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The Cape Cobras have discontinued the contract of South Africa pace bowler Wayne Parnell with immediate effect

Liam Brickhill25-Sep-2018The Cape Cobras have discontinued the contract of South Africa pace bowler Wayne Parnell with immediate effect. Parnell, 29, signed a Kolpak deal with Worcestershire last week, having just been part of the county’s Vitality T20 Blast success. That decision effectively brought his international career to an end, and his unavailability for national selection has now prompted the cancellation of his Cobras’ contract.”The board of the World Sports Betting Cape Cobras unanimously decided to discontinue Parnell’s Cobras contract,” Nabeal Dien, Cobras’ chief executive officer, said. “It was a tough decision, as he was a senior and successful member of the Cobras squad in the past, winning four awards at the Cobras Player Awards in 2015-16. He was voted Player of the Year at that awards ceremony.”Parnell last played for South Africa in October 2017 against Bangladesh and featured in just two matches during the Ram Slam T20 last season, battling injury before losing his national contract earlier this year.Parnell has a deal to play in the upcoming Afghanistan Cricket League in Sharjah, cutting into the time he would have been available to play domestic cricket in South Africa this season.”His decision to sign Kolpak and also to participate in the Afghanistan Premier League has made him available for the Cape Cobras for a very limited period, while he would also not be available for international selection in future,” Dien said.While limited availability may have played a part, it appears Parnell’s decision to follow the likes of Morne Morkel, Kyle Abbott and Rilee Rossouw in taking up a Kolpak deal is at the crux of the Cobras’ decision. “We pride ourselves in being a conveyor belt for international South African players and it’s part and parcel of our mandate,” Dien said.Those concerns were echoed by Corrie van Zyl, Cricket South Africa’s general manager of cricket. “Every player who turns Kolpak, is one less that can be eligible for the South African team and therefore CSA needs to look at ways to protect itself against the loss of experienced and younger players,” Van Zyl said. “Our mandate is to produce players at domestic level who will represent South Africa.”We are concerned about the amount of players who have signed a Kolpak agreement, which makes them unavailable for national selection,” van Zyl added. “Although the experience of the Kolpak players is valuable, CSA needs to ensure that those players, who are still committed to playing for the Proteas in the future, are afforded the opportunities to develop.”Every franchise is entitled to select two Kolpak players in their playing eleven, but those Kolpak players must be paid from the franchise’s own funds, and therefore it is really up to the franchises to determine the value of that player to their team.”

Leeds United are enjoying raiding the Bundesliga for some exciting talents this summer transfer window.

Indeed, away from Sean Longstaff’s recent £12m arrival last week, every other pick-up so far this window has come from the German top division, with that trend clear for all to see once more with the imminent £17.4m signing of Anton Stach from Hoffenheim.

Daniel Farke clearly trusts in the Bundesliga when attempting to make wholesale changes to his squad, with yet another target now on the Whites’ agenda from this happy hunting ground.

Leeds interested in move for £8m star

It’s not just the Bundesliga that the Whites are looking at when it comes to top European leagues; however, as reports suggest that Leeds have also cast their net out to Serie A when eyeing up Juventus forward Timothy Weah, alongside delving deeper into La Liga by reportedly approaching Getafe midfielder Christantus Uche.

Moreover, there are still Premier League stars on their mind, too, with Fulham centre-forward Rodrigo Muniz very firmly on their radar when attempting to strengthen their forward positions, as Patrick Bamford is now deemed surplus to requirements at Elland Road by Farke.

Whilst that fresh development will make a new striker a top priority, it’s not quite as pressing as Leeds’ need for a Premier League-standard goalkeeper, with the Whites’ wishes for a top-flight-ready keeper potentially coming true in the form of Augsburg stopper Finn Dahmen.

A report from German outlet BILD states that Leeds are interested in sealing a deal for the 27-year-old, who is valued at around £8m according to Transfermarkt, with this deal being considered more important to secure than Stach’s much-talked-about arrival on the scene.

Why Dahmen is a more important signing than Stach

Whilst Stach’s versatility – as can be seen looking at the table below – will be useful for Leeds as they make their way up to a gruelling new division, Farke would love to add Dahmen to his camp even more as Illan Meslier is ditched once and for all.

