I Dig Sports
LONG POND, Pa. – The nickname for Pocono Raceway – the Tricky Triangle – is a cute and fitting slogan.
It might win the overly obvious award because the speedway’s triangular layout is indeed tricky for drivers and teams alike.
For the drivers in Friday’s FortsUSA 150 at Pocono, the track’s three distinct corners present a challenge. Each has a different radius, a different degree of banking, and a different way to approach each one. For some drivers, the best way to approach the track’s challenging turns is to use skills from road racing.
On a road course, every one of each circuit’s turns is vastly different. The same thing goes for Pocono, except there are no turns to the right. So drivers with a little road racing expertise may have a slight advantage over the competition.
At least that’s what Michael Self is hoping.
Self, who has a 90-point lead in the ARCA Menards Series championship standings over second-place Bret Holmes, made the transition to stock cars after starting his career in road racing. Although he doesn’t compete regularly in sports car events on road courses, he’s still an active driver coach. He recently guided recent Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series winner Justin Haley to the 2016 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East championship and assisted Haley when he raced in the SCCA Trans-Am TA2 Series.
Even with expertise that other drivers don’t have, Self and his Venturini Motorsports team led by veteran crew chief Shannon Rursch found the Tricky Triangle to be just that.
“This year the biggest challenge we had the first time we were there was setup,” Self said. “We fought it all weekend long before we had a mechanical issue with the car. As far as driver goes, Pocono is very demanding. It’s very disciplined. It’s easy to over drive even though it’s so big. You can bite yourself really badly and not even realize you’re doing it until you watch video or on Dartfish.”
Dartfish is a program that allows a driver and team to overlay video of two laps to make a direct comparison. Self and his team use it extensively and it helped him figure out the best way to handle Pocono as a driver.
“On test day I was over driving it really bad,” he said. “I watched the Dartfish video and decided that I was going to calm down and we went out and finished third that day.”
Self can pinpoint exactly why that road racing background helps him in his quest to score a victory at Pocono.
“The variety of corners you get in road racing, every corner is different,” he said. “It’s the same at Pocono. You expect something different every time. The techniques you use in road racing, wanting to be back on the throttle early, that applies. The discipline it takes to be good at road racing applies as well.”
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For Lowry, nothing like sharing victory with daughter Iris
Published in
Golf
Monday, 22 July 2019 02:00
PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland – It’s not often you see a player celebrate – actually celebrate victory – in the middle of the 18th fairway of a tournament.
Most players, no matter what their advantage, will wait until the final putt has dropped before they pump their fists and accept their hugs.
Not Shane Lowry. The Irishman enjoyed every second of his triumphant walk up the final hole at Royal Portrush. He raised his arms in the air and grabbed hold of his caddie, Bo Martin.
Afterwards, when the final putt did fall and the claret jug was his, Lowry soaked in the crowd’s adulation. He kissed his wife and hugged family members. He accepted congratulations from friends and fellow major champions Graeme McDowell and Padraig Harrington.
But there was nothing like embracing his daughter, 2-year-old Iris, on the 18th green.
“My wife knew no matter what to have her there waiting for me, because if things didn't go to plan, at least she would have consoled me a little bit,” Lowry said. “To have her there, winning, obviously it's very special.”
This is Lowry’s second win of the season that he’s got to enjoy with Iris, the first coming in January at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship. She ran onto the final green then, an image captured by photographers and cherished by Shane and his wife, Wendy.
“I'll be able to show her, she'll be able to see those pictures in years to come and it will be a nice memory to have,” he said.
While Iris might not remember either of the two celebrations, Lowry expects her to have plenty more opportunities to share such moments with Dad.
“Look, I'm going to be coming back on another 27 Opens to play,” he said with a laugh. “She's going to be nearly 30 when I play my last one. That's going to be nice.”
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Lowry couldn't get 'shank' guy out of his mind on first hole
Published in
Golf
Monday, 22 July 2019 02:49
PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland – Shane Lowry couldn’t stop thinking of Andrew Morris this week, and not for any reason that will excite Mr. Morris.
Addressing the media after his Open Championship win Sunday night, Lowry heard the following from a reporter: “You won the North of Ireland Amateur Championship here (at Royal Portrush) in 2008. You actually beat a friend of mine in the final. I'm just wondering …”
Lowry interjected.
