Wanindu Hasaranga’s men can be hard to stop at the T20 World Cup if they start well and gain momentum.
Ten years on from their ICC T20 World Cup winning campaign led by an outgoing golden generation, Sri Lanka’s next crop of cricketers find themselves with a chance to write their names in history by bringing the country another trophy.
It was in 2014 that Sri Lankan legends Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene and Lasith Malinga turned the tables on favourites India to win the T20 World Cup final in Bangladesh.
Now, led by prolific all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga, Sri Lanka may not be outright favourites, but former player Farveez Maharoof believes their recent form cannot be ignored going into the current T20 World Cup in the West Indies and United States.
“Sri Lanka have done marvellously to beat Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Zimbabwe [in recent series],” Maharoof told Al Jazeera, before admitting that the country’s poor finishes in the last T20 World Cups “will be playing on the players’ minds”.
The island nation was once considered a powerhouse in the tournament’s history – and rightly so. They qualified for the final in 2009, semifinals in 2010 and home final in 2012, before lifting the trophy in 2014.
However, since that historic six-wicket win over India in April 2014, the Lankan Lions have failed to reach the knockout stages of the tournament.
(Al Jazeera)
‘Hard to stop them’
Hasaranga’s side will aim to resurrect themselves when their tournament campaign gets under way against South Africa on Monday in New York and Maharoof backs them to do well despite being drawn in a tough group.
Sri Lanka’s Group D – or so-called group of death – also includes South Africa, Bangladesh, the Netherlands and Nepal.
“Hasaranga has led from the front in pressure situations, which is a hallmark of a good leader,” Maharoof, who also played the role of an all-rounder, said of the current captain.
“I see Hasaranga as a positive and aggressive team man, and that’s exactly what you want in a T20 captain.”
The 26-year-old skipper took the reins of the side from Dasun Shanaka in December and has led Sri Lanka to five wins in seven matches. He will benefit from the presence of richly experienced all-rounder Angelo Mathews, who was a vital member of the 2014 title-winning side.
Maharoof believes Mathews’s “wealth of experience and many years of international cricket” are exactly what Hasaranga needs as a young leader.
“Hasaranga has surrounded himself with good players,” he said.
While Sri Lanka have named a spin-heavy squad, considering the crucial role of slower bowlers on the pitches in the US and West Indies, Maharoof sees them as a team that has all its bases covered.
He termed them the tournament’s “dark horses”.
“This Sri Lankan squad has what it takes to go all the way. T20 cricket is all about momentum and if the Sri Lankan team starts well and gains momentum [in the World Cup], it’ll be hard to stop them.”
(Al Jazeera)
Maharoof’s three Sri Lankan players to watch
Hasanranga: “The captain will be a very important player who can play a floater’s role in the batting order, providing them flexibility. With the ball, he will attack and try to take wickets in his four overs. If Hasaranga has a good World Cup, Sri Lanka will have a good World Cup.”
Kusal Mendis: “If he gets going at the top of the [batting] order, he can be brutal.”
Dushmantha Chameera: “Chameera has just won the Indian Premier League with Kolkata Knight Riders and his confidence will be very high. If he stays fit and gets the right rhythm, Chameera will be a bowler to watch.”
West Indies beat PNG by five wickets thanks to a late surge in their opening game after the minnows gave them a scare.
West Indies stuttered and stumbled before eventually scrambling to a five-wicket win over minnows Papua New Guinea (PNG) in their opening Group C encounter of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in Guyana.
Set a modest target of 137, the two-time former champions were undone by clever, disciplined PNG bowling in the cricket game on Sunday.
The cohosts slumped to 97 for five with only four overs left before all-rounder Roston Chase’s unbeaten 42 off 27 balls helped the cohosts over the line with an over to spare.
Their unbroken sixth-wicket partnership of 40 came off just three overs and denied PNG one of the biggest shocks, not just in the eight editions of this tournament, but in all international cricket given that this was just their second appearance in a world tournament, having lost all three matches in their debut appearance at the 2021 T20 World Cup.
“Based on what we saw when PNG batted, it was always going to be hard for batsmen now coming in, so I gave myself some time to have the best chance possible and back my skills to get the ball away once I got in,” Chase said.
The player of the match conceded 26 runs from four overs of off-spin and also held a brilliant catch at backward point to remove PNG captain Assad Vala.
Vala led the way with the ball for the underdogs in taking two for 28 from four overs of spin after seamer Alei Nao struck at the start of the West Indies chase with the wicket of Johnson Charles’s first ball.
That early success fired up the Papuans despite the shot-making of Brandon King (34) and Nicholas Pooran (27).
When both fell within 11 deliveries of each other and captain Rovman Powell followed, PNG sensed an upset of monumental proportions before Chase redressed the balance when joined by Russell following the swift demise of Sherfane Rutherford.
“We were 10-15 runs short of what would have been a more competitive target, but after losing so many early wickets it was still a good effort,” said Valla in reflecting on the narrow loss.
“We are happy with the fight we showed in trying to defend that total. This is an opportunity for us and we look forward to the challenge to play our best cricket in tournaments and against teams like this.”