DM

49

3

5

CB

13

0

0

CM

8

1

1

RM

1

0

0

Last season in the Premier League saw all three promoted sides return to the EFL with a whimper, having leaked a combined 248 strikes between them.

Therefore, it will be absolutely pivotal to Leeds’ survival chances that they possess a stopper ready for the intense challenges in the Premier League, and they could have just that in their new 6-foot-1 target if his Bundesliga heroics are anything to go by.

Staggeringly, across all the major German leagues, Dahmen was voted as the goalkeeper of the season for his standout exploits during the 24/25 campaign, with the former Germany U21 international managing to give up just 19 goals in total from 19 league outings.

Dahmen’s consistent excellence between the sticks would help Sandro Wagner’s men to a comfortable 12th finish in the overall league standings come the final match day of the season, with Leeds aiming for a similarly easy-going final position back in the Premier League.

Stach did chip in with one goal and two assists himself, fighting it out for Hoffenheim, but his superb showings were nearly all in vain as Christian Ilzer’s side were narrowly close to the shock of relegation, still, in 15th spot.

Games played

19

Goals conceded

19

Goals conceded per game

1.0

Saves

65

Goals prevented

+6.86

Ball recoveries per game

7.2

Clean sheets

9

Without Dahmen, Augsburg might well have been looking over their shoulder, too, with a mammoth 6.86 goals prevented from hitting the back of the net courtesy of the number one stopper.

In stark contrast, Meslier, away from letting in 27 goals, prevented -2.73 goals, with his errors nearly costing Leeds dear in their promotion run-in.

Therefore, there will be plenty of hesitation on Farke’s end about persisting with the shaky Frenchman, with Augsburg’s “1-on-1 king” – as he’s been dubbed by football journalist Archie Rhind-Tutt – instantly displacing him on his arrival.

Stach might well have to fight it out for a starting spot, on the contrary, whilst Dahmen readies himself to become Leeds’ number one stopper as another golden German export.

Much bigger talent than Joseph: Leeds chasing deal for "nightmare" striker

Leeds United could win the services of a bigger talent than Mateo Joseph by securing this rising starlet.

1 ByKelan Sarson Jul 20, 2025

Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta is famed for identifying a host of transfer targets and working on potential deals for several of them before deciding which one is best to pursue.

Striker open to joining Premier League rival after "complicated" Arsenal talks

He was thought to be Mikel Arteta’s preferred option.

3 ByEmilio Galantini Jul 19, 2025

We’ve seen this throughout the summer window thus far, with Berta simultaneously holding talks over both RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko and Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyokeres at one point (BBC).

The ex-Atletico Madrid chief ultimately decided on Gyokeres, who is believed to be on the verge of a move to Arsenal after an agreement in principle was struck with Sporting earlier this week (The Athletic).

19/20 – winter

£0

20/21 – summer

£81.5m

20/21 – winter

£900k

21/22 – summer

£156.8m

21/22 – winter

£1.8m

22/23 – summer

£121.5m

22/23 – winter

£59m

23/24 – summer

£208m

23/24 – winter

£0

24/25 – summer

£101.5m

24/25 – winter

£0

25/26 – summer

£140m

Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg also reported earlier this summer that Berta was holding “numerous” talks over signing a winger, before the Gunners eventually settled on Chelsea’s Noni Madueke, who was officially announced as a new Arsenal player on Friday.

This is simply the way Berta operates, as explained by journalist Ben Jacobs.

“The best way of describing it is that Andrea Berta’s approach is different to Edu. If he was going to a party, he would lay out three or four outfits, try them all on and finally decide what to wear,” said Jacobs on talkSPORT.

“Andrea Berta is out in the market, effectively lining up both deals, whereas Edu tended to pick one and be very meticulous, and then discreetly try and get it over the line, often with a series of bids.

“It was either a very smart tactic because Arsenal had confidence that they would get that man, or it dragged on, and we got more summer sagas. We won’t see that with Andrea Berta.”

Berta’s methods appear to be shining through again in Arsenal’s pursuit of a central attacking midfielder, which is their next priority after Gyokeres and Madueke (Ben Jacobs).

Much has been made of their interest in Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze in particular.

Arsenal have held positive talks with Eze’s representatives, and there’s an expectation that they’re set to formally approach Palace over signing the star playmaker, who bagged 14 goals and 11 assists in all competitions.

