Then in the 79th minute Townsend, who came off the bench nine minutes earlier, rifled an unstoppable shot past Buffon from 20 metres to give England a deserved draw. (Source: AP)England substitute Andros Townsend fired home a late equaliser to earn a 1-1 draw against Italy in a fiercely contested friendly at the Juventus Stadium in Turin on Tuesday.
Italy had taken the lead on the half-hour through Graziano Pelle’s deft header after defender Giorgio Chiellini waltzed around Phil Jones and provided a precise cross from the left.
It was Southampton striker Pelle’s second goal in his three appearances for the “azzurri”.
Italy’s Brazilian-born Eder, whose late goal salvaged a 2-2 draw away to Bulgaria in a Euro 2016 qualifier on Saturday, almost put them 2-0 ahead four minutes after the break but his shot was brilliantly parried with one hand by Joe Hart.
However, Italy could not sustain the pressure and Roy Hodgson’s England side began to take control. Striker Wayne Rooney tested home keeper Gianluigi Buffon’s reflexes with a fierce shot from the edge of the area after 72 minutes.
Then in the 79th minute Townsend, who came off the bench nine minutes earlier, rifled an unstoppable shot past Buffon from 20 metres to give England a deserved draw.
The result left both teams undefeated since last year’s World Cup in Brazil where Italy beat England 2-1 in a group match but neither side qualified for the knockout stages.
Scot Andy Murray registererd his 500th win of his career as he defeated Kevin Anderson in 3 sets on Tuesday. (Source: USA Today)Andy Murray won the 500th match in his career after beating Kevin Anderson 6-4 3-6 6-3 on Tuesday to move into the quarter-finals of the Miami Open for the fourth straight year.
The gangly Anderson fought back well in the second but after trading early breaks in the third the Scot took control breaking his South African opponent again to grab a 3-1 advantage and never looked back.
The world number four becomes the 46th man in the open-era to reach 500 career wins and the first British male. He is one of only nine active players to have reached the milestone.
Czech Tomas Berdych made it six quarter-finals out of six tournaments this year after he advanced when Frenchman Gael Monfils retired in the second set.
Eighth-seed Berdych was leading 6-3 3-2 when Monfils retired after falling badly in the fifth game.
Berdych will face Argentine Juan Monaco who beat Spaniard Fernando Verdasco 6-3 6-3. Verdasco had beaten compatriot and second seed Rafa Nadal in the previous round.
Austrian Dominic Thiem reached his first Masters 1000 series quarter-final after beating France’s Adrian Mannarino 7-6 (5) 4-6 7-5.
World number one Novak Djokovic faced Ukrainian Alexandr Dolgopolov later on Friday while Japan’s fourth seed Kei Nishikori was due to take on Belgium’s David Goffin.
Lonestar Kashmir made it’s I-League second division debut on Monday.Sheikh Rizwan grimaced at nature’s cruel joke he and his teammates were having to endure. Considered one of Jammu and Kashmir’s best midfielders, the 24-year-old stood in the tunnel waiting for the referee to lead the teams out on the field. It was to be the biggest day in the unheralded and often uncertain careers of Rizwan and his other Lonestar Kashmir FC teammates.
After spending decades in obscurity, the club finally put Kashmir on the national football map when it made its I-League second division debut against Aizawl FC in Siliguri on Monday. But the moment of glory was overshadowed by nature’s fury.
Lonestar Kashmir was born in the aftermath of the deadly floods that swept the state last September, claiming nearly 300 lives. The decision to set up a professional football club was an attempt to unite the community, channelize the energy of the directionless youth in the right way. Tragically for them, they played their first match on the day when Kashmir was facing another threat of floods.
“It’s devastating. Every single one of us have suffered because of the floods. To see it happen again, that too on the biggest day of the club, is very sad,” says the club’s secretary Majid Dar.
For decades, Kashmir has been conspicuous by its absence on the national football circuit despite its players making it big individually. The only time they play nationally is during the Santosh Trophy or the National Games. The state is not represented in the domestic league as it does not have a proper club. Kashmir FC, the only side that existed, did not have the infrastructure or the wherewithal to play outside the state.
Sheikh Rizwan grimaced at nature’s cruel joke he and his teammates were having to endure. Considered one of Jammu and Kashmir’s best midfielders, the 24-year-old stood in the tunnel waiting for the referee to lead the teams out on the field. It was to be the biggest day in the unheralded and often uncertain careers of Rizwan and his other Lonestar Kashmir FC teammates.
