“Felt like a debut call”: England’s Ollie Pope on Test return for Pak…

London [UK], August 7 (ANI): England batter Ollie Pope, dropped from the Test squad after a poor Ashes tour to Australia, said that his recall to the side for Pakistan Tests feels like a “debut call" and has his eyes set on next year’s Ashes at home, saying that he still has a lot to prove. esporist.org

Pope, England’s long-time number three, earned a recall for the first two Tests against Pakistan, with a home three-match series starting from August 19 onwards. He was poor during England’s 1-4 loss to the Aussies, scoring just 125 runs in six innings at an average of just over 20.

Having lost his number three spot to Jacob Bethell, he now returns to a different set-up, with his Test skipper Ben Stokes having retired from international cricket and now Stephen Fleming taking over the coaching role from Brendon McCullum.

On Thursday, it was confirmed that wicketkeeper-batter Jordan Cox would bat at number three and Dan Lawrence would replace Stokes at number six. Pope, who led England in five Tests, filling in for Stokes, returns as a utility pick with an experience of 64 Tests, with only Joe Root having played more Tests.

After being omitted from the side, Pope grinded it out in County colours for Surrey, scoring 510 runs in 12 innings at an average of 56.66, with a century and four fifties.

“The frustrating thing I had in the county stuff was that I got out for about 70 about four times (83*, 69, 76, 73). In my mind I was kind of like, ‘am I gonna be kicking myself whenever selection comes back around that I did not make them 150, 170?," said Pope, reflecting on his county performances as quoted by Cricinfo.

Pope reflected that the last year and a half has been a “kind of rollercoaster" for him in Test cricket.

“It felt like a debut call yesterday. Something I was hoping for but wasn’t expecting. I might not be first name on the team sheet, but it is kind of one step closer to where I want to be," he said.

“I played in all the places in the world. I have had experiences of doing well, and know what I need to do now more than ever to do well in these conditions. What I was missing was that series where you go hundred, hundred, hundred. It is just making sure I give myself the best chance to do that whenever I do get the nod," he added.

Pope said that he understood why he was omitted from the team for the New Zealand Tests and everything the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and the team management has done over the last year and a half, particularly a review of the Ashes outing in Australia.

“I understand the change (in the team at the start of the summer). I understand everything that they have done over time. And, I guess, whatever they have changed over the last year or so, the main thing is whatever they think the best team is now. The fact that I am in the frame for that is a massive positive," he said.

“It is obviously great having their confidence to pick me … I am just focusing on making sure my game’s as ready as it can be. And if I do get a go in this series, making sure I have smoothed out the technique, and got my head in the right spot," he added.

Having scored just 282 runs in 16 innings at an average of 17.62, with a best score of 46, Pope’s long-term focus is next year’s Ashes series at home.

“I feel like I have still got a lot to prove against Australia. The winter, look… it was tough. I had two, two bad games, which cost me my spot in the team, and the feeling out there was shocking… I cannot really swear on this.. it was a pretty bang average feeling," he said.

Pope said that while there was a perception that his dismissals in Australia were a mental thing, he disagrees and feels his technique and game were not where he wanted them to be against the “best in the world" and it got him “exposed".

“There’s an Ashes next summer. I played a game with a dislocated shoulder here (Lord’s), and I played one game at Edgbaston, and I feel like I have still got a lot to prove against Australia," he said.

“The longer-term goal is to play in that. But, look – I have not made it back into the XI yet, and I have got a lot of work to do. But the one thing that I never wanted to happen was to be written off before I was 30," he signed off. (ANI)

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Madrid [Spain], August 7 (ANI): Real Madrid announced that their star player Vinicius Jr extended his deal with the Spanish giants till 2032, ending all the speculation about a move out of the club.

The multi-time UEFA Champions League and La Liga champions issued a statement which has now ended all the speculation about a possible move to England, where the Brazilian was linked with Premier League champions Arsenal.

In the statement, Real Madrid said, “Real Madrid CF and Vinicius Jr. have agreed to extend the contract of our player, who is now tied to the club until June 30, 2032."

