavily linked to Cyriel Dessers and Danilo this summer and could "finish this transfer window strongly", claims transfer insider Dean Jones.

Rangers transfer news – What's the latest on Danilo and Cyriel Dessers?

It has been a good start to the summer transfer window for Rangers, with the Glaswegian club bringing in five new faces and spending just €3.5m (£3m).

While five signings is certainly a good start, the club's relatively low transfer spend has left them room to complete a couple more major signings before the window slams shut in September.

The two names most heavily touted with a move to the Teddy Bears at the moment are Danilo from Feyenoord and Cyriel Dessers from Serie B side Cremonese.

According to the Daily Mail, the latter is mere days away from being confirmed as a new Rangers player after the clubs agreed a £4.5m fee for the striker, with his medical already completed.

The deal for Danilo, on the other hand, has proven to be a little more challenging for Michael Beale's side, with the Sun reporting that an initial offer of £3.5m was rejected by the Eredivisie champions last week, prompting the Gers to prepare an 'improved offer.'

What has Dean Jones said about Rangers' transfer business?

Jones made it clear that despite the impressive work already done by Rangers in the window, the club would likely add more names in the coming weeks, which tracks with the situations concerning the aforementioned players.

Speaking to Football FanCast, he said: "I think it's fair to expect that this won't be the end of their transfer business. They have tried to move fast for the key areas that needed to change, but there are other areas that need to be sorted to.

"I think that there's some talent on the fringes that needs to be trimmed, but then I'm expecting Rangers to finish this transfer window strongly as well."

How good are Danilo and Cyriel Dessers?

Both of Beale's targets had decent campaigns last year, and it is easy to see why the former QPR boss thinks they'll be able to replicate their talents in the Scottish Premiership.

Dessers, a full Nigerian international, averaged a rating of 6.75 across his 26 Serie A appearances for Cremonese last year, finding the back of the net six times in the league and assisting two more goals, per Sofascore.

It's a similar story for Feyenoord's Brazilian marksman, who scored 14 goals across all competitions last season – two of those coming in the Europa League – with Sofacore giving him an excellent average rating for his Eredivisie season of 6.91.

Over the last few years, his finishing ability and general all-round play in the Eredivisie have been so good that Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag described the player as "excellent" when they were both at Ajax together.

Although it didn't work out at the Amsterdam club in the end, he's clearly got bags of talent, and if Rangers can get him and Dessers working in the team together, Celtic might have a real fight on their hands next year.

Zaheer Khan hopes a revitalised pace bowling attack, that has in its ranks new recruits Pat Cummins and Kagiso Rabada, will help him play the role of a support cast and not the bowling lead

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Mar-20171:10

Sitting pretty despite the absence of Duminy, De Kock – Zaheer

In 2015, Zaheer Khan had announced that he would retire from all forms of cricket after the ninth IPL season. Two years on, he’s set to lead Delhi Daredevils again in their quest for their maiden title, in the tenth edition. Zaheer hasn’t played a competitive game for a year, but believes a shift in roles – from being the leader of the bowling group to one who will play the supporting act – will help him ease into the demands of the shortest format.”It’s very difficult to not play any match and then to turn up here and play the whole season. I look at it as a challenge. I stick to my routines along with discussion I have had with my trainers and physios,” he said. “The process remains the same. I picked up the ball around December, got into it slowly and here I am now, ready to take on another IPL season.”Every time I get on the field, the excitement comes back. It’s the right dose of cricket for me at this stage of my career. I have supreme fast bowlers who will take the pressure off me. I’m not playing the lead role, but just the support role. I’m playing the role I enjoy the most. This is my way of giving back to the game.”Among the “supreme fast bowlers” he referred to are Pat Cummins and Kagiso Rabada, two of their latest acquisitions, and Mohammed Shami, who Zaheer confirmed was “fully available.”Cummins, earlier part of Kolkata Knight Riders, will start the tournament on the back of two intense Tests against India, while Rabada, in his first IPL stint, is coming off a full series with South Africa in New Zealand. “It’s good to have a bowling captain for starters,” Cummins said. “It’s easier to adjust to the T20 format from Tests than the other way round.”Zaheer was also hopeful that a young batting unit that was empowered to deliver under crunch moments in the past steps up in the absence of two high-profile players in Quinton de Kock and JP Duminy due to injuries.”We’ve always believed in youngsters and the potential they have. If you look at last season’s squad, you’ve got someone like Karun Nair, who has a triple century at the Test level,” Zaheer said. “Shreyas Iyer has made his mark, he’s part of the Test team. These youngsters are no longer youngsters, they’re seasoned campaigners now. That is the strength of DD this year.”You’ve got an Indian batting line-up [also having in their ranks Sanju Samson and Rishabh Pant] which is more experienced and know more about of their roles. The squad is settled. We’re sitting pretty despite JP and Quinton’s unavailability. If you look at all the squads, you will find players who are missing out because of international duties and injuries. We’re prepared for the uncertainties.”Highly regarded in Indian cricket circles as a bowling mentor, Zaheer also explained the need to have fast bowlers playing as much cricket as possible, when asked if an entire IPL season could bring about injuries and fatigue to India’s fast bowlers, Umesh Yadav in particular, after undergoing heavy workloads during the course of India’s 13 home Tests.”When I was playing, I preferred to play more and more. When you’re in rhythm, you can maintain that,” Zaheer said. “You can maintain workloads at practice. Someone like Umesh, who has played all season, he isn’t going to realise when 20 overs are done. That’s the beauty of bowling fitness. With all the bowlers who’ve been playing Tests and some level of cricket, it will be easier in terms of bowling fitness. The more you bowl, the better you will get. I’ve always endorsed match practice is the best practice.”