Earlier, Sese Bau’s belligerent 50 off 43 balls (six fours, one six) represented the only meaningful contribution from PNG in totalling 136 for eight after they were put in to bat.
Wicketkeeper Kiplin Doriga (27 not out) and Valla (21) were the other players to get past 20 with fast bowlers Alzarri Joseph and Russell spearheading the West Indies effort with two wickets each.
“Credit to PNG because they played good cricket and their plans were simple, but at the end it was important for us to get the two points,” said a relieved Powell.
“We need to be better though in all three departments of the game [batting, bowling and fielding]. We weren’t quite up to the standard today that we expect of ourselves and we need to improve for the coming matches.”
Captain: Rovman Powell Fixtures: Papua New Guinea (June 2), Uganda (June 9), New Zealand (June 13), Afghanistan (June 18) Best finish at T20 World Cup: Champions (2012 and 2016)
The steady rise of the West Indies to the top of the game in the 1970s was built upon a ferocious pace quartet, but their plot to win the T20 World Cup, which they are co-hosting with the United States, could hinge on a trio of spinners.
For nearly four decades, the Caribbean rolled out lightning-quick bowlers that struck fear into their opponents. From Joel Garner, Michael Holding, Andy Roberts, and Malcolm Marshall to Courtney Walsh, and Curtly Ambrose, it was an incredible line of bowling talent.
The demise of cricket in the region in the last 20 years is much lamented, mainly for, and due to, the loss of the thrill of seeing giants of cricket hurling the ball with such speed and aggression.
Where Test and one-day international (ODI) dominance has declined since the turn of the century, Twenty20 cricket has become something of a beacon for West Indies fans. This tournament is hoped to mark a record third World Cup win in the format with spinners set to be decisive, according to former West Indies selector and England batter, Roland Butcher.
“West Indies have got the players man-to-man to win it,” Butcher told Al Jazeera. “Their strength is going to be their spin bowling. Akeal Hosein, Gudakesh Motie and Roston Chase are going to be key bowlers.”
The latter stages of the tournament will move to the Caribbean, where West Indies will play all their games. This, Butcher believes, will play into the hands of the current crop of Caribbean players as per May’s 3-0 T20 series trouncing of South Africa.
“The pitches [in the Caribbean] don’t really suit the faster bowlers,” Butcher continued.
“The ball was turning square for the spin bowlers in the series against South Africa, [Gudakesh] Motie got three in each of the first two games to win the matches and you’ll see a lot of that going on.
“The pitches in the US are going to be the best ones of the whole tournament. I have the feeling that they have produced Australian drop-in pitches.
“Hopefully, you will see the likes of India and Pakistan scoring a lot of runs but it’s not going to be the same when it comes to the West Indies, the scores are going to be much lower.”
The West Indies expects ahead of T20 World Cup
Barbados-born Butcher, who was the first Black player to play for England, was part of the selection panel that helped West Indies to vastly improve performances in the last two years in all formats. That included a first Test win, to draw the series, in Australia in 20 years.
The scenes of celebration on the field were incredible, with one of the emerging fast bowlers, Jaydon Seales, rolling back the years and claiming a five-wicket haul.
The scenes across the entire Caribbean will be electric if the team can go on and secure a record third T20 crown, and a first on home soil.
“There’s a lot of optimism around the Caribbean right now about this World Cup, perhaps people are overconfident as well, thinking the West Indies only need to turn up and they will win it,” Butcher said.
“I don’t subscribe to that. You still have to play good cricket over a whole tournament to win it.”
“West Indies certainly has the game to beat the big teams on a one-off, but we’ll have to wait to see if, over the course of the tournament, they can maintain that standard.”
West Indies allrounder Andre Russell, right, has won two T20 World Cups and in May lifted the Indian Premier League title with Kolkata Knight Riders under the captaincy of Shreyas Iyer [Mahesh Kumar A/AP Photo]
Butcher, who has been helping Oman prepare for their World Cup campaign, is mainly wary of the lack of game time for the West Indies players before their tournament opener against Papua New Guinea on Sunday.
“My only concern is the lack of match readiness for the players who have been sitting on the bench in the Indian Premier League,” he said.
“Only Andre Russell, Nicholas Pooran and Shimron Hetmyer have played a lot of games in the IPL. The others have had one or two games, some have had none and now they are coming back to start a world tournament, that could have an effect on them.”
The last two group games are likely to be tough for the West Indies, when, after facing Uganda in the second match, they take on New Zealand and Afghanistan.
“They could start slowly and you lose two games and you are out of the competition,” Butcher added. “Luckily for them, Papua New Guinea is the first game. So even if the team is below par, they should be able to get over that hurdle. But they have much harder games to come.
“If they can fire, they have got a good chance. But I’m concerned about the lack of cricket for them.”
With Oman Head Coach Duleep Mendis, in Barbados at the Team World Cup Training Camp. Delighted to be working with the Oman Team. pic.twitter.com/F0U3mYjTX9
Andre Russell: The allrounder is a veteran of two T20 World Cup wins in 2012 and 2016 and an important cog in Kolkata Knight Rider’s title-winning run at the recently concluded IPL. The 36-year-old’s form with bat and ball, right up to the final, was crucial in Kolkata’s third IPL title.
