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تحدث طاهر محمد طاهر لاعب فريق الكرة بالأهلي بعد فوز ناديه بلقب كأس السوبر المصري على حساب بيراميدز مساء اليوم.

واستطاع الأهلي الفوز أمام بيراميدز بهدف وحيد بالمباراة التي أقيمت على أرضية استاد محمد بن زايد في الإمارات.

وقال طاهر محمد طاهر في تصريحات تلفزيونية عبر قناة “أون تايم سبورتس”: “جئنا لهدف واحد وهو إحراز السوبر، ولم يكن يشغلنا من سيأتي لنواجهه”.

وأكمل: “كنا نستهدف حصد السوبر فقط أيًا كان المنافس، والتوتر في الملعب من الأمور الطبيعية التي تحدث في كرة القدم، ومباراة وانتهت”.

طالع | لاعب الأهلي يتعرض للإغماء بعد نهاية مباراة بيراميدز في السوبر المصري

وأضاف أن المباراة شهدت حالة من الحماس الشديد في ظل رغبة كل فريق بالفوز، وأن لاعبي الأهلي تحلوا بالخبرة في مواجهة هجمات بيراميدز، إلى أن حققوا اللقب عن جدارة.

وشدد على أن الفريق سوف يحتفل اليوم بلقب البطولة، ثم يغلق الصفحة ويبدأ التركيز من أجل الاستمرار في مواصلة أهدافه خلال الموسم الجاري.

وتابع: “فجأة بعد اللقاء شاهدنا محمود متولى يسقط على الأرض، والحمد لله أصبح جيدًا”.

واختتم: “منذ انضمامي للأهلي وهدفنا هو حصد البطولات، وهذا ما يُميز الأهلي عن أي ناد آخر”.

قدم سامي قمصان مدرب النادي الأهلي الشكر للجماهير التي ساندت الفريق في الفوز على الرجاء البيضاوي المغربي.

الأهلي فاز على الرجاء بثنائية نظيفة، على استاد القاهرة، في ذهاب دور ربع النهائي من دوري أبطال إفريقيا.

وقال سامي قمصان في حديث لقناة “الأهلي”: “قدمنا شوط أول جيد في ملعب استاد القاهرة، لكن ما زال أمامنا شوط ثاني صعب في ملعب الرجاء، والحسم لم ينته بعد”.

اقرأ أيضا..موعد مباراة الأهلي القادمة بعد الفوز على الرجاء المغربي

وأكمل: “أشكر جمهور الأهلي اليوم على الحضور بقوة ومساندة الفريق، يمكننا مواجهة أحسن فريق في العالم في ظل تلك المساندة الجماهيرية”.

وواصل: “مباراة المغرب سوف تكون صعبة للغاية، كولر سوف يبدأ من الآن التحضير لها والتفكير في كيفية دخول المباراة، قطعنا نصف الطريق وما زال النصف الأصعب خارج ملعبنا”.

ويلعب الأهلي من جديد أمام الرجاء يوم السبت الموافق 29 أبريل الجاري.

ويلتقي الفائز من الأهلي والرجاء مع المتأهل من الترجي التونسي وشبيبة القبائل الجزائري في دور نصف النهائي من دوري أبطال إفريقيا.

South Africa depart for England determined to become the No. 1 Test side in the world