Arsenal praised as Berta targets Xavi Simons as Eberechi Eze alternative

However, Berta is starting to spin more plates in the attacking midfield department, with Fabrizio Romano confirming that Arsenal hold an interest in RB Leipzig star Xavi Simons.

The Dutchman only completed an initial £43 million permanent move to Leipzig from PSG in January, but Romano states he’s prepared to leave the Bundesliga side already and top Premier League sides are aware of this.

Simons can play on both the left and more centrally, having starred for Leipzig in both positions for the last two years. In 2023/2024, he racked up 10 goals and 15 assists in all competitions, adding to that tally with 11 goals and eight assists in 24/25.

The 22-year-old can be devastating on his day, and journalist Buchi Laba believes that Simons would be a better signing for Arsenal than Eze.

“For me, I will take Xavi Simons ahead of Eberechi Eze,” said Laba on X.

“He’s a better player, More flexible and for his age, more experience and fits the Arsenal system more.”

Arsenal and other English suitors are apparently hopeful they can sign Simons for £56m (talkSPORT), which would also make him a cheaper option than Eze, with Palace refusing to budge on his £68 million release clause thus far.

Should West Indies limit the impact of Rohit, Kohli and Dhawan, they could well become the only team to beat India twice in a home ODI series since October 2016

The Preview by Ankur Dhawan28-Oct-20183:32

Dasgupta: Jadhav as sixth bowling option is important

Big PictureAs West Indies ambled across the finish line in Pune, India ought to have wondered where their own finisher was. Did he not oscillate between Nos. 5 and 6 once upon a time? Is that now a fable from the past? A look at the scorecard will tell you that in those positions he still dwells, at least in body, but not so much in spirit. A little over a hundred required, at a whisker under a run a ball, and Virat Kohli at the other end, was a situation that would have fit MS Dhoni of yore better than his own batting glove. But what transpired in Pune has become characteristic of India in recent times: an inability to close matches without a heavy contribution from two of the top three. It’s not that India have endured too many defeats since the Champions Trophy, but when they have, the failings have been similar.Part of the reason India haven’t had a consistently firing middle order for a while is also because they haven’t needed one. Most times, like in the first ODI in Guwahati , or in Nottingham against England a few months ago, two of the top three went on to get substantial scores. Same was the case during the Asia Cup, except in the final, where India limped to a last-ball win.Since the 2015 World Cup, India’s top three have averaged nearly 62, 16 more than the next best England. But the chasm – sometimes as a consequence, at other times not – between the contribution of the top three and that of Nos 5, 6 and 7 is also by far the widest for India among top teams during the same period.West Indies, on the other hand, made a pleasant discovery that really should have been apparent from the beginning. The key to dismantling India, who are now a stronger force with the ball, is beating their top order. While scoring in excess of 300 was a priority emphasised by their captain, it is ironic, but not entirely surprising, that in the only ODI that they have won so far, they actually fell short of that mark by 17 runs. What they managed, however, was dismissing three of India’s top four for less than fifty, leaving Kohli to fight a familiarly forlorn battle, like he has often had to in recent overseas Tests. Ranked No. 9, West Indies don’t suddenly become favourites against India, who are No. 2 on the table, but should they produce an encore of all the things they did right in the third ODI, they could well become the only team to beat India twice in a home ODI series since October 2016.Ashley Nurse is pumped up after taking a wicket•AFPForm guideIndia LTWWT