Akeal Hosein: The slow left-armer is ranked eighth among the best T20 bowlers in the world. The 31-year-old, who was born in Port of Spain, Trinidad, has taken 136 T20 wickets at an average of 25 across his career. He is rising to prominence on the international stage only now, having made his debut for the West Indies in 2021.
Brandon King: The right-handed batter has risen to eighth in the global T20 batting rankings thanks to his destructive and powerful style. The 29-year-old from Jamaica began as a middle-order batter but has risen to be the opener. He struck 79 in the opening match of the recent T20 series against South Africa and was named player of the match.
Defending champion wins a four-and-half-hour epic to keep alive his hopes of winning a 25th Grand Slam title.
Novak Djokovic’s bid for a 25th Grand Slam briefly hung by a thread on a cold and damp night at Roland Garros but the Serbian battled back for a 7-5, 6-7(6), 2-6, 6-3, 6-0 win over Lorenzo Musetti in the latest-ever French Open finish.
The reigning champion showcased the iron will that has made him one of the game’s greatest players, to avoid defeat in a thrilling third-round contest, which got under way at 10:37pm local time (20:37 GMT) on Saturday.
Some four-and-a-half hours later, at 3:06am (01:06 GMT) on Sunday morning, the fans who had huddled up under rugs as the 37-year-old orchestrated his superb fightback rose to their feet to lift the roof of the main show-court.
“He played a fantastic match and came very close to victory,” Djokovic said on the court about Musetti.
“I was in great difficulties but thanks to your support in the fourth set, I became a different player. It was perhaps the best match I have played here.”
Djokovic recovered from an early loss of serve and went toe-to-toe with the Italian in the draining first set before edging in front with a crucial break in the 12th game, thanks to some incredible defending.
The world number one lowered his head and gasped for air following that lengthy rally, but was soon in cruise control in the second set with a spectacular drop that gave him a 3-1 lead.
Musetti, though, broke back and drew level at 4-4 before saving a set point in a high-quality tiebreak to level the match.
The 30th seed took his game up a few notches to break and surge ahead in the third set, before sealing it comfortably as alarm bells began to ring for a fading Djokovic.
Djokovic, who ranted about the state of the surface to the umpire, suddenly rediscovered his rhythm to wrap up the fourth before pulling away from his exhausted opponent in the decider.
“Who’s going to sleep now?” Djokovic added. “It’s impossible to sleep, so much adrenaline. If you’re having a party, I’m coming.”
Fourth seed Alexander Zverev also survived a scare in an evening marathon to move into the fourth round with a 3-6, 6-4, 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 (10-3) victory over Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor.
In the women’s draw, second seed Aryna Sabalenka beat best friend Paula Badosa 7-5, 6-1 in a testing clash, while Russian-born Frenchwoman Varvara Gracheva won plenty of new admirers after she kept the flag flying for her adopted country.
After Corentin Moutet had given French supporters a Friday night to savour with victory over Sebastian Ofner, the new crowd favourite Gracheva lit up another soggy day with a 7-5, 6-3 victory over Irina-Camelia Begu.
The last Frenchwoman left in the women’s draw was treated to a rousing rendition of the national anthem, La Marseillaise, and she joined the fans in celebration.
“I’ll remember this moment until the end of my life,” said a beaming Gracheva, who received her French passport in 2023 after living in the country for more than five years.
“It means that everyone accepts me, that I’m home here.”
While Gracheva was the centre of attention in the afternoon, fellow Moscow-born player Elena Rybakina continued to fly under the radar as the fourth seed cruised past Elise Mertens 6-4, 6-2.
Canada’s Felix Auger Aliassime, the 21st seed, closed out a 6-4, 6-2, 6-1 victory over American Ben Shelton under the Suzanne Lenglen roof, as rain delayed action on the outer courts.
When play resumed, Alex De Minaur completed a 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 win over Jan-Lennard Struff to be the first Australian man into the Paris fourth round since Lleyton Hewitt in 2007, and launched a search for a superfan who spurred him on.
Aryna Sabalenka and Paula Badosa are close friends on the tennis circuit [Susan Mullane/USA Today Sports via Reuters]
As the United States hosts 16 matches of the latest ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, there are high hopes that cricket can finally make significant inroads in a lucrative and populous market.
However, cricket in the US has a history of poor governance, riven by factions and financial mismanagement. The sport’s growth has been hampered by the country’s sheer size and diversity of cricket cultures – factors also considered potential strengths.
Here’s the lowdown on cricket’s history in the US and a peek into its future:
Is there an existing cricket culture in the USA?
When USA and Canada meet in the opening match on June 1, there will be plentiful reminders that these two countries played the first international cricket match in 1844, when Canada won the two-day fixture.
But the game took a backseat until the latter half of the 20th century when increased immigration – particularly from the Indian subcontinent – saw the game grow – with little cohesion – in communities from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh as well as the Caribbean.
