The T20 World Cup begins in Dallas on June 1st when hosts USA face local rivals Canada.

England are among those who have already declared their squad but reaction to England’s provisional squad provisional squad for the T20 World Cup set to take place in the USA and West Indies this June has beem muted rather than enthusiastic or negative.

Speaking exclusively to Prost, author, writer and broadcaster Jon Batham reviewed England’s T20 squad selection.

This squad contains few surprises and it is probably sensible to have a nucleus of the team which won the last World Cup 18 months ago.

However, for Buttler to be captain after the shambles of the ODI World Cup defence is far from inspiring.

It is to be hoped Phil Salt will be given the gloves because for Buttler to be captain, wicketkeeper and opener is asking too much of any mortal.

While we’re on the subject of wicketkeepers for Rob Key to state Salt and Bairstow can stake a claim for the wicketkeeping gloves in the summer’s Test through performances in this tournament is simply another slap in the face for Ben Foakes.

England’s wicketkeeper in Tests should not even be up for debate.

The punt on Archer’s fitness feels like one England had to take on a player with real stardust. Fingers crossed it comes off and more importantly Archer comes through unscathed.

The omission of Dawid Malan while widely predicted appears harsh given his record. It also makes no sense to end a player’s international career just months after giving him another central contract.

It’s not as if the sport’s overseers have money to burn. It’s not the first time Malan has been treated shabbily by England’s hierarchy, but he’s not the first to suffer that fate.

Nor I fear will he be the last.

More squads are announced

The full England squad is:

Jos Buttler (Lancashire, capt), Moeen Ali (Warwickshire), Jofra Archer (Sussex), Jonathan Bairstow (Yorkshire), Harry Brook (Yorkshire), Sam Curran (Surrey), Ben Duckett (Nottinghamshire), Tom Hartley (Lancashire), Will Jacks (Surrey), Chris Jordan (Surrey), Liam Livingstone (Lancashire), Adil Rashid (Yorkshire), Phil Salt (Lancashire), Reece Topley (Surrey), Mark Wood (Durham).

[India announce T20 squad]

Australia have also announced their squad and it contains no shortage of experience.

Captained by Mitchell Marsh, there are many familar names with no shortage of experience such as Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and David Warner.

The full Australia squad is:

Mitchell Marsh (c), Ashton Agar, Pat Cummins, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa

Other notable squad announcements:

Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Azmatullah Omarzai, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Ishaq, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Karim Janat, Rashid Khan (c), Nangyal Kharoti, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Fareed Ahmad Malik.
Reserves: Sediq Atal, Hazratullah Zazai, Saleem Safi

Nepal: Rohit Paudel (c), Aasif Sheikh, Anil Kumar Sah, Kushal Bhurtel, Kushal Malla, Dipendra Singh Airee, Lalit Rajbanshi, Karan KC, Gulshan Jha, Sompal Kami, Pratis GC, Sundeep Jora, Abinash Bohara, Sagar Dhakal, Kamal Singh Airee

New Zealand: Kane Williamson (c), Finn Allen, Trent Boult, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee.
Travelling Reserve: Ben Sears

Oman: Aqib Ilyas (c), Zeeshan Maqsood, Kashyap Prajapati, Pratik Athavale (wk), Ayaan Khan, Shoaib Khan, Mohammad Nadeem, Naseem Khushi (wk), Mehran Khan, Bilal Khan, Rafiullah, Kaleemullah, Fayyaz Butt, Shakeel Ahmad. Reserves: Jatinder Singh, Samay Shrivastava, Sufyan Mehmood, Jay Odedra

South Africa: Aiden Markram (c), Ottniel Baartman, Gerald Coetzee, Quinton de Kock, Bjorn Fortuin, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, David Miller, Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tabraiz Shamsi, Tristan Stubbs

Middlesex CCC – The Championship Years by Jon Batham and Ben Kosky is available at http://Amazon.co.uk.

The book covers Championship winning sides from the 1970s, before and after, containing interviews with many of the key players from those successful sides.

Follow us on Twitter @ProstInt

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The Middlesex CCC players gathered at Lords today for the annual media day. There was a decent crowd of journalists and all the Middlesex squads were available for interview and photoshoots.

There were two big cricket stories over the winter. Australia once again thumped England in the Ashes which caused the traditional outpuring of blame in the English media.

However the whole cricket world was brought together on March 4 when news of the tragic death of Australian leg spinner Shane Warne broke.

One person present at Lords today who was affected more than most was Middlesex leg spinner Nathan Sowter. Sowter is a New South Walian and his decision to become a leg spinner was largely influenced by Warne as he explains in the video above.

Sowter largely bowled slow medium until he was introduced to the ‘Shane Warne’ ball; a product created by Cricket Australia with two dots painted in to simulate Warne’s grip.

From then on, he was hooked on leg spin and followed Warne’s career.

Naturally Warne’s death hit Sowter very hard and he was at Lords the day the news broke:

“I remember walking up to the Pavilion and I just had tears in my eyes,” the 29-year-old admitted.

To add to the natural emotion, he actually had to walk past the portrait of Warne on his way to the dressing room.

Nathan Sowter passed the portrait of Shane Warne in the Lords Pavilion on the day the Middlesex leg spinner learned of Warne’s death

In the second part of the interview to run tomorrow, Sowter talks about his career and his hopes for the season, with a shock revelation about his international ambitions.

Video: Luke Holman interview. What Middlesex means to me

All Middlesex Cricket

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There are now 232 days until the opening game of the World Cup and we learned on Friday who would face who as the group stage draw took place in the Qatari capital.

Delegates from around the world flew in as former players such as Cafu, Tim Cahill and Ali Daei took part in the draw ceremony that saw 29 confirmed nations discover their fate while three play-off contenders also discovered what could potentially be ahead for them.

The draw threw up plenty of exciting and intriguing groups and while there probably is not a ‘group of death’ as such, almost every country will fancy their chances of having some sort of success in November.

