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Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini has said his team will carry on scoring goals after their 5-0 thrashing of Blackburn in the FA Cup last night, Sky Sports reports.

The ‘Citizens’ have now scored an amazing 99 goals this year and are not expected to release their feet off the gas anytime soon.

In last night’s fixture Alvaro Negredo and Edin Dzeko grabbed two each, and only 50 seconds on his return from injury Sergio Aguero scored another.

The Blue half of Manchester have struck 63 goals at the Etihad and are already on the course of breaking several goal-scoring records this season.

Pellegrini insists he will continue playing in the same manner in the pursuit of trophies.

“It’s an important amount of goals,” he said.

“I repeat when I arrived here it was important to try and win a trophy but in the way this team must play and it’s important for the fans to come here and know that we are going to try and score the most amount of goals we can.

The former Malaga boss could have taken it easy when three goals up, but decided to field free-scoring striker Sergio Aguero instead.

“We continue playing a style of football that is very important. Not to score just one goal and try to keep the ball and not give possession to the other team.

“It’s more easy to go backwards with 10 players and try to counter-attack with two or three players but it’s not my philosophy, it’s not the philosophy that this club wants to play.

“We continue to try and play during 90-95 minutes every game, independent of the score we try to be a balanced team, an attractive team.”

Manchester City will hope to continue their scoring streak against Cardiff in Saturday’s Premier League clash.

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A lot can happen in a week in football can’t it?

Thanks to Darius Henderson’s last gasp winner against Bolton, the Lions have gone from winless in five to unbeaten in three, and this win was fully deserved.

The Lions were the liveliest in the early exchanges, and had a goal disallowed when man-mountain Danny Shittu was judged to have fouled Adam Bogdan, from replays it seemed unjust. The 20th minute saw the Lions open the scoring, and finally get a bit of luck, with Daruis Henderson’s shot taking a couple of deflections before rolling into the net.

And the Lions should have doubled their lead soon after as Chris Wood headed just wide from a James Henry cross, the ex-Reading winger was having a stormer as the Lions went in at half time with the lead.

Early in the second half saw Wood again with a glorious chance to make it 2-0 from a Henry cross, but Bogdan somehow managed to save it and typically just minutes later ‘Wall rued missing that chance when Chris Eagles rolled a free kick smartly under the wall to make it 1-1. Watch out for Eagles name in this.

Just after the hour mark Alan Dunne fouled Eagles in the area, but lets just say he certainly made the most of it. After diving in the area to not much avail minutes before, you can imagine the abuse he got walking up to take the spot kick.. So imagine the delight when he skied it over from 12 yards.

The Lions kicked on for the winner with Bogdan having to be at full stretch to keep out a Henderson free kick. But Hendo would have the last laugh with a drilled finish to win the game late on, six goals in nine now for Hendo, and this turned out to be the last game Bolton had under Owen Coyle as he was sacked on Tuesday morning.

This may have pushed ‘Wall out of the drop zone but this win will be marred by Marvin Sordell’s allegations that he was racially abused along  with a few other team mates.

He took to twitter to express his thoughts, also saying that he has reported it. But then Millwall made a statement saying that there was nothing reported and the claims were “nonsense”. Even the metropolitan police came out and said that “no complaints had been made before, during or after the game” so someone is lying here….

How bad a club image Millwall has, Sordell’s claims found their way to Sky Sports breaking news, but did they report that the police or Millwall stated that Sordell didn’t report it? No. Got me thinking, if Bolton had won the game, would Sordell have come out with the allegations in this sort of way? I’m not so sure….

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Right, now that the vital win is on the board, roll on Palace away in two weeks time, any other ‘Wall fans counting down the days for the first derby of the season?

COYL

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According to Sky Sports, Everton have joined Tottenham Hotspur in the race to sign highly-rated Lille midfielder Yves Bissouma this summer.

What’s the word, then?

Well, Sky Sports say that the Toffees, along with their Premier League rivals are keen on the 21-year-old, but they could face competition for his signature from Schalke and Monaco.

Sky Sports says that while Tottenham have scouted the Mali international intensive throughout the campaign, the Merseyside outfit’s interest in the player may have been held by former head of recruitment Steve Walsh rather than replacement Marcel Brands, who can become an instant Goodison Park hero if he completes an ambitious £70m deal.

However, the report adds that the Dutchman and the club are still looking for a player of a similar profile to Bissouma, meaning that Walsh’s departure may not have killed any potential move.

