Alex McLeish believes Scotland’s stunning win over Spain has got teams “terrified” to face Steve Clarke’s side.
The Scots got off to a terrific start to their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign in March with a 3-0 home win over Cyprus and a more unlikely 2-0 victory over Group A’s top seeds, also at Hampden Park.
With six points from six, Clarke’s side will travel to Norway for their June 17 clash before hosting Georgia in Glasgow three days later.
Speaking at Hampden Park, where he was promoting Viaplay’s live and exclusive coverage of the Norway and Georgia matches, the former Scotland boss said: “Every game is a threat and we can’t go into any game with complacency.
“The fact that we have beaten Spain has probably got everybody terrified of playing against Scotland so we now have that status.
“Any game is tough at international level, it is a whole new ball game but at the same time we have become a little bit fearful to a lot of countries who are going to play against Scotland because of recent results.
“The Spanish one elevated us to another level.
“First and foremost one of the things people fear is when they see results such as the Spanish one and they think, ‘Scotland beating Spain, God’s sake’.
“That is a wee bonus but of course you have to reach the same levels in every game.
“It is not going to be easy but if we can get a positive result, there is no looking back, we have to be positive.
“If we get the results we expect now from the Scotland national team that will stand us in good stead.”
Clarke’s side, in the first match of the double-header, have to stop Manchester City striker Erling Haaland.
The 22-year-old helped Pep Guardiola’s side write themselves into history after finally claiming Champions League glory when they beat Inter Milan 1-0 in the Istanbul final on Saturday night, to complete the treble of league, FA Cup and Champions League triumphs.
The former Aberdeen and Scotland centre-back was asked how he would deal with Haaland, who scored 58 goals for club and country last season, if he were still playing.
McLeish said: “What a player he is. He is phenomenal.
“How would I deal with him? Well back in the day I would have dealt with him in a different way than you can now because of VAR etc.
“He is a handful but a great challenge for our defenders. They have grown in stature and to go against Haaland is another challenge for them. You can’t take your eye off him for a second.
“It is about concentration. The boys at the back have the capabilities of dealing with those types of players but you cannot let him be free at all in the box.”
Rory McIlroy played 81 holes of practice ahead of the Masters and is a member of the club which hosted the US PGA Championship.
But after missing the cut at Augusta National and finding local knowledge could not make up for a misfiring long game at Oak Hill, McIlroy will go back to basics for the 123rd US Open.
Los Angeles Country Club will stage the year’s third major championship and McIlroy is part of the vast majority of the field to never play the course before, although the likes of Scottie Scheffler and Collin Morikawa were part of the winning Walker Cup team there in 2017.
“I have not played there yet,” McIlroy confirmed during his title defence at the RBC Canadian Open. “I’ll first lay eyes on it on when I get to LA.
“I’ve watched some videos on YouTube. I sort of know the look of the course and the topography a little bit and sort of what to expect. But you don’t get a real grasp of it until you’re actually out there and your feet are on the ground.”
McIlroy’s extensive practice ahead of the Masters came despite the year’s first major being the only one played on the same course, a course on which he has competed every year since 2009.
“Don’t worry, I was telling myself that for the two weeks afterwards,” the four-time major winner said with a wry smile.
“I’m like, ‘Why do I spend so much time here?’. I know it like the back of my hand. It’s the one course we play from memory, rather than what’s just right in front of us.
“And from my experience I play better when I just react to what’s in front of me, instead of playing by memory. Sometimes it’s nice playing courses a little blind.
“I really like playing the week before a major. There’s no better way to get sharp for a golf tournament than to play a golf tournament, I think.
“I’ve done it both ways. I’ve won majors not doing it and won majors doing it. But my favourite two weeks of the year were always Akron (for the Bridgestone Invitational), US PGA.
“I felt like Akron was a great tournament, but it also got you prepared for what you were going to face the next week. So I love those sorts of stretches.”
Boss Stephen Robinson vowed to “keep building” at St Mirren after agreeing a new deal until the summer of 2026.
Assistant manager Diarmuid O’Carroll has also agreed a new contract that keeps him in Paisley for the same period.