Group A

Qatar, Ecuador, Senegal, Netherlands

So we finally found out what the opening game will be and it is the hosts Qatar taking on Ecuador. It won’t look like a thriller on paper but it will give the debutants some belief that they can get off to a decent start.

African champions Senegal taking on the Netherlands looks like one of the group stage highlights and both will fancy their chances of reaching the knockout stages. A final game clash between Ecuador and Senegal could well decide qualification.

Group B

England, Iran, USA, Wales/Ukraine/Scotland

Well, this was certainly the group for lovers of narrative.

On paper, it appears to be quite a nice draw for England but without knowing who will come through the play-off in June, it is hard to draw too many conclusions.

The USA and England have played out some memorable World Cup games in the past while Iran famously saw off the States in 1998 for a first-ever World Cup victory.

The prospect however of a battle between two home nations on the biggest stage is mouth-watering and with it being the final group game, there could be a lot on the line.

Group C

Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Poland

A nice group appeared for Lionel Messi on what will probably be his last shot at winning the tournament. Argentina will be hopeful of topping the group with none of the other three sides having much success in recent editions.

Mexico and Poland will know their opening clash will go a long way to who will advance while Saudi Arabia would appear unlikely to get anything in what is quite a daunting group for the Middle Eastern side.

Mexico’s quest for a fifth match at a World Cup would most likely see them up against France in the last 16 in what would be an enormously difficult encounter for the North Americans.

Group D

France, UAE/Australia/Peru, Denmark, Tunisia

Should Peru or Australia make it through the intercontinental play-off in June, Group D will see three-quarters of the participants in Group C from 2018 in the same group once more.

France came through that group en route to winning the tournament back then and Les Bleus and Denmark will be feeling confident of a repeat result four years on.

Tunisia will be looking to cause an upset somewhere and build on their victory over Panama in 2018.

Look out for the matchday two clash between France and Denmark where a Danish win would throw everyone’s knockout predictions up in the air and open up the draw. It always happens somewhere and that could be the game that does it.

Group E

Spain, Costa Rica/New Zealand, Germany, Japan

Spain against Germany on November 27th is the standout fixture of the group stage draw but it has the look of a clash that will decide first place in the group, rather than knock a giant out.

Both sides will be confident of seeing off Japan and whichever of Costa Rica or New Zealand come through in June.

Japan may seek inspiration from neighbours South Korea however, who knocked the Germans out in 2018.

Group F

Belgium, Canada, Morocco, Croatia

Two of the semi-finalists from Russia in 2018 will come together in the group stages as Belgium and Croatia lock horns in Group F.

The pair will face off in the final group game and should either slip up in advance of that, we could well see one of the more fancied European sides going home.

Morocco impressed in 2018 without winning while Canada will face Belgium in their first World Cup match since 1986. They may just believe their fairytale run could continue into the knockout stages.

Group G

Brazil, Serbia, Switzerland, Cameroon

Another group that is almost a carbon copy from 2018 only this time Cameroon will take the place of Costa Rica.

Brazil came out on top on that occasion while Serbia and Switzerland played out a controversial clash that saw the Swiss come from behind to win 2-1 thanks to a late winner from Xherdan Shaqiri.

They will meet in the final group game which could essentially be a winner-takes-all clash.

Cameroon are not going to make up the numbers though and will make for dangerous opponents after their dramatic late win over Algeria to qualify.

Group H

Portugal, Ghana, Uruguay, South Korea

Uruguay will have the face up to the ghosts of World Cups past in Group H.

The South Americans knocked South Korea out in the last 16 in 2010 while they did the same to Portugal in Russia four years ago.

But the real battle for revenge will take place on matchday two when Ghana seek redemption after Luis Suarez and the handball controversy from the 2010 quarter-final.

This has the appearance of quite an open group and while Portugal will back themselves to win it, history has shown that they could just as easily finish bottom.

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The qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup are almost in the history books now as several more nations from across the globe sealed their places in November’s tournament in Qatar.

There was plenty at stake across all continents so it is time to dive straight in and see how the action unfolded on what is possibly international football’s greatest week, time after time.

AFC

Group A on the final stages in Asia had little left to be decided with Iran and South Korea having already booked their spot in the previous set of fixtures.

Instead it was all about the battle for third place and the play-off that comes with it. Iraq gave themselves a lifeline with a 1-0 victory over direct rivals the United Arab Emirates to leave the visitor’s hopes hanging in the balance.

However Rodolfo Arruabarrena’s side recovered to claim a huge 1-0 victory over South Korea in the final game while Iraq could only draw with Syria to seal their fate.

In Group B, Japan ensured they would be back for a seventh consecutive World Cup appearance after defeating Australia 2-0 in Sydney. This also meant that Saudi Arabia qualified without having to kick a ball.

The Saudis rubbed salt into the Aussie wounds by winning 1-0 in Jeddah in the final group game.

Australia will now have to settle for the play-offs. They will face the UAE in a single game shootout in Doha on June 7th with the winner facing Peru for a chance to reach the finals.

CAF

Africa had probably the most exciting games on paper with a host of big nations set to do battle. This also shows how the continent will benefit when the tournament expands in 2026. So many talented African footballers will miss out once more in Qatar.

Which brings us to Egypt and Mohamed Salah. The repeat of the AFCON final with Senegal was as tight as you might have expected with the Pharaohs winning 1-0 in Cairo before the African champions responded with a 1-0 victory of their own in Dakar.

Salah went on to miss in the penalty shootout with Sadio Mane once more scoring the winning kick to ensure it was double delight for the Lions of Teranga.

There was further late drama between Algeria and Cameroon. Once again both games finished 1-0 to either side therefore extra-time would be required. Ahmed Touba thought he had won it for Algeria only for Lyon’s Karl Toko Ekambi to score a crucial away goal in the fourth minute of stoppage time to send Cameroon through.