“I couldn't stop thinking about him all week, because he shanked his tee shot out of bounds on the first. That's all I could think about on the first hole,” Lowry said, eliciting laughter from the entire room.
“He's going to kill me for that.”
The out-of-bounds stakes that line both sides of the first hole on the Dunluce Links received plenty of attention this week and fielded plenty of golf balls. Rory McIlroy threw away his Open hopes with his very first tee shot of the week, and both Rickie Fowler and J.B. Holmes went OB in the third- and second-to-last groups on Sunday.
Lowry flirted with the left boundary himself in the final round before his ball harmlessly came to rest in the rough.
The reporter later assured Lowry, perhaps sarcastically, that Morris would be delighted Lowry “remembered him, anyway.”
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By the numbers: Royal Portrush proves a worthy Open host
Published in
Golf
Monday, 22 July 2019 01:04
PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland – Royal Portrush returned to The Open rota for the first time since 1951 and proved itself a worthy host. Here is a breakdown of how it played last week during the 148th playing of The Open.
• The scoring average for the week on the par-71 layout was 72.175. J.B. Holmes’ final-round 87 was the highest round and winner Shane Lowry’s third-round 63 was the lowest.
• Both sides played virtually the same with the first nine holes averaging 36.159. The second nine holes played 36.015 even though it had the four most difficult holes of the week on that side.
• The par-4 11th hole was the most difficult hole of the week, playing to a 4.352 scoring average. The hole gave up 141 bogeys and 21 double bogeys. The next hole, the par-5 12th was the easiest at 4.664. There were eight eagles and 188 birdies there for the week.
• There were actually more eagles (11) on the par-5 seventh hole than there were on the 12th hole. The seventh hole was the third easiest hole of the week.
• In total, there were 32 eagles, 1,339 birdies, 5,180 pars, 1,493 bogeys, 164 double bogeys and 36 others for the week.
• Even though the par-4 opening hole was a brute, more people hit that fairway than any other hole (71.6 percent). The par-4 17th hole was the hardest fairway to hit, as only 38.4 percent of the field hit it.
• It makes sense that the three par 5s had the highest percentage of greens hit in regulation. The par-4 14th hole (the second most difficult hole of the week) only saw 31.7 percent of the field find the green.
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Cowen called it: 'Little fat lad with the glasses' grabs claret jug
Published in
Golf
Monday, 22 July 2019 01:53
Not everyone saw Shane Lowry’s major breakthrough Sunday at Royal Portrush coming. Even Lowry, with a four-shot lead on the morning of the final round of the 148th Open, questioned whether or not he had what it took to hoist the claret jug.
But one person who did forecast Lowry achieving great heights was instructor Pete Cowen.
Talking to Golf Digest after Lowry's Open victory, Cowen recalled a story of when he first saw Lowry swing a club. The introduction came many years ago, when Lowry was just a teenager on the Irish Boys squad. Cowen was asked to drop by a practice and spend some time with the young players.
Irish coaches were particularly interested to hear what Cowen thought about their young prodigy, Rory McIlroy. And Cowen confirmed to them what they wanted to hear.
“Rory’s going to be great,” Cowen told them – and McIlroy has been, winning four majors and spending considerable time at No. 1 in the world.
Only Cowen wasn’t done.
“But there’s another good one out there,” Cowen continued. “The little fat lad with the glasses.”
That was Lowry, who now at age 32 is a major champion.
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Real Madrid would be willing to let Gareth Bale leave this summer to go to China for free, as they look to unblock a tense situation at the Bernabeu, a source at the club has told ESPN FC.
Zinedine Zidane said on Sunday it would be "best for everyone" if the Wales international left "soon," to which the player's agent Jonathan Barnett responded by calling the Frenchman "a disgrace" -- adding: "If and when Gareth goes, it will be because it is in the best interest of Gareth and nothing to do with Zidane pushing."
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To resolve the issue, Madrid are willing to tear up the remaining three years of Bale's contract if he moves to China as a last resort because no European team has made any offer to sign the 30-year-old this summer, the club source said.
