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West Ham United must finally seal a move for Chelsea centre-forward Armando Broja this summer with the player holding talks with the Blues over his next career move.

What’s the story?

According to The Daily Mail, Broja is set to hold talks with Chelsea over his future amid interest from West Ham and Everton.

The report states that both clubs have made contact over his availability and want to sign him permanently after he impressed on loan at Southampton last season.

The £30m-rated striker has also been linked to Newcastle United but the Hammers can offer European football and the player also wouldn’t need to relocate.

A move may hinge on Chelsea’s ability to recruit a replacement, and the imminent arrival of Raheem Sterling at Stamford Bridge could be a good sign.

He’s better than Antonio

The player he would be competing with to start up front at the London Stadium is Michail Antonio. He made 36 Premier League appearances for West Ham last season and was directly involved in 18 goals so would be hard to displace.

However, Broja who is just 20-years-old, could be a better option for West Ham in the long term, and with the service he would be receiving from their midfielders he’d surely be an upgrade.

The Hammers created 30 more big chances than Southampton last season which shows they are much better creatively.

Antonio turned 32 in March, and although he’s been very consistent for the east London side he won’t be performing to the same levels in years to come.

If you compare their statistics then Broja also excels in several categories. The Albanian has a higher shots on target percentage at 40% compared to Antonio’s 33%.

He also impresses more with the ball at his feet having a higher dribble success percentage than the West Ham striker, and former pro Sergio Porrini has dubbed him “devastating”.

Ultimately securing his signature would be a great investment and a signal of intent that the Irons can offer better opportunities for youngsters who struggle for game time at bigger clubs.

It wouldn’t bring an end to Antonio’s time at the club but would allow them to rely less on him and start thinking about the future.

IN other news: WHU “really interested” in signing “exceptional” £43m-rated talent, imagine him & Rice…

Nottingham Forest have been linked with a move for Omar Richards, and now a reliable source has given an update on the club’s pursuit of the player this summer.

What’s the latest?

According to Midlands football reporter for The Daily Telegraph John Percy, Nottingham Forest are now in talks with Bayern Munich to sign Richards.

Percy took to Twitter to reveal the latest news:

“NFFC are in talks with Bayern Munich over a possible deal for left-back Omar Richards.

“Fee of around €10m being discussed, but Forest face competition from Lyon. Richards joined Bayern last May from Reading.”

Supporters will be excited

There is no doubt that Forest supporters will be excited to see even more new additions making a move to The City Ground this summer, as Steve Cooper and the club seem relentless in bolstering the squad in order to have their very best chance at competing in the Premier League next season.

Richards has not been given too many opportunities to show his potential in the Bundesliga with just five league starts, but has shown glimpses of his capabilities despite his lack of game-time.

Over 12 appearances in the German top-flight, the 24-year-old left-back had an impressive pass accuracy of 92% in his own half, making 1.6 tackles on average per game, winning the majority of his ground and aerials duels combined (61%) while being successful in an overwhelming majority of his dribble attempts (73%).

The Englishman who was hailed a “great prospect for the future” by journalist Jonathan Low, could continue his development back in England if Cooper can provide a starting spot and consistent game-time in his Forest team next season, which could help the player get back into the national team after only picking up one cap so far with the U21s.

It has been reported that the Forest manager is keen to add new wing-backs to his team and Richards could be the perfect signing to continue to increase that winning mentality and experience in the team with the player recently winning the Bundesliga and earning four appearances in the Champions League last season with Bayern.

With that being said, the signing of Richards could be a great opportunity for Cooper to further develop the player’s talents and capabilities in his newly-promoted team next season and if the manager can get the best out of him it could be a great piece of business for Forest’s future.

AND in other news: Priority deal: NFFC plot bid for “fearless” £15m “prospect”, Cooper will be buzzing

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has coached many players throughout his illustrious managerial career.

The one name that has made more appearances than any other figure to have played under Guardiola is Raheem Sterling.

With 292 appearances under the Spaniard, the winger has scored 120 goals and delivered 85 assists in addition to winning numerous domestic titles with the Citizens.

