Another T20 tournament has come and gone. This one had a benefit

2 days ago 2

Weird, yes?

This week, the Australian cricket squad was beaten successful the World Cup by ... Afghanistan. We hardly blinked.

Did you perceive that? We Australians, who successful the realms of cricket respect ourselves arsenic the Masters of the Universe, were beaten by small ol’ Afghanistan, and past knocked retired of the tourney erstwhile they bushed Bangladesh.

Until a fewer years ago, the information that Afghanistan adjacent played cricket was chartless to astir of us. And yet present we were, successful a genuine planetary World Cup, humiliated by a squad that conscionable 1 of our opening batsmen could apt bargain and merchantability 10 times implicit connected their IPL salaries, and no-one cared. No wringing of hands. No thundering columns that I could see, fto unsocial beryllium bothered to write. No nothing. Barely adjacent a pub oregon water-cooler conversation, beyond the information that David Warner’s vocation is yet over.

Why specified small reaction? I accidental it is due to the fact that erstwhile it comes to T20 matches of immoderate description, adjacent the astir rabid fans person the representation of a goldfish and the attraction span of a gnat. We-lost-so-what-else-is-on-the-tube?

It is bubble-gum cricket, saccharine astatine first, but erstwhile the bubble is burst, that’s the extremity of it – astatine slightest successful Australia.

Afghanistan players observe their T20 World Cup triumph against Australia.

In the state of our opponents, it has to beryllium noted the lucifer volition beryllium remembered for immoderate time.

For the lone upside of the full happening was the joyousness it brought to Afghanistan itself. Bravo the team’s achievement, and it was not for thing that players and coaches shed tears of joyousness afterwards. But it was the absorption astatine location that is astir touching. I punctuation the ligament services:

Faraz Khan, a nonmigratory of Nangarhar, said astir this advancement: “Only cricket makes america a rival to the satellite and brings america the joyousness of the full world.”

Fazal Rahman, a nonmigratory of Kabul, said: “It created utmost happiness. Although Afghanistan has nary happiness, cricket has brought a batch of joy. Some laughed, immoderate cried, and immoderate were truthful blessed that they couldn’t adjacent speak.”

Afghanistan fans were delighted during the World Cup.

Nangyali, 1 of the residents of Kunar province, said: “We came to the quadrate wherever determination was a barroom ceremony. All the fans expressed their joyousness there.”

Congratulations to them.

Boom, tish

You volition person noted, yes, that Frank Duckworth, co-creator of the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method famously utilized to enactment retired who should triumph short-form cricket matches erstwhile they are weather-affected, has passed distant aged 84? Well, I americium advised that his co-founder, Anthony Lewis, is lone going to person to unrecorded to 75 to bushed him!

Blues are back. Or, are they?

To reprise a theme, I did so nonstop this to my exertion an hr earlier the Origin II kick-off, asking if it mightiness suffice arsenic my column, truthful I could person an aboriginal night.

Another immense disappointment

By Peter FitzSimons

NSW lost, and Latrell didn’t unrecorded up to the hype.

Wake maine up, erstwhile September comes.

The End.

He said no, and made maine ticker it. And we each cognize the result. It was thing little than bonzer and adjacent to the astir unheard of happening anyone had ever heard of. 38-18!

And yes, it seems evident to me, too, that immoderate squad that tin predominate to that grade successful Melbourne, indispensable beryllium capable to astatine slightest travel up with a triumph successful Brissie to instrumentality the series. But there’s this: We of NSW person mislaid – dot three, transportation one, subtract astir of ’em – nine of the past 10 deciders. And erstwhile those deciders person been successful Queensland, we’ve lone won 2 of 13. History is firmly against the Blues.

Noel Gallagher watches a Manchester City match.

Oasis’ dalliance with Man City governance

I ne'er truly got Oasis. But I’m told that erstwhile they were big, they were truthful large they were compared to the Beatles. As a substance of fact, they were sooooo big, that erstwhile they were astatine their implicit tallness the president of Manchester City wanted to adhd the Gallagher brothers, who are beingness fans of the club, to their board.

“[Manchester City manager] Franny Lee tried to get america to put successful the club,” Noel Gallagher recounted to The Athletic earlier this month. “We went for luncheon with him and a mates of others astatine the aged Platt Lane grooming ground. They’d renamed the canteen the Oasis Suite, and they’d travel up with this brainsick selling thought connected the ground that, astatine the time, they didn’t person an authoritative No.1 connected the books.”

Go on, Noel, and what happened then?

Franny Lee: “We’ll motion you, officially, and it volition beryllium Gallagher arsenic City’s No 1.” Noel Gallagher: “Listen, if you springiness maine a contract, I’m turning up for training.” Franny Lee: “Are you fast? Are you tricky?”

“No, but I’m f***ing dirty.”

Alex de Minaur had a astonishment first-round nonaccomplishment astatine the Queen’s nine championships.

Demon, our hopes spell with thee

As if you didn’t know, Wimbledon starts connected Monday. Our champion anticipation is the mighty Alex de Minaur who did truthful good astatine the French Open, helium roared up to his highest ranking of No. 7 successful the world. He’s successful shape, raring to go, and I interviewed him a mates of days agone for an nonfiction that volition beryllium published successful afloat successful The Sun-Herald in people and online. Here is simply a speedy burst of my 2nd favourite bit.

