يستعيدّ نادي الزمالك، خدمات ثنائي الفريق في مباراة فاركو المُقبلة، بعد غيابهما أمام المصري البورسعيدي، أمس الإثنين، في المواجهة التي خسرها الفارس الأبيض بهدفين مُقابل هدف.
ولم يلعب ناصر ماهر المباراة الأخيرة بسبب إصابته بكدمة في الركبة، وتُعد عودته بمثابة دفعة قوية للفريق، خاصةً مع خبرته وإمكانياته المميزة في خط الوسط.
وأكد مصدر داخل الزمالك لـ”بطولات”، أن ناصر ماهر غاب عن مباراة المصري بعد حصوله على راحة كاملة وخضوعه لبرنامج تأهيلي مكثّف، مّا جعله جاهزاً للمشاركة في مباراة فاركو.
وتُشير هذه الخطوة إلى حرص الجهاز الفني على الحفاظ على سلامة اللاعب ومنحه الوقت الكافي للتعافي.
طالع أيضًا | خاص – غضب محمد عواد يهزّ الزمالك.. عقوبة قاسية ومستقبل غامض بعد المشادة مع حسام عبد المجيد
إلى جانب عودة ماهر، يستعيد الزمالك جهود ظهيره الأيمن عمر جابر، بعد انتهاء إيقافه لمباراة واحدة بسبب حصوله على 3 إنذارات.
ويُواجه الزمالك فريق فاركو يوم الجمعة المُقبل في المواجهة المؤجلة من الجولة 12 لمسابقة الدوري المصري.
وتُعدّ هذه المباراة بمثابة اختبار حقيقي للفريق، خاصةً بعد الخسارة الأخيرة أمام المصري، ويسعى الزمالك لتحقيق الفوز في هذه المباراة من أجل تعزيز موقعه في جدول الترتيب والمضي قدماً نحو مقدمة جدول ترتيب المسابقة.
With their eyes firmly fixated on retaining their Scottish Premiership crown once again, the last thing that Celtic need is any injury disruptions, especially as the Champions League also gets underway.
The Hoops haven't showed signs of slowing down when it comes to their dominance in Scotland's top flight, and already sit top of the league, four points clear of Old Firm rivals Rangers.
Last time out, Brendan Rodgers' side eased past Dundee 3-0, courtesy of goals from David Turnball, Kyogo Furuhashi, and Matt O'Riley. It was a routine victory for Celtic, but they were not without their concerns, with one key player going off injured at half-time.
What's the latest Celtic injury news?
So far this season, Celtic have been fairly unfortunate when it comes to injuries, but have masked their absences well through impressive results. As things stand, Rodgers is without Stephen Welsh, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Maik Nawrocki, Reo Hatate, and Liel Abada in what has been a frustrating time when attempting to enjoy a full squad.
One more injury blow emerged over the weekend, and when Liverpool loanee Nat Phillips was forced off at half-time against Dundee, the worst was feared.
A sign of relief would have been heard round Celtic Park today, though, as the central defender was pictured in full training ahead of the Hoops' clash against Feyenoord. With that said, Phillips looks more than ready to play a part.
Celtic will be hoping to get off to a fast start in Group E, as they look to defy the odds to reach the last 16, beating the likes of Atletico Madrid, Lazio, and Feyenoord to progression as a result. Phillips, using his experience among Europe's elite gained at Liverpool, could play a large part in that.
How has Nat Phillips performed this season?
Liverpool defender Nat Phillips.
After playing somewhat of an emergency role at Liverpool for so long, Phillips finally has his chance to impress on a consistent basis at Celtic. He finally got that opportunity last time out, too, only to be forced off at the break through injury. Getting his debut under his belt, nonetheless, he will now look to push on even further.
Statistically speaking, via FBref, Phillips has proven in the past just how valuable he can be, particularly when it comes to his work off the ball, making an average of 4.51 clearances, as well as winning over one tackle per 90.