However, it seems as though the Englishman’s journey at the Etihad Stadium could be coming to an end soon as reports have suggested that Sterling would be open to leaving the club.

Should the 27-year-old find himself waving goodbye to the club this summer, this could force City and Guardiola into having to sign a suitable replacement or heir for him.

One player that the Manchester club have been linked with recently that could fit this bill is AC Milan winger Rafael Leao.

In 115 appearances for the Serie A club, the 23-year-old has scored 27 goals and delivered 21 assists across all competitions.

His latest campaign, which ended with Milan lifting the Serie A title, saw the Portugal international find the net 11 times and supply ten assists in 34 league appearances.

This shows just how capable the player is at scoring and creating goals, in a similar way to Sterling, who has 131 strikes and 95 assists to his name during his time as a City player.

To compare the two players from their latest domestic campaigns, Leao made more successful dribbles, crosses and interceptions than the City star, showing how impressive he is with and without the ball.

Labelled as a “pure talent” by Nuno Gomes, Leao reportedly has a price tag of €100m (£86m), which could be worth paying due to his young age and the fact that he has proven how much of a deadly attacking player he can be for one of Europe’s top clubs.

The youngster was also praised for an “extraordinary” goal he scored for Milan with just six seconds on the clock back in December 2020 by journalist Alex Goncalves.

If City do cash in on Sterling this summer, whatever money they potentially get for the England international should then be used on launching a move to sign Leao.

In other news: Pep can land his own Thiago Silva as Man City plot bid for “incredible” £54m “monster”

Sky Sports punditSky Sports pundit Alex McLeish is excited about the thought of Liverpool completing a deal for Benfica striker Darwin Nunez, who he says could be yet ‘another’ top signing by the Reds.

The Lowdown: Liverpool close to agreement

The Uruguayan first put pen to paper on a deal with the Primeira Liga outfit when he joined the club in a £21.6m move from UD Almeria two years ago, and despite his contract with the Portuguese side not being set to expire until 2025, the 22-year-old has been linked with a move away from the Estadio da Luz.

Jurgen Klopp and Co, alongside top-flight rivals Manchester United, are both interested in his services.

After further developments, it’s been reported that the Merseysiders look to have won the race for his signature and are now close to reaching a full agreement with the forward ahead of a potential summer move.

The Latest: McLeish backs Nunez to shine

McLeish suggested that Nunez would have to prove himself in Liverpool’s starting XI, but says he’s heard really good things about the level he could reach, pondering whether he could even eventually be ‘another (Sadio) Mane’.

He told Football Insider: “For any player coming from any other country in the world to play in the English Premier League is a leap.

“The thing is that Mane and Salah have all proved their worth. That’s what Nunez will have to do, come in and prove that.

“We can’t speculate about him and say he’ll definitely come in and be another Mane. At the same time, there seems to be a good crop of players in Portugal.

“I’ve got a pal out there, he watches the Portuguese league every week. He keeps waxing lyrical about the quality of a lot of the play and indeed the players.

“If Liverpool are going for a guy like that, you would tend to think that this guy is some player. We’ve seen him, of course, but they will have assessed the whole picture, as they do very well.

“It’s rare that Liverpool are making mistakes in the transfer window.”

The Verdict: Perfect attacking addition

With Mane’s future at Anfield currently up in the air, Klopp will be wanting to find a suitable replacement in case the Senegalese star does depart ahead of the start of the new season, and Nunez possesses the qualities to fill that role perfectly.

The £49.5m-rated talisman was hitting the back of the net for fun this campaign, having scored 34 goals and provided four assists in just 41 appearances for Benfica, as per Transfermarkt, showing just how much of a threat and handful he can be for defenders in the final third.

The 6 foot 2 talent would surely flourish playing in the Premier League and is the ideal addition to the Reds’ attacking ranks, where there’s a very strong possibility that we won’t see Mane ever again.

In other news… a BBC pundit has claimed that Liverpool will be ‘raging’ after hearing a Mo Salah update.

David Moyes will be aiming to bolster his West Ham squad next season, with a defender being a main priority in the summer transfer window as the Scot hopes to be backed by GSB.