A national governing board, the United States of America Cricket Association (USACA), was formed in 1965 but it struggled to unify the diverse and siloed cricket communities for the next three decades.
The International Cricket Council (ICC), at times, implemented sanctions – withdrawing USA from tournaments, withholding funds and suspensions – all of which failed to overcome the fundamental issues.
In 2017, the USACA was expelled from the ICC.
So who’s in charge now?
A new governing body, USA Cricket (USAC), was formed in 2019 and the USA was officially back in the ICC’s fold as an associate member. There was a new board and a new constitution, but the underlying problems of geography, culture and power struggles remained.
The following year, after extensive research on potential expansion markets, the ICC identified the USA as the game’s most desirable target. This was largely down to its size, economy, broadcast market and the existing cricket infrastructure and culture.
Who is running the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup?
The decision to host T20 World Cup fixtures in the US was merely the first step in a long-term strategy.
The inclusion of the US in the West Indies’ successful bid to host this year’s tournament presented a golden opportunity to expand the sport’s profile but USA Cricket was in no position to facilitate a major event.
In October 2022, the ICC installed its own local organising committee – T20 USA Inc – to oversee the event.
What’s wrong with USA Cricket?
In the five years since its inception, USA Cricket has had minimal and – at times – no full-time staff. It has instead relied on a mix of temporary contractors, consultants and volunteers.
It has been issued multiple sanctions by the ICC and – in 2022 – its funding was temporarily suspended.
It is currently operating without a CEO.
The selection process for the T20 World Cup squad was mired in controversy and excluded numerous eligible players.
The head coach, former Australian international Stuart Law, wasn’t appointed until mid-April.
Those results are astonishing considering USA had not played a T20 International since the World Cup qualifiers in July 2022. Since USA Cricket was admitted, the national men’s side has played just seven T20Is outside qualifying events. Since the start of 2022, they have played a total of twelve T20Is. By comparison, Nepal has played 36 in the same period.
Ali Khan and captain Monank Patel are among the standout players from the USA [Robert Cianflone/Getty Images via AFP]
Have things improved since the US was announced as the co-host?
The publicly available minutes of USAC board meetings show that off-field conflicts continue to boil over.
In the lead-up to the biggest cricket tournament ever held on US soil, there have been squabbles over the constitution, allegations of racial discrimination and disagreements on the process of choosing a new CEO.
A lawsuit filed by two directors against five fellow directors and a former CEO was dropped in 2022, but in 2023 another lawsuit was filed against USAC by former USA captain and league director Sushil Nadkarni.
At the most recent board meeting on March 27, Chair Venu Pisike “reaffirmed that board members MUST conduct themselves professionally and stop interrupting the board proceedings and being disrespectful to fellow board members”.
How might cricket grow after the T20 World Cup?
Amid concerns about USAC’s governance, the ICC is forging ahead with plans to create a lasting legacy from the T20 World Cup. Profits from the matches held inNassau County (New York), Broward County (Florida) and Grand Prairie (Texas) will be funnelled into cricket’s growth in the US.
ICC’s game development programme, Playground to Podium, aims to reach one million children – half of them female – by the 2028 LA Olympics, and regional development manager for the Americas, Fara Gorsi, is confident of success.
“By the time we reach the LA Games it will be flourishing in all three cities as a minimum,” Gorsi told Al Jazeera. “And [it] will create a framework that will then be deployed across the states.
“If we want to see a different community grow cricket in the USA it has to come organically through schools, through new leaders, new communities, parents, teachers.”
Gorsi says the complexity of the US sporting system requires a targeted and flexible approach in each district as the ICC rolls out resources, initially in the three host cities, to develop facilitators and coaches via an entry-level training programme called Criiio. There are long-term plans to permeate the college system, a key for any sport in the US.
Parmanand Sarju, founder of the Long Island Youth Cricket Academy, instructs young cricket players during practice at Eisenhower Park in East Meadow, New York [Phil Marcelo/AP]
Is there a way to improve the situation?
The ICC has expressed concerns to USAC and has given them a July deadline to appoint a CEO. They can apply sanctions of varying severity but pressure will also be applied by the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC).
To become certified as cricket’s national governing body, USAC will have to meet USOPC’s rigorous criteria and standards.
As for the legacy programme, the ICC has not yet discussed a timeframe or mechanism for any possible future handover of the development programme and its funding to USA Cricket. Gorsi hopes it will eventually happen but admits there are significant barriers to overcome.
“Without wanting to sound disrespectful, they’ve held it on to like it’s their sport,” said Gorsi.
“If we grow it organically we’ll grow faster. We need to take the shackles off and allow it to be fun and have that accessibility across the country.
“Once we break some of those barriers down and allow the US audience to be part of this wonderful game that we all love, I think it will spread like wildfire.”
The long-awaited arrival of cricket’s biggest party in North America is now hours away, and who better to kick things off than the two teams that played the first recorded international cricket match in history.
When USA host Canada in the opening match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 in Dallas, Texas on Saturday, a lot more than revenge for a century-old loss will be on the line.