Robinson, who took over in February, 2022, led the Buddies to their most successful top-flight campaign since 1985 as well as finishing in the top six for the first time in the cinch Premiership’s current format.
Last season saw the Paisley side finish with 46 points, the highest points tally in the current format as well as winning nine home matches in a season in the top flight for the first time since 1987.
Robinson told the club’s official website: “I’m delighted and very grateful to the board and the fans for their support.
“Now it’s time to keep building and keep taking the football club forward.
“The contract was always going to get signed. There was a trust basis that we just wanted to finish the season and make sure we concentrated fully on that.
“I enjoy what we’re doing and enjoy the challenge of trying to defy the odds next season and get into that top six.”
Reflecting on tenure, the Northern Irishman said: “It’s been excellent.
“The club has grown over the period we’ve been here. We’ve tried to put structures in place that maybe weren’t previously here that can take the club and make it sustainable in the higher reaches of this division.
“It’s about building the club and doing everything in our power to make us sustainable first and foremost and successful at the same time.
“I thought it was very important that we got Diarmuid tied down as well on a longer-term deal as he’s been a part of the relative success we’ve had.
“He’s a young, clever coach. He’s very bright on and off the pitch in terms of analysis and technical awareness as well.
“He’s working at international level which is great for St Mirren in terms of player contacts. I’m delighted we’ve got both contracts sorted and was very keen to make sure Diarmuid stayed alongside myself as well.
“I get the credit at times and the stick when it doesn’t go well. It isn’t just one man that makes any football club successful, you surround yourself with good people.
“I think that’s the biggest thing we have here in Gerry Docherty, Jamie Langfield, Allan McManus, Garry McColl – to name the ones that work close to me. That’s important for the football club.
“The guys we have need to be very good and go above and beyond in their jobs. Every one of them does that and Diarmuid epitomises that.”
O’Carroll added: “I’m absolutely delighted to extend my deal at St Mirren.
“It was a very straightforward process once the contract was offered. I’m extremely excited at the direction the club is going both on and off the pitch.
“I’ve loved my time at the club since joining last February and I’m confident that myself, the manager and the staff can continue to drive standards and hopefully maintain our progression on the pitch.”
Haskoy, a leading contender for the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot, has been retired after straining a tendon.
Trained by Ralph Beckett, Haskoy did not make her racecourse bow until last July, when she ran out a seven-length winner on the all-weather at Wolverhampton.
The daughter of Golden Horn made rapid strides, winning a Listed race at York before coming home second in the St Leger, although the filly was demoted to fourth after causing interference in the closing stages.
Haskoy was as short as 5-1 for the Gold Cup after a game Group Three victory on her Newbury return last month, but the setback means she will now head to the paddocks rather than the Royal meeting.
Beckett tweeted: “Haskoy has strained a tendon, consequently she is being retired to the paddocks.”
Novak Djokovic became the most decorated men’s tennis player in grand slam history with his French Open success on Sunday.
The 23rd major title of his career broke the record he jointly held with Rafael Nadal and here, the PA news agency looks at his record and how he compares to his rivals.
King of the grand slams
Djokovic has won 10 Australian Opens and seven at Wimbledon, with three each now at the French and US Opens.
That makes him the first man ever to win at least three singles titles at all four grand slam tournaments – a measure of his all-round greatness.
Nadal, Rod Laver and Roy Emerson have won each at least twice with Fred Perry, Don Budge, Andre Agassi and Roger Federer the other men with a career slam.
Djokovic’s 10 Australian titles are a record, for the Open era or for a male player – Margaret Court won 11 women’s singles titles, seven of them in the amateur era.
He is the only man other than Nadal, with 14 French Open wins, to reach double figures at a single slam. Federer holds the record of eight at Wimbledon, with no man winning more than seven US Open titles, or five in the Open era.
Djokovic has won six of the last eight major tournaments he has played and three in a row and will head to the next, Wimbledon, as a four-time defending champion – a run dating back to 2018, with the 2020 tournament not being played due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Since that wipeout, his only grand slam defeats came to perennial champion Nadal at Roland Garros in the 2022 quarter-final and at the US Open in 2020 – when he was disqualified for hitting a ball girl with a ball – and 2021 when Daniil Medvedev beat him in the final to end his dream of a calendar year grand slam. He is chasing that goal once more this year.
