分类： sports

England cricket captain Ben Stokes has made an impassioned declaration placing his team’s psychological welfare above all else as they approach the final two Tests of the Ashes series against Australia. The emotional leader addressed mounting concerns following England’s decisive 82-run defeat in Adelaide, which secured Australia’s series victory and retention of the coveted urn with an unassailable 3-0 lead.

The team faces intensified scrutiny after media reports emerged depicting some players adopting a ‘Stag Party’ mentality during a trip to Queensland’s Noosa resort between matches. These accounts, amplified through social media channels, have compounded the pressure on the struggling squad. Team director Rob Key has committed to investigating allegations of excessive drinking during the excursion.

Speaking at Melbourne Cricket Ground ahead of Friday’s fourth Test, Stokes emphasized his protective role: ‘With current reports circulating, my primary concern remains my players’ wellbeing. How I navigate this challenging period represents my most crucial responsibility as captain.’

The all-rounder drew upon personal experience with mental health challenges, having taken an extended break from cricket in 2021 to focus on psychological recovery. This followed his 2017 involvement in a Bristol street brawl that resulted in criminal charges—though he was ultimately acquitted—and disciplinary action from the England and Wales Cricket Board for posting inappropriate content online.

Stokes differentiated between legitimate cricket criticism and potentially harmful social media exposure: ‘When you’re 3-0 down in a major series, performance scrutiny is justified. However, the constant piling from both traditional media and social platforms creates an extremely difficult environment for individuals.’ The captain stressed the importance of leadership support during such challenging periods, vowing to shield his squad from unnecessary psychological strain as they prepare for the remaining matches.

Arsenal’s Spanish goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga has set his sights on eliminating former club Chelsea from the League Cup following his decisive performance in Tuesday’s quarter-final victory against Crystal Palace. The Gunners secured their semi-final berth through an intense 8-7 penalty shootout triumph after regulation time ended 1-1 at Emirates Stadium, with Kepa’s crucial save against Maxence Lacroix’s spot-kick proving the difference.

The 31-year-old shot-stopper, who spent seven seasons with Chelsea before transferring to North London during the preseason, now stands to potentially deny his former team a place in the campaign’s first major final. Having made all three of his Arsenal appearances exclusively in the League Cup, Kepa emphasized the team’s trophy ambitions: “Right now, if you want a trophy, and that’s something that we want, we have to fight against good teams. Both semi-finals are big games, and it’s going to be tough, but we’ll prepare well.”

Arsenal’s path to Wembley will feature a two-legged confrontation with Chelsea, commencing at Stamford Bridge on January 14th followed by the return fixture at Emirates Stadium on February 3rd. The Gunners nearly secured victory in regulation time before Marc Guehi’s late equalizer—marking the third instance in Arsenal’s last five matches where their defense conceded during or beyond the 90th minute.

Kepa, currently deputizing for first-choice keeper David Raya, acknowledged the concerning pattern: “We’ve conceded in a couple of games in the last minute so it’s something that we have to look at.” Reflecting on the match dynamics, the Spanish international noted, “We made a huge effort. We should have scored a couple in the first half. We played so well. Then the second half was more like 50-50.”

The goalkeeper praised his teammates’ composure during the shootout, stating: “Credit to the guys, they took amazing penalties. They kept us in the game, and they gave me an opportunity to make a save.” He elaborated on the mental transition required after the late equalizer: “Emotionally, you have to be focused, be strong, because obviously when you concede in the last minute and then you have to go to penalties, you need to 100 percent be focused on your penalty takers. It was a change of mindset, and it worked.”

MI Emirates secured their place in the playoffs with a commanding performance against Gulf Giants at Abu Dhabi’s Zayed Cricket Stadium on Tuesday. The team recorded their fourth consecutive victory in spectacular fashion, chasing down a target of 142 with 21 balls to spare.

The match began dramatically with MI Emirates struggling at 2/2 within the first two overs after Mark Adair and Azmatullah Omarzai dismissed Jonny Bairstow and Tom Banton respectively. However, what followed was a breathtaking display of controlled aggression as Nicholas Pooran and Muhammad Waseem constructed an unbroken partnership of 140 runs from just 89 deliveries.

Waseem anchored the innings with a composed 59 not out from 42 balls, featuring three boundaries and three sixes. Meanwhile, Pooran delivered a explosive performance, hammering 69 runs from 49 balls with six massive sixes and three fours. The turning point came after the strategic timeout at 58/2 in 10 overs, after which the duo unleashed an aggressive assault, scoring 84 runs in the subsequent 6.3 overs.

Earlier in the evening, MI Emirates’ bowling unit had set the stage for victory. Fazalhaq Farooqi led the attack with impressive figures of 2/17, while Romario Shepherd claimed two crucial wickets. The Giants struggled throughout their innings, managing only 141/6 despite Moeen Ali’s fighting 51 from 48 balls. Kyle Mayers provided late momentum with an unbeaten 28 from 18 deliveries, but the total proved insufficient against MI Emirates’ formidable batting lineup.

The victory was characterized by exceptional game management, with Pooran and Waseem strategically navigating the early bowling threat before accelerating at the perfect moment. Their partnership demonstrated both technical proficiency and explosive power, leaving the Giants’ bowlers with no answers.

Post-match, Player of the Match Muhammad Waseem revealed their strategy: “We focused on surviving the initial challenging overs and building a foundation. Once we settled, we capitalized on loose deliveries and executed our natural game plan perfectly.”