After spending decades in obscurity, the club finally put Kashmir on the national football map when it made its I-League second division debut against Aizawl FC in Siliguri on Monday. But the moment of glory was overshadowed by nature’s fury.
Lonestar Kashmir was born in the aftermath of the deadly floods that swept the state last September, claiming nearly 300 lives. The decision to set up a professional football club was an attempt to unite the community, channelize the energy of the directionless youth in the right way. Tragically for them, they played their first match on the day when Kashmir was facing another threat of floods.
“It’s devastating. Every single one of us have suffered because of the floods. To see it happen again, that too on the biggest day of the club, is very sad,” says the club’s secretary Majid Dar.
For decades, Kashmir has been conspicuous by its absence on the national football circuit despite its players making it big individually. The only time they play nationally is during the Santosh Trophy or the National Games. The state is not represented in the domestic league as it does not have a proper club. Kashmir FC, the only side that existed, did not have the infrastructure or the wherewithal to play outside the state.
Opportunity in tragedy
The Jammu & Kashmir Football Association and the state’s sports council saw an opportunity amid the tragedy that hit them last September. “The majority of the youngsters were getting involved in activities like stone-pelting and minor fights and would end up behind bars. They were unemployed,” Majid says. “After the floods, we feared the situation would become worse. We thought having a professional football club from the state would help in channelizing the resources in a better way.”
The wheels were already in motion before the state was submerged in water. A businessman, Iftikhar Lone, poured in the money and with the expertise of the local football officials, Lonestar Kashmir took shape. The club was officially launched on December 31 last year but it faced another major hurdle — ground availability. The only available facility in Srinagar, TRC Polo Ground, was destroyed during the floods barely a couple of days after then chief minister Omar Abdullah had inaugurated the artificial turf installed there. Another one was used for relief camps.
They moved to Jammu, where the team made up of semi-professionals, who played for departmental teams, trained. Few have played outside the state but the team has a couple of Nigerian players in its ranks. One would expect these to be daunting challenges, especially for callow footballers. But they had scaled tougher peaks. After the September floods, many of them faced the improbable task of rebuilding their lives. Almost every player on their roster has a story of personal loss and tragedy to narrate.
Rizwan says his entire one-storey house was swept away in September. The reconstruction was still going on when he heard about fresh floods on Monday morning. “I don’t know how I survived that phase. Everything I had, including my house, was washed away in those floods. Football came as a savior, a welcome distraction. The will to play for Kashmir helped in getting over the pain quickly. It’s true for most of my teammates,” Rizwan says.
On Monday, when they woke up for what was the biggest day of their careers, the players froze upon hearing about the floods. A sense of deja vu gripped them. After checking on their family and friends back home, they drove to the stadium for the early-morning kick-off in silence. Lonestar Kashmir lost their debut match to Aizawl FC 4-1. But it was one of those days where result did not matter.
They returned to their rooms, switched on the news channels and ensured their loved ones moved to safer places. “My mother instead asked me, ‘how was your match?’ I didn’t know how to react. But that’s what this club means to us, to our families. It’s becoming our identity now,” Rizwan says.
The Jammu & Kashmir Football Association and the state’s sports council saw an opportunity amid the tragedy that hit them last September. “The majority of the youngsters were getting involved in activities like stone-pelting and minor fights and would end up behind bars. They were unemployed,” Majid says. “After the floods, we feared the situation would become worse. We thought having a professional football club from the state would help in channelizing the resources in a better way.”
The wheels were already in motion before the state was submerged in water. A businessman, Iftikhar Lone, poured in the money and with the expertise of the local football officials, Lonestar Kashmir took shape. The club was officially launched on December 31 last year but it faced another major hurdle — ground availability. The only available facility in Srinagar, TRC Polo Ground, was destroyed during the floods barely a couple of days after then chief minister Omar Abdullah had inaugurated the artificial turf installed there. Another one was used for relief camps.
They moved to Jammu, where the team made up of semi-professionals, who played for departmental teams, trained. Few have played outside the state but the team has a couple of Nigerian players in its ranks. One would expect these to be daunting challenges, especially for callow footballers. But they had scaled tougher peaks. After the September floods, many of them faced the improbable task of rebuilding their lives. Almost every player on their roster has a story of personal loss and tragedy to narrate.