Jiangsu Suning and Beijing Guoan are the Chinese clubs reportedly interested in matching Bale's €17 million-a-season net wages -- and getting him off the payroll now would mean a saving for Madrid of around €100m over the next three years.
Barnett would not comment to ESPN FC on whether his client would be open to a move to China. Bale did not feature in the match squad as Madrid began their International Champions Cup schedule with a 3-1 defeat to Bayern Munich in Houston on Saturday.
The Madrid source told ESPN FC that the player had asked not to play while his exit was being managed, and Zidane was "tired" of Bale's behaviour as he had "not focused on anything" during the team's time in North America so far. However, Barnett denied to ESPN FC that a request had been made to sit out the ICC game.
Reports in the media that Bale could move to Paris Saint-Germain as part of a swap deal for Neymar are not being taken seriously at the Bernabeu, the Madrid source said.
Jiangsu Suning are owned by Chinese billionaire Zhang Jindong, whose Suning Sports holding group purchased a majority stake in Inter Milan in 2016.
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MLS Power Rankings: LAFC top despite Ibra dominating El Trafico
Published in
Soccer
Monday, 22 July 2019 07:16
"I have a lot of respect for [Carlos] Vela," Zlatan Ibrahimovic said after scoring a hat trick and leading the Galaxy to a win over LAFC on Friday. "He's a good player but you made one mistake: You compared him with me. That was your biggest mistake. I believe in myself. People call it arrogant, I call it confidence. Ignorant people call it arrogant, intelligent people call it confidence."
Here at the Power Rankings, we also believe in ourselves. Our rankings are perfect and unimpeachable. Don't compare us to other rankings. That would be a big mistake.
Ignorant people would call it arrogance, but intelligent people know it's confidence. It's ranking time.
Previous rankings: Week 19 | Week 18 | Week 17 | Week 16 | Week 15 | Week 14 | Week 13 | Week 12 | Week 11 | Week 10 | Week 9 | Week 8 | Week 7 | Week 6 | Week 5 | Week 4 | Week 3 | Week 2 | Week 1
1. LAFC (14 wins, 4 draws, 3 losses)
Previous ranking: 1
Next MLS match: Friday vs. Atlanta (10 p.m. ET on ESPN, ESPN Deportes)
Welp. Last week, the narrative was that LAFC was an unstoppable juggernaut charging toward a double haul of trophies on the back of a record-breaking attack led by Vela. This week, the narrative is that LAFC can't win big games and might be in store for a playoff meltdown. El Trafico caused some whiplash.
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Zlatan steals the show with hat trick in El Trafico
Zlatan Ibrahimovic's dominance continued versus Carlos Vela's LAFC as his hat trick lifted LA Galaxy to a 3-2 win in El Trafico.
2. San Jose Earthquakes (10-4-7)
Previous ranking: 3
Next MLS match: Saturday vs. Colorado (10 p.m. ET on ESPN+)
The "New Almeydians" won again, picking up their fifth victory in their last six games. The stats on the Quakes' bombardment of their last two opponents, at LA and Vancouver, is stunning: 32 shots in each game for a two-game combined total of 64. The Galaxy and Whitecaps? They managed 11 shots combined.
3. Philadelphia Union (11-6-6)
Previous ranking: 2
Next MLS match: Saturday at Montreal (8 p.m. ET on ESPN+)
One thing the Union haven't really had during their run and stay at the top of the Eastern Conference is big goals from Marco Fabian. The Mexican DP scored an absolute banger in the win over Chicago on Saturday; if he can do that regularly, it could carry Philly through the balance of the season.
4. New York City FC (8-8-3)
Previous ranking: 4
Next MLS match: Friday vs. Sporting KC (7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+)
Winning in Colorado is never easy, even when the Rapids are bad and have a man sent off. NYCFC did what was necessary to secure three road points this weekend and can still point to having several games in hand as a reason to believe that big move up the table is still in the offing.
5. Minnesota United (10-4-7)
Previous ranking: 5
Next MLS match: Saturday vs. Vancouver Whitecaps (8 p.m. ET on ESPN+)
A draw in Utah slowed the Loons down a bit, but they remain in impressive flight with a five-game unbeaten streak. Other teams in playoff contention have found the going tough at Rio Tinto and no one in MLS -- much less Minnesota United, striving for a first-ever playoff spot -- will look a road point in the mouth.