There were shocking scenes in Abuja as supporters stormed the pitch following Ghana’s away goal victory over bitter rivals Nigeria. Thomas Partey grabbed the all-important goal before William Troost-Ekong equalised with a penalty. But it was not to be for the Nigerians, who fail to qualify for the first time since 2006.

Morocco were the only side to really cut loose over the past week as they swept past DR Congo 5-2 on aggregate. It was honours even in Kinshasa for the first leg before the Atlas Lions stormed to victory in Casablanca, with Achraf Hakimi among the goalscorers.

Tunisia made it a North African double as they held their nerve to edge past Mali and deny Les Aiges a debut appearance. Moussa Sissako’s own goal was all that could separate the two sides over 180 minutes.

CONCACAF

CONCACAF is the only federation yet to conclude at the time of writing but Canada rubber stamped a first appearance since 1986 with a 4-0 victory over Jamaica in Toronto to spark joyous scenes.

Mexico and the USA look set the join Les Rouges barring some incredibly unlikely results on the final day.

Costa Rica look likely to take the play-off spot and they will face New Zealand as Los Ticos look to qualify for a third straight tournament.

CONMEBOL

Ecuador will be back at the World Cup despite only taking one point from their final two games. La Tri have enjoyed a good campaign and can now look forward to returning to the world stage for the first time since 2014.

They will be joined by Uruguay after Giorgian de Arrascaeta’s goal clinched a 1-0 victory over Peru to ensure a positive end to a difficult campaign.

This meant that the Peruvians were in control of fifth place going into the final game but Colombia and Chile were ready and waiting to take advantage of any slip ups.

Unfortunately for Chile it was the end of an era as they fell 2-0 at home to Uruguay while Colombia defeated Venezuela 1-0 to do their part.

It would be Peru’s day however as goals from Gianluca Lapadula and Yoshimar Yotun sealed a play-off spot against either the UAE or Australia in June.

OFC

New Zealand will once more represent Oceania in the playoffs after coming through a mini tournament in Qatar.

Vanuatu and the Cook Islands had to cancel games due to Covid which meant Tahiti and the Soloman Islands progressed to the semi-finals.

New Zealand coasted through their group and were joined in the final four by Papua New Guinea.

A Liberato Cacace goal saw the All Whites edge past Tahiti in the semi-final while the Soloman Islands saw off Papua New Guinea by three goals to two.

There would be no fairytale in the final however as Chris Wood helped Danny Hay’s side to a 5-0 victory and set up a likely play-off with Costa Rica in June.

UEFA

A brace from Gareth Bale inspired Wales to a 2-1 victory over Austria to leave Robert Page’s side just one game away from a first World Cup appearance since 1958.

They will host the winners of the Scotland and Ukraine match which will have to be rearranged for a later date.

Elsewhere Poland made the most of receiving a bye straight through to the final by defeating Sweden in Warsaw to make it back to back qualifications.

Robert Lewandowski and Piotr Zielinski scored to see off the Swedes, who edged out the Czech Republic in extra-time in Solna.

Arguably the biggest shock of the window saw North Macedonia stun European champions Italy 1-0 in Palermo to ensure the Italians missed a second consecutive World Cup.

The four times winner will have gone 20 years without a knockout match by the time the next tournament rolls around in 2026.

The reward for North Macedonia was a trip to Porto after Portugal defeated Turkey 3-1 in the semi-final.

The fairytale run would not have the ultimate conclusion however as Bruno Fernandes grabbed a brace to send the hosts through and ensure Cristiano Ronaldo will have the chance to play in a fifth World Cup.

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A moment that can be only truly defined in the graphological form. Not only does it transcend Australian cricketing history, but Cricket, the sport he loved so dearly, in its entirety.

It’s captured as the moment Shane Keith Warne announced himself onto the cricketing scene. In truth, it was the delivery that the dying art of leg-spin recaptured its fashion, and an icon of sport itself thrusted himself into the limelight.

As quickly as he entered the world of greatness, and gave so much to the world of cricket, he departed us. After wishing his own condolences to another Australian great in Rodney Marsh, his own passing would meet him in Thailand, as announced today by his management and family.

So this is my ode to Shane. A charismatic yet troubled genius who transcended generations worldwide.

The Entrance

The sporting year 1993 was one known for change and discovery. After the Premier League was formed, Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United had won their first Premier League title, Pete Sampras won his first Wimbledon title, and Australia fell upon their finest bowling talent of all time.

A 23-year-old Shane Warne arrived in England, captained by Allan Border, hoping to retain their Ashes title from two years previous.

He’d made his debut the year before in India, in which he took match figures of 1/228 (the wicket of Ravi Shastri) and then failed once more in the following test, taking 0/107. Then he took three wickets without conceding a run to win by just 16 runs against Sri Lanka, which personified the inconsistency and bravado he had to learn to control.

This rough diamond stood out like a sore thumb. Blonde tips. Zinc cream dripping down his nose. Baggy undone whites. What came next defined the art he crafted, and the generation who watched at Old Trafford and beyond.

Ambling in from a five-yard stride, Warne pitched the ball on a good length outside leg-stump to former England captain Mike Gatting.

Spinning from right to left, it left the Kingsbury-born batsman deceived so much that he played and missed as the ball struck the top of off.

Umpire Dickie Bird stood and shivered, maybe because of the weather, but the steel in his eye saw the historic moment he had just witnessed.

Gatting trundled off, totally clueless and constantly looking back at the wicket as to what had just happened. Was this the true reality he had found himself within? Despite having an extinguished career, Gatting would now be forever recognised as the man beaten by the ball of the century.

“That Gatting ball changed my life,” said Warne, speaking in 2018.

“First ball, it was the perfect leg break. To do it in the first ball of the Ashes series was just meant to be. The way it changed my life was amazing. There were kids at every County Ground I went to wearing Zinc cream, bowling leggies to their Dads. I was 23-years-old.

“It was very hard to take at the time, walking out of the hotel followed by 20-30 photographers even to the bar, or pub just to have a beer. There was no school that taught that, so what I wanted was just to be honest, up-front and be me. I made plenty of silly mistakes but I’ll never pretend to be something I’m not.”