Rizwan says his entire one-storey house was swept away in September. The reconstruction was still going on when he heard about fresh floods on Monday morning. “I don’t know how I survived that phase. Everything I had, including my house, was washed away in those floods. Football came as a savior, a welcome distraction. The will to play for Kashmir helped in getting over the pain quickly. It’s true for most of my teammates,” Rizwan says.
On Monday, when they woke up for what was the biggest day of their careers, the players froze upon hearing about the floods. A sense of deja vu gripped them. After checking on their family and friends back home, they drove to the stadium for the early-morning kick-off in silence. Lonestar Kashmir lost their debut match to Aizawl FC 4-1. But it was one of those days where result did not matter.
They returned to their rooms, switched on the news channels and ensured their loved ones moved to safer places. “My mother instead asked me, ‘how was your match?’ I didn’t know how to react. But that’s what this club means to us, to our families. It’s becoming our identity now,” Rizwan says.
Nehwal’s rise has not been a freakish one based on a couple of wins. The Indian has been in the top-10 for the last seven years.Those were days of awkward unpleasantness for Saina Nehwal. The march into the All England final was still a few fortnights away, and the No. 1 ranking wasn’t a talking point yet, not quite in striking distance. Like a child who believes her toffee has been rudely snatched from her, Nehwal had erupted one day, wondering aloud why she wasn’t in contention for the Padma Bhushan.
It was part pedantic, part petulant — the way she demanded — not the award — but some clarity on the procedure of selection. Critics frowned at what they saw as open lobbying. But Nehwal is not one to be coy — not when she challenges line-calls playing risky points to aisle corners, nor when she asserts that she’s done enough to deserve a national honour. The merits in her claim are a different matter, but Nehwal would simply ask the question if a doubt simmered.
Even as the controversy bubbled and played out on primetime television for a couple of days, Nehwal stayed steadfast with her training schedule each evening — her badminton cocooned inside the practice courts, none of the chattering din permitted to distract her.
The future World No. 1 who moved to Bangalore seven months ago, could pack in a dozen things into her 24-hour-day, with no two priorities muddling her head or interfering with the game that she was sharpening for the All England at Birmingham. “She is extremely energetic and can handle everything. She didn’t miss training sessions a single day in that time,” says international Aravind Bhat, who while sparring alongside watched with amazement how the girl, a few months shy of 25 then, juggled all of her own expectations.
Excellent Work Ethic
“Apart from the great energy she has to manage her game, she has great values in life and an excellent work ethic. It’s unbelievable how she manages her schedule so efficiently. And she’s 100 percent in training, and equally at ease and committed to endorsements work,” he adds.
If there was one shuttler who had the poise and looked ready to embrace the title of World No. 1, it was going to be Nehwal. Even before the rankings go up on Thursday, a clutch of top Chinese, Spanish Carolina Marin, Korean Sung Ji Hyun and Taipei’s Tai Tzu Ying would’ve taken off in the Malaysian Super Series, waiting to pounce on the points available to dislodge the Indian. As such, long-time Chinese No. 1 Xuerui Li would need only a couple of semifinal finishes to edge Nehwal off the perch. “But as Indians we should savour this time because we have a No. 1 after such a long time, and Nehwal should enjoy the feeling. The No. 1 tag might give her a big boost, and she can ride that confidence to hold strong onto the top spot,” Bhat believes.
For former leading women’s singles shuttler Aparna Popat, the ideal mind space for Nehwal to be in, is where she consistently beats players, so that going into the World Championships or Olympics, there’s no demonic nemesis. “It’s enough to be in top 4, as long as she’s beating players regularly and there’s no player whom she hasn’t ever beaten,” she explains. Both Bhat and Popat concur that the biggies — World Championships, All England, Asian Championship and finally Olympics remain the ultimate targets. But with the No. 1 box ticked, Nehwal looks more confident than ever to achieve the big titles.