Djokovic has won 88 per cent of his grand slam matches, 348 of 395, and will surely pass 400 matches and 350 wins by the end of the year – more than likely during Wimbledon next month.
The big three
Federer was the first of the modern ‘big three’ to truly push forward the level of elite tennis, winning 16 of his majors by January 2010 when he completed his fourth Australia Open success.
At that point he had reached eight straight finals and at least the semi-final in 23 consecutive slams. He went on to extend his run of quarter-finals to 36, stretching from Wimbledon 2003 to the 2013 French Open.
His last major title came at the 2018 Australian Open, with Djokovic denying him another in the Wimbledon 2019 final before Federer retired last year.
Nadal’s 22 titles have of course been compiled primarily in Paris, with 14 titles from 18 visits. He won nine out of 10 from 2005 to 2014 and five out of six since 2017 before missing this year’s event due to injury.
One of the exceptions came when he withdrew due to injury before his third-round match in 2016, meaning he has lost only three matches at Roland Garros – two to Djokovic, in the 2015 quarter-finals and the 2021 semis and Robin Soderling in 2009’s fourth round – while winning 112.
The Spaniard has four US Open titles and two each at Melbourne and Wimbledon. The 2010 US Open made him the youngest man, aged 24, to complete a career slam.
Djokovic has now surpassed both men on the statistics sheet and with Nadal, 37, battling injury troubles and set to sit out the rest of this season, it seems Djokovic’s longevity and all-round quality will establish him as the consensus best of all time.
A PGA professional with cerebral palsy hopes his achievement will encourage more players with a disability to follow in his footsteps.
Gregor McDonald recently graduated from the PGA’s degree programme to become a fully qualified professional, successfully completing modules ranging from coaching and club repairs to sports science, business principles and finance.
McDonald’s physical limitations meant that he effectively had to perform club repairs with one hand, but the 27-year-old did not ask for any accommodations to be made for his condition.
“I’m very proud of myself,” McDonald, who is based at the Cluny Clays facility in Kirkcaldy, told the PA news agency.
“It was a massive weight lifted off my shoulders when I found out I’d passed and a massive achievement for myself. I didn’t think I would get there when I was younger so it’s good to be able to do something I’m passionate about as my job.
“I don’t actually know any other disabled PGA pros at the moment so I hope it inspires a lot of people to do this. There’s no limits on what you can and can’t do. You can always achieve what you want to.
“I’ve proved that a disability shouldn’t stop you from pursuing your goals.”
McDonald was introduced to golf by his father Steve and had to make numerous adjustments to his game due to his condition.
“My dad took me to a local driving range and taught me all the basics,” McDonald said.
“I wouldn’t say I was a natural, but my dad worked hard with me in terms of getting everything correct. There were a lot of compensations in how I hold the club and I play cack-handed.
“There’s very little strength in my right arm so it’s mainly all left-hand power. My right hand basically just holds on to the club and I have lighter shafts in my clubs to help me get a wee bit of extra distance.
“I went on to get lessons from Craig (Donnelly), who is now my boss, and then did a college course in professional golf at Elmwood and then the natural progression was to go on and do the PGA course.
“Graduating from that is a nice reward for all the hard work I’ve put in, as well as for those who have helped me.”
AC Milan have paid tribute to their former owner Silvio Berlusconi, who has died at the age of 86.
The Milan-born former Italian prime minister saved the club from near-bankruptcy when he bought it in 1986 and the Rossoneri went on to lift eight Serie A titles and five European Cups under his presidency.
The controversial businessman later went on to become president of Monza, who earned promotion back to the top flight through the play-offs in 2022, and was still in the role at the time of his death.
Berlusconi was treated for leukemia earlier this year but was reportedly hospitalised last week and died on Monday morning.
Milan said in a statement on their Twitter account: “Deeply saddened, AC Milan grieves the passing of the unforgettable Silvio Berlusconi and wishes to reach out to the family, associates, and most cherished friends to share our sympathies.