When at his best, the defender has earned some high praise, too, including from Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, who said, via The Metro after the Reds were held to a draw by Brighton & Hove Albion: "Very good, I couldn’t be more proud of the boys what they put out here today. In the first half hour we struggled with the new backline with their balls in behind because we didn’t drop at the right moment.
"We got that sorted in the first half already. Second half we had no problems with that anymore. But second half we had some problems with energy so we sat a little bit deeper. Nat Phillips played an exceptional game, honestly, so that was all good. You need in football always a little bit of luck to win a tough away game. And today we didn’t have luck so it was a draw."
As the Manchester United pursuit of Sofyan Amrabat heats up on transfer deadline day, director of football negotiations Matt Hargreaves has reportedly flown to Italy.
What is the latest transfer news on Man United and Sofyan Amrabat?
The Red Devils have been chasing the Fiorentina midfielder for some time but don't appear to be able to pay full price for the player.
Indeed, as per The Times, Man United "cannot afford to meet Fiorentina’s £30 million asking price" but they are trying to loan the Morocco international instead.
That same report notes how Amrabat himself doesn't even know what the future holds as he said this week: “If I go away, I don’t know . . . maybe I could stay."
As per The Athletic, the Premier League outfit did make a €2m (£1.7m) loan bid but it was unsurprisingly turned down by Fiorentina.
Read the latest Man United transfer news HERE…
But in a fresh update, shared by David Ornstein on Twitter, "Manchester United director of football negotiations Matt Hargreaves has flown to Italy" to try and complete a deal. However, there is "no agreement" between the clubs for the 27-year-old as of yet.
Interestingly enough, there were reports in the Manchester Evening News about a private jet which has been booked from Florence to arrive at Manchester Airport on Friday afternoon at 12.52pm (UK time).
That article also noted that: "United have not denied the possibility they have arranged the private jet".
And while, after Ornstein's latest update, it might seem unlikely that another flight would be booked quite so soon after Hargreaves' has arrived in Italy, as it is a private flight, it is possible the scheduled time could be pushed back to allow for protracted negotiations.
Now, in a further update from Fabrizio Romano, the player is "on his way in order to undergo medical tests as new Man Utd player after agreement reached."
How many goals has Sofyan Amrabat scored?
As per The Athletic, Hargreaves is a former executive at Adidas and was only appointed to his role at United in March, starting work this summer. So this will be one of the first major deals he would have been involved with for the club.
With that in mind, it will be interesting to see if he returns to Manchester alone, or if he can successfully complete a loan deal for the 27-year-old midfielder.
In Amrabat, United certainly won't be getting an attacking player. After all, in 107 games at his current club, he has scored just one goal, while also picking up only one assist. In fact, across his entire senior club career, he has only netted five times having made 228 appearances for four different teams.
However, the Red Devils should be landing a pretty feisty defensive midfielder if they can get this deal across the line. Indeed, during the 2022 World Cup, Moroccan journalist Amine El Amri called the player a "raging bull" when speaking to TalkSPORT.
"Sofyan Amrabat is a great footballer in addition to being a raging bull," they said. "I’m trying to be as objective as I can, but I think he’s been the best midfielder in this World Cup.
“I have nothing but respect for guys like Luka Modric, Marcelo Brozovic and Rodrigo De Paul and many others, but I think he’s been absolutely the best player in midfield in this World Cup.”