6. Atlanta United (11-3-8)
Previous ranking: 11
Next MLS match: Friday at LAFC (10 p.m. ET on ESPN, ESPN Deportes)
It was a very good week for the Five Stripes and not just because they picked up six points and pulled into second place. Sunday's win over DC United featured something rarely seen in 2019: a good game from Pity Martinez. A goal and an assist as a sub against DC might be the spark that lights the fire that changes everything.
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Pity Martinez makes his mark in Atlanta win vs. D.C.
Pity Martinez came off the bench to score a late winner and assist a brilliant Josef Martinez goal as Atlanta United beat D.C. United.
7. New England Revolution (8-6-8)
Previous ranking: 6
Next MLS match: Saturday vs. Orlando (7 p.m. ET on ESPN+)
The Revs ran through the Whitecaps 4-0 in midweek and FC Cincinnati 2-0 on Sunday, extending the post-coaching-change unbeaten run to 10 in the process. Bruce Arena himself is 5-2-0 as New England's boss, taking 17 of a possible 21 points during the stretch. Never doubt The Bruce.
8. LA Galaxy (12-1-8)
Previous ranking: 9
Next MLS match: Saturday at Portland (10:30 p.m. ET)
An admission: Your humble neighborhood power ranker fell victim to one of the classic blunders ahead of the season's first El Trafico. The most well known is "Never get involved in a land war in Asia," but only slightly less well known is "never bet against Zlatan when bragging rights are on the line."
9. Seattle Sounders (10-5-6)
Previous ranking: 7
Next MLS match: Sunday at Houston (8 p.m. ET on ESPN+)
There can't really be any takeaways from the Sounders' home loss to the Timbers. Seattle got beat, but the nature of the rivalry -- physical, ugly and stretching the definition of "soccer" -- makes it tough to draw any conclusions. A couple of misses changed the game.
10. FC Dallas (9-5-8)
Previous ranking: 8
Next MLS match: Saturday vs. Real Salt Lake (8 p.m. ET on ESPN+)
Based on what we know so far, FC Dallas figures to be fighting tooth-and-nail with a handful of other teams in the West for one of the final few playoff spots. That's why wins like this past Saturday's, on the road over Sporting Kansas City, are so important. The time of playoff six-pointers is practically here and next week's tilt against RSL will have that feel.
11. New York Red Bulls (10-4-8)
Previous ranking: 10
Next MLS match: Saturday vs. Columbus (8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+)
The Red Bulls lost a frustrating game in Toronto in midweek and bounced back with a narrow road win over Orlando on Sunday. Amid the rumors that European clubs are eyeing Aaron Long and the continuing struggles of juggling a busy schedule, the three points in Florida feel big.
12. Portland Timbers (8-4-8)
Previous ranking: 15
Next MLS match: Saturday vs. LA Galaxy (10:30 p.m. ET)
Cascadia belongs to the Timbers. At least for now and thanks to Brian Fernandez. The Argentine rides a fine line between disruptive and irresponsible, but he also scores goals. The two Fernandez scored at CenturyLink Field to lead the Timbers to a win were his seventh and eighth goals in nine games.
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Fernandez double leads Timbers past Sounders
Brian Fernandez found the net twice to lead Portland to a 2-1 win past rival Seattle at CenturyLink Field.
13. D.C. United (9-8-6)
Previous ranking: 12
Next MLS match: Saturday at Chicago (8 p.m. ET on ESPN+)
United won in Cincinnati in midweek, but decide to give Wayne Rooney a rest in Sunday's match against Atlanta. The loss against the champs brought about an event that seemed a long time coming: the Black & Red dropping out of second place in the Eastern Conference.
14. Colorado Rapids (5-5-11)
Previous ranking: 13
Next MLS match: Saturday at San Jose (10 p.m. ET on ESPN+)
Someone hit the brakes on the Rapids after a seven-game unbeaten run that gave them a tiny bit of hope that they could salvage their season. Now winless in three (a draw in Portland was a decent result), reality has settled back in, embodied by the strange debut of teenager Sebastian Anderson, who scored a goal and received a straight red in the first 33 minutes.