Mind boggling consistency
What’s stunning about Nehwal’s surge to World No. 1 is the mind-boggling consistency that has taken her to the pinnacle. Match after match, tournament after tournament, season after season, Nehwal has stayed in the hunt, pushing for the top spot. “She’s been in the top 10 for seven years now. She’s unlike any other current player in the world, all of whom have suffered injuries and disappeared for some amount of time — Ratchanok and Marin, both World Champions. Her’s is not the freakish rise to No. 1 after 1-2 good tourneys. She’s hovered around No. 5 for long, and the belief that she’ll get there one day is outstanding,” she says, adding if someone asked her 10 years ago if an Indian could be No. 1 down the years, she’d have said a flat no.
Typical of most shuttlers at the top level is the proclivity for their bodies to break down. “Nehwal’s been playing a lot of badminton. people forget that even 1st, 2nd rounds can be tricky. We only talk about Saina vs China, but she’s putting in the hard work of dealing with other players in early rounds in a physically brutal sport week after week,” Popat explains. Save for one off-year in 2011, Nehwal’s been consistently in quarters and semis of the top-rung Super Series, always making the crucial Friday-Saturdays deep into the draw — something in stark contrast to most other Indian shuttlers.
Time to go pro?
Bhat believes the time’s ripe for Nehwal to go pro — tennis-style, and put in place a travelling entourage. “She has a personalised coach in Vimal Kumar. She needs a permanent travelling physio, masseur, trainer, dietician, besides her family and a full-time manager. She might play the next two Olympics even, and now would be the right time to put the vital cogs in place,” he says.
As one of the highest-earning shuttlers in the world, this would mean opening up the pockets, but Nehwal’s shown enterprise to move quickly in her career-decisions. She still travels economy, is known to be humble and polite to coaches and seniors, and is hardly someone who’ll allow the No. 1 tag to go to her head. However, there’s unanimity on how Nehwal deals with rough times. “Each person has different things that motivate them. Nehwal’s shown the biggest motivation for her is proving everyone wrong. If rubbish gets thrown at her, like in the Padma controversy, she will hit back harder with her performance,” notes the gleeful Popat of India’s brand new World No. 1.
Chand won a bronze in the 200m at the 2013 Asian ChampionshipsA little less than a year since she was dropped from the Indian athletics team for the Commonwealth Games, Dutee Chand might be able compete in an international event – the Asian Championships – once again. On Tuesday, the Court of Arbitration for Sports in Switzerland specifically allowed Chand to take part in the Asian Championships in Wuhan, China, from June 3, pending a final decision on her appeal against IAAF’s hyperandrogenism policy.
While permission may have been granted, competing will not be an easy task. Ever since she was first barred by the Athletics Federation of India, Chand hasn’t been able to train with any sort of consistency. After months in limbo, Chand had been permitted by CAS last December to compete in domestic events. She had subsequently won a gold and bronze in the 100 and 200m in the National Games in January this year.
Coach N Ramesh with whom Chand has been training in Hyderabad admits the Asian Championships will be a harder challenge. “We don’t have a lot of time for the Asian Championships and its going to be hard to compete for a medal. Our first goal will have to be to meet the qualifying standard at the Federation Cup in Mangalore in May,” reckons Ramesh.
The qualification standards will likely be the bronze medal mark (11.63 seconds in the 100m and 23.82seconds in the 200m — a mark incidentally set by Chand herself) from the 2013 Asian Championships in Pune. At the National Games in Thiruvananthapuram, Chand recorded a time of 11.76 in the 100m and 24.56 in the 200m.
Speed Remains
While he only has a limited period in which to prepare the athlete, Ramesh says what works to Chand’s advantage is that she is a sprinter.
“Speed is something that doesn’t leave your body for a few months. On the other hand endurance and strength falls away very quickly. So when you have to take a lot of breaks between training, you have to focus on strength and endurance. When Dutee was preparing for the National Games, we mostly focused on the drills for strength and improving endurance mixed with a few days of speed training,” says Ramesh.
What also gives him hope is the fact that Chand has been able to find a second wind running in competition. “When we had trained before the National Games, she was giving a best time of around 11.85 or 11.86. But when she got onto the track at the National Games she was able to win the gold with 11.76 seconds,” says Ramesh.
This has always been the case for Chand. “Even in the starting of her career, just after she won the bronze in the Asian Championships, she had to go to Ukraine for the Junior World Championships. Its almost impossible for an athlete to recover between competitions in such a short time. But Dutee managed one of her best performances over there (she became the first Indian to make the 100m final at a global event). That is the kind of athlete she is,” he says.