The Irons have enjoyed a wonderful 2021/22 campaign, reaching the Europa League semi-finals and securing European football again for next season, but Moyes will want to take the next step.

There will be signings made this summer, no doubt about it, but the main priority must be improving the heart of defence.

Angelo Ogbonna has missed the majority of this season with a serious knee injury, Kurt Zouma has had his campaign disrupted by fitness and off-field issues, while Issa Diop is a lowly 17th in the West Ham squad on WhoScored performance ratings with just 6.46, so it’s clear to see the defence needs to be rejuvenated.

According to The Guardian, Moyes is monitoring Rennes defender Nayef Aguerd, who could be signed for a reasonable fee of £20m this summer.

The French media claimed that he was the “real boss” at Rennes, while the Ligue 1 club’s former manager Julien Stephen said that Aguerd was a “cerebral person”, high praise indeed for the 26-year old.

West Ham could have their own Virgil van Dijk if they sign the Moroccan, with the two players being quite similar in their styles and statistics according to FBRef.

Aguerd has actually made more tackles (30 to 21) and interceptions (52 to 48) this season than the Dutchman, and at a fraction of the price that Liverpool paid for Van Dijk, Moyes could make an extremely shrewd signing for the Hammers.

There is a feel-good atmosphere surrounding West Ham at the moment, but for this to be maintained and the club to move up a gear, there needs to be solid business in the transfer window over the summer.

AND in other news, Cost £1.5m per goal: GSB made a colossal blunder on “strong” £40k-p/w West Ham flop

A Bangladesh fan’s belief is reaffirmed after watching her team demolish Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup opener

Madiha Khan18-Sep-2018Choice of game
I was in Dubai since I have my family here, but more because I have an uncle who understands my love and passion for cricket. Back when I was a teenager, I lived, breathed, and ate cricket. I loved writing about the game and made it to this column a few times as well. This seemed like a good time to connect with that side of myself. Bangladesh have a good record in Asia Cups, with many of them having been played at home. The (in)famous loss in the 2012 final against Pakistan by two runs still hurts Bangladeshi cricket fanatics (and there’s many of us). Since then, we have been waiting for Bangladesh to lift the Asia Cup trophy. I was confident we would start off with a bang against Sri Lanka, and I was not disappointed.Key performer(s)
The genius that is Mushfiqur Rahim delivered yet again. He was calm while wickets fell at regular intervals. He focused on his batting, and ended with what might be his best performance till date. He started his innings with Bangladesh having lost two wickets in the first over to the experienced Lasith Malinga, who was making a comeback for Sri Lanka. Tamim Iqbal was then forced to retire hurt.Somebody who didn’t get as much praise but played an extremely crucial role was Mohammad Mithun, who joined Mushfiqur at the crease. These two worked the ball around confidently and helped Bangladesh escape from a dire situation. Mushfiqur played the steady hand while Mithun played the new ball as if he felt no pressure, maintaining a strike rate above 80 during his 63.Coming back to Mushfiqur, he stayed unfazed. He held firm at one end and rotated the strike. Bangladesh didn’t let the runs go dry. Mehidy Hasan’s 15, Mashrafe Mortaza’s 11, and Mustafizur Rahman’s 10 all mattered since they allowed Mushfiqur to build his innings. One could say that Mushfiqur should have upped the ante at times but I felt he did the right thing by taking minimal chances. He piled up runs towards the end, and was the last man out with a career-best ODI score of 144. His resilience and creative shots in the death overs showcased his style and technique.Wow Factor
We watched the game with mixed feelings as throughout the first innings the game was in balance. During the game I got to know the unfortunate news that Tamim was ruled out of the rest of the Asia Cup. Then the ninth wicket fell on 229, which, at that point looked far below what should be a fighting score. The man who had been seen wearing a cast in the dressing room just a while back was striding out. I couldn’t help but feel chills run down my spine. This man had decided to ignore his pain, his injury and instead walked out to support the man of the moment, redefining the term “give it your all”. Tamim displayed a type of sportsmanship that overwhelms people like me by the beauty of sport and cricket.Sadatuddin Ahmed/ The Daily Star He faced one ball, defending it using only his right hand perfectly. This act seemed to spark the steadily glowing flame that was Mushfiqur’s innings: he brilliantly scored 32 more runs, amassing boundaries and managing to keep the strike on the last ball of the over. While Bangladesh supporters were stunned and overjoyed to see it, I felt Sri Lanka’s fielders could have done a tad more. Then again, the ease with which Mushfiqur launched his sixes really makes you think again. Tamim’s courage, confidence, and the duty he showed towards his team will surely inspire all those who watched the game.One thing I would have changed
The stadium was beautiful. It was big but not so big that you felt overwhelmed. The rainbow-coloured lights above the shades made for a great ambience and I watched the match with some of my favourite people. And the result was exactly what I wanted so I really don’t have much to change. But if I am allowed to be picky, I would rather have not witnessed the complete misjudgement of what should have been a sitter by Nazmul Islam, reprieving Dasun Shanaka.Crowd meter
It was heartening to see the stands nearly packed for the game. Even though home support for any team has a beauty of its own, you can always appreciate a neutral ground that allows the chance of equal support for both teams. The Sri Lankan fans have a reputation of being enthusiastic, cheery and loud, and they definitely made themselves heard but towards the end I honestly I felt like I was in Bangladesh. The icing on the cake was hearing a Bangla song “Oporadhi” played between the overs. The crowd sang along loudly to the melodious tune which had gone viral a few months back.Marks out of 10
Doubtlessly a 10/10. From experience I can say that watching a cricket match is enjoyable, even for someone who is not a follower of the sport. A loss for your team will make you sad but the energy of the live game itself makes it a fulfilling experience. This game for me was about having my belief reaffirmed that not only are Bangladesh a team on the rise but one that’s taken seriously by opponents. From turning around a dismal start to never really losing the momentum despite the hiccups to demolishing the Sri Lankan batting line-up, Bangladesh played a victorious brand of cricket. At the end of the day, that’s what you expect from a world-class team. However, it’s going to take me a bit of time to adjust to the reality that the days of us being the underdog are long gone.