Chittagong Vikings overcame Andre Fletcher’s blistering 71 to defend 211 and beat Sylhet Sixers by 40 runs in their first home game
The Report by Mohammad Isam24-Nov-2017 Live Scorecard and ball-by-ball updatesStiaan van Zyl and Sikandar Raza shared a 73-run partnership•Raton Gomes/BCB
Chittagong Vikings picked themselves up from the bottom of the points table by beating Sylhet Sixers by 40 runs in their first game at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, the team’s home venue. Sikandar Raza’s superb hitting powered Chittagong to 211 for 5 – the highest total in this season of the BPL.Raza slammed six sixes and nine fours in his 45-ball 95. He shared partnerships of 73 for the fourth wicket with Stiaan van Zyl and 68 for the fifth wicket with Najibullah Zadran. All that after Luke Ronchi’s cameo at the top gave the hosts a flying start.Andre Fletcher threatened Chittagong for a large duration of the chase with a blistering 71, but Sylhet collapsed after his dismissal. They lost six wickets in less than four overs, slipping from 123 for 1 to 144 for 7 and eventually finishing on 171 for 8.Ronchi sets Chittagong upRonchi has been instrumental in giving Chittagong a quick start in almost every game, and today was no different. He started off with a six over square-leg in the first over, and went on to hit six fours as well in his 25-ball 41.But incoming batsmen Soumya Sarkar and Anamul Haque couldn’t quite match Ronchi as they fell for 1 and 3 respectively. By the time Ronchi was out in the eighth over, Chittagong were well-set for a big total.Raza and van Zyl consolidateBefore Raza started his 45-ball blitz of 85 to get on top of the Sylhet attack, Stiaan van Zyl struck Taijul Islam for a six over midwicket very early. Raza, who was dropped in the 10th over, got into the act when he and van Zyl struck Nasir for one six each in the next over.Raza then targeted Ghulam Mudassar and Abul Hasan for one six each – over extra cover and midwicket. Their 73-run partnership ended in the 14th over, but by then Chittagong were already on 138.Raza tees off with a six-barrageRaza and Najibullah kept the run-rate up in the last seven overs, but the sixes started to rain from the 18th over onwards when Raza slammed Hasan over cover and deep into the stands at midwicket. He then blasted Tim Bresnan over midwicket for his sixth six to move into the nineties, and his highest T20 score.With five balls remaining, Raza sliced Kamrul Islam Rabbi into the hands of deep point, falling five short of a deserved century.Fletcher keeps Sylhet in the huntDanushka Gunathilaka sounded out Sylhet’s intentions by hitting Sunzamul Islam for a straight six off the first ball of the chase. Fletcher took his cue and hammered Raza for two sixes in the next over – over extra cover and midwicket.Fletcher upped his game in the next over when he hammered four consecutive boundaries, three through the offside and one straight down the ground, off Subashis Roy. Gunathilaka’s dismissal in the fifth over hardly mattered as Fletcher and Babar Azam made a smooth transition in their hitting.Azam cracked Luis Reece for his first six over midwicket, before Fletcher hammered Tanbir Hayder straight for another six in the ninth over. He added another in the 14th over, a huge hit over midwicket off Taskin Ahmed.Sylhet slump in a heapTaskin, however, hit back when Raza took a great running catch from cover to remove the dangerous Fletcher for 71 in the 14th over. Van Zyl then took two wickets in the 15th. Soumya removed Hasan and Bresnan in the 16th over, and just like that, the required-run rate had hit astronomical heights. That proved too much for Sylhet to manage any sort of a recovery, and they finished well short of their target.
Upon their promotion back to the promised land, Burnley have shelled out €91.6m (£78.3m) to flesh out the squad for Premier League football.
The latest name on the verge of a transfer to Turf Moor is Aaron Ramsey, in what would be a hugely exciting move for all parties.
What’s the latest Burnley transfer news?
According to reports, Aston Villa have already agreed to sell Aaron Ramsey to Burnley for around £14m.
However, the deal is yet to be completed as the Midlands outfit are finalising the add-ons and are insisting upon a buy-back option.
This has been confirmed by Unai Emery, who said: “Young players are very important for us. And we have to make a plan for them. In the past, present and the future and we don’t want to stop their career.
“Now, Aaron is so close to leaving and the idea is to have the possibility to recover him if he progresses over the next year or for more, deserving to play and come here."
Burnley manager Vincent Kompany has also commented on the situation, adding: "The latest I've heard is that we're close. He's not our player yet but I hope he will be soon."
What is Aaron Ramsey's style of play?
The 20-year-old has been at Aston Villa since U9 level, and whilst his older brother Jacob has evolved into one of the club’s most important and talented assets, Aaron’s path to the first team looks far more complicated, hence Burnley’s interest.