With Chand in Switzerland for the CAS hearing, Ramesh has asked the athlete to train as much as possible. “I have asked her to practice the ABC drills (the three basic elements of sprinting form comprising high knees, exaggerated leg extensions and butt kicks).” he says.
Ramesh however adds that with little time to waste, Chand will have to train harder than usual. “Before the National Games also we had to compress the kind of training we did. So I was afraid she might pick up an injury but both of us decided that we had to take that kind of risk because we had to give the Games our best shot. Now for the Asian Championships we have to take the same chance,” he says.
The 19-year-old Chand was disqualified in July last year by the AFI as per IAAF’s hyperandrogenism policy after tests revealed her body produced natural levels of testosterone above permissible range.
Far from representing Delhi and Jharkhand in the national T20s, Kohli and Dhoni will be busy with ‘Chennai’ and ‘Bangalore’ respectively.The Super League Games of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, the domestic T20 competition, begins in Cuttack and Bhubaneswar from Wednesday, but none of India’s top stars will feature in the tournament as they would have joined their respective IPL teams. Moreover, talent scouts of IPL teams did not have the opportunity to look at the domestic T20 tournament because the auction was held in mid-February while the Syed Mushtaq Ali matches began in late March.
So is this tournament serving any purpose at all?
In a bid to make the domestic tournament relevant, the state associations and the IPL team representatives have asked the Indian cricket board to conduct it before the IPL auction.
In such a scenario, the established players will play in the latter stages of the tournament and the opportunity of spotting domestic talent ahead of auction also presents itself.
The BCCI has allowed players taking part in the IPL to be with their franchises a week before IPL starts. As a result teams like Mumbai and Punjab have fielded second-string teams.
“We have considered the request from franchises as well as state associations and will try to change our domestic schedule from next season onwards. Many IPL teams want the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy to be played before the auction,” a BCCI official said.
“The matter will be placed before the committee and they will decide on how to go about it for the next season,” the BCCI official added.
Former India Test batsman and Delhi Daredevils assistant coach Pravin Amre believes that a change in window for the tournament will be beneficial to all. “If the best players participate in the domestic T20 tournament, it will gain in stature. Also IPL teams will be able to spot talent and plan if the tournament is held before the auction,” Amre said.
Neither currently playing for the national side, Yuvraj Singh and Zaheer Khan have reunited as team-mates at Delhi Daredevils. (Source: Express Photo by Ravi Kanojia)Zaheer Khan last played an ODI in August 2012. A tendon injury saw him abort his IPL campaign in May last year. That was the last time he had appeared in a game of cricket of any relevance. Despite having not played in 11 months, two IPL teams — Mumbai Indians and Delhi Daredevils — went all-out to rope in the left-arm seamer at the IPL auction last month.
The 36-year-old was picked up by the Delhi Daredevils for Rs 4 crore. There were some eyebrows raised when the Delhi franchise decided to splurge on an out-of-favour India seamer.
However, Daredevils think-tank believes Zaheer’s induction will help bring a turnaround in their fortunes. The IPL team had finished at the bottom of the table last year.
Zaheer is just happy to be part of the mix after coming off from a long injury lay-off. “I am taking one step at a time, and IPL is the first step I’m taking and then I will see how things go.”
However, if Zaheer is to trigger a turnaround for the Daredevils, he will have to quickly hit his stride.
Delhi Daredevils manager TA Sekhar expects the experienced pacer to be an asset.
“Both Gary (Kirsten) and I are delighted to have Zaheer in our side. He is the leader of our pack and his experience will help our younger bowlers like Mohammed Shami and Jaydev Unadkat,” Sekhar said.
Apart from mentoring the young quicks, Zaheer will also have the burden of bowling at the death. Plus, he will be called upon to give his strategic inputs to captain JP Duminy.
“He is a shrewd cricketer. I know him from his Under-19 days, and with time he has honed his skills to become the finest fast bowler in the country. He is a great tactician and I have seen him being of great help (tactically) to Dhoni. I think Zaheer can play a similar role for us this season,” Sekhar said.
Long road ahead
Last season, Daredevils had lost their premier fast bowler Nathan Coulter-Nile to an injury. With no other experienced fast bowler in their ranks, their bowling looked flat and in the process leaked runs in the death overs, which hurt their campaign. This season they have placed big bets on Zaheer Khan.