How did Bissouma do this season?

The midfielder was outstanding and ended the campaign having made 24 Ligue 1 appearances for Lille, scoring two goals and picking up one assist.

The Mali international showed his quality on the pall with a passing accuracy of 85.2% in those French top flight outings, as per WhoScored.com, while he also showed his ability to take on his opponents and move forward while in possession having successfully completed 55 of the 75 dribbles he attempted.

Meanwhile, the 21-year-old showed his defensive capabilities by making 31 interceptions and winning 68 of the 88 tackles he attempted.

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Would he be a good signing for Everton?

He certainly would be.

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Toffees supporters generally weren’t pleased with Morgan Schneiderlin’s performances last season alongside Idrissa Gueye in the middle of the park, and Bissouma could prove to be an upgrade and a real breath of fresh air alongside his fellow African next season if he signs for the Merseyside club.

One of the main annoyances the Goodison Park faithful have with the Frenchman is his tendency to make a sideways pass rather than a forward one, and the Mali international would certainly help to eradicate that issue as he is strong and loves to dribble forward with the ball.

According to reports in The Telegraph, Tottenham have been dealt a huge blow in their attempts to sign Fulham starlet Ryan Sessegnon, who is valued at £50m according to The Sun, this month after their vice-chairman Tony Khan said he won’t be leaving the club before the transfer window slams shut on January 31.

What’s the word, then?

Well, The Telegraph says that despite interest from Spurs and Premier League rivals Manchester United – among others – Sessegnon will not be leaving the Championship outfit this month with a summer exit – for a potential British record fee for a teenager – now likely to happen.

The Telegraph says that while the Reds Devils made the biggest attempt to sign the 17-year-old, Tottenham were also frontrunners and they will hope that their track record of developing young English talent will see them win the race to sign the England U19 international at the end of the current campaign.

According to the report, Khan said: “As it’s been the subject of a great deal of speculation, I’d like to announce that Ryan Sessegnon is staying with Fulham football club and will not be departing during this January transfer window.”

How has Sessegnon done this season?

He has been excellent.

It’s incredible to think that despite the fact that he doesn’t celebrate his 18th birthday until May, he has already made 59 appearances in all competitions for Fulham.

The versatile left-sided player, who can play as a full-back or on the wing, has scored seven goals and provided a further four assists in 26 Championship appearances this term, including two goals and an assist in the 4-1 win against Ipswich Town at Cravan Cottage in their previous league game.

The 17-year-old is good defensively, mature, pacy and decent with his right foot too – as he showed with two fine finishes with his so-called weaker foot when he netted a hat-trick in the 5-4 win against Sheffield United at Bramall Lane in November.

How much of a blow is this for Spurs?

As we mentioned previously, it certainly isn’t a disaster right now given that they still have Rose and Davies.

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However, Tottenham will be determined to win the race to sign one of the best young players in the country right now, and they will be aware that there could be even more competition for his services by the summer.

Last year’s Capital One Cup was one full of shocks and twists and turns as two sides that very few would have predicted to reach the last game, in Swansea and Bradford, contested the showpiece final at Wembley. In almost any other year the Swans would have been the ultimate fairy-tale story, however their meeting with League Two representatives saw their story take more of a back seat.

But, that should not lessen their sense of achievement, with the South Wales side capping a remarkable decade with a piece of major silverware. Not long ago Swansea were staring at life outside of the Football League, which may have seen their very future cast into serious doubt. Yet, sterling work off of the field and an adoption of a more continental approach on it saw the now Liberty Stadium-based side rise through the divisions to dine at the top table of English football.

In some ways their story is comparable to that of Southampton, who are quietly asserting themselves as genuine candidates to take the trophy to the South Coast this time around. The Saints may a little more of an illustrious history, but they themselves were looking directly into the abyss just a few short years ago. Financial peril saw administration strike and rapidly the white and red shirted side slid down to League One.

Just when they were at their lowest ebb, salvation came in the shape of Markus Liebherr. The Swiss billionaire – who passed away in 2010 – set about rescuing the club from spiralling debts ahead of a plan to move up through the divisions and back to the big time. They may have been forced to stay in League One for a season longer than was hoped for due to a point deduction, but successive promotions saw Premier League football make a return to Hampshire after a seven year absence.