“Tomorrow, we will dream of new ambitions, create new challenges and seek new victories. Which will represent the good, the strong, and the true that lies inside us, in all of us who shared this adventure of binding our lives to a dream called Milan. Thank you, Mr President. Always with us.”
Berlusconi ran the Serie A giants from 1986 to 2017 before selling to a Chinese investment management company.
Carlo Ancelotti, who played for and later managed Milan during Berlusconi’s reign, posted a message of sympathy.
“Today’s sadness doesn’t erase the happy moments spent together,” wrote Ancelotti, who won two league titles and two European Cups as a player at the San Siro before going on to lead them to the league title and two Champions League successes as manager.
“There remains infinite gratitude to the president, but above all to an ironic, loyal, intelligent, sincere man, fundamental in my adventure as a football player first, and then as a coach. Thank you President.”
Monza, meanwhile, also paid their respects to Belusconi, who took control of the club in 2018 through holding company Fininvest.
“(Chief executive) Adriano Galliani and all AC Monza mourn the loss of Silvio Berlusconi: ‘A void that can never be filled, forever with us. Thank you for everything President’,” read a message on the club’s Twitter account.
Novak Djokovic and Iga Swiatek confirmed their supremacy by taking home the French Open trophies.
Djokovic overtakes Carlos Alcaraz to return to world number one as a result while Swiatek has shored up a position at the top of the women’s rankings that was in danger.
As the tennis circus moves onto the grass and the build-up to Wimbledon, the PA news agency answers the important questions.
What did we learn about the men’s game?
That Djokovic will always find his best level at a grand slam irrespective of his results in the build-up. The younger generation may be able to beat him over best-of-three sets but best-of-five is another story. With Rafael Nadal out for the season and seemingly heading for retirement, 36-year-old Djokovic looks more dominant than ever.
Could he complete the calendar Grand Slam?
Why not? No man has managed it since Rod Laver in 1969 but the French Open has always been the hardest slam for Djokovic to win. He will be a hot favourite at Wimbledon, where he is trying to tie Roger Federer’s record of eight titles. The US Open has been the most unpredictable slam in recent years, with nerves getting the better of Djokovic the only previous time he had the opportunity to claim the Grand Slam in 2021, but second time around it could well be different.
How will Alcaraz be feeling?
The Spaniard produced some electrifying tennis in Paris but it was a surprise to see him break down physically so relatively early in his semi-final against Djokovic. He was very open afterwards in admitting the tension of the occasion got the better of him. It is easy to forget he is still only 20 and he will no doubt learn from the experience. His talent and potential remain off the charts.
What about Swiatek?
The 22-year-old Pole lifted the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen for the third time in four years with a tight victory over Karolina Muchova that in some ways feels her most important slam result. Swiatek has shown since racing to the title in Paris in 2020 that she is a ruthless front-runner but fighting through the tough battles has not come so easily. This will be a huge confidence booster.
And the British challenge?
Disappointing to say the least. Only three players made the start-line in singles and of those only Cameron Norrie won a match, with another injury for Jack Draper that rules him out of the grass season compounding the misery. Norrie did well to defeat two French players and the vocal crowd but put in a poor performance against Lorenzo Musetti in the third round.
Is it doom and gloom for Wimbledon?
Not necessarily. The absences of Draper and Emma Raducanu are a blow but Andy Murray has started well on the grass with a Challenger title in Surbiton and Norrie was a semi-finalist last year. All the British women will need wild cards, which is pretty embarrassing, but grass will be an opportunity for the likes of Katie Boulter, Katie Swan, Jodie Burrage and Harriet Dart to push towards the top 100.
England have named uncapped Western Storm duo Lauren Filer and Danielle Gibson in their 15-player group for next week’s Ashes Test at Trent Bridge.
Jon Lewis’ side begin their quest to win back the Ashes for the first time since 2014 with a five-day Test against Australia from June 22.
Twelve members of the group have featured for England before in red-ball cricket, but Filer and Gibson, alongside Alice Capsey, are now vying to earn their Test debuts.
