An Arsenal defeat is nothing new, but this time, there were encouraging signs

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's second goal in as many games put Arsenal ahead and the Gunners deserved it more than Chelsea. They had dominated at Emirates Stadium better than the visitors. Lucas Torreira, Mesut Ozil and Ainsley Maitland-Niles seem to have been emboldened by the arrival of Mikel Arteta. But with Arsenal, in recent times, there always lied a possibility of trouble brewing up.

A mistake by Bernd Leno allowed Jorginho with just 7 minutes left of normal time. Willian received the ball and launched Abraha into a counterattack – passes were exchanged before sliding the ball through Leno's legs and into the net from six yards at the fag end of the match. The Blues bagged full points and this victory is only Chelsea's third in their past 8 Premier League matches, but a much-needed relief for Frank Lampard.

The Gunners are now stuck in the bottom half of the points table, having slumped to 12th place. Arteta has a job in his hand – a major rebuilding for which the fans have been waiting since Arsene Wenger left Emirates. On a positive note, one can say that under Arteta, the Gunners did sho signs of encouragement against Chelsea.

Former Arsenal striker Wright said after the match, “When you look at the two games there’s a definite improvement in Arsenal. You just think what they could have done had they gone with the appointment after the Leicester game at the international break”.

“It’s one and two touch all the way and it’s really quick. Fantastic zip, the fans should be happy with what they’re seeing at the moment but give Chelsea credit for what they’ve done.”

According to Marton Keown, “Very compact. Very solid. I like the shape. They’ve had three different managers by the way. Different ideas, different voices. It’s the front players when they go to engage I think they do that really well. Everyone is engaging really very well.  Chelsea, with their system of three at the back, seems confused and Arsenal were really well organized hunting in packs. Everyone attuned to the system. I thought they did it really well”.

After a brief period of lean-patch, it would take time for Arsenal to get back on track, but the kind of compactness and solidity displayed by the Gunners against Chelsea, one can say, the good days are not far. Things will change and needs to accept that the first step would be to become a good side at first rather than the best.

Note: This article has been posted at Cricketsoccer on CSdesk on 30/12/2019 An Arsenal defeat is nothing new, but this time, there were encouraging signs

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Faisal Caesar  

A much needed victory for South Africa

Just imagine the state of South African cricket two weeks back. It was in a mess. 2019 has been annus horribolis for Proteas on and off the field. Some big guns showed a lesser amount of commitment. Some big guns faded. While the others were struggling to get their acts together. And then there was a hierarchy which crumbled under pressure to add more fuel to the turmoil – all of a sudden, South Africa were all set to follow the path of West Indies.

Thankfully, sane brains exist in South African cricket. The heroes of the past stepped forward to fix things up – a hero never rests and when the matter is about the team, which made them demigods, then surely, it was time to pull up the socks. Graeme Smith, Mark Boucher and Jacques Kallis took charge. South Africa started to find their way.

The total in first innings might not encourage many, but when the bowlers came all guns blazing to take a handy lead, hopes started to take wings. A big lead in first innings and then setting up a target of more than 350runs at a venue where the highest chase-able target in final innings is around 250, still was not safe enough. Many times in past England proved their toughness while chasing such totals. South African bowlers required intensity so that England could never settle. In the end, England failed, South Africa’s intensity won – one could be hopeful that this Proteas unit won’t follow the path of West Indies.

The victory in the first Test could be the beginning of something new in South African cricket. At times, you need just one victory to turn things around and bury the ghosts of the past. This victory might work as the tonic for this Proteas unit.  

Note: This article has been posted in Cricketsoccer as CSdesk on 30/12/2019 A much needed victory for South Africa

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Faisal Caesar

Wolves fight back, Pep Guardiola fails

Wolves had 61% of the ball possession to Manchester City’s 39%. Wolves took 21 shots on goal to City’s 7. Wolves had 8 shots on target to City’s 3. Wolves had 4 big chances to City’s 3. The numbers suggest that Wolves outweighed Pep Guardiola, but it is always tough to judge a classic on the basis of numbers. Neither it is very easy to describe the Molineux drama in just a few words. One needs to watch it live and get fully involved with each and every twist. Certainly, the match took quite a few twists and turns, which ultimately dented Pep’s chances to chase the title.

This is not the first time that City failed to exhibit composure when they were counterattacked, but more often, they lost their tempo and balance under pressure. Wolves attacked like a pack of wolves against which City’s star-studded side had no answer – Wolves hunted the big prey.

Ederson was sent off in the 12th minute for clattering into Diogo Jota outside his area, then Raheem Sterling had the same contentiously awarded penalty saved twice by Rui Patrício. Still, a 10-man City established a two-goal lead. For a while it looked like City would triumph here with the aid of VAR.