Like Swansea – who made it into the top flight a year before them – the Saints have firmly established themselves as a genuine force and now see their next step as securing silverware and a path into European competition. This season presents a genuine chance to achieving this, with a trip to out-of-form Sunderland all that stands between them and a spot in the final eight. Add into the mix the fact the big names such as Liverpool have already been knocked out and that one of Arsenal and Chelsea will suffer the same fate this time around and Southampton are all of a sudden firmly in the running.

Mauricio Pochettino – who succeeded Nigel Adkins earlier this year – has got his side playing a distinctive brand of football, which is not dissimilar to that of Swansea. St Mary’s Stadium has played witness to an alteration under the Argentine, who has moulded his team into a high tempo and bustling outfit with an abundance of quality in the final third. Big name arrivals such as Victor Wanyama and Pablo Osvaldo have seen a number of top clubs really sit up and take notice of Southampton, who are considerably closer to the top of the Premier League table than the bottom with around a quarter of the games having passed.

As well as fine form, a meteoric rise and a clear philosophy, Southampton have their very own talismanic attacker in the shape of Rickie Lambert. Swansea last season were buoyed by the incredible form of Michu, who spearheaded their run to Wembley and eventual 5-0 demolition of Bradford. Although Lambert is a different proposition to the silky Spaniard, he is still, arguably, just as effective. The new England star – who has carried his goalscoring form onto the international stage – has been the Saints’ talisman since his move to the club while in League One. Almost 100 goals in under 200 outings justify the £800,000 paid for his signature from Bristol Rovers – a large fee in the third tier – and he certainly has the ability and know-how to add a few more to his tally in the Capital One Cup.

The Capital One Cup is known for its unpredictable nature, which may see Southampton overcome the odds this season to cap their astonishing rise to back to the top of the English game. Only time will tell, but all the ingredients are in place for Adam Lallana to make the journey up Wembley’s iconic steps to lift the first trophy of the season this winter.

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Chelsea fans got their first glimpse of what summer signing Oscar can do during last night’s 2-2 draw with Juventus at Stamford Bridge.

The £25million signing from Sao Paulo capped an impressive performance with a brace, with his second goal being described by Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp as “a computer game goal.”

Baring in mind the previous Chelsea number 11 was club icon and legend Didier Drogba, Oscar has huge boots to fill. As well as being a different type of player, it is also far too early to draw any sort of comparison, but Chelsea fans will have been extremely excited by what they witnessed last night.

The maturity the 21-year-old displayed in the heart of the Chelsea midfield was evident in the manner in which he dealt with Andre Pirlo, not allowing the Italian veteran to get on the ball and dictate games as he does so often.

He showed superb energy, willingness, and above all class. There was no sign of nervousness or unwillingness to play his natural game, which deserves great credit considering he is a 21-year-old making his Champions League debut for the European cup holders. It is clear he has become accustomed to playing under pressure from an early age, having being hailed as Brazil’s new number 10.

Oscar’s performance gave an indication as to the way Roberto Di Matteo is trying to evolve Chelsea this season. He will prove pivotal in the Italian’s attempt to get his side playing a more expansive passing game, playing in the role of the central playmaker.

Di Matteo has done some excellent transfer business this summer. Eden Hazard looks a class act, whilst Marko Marin and Victor Moses will provide healthy competition for places, whilst no doubt chipping in with their fair share of goals and assists.

But last night’s emergence of Oscar will have really got the fans dreaming.

For me there is no reason why Chelsea should not be considered favourites for the title alongside Manchester City and Manchester United. Their squad is second to none, and their start to the season has been impressive.

What is exciting for Chelsea fans, is that they are only going to get better as the new signings continue to settle. The form of Fernando Torres will arguably prove most crucial to determining how far they can go this season, but with the likes of Hazard and Oscar able to provide assists, you do not hold the same concerns for the Spaniard as previously.Whilst not on the scoresheet last night, Torres looked busy and showed hunger that was at times missing from his game last season.

Frank Lampard has slotted into a more defensive role with ease, looking at home playing alongside Jon Obi Mikel, spraying passes and getting attacks started. The partnership of Lampard and Mikel provides a solid base for Oscar to go and express himself.

It is still early days for the Brazilian, but last night was an exciting indication of what we can expect from him over this season and many to follow. He has a tough job on his hands to earn a place in Chelsea’s star-studded line up and to keep out Juan Mata in the role of the central playmaker.

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Di Matteo has something of an embarrassment of riches at his disposal. It is now his job to try and keep them all happy and at the level they have been performing so far this season. If that is achieved, Chelsea fans could be very happy come May.