15. Real Salt Lake (9-3-9)
Previous ranking: 17
Next MLS match: Saturday at FC Dallas (8 p.m. ET on ESPN+)
RSL followed an impressive win over Philadelphia last week with 1-1 draw against Minnesota this past Saturday. The vagaries of MLS -- what came easily last week was difficult this week -- hit Real Salt Lake harder than most teams. The margins are small each and every time they step on the field.
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Silva salvages point for RSL against Minnesota
Marcelo Silva forced a sharing of the spoils after finding the net late and securing a 1-1 draw for RSL against Minnesota United.
16. Montreal Impact (9-3-11)
Previous ranking: 14
Next MLS match: Saturday vs. Philadelphia (8 p.m. ET on ESPN+)
Playing patsy to the Crew is a bad look these days. Even with the Impact near the top of the Eastern Conference standings, it was hard not to think they were a poor team masquerading as a contender. Saturday's loss sent them tumbling down the standings. Don't expect them to climb back up.
17. Orlando City (7-5-10)
Previous ranking: 16
Next MLS match: Saturday at New England (7 p.m. ET on ESPN+)
The Lions ground out a road result in Portland on Wednesday, then fell to the Red Bulls back in Orlando on Sunday. The latter was just cruel: Orlando City hit the woodwork three different times while chasing the game in the second half. Orlando continues to cycle through wins, losses and draws just enough to stay mired outside of the playoffs spots.
18. Houston Dynamo (9-3-9)
Previous ranking: 18
Next MLS match: Saturday vs. Seattle (8 p.m. ET on ESPN+)
The Dynamo broke an eight-game road losing streak with a win at BMO Field thanks in part to some lineup rotation by the Reds. No one in orange will care much for the hows and whys of the victory; just getting on the right side of the ledger was crucial following a period of six losses in seven games.
19. Toronto FC (8-5-9)
Previous ranking: 20
Next MLS match: Saturday vs. FC Cincinnati (8 p.m. ET on ESPN+)
Greg Vanney's team scored an Eastern Conference win on Wednesday against New York, but dropped three points at home to the Dynamo. The Reds haven't been out of second gear all season and it's almost starting to look like they don't have a higher one to shift to.
20. Sporting Kansas City (6-7-8)
Previous ranking: 19
Next MLS match: Friday at NYCFC (7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+)
A picture says a thousand words, like Seth Sinovic's hand-to-head moment when his pass back to Gianluca Busio missed the midfielder and ended up allowing Michael Barrios to set up Dominique Badji for FC Dallas's first goal Saturday. Most of the words said by that picture are of the four-letter variety.
21. Chicago Fire (5-8-10)
Previous ranking: 21
Next MLS match: Saturday vs. DC United (8 p.m. ET on ESPN+)
The Fire played in a sauna in Chester and fell to the Union 2-0. Dax McCarty and Nicolas Gaitan missed out, a circumstance that certainly hurt Chicago but saved the two veterans from playing in the greenhouse. Did we mention that it was really hot in Chester?
22. FC Cincinnati (5-2-15)
Previous ranking: 23
Next MLS match: Saturday at Toronto FC (8 p.m. ET on ESPN+)
Last week in this space, we gave FC Cincinnati credit for putting together its second winning streak of the year and wondered if the team could extend it to season-best three games. This week, we must sadly report that FC Cincinnati is back on a losing streak. Ouch.
23. Columbus Crew (6-3-14)
Previous ranking: 24
Next MLS match: Saturday at Red Bulls (8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+)
An unbeaten two-game week for the Crew is something to celebrate in Columbus, with a weekend win over Montreal breaking an epic winless run. The last time Columbus won a game, bread was 89 cents a loaf and Ace of Base topped the charts. It feels like it, anyway.
24. Vancouver Whitecaps (4-8-11)
Previous ranking: 22
Next MLS match: Saturday at Minnesota (8 p.m. ET on ESPN+)
The 'Caps are still looking for answers in the middle of a tough stretch of games coming one on top of the next. Marc Dos Santos summed it up after Saturday's loss to San Jose by saying, "Right now, we're in a bad moment." Marc Dos Santos is prone to understatement.