Firdose Moonda02-Jul-2012

There’s a particular type of excitement which accompanies a departure. It may be hope for something better on the other side, curiosity of the unknown or anticipation to try something new. In the case of the South African team, the overriding feeling when they left Johannesburg on Monday was determination to complete a mission they have been building up to for months.Victory over England in the Test series will see South Africa ranked the No.1 Test side. It’s a position that has been within reach but out of their grasp, for almost as long as the rankings have been around. Briefly, South Africa touched the top, for four months in 2009 after their first successful tour to England since readmission. Graeme Smith hopes that this time they can repeat history and make it count for longer.”I don’t think we need much more motivation to beat England,” Smith said, at the team’s departure press conference. “We’ve come close to the top of the rankings for a period of time. We’re hoping this will be the year that we can take ourselves to the next level.”Some will argue that no team deserves it more than South Africa. They have proved themselves in all conditions, having not lost away from home since 2006 in Sri Lanka. At home, they overturned a three summer drought by beating Sri Lanka in January. They have the world’s top bowler, Dale Steyn, in their attack and even though they do not own the top-ranked batsman and allrounder (Jacques Kallis recently lost that spot to Shakib Al Hasan), they’ve regularly had players in the top 10.South Africa have been in this position before. They have left for World Cups with massive public pressure and a favourites tag only to return empty handed. Despite winning important Test series in places where few have left with anything besides bruised egos, like Australia, they have not been able to top the standings for any sustained amount of time. Now, they want it to be different.”We want to become the best cricket team in the world,” Gary Kirsten said, but quickly qualified that he kept that as nothing more than an end goal and was something that occupied his day-to-day planning. “What we need to do every day leading up to those performances is what’s important. We make sure we prepare as best we can to get our best chance of success.”To get ready for this tour, the squad will spend five days in Switzerland with adventurer Mike Horn. Instead of extra net sessions for players who have not been involved in the longest format of the game since March, Kirsten has decided to concentrate on human dynamics. The camp will include activities cricketers are unfamiliar with, such as cycling in the mountains, in the hope it will promote a culture of community.”We want to make sure that we are connected as a unit,” Kirsten explained. “On this tour, it may well boil down to crucial moments in the Test series. And we want to make sure we are prepared for that.”The mental focus has always been an area of concern for South Africa and under Kirsten the focus on togetherness seems to be what will be used to help overcome the usual lapses. Smith even alluded to it when he discussed the less talked about aspect of the series, the batting. “It’s more exciting to talk about guys who can bowl at 150 kph, than about stodgy opening batters,” he said. “But it is a crucial part; putting runs on the board. It’s all about partnerships. The top six need to be really tight and perform well for each other.”Smith expects that England’s strength as a unit will also shine through and is preparing for a different sort of psychological pressure to what South Africa are used to. “They’ve proven over time that they are a methodical, well-drilled team,” Smith said. “They’ll be battle hardened. They play the game hard and no-one wants to give an inch.”Pressure will be applied from all sides, with Smith saying he can already feel the “buzz” from the South African public, who have waited many years to see their cricket side dominate. “You can feel how much that means to the fans,” he said. “We go there with the priority to perform well.”South Africa’s sports minister, Fikile Mbalula, also expected big things from the side. He was there to bid them farewell and issue some instructions. “A visit to England is the absolute highlight of any cricketer’s career. As South Africans, we expect them to maintain their proud record there,” Mbalula said. “The Zimbabwe shame in the tri-series should be forgotten as we place ourselves to break hearts in the Queen’s land.”

Big picture

Cameron White had a poor IPL last year and needs to turn things around this time•AFP

Deccan Chargers have been one of the least controversial teams in the IPL. Unlike other franchises, they have been relatively free of court cases, litigations, suspensions, disputes, off-field dramas. They’ve had their share of success, winning the 2009 IPL after a shoddy opening season. They reached the semi-finals in 2010 with the same set-up.However, they fell apart again last year when the teams were reshuffled. They finished seventh, failing to qualify for the knockouts. The side lacked the dynamism of Adam Gilchrist, who scripted the remarkable turnaround in 2009. With him went other star performers in Andrew Symonds, Rohit Sharma, Herschelle Gibbs and RP Singh. The new-look squad was captained by Kumar Sangakkara, and assisted by the Australian Cameron White, who had a poor season. Deccan ended the first-half of their campaign last year with three wins and four losses. They ended the tournament with three consecutive wins but it wasn’t enough to progress. Still, six wins and eight defeats highlighted an ordinary season for the former champions.They begin this edition as one of the weaker teams, on balance. Much would depend on the foreign players and Sangakkara will have to lead the way. There were no million-dollar buys in the auction, with their costliest signing being Parthiv Patel for US$650,000. They did, however, stretch Chennai Super Kings in the bid for Ravindra Jadeja. Deccan were edged out in the secret tie-breaker (locked at $2million). Their coach, Darren Lehmann, says batting will be their strength this year. He says that that the number of fresh faces in the squad could work to their advantage because the opposition wouldn’t know what to expect. Looking back at 2011, he wants the team to start well this time.

Key players

Cameron White: The former Australia Twenty20 captain didn’t have a memorable campaign last year, scoring only 104 runs in six innings. He didn’t have a great time in the Big Bash League either, with just 55 runs from eight games. He needs to turn it around to justify his purchase.Amit Mishra: The absence of Pragyan Ojha hands the lead-spinner role to Mishra. He was the leading wicket-taker for Deccan last season, with 19. Dropped from the Indian team, this IPL could be the platform to stage a comeback.

Big names in

Darren Bravo: The stylish West Indies batsman was one of the franchise’s key overseas signings, for $100,000. His form during West Indies’ visit to India stood out, as much as his similarity to Brian Lara. However, he hasn’t been in the best of form with West Indies of late.

Big names out

Ishant Sharma: The fast bowler will be sitting out of the IPL to recover from an ankle surgery. He put off the surgery for almost a year, but decided to go ahead with it after the Australia Tests. His franchise will miss him, but it could be beneficial for him in the long run, given India’s commitments later in the year.Pragyan Ojha: The left-arm spinner was one of the Chargers’ leading bowlers, with 62 wickets in four seasons. However, he transferred to Mumbai Indians earlier this year. He also had a good Test series against West Indies at home last year.

Below the radar

Ishank Jaggi: The Jharkhand right-hand batsman got just two games last season and didn’t impress. However, he has the reputation of making big scores and can go for the big hits.Ashish Reddy: The Hyderabad seamer was identified by Lehmann as one of the promising young players to watch. Reddy was the leading wicket-taker for Hyderabad in the 50-over Vijay Hazare Trophy, with 11 wickets.