Stats preview of the fourth Test between West Indies and India at Port of Spain where the visitors have a chance of registering a rare third win in an away series.

Shiva Jayaraman17-Aug-20163-3 West Indies’ win-loss record against India in Port of Spain; the last Test played between the teams at this venue was won by India by 37 runs. The hosts last beat India here in 1989 when they won by a huge margin of 217 runs. This will be the 13th Test played between the teams at this venue; six of them have been drawn.1968 The only time India have won three Tests in an away series. They had beaten New Zealand by a margin of 3-1 on that occasion. India are leading 2-0 in this series. Should they win the Port of Spain Test, it will also be only the sixth time that they win three Tests in any series, away or home. The last such win for them came against South Africa at home when they beat the visitors 3-0 in a four Test series.112 India’s ranking points if they win the series by a margin of 3-0, which will help them retain their newly acquired No. 1 rank on the ICC ranking system. Australia’s 0-3 loss to Sri Lanka has meant that India are currently at the top of the rankings, before they are updated again after the West Indies-India series. A 2-0 result or worse for India would leave the top rank with Pakistan.2-1 West Indies’ win-loss record at Port of Spain in the last ten years – their best at any home venue in Tests. They beat New Zealand by 10 wickets in their last Test here, in 2014. Their other win came against Sri Lanka in 2008. They drew their Tests against England and Australia, and lost to South Africa in 2010.5 Number of India batsmen who have scored at least 200 runs in this series at an average 50 or higher. Apart from Ajinkya Rahane, whose 243 runs in the series have come at an average of 121.50, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, R Ashwin and Wriddhiman Saha are the other India batsmen to have done so. None of the West Indies batsmen have managed to aggregate 200 runs in the first three Tests. Should five India batsmen manage to finish this series with 200-plus runs at an average north of 50, that would be a first for India in an away series.46.11 West Indies pacers’ current bowling average in this series. This is only the eighth time that they have averaged 40 or worse in a series at home. Their captain, Jason Holder, has taken just one wicket from the 86.4 overs he has bowled and has given away 239 runs. Their only five-wicket haul came in the second innings of the last Test when Miguel Cummins reaped 6 for 48. Excluding that spell, West Indies’ fast bowlers have taken 12 wickets in the series at an average of 65.17.20.77 Batting average of West Indies’ top three batsmen in this series – their third-worst ever in a Test series at home involving three or more matches. They have scored a total of 374 runs from 18 innings in this series with a highest of 74. Kraigg Brathwaite averages the best at 28.00, among the four batsmen that have been tried by the home team, having scored 168 runs including two fifties from six innings.29.91 Shikhar Dhawan’s batting average in Tests outside Asia; he has made 718 runs including one hundred and three fifties in 24 innings. After the Test series in New Zealand in 2013-14 – when he made 215 runs at an average of 53.75 in two Tests – Dhawan’s average in Tests outside Asia has been 26.68. The career statistics for India’s other opening option Murali Vijay aren’t significantly better than Dhawan’s in Tests outside Asia: 1187 runs at 33.91. However, Vijay did well in India’s previous two series outside Asia: he made 482 runs at 60.25 eight innings in Australia and 402 runs at 40.20 in ten innings in England.1 Away Test venues at which India have played more matches than the 12 they have played at Port of Spain – they have played 17 Tests at Lord’s. India have played 12 Tests at three other venues – at the Oval, the MCG and Sabina Park in Jamaica.