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Sri Lankan security delegation to decide on Test series in Pakistan
Published in
Cricket
Monday, 22 July 2019 06:54
The Pakistan Cricket Board has invited Sri Lanka to play their upcoming two-match Test series in Pakistan. Pakistan are due to host Sri Lanka for two Tests later this year, and by default, the matches were scheduled in the UAE, where Pakistan have played almost all "home" Test matches since the terror attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in March 2009. Sri Lanka Cricket, ESPNcricinfo understands, has not dismissed the proposal out of hand, and appear to have consented to a security assessment.
This is the first Test series for both sides in the upcoming Test Championship, with the result of each Test netting points towards the rankings.
PCB confirmed the boards had engaged on the sidelines of the recently concluded ICC annual conference in London. Though both boards have been in discussion since the Asia Cup meeting in Singapore, the invitation was only formally extended last week. The series is slotted for October, and while it is still most likely to be played in the UAE, Sri Lanka will only take a decision after they send a security delegation to inspect security plans in Lahore and Karachi.
If the series is played in Pakistan, it will mark the first Test played in the country since the attack in Lahore in 2009, where gunmen ambushed the Sri Lankan team bus in a deadly terrorist strike. Eight people were killed and a few Sri Lanka players were injured. The incident effectively isolated Pakistan as a cricketing destination, with no international cricket held in the country for six years. Over the past four years, some cricket has trickled back, though the prospect of holding a Test match has always appeared very distant.
With teams refusing to tour Pakistan in the aftermath of the attack, the board was forced to adopt UAE as its home venue for international cricket, as well as for the Pakistan Super League. Besides two Tests held in England against Australia in 2010, every Pakistan home Test has been played in the UAE, invariably to nearly empty stadiums.
In 2015, Zimbabwe became the first Full Member to tour Pakistan since 2009, with a limited-overs series held in Lahore. Despite extensive security measures, a bomb blast occurred 800m away from the Gaddafi Stadium during the second ODI, killing two people. Zimbabwe stayed on and finished the series two days later, but the tour did not lead to a change in the perceptions about security in Pakistan.
ALSO READ: PCB hoping to convince England, Australia to tour Pakistan
It was two years before a similarly high-profile match would occur in Pakistan. That was the Pakistan Super League final in March 2017 at the Gaddafi Stadium. This was followed by a successful tour of the World XI for three T20Is in September, which saw a number of high-profile cricketers turn up. The World XI side was coached by Andy Flower and included five players from South Africa - including Faf du Plessis and Hashim Amla - three from Australia, two from West Indies and one player each from England, Bangladesh, New Zealand and Sri Lanka. The matches received official T20I status from the ICC, who also hired independent experts to oversee security arrangements. Players were offered USD100,000 to play the series, which spanned five days.
Sri Lanka's T20I squad then toured Pakistan for one match in 2017, though several regular players stayed away. Sri Lanka's then T20I captain, Upul Tharanga, pulled out, along with Lasith Malinga, Niroshan Dickwella, Suranga Lakmal and Akila Dananjaya. The team was captained by Thisara Perera while SLC president Thilanga Sumathipala and sports minister Dayasiri Jayasekara accompanied the side to Lahore. The brief tour became a major stepping stone and paved the way for PCB to convince teams to play more international cricket in Pakistan.
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ICC bars four Zimbabwe women cricketers from Global Development Squad
Published in
Cricket
Monday, 22 July 2019 09:27
The Zimbabwe women's team have become the first to feel the full brunt of the ICC's suspension of Zimbabwe Cricket. Four players - and a coach - selected for the Women's Global Development Squad have been barred from travelling to England to take part in a series of T20 games against Kia Super League teams at the end of July.
Zimbabwe women's captain Mary-Anne Musonda and squad members Anesu Mushangwe, Tasmeen Granger, and Sharne Mayers were all due to take part in the series, while coach Adam Chifo was to have accompanied them to gain vital experience. All five of them have been blocked from participating.
"As I'm sure you are aware, the ICC Board has taken the decision to suspend Zimbabwe Cricket with immediate effect and place a restriction on the Zimbabwe national team participating in ICC events," ICC Women's Cricket manager Holly Colvin wrote in an email to Chifo.