The Impact

There are two impacts I can discuss within the piece – one, his impact on world cricket – the other on me.

In cricket, it is hard to define how much Warne changed the background and structure in his multitude of roles in the sport.

From 1992 to 2007, he took 1001 international wickets, taking 1319 in first-class cricket alone and 70 in T20 matches. In numbers alone, the impact is vast.

His endlessly repeatable action meant he could bowl marathon spells and such was his accuracy that, alongside being a demon attacking weapon, he was also tight-fisted in terms of leaking runs.

Not only that, but the resurrection of the dying art of spin will imprint Warne into cricket’s woven legacy forever. The proliferation of spin bowlers in almost every side in a game that in his time was dominated by relentless pace tells the tale.

All was not plain sailing for Warne, having failed a diuretics test in 2003 leading to a years’ ban from cricket. This led to him picking up a taste for broadcasting, which he would endeavour into further later on in his life.

He returned and eventually became one of the founding captains in the Indian Premier League, leading Rajasthan Royals to the maiden title in 2008. The tournament is now the biggest franchise competition in world cricket. Aditya Iyer wrote this after his retirement in 2013:

“To become an overnight success, the IPL institution desperately needed a fairytale, an ashes to glory story. And Warne, a cricketer, poker pro, rock star, hair expert, newsmaker and an alleged sex offender -all rolled into one – gave it to them. The world will never know the path IPL would’ve charted had Warne’s glorious brush with leadership not unfolded like a soap opera in the first season, but one thing is for sure – the world, and the IPL, is richer with the experience.” 

After he retired, as mentioned, he took up a career in broadcasting – becoming a familiar voice for Sky Sports watchers in particular in England.

To me, though, Warne’s impact is something I’ll treasure.

I was born in 2002, and before my cricketing sentience had truly arrived, Shane Warne was long retired. But luckily, I had a brother born in 1997 – five years older, and a cricket-mad father.

I was lucky to truly appreciate the greatness of cricket firstly in the Ashes of 2009, where Andrew Flintoff said farewell, and the Stuart Broad/Jimmy Anderson partnership first showed its formidability.

We were already regulars at the junior section of our local cricket club, and began playing our own ‘world legends’ test matches in the garden. It was brilliant for us, not so much for the neighbours who heard the thud of the ball on the fences on a regular basis.

My brother always wanted to be a ‘leggie’, and always pretended to be Warne. Granted, he could probably spin it more on the patio wicket we played on in those long summer days in the late noughties and early teens – but I doubt he could do it anywhere else!

For me, for my brother, my everyone – Warnie was a legend taken from us far too soon. And with young death it will take time to process. All thoughts go out to his family,

The Tributes

Despite my best efforts, here are some of Warne’s competitors and teammates who adored him from a more personal angle.

“It is impossible to exaggerate the impact Shane Warne had on this club during his time with us between 2000 and 2007. Players, members, management and staff are all united in their grief at the shocking news of his untimely passing.

“Warney had established many enduring friendships here at Hampshire and I feel privileged to regard myself as one of these. No doubt, like me, many will be struggling to process the tragic news and come to terms with his loss.

“For me, Shane Warne stands alone as the greatest spin bowler of all time. He was also an inspirational leader and brilliant tactician. He believed that any match could be won from any position and was good enough to fulfil this prophecy himself on many occasions.

“What’s more, as Hampshire captain, he convinced the players to believe in his philosophy and established Hampshire as a major force in all forms of professional cricket.

“Off the field, he was competitive, fun, naughty and lovable in equal measure. He used to say “just because I occasionally do stupid things, it doesn’t mean I’m stupid” and he couldn’t have shown greater self-awareness.

“Shane Warne has made an indelible impact on the world in his tragically short time here, transcending his sport and becoming an international icon. He will be hugely missed by all those who knew him and my thoughts right now are with Keith, Bridgette, Brooke, Jackson and Summer.”

David Warner, Australia international

Shane Warne made me fall in love with the game as an 8-year-old and he has completely inspired me every day since. I am so honoured and lucky to have been able to spend time with him and learn from him. He was everything I could have asked for and so much more. RIP to the King.”

Mason Crane, England Leg-Spinner

“Australian cricket, along with the whole cricketing world, is in a state of shock at the loss of Shane Warne, a true cricketing genius, who has died aged 52.

“Warne almost single-handedly reinvented the art of leg-spin when he burst onto the international scene in the early 1990s, and by the time he retired from international cricket in 2007 he had become the first bowler to reach 700 Test wickets.

“A central figure in Australia’s ICC Cricket World Cup triumph in 1999, when he was player of the match in both the semi-final and the final, Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack recognised Shane’s achievements by naming him as one of its Five Cricketers of the Twentieth Century.

“Shane’s strength of character and enormous resilience saw him bounce back from career-threatening finger and shoulder injuries, and his stamina, his sheer will to win, and his self-belief were key factors in Australia’s great side in the late 1990s and early 2000s.”

Cricket Australia

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In what was a catch-up window due to previous postponements because of the pandemic, several teams made the most of the winter action and took major steps towards participation in November’s World Cup.

None were more successful than Iran and South Korea, who became the 14th and 15th nations to qualify for the showcase event.

In CONCACAF, it was Canada who had the most successful window, claiming nine points to leave them on the brink of just a second-ever World Cup appearance.

Meanwhile in South America, it was more of a case of eliminations as what was a ten-team league is now ultimately down to five with Brazil and Argentina already having qualified and Paraguay, Bolivia and Venezuela all now out of contention.

Let us begin in Asia as we take a look back on another thrilling week of action.

AFC

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It was in Tehran that Iran confirmed their qualification for a third consecutive World Cup. Porto forward Mehdi Taremi scored the winner in a 1-0 victory over Iraq to seal another finals appearance for Team Melli.

South Korea picked up a 1-0 win over Lebanon to leave themselves nicely poised before the second game of the window.