ICC World Cup debutants USA will look to build on their recent dominance over their northern neighbours and get their tournament off to a winning start.
Canada, who have previously participated in ICC’s 50-over World Cup, will also make their debut in the T20 version of the tournament.
It is a landmark moment for the USA team to be in an elite competition after decades of being stuck in minor tournaments.
“We’ve been speaking over the last couple of years about playing in World Cups, about taking USA cricket to higher heights,” USA’s vice-captain Aaron Jones said ahead of the opening match.
“Playing [in] a World Cup is probably the highest height [so far].”
(Al Jazeera)
USA seek support from American born and raised fans
Jones says his team is determined to play a “fearless” brand of cricket.
There is pressure on the USA, as tournament co-hosts, with the West Indies, to deliver a strong showing on home soil.
The explosive, short format of the game is seen by cricket’s leaders as being the perfect version to capture the imagination of mainstream American sports fans and Jones says the team doesn’t want to be afraid of going on the attack.
“Fearless cricket, positive cricket, smart cricket. I think that’s what we’re really and truly trying to do,” Jones told a press conference.
“We don’t want to regret anything. If we come out on top, it’s great. If we don’t come out on top, that’s how cricket goes sometimes. But we don’t want to regret anything,” he added.
Jones was born in New York but raised in Barbados, which he represented earlier in his career, before moving back to the USA to be part of the team.
He acknowledges that the team has the added responsibility of being ambassadors for the sport when they play games in Texas, Florida and New York.
“What you do on the field is very important, but off the field stuff is very important as well, especially being a country that don’t really know much about cricket,” he said.
“We want to get the fans up; we want to get a lot more support from the American born and raised people and I think we could only do that by playing good and interacting with the fans or the growing fans off the field as well.”
#TeamUSA is ready for a historic showdown against Canada for the opening match of the @ICC@T20WorldCup tomorrow! 🔥🤩💪
The North American rivals have faced each other seven times in T20 matches, where USA have come on top on five occasions and Canada have won twice.
Four of these wins came in their recent five-match T20 series, which saw one match abandoned due to bad weather.
Form
USA enter the T20 World Cup on the back of a stunning 2-1 series win over Bangladesh, who were packed with big names such as Shakib al-Hasan, Mustafizur Rahman and captain Najmul Hossain Shanto.
Canada’s last T20 outing was against USA in the five-match series that they lost 4-0 and will look to set things right.
USA: L W W W W
Canada: L L A L L
(Al Jazeera)
USA team news
The co-hosts go into the match riding on the wave of the success of their series win and will not be looking to tinker with the XI that brought them the 2-1 series win.
USA squad: Monank Patel (captain), Shayan Jahangir, Andries Gous, Nitish Kumar, Steven Taylor, Harmeet Singh, Corey Anderson, Milind Kumar, Nisarg Patel, Shadley van Schalkwyk, Ali Khan, Jessy Singh, Saurabh Netravalkar, Nosthush Kenjige.
Canada team news
Having only completed one of their two pre-tournament warm-up matches, Canada will hope the side that beat Nepal last week will put on an improved performance against their North American neighbours and get off to a winning start.
What: UEFA Champions League final When: Saturday, June 1, 8pm local time (19:00 GMT) Where: Wembley Stadium, London Who: Borussia Dortmund (Germany) vs Real Madrid (Spain)
How to follow our coverage: We’ll have all the build-up from 4pm local time (15:00 GMT) on Al Jazeera Sport.
If the hype were to be believed then the 14-time winners Real Madrid may as well be crowned Champions League kings now.
The reality is that the 1997 winners, Borussia Dortmund, are far from dark horses.
Madrid, who lifted their 33rd LaLiga title this season, have reached the 70th European showpiece with an unbeaten record in the competition, something they have never done before.
Dortmund, similarly, are in fine form and second only to Madrid in the competition this season with only one defeat in their last 11 European matches.
Real Madrid won a record-extending 33rd LaLiga title this season [Susana Vera/Reuters]
Escaping the Group of Death with flying colours
Dortmund were drawn in a group with Paris Saint-Germain, AC Milan and Newcastle United. The Germans recovered from a 1-0 opening defeat in Paris to top the group with fly colours with three wins and two defeats thereafter, finishing three points clear of French and Italian giants, PSG and Milan.
PSV Eindhoven of the Netherlands were swept aside in the round of 16 but another Madrid club awaited Dortmund in the quarterfinals where Atletico claimed a 1-0 lead after the first leg in Spain. A 4-2 win at Signal Iduna Park ushered the home side into the last four.
PSG would await Dortmund once again in the semifinals and, even after their display in the group, the French champions were the favourites one again but 1-0 wins in each leg saw the Parisians’ European dreams end yet again.
Madrid, who last lifted the Champions League trophy two seasons ago, stormed to the top of their group with a maximum 18 points beating Italian champions Napoli into second while Sporting Braga and Union Berlin were eliminated.
The knockout stages provided far sterner tests with Leipzig, Manchester City and Bayern Munich all pushing Madrid to the brink, the latter two requiring penalties and a last-minute turnaround respectively to progress.
