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The Star
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Star
Iqraam Rayners: All about the small details for Mamelodi Sundowns at Fifa Club World Cup
Matshelane Mamabolo | Published 49 minutes ago IQRAAM Rayners has expressed his delight at having helped Mamelodi Sundowns win their opening match at the Fifa Club World Cup, after scoring in Masandawana's 1-0 victory over Ulsan HD in Orlando, Florida in the United States on Wednesday. Rayners walked away with the Player of the Match award thanks to his 36th-minute strike, a toe-poke from close range after he'd been sent sailing by Lucas Ribeiro's sublime through-ball. The duo actually combined two more times in the match for Rayners to score, but both goals were ruled out by VAR. The first was because the ball had made contact with the striker's arm before it went in, and the other one was due to the Capetonian having been offside when the Brazilian made the pass. Not that Rayners was gutted by not having had a World Cup hat-trick. Far from it, for though he'd protested against the initial denial, Rayners was just pleased Sundowns won. 'The important thing was for us to get a win tonight, and that's what matters. I am happy we won the game,' he said during the post-match press conference. 'For me, it was about my team first and the technical team, and then the people behind us (the fans). 'We had a lot of opportunities to kill the game, but I am happy for the victory.' Though he admitted the match was a tight contest, he said nothing about their opponents surprised them – not even the fact that the South Koreans were far less physical than they'd been made out to be. 'The coach spoke to the players about the small details, so we were not surprised about them (Ulsan) because the coach gave us all the details, which were important,' the Bafana striker said. 'He told us how important it is to move the ball quicker; that we must play to our strengths, and for us (strikers) to create the passing lines for the midfielders and the two number 10s. 'It was important for us to know that Themba (Zwane) and Lucas were there (on the pitch).' Coach Miguel Cardoso spoke of Rayners' importance to the team: 'He put the ball inside the net, and it is a moment that when it happens it is the reason for all the excitement. 'He is a player with a wonderful contribution, and he understands very well how to use the spaces that appear on the pitch.' The Portuguese lauded Rayners for his tenacity. 'He did not have an easy season because he had highs and lows. But he finished it well in winning the South African league, and played in the Champions League, and now he's showing it here in the World Cup. 'It's wonderful to have the quality players, and we have a locker-room full of them.' Cardoso says all he and his technical team have to do is arm the players for battle. 'We just need to give them the tools so that they feel free. The players like Iqraam, they are creative players and need to have the proper emotional freedom and a comfort to express the best they can, so that they can give their best for the team.' And there can be no denying that Rayners did just that on matchday one of Sundowns' Club World Cup campaign. Now he has to replicate that showing against Germany's Borussia Dortmund in their next match on Saturday (6pm SA time kick-off).
IOL News
2 days ago
- Sport
- IOL News
Iqraam Rayners: All about the small details for Mamelodi Sundowns at Fifa Club World Cup
Iqraam Rayners scored the only goal for Mamelodi Sundowns against Ulsan. Photo: BackpagePix Image: BackpagePix IQRAAM Rayners has expressed his delight at having helped Mamelodi Sundowns win their opening match at the Fifa Club World Cup, after scoring in Masandawana's 1-0 victory over Ulsan HD in Orlando, Florida in the United States on Wednesday. Rayners walked away with the Player of the Match award thanks to his 36th-minute strike, a toe-poke from close range after he'd been sent sailing by Lucas Ribeiro's sublime through-ball. The duo actually combined two more times in the match for Rayners to score, but both goals were ruled out by VAR. The first was because the ball had made contact with the striker's arm before it went in, and the other one was due to the Capetonian having been offside when the Brazilian made the pass. Not that Rayners was gutted by not having had a World Cup hat-trick. Far from it, for though he'd protested against the initial denial, Rayners was just pleased Sundowns won. 'The important thing was for us to get a win tonight, and that's what matters. I am happy we won the game,' he said during the post-match press conference. 'For me, it was about my team first and the technical team, and then the people behind us (the fans). Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading 𝗡𝗢 𝗗𝗡𝗔, 𝗝𝗨𝗦𝗧 𝗥𝗦𝗔 🇿🇦 Congratulations to Masandawana on their first historic #FIFACWC win 🙌 Catch the @FIFACWC | June 14 - July 13 | Every game. Free. | | #FIFACWC #TakeItToTheWorld — DAZN Football (@DAZNFootball) June 18, 2025 'We had a lot of opportunities to kill the game, but I am happy for the victory.' Though he admitted the match was a tight contest, he said nothing about their opponents surprised them – not even the fact that the South Koreans were far less physical than they'd been made out to be. 'The coach spoke to the players about the small details, so we were not surprised about them (Ulsan) because the coach gave us all the details, which were important,' the Bafana striker said. 'He told us how important it is to move the ball quicker; that we must play to our strengths, and for us (strikers) to create the passing lines for the midfielders and the two number 10s. Iqraam Rayners is our first #FIFACWC Superior Player of The Match after scoring the winner in our opening game! 🔥#Sundowns #TakeItToTheWorld #AfricaToTheWorld — Mamelodi Sundowns FC (@Masandawana) June 18, 2025 'It was important for us to know that Themba (Zwane) and Lucas were there (on the pitch).' Coach Miguel Cardoso spoke of Rayners' importance to the team: 'He put the ball inside the net, and it is a moment that when it happens it is the reason for all the excitement. 'He is a player with a wonderful contribution, and he understands very well how to use the spaces that appear on the pitch.' The Portuguese lauded Rayners for his tenacity. 'He did not have an easy season because he had highs and lows. But he finished it well in winning the South African league, and played in the Champions League, and now he's showing it here in the World Cup. 'It's wonderful to have the quality players, and we have a locker-room full of them.' Cardoso says all he and his technical team have to do is arm the players for battle. 'We just need to give them the tools so that they feel free. The players like Iqraam, they are creative players and need to have the proper emotional freedom and a comfort to express the best they can, so that they can give their best for the team.'
India Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- India Today
Shubman Gill's big Test: Leadership lessons from Graeme Smith's historic England tour
India are about to embark on a new chapter in their cricketing history as captain Shubman Gill officially takes charge of the Test team from June 20 for the five-match Test series against England. The 25-year-old has been entrusted with the leadership duties following the retirement of captain Rohit has become the fifth-youngest Indian Test captain and will face a herculean task of leading the team in England. As the prince of Indian cricket gears up for his Test captaincy debut, he can draw inspiration from legendary South Africa skipper Graeme Smith, who took to leadership like a fish to water, during testing times for his was crowned South Africa's captain after their 2003 ODI World Cup debacle, taking over the leadership mantle from Shaun Pollock. The 22-year-old became the youngest captain from his country and also faced a similar challenge of touring England for just his second series. Facing a daunting task of leading his team in a foreign land where the local media is known for going after the touring sides, Smith led his team from the front, scoring a magnificent double hundred in the very first Test in Birmingham. He followed it up with another double ton in the second game at Lord's but this time in a winning cause, which also earned him the Player of the Match Gill emulate Smith's batting heroics?Throughout the series, Smith rose to the occasion whenever his team needed him and was instrumental in turning the game in their favour with both his bat and tactical brilliance on the field. As a result, South Africa managed to draw the series 2-2 and Smith was adjudged Player of the series for scoring 714 runs from nine there's a lot Gill can learn from Smith, as he embarks on his journey as Test captain. When the Proteas legend was made the skipper, he was met with widespread censure as critics felt he was 'too young' and underprepared for the role. Similarly, Gill's appointment has also been met with similar criticism, mainly due to his poor returns outside of Asia. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Team India (@indiancricketteam)Apart from his debut series in Australia during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2020-21, Gill has failed to live up to the expectations of the fans and pundits as he hasn't had a single fifty-plus score in overseas conditions since the 13 Test matches (24 innings) the Punjab-born cricketer has played outside of Asia, he's accumulated just 559 runs at an average of 25.40 with two fifties to his name (both in 2021). As a result, his overall Test numbers have also been badly affected as he has 1893 runs to his name from 32 matches (59 innings) at an average of 35.05 with five hundreds and seven fifties.A herculean task to manage seniorsadvertisementApart from his batting woes, Gill also faces the challenge of managing a team full of several senior players. Likewise, Smith also had to manage veterans such as Gary Kirsten, Jacques Kallis, Herschelle Gibbs, Shaun Pollock, among others. However, he passed the Test with flying colours, making the team gel as a unit and take the fiercest of opposition with the likes of Jasprit Bumrah and KL Rahul in the team—both of whom have previously captained India—it won't be an easy task for Gill to marshal his troops. However, he will need to find a middle ground between authority and camaraderie to lead the team forward while maintaining amicable relations with everyone.A defining chapter beginsThe prince of Indian cricket is ready to usher the team into the dawn of a new era, but will face several sets of challenges in his path, which will turn out to be the real test of his character. He will have to take a leaf out of Smith's book to succeed in what would be the toughest phase of his career so the end of his career, Smith managed to etch his name in history books as the most successful skipper (in terms of wins) in Test cricket, having led South Africa to 53 wins. While there's no guarantee that Gill will also finish his career with such prodigious numbers, the youngster does have the fire in his belly to take Indian cricket to new Gill walks out for the toss for the first Test against England in Headingley, his every move will be scrutinised. The 25-year-old has a lot riding on his shoulders and needs to be prepared for the storm that lies ahead of him.