The UAE kept the South Korean’s honest with a 2-0 win at home to Syria to keep their own faint hopes alive.

Those hopes would be dashed just five days later however as South Korea booked their finals place with a 2-0 win over Syria in Dubai and maintains their record of appearing at every World Cup since 1986. Iran’s 1-0 triumph over the UAE rendered the result immaterial anyway as the Emirates could now no longer qualify automatically.

The Syrians are the only team in the group officially eliminated and responded by sacking coach Valeriu Tita. Iraq did similar, dismissing Serbian manager Zeljko Petrovic. They still hold faint hopes of a play-off despite failing to win a game so far. They must beat the UAE in their next game in March to stand any chance.

Over in Group B, there is a little bit more tension with none of the sides earning automatic qualification thus far. Matchday seven saw the top three all claim home victories over the lesser lights in the group with Australia thrashing Vietnam 4-0, Japan seeing off China 2-0 and leaders Saudi Arabia earning a narrow 1-0 win over Oman.

Matchday eight proved to be much more decisive, however. Takumi Minamino was on the scoresheet as Japan closed to the gap to within a point of the Saudis with a 2-0 home win.

This left the door open for Australia to join the Japanese and leave a one-point gap between all three sides. Graham Arnold’s men will be kicking themselves however for conceding a late equaliser to Oman in Muscat that saw two precious points dropped.

Australia will now need to beat Japan at home next up and most likely do the same in Saudi Arabia if they are to qualify without the need for a play-off. They do have that option to fall back on though as Oman are now eliminated.

Vietnam also picked up their first win of the campaign as they secured a 3-1 victory over China 3-1 in Hanoi.

CONCACAF

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Canada are now just one win away from a first World Cup appearance since 1986 following three victories in a brilliant week.

‘Les Rouges’ began the window by defeating winless Honduras thanks to a goal from star striker Jonathan David. The traditional big two of the USA and Mexico kept up the pressure with wins over El Salvador and Jamaica respectively.

Bryan Ruiz grabbed the winner as Costa Rica aimed to move closer to a play-off spot by defeating Panama.

It would be in matchday 10 where John Herdman’s Canadian side would take the biggest strides. An early Cyle Larin goal sent them on their way to a vital 2-0 victory over the USA to leave the nation ecstatic and leave fans of the USMNT enraged.

Panama got back on track by edging out Jamaica while El Salvador piled the misery on Honduras with a 2-0 win.

Costa Rica held Mexico to a crucial goalless draw in an empty Azteca Stadium to claim what could be a huge point.

In the final matchday of the break, Canada’s match in San Salvador almost did not go ahead due to the El Salvador players threatening to strike over unpaid bonuses. The strike was averted and David claimed another goal to make it a memorable week for the Canadians.

It was also memorable for slightly different reasons in Minnesota as the USA claimed a 3-0 victory over Honduras in freezing conditions. Two Honduran players had to be treated for hypothermia while fans saw their beers freeze in the stadium. Perhaps more thinking is required for the federation next time when determining where to stage the games.

Raul Jimenez scored a penalty as Mexico beat Panama while Joel Campbell scored the only goal in Costa Rica’s victory in Jamaica. ‘Los Ticos’ are now just a point behind Panama following an excellent window as they chase a play-off match with the best team from Oceania.

For Canada, victory over the Costa Ricans in March will bring about the moment they have been waiting 36 years for. The USA and Mexico look poised to join them while it appears to be a straight shootout between Panama and Costa Rica.

CONMEBOL

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Onto South America, where nobody has yet joined Brazil and Argentina but there were some eliminations taken care of.

Ecuador were probably the biggest victors of the window, guaranteeing themselves at least a play-off spot against the play-off winners from Asia thanks to two draws.

A bad-tempered clash with Brazil ended in a 1-1 draw while fellow confirmed finalists Argentina claimed a 2-1 triumph in Chile.

Edison Flores grabbed a vital late winner as Peru claimed a massive 1-0 win in Colombia to go fourth. Uruguay would keep the pressure on with a 1-0 win in Paraguay.

Salomon Rondon notched a hat-trick as Venezuela prolonged Bolivia’s wait for a first away victory since 1994 in the qualifiers.

It was all to play for then going into the second match of the window but this is where some dreams were sadly ended.

Philippe Coutinho scored a cracking goal as Brazil thrashed Paraguay 4-0 to end their hopes while Chile won 3-2 in Bolivia to leave Bolivia waiting another four years for an appearance on the biggest stage.

Luis Suarez became the top goalscorer in CONMEBOL qualifying history in Uruguay’s 4-1 win over Venezuela to ensure another elimination for the visitors. The hosts meanwhile stole a march on Peru and climbed into the automatic places following the Peruvian’s 1-1 draw with Ecuador.

The draw did at least deny Ecuador automatic qualification for now.

Lautaro Martinez scored the winner for Argentina which put a huge dent to Colombia’s chances of a third consecutive World Cup appearance.

It is all set up for a dramatic two matchdays in March as we find out who will join the traditional giants. Ecuador only need a win in Paraguay in their next game to ensure they join them. There are sure to be more twists and turns to come.

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Novak Djokovic has won an appeal in the Australian Court to have his entry visa reinstated.

The Judge took less than a day to conclude that Australian Border Force officials did not follow correct procedures when they cancelled the Serbian’s entry visa when he arrived in the country last Wednesday evening and ordered his immediate release.

The world’s number one male tennis player received a medical exemption from Tennis Australia to play in next week’s Australian Open on the grounds that he had contracted Covid-19 in December 2021 and therefore did not require to be vaccinated against the virus.

Australian Border officials, however, claimed last week that Djokovic’s visa was cancelled because insufficient evidence was provided from the Serbian upon arriving at Melbourne Airport to prove that he was not a threat to health and safety from being unvaccinated.

With that being said, during court proceedings, Judge Kelly asked why the Tennis Australia document was not accepted by the Border official.