Although he has made just one appearance for the senior side, the attacking midfielder has been sensational for the youth sides – in 53 appearances for the U18 and U21 sides, he recorded 37 goal contributions and his glittering academy performances meant a first-team beckoned.
Last season, this experience arrived in the Championship with Norwich City and Middlesbrough.
Aaron-Ramsey-Middlesbrough
Across 21 starts for both clubs, he bagged eight goals and crafted four assists in either a central or wide playmaking role.
Middlesbrough coach Michael Carrick was extremely impressed with the youngster, praising his positive impact on the side, saying: “AJ’s been terrific for a number of weeks. He’s so creative and a natural with the ball.”
During his time in north Yorkshire, Ramsey averaged the most dribbles per game (1.8) in the squad and his journey could be reminiscent of Morgan Gibbs-White’s glorious rise.
The 5 foot 7 technician had been at Wolves since 2008, and after 12 Premier League starts over four years, he was sent out on to Sheffield United for the 2021/22 season.
That year he starred in the second tier, as Ramsey was set to do a year later. Indeed, the attacking midfielder notched 22 goal involvements in the Championship and averaged the most key passes (1.6), and dribbles (1.4) per game, as per WhoScored.
As a result, last summer, Gibbs-White sealed a move to newly-promoted Nottingham Forest and has emerged as an indispensable component of the side.
In 34 Premier League matches, the forward once again averaged the most key passes (1.9), and dribbles (1.3) per game. He has registered eight assists, a higher total than the likes of Jack Grealish, Martin Odegaard, and Son Heung-Min.
Gibbs-White progression from a successful Championship loanee to a guaranteed top-flight starter is something that Ramsey can aim for, and with his current potential, it is a very achievable feat.
Arsenal are reportedly reigniting their interest in Argentine forward Emiliano Buendia, as Mikel Arteta and Edu Gaspar eye further reinforcements this summer.
The duo have already equipped the side with the talents of Kai Havertz, Jurrien Timber and Declan Rice this window, spending over £200m in the bid to continue their title challenging form of the 2022/23 campaign.
It’s speculated that the spending is far from over with one week remaining until the opening fixture of the 2023/24 season, as the club continues to be linked with talent.
Could Arsenal sign Emiliano Buendia?
As reported by FootballTransfers, Arsenal could eye a move for Aston Villa attacking midfielder Buendia with the hope to add to their depth on the right side.
Read the latest Arsenal transfer news HERE…
The Gunners were said to be ‘seriously’ interested in signing the winger from Norwich City back in 2021 prior to his move to Villa, as per football.london.
In a transfer that was worth £38m, the 26-year-old could be on the move again after just two years in the Midlands.
How many goals has Emiliano Buendia scored for Aston Villa?
After making the move from Carrow Road to Villa Park, the Argentine has found the net on just nine occasions in two seasons in claret and blue in what has been a slightly underwhelming spell in the Premier League.
Arsenal’s reported interest in the 26-year-old back in 2021 was understandable following his phenomenal 32 goal and assist-contributing season in the Championship for the Canaries.
Scoring 15 goals and registering 17 assists, Buendia captured the eye of the top-flight and opted to sign for the Villans.
Aston Villa forward Emiliano Buendia
In hindsight, the Gunners dodged a bullet with him being branded as a player that has “not been consistent enough” by former Leeds United striker Noel Whelan via Football Insider.
On the back of his 15-goal campaign, the Argentine managed four goals in the Premier League, suggesting that the full story of his potential has not been translated to the highest level as it was on show in the Championship.
For Arsenal, interest in the 26-year-old could spell disaster for Edu as he looks to improve the depth of the squad at the Emirates, something that he could move further away from in hiring the Midlands flop.
The Gunners are in the process of sanctioning a move for Nicolas Pepe, who as a fellow right-sided forward has been unable to impress in the Premier League.
Despite being cut away from Arteta’s plans, the Ivory Coast international made more of an impact in the English top-flight than Buendia has in his opening two seasons, scoring 15 goals over the 2019/20 and 2020/21 league campaigns.