Sri Lanka two down chasing 483 after Root becomes fourth man to score twin tons at Lord’s

Alan Gardner31-Aug-2024For the second time in three days at Lord’s, it was all about Joe Root. England’s batting bellwether continued a bumper Test match by producing twin tons for the first time in his storied career, his 34th century in the format setting new records for his country – and setting his team on their way towards what would be a series-sealing win.England began the day in a position of comfort, 256 runs ahead with nine wickets standing, and Root allowed an expectant crowd to drink in the experience of a Lord’s Saturday. If there was data on champagne corks popped, Root would probably set have another benchmark. As it was, his innings of 103 was garlanded by several entries in the record books: his seventh Test hundred the most by an individual at Lord’s, as he surpassed Graham Gooch as the leading run-scorer on the ground. Alastair Cook’s overall England run-scoring records is now less than 100 runs away.This effort, coming from 111 balls, was also his fastest in the format. He reached the mark, in the company of the No. 10, Olly Stone, by swatting Lahiru Kumara’s bouncer in front of deep point, amid a rising crescendo of “Roooooooot!” rolling around the ground. The next-highest score by one of his team-mates was Harry Brook’s 37 off 36 balls.Related

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With Sri Lanka asked to chase a target of 483, Root was at it again in the field – his two catches at first slip to remove Nishan Madushka and Pathum Nissanka making him the fourth man to take 200 in Tests. Rahul Dravid, the record-holder with 210, is very much in his sights.That Sri Lanka finished the day only two down was in part due to an early finish brought about by bad light. A world-record target looked a long way off for a team short on batting confidence, though Dimuth Karunaratne survived being given out lbw to his third ball – a poor decision from Paul Reiffel overturned – to negotiate 90 minutes in the gloom after tea. He walked off in the company of “lightwatcher” Prabath Jayasuriya after England had been instructed to bowl their spinners for a second time, with Ollie Pope preferring to preserve the condition of the ball for Sunday.Madushka was the first wicket to fall, edging Gus Atkinson to slip to continue a difficult first tour of England – having been replaced behind the stumps by Dinesh Chandimal on the third morning, he also dropped two catches in the field (although one still resulted in the dismissal of Ben Duckett, as Angelo Mathews snaffled the rebound). Nissanka survived on 2 when the faintest of under-edges to leg slip off Shoaib Bashir went undetected, only to be dismissed by a snorter in Olly Stone’s first over as the light briefly improved enough to allow a return to pace.Bad light forced an early finish on day 3•AFP/Getty Images

England left the field at just after 5pm, content that there is plenty of time left for them to take the eight wickets required for a 2-0 lead in the series. Kamindu Mendis had held out the hope on the second evening that Sri Lanka could find a way back into the game if they could get England out for “under 150-175” – they gamely chipped out five wickets by that stage but couldn’t prevent a Root march carrying the hosts to 251 and a seemingly impregnable position.Root’s reliability had allowed England to negotiate the morning session with few alarms, and the game continued to revolve around him after the interval. A nudge down the ground off Jayasuriya took him to fifty from 65 balls, and he began to push the tempo with three fours – two hauled through wide long-on, one delicately reverse-swept – in four balls.Sri Lanka kept at it, Jayasuriya removing Jamie Smith lbw despite a review from the batter, before Chris Woakes flat-batted Milan Rathnayake to cover. Atkinson’s dismissal, meanwhile, came in complete contrast to the elegant simplicity that characterised his maiden hundred in the first innings: caught behind the keeper at long-stop when top-edging a reverse-pull at Asitha Fernando. Matt Potts then gloved the same bowler behind but Stone hung in to get Root to his milestone.Getty Images