"Unfortunately this also extends to their participation in the Women's Global Development Squad program, and so it is with great regret that I write to inform you that Adam as Head Coach and the four Zimbabwe players will no longer be able to take part in the UK edition of the tour next week," Colvin wrote.
While at least one member of the men's squad, allrounder Solomon Mire, has already announced his international retirement, Zimbabwe's women cricketers have been hit particularly hard by the fallout between the Sports and Recreation Commission and Zimbabwe Cricket, and the resultant suspension of Zimbabwe by the ICC.
As soon as the SRC stepped in to dissolve the ZC board in June, claiming electoral irregularities - amid various other allegations against ZC - the ICC moved to freeze all funding to Zimbabwe. That meant that no contracted players would be paid match fees or salaries, and also that the Zimbabwe women's tour to Ireland and the Netherlands, which was supposed to have run concurrently with the men's tour, was cancelled at the last minute.
The suspension also means that Zimbabwean representative teams will not be able to take part in any ICC events. The women's squad had been scheduled to travel to Scotland for the Women's T20 World Cup Qualifiers at the end of August, having gained entry to the event by winning the Africa Region qualifying tournament in May.
Several squad members took to social media to voice their despair at the unfolding events:
"Was broken after the @ICC ruling last Thursday," wrote allrounder Granger.
"I'm gutted," wrote captain Musonda. "This is wrong and unjust. We can't be the team that almost made it. No! Do the right thing. We are bleeding to death. You are watching."
"My heart bleeds as I have watched these ladies work hard for this," wrote ZC Women's Cricket Coordinator Samu Nkiwane. "The determination, sacrifices, hard work, team spirit and achievements so far, for them not to go to the Global Qualifiers?"
"This might not mean anything to others but it means a lot to us and Women in general...This is our life..this is our game..we have invested years and years into this...why now should we be denied a chance to qualify for the WORLD CUP and emulate what the Zim Gems have done!!! Why are women not taken seriously in anything?" wrote former national player and assistant coach Sinikiwe Mpofu.
"After all the hard work we cannot suffer like this, our hearts are bleeding and nothing is being done," wrote national squad member Nomatter Mutasa.
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FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- Atlanta Falcons coach Dan Quinn expressed support for DJ Durkin, the former Maryland coach who was placed on leave following the practice-related death of Terrapins player Jordan McNair and subsequently fired.
Durkin was one of four coaches announced as assistants for training camp. Lance Schulters, Jamel Mutunga and Tracy Zimmer were added as Bill Walsh Coaching Fellows, while Durkin was announced as a guest coach for the camp.
Of the Maryland tragedy, Quinn said, "Unfortunate situation, of course.''
When pressed on why he added Durkin considering the controversy at Maryland, Quinn stood his ground.
"I hope people would understand, and people know me well enough, that nothing is more important than team,'' Quinn said. "The fact that I know this coach firsthand, I know what his character is, and then the due diligence that goes with that, I would certainly hope that anyone covering the team or the fan base knows that I always have the team's best interest in mind and would never put anybody in a space that would be otherwise.
"That said, it's not that unusual for me to have people come to be a part of our program and add value to it for a smaller period of time. I've done it before, and I'll do it again in the future."
Quinn started off Monday's post-practice news conference by addressing the Durkin story, even before recapping the first day of training camp.
"I know DJ firsthand, about what he is as a coach,'' Quinn said. "I've coached with him. And I know what his character is. We did all of our due diligence of calling everybody at Maryland and had our own follow-up to there. So what I would know is in the past, we've had Ron Wolf come to help me with another set of eyes. Last year, Darrell Bevell coming into the same role.
"I think it's a huge advantage that you can have somebody of respect and can look at some certain things to help your team in the evaluation.''
Durkin spent five years at Florida, working two seasons (2011-12) on Quinn's defensive staff.
Quinn said he has no reservations because he is familiar with Durkin's character and understands his value as a defensive and special-teams coach.
Durkin is bringing 14 years of coaching experience to the Falcons training camp including three seasons as the head coach at Maryland. Durkin was the defensive coordinator/linebackers coach for Michigan in 2015. That season the Wolverines' defense only allowed 16.4 points per game, which was sixth in the FBS.
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