Making a move for the £82k-per-week dud would be a less ambitious move in comparison to the other deals secured this summer, in a player that has performed at a lower level than Pepe, who has been exiled from the Emirates for his lack of form.
At a time when the north Londoners have worked their way to be regarded as title contenders once again, Edu should avoid a move for a figure proven to struggle in the Premier League, in a deal that could replicate the right-sided failure of Pepe’s tenure.
West Ham United have maintained their "interest" in Conor Gallagher, and while Chelsea are happy to keep him, they do not consider him "untouchable", claims transfers expert Fabrizio Romano.
Is Conor Gallagher joining Chelsea this summer?
Life in a post-Declan Rice world has been frustrating for West Ham so far as, despite pocketing a cool £105m – a new record for a British footballer – the only player they have acquired on the market thus far has been Sean Moore from Northern Irish side Cliftonville.
It hasn't been through lack of trying, however, as the club have been linked to a swath of players this summer, the likes of Joao Palhinha, James Ward-Prowse, and Harvey Barnes, before he was sold to Newcastle United.
The problem is the prices they are being quoted for these players, with the Cottagers asking for anything from £60m to £90m for Palhinha this summer.
Joao Palhinha Fulham
It seems like their influx of cash from the Rice sale has given selling clubs the confidence to ask for more money when the Irons come knocking.
It looks like this situation has played out yet again, only this time with Chelsea's Conor Gallagher.
According to Sky Sports, the Hammers made an offer worth £40m to sign the 23-year-old, an offer which was rejected, despite the dynamic midfielder having just two years left on his £50,000-a-week contract.
Despite this setback, the East Londoners have maintained their interest in the England international and could try again this summer, per transfers expert Fabrizio Romano.
He explained the situation on his YouTube channel, saying:
"They received an official bid from West Ham for Conor Gallagher. It's around £40million, it also includes some add-ons. It's something around £39m plus add-ons from West Ham, and from Chelsea, it was a no.
"So, after thinking about that in the recent hours with Mauricio Pochettino involved in the conversation, Chelsea decided to say no to that bid. They want more to let Conor Gallagher go.
"For Chelsea, Gallagher is not untouchable, they can sell him, but they want a good proposal. He's not out of the project, but they would only sell for a good proposal.
"And now the feeling is that they want something around £50m. Lets see what West Ham will do, but the opening bid has been rejected but the interest is still there."
How good is Conor Gallagher?
In what was one of Chelsea's worst seasons in a very long time last year, Gallagher had a decent enough season in which he was given a relatively significant amount of game time, 1657 minutes, to be exact.
Across his 1616 minutes in the Premier League, he scored three goals and provided one assist, giving him a goal involvement every 404 minutes or one every four and a half games.
While that certainly isn't all that impressive, his underlying numbers are, and suggest that maybe he should have found himself on the scoresheet more often than he did last year.
Chelsea's Conor Gallagher
According to FBref, who compare players in a similar position across Europe's top five leagues, the Epsom-born dynamo sits in the top 3% for touches in the opposition's penalty area, the top 4% for progressive passes received and blocks, the top 9% for non-penalty expected goals, the top 12% for total shots, the top 19% for progressive carries, the top 21% for successful take-ons, and the top 22% for expected assists, all per 90.
While he hasn't entirely lived up to the hype he generated during his loan spell with Crystal Palace – a spell that led Spanish publication Marca (via the Daily Mail) to call him a "jewel" – Gallagher certainly looks to have the raw ingredients to be a fantastic Premier League player, and David Moyes should be going back in for him.
Glasgow Rangers are far from finished in the transfer window, with another couple of players looking likely to arrive before the end of August.
Michael Beale is also undertaking a massive Ibrox overhaul too, moving on those who don’t have a future at the club and Glen Kamara could be the next person to leave the Gers.
How much is Glen Kamara worth?
According to Football Insider, Kamara is ‘closing’ in on a £5m move to Championship side Leeds United as he is in ‘advanced talks’ to secure a move south of the border.