Stone was caught at fine leg in the same over, and although England’s approach had seemed to have a declaration in mind, they batted on. Root eventually gave Kumara a third wicket, top-edging a tired heave to deep-backward square leg, with tea taken early at the close of the innings.England’s batting effort was uneven, Root aside, reflective of their strong grip on the game. Three wickets went down during the morning session, including that of Pope, England’s stand-in captain, who made his highest score while deputising for Ben Stokes but again fell in perplexing fashion, slashing an Asitha bouncer straight to deep backward point for 17, shortly after Sri Lanka had put four men back for the ploy.The hosts resumed on 25 for 1, after Dan Lawrence’s dismissal on the second evening, and Ben Duckett was the first to depart, thanks to an accidental piece of choreography between slip and gully. Rathnayake pitched the ball up from round the wicket, tempting the drive – and while Madushka could not hold on diving to his right, he managed to scoop the chance back towards Mathews for a regulation catch.At the other end, Pope was looking to quell some of the noise around his batting. He moved into double-figures for the first time in the series with a clip off his legs, then survived a review for lbw against Rathnayake, with ball-tracking showing the ball would have cleared the stumps. But he did not last much longer, as Asitha targeted him from round the wicket.The first of Root’s four boundaries was a thick outside edge between slip and gully, but he was otherwise serene in progressing towards a third consecutive 50-plus score. Jayasuriya was picked off on the sweep and twice down the ground, though Root was initially happy to tick along at a strike rate in the 70s, allowing Brook and then Smith to play the aggressor.Brook’s intent during a half-century stand seemed to suggest that England were already thinking about the declaration. Brook was badly dropped on 9, Madushka making a mess of a skied slog-sweep at midwicket, then launched Jayasuriya’s next delivery into the Tavern Stand to rub in the pain. Sri Lanka’s spinner bore the brunt of the attack, but he had the satisfaction of removing Brook when another attempt to haul him leg side was safely held by Madushka in front of the rope.

Sri Lanka’s T20 league to be held in its original window for the first time

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Mar-2023The fourth edition of the Lanka Premier League (LPL) will take place from July 31 to August 22 this year, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has confirmed. If it goes ahead as planned, this will be the first LPL season held in its originally scheduled July-August window.Similar to last year, the five-team tournament will take place at three venues, likely to be Hambantota, Colombo and Kandy, with each squad comprising a maximum of 20 players – 14 local and six overseas players. The Jaffna Kings have won all three editions of the tournament so far.”We have decided to hold the tournament during July and August this year, as conducting the tournament during this period gives us the best possible opportunity to attract top international talent and also suits well with Sri Lanka’s international cricket calendar,” LPL tournament director Samantha Dodanwela said.However, the Major League Cricket tournament in the USA is set to run from July 13 to 30, and the Hundred in England is scheduled between August 1 and 27, and both those tournaments could impact overseas player availability in the LPL.All three previous editions of the LPL had been postponed to November-December, having initially been slated for a July-August window. The inaugural edition in 2020 was impacted by strict Covid-19 restrictions in Sri Lanka at the time; in 2021, an increase in coronavirus cases combined with an unavailability of foreign stars due to scheduling clashes with other franchise leagues saw the tournament pushed to the end of the year; while last year, Sri Lanka was in the midst of a full blown economic crisis.

An all-star batting effort from the New Zealand middle-order helps them pull off the second-highest successful chase in women’s ODIs