All-rounder Gibson travelled as a reserve to the T20 World Cup in February and has had a fine season with recent half-centuries for the Storm in the Charlotte Edwards Cup.
Seamer Filer has claimed eight wickets in four Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy matches in 2023 and could feature in a warm-up fixture against Australia A at Derbyshire from Thursday.
England have also named their A-squad for a three-day warm-up game with Australia at Leicestershire from Thursday and Danni Wyatt and Alice Davidson-Richards, who are both part of the 15-player Test group, are included.
Lewis said: “We are looking forward to what promises to be an exciting Ashes series.
“We are fortunate that our talent pool is growing fast, this has enabled us to pick a nicely balanced squad.
“Dani (Gibson) is one of the form cricketers in the country, she is improving both with bat and ball and if selected in the team, offers us a dynamic cricketer who can change the momentum of the game.
“Lauren is a genuine wicket-taking threat with good pace and swing. Again, if selected in the playing 11, she offers us a point of difference in our bowling attack that could impact a Test match at any point in the game.
“Our preparations are going well and this week’s upcoming games against Australia A and Australia give us another great opportunity to rehearse for the Test match next week.
“To have two Ashes series running alongside each other is very special and we look forward to entertaining our fans and gaining some new ones along the way.”
England Test squad to face Australia: H Knight (captain), N Sciver-Brunt (vice-captain), T Beaumont, L Bell, A Capsey, K Cross, A Davidson-Richards, S Dunkley, S Ecclestone, L Filer, D Gibson, A Jones, E Lamb, I Wong, D Wyatt.
England A squad to face Australia in warm-up: L Winfield-Hill (captain), C Dean (vice-captain), M Bouchier, A Davidson-Richards, F Davies, S Glenn, K Gordon, E Gray, B Heath, E Jones, P Scholfield, G Scrivens, D Wyatt.
Connections of Shaquille can hardly wait for his big date at Royal Ascot, with the exciting three-year-old reported to be in rude health ahead of his intended appearance in the Commonwealth Cup.
Winner of three of his four juvenile starts last season, Julie Camacho’s stable star picked up where he left off with an impressive comeback victory in handicap company at Newmarket’s Guineas Festival.
The Charm Spirit colt successfully stepped up to Listed class for the Carnarvon Stakes at Newbury last month and is now being readied for a tilt at Group One glory on June 23.
Camacho’s husband and assistant, Steve Brown, said: “He worked well (on Saturday morning) and you’re counting the days – the bubble wrap is on!
“He’s in good shape and we’re not changing anything. We’ll stick to his routine and he’ll have one more strong bit of work and then we’ll leave him.
“He looks good and we’re happy. It’s fantastic to think you’ve got a chance of going down there and being competitive and he’s a horse that keeps finding some improvement.
“We can dream a bit longer and see what comes.”
Coach Goran Ivanisevic believes Novak Djokovic has “a lot more” grand slam titles in him.
The Serbian broke the record he has been pursuing relentlessly with his 23rd major trophy at the French Open on Sunday, making him the most successful male player ever.
He can equal Margaret Court’s all-time record at Wimbledon, where he will be the hot favourite, and could break it at the US Open, where a first calendar Grand Slam by a man since Rod Laver in 1969 would also be on the line.
That he has reached 23 despite the problems caused by his refusal to be vaccinated against Covid-19, leading to him being deported from Australia last year and missing the US Open, is all the more remarkable.
“It’s incredible,” said former Wimbledon champion Ivanisevic, Djokovic’s coach since 2019.
“If I go back last year in Australia where all this s**t started and then we didn’t know what to do. And now he’s with 23 grand slams and it’s no end.
“I’m really sorry that Rafa (Nadal) is not here, but I say a long time ago before even I became member of his team that him and Rafa, they’re going to go over 22.
“I am hoping Rafa is coming back winning one more and Novak is the only player who can win the calendar Grand Slam. He was one match away two years ago, so he has a chance this year.
“It’s still a long way. But grand slams are the goal. I don’t know how many, but I think he has in his body a lot more.”
Djokovic’s two children, Stefan and Tara, watched him lift the Coupe des Mousquetaires for a third time but Djokovic shows no sign of tiring of life on the road or the demands of top-level tennis.