But it was not to be such.

Adama Traore bombarded down the middle and flanks like a speed-merchant to destabilize City’s backline. He was a relentless force and Pep was left clueless by his astonishing speed. 3 goals were scored in the last 35minutes -  Traoré scored the first of them before creating an equalizer for Raúl Jiménez, who later played a beautiful pass to tee up Matt Doherty for a winning goal – Molineux went wild.

In the end, it was a fair result. If a team decides to counterattack with boldness, automatically fortune starts to support them. Wolves were bolder than City and wore down their opponents in the final 30 minutes when a 10-man City should have chosen caution over aggression. The spaces opened up, Wolves fed them. To be fair, Wolves forced errors in Pep’s team – this seems unbelievable, but the reality is harsh. Pep lost to relentlessness and boldness!  

Note: This article has been posted at Cricketsoccer as CSdesk on 28/12/2019 Wolves fight back, Pep Guardiola fails

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Faisal Caesar  

Why Bangladesh should tour Pakistan

“Bangladesh must change its attitude towards Pakistan tour. After the Sri Lankan series the excuse for lack of security has become lame. If Bangladesh take the next big step, the beneficiary would only be them”

The Bangladesh Cricket Team is expected to tour Pakistan and play a Test series alongside shorter format matches. If the tour happens then Bangladesh would play a Test series on Pakistan soil since 2003. But like the past, the uncertainty over this tour still remains. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is “mulling whether to propose shifting the tour to a neutral venue if they do not get the green signal from the Bangladesh Government”.

On December 3, 2019, BCB cricket operations chairman Akram Khan said, “If we get the clearance from the government, we can start discussions with the Pakistan board but we are yet to get the clearance. Everything will depend on what the government wants. We will definitely sit with the player to take their opinion as well if the government gives clearance for the tour”.

BCB proposed Pakistan to play the series in two separate venues - the shorter formats in Pakistan and Test series in a neutral venue, which did not please the hierarchy of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). Certainly, from their point of view, they are trying heart and soul to bring international cricket back to Pakistan and right now if they play a series in two separate venues, it won’t help them at all.

Meanwhile, Pakistan have hosted Sri Lanka successfully for a Test series after a decade and the series ended without any chaos but a sense of friendliness existed until the end. The security was extremely satisfactory and Sri Lankan players enjoyed a great time out there. Now, at this point, denying playing a Test series in Pakistan citing security concerns would be a lame excuse.  

The PCB boss Ehsan Mani said, “No one should be under any misapprehension as to where Pakistan's home Tests will take place. All of Pakistan's matches, against Bangladesh or anyone else, will take place in Pakistan. I still hope the BCB will reflect on the matter and accept there is no reason for them not to visit”.  

“If Sri Lanka can come - and bringing them was very high-risk - then it is safe. If anything even minor had happened, people would have said it isn't safe to come. But they trusted the people here and came and they [the ones that opted out] said they wished they had come for the limited-overs series as well, because what they've been told and the ground realities are very different.

“I don't want to say too much, because our discussions with the BCB are ongoing. When they formally tell us what decision they've taken, we'll see what we need to do. The Bangladesh women's team came to Pakistan, as well as the Under-16 team, and they went back very happy. So we don't want them to be in any doubt that if they play us, it will be in Pakistan”.

The historical significance

Historically, from a cricketing point of view, Pakistan have played a key in helping Bangladesh getting a breakthrough in international cricket after gaining independence. Despite sharing a very rough history during the liberation war in 1971, Pakistan stepped forward to help its neighbours four years later.

Cricket in this part of the region took a setback after 1971. It was not possible for a war-torn country to think about such an expensive game. Then there was unrest all around the country since 1972. The great Dhaka Stadium, which gained fame as a Test venue during the Pakistan era, would see other sports to dominate except cricket. The famous Mr. Robin Marlour expressed his sadness about the state of cricket in East Bengal.  He had little idea that someone from Bengal could play cricket as during the Pakistan era cricketers mostly came from Lahore and Karachi. But someone named Syed  Ashraful  Haque, a cricket enthusiast studying in London, wrote a letter to Rob stating that cricket is not dead in new Bangladesh.

But whether cricket in Bangladesh exists or not, the world and cricket’s powerful bodies must know. At this point of time, the then Board of Control for Cricket in Pakistan (BCCP) stepped forward to help Bangladesh. In the winter of 1975, BCCP arranged a tournament to celebrate the hundredth birth anniversary of Mohammad Ali Jinnah. It was a tournament where the Pakistan national team would play a limited-overs game against the invited World XI. BCCP invited the newly formed Board of Control for Bangladesh Board (BCCB) to suggest one of their players for World XI. Bangladesh suggested Raquibul Hasan’s name. BCCP accepted Raquibul flew towards Karachi.