S Sudarshanan17-Feb-2022Lauren Down’s unbeaten 64, and her 76-run partnership with Katey Martin for the seventh wicket, and Frances Mackay’s cameo down the order helped New Zealand beat India by three wickets in the third ODI and seal the five-match series with two matches to spare in Queenstown on Friday.When Lea Tahuhu, who went off the field towards the end of the Indian innings because of a hamstring strain, holed out at deep midwicket in the 35th over, New Zealand looked down for the count at 171 for 6, chasing 280. However, Down, who replaced Brooke Halliday in the XI, and Martin kept New Zealand on course with their alliance and tilt the balance.When the win was sealed, Down hitting Deepti Sharma for a six over the bowler’s head first ball of the final over, it became the second-highest successful chase in all women’s ODI cricket. It also extended India’s losing streak in ODIs while batting first to ten, the last win having come in November 2019.New Zealand were rocked early in their chase by Jhulan Goswami, who returned to the XI after missing the previous match. She first trapped Sophie Devine in front of the stumps in the first over, before cleaning up her opening partner Suzie Bates in her next.But Amy Satterthwaite then got going with Amelia Kerr to bring New Zealand back on track. The two found the ropes regularly as New Zealand got to 58 for 2 after the powerplay. They were also helped by a couple of dropped chances – Deepti and S Meghana spilt chances off Satterthwaite, while Deepti also let go of a tough chance from Kerr and wore it on her foot.The introduction of spin led to Satterthwaite employing the sweep, often playing the shot to deliveries well outside off. She brought up her 26th ODI fifty in some style and looked unstoppable, until she gave Mithali Raj catching practice at mid-on off Goswami’s bowling. That ended the 103-run stand between Satterthwaite and Kerr.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Kerr, who had scored an unbeaten century in the second match, took over after that with her sweeps and cuts. There was hardly a dot ball as Kerr and Maddy Green moved quickly, and Kerr brought up her third ODI fifty soon after.However, with the required rate creeping up, Kerr looked to take on birthday girl Sneh Rana and holed out at long-on when on 67. And then, debutant Renuka Singh Thakur, one of five changes India made on the day, knocked Green’s stumps back for her maiden wicket in ODIs.India had a chance at that stage, but Down, Martin and Mackay ensured the result went New Zealand’s way.Earlier, India, again without Smriti Mandhana – she has finished her quarantine but “MIQ rules,” coach Ramesh Powar said, kept her out – were asked to bat first and were given a fast start by openers Meghana and Shafali Verma. The pair added 100 for the opening wicket in just 13 overs.Meghana brought up her maiden international half-century, while Verma got to her second in the format. New Zealand’s butter-fingered fielding helped them along.Meghana was unafraid to play over the infield and hit the first six of the match off Hannah Rowe, who was taken for 16 runs in the fourth over of the game. Verma, on the other hand, played second fiddle but not without some big hits of her own. She was happy to cash in on any width provided either by Tahuhu or Rowe, and was patient in ducking and leaving balls that caused her discomfort.But Rosemary Mair bounced Meghana out and then did the same to Yastika Bhatia.Soon, Verma was dismissed by Kerr for a well-made 51. When Harmanpreet Kaur and Raj also fell with India yet to reach 190, the visitors’ hopes of a tall score faded.But Deepti chipped in with an attacking 69. She peppered the on-side boundary at will, using Rowe and Mair’s angle into her from around the stumps to explore the arc between midwicket and fine leg. She also used the sweep to good effect against Mackay and Satterthwaite, as India made 279, their highest ODI score in the last four years and second-best since the Women’s World Cup, back in 2017.

“If it looked like there was a lack of respect there, that certainly wasn’t the intention of our team”

Daniel Brettig15-Sep-2020Australia’s coach Justin Langer has admitted that the national team did not commit enough time to understanding and learning about the Black Lives Matter issue before choosing not to take a knee prior to their first game since the movement entered the cricket world in a big way earlier this year.Following blunt criticism from Michael Holding, Langer said that as Cricket Australia went through its own extensive process of reflection about how inclusive it has been for people of colour, the team should have found more time to contemplate taking a knee before the opening match of the T20I series in Southampton.”In terms of the taking a knee, to be completely honest we could’ve talked more about it perhaps leading up to that first game; there was so much going on leading up to us getting here, maybe we should’ve thought and talked a bit more about it,” Langer said. “What we do talk about in the team is we want to have a response that is sustained and powerful and it can go, not just in one action, but sustained periods, not just throughout this series, throughout our summer, but throughout time.ALSO READ: Holding ‘doesn’t know anything that’s going on’ – Archer“We’re looking at ways, I know there’s a lot of talk going on within our group about how we can, I know there’s a lot of talking going on about the Australian women’s team as well, about how we can have a sustained and powerful response to Black Lives Matter. It’s incredibly important, and I just hope and certainly from Mikey’s point of view I hope if it looked like there was a lack of respect there, that certainly wasn’t the intention of our team.”We’re very aware of it, and when Mikey says what he says, then it’s certainly worth listening to and we’ll be doing that.”Prior to the game, Australia captain Aaron Finch had explained that “education around it is more important than the protest”, in reference to the symbolic gesture made by a succession of sporting teams around the world in recent months.Holding had bridled at this attitude. “Now Australia come here and I see another lame statement from the Australia captain who is saying that he and the England captain have spoken and they decided not to take a knee,” Holding had said on “I would hope that anyone who gets involved in something like this [does it] because they want to get involved.”So I would hope that people who are joining in, and are still willing to accept that things need to change and need to send a signal, will voluntarily do what they think is right.”Langer, who has overseen a reinvention of the Australian team’s image since the Newlands ball-tampering scandal in 2018, conceded he and others had been stopped in their tracks by Holding’s words.”Michael Holding is one of the great people of world sport, and certainly our game,” Langer said. “He’s a person who I personally have great admiration, great respect, great love for, and we all watched his presentation, his heartfelt thoughts at the start of the summer. When someone like Michael says something like that, it is certainly important we all listen to it.”It was a powerful statement by Mikey, as it has been consistently from him and from others throughout the summer, and because of that, it was a powerful message.”