West Indies WTLLWIn the spotlightThe moth-eaten adage that absence from the side enhances a player’s worth could not have been truer in Kedar Jadhav’s case. His return from the hamstring injury suffered in the Asia Cup final means that India don’t have to bowl out all their premier bowlers should one of them have an off-day. They have been forced to do so in all three matches so far. His bowling remains an inscrutable mystery, as he continues to keep scoring rates down and also pick up crucial wickets as well. The low trajectory with which he bowls makes it difficult to get under the ball unless it is taken on the full. Some of West Indies’ batsmen, who have a predilection for aerial shots over midwicket, could be lbw candidates against his painfully slow grubbers. In his primary role, with the bat, Jadhav has consistently played inconspicuous cameos that have made a discernible difference to India’s totals. His return augers well for a misfiring middle-order.Shai Hope has so far succeeded in playing a role one may have expected the experienced Marlon Samuels to carry out. Amid the cacophony, as wickets tumbled in Pune, he artfully held the innings together and took it deep enough for Ashley Nurse’s cameo to influence the result of the match. In a line-up bristling with impetuous power-hitters, who are a perfect fit for their time, Hope’s match-awareness has been timeless.Team newsRavindra Jadeja was left out for pacer Khaleel Ahmed, perhaps in anticipation of dew. It is likely that he will return, not just because Khaleel was smacked for 65 in ten overs, but also because India’s lower-order needs bolstering. With fitness concerns behind him and match practice under his belt, Jadhav should also walk back into the side, but who goes out for him might be a trickier question for India to answer.India (probable XI): 1 Rohit Sharma, 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Virat Kohli (capt), 4 Ambati Rayudu, 5 Rishabh Pant/Kedar Jadhav, 6 MS Dhoni (wk), 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 9 Yuzvendra Chahal, 10 Kuldeep Yadav, 11 Jasprit BumrahBarring injury, West Indies have little reason to change a line-up that has fared progressively better through the ODI series. In all likelihood, they will field the same side that leveled the series in Pune.West Indies (probable XI): 1 Chandrapaul Hemraj, 2 Kieran Powell, 3 Shai Hope (wk), 4 Shimron Hetmeyer, 5 Marlon Samuels, 6 Rovman Powell, 7 Jason Holder (capt), 8 Fabian Allen/Ashley Nurse, 9 Obed McCoy, 11 Kemar RoachPitch and conditionsAdministrative issues forced the fourth ODI to be shifted from Wankhede to the Brabourne stadium. Apart from the pin code, it is hard to say what else might be in common between the venues. While the last two first-class matches here were reasonably high scoring, the last of those was a tour match between India A and Australia that took place in February 2017. The last international at the venue was a Test match between India and Sri Lanka back in 2009, where Virender Sehwag came within seven runs of what could have been his third triple hundred.Stats and trivia West Indies’ victory in Pune was only their fifth against India in India since January 2007 Kuldeep Yadav is India’s highest wicket-taker in ODis in 2018. He has 41 from 17 matches, at an average of 18. Nine more strikes and he’ll topple Rashid Khan off No. 1