Express Tribune
2 days ago
- Sport
- Express Tribune
Saud, Noman climb in Test rankings
Pakistan's players have witnessed significant movement in the latest ICC Test Rankings following South Africa's impressive victory over Australia in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 final at Lord's. Test vice-captain Saud Shakeel has broken into the top 10 of the ICC men's Test batting tankings, climbing to seventh place with 739 rating points. However, Mohammad Rizwan experienced a drop, now ranked 16th with 671 points, while Babar Azam remains steady at 21st with 651 points. Salman Ali Agha sits at 31st with 592 points, followed by captain Shan Masood, who occupies 45th spot with 542 points. Among other Pakistani batters, Abdullah Shafique is placed at 51st, Kamran Ghulam at 81st, and Saim Ayub at 88th. Leading the latest Test batting chart is England's Joe Root, followed by Harry Brook and New Zealand's Kane Williamson in second and third places respectively. South Africa's Aiden Markram, named Player of the Match in the WTC final, rose seven places to 11th, just two points shy of the top 10. His teammate David Bedingham made a notable leap of 17 spots to 40th, sharing the position with Cameron Green of Australia. In the Test bowling rankings, Pakistan spinner Noman Ali has made a remarkable entry into the top five, now ranked fourth with 806 points. Sajid Khan and Shaheen Afridi have held on to the 21st and 23rd positions, respectively, while Mohammad Abbas is placed 29th. Other Pakistani bowlers include Abrar Ahmed at 52nd, Khurram Shahzad at 64th, Aamer Jamal at 72nd, Mir Hamza at 93rd, Salman Ali Agha at 95th and Zahid Mahmood at 97th. South African pacer Lungi Ngidi, who delivered a match-defining spell in the second innings of the WTC final, surged seven places to 37th, where he is now tied with Lahiru Kumara and Naseem Shah. For Australia, veteran pacer Mitchell Starc moved up the bowling and all-rounder rankings, securing 10th place in both lists after a five-wicket haul and a gritty half-century in the final. All-rounder Beau Webster, Australia's top scorer in the first innings, rose 13 spots in the batting rankings. Among bowlers, India's Jasprit Bumrah continues to reign as the number one Test bowler, with Kagiso Rabada of South Africa in second and Australian captain Pat Cummins in third. Latif reveals WTC XI Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif has unveiled his ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 Team of the Tournament ahead of the official announcement, with no Pakistani player making the cut. Sharing his XI on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Latif named South Africa's trophy-winning skipper Temba Bavuma as captain, while compatriot Kyle Verreynne was chosen as the wicketkeeper. For the opening pair, Latif selected India's Yashasvi Jaiswal and Australia's Usman Khawaja. Jaiswal topped the run charts for India in the WTC cycle, scoring 1,798 runs at an average of 52.88, including four centuries. Khawaja led Australia's batting with 1,428 runs at 39.66, with two hundreds. England's Joe Root, the highest run-scorer of the WTC 2023-25 cycle, was slotted at number three. Root amassed a staggering 1,968 runs at an average of 54.66, including seven centuries. The middle order features South African captain Bavuma — who ended his nation's 26-year ICC title drought — alongside England's Harry Brook and Sri Lanka's Kamindu Mendis. Brook contributed 1,463 runs during the cycle, while Mendis impressed with 1,123 runs at an average of 62.38. Latif's bowling attack is a blend of spin and pace. Australia's veteran spinner Nathan Lyon secured his spot with 66 wickets in the cycle. He is joined by New Zealand's Matt Henry, who took 48 wickets, South Africa's Kagiso Rabada — who claimed nine crucial scalps in the final — and India's pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah. WTC XI: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Usman Khawaja, Joe Root, Temba Bavuma (captain), Harry Brook, Kamindu Mendis, Kyle Verreynne (wk), Nathan Lyon, Matt Henry, Kagiso Rabada, Jasprit Bumrah.
United News of India
2 days ago
- Sport
- United News of India
England reveal playing XI for first Test against India
London, June 18 (UNI) The Ben Stokes-led England confirmed their lineup for the first of five Tests against India at Headingley starting on June 20. The two changes in the lineup that featured in the one-off Test against England is the inclusion seasoned all-rounder Chris Woakes and right-arm quick Brydon Carse. Woakes, who is coming on the back of recovering from an ankle injury, last featured during England's tour of New Zealand in December 2024. England XI: Ben Stokes (C), Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith (WK), Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, Shoaib Bashir The 36-year-old was recently in action for England Lions during their game against India A in Northampton, where he finished with five wickets across the two innings, an ICC report said. Brydon Carse, who also featured during the New Zealand Test series, is also returning after a bout with a toe injury that sidelined him from the ICC Champions Trophy earlier this year. The hosts will be bolstered by an in-form batting line-up that was on display during a high-scoring outing against Zimbabwe last month. The top-three of Ben Duckett, Zak Crawley and Ollie Pope, all amassed centuries as England won by an innings and 45 runs. Shoaib Bashir, who nabbed nine wickets through the Test and was named the Player of the Match, features as the sole spinner in the attack. The contest will mark the first assignment for the two sides in the new ICC World Test Championship cycle. UNI BM
