VOLGOGRAD: Both Egypt and Algeria are considering Morocco’s Herve Renard as their future coach with the North African national teams looking to fill the vacancies in their respective dugouts.
Morocco may have been knocked out of the World Cup with just one point, but the Atlas Lions impressed with how they played — only narrowly losing to Iran and Portugal before being very unlucky not to beat Spain in a 2-2 thriller on Monday.
The same day as Morocco’s World Cup exit Algeria fired Rabah Madjer, appointed in October to rebuild a team that failed to qualify for the tournament in Russia, as head coach.
Algeria FA president Kheireddine Zetchi has declared an interest in Renard along with Vahid Halilhodzic, who led Algeria to the knockout stage of the 2014 World Cup, and Iran boss Carlos Queiroz
“Halilhodzic and Renard are both on our list, Queiroz is a seasoned coach, he has experience with Iran, he may be in our list,” Zetchi said. “I will not go more than that on the names, we have a list, we will start the negotiations once we have settled things with Madjer.”
The president said that he wanted a French-speaking coach with knowledge of North African football who has had results on the international stage. Renard is seen as the front-runner but Zetchi has also said he will not rush despite reports in the Moroccan media that Egypt have already made an offer.
“We will wait until the end of the World Cup. I think there will be coaches who will leave their current positions.”
Egypt, who were hugely disappointing in Russia losing all three of their Group A matches, announced on Tuesday that the contract of Hector Cuper would not be extended. Not only had the Argentine led the Pharaohs too the bottom of a group seen as the weakest in the tournament, but there was severe criticism over the team’s defensive tactics both before and during the tournament.
In a meeting at the Egyptian Football Association headquarters in Cairo, there was a majority of executives in favor of hiring another foreign coach with sources claiming that Renard is top of the list that also includes Halilhodzic.
Egypt Football Association boss Hany Abo Rida admitted that Renard was an attractive prospect but that his current employment conditions are the major stumbling block.
“There may be negotiations with Renard if he breaks his contract with the Moroccan team only,” Abo Rida said.
Renard, who joined Morocco in February 2016, has a contract until 2022 but was non-committal on Monday when asked about his future.
“Now is the time to savour this moment,” said the Frenchman.
“I will think about the future later.”
Former Egyptian international Tarek Mostafa has called upon the federation to move quickly for the 49 year-old. “I hope that Renard can be the coach of Egypt,” said Mostafa, who is the head coach of Moroccan club Rapide Qued Zem. “ He is the best and he can achieve good results with us, and his style suits Egypt perfectly.”
This World Cup was the first time four Arab teams qualified — Egypt, Morocco, Saudi Arabia and Tunisia — leading to hope that at least one of the would make it through to the second round. However, while none of them disgraced themselves, all four failed to progress to the knockout stages, leading Tunisia coach Nabil Maaloul to comment that Arab teams need two generations to reach the top level.
The Tunisia coach was speaking after watching his Tunisia side thrashed 5-2 by Belgium in a match that underlined the gulf between the two teams.
“We did not disappoint the Arab world, we did not give up on our Arab fans,” the Tunisian coach said.
“We need two more generations to reach (the top) level of performance in terms of fitness and physical strength. We are far from the required level.”
That view was echoed by the side’s captain, Wabhi Khazri who said: “The level was too high, too elevated over the (tournament).”
Algeria and Egypt keen on Herve Renard after Morocco impress at World Cup
Algeria and Egypt keen on Herve Renard after Morocco impress at World Cup
- Renard debating his future with the Atlas Lions after they were eliminated from the World Cup.
- Egypt and Algeria both keen on the Frenchman to lead their national teams.
Pakistan eye comeback against New Zealand in fourth T20I today
- A second-string New Zealand squad beat Pakistan by seven wickets on Sunday in Rawalpindi
- Skipper Babar Azam says pacers Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah have ability to make comeback
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will be eyeing a comeback today, Thursday, in the fourth match of the T20I series against New Zealand in Lahore after suffering a defeat at the hands of a second-string Kiwi squad last week.