Gulf Giants captain James Vince acknowledged his team’s shortcomings: “We continue to struggle with setting competitive totals. Early wickets disrupted our momentum, and despite finishing stronger than recent matches, the damage was already done.”

England’s beleaguered Ashes tour of Australia has descended further into disarray with the confirmation that star pace bowler Jofra Archer will miss the remainder of the test series due to a left side strain. The injury announcement compounds a growing list of challenges facing the visiting team, both in performance and discipline.

The 30-year-old Archer, who has endured a four-year battle with persistent fitness issues including stress fractures to his back and right elbow, had demonstrated impressive form since his long-awaited return to red-ball cricket against India. Team officials confirmed his withdrawal after he participated in Wednesday’s training session at the Melbourne Cricket Ground without engaging in practice drills.

Archer’s statistical contribution to the series included 80 overs bowled across the Perth, Brisbane, and Adelaide tests, claiming nine wickets at an average of 27.11 while maintaining the lowest strike-rate among England’s bowling contingent. His standout performance came during the Adelaide test where he achieved first-innings figures of 5-53 and contributed 51 runs with the bat.

The injury crisis coincides with disciplinary investigations surrounding opener Ben Duckett, who remains in the squad despite footage emerging that allegedly shows the 31-year-old in an intoxicated state between the second and third tests. Duckett, averaging a modest 16 with the bat this series, has retained his position while team management conducts its review.

England captain Ben Stokes has offered his full support to the embattled player, stating: “I’ve obviously reached out, spoken to him and offered my complete support throughout this, particularly in a moment like this where everything feels like it’s on top of you. My job as England captain is obviously to be out there and get results for the team, but also to try to give people the best chance of being in a mental space where they can go out there and perform.”

Team selection changes see Gus Atkinson replacing Archer in the visitors’ lineup, while Jacob Bethell comes in for the underperforming Ollie Pope, who has managed only 20.83 with the bat throughout the series.

Australia, holding an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-test series and having already retained the Ashes urn, has made strategic changes of their own. Captain Pat Cummins will be rested for the Melbourne test, with Todd Murphy replacing the injured Nathan Lyon as the team’s primary spin option.

The fourth test begins Friday at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, with the final match scheduled for January 4th at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

The golf world mourns the passing of Japanese icon Masashi “Jumbo” Ozaki, who died Wednesday at age 78 following a prolonged struggle with colon cancer. The Japan Golf Tour confirmed the demise of the nation’s most accomplished golfer, whose extraordinary career spanned nearly three decades and redefined Japanese golf excellence.

Ozaki’s remarkable record of 113 worldwide victories remains unmatched by any Japanese player in history. His dominance on the Japan Golf Tour was particularly astounding, with 94 tournament wins over 29 competitive years. His final victory came at the 2002 ANA Open when he was 55 years old, demonstrating his exceptional longevity in the sport.

In 1996, Ozaki achieved a career-high world ranking of No. 5 at age 49, a testament to his sustained excellence. While his success came primarily within Japan—with his sole international victory being the New Zealand PGA Championship—his impact transcended borders. This legacy was formally recognized in 2011 when he was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.

The Japan Golf Tour memorialized Ozaki as “an indispensable, one-of-a-kind figure in discussing men’s golf, both now and in the future.” His influence inspired subsequent generations of Japanese golfers, including Isao Aoki (the first Japanese Hall of Famer) and Hideki Matsuyama (Japan’s first major champion at the 2021 Masters).

Ozaki’s major championship record included 49 appearances, with his finest performance occurring at the 1989 U.S. Open at Oak Hill where he finished just three strokes behind winner Curtis Strange. He competed in his final Masters Tournament in 2000 at age 53, tying for 28th place.

Beyond his tournament victories, Ozaki’s statistical achievements were staggering: five Japan Open titles, six Japan PGA Championships, and a record 12 money list titles on the Japan Golf Tour—including five consecutive from 1994-1998. He captured his final money title in 2002 at age 55.

Ozaki was celebrated not only for his powerful hitting but also for his distinctive style, often wearing silk shirts and baggy pants. His multifaceted talents extended beyond golf—he was a accomplished musician with three songs that reached Japan’s pop charts. Interestingly, his first professional pursuit was baseball, where he spent three years as a professional pitcher before transitioning to golf.

This baseball background influenced his teaching approach, as noted by protégé Ryo Ishikawa: “Jumbo used to be a baseball player, so he always tried to teach me the link from pitching or hitting to golf. Jumbo wanted me to hit the ball far.”

Ozaki traveled with an extensive entourage during international tournaments, often renting houses and bringing sushi chefs to maintain comfort for his team abroad. He came from a golfing family, with two younger brothers—Naomichi (Joe) and Tateo (Jet)—who also competed professionally.

His international team competition experience included the 1996 Presidents Cup, where he partnered with Vijay Singh to defeat the American duo of Fred Couples and Davis Love III. Though he qualified again in 1998, he declined the trip to Australia, with his brother Joe participating instead.

Upon his Hall of Fame induction, Ozaki expressed only one regret: not competing more frequently outside Japan. However, he noted: “I dedicated my life to Japanese golf and am extremely grateful the voters thought I was worthy of this honor.” He received 50% of the vote on the International ballot, cementing his status as Japan’s Arnold Palmer—a charismatic pioneer who transformed golf’s popularity in his nation.