Vinicius Jr arrived at Real Madrid in July 2018, at the age of 18. In his eight seasons with the team, he has played 375 matches, scoring 128 goals and winning 14 titles: two Champions Leagues, three FIFA Club World Cups, two UEFA Super Cups, three La Liga titles, 1 Copa del Rey, and 3 Spanish Super Cups.

The young forward has also contributed immensely to all these aforementioned trophies, scoring in the last two Champions League finals that his team won in 2022 and 2024.

His time with Real Madrid also earned him several individual honours, as he won the ‘Best FIFA Men’s Player Award 2024’, was named ‘Golden Ball of the Intercontinental Cup 2024’, ‘Best Player of the Champions League 2023-2024’, ‘Golden Ball of the Club World Cup 2022’ and ‘Best Young Player of the Champions League 2021-2022’.

He has also been included in the FIFA World XI (2024), also twice in the FIFA FIFPro World11 (2023 and 2024) and on three occasions in the Champions League Team of the Season (2021-2022, 2022-2023 and 2023-2024).

At the conclusion of the statement, Real Madrid termed the 26-year-old as “one of the most important players in one of the most successful periods in our history". (ANI)

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UEFA’s statement in the week of FIFA’s meeting in Morocco was not diplomacy. It was a declaration of war. Every sentence was crafted to leave Gianni Infantino with nowhere to hide and no room to negotiate. The message was unmistakable: UEFA no longer trusts the FIFA president, and it has no intention of pretending otherwise.

If this confrontation reaches its logical conclusion, there will be only one winner. It will not be FIFA. It will not be Infantino. It will be European football.

“UEFA’s associations were very clear about the conditions attached to the non-participation in FIFA competitions,” a UEFA spokesperson told The Athletic.

“First, the proposals to sell off the major competitions had to be withdrawn and, secondly, assurances had to be made that such attempts to disfigure the game in this way would never be made again.

“These conditions have not been met. In addition, UEFA made it abundantly clear in its statement on Saturday that it has lost confidence in Gianni Infantino’s presidency. That position holds.

“Yesterday’s announcement that some people employed by the FIFA President (and whose careers depend on his favour) agree with him changes nothing.”

That is about as close to a vote of no confidence as football governance has ever seen.

Infantino can wrap himself in rhetoric about protecting FIFA’s integrity, but integrity exited the room a long time ago. It disappeared the moment football’s governing body became more obsessed with monetising every available asset than safeguarding the sport itself. The proposal to sell stakes in FIFA competitions was not viewed as innovation. It was seen as the commodification of football’s crown jewels.

Yes, Infantino can still point to overwhelming support among FIFA’s 211 member associations. He can parade votes from nations that depend heavily on FIFA funding. He can count political allies — Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is certainly not one of them — across continents. But votes on paper and power in practice are two very different things.

The uncomfortable truth is that every confederation knows exactly where football’s centre of gravity lies. South America knows it. Asia knows it. Africa knows it. Strip Europe out of the World Cup and what remains is not the greatest sporting event on the planet. It is an imitation with a famous name.

The commercial consequences would be devastating. Sponsors do not invest billions because the tournament carries the FIFA logo. Broadcasters do not fight bidding wars because Zurich says so. They pay because the biggest clubs, the biggest stars and the biggest-spending audiences are overwhelmingly concentrated in Europe. Remove them and the financial model collapses overnight.

That is the leverage UEFA possesses, and everyone in football knows it.

This confrontation has not emerged overnight. UEFA has watched Infantino relentlessly expand competitions, stretch an already suffocating calendar and push the Club World Cup far beyond what many in the game believed was sustainable. Every new tournament, every extra match and every commercial venture has reinforced the belief that football is being governed not by sporting priorities but by financial ambition.

The proposal to bring external investment into FIFA’s competitions was simply the final provocation. For UEFA, it crossed a line that could not be uncrossed.

Infantino may believe he can outmanoeuvre Europe through politics, alliances and diplomacy. He may hope support from Saudi Arabia, Morocco and a majority of FIFA’s membership will carry him through. But this is one battle where arithmetic matters more than alliances.