Having the technical nous is one thing, but does the 36-year-old have the finess to last an entire IPL season?
“It is true that he is coming from a long injury lay-off. But Zaheer is a seasoned campaigner. He knows his body, and observing him all these years, I don’t think he needs match practice to get into the groove. I am confident Zaheer will deliver for us,” Sekhar added.
On making the Daredevils debut, Zaheer said: “Daredevils has had a tough season last year. So there is a lot of responsibility on us to turn things around. Yes, it is a challenge and I am really looking forward to it. We have a lot of new faces in the side and hopefully, we can turn it around this season,” he said.
Lewis Hamilton led Mercedes to a World Championship finish in the last season of F1 World Championship. (Source: Reuters)Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton is ready to sign a new contract that, according to media reports, could net him more than $40 million a year.
“It should be done this week. There’s no reason why it shouldn’t be,” the Mercedes driver told British reporters after finishing second in Sunday’s Malaysian Grand Prix.
“Honestly, it’s 99.6 percent done. There’s no negotiating left. It’s just legal stuff.”
The BBC reported on Tuesday that the 30-year-old Briton, who has conducted his own negotiations with Mercedes, would earn about the same basic salary as in his first contract with the team he joined in 2013.
However other sources indicated the terms would be more lucrative, to reflect his success and status.
With bonuses, depending on the number of race wins and retaining the championship, the BBC calculated the total amount would be “well over $40 million” — working out at more than $4,500 an hour or $75 a minute.
Hamilton, who won the first of his two titles with McLaren in 2008, is one of the three highest paid drivers in the sport with Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel and McLaren’s Fernando Alonso reckoned to earn at least what the Briton does.
He is out of contract at the end of this season and the saga of his negotiations has kept the media busy since last year, when the talks were put on hold for him to concentrate on the title battle.
Reports since then have regularly indicated that he was set to sign, Hamilton telling Sky Sports last week that he hoped to do so before the Malaysian Grand Prix, which came and went without an announcement.
The delays have triggered speculation that Hamilton could be considering a shock move to Ferrari as a replacement for Kimi Raikkonen alongside four times champion Vettel but the driver has laughed off that idea.
“No, don’t be silly,” he said when asked about it.
Ahmes made his debut in Sepetember 2013 against England. (Source: AP)Boozy celebrations have been a part of Australian cricket for decades but Test hopeful Fawad Ahmed will be politely declining when the victory beers are passed around on the tour of the Caribbean and England.
The 33-year-old legspinner has plenty of reasons to celebrate, having helped Victoria win the domestic Sheffield Shield last week and earned a place in the Test squad for the first time.
However, as a devout Muslim, Pakistan-born Fawad has been quiet but firm about his abstinence from alcohol.
His request to bowl for Australia without a beer sponsor’s logo on his outfit was granted when he made his 2013 debut in ODI and T20 cricket in England, though it generated heated debate back home.
Newly crowned world champions, Australia’s ODI team partied hard after defeating New Zealand and the Test side can be expected to enjoy at least some success against eighth-ranked West Indies in the two-match series starting June.
Fawad said he and his Victoria team mate Peter Siddle, also selected for the tour, could share a non-drinking moment of joy while others imbibe.
“That’s their culture, that’s their tradition, I knew that before I was coming to Australia and I’m more comfortable with that,” he told reporters in Melbourne on Tuesday.
“This is good the way they are enjoying and celebrating.
“I’ve been around in the system for five years and I would say Peter Siddle is not drinking as well. You could say he’s my partner now. I’m really glad he’s on the tour as well and he’s had some good spells (for Victoria).”
Granted permanent residency in Australia in 2012 and citizenship a year later, former refugee Fawad took a wicket in each of his first three ODIs in England in 2013, but went off the selectors’ radar for much of the next two years.
Victoria’s resurgence under captain Matthew Wade in the 2014/15 season proved a timely boost and Fawad finished the domestic season top wicket-taker with 48 scalps at an average of 24.85, outshining Australia’s ranks of quality fast bowlers on local pitches that rarely turn.
Fawad said he had to take a step back after his Australia debut came in a rush and easing the pressure on himself had paid dividends.
“I changed my mind, I took the pressure off and I wasn’t looking to play for Australia so soon, rather playing more for Victoria and performing at Shield level, that was the most important thing for me,” he said.
“This time it will be different and better.”