“Here, a professor and an eminently qualified physician has produced and provided to the applicant a medical exemption. Further to that, the medical exemption and the basis on which it was given was separately given by a further independent expert specialist panel established by the Victorian state government and that document was in the hands of the delegate. What more could this man have done?”

Djokovic’s lawyers also provided evidence of an email the Serbian had received before travelling to Melbourne from the Australian Home Affairs Department confirming that his claim for a medical exemption to enter the country had been assessed and accepted.

Transcripts from the Border Officials interrogation of the 34-year-old tennis player in the early hours of last Thursday morning also highlighted those correct procedures were not followed and fair treatment was not applied when cancelling the entry visa.

Despite providing the evidence from Tennis Australia and the Australian Home Affairs Department, Border Officials requested further information and agreed with Djokovic that he could go to sleep at 4am and wait until 8:30 to speak to his lawyers and Tennis Australia.

However, following a shift change in the border officials, the Serbian was woken up at 6am and was urged not to get in touch with his lawyers and that it would be in his interests to complete his interview without them.

Shortly before the previously agreed time of 8:30 and without contact with outside parties to corroborate his story or provide additional evidence, Border Officials cancelled Djokovic’s entry visa at 7:40. They also failed to give any details as to why they did so, contrary to proper procedures.

Within hours of the Judge’s decision to reinstate his visa, the current Australian Open Champion was back practising on court at the Rod Laver Arena and posted a picture of himself with his coaching team on Twitter.

With less than a week to go until the 2022 Australian Open starts next Monday, it will be interesting to see if both the physical and mental disruption to the tennis star’s preparation over the past five days, spent in a very poor-conditioned immigration hotel without access to a tennis court or gym, will impact Djokovic’s chances of winning a record 21st Grand Slam title.

It will also be interesting to see how the Australian tennis crowds react to Djokovic next week given the level of local anger on social media as to why the mega-star has been allowed to bypass apparent strict vaccination requirements to enter the country.

Questions will be asked as to the mishandling of the Serbian’s entry visa by Australian Border Force officials, the Victoria State Government, Tennis Australia as well as the Federal Government.

Also, questions will now start to be raised over the cancellations of the visas of two others who were originally allowed entry into Australia to take part in the tennis competition next week. Czech doubles player Renata Voracova along with a currently unnamed official were suddenly forced to leave Australia after being granted similar medical exemptions to Djokovic’s on the grounds of recently contracting COVID-19.

There could also be another twist in the 34-year-old’s case as Australia’s Immigration Minister Alex Hawke says he has not ruled out invoking his ministerial power and re-cancelling the tennis star’s visa.

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Novak Djokovic awaits the result of an appeal after his entry visa was cancelled when he arrived in Australia on Wednesday due to not being vaccinated.

The men’s tennis world number one has been caught up in a social media, and now, political storm following the controversial exemption given to him by Tennis Australia at the start of the week to participate in the tournament without a COVID-19 vaccination.

The tournament organisers made it clear months ago that all competitors, staff and fans would only be allowed to attend if they had appropriate vaccinations against the virus. Djokovic, however, has expressed his concerns about the vaccine saying he wanted to have “an option to choose what’s best for my body” and that he “wouldn’t want to be forced by someone to take a vaccine” to travel or compete in tournaments.

The strong expectation therefore was that the Serb would not be allowed to compete in the Australian Open, that he has won nine times, and to have the chance to win a record 21st Grand Slam title and overtake Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer who also both currently hold 20 titles.

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Suddenly, with just two weeks to go until the start of the tournament, Tennis Australia surprisingly announced on Tuesday that “Djokovic applied for a medical exemption which was granted following a rigorous review process involving two separate independent panels of medical experts”.

This decision was met with anger across the tennis community as well as throughout Australia, where there have been strict COVID-19 restrictions on travel in and out of the country for the last two years.

Concerns were raised as to why the defending champion has apparently been given preferential treatment resulting in allegations that the organisers have broken their own strict rules in order to let Djokovic play.

Meanwhile, Australians have not been able to travel freely to see loved ones, even if they have been vaccinated, as the country continues to battle with the spread of COVID-19.

With mounting public outrage at the decision, events took a further twist when the Serb arrived in Melbourne the day after he was given the all-clear to travel.

Djokovic was questioned by Australian Borders Forces for five hours at Melbourne Airport, who then decided to cancel his entry visa, explaining that there was insufficient evidence to justify the exemption against not having a COVID-19 vaccination and that he would be deported the next day.

The Serbian’s lawyers then appealed the decision as he continues his stay in an immigration hotel until a ‘final’ decision is made on Monday.

It was announced back in mid-November 2021 that the Australian Open would become the first Grand Slam tennis tournament to require attendees to be vaccinated. Therefore, it was a surprise that a medical exemption was granted for Djokovic less than two weeks before the start of the tournament.

It is also incredible that despite being given a medical exemption by Tennis Australia to play, the 34-year-old apparently applied for and was approved a visa by Australian authorities that does not allow for medical exemptions for being unvaccinated.

Despite all the current attention, it is not just Djokovic who has sought an exemption. According to the tournament’s chief executive Craig Tiley, 26 staff and players had applied for medical exemptions and “a handful” had been granted under guidelines set by federal regulators.

Supporters of the Serbian tennis player have complained that he has been singled out and unfairly treated, especially given the particularly negative media and political attention he has received.

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Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison explained during a press conference that ‘rules are rules’ and that Djokovic would not be an exception.

“On the issue of Mr [Novak] Djokovic, rules are rules and there are no special cases. It’s been our government’s strong border policies and particularly in relation to the pandemic, that has ensured that Australia has one of the lowest death rates from COVID-19 anywhere in the world.”

Meanwhile, the Serbian president Aleksandar Vucic added further political pressure to the issue advising that he had spoken to Djokovic and offered his full support.

“I told our Novak [Djokovic] that the whole of Serbia is with him and that our bodies are doing everything to see that the harassment of the world’s best tennis player is brought to an end immediately.”

