Slot expresses ‘pity’ for sacked Southampton manager Russell Martin

New Delhi, Dec 19 (IANS) Australia all-rounder Beau Webster stated that his recent inclusion in Australia’s Test squad has only intensified his dream of wearing the coveted Baggy Green.

The towering all-rounder was brought into the team as cover for an ailing Mitch Marsh after Australia’s opening Test loss to India in Perth. While he hasn’t yet made his debut, the 29-year-old Tasmanian admits that simply being part of the squad has been a thrilling and inspiring experience.

Reflecting on his brief time with the team, Webster described the atmosphere as “intoxicating”. Even in a supporting role, running drinks during the Adelaide Test, he felt the electric buzz of the crowd and the energy of his teammates on the field.

“I think even just running drinks in Adelaide with that massive crowd there – and I wasn’t in Brisbane for long before I had to fly to Perth – but being in that Test buzz is really intoxicating,” Webster told Fox Sports.

Watching the likes of Travis Head dominate the Indian bowlers and the Australian attack celebrating crucial wickets only fueled his desire to contribute on the field. “It makes me jealous, I want to be out there,” Webster admitted. “I think every cricketer who is on the fringe will be thinking the same thing. It’s a wonderful and strong group, and to be a part of that, even as a drinks carrier, is great.”

Despite the uncertainty of a debut, Webster is preparing as if the opportunity could come at any moment. The all-rounder has taken a proactive approach, studying the Indian bowling attack to ensure he’s ready to perform if called upon.

“I try to get a gauge on things, try to watch a bit of India and sus a few of their bowlers – I don’t want to go in blind,” Webster explained. “I am doing some research.”

While he acknowledges that no one can truly know if they’re ready until they step onto the field, Webster is confident in his preparation.

“If I did get the nod, nobody knows until they play at that level, but I think I’d be well-prepared and give it a good crack if it does happen. If it doesn’t happen, or if it’s later down the track, then so be it—that’s part and parcel.”

While the path to a Baggy Green remains uncertain, Webster remains undeterred. For now, he’s soaking in the atmosphere, refining his game, and keeping his ambitions alive.

“The Test buzz is something else,” he said. “I want to be out there, contributing, celebrating with the team. That’s the dream, and I’ll keep working towards it.”

–IANS

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London, Dec 11 (IANS) Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca has highlighted the importance of defending, after his side’s 4-3 victory over Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, and lauded his side for being balanced on both ends of the pitch. Though they eventually won the match, Chelsea conceded two early goals which put them on the back foot in the game.

“We conceded three goals against Tottenham the other day but there are still just two teams [Liverpool and Arsenal] that have conceded less than us [18 – in the Premier League]. We are attacking and defending well. You are not going to win games or titles by just scoring goals, you need to defend.

“As I said, even after conceding three goals against Spurs, there are just two clubs that have conceded less than us so that means also defensively we are doing quite well,” said Mareca in the pre-match press conference.

Chelsea are flying in Enzo Maresca’s first season as head coach with the Blues sitting in second place, four points behind league leaders Liverpool. So far, the team’s 35 goals are the most scored by a team in the English top-flight and their 18 goals conceded are the third lowest in the league.

Maresca faced the media before Chelsea’s UEFA Conference League game against Astana on Tuesday. The London-based side will be travelling to Astana, Kazakhstan on Wednesday, an eight-hour journey, and will be playing in adverse conditions with the temperature hovering around -17 degrees Celsius on Tuesday. The head coach went on to acknowledge the long journey that lies ahead of his side.

“Eight hours is not a normal time for a game. We have to go there. We have to play and we are going to try and do our best while also thinking about the next game. We have a session now and then we will fly there. We will have dinner and go to bed. Fortunately, they are five hours ahead of us so that means when we wake up tomorrow it is already midday here in England.

“We are going to be there less than 24 hours, but it’s more the flight and the temperature [-11C] for sure. On Friday morning we are going to land around 6 am in London and it is already Friday and we have a game Sunday, but we have to play,” he added.

–IANS

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Hyderabad, Dec 21 (IANS) India all-rounder Hardik Pandya will return to Baroda’s squad for the Vijay Hazare Trophy knockout matches after not being named in the team for the first few rounds of the tournament that commenced on Saturday across different venues

The Baroda Cricket Association (BCA) announced that Pandya will join the squad during the knockout stages of the ongoing 50-over domestic tournament, provided the team qualifies.

“He will play from the knockouts; he has informed us,” Kiran More, a member of the Cricket Improvement Committee (CIC) of the BCA, was quoted saying by Cricbuzz.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the national selection committee, headed by Ajit Agarkar, have emphasised that players must participate in domestic competitions unless explicitly exempted. Pandya recently competed in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT), where Baroda reached the semifinals. Over seven matches, he scored 246 runs and took six wickets.

The 31-year-old has not played a non-T20 match in over 14 months, with his last appearance being during the ODI World Cup on October 19 last year against Bangladesh in Pune. He suffered an ankle injury in that match, sidelining him for an extended period, and he has since stopped playing red-ball cricket altogether.

His involvement in the one-day domestic tournament could be pivotal for his selection in next year’s Champions Trophy, especially as India evaluate options like Nitish Reddy, an all-rounder from Andhra Pradesh who has showcased impressive performances in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) series in Australia.

Since his injury, Pandya has participated in 38 T20 matches across international, IPL, and domestic competitions but has not played in other formats. This has fueled speculation that he is focusing solely on T20 cricket. However, Kiran More dismissed such claims, stating, “He participated in all the SMAT matches, and he will play in the 50-over games too. Baroda performed well in the SMAT, reaching the semifinals, which they lost due to wet conditions in Bengaluru. Hopefully, the team will make it to the knockouts of the VHT as well.”

Baroda, currently captained by Hardik’s brother Krunal Pandya, is competing in Hyderabad as part of Group E, which includes Tripura, Kerala, Bengal, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Delhi. The Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT) knockout rounds are scheduled to be hosted in Baroda from January 9, with the final set for January 18.

–IANS

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