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) May 9, 2024
For Dortmund, their task is not only to take down the latest crop of Galacticos on a relentless road to the final but also, arguably, the competition’s greatest manager. Carlo Ancelotti has won six of his seven appearances in Champions League finals.
The 64-year-old Italian has won a record four titles as a coach and two as a player but will not be taking this game, or the latest shot at extending his own record haul, lightly.
“It’s the same as it was the first time,” Ancelotti said. “First there is the joy of being here, then the concerns will come and the fear will come. The cold sweat will arrive Saturday afternoon, it’s normal, I’m already prepared for it.
“[But] this team gives me a lot of confidence, I see them focused on the match, they are in Champions [League] mode.”
Ancelotti guided Madrid to the Champions League trophy in 2014 and 2022 and having previously won the competition as a player and manager with AC Milan.
In the other dugout, Edin Terzic who, at 41 years of age, is at the other end of his managerial career. Indeed in 2013, when Dortmund won their only European crown, Terzic was a fan in the stands and only beginning to forge his way as a coach having never played professionally.
“We have our own story,” Terzic said of Dortmund’s challenge, much as his own, in facing proven European winners. “We have the story of ups and downs of the last years. We are a team that builds up to compete every year, but now we are there and we are facing teams that are built to win the Champions League.”
How great a challenge to Real Madrid are Borussia Dortmund?
Outside Germany, a lot of fans believe Dortmund is a middling club but in reality, they are the closest challengers to German powerhouse Bayern Munich.
Last season, they only needed to beat Mainz to claim the Bundesliga title. A 2-2 draw saw Bayern skip ahead to lift the trophy on the final day.
Their league campaign this season has been underwhelming with Bayer Leverkusen upsetting both Munich and Dortmund to claim the title by 17 points from Stuttgart while last season’s top two finished third and fifth respectively.
Only Nurnburg, whose last of their nine titles came in 1969, better Dortmund’s challenge of eight crowns to Munich’s 33 titles in Germany. Dortmund’s last Bundesliga came in 2011-12 when they completed back-to-back titles for the second time in their history. Indeed, Dortmund were runners-up in four of the five seasons prior to this campaign’s drop-off.
Financially Bayern’s value is more than double that of Dortmund ($465m), who have slipped to fourth on the German financial list. It’s not bad for a club whose city is the seventh largest in Germany – yet the club have the country’s second-largest fan membership.
Borussia Dortmund’s connection to their fans – who represent the second-largest club membership in Germany – is world-renowned [Kai Pfaffenbach/Reuters]
Madrid’s financial value, meantime, has risen to more than a billion dollars with the Spaniards at the top of the globe’s football-rich list.
“For me they’re the biggest club in the world, I’ve always wanted to play against Real,” Borussia Dortmund defender Nico Schlotterbeck said ahead of the final.
“But we shouldn’t be afraid, we shouldn’t be in awe.
“It has to be a completely normal game for us. We were often the underdogs in the Champions League this season, and that has suited us quite well.”
From 2013 heartbreak for Dortmund to Real hope against Madrid
Schlotterbeck, 24, is part of a formidable pairing in the centre of defence with 35-year-old Mats Hummels, who won the Player of the Match award in both legs of the semifinal against PSG. It is a solid foundation upon which Dortmund can build and free them to focus on their own game against Real.
“For us, it means getting into our game quickly, moving the ball quickly, and imposing our game on Real Madrid a bit,” Schlotterbeck said.
“If we can do that, then I’m optimistic that we can make it.”
Hummels was part of the 2013 side, along with the soon-to-depart club legend Marco Reus, that helped Dortmund to their last Champions League final only to be defeated by a last-minute Arjen Robben goal for Bayern Munich. A game that was also played at Wembley Stadium.
Bayern Munich’s Bastian Schweinsteiger celebrates beating Borussia Dortmund in the 2013 Champions League final [John Sibley/Reuters]
This current run has seen Dortmund keep clean sheets in six of their last 11 Champions League games. Madrid, however, have only lost one of their last 20 UEFA competition matches against German teams, winning 13.
A strong season for the Germans ended last year with a heavy thump, a more difficult campaign this time around could be about to end with a high experienced only once before.
“Perhaps we thought too much about it [the league] back then. But we know what happens here in the city when we win a title and what it means to people,” Schlotterbeck added.
“Last season we had something to lose against Mainz, now we have something to win.
“We have to seize this opportunity.”
Team news
Real Madrid are boosted by the return of Thibaut Courtois in goal. The Belgium international has played only four times this season and has not featured in the Champions League.
His stand-in during that period, Andriy Lunin, missed the flight to London with flu but is expected to link up with the squad ahead of the game. David Alaba is absent through injury while fellow defender Eder Militao is struggling to prove his fitness after a long layoff.
Sebastien Haller is Dortmund’s only doubt as the Ivorian striker struggles to regain full fitness following an ankle problem. Julien Duranville and Ramy Bensebaini are both definitely out.
The South Asian rivals are set to meet at the Nassau County Stadium in Eisenhower Park, Long Island on June 9 in a Group A fixture that is expected to be a sellout, attracting tens of thousands of cricket fans to New York.