Fitz: So let’s leap guardant to the Wimbledon final. You’ve made it! You’re up against Carlos Alcaraz. We astatine location are looking astatine you, wondering what you are reasoning arsenic you instrumentality it to him. Is determination a dependable that you perceive successful your caput successful those moments?

AdM: [Thoughtfully.] In an perfect world, erstwhile I’m astatine my precise best, I’m successful this benignant of travel authorities wherever I’m conscionable . . . precise fluid. My ideas are wide and are coming naturally. I don’t really have to think, arsenic it’s each instinct, and that’s the authorities I privation to beryllium in. But erstwhile things get a small spot much choppy, that’s erstwhile I look astatine my squad for words of encouragement, of calm, for signs of however to get maine backmost connected way to that benignant of flow state. So, yeah, successful an perfect world, you volition spot maine benignant of conscionable precise level-headed, precise calm, precise relaxed, with nary antagonistic thoughts, oregon reactions, oregon attitude. Everything conscionable flows, and that’s erstwhile I play my champion tennis.

RAH!

What They Said

Billy Slater connected his thoughts connected the marque up his squad for Origin III: “I haven’t adjacent thought of that. We’re inactive Queenslanders.” Anyone privation to person a guess? I deliberation it mightiness person been on the lines of “We’re inactive Queenslanders, which means we don’t chop and alteration similar you filthy cockroaches, conscionable due to the fact that we copped a belting”.

NSW’s Liam Martin connected the Game III hatred he’ll person from the Lang Park crowd: “It’s portion of Origin. There are astir apt different players they’ll absorption connected much than me. I’m thing to them, I guess. They’ll boo. You’ve got nary friends up there.”

Following England’s gully with Denmark, England large Gary Lineker told the Rest is Football podcast: “I deliberation we person to bespeak the temper of the nation. I can’t ideate anyone who is English would person enjoyed that show due to the fact that it was lethargic, it was dour. You tin deliberation of each sorts of words and expletives if you like, but it was shit. ”

Storm CEO Justin Rodski: “When you deliberation astir our culture, wherever we beryllium connected the ladder, the systems we person successful spot and the respect we person successful the sporting landscape, we perfectly see ourselves the Sydney Swans of the NRL.” Yeah, just enough, but our manager smiles!

Gulbadin Naib aft Afghanistan bushed Australia: “Thank God we astatine past bushed Australia. They are a satellite champion team, and it is simply a large accomplishment for our cricket. We tin transportation this to the adjacent level.”

Georgian shot writer Dato Lobjanidze aft Georgia defeated Portugal to beforehand to the Euro knockout rounds: “Tbilisi is not going to slumber tonight! There volition beryllium tons of celebrations successful the streets, radical are conscionable shouting and screaming and being happy.”

Georgian subordinate Kvhicha Kvaratskhelia: “This is the champion time successful the lives of Georgians. When you deterioration the badge of your state it makes you truthful proud. It is the champion time of my life. Even if determination is conscionable a 1 per cent chance, we proved that you tin marque it happen.”

Former Hockeyroo Kalindi Commerford connected the quality that apical subordinate Rosie Malone isn’t successful the Olympic squad: “She [Malone] is simply a ammunition of herself, I’m utilized to her being this bright, bubbly, extroverted quality and I’m looking astatine a walking ghost.”

Bobby Kersee, the manager of reigning 800m Olympic champion Athing Mu connected her falling successful the USA trials and not making it to Paris: “I’ve coached it, I’ve preached it, I’ve watched it. And here’s different denotation that careless of however bully we are, we tin permission immoderate amended athletes location than different countries have. It’s portion of our American way.”

Toronto Blue Jay Orelvis Martinez was suspended for 80 games 2 days aft making his large league debut. He tested affirmative for clomiphene, a fertility drug: “In my effort to commencement a family, I made a mistake.” Harsh, but fair. We cannot person the satellite overrun by Little Leaguers.

Jon Rahm not blessed with the LIV drones: “Every tournament. It’s f–king incredible. Right connected my backswing. These f–king drones each time.” I deliberation helium means the small flying buzzy things, but it mightiness beryllium the feral commentariat.

Amy Yang aft winning a play large connected her 75th attempt: “I’m mislaid for words close now. I started doubting myself if I was ever going to triumph a large earlier I discontinue and I’m truthful grateful and very, precise blessed to triumph one.”

Team of Week

Australian cricket team. Lost to – if you tin judge it – Afghanistan. While our broadside was winning trophies, the selectors stuck with the aforesaid squad done heavy and thin, and thinner still. But we present person an underperforming squad with astir of the players connected the precocious broadside of 30. Jake Fraser-McGurk is knocking connected the door, but who other is there?

Josh Giddey. Became the 5th Australian to articulation the Chicago Bulls.

RIP Peter Crittle AO. 1939-2024. A large rugby national fig arsenic Wallaby, manager and administrator, the loquacious barrister, bon vivant and fantastic raconteur passed distant connected Friday. Vale, Peter. You were a large servant of the crippled and a beacon of the amusive and emotion that could travel from it.

Tour de France. Starts this weekend.

Queensland Women’s Origin team. Flogged successful the archetypal match, they won Origin II connected a last-minute tract extremity to support the bid alive, past flogged NSW successful Origin III. Deep sigh.

Socceroos. In a World Cup qualifying radical containing Japan, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, China and Indonesia, things look abruptly grim.

South Africa. Crushed Afghanistan to marque the T20 World Cup final. Just means they’ll choke against India successful the final.

Twitter: @Peter_Fitz

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