Despite having two years left on his current contract, it appears as though Beale is keen to move him on this summer in order to raise some funds for future purchases, looking set to make a stunning profit on him in the process.
The 27-year-old cost just £50k when Steven Gerrard signed him from Dundee in January 2019, turning into one of their finest pieces of transfer business conducted in recent years.
Why are Rangers selling Glen Kamara?
The reason Beale can move on Kamara is due to the imminent arrival of Ecuadorian midfielder Jose Cifuentes at Ibrox.
The Los Angeles FC star signed a pre-contract agreement with the Light Blues, but now The Athletic have claimed Rangers will pay a fee to sign him this summer, something that gives the manager the licence to ditch Kamara.
The former Arsenal youngster started just 18 games across all competitions last term and found that his influence heavily waned to that of previous seasons as he ranked a lowly 14th for accurate passes (33.6), tenth for key passes (one) and 25th for tackles (0.5) across the whole Rangers squad in the league last term.
He was even dubbed “terrible” by Rangers Review journalist Joshua Barrie back in April 2022, and it appears as though this is when his performances began to dip.
In contrast, Cifuentes was in excellent form and emerged as one of his side's finest performers during the 2022 MLS campaign as LAFC won the season-ending MLS Cup.
Ecuador international Jose Cifuentes.
The 24-year-old ranked ninth in his squad for accurate passes (27.9), fourth for key passes (1.3) and third for tackles per game (1.8) during the successful season, and he appears to be a great deal ahead of Kamara in terms of winning the ball back in midfield along with exuding his creative talents with regard to making key passes often.
His forward-thinking mentality could also be of use to Beale. Compared to positional peers across eight similar leagues to the MLS, Cifuentes ranks in the top 5% for progressive passes (8.14) and successful take-ons (1.78) per 90 along with featuring in the top 10% for progressive carries (2.53) and touches in the attacking penalty area (2.41) per 90, showcasing his ability to get forward as often as possible and contribute heavily when his team are attacking.
Although the potential fee for Cifuentes is unknown, it won't be near as much as the £5m Rangers are getting for the sale of Kamara, something that could turn out to be a wonderful piece of business conducted by Beale and his team ahead of the new campaign.
كشف بيب جوارديولا مدرب مانشستر سيتي، عن موقف الثلاثي إيدرسون وكايل ووكر وناثان آكي، من المشاركة أمام كريستال بالاس يوم السبت بالدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.
أصيب إيدرسون في تعادل مانشستر سيتي 1-1 مع ليفربول على ملعب آنفيلد أوائل الشهر الماضي بعد التحام مع داروين نونيز.
وعاد حارس المرمى إلى التدريب عشية مباراة آرسنال التي انتهت بالتعادل السلبي يوم الأحد الماضي، لكن غاب عنها وعن الفوز 4-1 على أستون فيلا يوم الأربعاء.
واضطر ووكر إلى الخروج من المباراة التي خسرتها إنجلترا أمام البرازيل 1-0 على ملعب ويمبلي في التوقف الدولي، وأصيب آكي بعد 25 دقيقة من الشوط الأول أمام آرسنال وحل محله ريكو لويس.
وفي حديثه لوسائل الإعلام في مؤتمره الصحفي قبل المباراة، قال جوارديولا: “إيديرسون أفضل بكثير وربما يكون ضمن القائمة، ناثان وكايل غير جاهزين”.
اقرأ أيضًا | ليفربول وآرسنال يخسران النقاط.. جوارديولا يوضح متى سيحسم لقب الدوري الإنجليزي
سُئل المدرب أيضًا عما إذا كان كيفين دي بروين وإيرلينج هالاند، اللذين كانا على مقاعد البدلاء في مباراة أستون فيلا، سيشاركان أمام كريستال بالاس.
ورد: “أنا لا أعرف حتى الآن، نلعب في وقت الظهيرة وقادمون من مباراة لعبناها قبل يومين فقط، يجب أن أفكر”.