“Sometimes I see it and then he comes on the court and then you’ll see how much he enjoys to practise, how much he enjoys to hit winners, how much he enjoys to work on little details,” said Ivanisevic.
“Winning in front of this unbelievable crowd, unbelievable stadium. He’s keeping his body great, he’s in great shape. Thank God not too many injuries.
“So it’s fascinating to see because sometimes you think, ‘OK, now you have 23’. But he’s going to find, again, some kind of motivation to win 24, maybe 25, who knows where is the end.”
While Djokovic defeated Ruud in the final, his biggest hurdle was getting past Carlos Alcaraz – who he has surpassed again as world number one – in the semi-finals.
After two pulsating sets, 20-year-old Alcaraz was stricken by cramp, ending his hopes of landing a rare meaningful blow for the next generation against Djokovic.
It is very unlikely to be their last grand slam battle and Ivanisevic said: “I love Carlos. First of all, he’s a great kid. And he’s such a well-educated (guy), nice, always laughing, great tennis player, already won a grand slam.
“He’s going to be extremely dangerous. There are few more guys, always (Daniil) Medvedev but Carlos, I love that guy. He’s a fresh air for tennis, how he plays, how he smiles, how he’s happy, how he plays tennis on the court, the ideas, is just amazing.
“For sure he’s going to be a threat. He’s going to be a threat on grass, he’s going to be a threat on hard court, he’s going to be a threat everywhere. But, it’s always this ‘but’. He’s still young. You have Novak and you can’t ever bet against Novak.”
Fourth seed Ruud has now made three slam finals in a year having lost to Nadal at Roland Garros 12 months ago and Alcaraz in New York.
He has won only one match at Wimbledon in three attempts and last year earned headlines for saying grass was for golf.
“It was more of a joke that got taken too seriously,” he said. “I think it’s fun to play. It doesn’t suit my game very well. I feel a little uncomfortable on it.
“But it’s always so fun to come to Wimbledon. It’s maybe the most historic event that we have. So I really look forward to being back there, and this year we’re playing for points again. I’m going to try to be ready and give it my best effort.
“I have become friends. I enjoy being on the golf course and I enjoy being at Wimbledon.”
Saeed bin Suroor intends to run both Shining Blue and Ghaly in the Royal Hunt Cup at Ascot on June 21.
The Godolphin trainer won the annual cavalry charge with the high-class Real World two years ago, and his two entries are both towards the head of the betting this time around.
Shining Blue bolted up off a mark of 103 at York last month, while the lightly-raced seven-year-old Ghaly has not been seen since beating King Of Conquest at Newmarket in October.
“Shining Blue won well last time and he’s come back good, he’s in good form. Ghaly worked a few days ago and he worked well, but he still has a few more bits to do. Both are in good form and we’re looking forward to running them,” said the Newmarket-based handler.
“Shining Blue is back in good condition, in good form. He’s happy and healthy so he should run well.
“We’ll see how he gets on at Ascot before we make any more plans, but maybe we can start looking at Listed races for him.”
He went on: “Ghaly has had some problems, he had a setback earlier in the year so we’ve given him time.
“He’s been back in full training for some time and it has been going good, two more pieces of work and he’ll be ready to run.
“He’s not had many races for a seven-year-old and he’s not very big but he always tries.
“I think this race should suit the both of them, this is the right trip for them and they go on any ground.”
Ten years on from his career-best Ashes summer of 2013, Ian Bell has tipped Harry Brook to prove he can be England’s latest middle-order “match-winner” against Australia.
Bell won the urn on five separate occasions as a player, peaking a decade ago when he was named man of the series during England’s 3-0 success on home soil.
He hit centuries in each of his side’s victories, with matching knocks of 109 at Lord’s and Trent Bridge followed by 113 at Chester-le-Street, and topped the scoring charts with 562 runs.
Bell moved up and down the batting order during his 118-cap career but his golden summer came at number five, the position Brook has made his own over the course of a prolific winter.