Availability

Bravo could be out of action till the end of April, if picked for the Tests against Australia.Sangakkara will be available for all games except the opening match, due to his Test commitments against England. The South Africans and Australians in the squad don’t have any national commitments.

Australia are wary of Sachin Tendulkar ahead of the SCG’s 100th Test, an occasion seemingly scripted to produce his 100th international century. Before the teams trained at the ground on New Year’s Day, Michael Hussey said Tendulkar’s return to the scene of three of his most satisfying innings carried portents of doom for the hosts.Tendulkar was denied a hundred in Melbourne by a sharp delivery from Peter Siddle in the first innings, then sank with the rest of the batsmen in the second. But in each innings he showed the sort of touch that may easily bloom into a large score at the SCG, and Hussey said he was “nervous” at the thought.”I am a bit nervous because the stars seem to be aligning with Sachin needing one more 100,” Hussey said. “The 100th Test match in Sydney – he’s made runs here before – it’s a little bit ominous but hopefully we can make him wait until after this series and he can get a 100 in the first game of the next series that he plays.”Enthusiasm for Tendulkar’s pursuit of his next 100 is vast among followers of the game both Australian and Indian, and Hussey remarked on the odd sensation of playing before a home crowd willing an opponent on towards success. “I do find that strange,” Hussey said. “I can assure you that everyone in our dressing-room does not want him to make a 100. I think our bowlers down in Melbourne did an outstanding job, not just to Sachin but to all of their batsmen.”They’ve got one of the best batting line-ups ever and the plans that we set and the way they [the bowlers] executed them were second to none. For a reasonably inexperienced attack to be able to do that job, and for long periods of time which is something we’ve been really working on, it’s a real testament to the bowling group.”Irrespective of how well Australia’s bowlers performed in Melbourne, they know Sydney may be quite a different scenario. While the pitch will offer some early assistance to the quicks, it shows less of the green tinge that has characterised its appearance in the previous two Test matches against England and Pakistan.”Just from walking across the ground, it [the pitch] looks a lot less green than it has been over the last few years,” Hussey said. “Certainly, in the last few years, I think the Sydney pitch has changed texture from when it used to be a real dust bowl and helped the spinners. The last few years have been really seamer friendly and there’s been overhead conditions to help that as well.”In 2004 India stacked up a leviathan 7 for 705 in the first innings at the ground, while four summers ago it was 532, before Australia recovered to win in dramatic and acrimonious circumstances. Tendulkar, VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid played in each match and will want to emulate those tallies.”They’re very experienced players. They know their game so well. They’ve played in Australia before,” Hussey said of India’s batsmen. “So I would expect them to bounce back very hard and we’re going to have to make sure we’re ready for a real counterattack. They’ll be very determined.”[But] we can take a lot of confidence out of the game in Melbourne. The way our bowlers were relentless with their line and length to the Indian batsmen, they know they’re going to be in for a tough series.”

Shane Warne is expected to announce his signing with the Melbourne Stars in this summer’s Twenty20 Big Bash League

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Nov-2011

Shane Warne is expected to announce his signing with the Melbourne Stars in this summer’s Twenty20 Big Bash League.After a period of doubt about what part Warne would play in the BBL, has reported that Warne will be unveiled as a signing with the Stars next week. It is understood he will be available for all seven games.While the Stars are at pains to suggest that no official deal has yet been struck, Warne’s return to the Australian summer at the age of 42 was always likely to be for the team that will play its home matches at the MCG.”We understand through Shane Warne’s Management that he is still considering offers from several teams, including the Melbourne Stars,” the Stars chief executive Clint Cooper said in a statement. “We anticipate a decision as to which team Shane will play for after detailed consideration of all offers within the next week.”Warne’s manager, James Erskine, has said that there were plenty of considerations for any decision.”He went out on the ultimate high in Australia, taking 700 wickets, winning the Ashes. He’s as fit as he’s ever been and he believes he is still one of the top spin bowlers in the world but he is 42 and realises if he plays there is a certain amount of hype and media attention that comes with that,” Erskine told .”One of the advantages would be that his kids are now old enough to watch him play which they might not have been before. There is a plethora of things to weigh up.”Another former Australia spinner, Brad Hogg, has announced his participation in the BBL, signing on with the Perth Scorchers at the age of 40. Hogg retired from cricket in February 2008.”I’m a WA boy and really looking forward to being part of the very first Perth Scorchers side for the KFC T20 Big Bash League,” Hogg said. “I’ve been training hard and playing a bit of District cricket the past few years, and I would not be taking on this challenge if I didn’t believe that I could have an impact for the Scorchers.The Scorchers’ coach, Mickey Arthur, described Hogg as a “three-in-one” player.”Hoggy is another of what I would term a three-in-one cricketer as he offers us outstanding skills with the bat, the ball, and in the field,” Arthur said. “Even though he turned 40 this year he has still been playing regularly and performing well at WACA District level, and the manner in which he plays and trains belies his age.”