وأشاد جوارديولا بخصمه كريستال بالاس ومدربهم أوليفر جلاسنر، قائلا: “لقد كان الأمر صعبًا دائمًا، يقوم جلاسنر بعمل جيد حقًا”.
وأتم: “لديهم الجودة واللاعبون الآخرون بنيتهم جيدة، إنهم أقوياء دفاعيًا مع قيادة أندرسن لخمسة في خط دفاع، كانت القوة البدنية موجودة دائمًا، سيلهيرست بارك ملعب صعب دائمًا، ونحن نعلم ذلك”.
Australia’s assistant coach David Saker has said that they were horrified when captain Steven Smith looked up to the dressing room for DRS advice during the Bengaluru Test, and said suggestions that the communication was systematically used are absurd
Brydon Coverdale09-Mar-2017Australia’s coaching staff was “horrified” when captain Steven Smith looked to the dressing room for advice on a review during the Bengaluru Test, assistant coach David Saker has said. Saker also described as “absurd” suggestions that Australia systematically used such forbidden communication between on-field and off-field personnel when deciding on whether to ask for reviews.After the heated final day in Bengaluru, India’s captain Virat Kohli claimed that he had seen Australia’s players look to the dressing room for review advice on two occasions earlier in the match, and was quick to object when Smith did so while batting. Smith later owned up to his mistake, calling it a “brain fade”, and the ICC has since confirmed that no sanctions would arise from the Test.Australia’s integrity has been vigorously defended by coach Darren Lehmann and Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland, while India spinner R Ashwin compared the Smith incident to something out of “an Under-10 game”, saying it was “completely unheard of”. But if the Smith incident surprised the Indians, Saker said it was equally jarring to the Australians.”It’s pretty much absurd,” Saker said of suggestions that Australia used such a communication system. “I think when actually Steven Smith did look up, we were more horrified than anyone else because we had never seen that before. We haven’t got any elaborate sign system, and when he did do that, it was quite a surprise to us. But that’s never happened to me anywhere in my time in cricket.”After the match, Smith said he had consulted his batting partner Peter Handscomb when given out lbw, and Handscomb had suggested Smith look to the dressing room for advice. Smith said that he did so was “a brain fade”, while Handscomb has since said that his own relative inexperience in using the DRS meant he had not known his suggestion to Smith was against the rules.”It’s still new in my international career, so I haven’t had a lot to do with the DRS and I’m now a lot more familiar with it,” Handscomb said. “Just completely unaware that you couldn’t do that. But now I know – I’ve been well and truly informed and just looking forward to moving on from this.”Although Kohli did not use the word “cheat” in his post-match press conference, the term has been used in the media following on from Kohli’s accusations. Saker said that while it hurt the Australians to be described in such a way – “you should have to back up what you say,” he said – they would aim to brush off the issue and focus on the third Test in Ranchi.”It’s really offensive,” Saker said. “Probably the worst thing you can be called is cheats. That’s an offensive thing and we have never done something like that and never will. We will rub it off, get on to Ranchi, and try and win there.”However, Saker said that while he was unaware of any team using signals from the dressing room to indicate whether a player should ask for a review, he conceded that the length of time allowed – players have 15 seconds from the ball becoming dead in which they are permitted to ask for a review – meant that it was not implausible.”I think the ICC might be looking at something, maybe shortening the time the captains are given,” Saker said. “Because there is a lot of time, that could actually happen if you wanted to do it. I’ve never seen it and I’ve never heard anybody ever talk about it until yesterday, so as I said, it’s nothing that we’ve ever done and I’ve never heard of.”The DRS controversy aside, the second Test was a disappointing one for Australia after they took a 1-0 series lead in Pune. They had also held the advantage after the first day in Bengaluru. Saker said that while the pitch made batting difficult, it had at least made for a fascinating Test match – though one that was difficult for Australia’s coaching staff to watch towards the end.”It was horrible being a coach,” he said. “I can only imagine how hard it was for the players. That was a seriously tense game and we can talk about the wicket probably wasn’t up to Test standard. But it made for a fantastic game of Test cricket, so you can argue it was up to Test standards.”