68
(^) Daily Mail, Tuesday, August 27, 2019
Confounding
and thrilling...
why a Test on
the final day
has no equal
MARTIN
SAMUEL
CHIEF SPORTS WRITER
home prematurely for family
reasons, and no substitute was
being sent in his place. The chap
from a Sunday newspaper baled
to return home for the office
Christmas party. At the end of a
stupefying day four I didn’t have
a clue what to write.
The cricket correspondent
would record the contest, such as
it was. My job was to find a theme,
an issue, a talking point. There
were none. There was an available
flight, mid-morning on the last
day. I took a quick vox pop of
colleagues. Any chance of a
result? Any chance of a turna-
round? To a man, the finest
observers of the game counselled
to save myself. Nothing would
happen in Karachi on day five.
I stayed because, well, you
never know. And at lunch, as the
game inched towards its inexora-
ble conclusion, there was great
fun at my expense. I could have
broken out. I could have been
on my way. Instead I was here
watching — hold on, what am
I watching?
For in those final hours, the
most astonishing thing happened.
make a rather surprising inter-
vention. He drafted a letter which
he poked underneath Atherton’s
door at England’s hotel.
It announced that as Saturday
was Henderson’s day off he
intended visiting Karachi’s mar-
ket place that morning in search
of rugs. He would, however, be
taking his seat in the press box
after lunch and if Atherton was
still batting, and batting in the
manner with which he made his
overnight 43, he would stand and
loudly boo him from the front of
the stand all afternoon.
There hadn’t been many at the
National Stadium that week. Any
expressions of discontent would
most definitely be heard.
The reaction to this ultimatum
was a calling of bluff. Not only
did Atherton not change pace,
Hussain got slower. Atherton’s
50 took three hours and two
minutes, Hussain’s four hours
and 17 minutes. By close,
England had put on a further 198
runs. Nobody had the will to even
boo. This was going to finish the
dullest of draws.
One correspondent had to fly
S
O wHAT’S your
favourite sport? In
this job, you lose
count of the times
you get asked that
question. And most who
broach the subject proba-
bly feel they know the
answer anyway. You’re
going to say football. And I
love football.
Always different, always the
same, as John Peel said of The
Fall. But I love rugby, too, and
hockey, and baseball, and a good
fight. I love anything done well. I
even got carried away by the
weightlifting at the Olympic
Games, once.
Yet none of it matches Test
cricket — or let me rephrase that.
None of it is Test cricket on the
final day, perhaps the final
session, when the best part of
your week has been invested in
the match. Nothing is Headingley
2019, or Adelaide 2010, or
Edgbaston 2005. Or even Karachi
in 2000.
Let me tell you about Karachi,
because it explains a lot. I was
the chief sports writer of the
Daily Express, not long appointed,
and flew out hoping to secure an
interview with England’s captain,
Nasser Hussain. He wouldn’t do
it. He was a miserable beggar
back then, much nicer now.
Also, the series was tied after
two draws, so it was all on the
last. Pakistan amassed a first
innings total of 405 and, on the
second day, England got in and
Mike Atherton began to bat. And
bat. And bat. He was 43 not out
at the close, with Hussain, who
was playing slightly more slowly
than milk turns.
Michael Henderson, a brilliant
cricket correspondent for the
Daily Telegraph among others,
knew Atherton well enough to
New blow
for United as
Shaw faces
5 weeks out
LUKE SHAw could be out for five
weeks with a hamstring injury.
The Manchester United full back
pulled up during the first half of
Saturday’s defeat to Crystal
Palace. Scans have confirmed that
Shaw, 24, is facing at least a month
on the sidelines.
It is a another blow to Ole Gunnar
Solskjaer, the United manager,
after an indifferent start to the
season. Solskjaer is more hopeful
over Anthony Martial’s thigh
injury, however.
The Frenchman’s recovery will
not have an influence over whether
Alexis Sanchez stays or departs
before the European transfer dead-
line closes on Monday.