The Yorkshireman already has four hundreds from his first seven Tests – averaging 81.80 – and Bell is confident he has a game that will hold up to the heat of Ashes cricket.
“In terms of ability and talent there’s no doubt, Harry is a match-winner in his own right and he’s proved it already,” Bell told the PA news agency.
“He has a wonderful technique, which is the first and most important thing. Yes, he has an array of attacking shots and he can be very aggressive, but when you look at his movements and technical game, he is absolutely sound.
“It’s the same thing with Joe Root, who is our best player.
“If Australia are going to hit you with the likes of Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland, you are going to need a solid technique to stand up to that – then you can add the flair shots.
“I’ve done a bit of coaching with Harry and he is someone who works extremely hard. I really think we’ve got a serious player for the next 10 to 15 years.”
Bell’s work with Brook came 18 months ago during their time together at Hobart Hurricanes in Australia’s Big Bash League.
It proved a tough trip for Brook, who scored only 44 runs in seven innings, but within months he was churning out big scores in the Pakistan Super League and on the cusp of a dominant season of county cricket that propelled him into the Test arena.
“His numbers weren’t stacking up that well at the time but I remember talking to Harry and telling him that I saw a player who wasn’t a million miles away from England,” Bell recalled.
“I knew he was closer to being a Test player than he maybe thought and that he just needed to put the numbers together.
“He went away to the PSL, did brilliantly, hit the ground running when he came back to Yorkshire and he’s never looked back.”
If Brook comes close to the impact Bell had in 2013, England would be more than satisfied. Now 41 and working as a batting coach with Derbyshire, Bell talks fondly of his series-long hot streak against the Baggy Greens.
“I look back and think myself lucky to have won five Ashes out of seven, that’s a nice record to have, but to say you’ve won the Miller-Compton medal and been player of the series is just perfect,” he said.
“It all just came together but to have scored my hundreds when we were winning games is the best part. It was a great time and a dream come true as a kid growing up watching England take on Australia.”
Colin Graves insists no allegations of racism were ever raised to him during his time as Yorkshire chairman but that regrettable words may have been said as part of dressing-room “banter”.
The club have admitted four charges issued by the England and Wales Cricket Board in relation to their handling of allegations of racism and bullying made by former player Azeem Rafiq.
One of the charges the club have admitted is a failure to address a systemic use of racist and or discriminatory language over a prolonged period.
Graves said there had been “a lot of banter” during his time at the club but that no allegations were ever mentioned to him.
Graves, Yorkshire chairman between 2012 and 2015, told Sky Sports News: “I think there have been odd occasions where words have been said that people may regret afterwards.
“I don’t think it was done on a racist, savage basis. I think there was a lot of – I know people don’t like the word banter – but I think there could have been a lot of banter in there about it, and I know people don’t like that.
“But when you play cricket and you’re part of cricket teams, and you’re in cricket dressing rooms, that’s what happened in the past.
“But the world has changed, society has changed, it’s not acceptable. I understand that, I accept it, full stop.”
On the allegations of racism, Graves – who withdrew his application to return as Yorkshire chairman last week – added: “When I was chairman of the club, when some of these allegations were made, I can tell you now, nothing was brought up within the club.
“Nothing was ever brought up on the table about any racism allegations whatsoever.”
The ECB issued a statement saying it was “disappointed” by Graves’ comments, adding: “We must never again hear of accounts like Azeem Rafiq’s, where racist slurs are used as part of normalised everyday language.
“These events, along with many issues experienced by Azeem and others during their time at Yorkshire have been upheld more than once, including during proceedings overseen by the Cricket Discipline Commission.
“We vehemently disagree that this is ‘just banter’ and believe that any debate in that regard should stop immediately. Racism isn’t banter.
“Yorkshire is of huge importance to cricket in England and Wales with a deep history and an ability to inspire and connect all cricket fans. They are currently working hard to resolve their financial and cultural challenges and the club, and its new management, have our full support.”
A sanctions hearing regarding the charges Yorkshire have admitted is scheduled for June 27.
Six former Yorkshire players were sanctioned last month over the use of racist and or discriminatory language. A seventh – former England captain Michael Vaughan – was cleared of using such language.
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