Everyone now awaits the decision of Djokovic’s appeal which has created unnecessary media and political attention.

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The four groups in matchday three in Tokyo 2020 had 14 out of the 16 teams still in contention to qualify for the knockout stages, here is a roundup of day three.

Group A

Golden Japan

Japan have set their sights on Olympic Gold after a 4-0 thrashing against France in Yokohama. Golden star Takefusa Kubo was once again on the scoresheet as he spearheads his team to glory in Japan.

Although France midfielder Alexis Beka Beka had the first real attempt in the match, it was Kubo who opened the scoring in the 27^th minute. Goalkeeper Paul Bernardoni saved just before Kubo redirected the rebound into a gaping net.

Less than 10 minutes later right-back Hiroki Sakai of Urawa Reds scored in a similar fashion as he scored from a rebound after Bernardoni had saved a goal-bound effort. Sakai was a thorn in the side for France and he overstepped the mark just before halftime when he clattered into Timothee Pembele.

The goal of the match was scored by Koji Miyoshi as he received a pass on the edge of the French box from Reo Hatate and curled a lovely effort past the French Keeper.

Kolo Muani was sent off for a stamp in the closing stages of the match.

Insult was added to injury in the 90^th minute when Daizen Maeda converted from inside the box, and thus France were knocked out conceding 10 goals in the group stages.

Japan face New Zealand in the quarter-finals on Saturday.

Group B

South Korea hit six

South Korea deposited six goals into the Honduran net without reply as they topped group B, scoring 10 goals in the process, the most in the group stages.

Astonishingly Honduras gifted three penalties to their counterparts on a day to forget for Los Catrachos

The first penalty was awarded in the 12^th minute, Hwang Ui-Jo converted the penalty, but Goalkeeper Alex Guity would have been disappointed not to get a stronger hand to the effort. The second penalty was given seven minutes later and a different taker this time in Won Du-Jae made no mistake from 12 yards and slipped the ball down the middle of the goal.

Five minutes before half time Carlos Melendez brought down forward Lee Kang-in, the defender denied a clear goalscoring opportunity and was dismissed from the field of play. To add misery to the Hondurans Ui-Jo added a third goal courtesy of a rebounded effort. Ui-Jo completed his Hattrick with the third penalty of the match in the 52^nd minute, and it was 4-0.

Kim Jin-Ya and a wonderful long-range from Golden Star Kang-in completed the rout for the South Koreans to make it six.

South Korea will face a strong Mexican side in the quarter-finals.

Group C

Spanish dominance

Spain were the group winners of a highly contested battle where Argentina missed out on goal difference.

The two teams couldn’t be separated, but in truth, Spain controlled this contest from start to finish although they drew 1-1.

La Roja had 62 percent possession of the football, they controlled the ball in the middle of the park and fashioned numerous chances. Dani Olmo tested goalkeeper Jeremias Ledesma from a free-kick, which was parried wide. Argentina went down the other end and Spain keeper Unai Simon had to make a smart stop going into the bottom left-hand corner of the goal.

The second half faired much better in terms of chances, and in the 52^nd minute, Olmo missed the chance of the game just outside the six-yard box, blazing the ball over the bar after receiving a slide rule pass from Mikel Oyarzabal.

Olmo more than made up for the miss, in the 66^th minute he gave Mikel Merino the opportunity to place a one-touch finish inside Ledesma’s net

Argentina turned up the pressure in the final 20 minutes of the match, searching for an equalizer, in their efforts collecting five yellow cards in the process. They were given a glimmer of hope after Tomas Belmonte of Lanus powered the ball into Simon’s goal in the 87^th minute.

Spain will face a tough Ivory Coast team for a place in the Semi-finals.

Group D

Ivorians shine

Ivory Coast and Germany shared the spoils in Miyagi Stadium as the Ivorians progressed to the knockout stages with a 1-1 draw.

Ivory Coast were a team a lot of people slept on but they have now proved their worth by progressing in this tough group.

Germany shaded the first half where they had seven shots and two on target, and their pressure told as Cristian Kouame was given a yellow card within six seconds and one of the quickest cautions in Olympiad history.

Forward Ragnar Ache went close on numerous occasions in the first half, but it was Marco Richter in the 11^th minute who gave goalkeeper Eliezer Ira Tape some work to do, as he tipped the ball wide for a corner.

Kouame had a speculative effort from 25 yards from goal, but this didn’t trouble the German keeper.

The second half was an edgy affair, and Kouame who was a threat all match found himself in the box and flicked on a pass into his teammates’ path, only for Benjamin Hendrich’s to put in his own net in the 67^th minute.

Germany were on the brink of exiting the group stages but were given a lifeline when substitute Eduard Lowen stood behind a free kick on the edge of the box and curled in a sumptuous effort into the top left corner of Tape’s goal.

In the end, the point was enough for the Ivorians and they face a Spain side, in what will be a great match to watch.

Matchday three continued

South Africa 0-3 Mexico – Alexis Vega was on the scoresheet again as Mexico qualified for the knockouts from group A with a comfortable win.

Romania 0-0 New Zealand – A goalless draw allowed the All Whites to qualify at the expense of Romania in a tight affair in group B.

Australia 0-2 Egypt – Golden Star Amar Hamdy downed the Olyroos and qualified in second place to qualify from group D.

Saudi Arabia 1-3 Brazil – Tournament top scorer Richarlison was on target, as Brazil qualified in first place in group D.

Knockout Stages

Here are the matches which will be contested on a big weekend of Olympic football, as the tournament reaches the business end.

Japan vs New Zealand        31^st July 2021        Kashima Stadium

Spain vs Ivory Coast            31^st July 2021        Miyagi Stadium

South Korea vs Mexico      31^st July 2021         Yokohama Stadium

Brazil vs Egypt                    31^st July 2021          Saitama Stadium

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Group A

Hat-trick Gignac

France clinched their first group A win, with a momentous 4-3 win in Saitama Stadium against spritely South Africa.