Sanchez’s representatives were
in London yesterday as they try to
finalise a season-long loan to Inter
Milan, while United have also
fielded further enquiries for
full back Matteo Darmian, who is
keen to return to Italy.
‘Alexis is a quality player. we don’t
have loads of options,’ Solskjaer
said. ‘If there is an offer that’s good
enough for the club and him,
maybe he will go, but if not then
he’s still our player and he’s a
quality player.’
Meanwhile, United’s £52million
misfit Fred says he thinks he can
solve his club’s midfield problem.
Fred has barely made an impact at
Old Trafford since joining from
Shakhtar Donetsk last year and is
yet to feature in a squad this
season. He has made only seven
Premier League starts under
Solskjaer, but wants a chance to
prove his worth.
The 26-year-old Brazilian is fit
and trained at Carrington yester-
day, with club sources insisting he
will remain at the club despite
persistent links with a move to
Serie A side Fiorentina.
Fred missed the early part of
United’s pre-season, with Solsk-
jaer’s permission, for him to get
married, before he joined the squad
in Singapore, playing in the club’s
final four matches of their tour.
Earlier this month, Solskjaer said
that Fred is ‘going to have a big
season’. Even though the manag-
er’s options in midfield are limited,
Fred has remained on the periphery
of the United squad. Scott McTom-
inay has started all three games so
far, with Paul Pogba stationed in a
deeper role.
Nemanja Matic has been on the
bench, with Andreas Pereira
preferred further forward.
Additional reporting:
SAMI MOKBEL
Hamstrung: Luke Shaw walks
off against Crystal Palace REUTERS
By SIMON JONES
and JACK GAUGHAN
Football
Duncan nears Kop exit
Eriksen Spain move off
From Back Page
of their most important players for
nothing next summer while at the
same time not being totally certain
that Eriksen will still be at the club
next week.
Manager Mauricio Pochettino
insists his decision to bench
Eriksen for two of the opening
three games of the season was not
down to his refusal to commit to
the club. But the Spurs boss did
admit after Sunday’s loss to
Newcastle that the uncertainty
surrounding the playmaker’s
future has undermined his side’s
start to the campaign.
Tottenham could yet be open to
selling Eriksen for the right price
before the European deadline,
although Real Madrid are unlikely
to bid the £50million chairman
Daniel Levy would want before he
would even consider letting his
midfielder leave.
Having signed Holland playmaker
Frenkie de Jong from Ajax, a new
creative midfielder is not a priority
for Barcelona. However, Real and
Barca could consider a move for
Eriksen next year when he would
be available on a free transfer.
Paris Saint-Germain could look
to Eriksen if they sell Neymar,
while Juventus may make a move
if they successfully offload Paulo
Dybala. It remains to be seen
whether Eriksen would even
consider those clubs given his
preference for a move to Spain.
Worth the wait: Thorpe (left) and Hussain in Karachi ALLSPORT
LIVERPOOL wonderkid Bobby
Duncan was left out of last
night’s Under 23s clash against
Southampton with his
future to be resolved in
the coming days.
The prolific academy
striker (right) is set to
leave the club, with
Fiorentina and FC
Nordsjaelland both
vying to take him on
loan until the end of
the season.
Sportsmail understands that
Duncan is keen to leave
Liverpool amid concerns over
his lack of senior opportunities
and that Fiorentina are leading
the chase for his signature.
Fiorentina’s offer comes after
Danish side FC Nordsjaelland
made a season-long loan offer
for the youngster.
Duncan is viewed as one
of the brightest talents
at Liverpool and was
part of Jurgen Klopp’s
pre-season plans. But
he is concerned about
his pathway into the
senior set-up and is
open to moving abroad.
Duncan — Steven Gerrard’s
cousin — set the Anfield academy
alight last season, scoring 32
goals. The England Under 18
international joined Liverpool
from Manchester City in 2018.
SAMI MOKBEL