Pakistan will head into today’s match against Michael Bracewell’s squad without star batter and wicketkeeper Muhammad Rizwan, who has been pulled from the series after he felt discomfort in his right hamstring.
New Zealand are missing key players including Trent Boult and skipper Kane Williamson as they opted to play in the lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL) while pulled out of the Pakistan series due to injuries.
Despite that, the Kiwis managed to beat Pakistan on Sunday by seven wickets in Rawalpindi, shocking the 2009 T20I world champions on their own turf.
“We did not lose because of any two or three players,” Pakistan captain Babar Azam said at a press conference in Lahore on Wednesday night. “We lost as a team. In the batting, bowling and fielding [areas] we did collapse a little.”
Pakistan’s premium fast bowlers Naseem Shah and Shaheen Shah Afridi failed to impress against New Zealand in the third T20I. However, Azam backed both bowlers, describing them as Pakistan’s “best” bowlers.
“They know how to make a comeback, even if it [bad performance] happens in one game. It is part of life,” he said. “It can’t happen that one person performs every single day.”
The series is an important one for both sides as they gear up for the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 in the West Indies and USA scheduled to be held in June.
The last match of the Pakistan-New Zealand series will be played in Lahore on May 27. Pakistan and New Zealand have both won one match against each other so far, with the first T20I fixture washed away by rain.
The match begins at 7:30 p.m. Pakistan Standard Time.
UAE jiu-jitsu team eye fourth consecutive Asia title
- Eighth edition of the Jiu-Jitsu Asian Championships will run from May 3-8 at Mubadala Arena in Abu Dhabi
ABU DHABI: The adult UAE Jiu-Jitsu national teams are looking to claim a fourth consecutive title at the eighth Jiu-Jitsu Asian Championships set to take place at Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala Arena from May 3 to 8.
The championships will have more than 1,500 athletes competing from over 30 countries.
Competitions for adults will run from May 3 to 5, while the Asian Youth Championship — a new addition this year — will be held from May 6 to 8.
The UAE were crowned champions in the last edition held in Bangkok last year.
The youth team are eyeing the inaugural title, building on their success from last year at the 28th Jiu-Jitsu World Championship in Kazakhstan.
Mubarak Al-Menhali, director of the technical department at the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation, said: “We are providing the team with all the support they need as they prepare to defend the title. We have full faith in their capabilities to deliver valiant performances, as they have done in the past few years, positioning themselves as continental champions.”
“The skills and determination displayed by our heroes is a result of the limitless support of the wise leadership, the continuous efforts of the UAEJJF, their endless passion, and the continuous encouragement from Emirati fans.”
Ramon Lemos, head coach of the national team, said: “Our athletes have consistently been adhering to the technical team’s instructions and plans, translating them into results, bringing in medals and titles. They are fully committed, focused, and more determined than ever, and we are confident that they are capable of clinching the title again.”
Ibrahim Al-Hosani, coach of the youth team, said: “Many of the male and female athletes taking part in the competitions of the Asian Youth Championship are emerging stars who are well-prepared to win titles and take the UAE’s journey of success in jiu-jitsu forward. We have full confidence in their abilities to shine and make history by becoming the first to achieve the title of the Jiu-Jitsu Youth Asian Championship.”
Khaled Al-Baloushi, a member of the national team, said: “This time I am stepping onto the mats as a brown belt holder, which is the result of 13 years of hard work and continuous training. I am fully aware of the responsibility entrusted to me, and I am more determined than ever to perform well and make the nation proud.”
Cricket facing its own climate test
- With international cricket played throughout the year, the probability of matches being affected by adverse weather has increased
Rain is the scourge of cricket. It has the capacity to whip up conflicting feelings. Players may feel that it has rescued their team from looming defeat or denied them of certain victory.
Spectators may feel the same way but will not have the cover of a pavilion or dressing room in which to shelter. Furthermore, they are likely to feel deprived of part of their entrance fee. These feelings used to be commonly associated with cricket in the British Isles. This may still linger, given the wet start to the 2024 county cricket season, but it is no longer universally the case.