Plays of the Day from the second T20 between Pakistan and Zimbabwe in Lahore

Mohammad Isam24-May-2015The oldies’ collision
Pakistan’s two old-timers Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Sami were trying to cut off a whip by Vusi Sibanda but as they got closer to the ball, they banged into each other. Precisely, Malik headbutted into Sami’s knee and the two collapsed.Sami had enough presence of mind to throw the ball back to the bowler Shahid Afridi but Sibanda and Sean Williams had taken three runs. The physio made his way out and after a few shakes of the head and some cold water, Malik was up. Ahmed Shehzad checked if Malik was fine before the two, Malik and Sami, hugged it out. No harm done, it seemed.The slippery slower one
Bilawal Bhatti was struggling for a proper length when he started to dish out slower deliveries in the sixth over. The first one went down the leg side and the second one was comical.The ball, released from the back of the hand, reached the ducking batsman high on the full. However, it wasn’t as bad as Abdur Rehman bowling the three successive high full tosses that got him barred from the attack in the Asia Cup against Bangladesh last year.The stare’s short stay
Imad Wasim, making his international debut, was introduced into the attack in the fifth over. He readied himself quickly and bowled the first ball, a full delivery, which was driven back by Hamilton Masakadza.Wasim stared at Masakadza, before turning back to bowl the next delivery, which was blasted over his head for a boundary. There wasn’t much of a stare as he quickly walked back to his mark.The comeback in the stands
Former Pakistan captain Imran Khan announced on Twitter that he would be present at the Gaddafi Stadium to watch the second T20. He said this would be the first time since the 1996 World Cup final that he would be at the ground.He perhaps forgot that he had vented his anger at Pakistan’s losses to India in the ODI series in 2004, while near the press box. This time, he wanted to watch a thriller as it was his “day off”, and he had his wish fulfilled.The catch
Sikandar Raza saw Shahid Afridi sky one and ran in, and so did Vusi Sibanda who had taken three catches in the game.As the ball came down near the advertising mats behind the bowler, close mates Raza and Sibanda nearly collided, but Raza clung on to the catch. He screamed in delight, turned and gave Sibanda a big smile.The floored appeal
Chris Mpofu has a few dance jigs for wicket celebrations but couldn’t find a reason to bring them out until the 17th over, when his celebration was by accident and not choice.When he hit Umar Akmal’s pads in the 17th over, Mpofu turned around and appealed. So earnest was his shout that he fell on his back. The umpire took his time and gave it out. Mpofu celebrated on the floor.