The committee expressed disappointment with recent results, but admitted that the Covid-19 pandemic had created a challenge

Umar Farooq12-Jan-2021Misbah ul Haq, alongside Pakistan’s coaching staff, has earned a stay of execution, with the Pakistan cricket committee opting against making any changes following the disappointing tour of New Zealand, resolving instead to meet again after the home series against South Africa later this month. The committee urged the team management to form a clearer approach to set and pursue adjectives, expressing disappointment with recent results.The PCB’s cricket committee met at Gaddafi Stadium to review Pakistan’s 2020-21 season, with the national team’s performance placed under scrutiny. Head coach Misbah-ul-Haq and bowling coach Waqar Younis were called up to debrief the committee following the tour of New Zealand, where Pakistan lost the Tests 2-0 and T20Is 2-1. Batting coach Younis Khan, who joined before Pakistan’s tour of England last summer, was exempt. In the end, however, it was decided to take the unique circumstances under which cricket had been played the previous year into account owing to the Covid-19 pandemic, and give the management another chance to steady the ship.”The PCB Cricket Committee carried out a holistic but constructive, fact-based and objective review of the Pakistan men’s cricket team in the past 16 months,” Saleem Yousuf, head of cricket committee said. “There is no denying the fact that we all want to see our side ranked amongst the top three or four cricket playing nations and our recent performances do justice to neither those expectations nor the talent we boast.Pakistan’s performance under Misbah-ul-Haq’s coaching•ESPNcricinfo Ltd”Nevertheless, we also need to take into consideration a number of other factors and the committee was of the view that cricket during the Covid-19 pandemic was one of the biggest contributing factors in the side’s dismal performances. The challenges of playing in Covid-19 protocols have not only been faced by the Pakistan men’s national team, but by all the sides presently involved in international cricket and these concerns have been regularly raised by the team coaches and elite cricketers.”Misbah brought up the limitations and constraints in the last seven months as a justification for some of the below-par performances, specifically prior to the tour of New Zealand, where Pakistan spent almost three weeks in quarantine in New Zealand. The team got six days of training and before the start of the series, they lost Babar Azam with a thumb injury. Before that, the Pakistani players were in a bio-bubble in England, as well as at home during the final leg of the PSL, the Zimbabwe series, the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy and the National T20s. ESPNcricinfo understands that the team management was unhappy with the nature of the practice pitches, which they believe were responsible for the injuries to Azam and Imam-ul-Haq.”All professional and high-performing athletes require an environment where they can prepare their best for the international stage, which was not the case for the last two tours and most definitely not at the last tour where players had been confined to their rooms for two weeks due to the policies of that particular Covid-free country,” said Yousaf. “As a consequence, Babar Azam, Imam-ul-Haq and Shadab Khan were unavailable for Test selections after Fakhar Zaman had missed the flight on the day of the departure. These big losses affected the team combinations.Pakistan’s performance under Mickey Arthur’s coaching•ESPNcricinfo LtdBut the management was not completely cleared of responsibility. “Notwithstanding these disadvantages, the PCB Cricket Committee strongly believes team selections and choice of players in the playing line-ups should have been made better. The committee also believes more scientific and data-based work needed to be done on the players with improved communication to not only prepare them for the bigger challenges but by also identifying players who can back their performances with other capability trades in a high-competitive environment on a consistent basis.”Misbah has a three-year contract with the PCB but his position has come in for scrutiny, often in the recent past as losses have piled up for the team. The latest review was the second in the last three months. With the next series starting in two weeks in Karachi, the committee confirmed they will sit again following the series, with the committee pointedly saying there would be no points awarded for second place.Other than the series against South Africa that includes three T20Is, the year is loaded with home and away series. Pakistan is slotted to tour South Africa, Zimbabwe, England, West Indies and Afghanistan, with a home series against New Zealand, England and the West Indies with the Asia Cup and ICC World T20 in India.

Rodri has been ruled out for the rest of the season with an anterior cruciate ligament injury sustained against Arsenal on Sunday.

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Rodri out in crushing blow for championsSustained ACL injury in 2-2 drawMay not play again this seasonFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Per a new report from , Rodri is set to miss the remainder of the season after rupturing his ACL in City's 2-2 draw with Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium, despite earlier reports to the contrary. The Euro 2024 winner is a frontrunner for the Ballon d'Or but is now set for an extended period on the sidelines, giving Pep Guardiola a huge problem to solve.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

While Rodri does require further tests for the ACL injury to be confirmed, quotes a source who claims that all signs point towards a lengthy lay-off. The midfielder went down early in the first half clutching his knee. He played 50 times in all competitions last season and was central to Spain's Euros triumph.

DID YOU KNOW?

Rodri has rarely been injured throughout his career, with his longest lay-off coming at the start of this season, as he missed three games due to a hamstring injury. City will now have to find a way to replace him at the base of the midfield.

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT?

It remains to be seen if City try to source cover for Rodri in the January transfer window. In the summer, they were linked with a swoop to sign Crystal Palace and England defensive midfielder Adam Wharton.

Sri Lanka fans have been burned before, but on the face of it, Asalanka does have the credentials to potentially turn things around

Andrew Fidel Fernando25-Jul-2024To suggest that the Sri Lanka men’s team captaincy has been in turmoil recently doesn’t get close to capturing it. In the last ten years, since Lasith Malinga (himself taking over in an emergency-ripcord situation) led Sri Lanka to their last title in a global tournament, there has been serious churn in the leadership. So much churn that had it been strapped to a turbine, perhaps Sri Lanka’s electricity grid would not be under so much strain.Just in T20Is, Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Upul Tharanga, Thisara Perera, Kusal Perera, Dasun Shanaka and Wanindu Hasaranga – they’ve all had a turn.But such as it is, the island’s cricket mirrors the island’s volatile politics. And cricket here variously begs from, fights against, buddies-up to, and bear-hugs the island’s government. At present, there is something of a détente between the government and Sri Lanka Cricket, to follow the full-scale war that had taken place through 2023. How long this will last, who can tell?Related

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Illness a concern for Sri Lanka as they flag off new era alongside India