“In preparation for the @cricketworldcup, my team has been working with federal & local law enforcement to keep attendees safe,” Governor Kathy Hochul wrote in a post on X on Wednesday but added that there was “no credible threat at this time”.
Hochul said she had asked the state police to elevate security measures and the state will “continue to monitor” them in the lead-up to the tournament.
In preparation for the @cricketworldcup, my team has been working with federal & local law enforcement to keep attendees safe.
While there is no credible threat at this time, I’ve directed @nyspolice to elevate security measures & we’ll continue to monitor as the event nears.
— Governor Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) May 29, 2024
‘Largest security we’ve ever had to do’
However, Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder said the police department will not take any chances.
“When you’ve got a game and a crowd as big as this, everything is credible,” he told CBS News on Wednesday.
Ryder said the World Cup received a threat linked to the ISIL in Afghanistan in April and more specific threats over the India versus Pakistan match and his department has taken “many, many precautions”.
“As well as making sure that the stadium and the surrounding Eisenhower Park are safe, the parking areas are safe, the watch areas are safe, we also are adding 100 additional police officers to our normal staffing for the rest of the county, just as a precaution,” he told CBS News.
“We will go through every fine detail when it comes to the security and safety of the residents here in Nassau County,” Ryder said.
“I can guarantee you this is the largest security we’ve ever had to do in this county’s history, and I can also guarantee you the safest place to be in Nassau County on June 9 will be inside that stadium.”
A New York City Police Department bulletin cited by ABC News also highlighted the importance of the game, saying: “The tournament and related events in New York City could be viewed by extremists as an opportunity to commit acts of violence or disruption.”
“Recent pro-ISIS propaganda which specifically referenced the upcoming India-Pakistan match at this major event … raises concerns and reinforces the need for heightened vigilance” among security partners, the bulletin was quoted as saying.
The United States is hosting an ICC World Cup for the first time, along with West Indies, and half of the 16 matches being held in the US will be played at the purpose-built modular stadium in New York.
New York will host its first game of the tournament on June 3, when Sri Lanka and South Africa meet in a Group D fixture, and the last one will be the host nation’s clash against India on June 12.
The world’s biggest athletes often choose the most grand occasions to make their mark on the game.
When the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 gets under way on Saturday, cricket fans will be eager to see their favourite stars shine and take their countries to glory at the end of the nearly monthlong tournament on June 29.
The biggest ever edition of the T20 World Cup with 20 nations competing is set to bring the biggest names to the fore, but only a handful make our list of the players to watch out for. Here they are:
Virat Kohli: India
Not much needs to be said about Kohli, arguably the biggest name in world cricket, but his recent form speaks volumes. The India talisman finished on top of the run-scoring charts at the recently concluded Indian Premier League (IPL).
Kohli was the player of the tournament at the 50-over Cricket World Cup 2023. At 35 years of age, the T20 World Cup could mark his last attempt to add another trophy to a glittering career, and the man often known as “King Kohli” is not one to miss too many chances.
Virat Kohli holds the record for most runs scored at a T20 World Cup [File: Adnan Abidi/Reuters]
Babar Azam: Pakistan
Pakistan’s back-again captain is regarded as one of the best batters in world cricket across all formats. His role at the top of the order for his side is so crucial that if Pakistan are to make a run for the final, then it will largely depend on Babar’s run at the tournament.
The 29-year-old has already made 287 international appearances in all formats for his country and goes into the World Cup in rich form.
Pakistan’s Babar Azam was named the ICC’s cricketer of the year in 2023 [File: Adnan Abidi/Reuters]
Jofra Archer: England
The right-arm seamer bowled the Super Over for England in their Cricket World Cup 2019 final victory against New Zealand but has been plagued by injuries ever since.
Born in Barbados to an English father and Bajan mother, the 29-year-old’s raw pace and awareness of the conditions in the West Indies will be crucial in England’s quest for a record third T20 world title.
Jofra Archer made his return to the England side during the recent T20 series against Pakistan [Ed Sykes /Action Images via Reuters]
Rashid Khan: Afghanistan
Rashid Khan is a man who wears multiple hats for Afghanistan and does it with a smile. For Afghanistan to have a great World Cup, Rashid, who is arguably their biggest star and most important player, must shine as a bowler, lower-order batter and captain.
The wily leg spinner is capable of halting the charge of some of the biggest batsmen in the world and setting opposition bowling on fire with his big hitting.
Rashid Khan will lead Afghanistan at the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 [File: Manish Swarup/AP]
Andre Russell: West Indies
Andre Russel is a veteran of two T20 World Cup wins in 2012 and 2016 and an important cog in Kolkata Knight Rider’s title-winning run at the recently concluded IPL. The 36-year-old’s form with bat and ball, right up to the final, was crucial in Kolkata’s third IPL title.
West Indies fans will hope the powerful all-rounder will replicate for his country and bring them a third title as well.