At 34 years of age, Michael Lumb was England’s oldest debutant in this format since Paul Nixon seven years ago. He could have been forgiven for thinking his chance had gone

George Dobell in Antigua01-Mar-20140:00

Croft: Sammy muscled the bowling everywhere

If success in sport is largely due to taking chances, Michael Lumb may yet end up a double World Cup winner.Lumb, who already has a World T20 winners’ medal, earned himself a decent chance of gaining a place in England’s squad for the World Cup in 2015 with a century on ODI debut in Antigua.It was an innings that so nearly did not happen. Had a scheduling quirk not persuaded England to select their T20 team for an ODI series, had Alex Hales not pulled out with a thigh strain and had Eoin Morgan not been ruled out with a knee injury, then Lumb would not have played. At 34 years of age, he was England’s oldest debutant in this format since Paul Nixon seven years ago. He could have been forgiven for thinking his chance had gone.Michael Lumb became only the ninth player, and second Englishman, to score a century on ODI debut•Getty ImagesBut perhaps this was the sort of innings that could only be played by a man who knew he had one opportunity left. Perhaps it was the sort of innings that could only be played by a man who knows he is in danger of being remembered not just for that winners’ medal, but for being something of an unfulfilled talent.To put into perspective what an impressive achievement this innings was, Lumb was just the ninth man from any country to register a century on ODI debut. He becomes just the second England player to do so too following Dennis Amiss, who managed it in 1972. Had any of his colleagues managed to scored more than 44, it would surely have helped England to victory.That it did not was largely due to some wretched death bowling and some hapless batting. To concede 100 from the final seven overs of West Indies’ innings is reflective not just of some marvelously flamboyant batting from Dwayne Bravo, who enjoyed a fine game with bat, ball and as captain, and the typically selfless Darren Sammy, but of some muddled, inexperienced bowling.The charitable interpretation for England’s final 15 overs in the field – 15 overs in which they conceded 157 runs and allowed West Indies to recover from 112 for 4 – is that they were giving opportunities to inexperienced bowlers with a view to the challenges that await in Bangladesh. Certainly there is little other obvious reason for Stuart Broad to prefer Chris Jordan to himself towards the end and little other obvious reason to have not thrown the ball to the vastly experienced Ravi Bopara, playing his 100th ODI, Ben Stokes or even Luke Wright. He did, after all, bowl in that World T20 final.While Broad later claimed that the plan had been to bowl yorker length outside off stump, Hawk-Eye analysis showed that England actually delivered only one or two yorkers in their entire 50 overs. For all the talk of practicing such deliveries in recent days, there was precious little evidence of improvement. A tally of 11 wides and no-balls, plus the extra deliveries they offer, is unacceptably profligate at this level.The batting was almost as concerning. While Moeen Ali shaped up nicely with bat and ball before squandering his wicket away with a loose stroke, England’s middle-order lacked the composure required to play the sort of innings that Jonathan Trott once made seem so simple that his ability was routinely questioned. Their struggles against Sunil Narine not only underlined what a terrific bowler he is in such conditions but suggested that, in future, West Indies may play more than one spinner. Nor does it bode well for the trial by spin anticipated in the World T20 in Bangladesh. Bopara, for such a talented and experienced player, rarely seems to deliver when the pressure is on.The shame about all this was that it denied Lumb the support his innings deserved. This is not the first time he has sensed a glimmer of a chance and seized it. In February 2010, representing England Lions against the England side, he impressed to such an extent in scoring an unbeaten 58 to help his team to victory that he was somewhat surprisingly drafted into the World T20 squad. While he never scored more than 33 in the tournament, his positive batting ensured the speedy starts required and played a meaningful part in England’s subsequent success.He has learned to deal with setbacks, too. While his Nottinghamshire team-mate Hales, whose injury may have cost him a rare opportunity, struggled to contain his disappointment after the county refused to allow the pair to appear in the 2013 IPL auction, Lumb knuckled down and accumulated over 1000 Championship runs despite the challenges of a tricky home pitch at Trent Bridge. Such characteristics are greatly valued by this England set-up.His List A record was modest, however. Nottinghamshire may have won the YB40 trophy, but Lumb passed 50 only once in the campaign and averaged just 24.64. In normal circumstances, his form would not have warranted even consideration for ODI selection.Nor was this a perfect innings. For his first 20 or so runs, he was comprehensively outplayed by the elegant Moeen and, harsh though it sounds, he might have been expected to see his side home having built such a solid platform.Quite what England do with him now remains to be seen. In a different era, Lumb might be considered an automatic choice for the 2015 World Cup, which will be in progress at this time next year, but even without Kevin Pietersen the England top-order is a crowded place. Ian Bell, Alastair Cook and Trott all have strong claims on the top three positions, while Joe Root and Stokes filled the role without much success in Australia. Moeen, with his offspin perhaps providing an edge in selection meetings, may also be a contender. Hales may yet come into the equation, too.Certainly Lumb has earned himself an opportunity. But it may be worth reflecting on the example of Kim Barnett who, in 1988, won the Man-of-the-Match award on his ODI debut and never played again. 34-year-olds are not just given few opportunities, they are given fewer chances if they fail.There were other bright spots for England. The use and bowling of the spinners was intelligent and impressive and Moeen and Lumb’s opening stand should have been a match-defining foundation. But unless the death bowling improves rapidly, it is hard to see them challenging in Bangladesh.