In the UAE, of all places, a year of rain is reported to have fallen in 24 hours, from late Monday to Tuesday. At 3 p.m. on Monday it was as dark as the night. Some reports suggested that cloud seeding was the cause, but why might that have been deployed at that time of year? The EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service reports that the Earth recorded its hottest March on record, the 10th consecutive month to reach that feat. These all-time monthly highs were observed both in the air and in water. The Copernicus report judged that the temperatures were the result of decades of human-caused warming and El Nino climate patterns.
Obtaining a consensus on the causes seems beyond reach, although data points to an extraordinary surge in temperatures around the planet. This may stop once El Nino patterns end and temperatures cool. It is not yet possible to know if a fundamental shift has occurred in the Earth’s climate. In this uncertain moment, longer-term decisions have to be made by those responsible for running cricket.
An example of this is real in Worcester, England. Since 1896, Worcestershire County Cricket Club’s home has been at New Road, nestling under the watchful eye of the neighboring cathedral. This provides it with iconic status in the eyes of the cricketing world. The ground also sits on the west bank of the River Severn which, in recent years, has flooded with increasing regularity. This season, the county’s first two matches cannot be played there because the ground has not recovered from the winter’s flooding. Instead, they will be played at Kidderminster, 25km north.
The increased frequency and severity of flooding is causing the club’s management to assess alternative options to sustain its future. Amongst these are improved flood-alleviation measures and a move away from New Road, a prospect that is anathema to many supporters. The city is mindful of what happened to its soccer and rugby teams. The former moved grounds in 2013, resulting in a nomadic existence for a decade and a drop of three levels in the game’s pyramid. Its rugby team entered receivership in October 2022.
This sorrowful tale, thrown into stark perspective for Worcestershire CCC by adverse climate events, differs from the effects of adverse weather in other parts of the world. In the UAE, the effects were to cause the cancellation of a quadrangular tournament between the women’s T20 teams of the UAE, the US, the Netherlands and Scotland in Abu Dhabi. This was planned as a warm-up event before the ICC women’s T20I qualifying tournament in Abu Dhabi, set to open on April 25. Players have been deprived of valuable match practice, but that deprivation pales against that suffered by local residents.
During the Asia Premier Cup in Oman, there was rain, not of UAE proportions, but sufficient to disrupt some matches. The urbane curator of south Indian descent, Annop C Kandy, remarked that he had rarely seen rain in his eight years in charge and would normally expect temperatures in the 40°C range during April — an antidote to notions of a warming planet. He also revealed that whatever rain did fall came from the west and was short-lived. Unusually, this rain was from the south and southeast.
It caused much work for the curator and his staff, who coped admirably, notably when placing covers over the pitches during heavy windy conditions. Six of the 24 matches were shortened, two to 18 overs, two to 15 overs, one to 11 overs and one to eight overs. The last one affected Saudi Arabia and Nepal, with the latter winning with four balls to spare. It will never be known how the match would have played out if 20 overs had been possible.
Given that international cricket is now played around the world throughout the year, it should be no surprise that the probability of matches being affected by adverse weather has increased. It also seems that the severity of the impact is increasing. A recent example of this has occurred in Scotland. Unprecedented poor weather delayed pitch preparation at a ground near Dundee where a Cricket World Cup League 2 tournament between Scotland, Namibia and Oman was postponed. Originally due to take place between May 2 and 12, it is now scheduled for July, with the agreement of the three countries and the International Cricket Council.
It should not be forgotten that the 2023 Indian Premier League final was affected by rain in Ahmedabad. The match was originally scheduled to be played on May 28, but was postponed to the reserve day, May 29. This was the first time that the IPL final had been postponed because of adverse weather. Chennai Super Kings’ response was delayed for over an hour by rain and then the target adjusted with the innings being reduced to 15 overs. This outcome for a showpiece final was not ideal.