Andre Russell took three wickets for Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL final [Mahesh Kumar A/AP]
Adam Zampa: Australia
Adam Zampa, a 32-year-old wrist spinner, had a mixed Cricket World Cup 2023 campaign, during which he was predicted to shine for Australia. He did come up with the goods at a crucial time, however, and played his part in dragging the Aussies from a slow start to lifting the trophy. An economy rate of 7.5 in T20Is is a fraction high, but his average of 22 cannot to be dismissed. In the absence of another specialist leg spinner, Zampa will carry the burden of the spin department.
Adam Zampa will carry the burden of spin bowling for Australia [File: Aijaz Rahi/AP]
Finn Allen: New Zealand
The New Zealand opener tore into Pakistan in their T20 series this year with an astonishing display of six-hitting. Should Allen reach his full potential, his raw power will be near unstoppable against any team.
The 25-year-old has a strike rate of just below 170 in T20 internationals, and with his 137 in the series against Pakistan, he replaced Brendan McCullum at the top of the highest individual scorers for the Kiwis in T20s.
Finn Allen plays a shot against Pakistan in Karachi [File: Fareed Khan/AP]
Wanindu Hasaranga: Sri Lanka
After an injury-hit 2023, Wanindu Hasarnga has returned to lead Sri Lanka from the front in their recent limited-over outings.
The 26-year-old all-rounder’s powerful middle-order presence – at a strike rate of 130 – cannot be overlooked. Then comes his leg spin. In 63 T20 international innings, he has claimed 104 wickets at an average of 15.
Wanindu Hasaranga, right, will lead Sri Lanka at the T20 World Cup [File: Eranga Jayawardena/AP]
Gerald Coetzee: South Africa
The fast bowler is quickly establishing himself as a key part of the South African side. Alongside fellow youngster Marco Jansen, the 23-year-old is part of a bright future for the Proteas attack.
Gerald Coetzee [File: Andrew Boyers/Reuters]
Shakib Al Hasan: Bangladesh
Ranked second behind only Hasaranga on the ICC’s list of all-rounders, Shakib Al Hasan is pulling up trees even at the age of 37.
A veteran of 122 T20 internationals and often ranked the top all-rounder across all formats, the left-hander has 12 fifties at a strike rate of 122 while averaging 20 with his slow left-armers for his 146 wickets.
Shakib is one of the handful of players who have played in all eight editions of the T20 World Cup.
Shakib Al Hasan is an experienced T20 World Cup cricketeer, having played in all eight [File: Eranga Jayawardena/AP]
If Minnesota win the playoff series, they will become the first team in NBA history to advance after trailing 3-0.
The Minnesota Timberwolves stay alive in the NBA Western Conference finals, riding on Anthony Edwards’ game-high 29 points and Karl-Anthony Towns’s long-range shooting form for a 105-100 victory over the host Dallas Mavericks in Game 4.
With their first win in the best-of-seven series on Tuesday night, the Timberwolves earned a Game 5 at home on Thursday night, hoping to blaze a trail to become the first team in NBA history to rally and advance after trailing 3-0 in a playoff series.
Winning the series was not on the team’s radar in Game 4, Edwards insisted afterwards.
“We just wanted to get one game and extend the series,” he said.
“I’ve never been swept in my career. I didn’t want to get swept. Not on their home court, hearing their fans talk trash all day.”
Luka Doncic posted a 28-point, 15-rebound, 10-assist triple-double for the fifth-seeded Mavericks, who won the first two games of the series in a previous trip to Minneapolis.
After Minnesota led by 12 early on, the teams battled on even terms for the first 18-plus minutes of the second half, with Towns’s 3-pointer with 5:41 remaining giving the Timberwolves a 92-90 lead.
The visitors never trailed again, thanks in large part to Towns, whose 3-pointer on Minnesota’s next possession made it a five-point game.
Anthony Edwards drops a near-triple-double as the @Timberwolves force Game 5 in the Western Conference Finals!
Dallas’s best chance to draw even down the stretch came when Doncic misfired on a 3-pointer with the hosts trailing 95-92 with 3:18 to go.
When Towns connected again from beyond the arc with 2:54 to go, and Edwards followed with a bank shot in the lane 67 seconds later, the Timberwolves had broken things open at 100-92.
“That was on me,” Doncic said. “[I] didn’t give enough energy.”
A desperate 3-pointer by Doncic as he was being fouled with 13.2 seconds left kept the Mavericks alive at 103-100, but Doncic missed the subsequent free throw.
After a timeout, Naz Reid got behind the Dallas defence for a game-clinching layup with 11.3 seconds remaining.
“We’d never lost three in a row until earlier in the playoffs. We’ve never lost four in a row,” Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said.
“The guys responded. Fun team to coach because they always believe they can win, no matter what.”
The Timberwolves had been outscored 10-3, 6-0 and 14-3, respectively, at the end of the first three games en route to three-, one- and nine-point losses.
They are now 3-0 in potential elimination games this postseason.
Things were tied at 49 at the break, with Edwards and Doncic each leading their respective teams with 17 points. Minnesota were up 78-73 heading into the fourth quarter.
“They won one game,” Doncic said. “We’ve got to focus on the next one.”
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