Hashim Amla is yet to translate his success in Tests and ODIs to T20s. But in current form, that may not be far away

Andrew Fernando19-Sep-2012Given Hashim Amla’s colossal recent form, finding a weakness in his game seems a frivolous exercise. Beyond the mountain of runs, a Test average breaching 65 over the last three years and an ODI average touching 60, he has a gift for playing innings notable as much for their impact as their heft. Amla’s reputation as classy, but slow delayed his introduction to limited-overs cricket, but when he arrived in ODIs, his success was almost immediate.The only format in which he can’t claim to be among the best in the world is Twenty20. He has played 10 innings, all as an opener, to score 198 runs at an average of 22 and is yet to record a half-century.It is not that his cricket is unsuited to the shortest format – he has developed a mindset and ability to score off almost any ball, and few errant deliveries escape the swing of his blade – but for the moment, there is something preventing his success in Twenty20s.Perhaps he has not yet warmed to the format; a problem not helped by the infrequency of matches. He was less than prolific in his first 34 Tests too, averaging in the low 40s before three centuries in two Tests against India in 2010 burst the dam and heralded the torrent. There has been a concerted effort to tune his game to the ODI format as well, and that has brought spectacular results. Maybe that mental switch has not yet been flipped in Twenty20, and those technical adjustments remain unmade.Others of his ilk have adapted and thrived in Twenty20. Kumar Sangakkara is more straight lines and precision than Amla’s artistry, but Sri Lanka’s middle order would seem a shell without him in it. As he showed during his innings against Zimbabwe on Tuesday evening, Sangakkara has developed new modes of scoring, and assumed a more aggressive disposition, even if he can sometimes seem uncomfortable wearing it. Ian Bell has been another who has introduced innovation to remain relevant in the 20-over game. Despite Amla’s success in limited-overs cricket, he has not strayed far from convention.”I’m relatively inexperienced in the Twenty20 format,” Amla said on the eve of South Africa’s first match of the World Twenty20. “Fortunately I managed to get some runs in England, which helped with the confidence. I am playing in a very good team, and that really helps as well. Batting with guys like Jacques Kallis who have been involved for some time, I’m taking every game as a learning experience.”Amla comes into the tournament in supreme form, and an international reputation that is the best it’s ever been. South Africa pack plenty of power in their batting, and with stiff competition for spots in the top four, Amla will need to translate that momentum into telling performances, just to keep his place. If he can provide a calming influence to a side not renowned for keeping their heads in major tournaments, then all the better.”Every cricketer goes through times in their career where they excel, and I’ve been very fortunate to fit into that category over the last couple of months,” he says. “I don’t look too much at the spotlight that comes when you are scoring runs, I just try to keep things simple and hopefully get the team off to a good start.”Amla’s impressive run in ODIs has already revealed his hunger to improve and impress at every opportunity. That his Twenty20 numbers have not caught up to the rest of his game will irk him. He will look to make drastic improvements to that record, and South Africa’s big-tournament fortunes in general, in the weeks to come.