Although rain is regarded as cricket’s traditional bete noire, other climate issues have begun to be felt. During the ODI World Cup in India last November, extreme heat levels affected players, as did very high levels of air pollution, especially in Delhi. Cricketers and their administrators can do little to prevent the causes of these problems. What they are faced with is the need to devise and adopt measures which ameliorate the impact of climate issues and enhance the game’s sustainability. This may be about to get more difficult.
Heat barrage stuns Celtics, Thunder thrash Pelicans
- It was another trademark display of defiance from Miami, who are aiming to emulate their playoff run of last season
- The No.1 ranked Thunder took a commanding 2-0 lead in their first-round series against New Orleans Pelicans
LOS ANGELES: The Miami Heat unleashed a barrage of three-pointers to score a series-leveling 111-101 upset over the top-seeded Boston Celtics in their NBA Eastern Conference playoff duel on Wednesday.
Eighth seeds Miami, playing without the injured Jimmy Butler, produced a battling performance to knot the best-of-seven-series at 1-1 as the teams head back to Florida for Game 3 on Saturday.
Tyler Herro led the Miami scoring with 24 points, part of a balanced offensive effort that saw all five Heat starters post double-digit points.
But the key to the Miami victory was their accuracy from long-range, with the Heat draining 23 three-pointers from 43 attempts compared to Boston’s 12 of 32.
Herro knocked down six threes while Caleb Martin added five in his tally of 21 points.
Bam Adebayo also finished with 21 points while Jaime Jaquez Jr. added 14 and Nikola Jovic 11.
Boston, meanwhile, was led by 33 points from Jaylen Brown, with Jayson Tatum finishing with 28 in a losing effort.
The win was all the more unexpected given Miami’s 20-point drubbing by Boston in Game 1 on Sunday — something Herro said had motivated the Heat for Game 2.
“We lost badly in Game 1 and everybody responded tonight, and that’s all you can ask for from a group of guys,” Herro said afterwards.
Herro revealed that he had been encouraged by Butler to take on a leadership role in the absence of the injured Miami talisman.
“Just before this series, JB texted me to take the team and you know lead these guys, just make every right play,” Herro said.
“It’s not all about scoring, (in) the playoffs you gotta make the right play. Our guys showed up tonight — Caleb Martin, Nikola, Jaime.”
It was another trademark display of defiance from Miami, who are aiming to emulate their playoff run of last season when they reached the NBA Finals after entering the postseason via the play-in tournament.
“We don’t even want to mention last year, this year is a whole new year,” Herro said.
“We feel like we have a great group of guys. We’re not fully healthy, but we have guys who want to play and want to be out here making a difference.”
Boston star Tatum meanwhile said the Celtics had expected a backlash after their comfortable Game 1 victory.
“We knew it wasn’t going to be easy,” Tatum said. “There’s a lot of history between these two franchises, especially recently.
“Regardless of seeding or who’s in or who’s out — it’s the playoffs... we’ve got a chance to play another one on Saturday — should be a fun one.”
While the Eastern Conference top seeds were left licking their wounds, there were no such problems for Boston’s Western Conference counterparts Oklahoma City.
The No.1 ranked Thunder took a commanding 2-0 lead in their first-round series against the eighth-seeded New Orleans Pelicans with an emphatic 124-92 thrashing.
The Thunder took the lead early in the first quarter and were in complete control throughout, holding a double-digit advantage from the second quarter onwards which reached 34 points at one stage late in the fourth quarter.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the scoring for Oklahoma City, finishing with 33 points from 13-of-19 shooting from the field.
Chet Holmgren added 26 points while Jalen Williams chipped in with 21. Luguentz Dort added 15 points including four three-pointers.
The result was in stark contrast to Game 1, which went down to the wire before Oklahoma City prevailed 94-92 on Sunday.
“Within a seven-game series, we’ve just got to take it day by day and try to get better every day,” Gilgeous-Alexander said afterwards.
“And I think that’s what we did tonight. We definitely had a better performance than we did in game one and that’s our goal. So we’ll take it.”
The series now heads to Game 3 in New Orleans on Saturday.