Pierre Andre Gignac chose desire from the start. The forward had an attempt go wide of the mark in the first two minutes.

A first-half that produced 13 shots at goal and seven on target, it was inevitable that goals would flow.

Luther Singh was given a chance from a free-kick in the 32^nd minute which tested the French ‘keeper, and they say good luck comes in pairs. On the stroke of half-time, Singh was awarded the opportunity to put South Africa ahead, however, Singh struck the ball onto the crossbar.

In the 53^rd minute disaster struck as Clement Michelin collided with Paul Bernardoni, and gifted Kobamelo Kodisang the chance to score into an open net and give South Africa the lead.

Randal Kolo Muani who was a substitute last match, came in from the start in this game and he rewarded his managers’ faith by laying an assist on a plate for Gignac, and four minutes later France was level.

With 20 minutes remaining South Africa regained the lead, as Kodisang evaded his man and whipped in a near-post cross for Evidence Makgopa, to make the scores 2-1. Moments later the game was again balanced as Gignac headed in his second of the game from a cross by Michelin.

The goal of the day was scored by Teboho Mokoena as he shot a missile into the top right hand of Bernardonis’ net to make it 3-2 with 10 minutes remaining. The scoring endured the test of time as France was awarded their own penalty as Ronwen Williams was the guilty man. Gignac completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot.

In the dying embers of the match, Gignac provided an assist to give France a memorable win, as Teji Savanier struck a crisp ball from inside the area, to give France the priceless win.

Group B

Korea delight

Lee Kang-in joined the Olympic party as he scored two goals in a 4-0 win for the South Koreans against Romania. The result puts all four teams on three points with all to play for in the last group match.

The first half belonged to South Korea as they tested a Romanian backline with several attempts. On the 12^th minute, Hwang Ui-jo found himself in the box unmarked but only fired at the legs of Mihai Aioani.

10 minutes later a tangle of feet caused makeshift centre back Marius Marin to lash in an own goal towards his net to make it 1-0 to South Korea.

With half an hour on the clock, referee Valenzuela adjudged an indirect free-kick to Romania in the South Korean penalty area, but nothing fruitful was born for Romania.

On the stroke of half-time, Romania was down to 10, as Ion Gheorghe was shown a second yellow for a mild challenge.

In the second half, South Korea pushed for the important second goal and got their just deserts as Um Won-sang had his shot deflected into the net for 2-0.

Golden Star Lee Kang-in entered the fray on the 78^th minute and was given the chance from the spot-kick to score his first of the tournament, which he did with aplomb. Double delight followed the Valencia star as he passed the ball into the bottom left of the goal, with an assist from Kang Yoon-sang to make it four.

Group C

Argie party

Facundo Medina gave Argentina a slender 1-0 victory against the bottom of the table Egypt in a well-contested match.

Argentina was on the front foot in this match early on, as Adolfo Gaich rattled the crossbar in the ninth minute, but they didn’t have it all their way. A mistake on the halfway line allowed the Egyptian Salah Mohsen the chance to slip in Ramadan Sobhi once of Stoke to have a shot on goal which goalkeeper Jeremias Ledesma saved.

Both teams traded punches, but it was the midfield of Egypt particularly Akram Tawfik of Al Ahly who comfortably kept Argentina at bay in the first half. Sobhi was a thorn in Argentina’s side twisting and turning his defender to allow forward Ahmed Rayan the chance to hit the target, but he couldn’t provide the finishing touches and both teams went into the half at 0-0.

After half time Alexis Mac Allister floated in a dangerous cross which caused confusion, and the ball cannoned off the post into the grateful sights of Medina who scored Argentina’s first goal of the group stages.

Five yellow cards were dished out by the referee in the last 20 minutes of the match which was disrupted by a stubborn Argentina side who fought for the win.

All to play for in the last match of the groups where all four teams can advance.

Group D

German prayers

Germany was involved in another thriller against group D rivals Saudi Arabia, which they won by a thin margin of 3-2.

It was as if both defences were already on their summer holidays, the forwards had a field day with the number of shots on goal in this match, 32 in total.

In the fourth minute, Germany was awarded a dubious free-kick, which Ragnar Ache failed to hit the target from an unmarked header, but Eduard Lowen faired a little better when his curling effort brought out a save from goalkeeper Mohammed Al Rubaie.

Germany cracked the code in the 10^th minute when Cedric Teuchert cross evaded the Saudi defence but fell kindly into Nadiem Amiri’s path and he guided the ball into the bottom right-hand corner.

The Saudis woke up from their slumber who shaded the first-half possession stats, and attacking midfielder Sami Al Najei provided a warning shot to the Germans in the 18^th minute, however, he found his range on the 30th-minute mark when he reacted first in the box to make it 1-1.

Germany applied more pressure, and this told as Ache registered his second of the Olympic Games with a rebounded effort in the six-yard box just before halftime.

Wham! Saudi Arabia caught Germany napping and five minutes after the half Najei gleefully celebrated a free-flowing move with a one-touch finish to make the scores 2-2.

Amos Pieper is having a tournament to forget, removed at the half against Brazil and he was also sent off in the 67^th minute against Saudi Arabia for a rash last man challenge.

The football gods smiled on Germany in the 75^th minute as they found the winning touch from a corner. Max Kruse directed the ball accurately onto defender Felix Uduokhai to make it 3-2.

Germany has it all to do in the final game against Ivory Coast, where a win will guarantee passage to the quarter-finals.

Day two continued

Japan 2-1 Mexico – Goals from Takefusa Kubo and Ritsu Doan give the hosts top spot in Group A after downing Mexico in Saitama.

New Zealand 2-3 Honduras – Honduras captured their first win in Group B as they pounced on the All Whites with two late goals.

Australia 0-1 Spain – Another first Group C win this time for Spain, as Mikel Oyarzabal scored from close range.

Brazil 0-0 Ivory Coast – A petulant clash between two heavyweights ended in a stalemate, which suits both teams at the summit of Group D.

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