Without Europe, there is no World Cup worthy of the name. There is no global spectacle capable of commanding the same audiences, attracting the same sponsors or generating the same prestige.

For years, Infantino has expanded FIFA’s reach without facing meaningful resistance. This time, however, he has picked a fight with the one power in football capable of bringing his project to a standstill.

And that is a fight he is unlikely to win.

Also Read: UEFA maintains World Cup boycott warning despite FIFA retreat

The post Infantino Has Finally Picked a Fight He Cannot Win appeared first on Sports News Portal | Revsportz.

Shillong (Meghalaya) [India], August 7 (ANI): Langsning FC staged a remarkable second-half comeback to overturn a two-goal deficit and earn a thrilling 2-2 draw against Nongkseh SS&CC in a fiercely contested Group E fixture of the 135th Durand Cup at a packed Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.

During the match on Thursday, Nongkseh looked firmly in control after capitalising on defensive lapses from the hosts to establish a two-goal cushion before the interval through strikes from Shano Tariang and Hardy Nongbri.

However, Langsning responded after the restart, producing a devastating five-minute spell to restore parity. Mebanshngain Kurkalang and Syed Ahmed both found the net with well-taken headers as the hosts fought back to claim a deserved share of the points in an entertaining end-to-end encounter.

The opening quarter of the contest was played at a measured tempo, but Langsning FC gradually took control through their energetic pressing and direct approach. The Men in Pink consistently stretched the Nongkseh defence with their pace, long balls and trademark long throws, forcing the visitors onto the back foot.

The first clear opportunity arrived in the 17th minute when Nongkseh goalkeeper Guidle Syiemlieh was caught off his line. However, Banpynkhrawnam Nongkhlaw produced a superb goal-line clearance to deny Langsning the opening goal.

Two minutes later, Syed Ahmed thought he had produced one of the goals of the tournament, curling a powerful right-footed strike into the top corner from distance. The celebrations, however, were cut short as the assistant referee’s flag was raised for offside, with Nongkseh’s defensive line executing the trap to perfection.

The disallowed goal proved to be a turning point as Nongkseh struck against the run of play in the 29th minute. A misplaced pass in midfield allowed the visitors to launch a swift counter-attack, with Shano Tariang keeping his composure to slot past the goalkeeper and hand Nongkseh the lead.

Langsning’s problems deepened nine minutes later following an unfortunate goalkeeping error. Rajat Paul Lyngdoh attempted to keep a loose ball in play near the byline but failed to gather it cleanly, allowing Sheen Stevenson to pounce. The loose ball fell kindly to captain Hardy Nongbri, who calmly rolled his finish into an unguarded net to double the advantage.

The hosts pushed hard for a response before the interval, but Chesterpoul Lyngdoh came to Nongkseh’s rescue with another outstanding goal-line clearance in the 39th minute, ensuring his side carried a two-goal lead into the break.

Langsning emerged for the second half with renewed purpose and halved the deficit just three minutes after the restart. Chusrang C’s trademark long throw caused confusion inside the penalty area, allowing Mebanshngain Kurkalang to rise highest and guide a looping header beyond the goalkeeper.

The comeback was completed just two minutes later. Wadajied Kynsai Ryngkhlem delivered an inviting cross into the box, where Syed Ahmed timed his run perfectly to beat the advancing goalkeeper and power a header into the net, drawing Langsning level in remarkable fashion.

The quickfire double transformed the contest into an end-to-end battle, with both teams committing players forward in search of a winner. Langsning threatened from a Samuel free-kick, while Nongkseh continued to pose problems on the counter-attack as the game opened up considerably.

The intensity remained high until the final whistle, with both sides collecting bookings as the challenges became increasingly robust. Nongkseh came agonisingly close to snatching victory deep into stoppage time when Hardycliff Nongbri’s header drifted narrowly wide of the post. In the end, the 2-2 draw was a fair outcome in a pulsating Shillong derby that showcased attacking intent, defensive resilience and remarkable fighting spirit from both teams. (ANI)

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