Nadal says he is not 100% fit ahead of Madrid debut. Spaniard still unsure about playing French Open
Nadal says he is not 100% fit ahead of Madrid debut. Spaniard still unsure about playing French Open
- Rafael Nadal: The sensations haven’t been perfect this week. If it wasn’t Madrid, maybe I wouldn’t play. But there are a lot of emotions involved
- Former world No. 1 Naomi Osaka earned her first win on clay in two years by defeating lucky loser Greet Minnen 6-4, 6-1 in the first round
MADRID: Rafael Nadal will play in the Madrid Open despite not being fully fit and didn’t seem too optimistic about his chances of being ready for the French Open next month.
The 37-year-old Nadal said Wednesday he would not play in Paris if he arrives there feeling the same way that he is feeling ahead of his opening match in Madrid this week.
“The sensations haven’t been perfect this week. If it wasn’t Madrid, maybe I wouldn’t play. But there are a lot of emotions involved,” Nadal said. “I don’t know what’s going to happen in the following three weeks. I’ll keep fighting and doing the things that I think I need to do to play in Paris. And if it’s possible, then it’s possible. If not, then not. I’m not going to play in Paris the way I’m feeling today. It it was Paris, I wouldn’t be playing.”
Nadal has said this is likely his farewell year on tour, and is hoping to be competitive one last time at Roland Garros, where he is a 14-time champion.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion has won a record five times in Madrid, with his last title in the Spanish capital coming in 2017. He is scheduled to debut on Thursday against 16-year-old American Darwin Blanch.
“Hopefully I can play without many limitations,” Nadal said. “Then we’ll see what happens. If I play without limitations, even if I lose, then it will be positive.”
Nadal, who had hip surgery last summer, lost to Alex de Minaur in the second round in Barcelona in what was his first tournament in more than three months.
“The goal is be on court. Enjoy as long as possible,” he said. “I mean, that’s the thing. Try to finish the tournament alive in terms of body issues, and enjoy the fact that I will be able to compete one more time in the professional tour and here at home in Madrid, a place that give me everything, no, in terms of support.”
He said he is giving himself “a chance” and hopes to “find better feelings” in his body going forward.
“I don’t lose hope. I just accept the situation that I have today,” Nadal said. “I mean, I am not playing bad. It’s about more body limitations. ... That’s not allowed me to compete the way that I would like to compete.”
WOMEN’S DRAW
Former world No. 1 Naomi Osaka earned her first win on clay in two years by defeating lucky loser Greet Minnen 6-4, 6-1 in the first round.
Osaka had eight aces and faced one break point for her first clay win since beating Anastasia Potapova in the first round in Madrid in 2022.
“There’s a basis to my game and I want to stick to that, but also respect the court,” said Osaka, who returned from maternity leave in January. “It’s a work in progress for me, but I’m watching a lot more matches on clay, I’m trying to do my homework as best as I can.”
Qualifier Jessica Bouzas Maneiro rallied to defeat fellow Spaniard Paula Badosa 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 to earn her first WTA 1000 main-draw victory and improve her 2024 record to 30-7.
“The tennis level is there, but I need to recover emotionally,” said Badosa, a former No. 2 in the world. “Every week is a disappointment. I’ve been at the top and it’s tough to see myself at the bottom right now.”
American Sloane Stephens beat Martina Trevisan 6-3, 5-7, 6-4, while compatriot Bernarda Pera lost 7-5, 6-2 to Sara Sorribes Tormo.
Maria Lourdes Carle posted her first WTA 1000 victory by defeating 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu 6-2, 6-2, while Italian qualifier Sara Errani beat former world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki 3-6, 7-5, 7-5.
MEN’S DRAW
Luciano Darderi defeated two-time Madrid quarterfinalist Gael Monfils 6-4, 6-2 to set up a meeting with 12th-seeded Taylor Fritz.
Alexander Shevchenko beat Arthur Rinderknech 6-4, 5-7, 6-3 and will be the second-round opponent of two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz.
Jaume Munar, Mariano Navone and Taro Daniel were also winners in Madrid on Wednesday.