In that tournament, Raqibul came in contact with many famous names and advertised Bangladesh Cricket in a positive fashion. That inclusion played a vital role in the events that would follow. The world came to know that cricket existed in Bangladesh and thus International Cricket Council generated enough support to give Bangladesh the breakthrough on January 7, 1976-77. An MCC team visited Dhaka to play a first-class match against Bangladesh.

Since then Bangladesh cricket has come a long way and it all started from that inclusion of Raqibul Hasan in 1975.

Not only that. During the 80s, more often, Pakistan sent teams to visit and play in Bangladesh to popularize cricket amid the sky-high popularity of soccer.

Superstars like Imran Khan and Sarfraz Nawaz came to watch the finals of school cricket and gave valuable tips to youngsters while touring here along with Omar Khureshi XI in 1986. In the same year, under Gazi Ashraf Hossain Lipu, Bangladesh toured Pakistan where they were greeted warmly.

In 1989 Imran came to Dhaka as an ambassador of the United Nations to promote polio vaccination and also he took part in a short but brief coaching clinic to pass on valuable advises to young cricketers.

In the early days, Bangladesh received helped from their neighbours a lot and Pakistan’s help can never be undermined in the era of soccer craze.   

Then, if one thinks from a cricketing point of view, Bangladesh should play more and more Test series against Pakistan keeping in mind the fact, Pakistan’s bowling attack would help them to improve as Test batsmen. There is no need to explain in detail how good Pakistani pacers are and also, how below-par Bangladesh batsmen are when they face quality pace attacks. In that sense, Bangladesh would be benefited and to become a quality side there is no option, but to fare better in Test cricket.

Bangladesh must change its attitude towards Pakistan tour. After the Sri Lankan series the excuse for lack of security has become lame. If Bangladesh take the next big step, the beneficiary would only be them.  

Note: This article has been posted at Cricketsoccer on 24/12/2019 Why Bangladesh should tour Pakistan  

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Faisal Caesar 

Chelsea win, but racism hit the headlines

Jose Mourinho was reinvigorating Tottenham Hotspur whereas, in the meantime, Frank Lampard was fixing the Blues at Stamford Bridge. Both teams have experienced a rough ride in the last couple of months. Both teams started to show a lot of promise under new managers and last night Mourinho could have leapfrogged Chelsea into fourth with a win at home. Well, in the end, Lampard was found ecstatic while Mourinho was left bemused.

Willian exchanged passes with Mateo Kovacic after a short corner, shifted the ball away from defender Sergei Aurier and struck a powerful 15-yard-shot at the right corner to beat Paulo Gazzaniga.  Then Gazzaniga charged from his goal and missed the ball completely as he attempted a clearance, but instead, caught Marcos Alonso high with his boot. Initially a foul was given against Alonso, but VAR confirmed that it was a penalty and Willian converted from the spot.

The Spurs were reeling at 2-0 and things got worse when Son Heung-min was sent off for kicking out at Antonio Rudiger with 28 minutes left.

Midway through the second half, the game stopped suddenly. Antonio Rudiger indicated that he had been the subject of racist abuse from some part of the crowd. The referee was informed. The mangers were informed. The spectators present at the ground and millions watching on television heard, “ladies and gentlemen, this is a security announcement Racism is interfering with the game”.

Yet, again, racism overshadowed the thrill and excitement of football and that also in a country, which is well known for her passion for sports and gentleman hood. Players subjected to racial abuse are happening more often and this is not doing anything good for the game.

The game moved on whereas after such an incident it should have been called off or it would have been the best if the players from both sides and officials walked off the pitch immediately.

Willian and Lampard overcoming their previous club manager with a brilliant display have totally been masked by the ugly claws of racism. A few out there are poisoned and consumed by hatred, but these few simply mocks the passion of a thousand others. Why the passionate fans should be a victim of few moronic mins remain a moot question.

The human race has gone through various changes for thousands of years and they have learned from their mistakes to make this world a better place, but in the meantime, they have displayed their dark side as well. In this century, the ugly sides are exposed like never before. Hatred and superiority complex dominate everywhere.  And, as usual, for a few, the majority is suffering.

Football is the game of the people. The beautiful game. The performers of this beautiful game along with its followers must rise above the rest to win the battle against racism.

Enough is enough!

Say No To Racism!     

Note: This article has been posted at Cricketsoccer as CSdesk on  23/12/2019 Chelsea win, but racism hit the headlines

Thank You

Faisal Caesar