Chandimal returns; Asalanka to lead SL in T20I series against India

Into this fickle melee steps Charith Asalanka, the latest to take Sri Lanka’s T20I reins. At first blush, he is the most chilled and genial captain Sri Lanka have had since Rangana Herath briefly led the Test team. How chilled? Just this last Sunday, the team he captained in and won the Lanka Premier League, which despite its many flaws, produced some spectacularly compelling cricket this season.At the moment of victory, Asalanka did not charge the field like many of his franchise team-mates, choosing instead to quietly congratulate members of the support staff in the dugout. Then, when time came to lift the trophy, Asalanka carried it to his team-mates, handed it to two others in the centre of the group, and then shuffled off to the edge of the clump, letting others raise the trophy and claim the limelight in a moment of triumph.It is not as if Asalanka shrinks from duty. He has been marked out for leadership for as long as he has been known for his cricket, having led the Sri Lanka Under-19 side, as well as school sides at Richmond College in Galle. He has been impressive almost throughout his stay in the international side – particularly at No. 5, where he strikes at 150 in T20Is, and averages 46.19 in ODIs. But although you sense that he wants the job – and is happy to have it – he doesn’t need it in the way others have.His, you suspect, will be a lighter touch than that of, say, Hasaranga, who took the captaincy by the collar and attempted to shake some life out of it. It’s hard to imagine Asalanka abusing an umpire and landing himself a two-match suspension, or showing so much dissent at a decision upon his return that he cops another two-match ban and has to unretire from Tests to absorb.Wanindu Hasaranga took the captaincy by the collar and attempted to shake some life out of it•AFP/Getty ImagesAn arm around the shoulder of a struggling batter, team meetings where consensus is valued, and a pointedly-joyful celebration of a wicket a team-mate has been straining to get – these seem like the Asalanka moves. There is selflessness there, but also a sturdy sense of self. He knows he belongs. He doesn’t find himself constantly having to prove it.Is it what Sri Lanka need right now? It’s hard to say, really. He inherits the captaincy of a team that is very clearly now attempting to relive glories they do not currently seem capable of, if we’re being frank. The batting has been in a long-term decline, with Asalanka and Pathum Nissanka the only players in the top order to operate with some semblance of consistency in T20Is.It is largely on the batting order’s shoulders that repeated nosedives in T20 World Cups, and that gradually-worsening ranking in the format may be dumped. It’s worth remembering that between 2009 and 2014, Sri Lanka made the semi-final of the T20 World Cup on all four occasions, and reached the final three times. They were No. 1 for a stretch there too.Now, their new captain has to plug leaky holes all over the top order. Asalanka may have to reintegrate the likes of Avishka Fernando and former captain Chandimal back into the top five. He has got to ensure Sri Lanka’s middle order does not succumb so meekly to high-quality wristspin as they so often have over the last several years. And he has got to find firepower lower down, where Dasun Shanaka has been conspicuously modest in internationals for well over a year now.Dilshan Madushanka could easily have made the original squad if discussions had taken a slightly different turn•AFP via Getty ImagesAsalanka will thankfully be on firmer ground on the bowling front. Some of the sheen of the Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana duo has faded in the past 12 months, but they remain formidable. And Sri Lanka have arguably never had deeper fast bowling reserves. Dushmantha Chameera and Nuwan Thushara have been ruled out of the upcoming series against India, but you imagine Asitha Fernando and Dilshan Madushanka – their replacements – could easily have made the original squad if discussions around the selectors’ table had taken a slightly different turn.The Sri Lanka men’s captaincy is a vexed thing. Has been for years. It has taken all types, spat out all types, ended some careers, sent others into decline, produced chaos in industrial quantities, and hilarity almost as often (Remember when Mathews was dumped as captain for allegedly running too many partners out?). We’re not in poisoned chalice territory just yet. But it has started to feel like a curse needs to be cast off. There has been a pattern: first the captain’s own performance tends to enter decline, then the whole team does.First up for Asalanka is one of the most difficult assignments in his sport. It would be unfair to expect Sri Lanka’s team to stun even a somewhat-depleted India. But some fight, some form for the batters, a decent series of catching, close games – these will feel like victories even if victories proper do not come.Sri Lanka fans have been burned on hope before, so perhaps it is wise to manage expectations, and stay tight on the tangibles: Asalanka has all the credentials of a captain who could potentially turn things around.