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• Turning the tide: Windies captain Powell cautiously optimistic about comeback in T20 series against England

  Though facing an uphill task in their five-match T20 series against England, West Indies captain Rovman Powell is cautiously optimistic that they can produce a comeback to not only overturn a challenging 2-0 deficit but to go all the way in the series.

  Powell’s sentiments served as a rallying cry of sorts as they stare down a must-win situation in the third encounter at the Darren Sammy Cricket Ground in St Lucia on Thursday to keep the series alive.

  Still, Powell expressed confidence that the Caribbean setting, coupled with a few strategic changes, will bolster their fightback.

  “St. Lucia is always a good place for us. It provides an opportunity for us to play good cricket, and the wicket is generally a good one, probably the best one in the Caribbean,” Powell said in a pre-game interview.

  “The people of St Lucia always come out to support us, which is also good, and so we're looking forward to the next three games. Hopefully they can come out and support us, and we can deliver some good cricket,” he added.

  

  After two tough matches in Barbados, which England won by eight wickets and seven wickets, respectively, Powell emphasized the significance of a renewed focus while also pointing to the need for every player to take personal accountability heading into the crucial contest.

  “I think it’s a case of each guy reflecting on how things have gone so far from an individual perspective to see if we as individuals are bringing enough to the table, and then we try our best to try to put it together as a team. We have areas that definitely need work, but the guys are in good spirits. We had a good training session today, so we’re hoping to hit the ground running,” Powell explained.

  St Lucia is not only familiar territory but also presents a new beginning, especially with the return of key pacer Alzarri Joseph from a two-match suspension.

  Powell believes Joseph’s presence will fortify a bowling attack that has struggled in the opening games, as England easily chased down 182 and 158 in both games.

  “If you should look at our bowling department, we really needed him in those games. So, it's important for him to come and hit the straps and hit the ground running. As a bowling group, we have areas where we need to control the power play because the middle overs generally take care of themselves, and he will come to bowl some of those overs in the backend,” he shared.

  

  Despite the uphill battle, Powell cited the Caribbean side’s recent successes over the past 18 months as a reminder of their potential.

  “It's a little uncomfortable being 2-0 to be honest; it's a position that we haven't found ourselves in in a long time, but it's an opportunity for us to show what we are made of as a T20 team,” Powell declared.

  “England is a team that we have played quite often these days, and we have had good results against them. It's just unfortunate that Barbados wasn't good for us in terms of T20 cricket, but St Lucia provides a new opportunity for us to come out and play some good cricket,” the Jamaican reasoned.

  Finally, Powell reiterated the importance of a victory on Thursday, not only to stay in the series but also to set the stage for an exhilarating weekend of cricket. The final two encounters are scheduled for Saturday and Sunday.

  “It's a case of us getting back into the series; we just need a win, and once we get the win tomorrow, we can go from there. The guys are upbeat; even though we are 2-0 down, they are in a good frame of mind and ready to play good cricket,” the captain ended.

   

• 'England comes before anything' – Kane unhappy with Three Lions withdrawals

  Harry Kane has questioned the number of players withdrawing from the latest England squad, insisting the national team "comes before anything". 

  England face Greece and the Republic of Ireland in their final two matches in Nations League Group B2 this week, also their last two games under interim head coach Lee Carsley before Thomas Tuchel takes over in January.

  Eight players have withdrawn from Carsley's squad – Trent Alexander-Arnold, Cole Palmer, Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, Aaron Ramsdale and Levi Colwill.

  In an interview with ITV Sport on Wednesday, Three Lions skipper Kane appeared to question the commitment of those dropping out.

  "I think England comes before anything. England comes before club," Kane said.

  "England is the most important thing you play as a professional footballer and Gareth [Southgate] was hot on that and he wasn't afraid to make decisions if, you know, that started to drift from certain players.

  "It's a shame this week obviously. I think it's a tough period of the season, maybe that's been taken advantage of a little bit.

  "I don't really like it if I'm totally honest. I think England comes before anything, any club situation."

  England likely need to beat Greece – who claimed a 2-1 victory at Wembley Stadium last month – to have any chance of winning automatic promotion back to League A.

  Should the Three Lions finish second, they will face a third-placed finisher from League A – potentially Poland, Belgium, Hungary or Serbia – in a promotion play-off tie in March.

• De Jong doubted ankle injury would heal ahead of Netherlands return

  Barcelona's Frenkie de Jong doubted whether his troublesome ankle injury would ever go away but is now looking forward to resuming his international career after a pause of more than a year.

  De Jong spent almost six months on the sidelines before returning for Hansi Flick's LaLiga leaders last month, but he has not represented the Netherlands since September 2023.

  A series of ankle issues prevented him from featuring in the majority of the Oranje's Euro 2024 qualifiers and caused him to miss the final tournament in Germany, where they went out in the semi-finals to England.  

  He will likely get playing time in the Nations League on Saturday when Ronald Koeman's team host Hungary in Amsterdam in their penultimate Group A3 match.

  "Did I wonder whether I would ever fully recover? That crossed my mind sometimes, but I always had the confidence that I would eventually be able to play football again," De Jong told reporters on Wednesday.

  "There was uncertainty about how long it would take and whether my ankle would be completely the same as it was before."

  The 27-year-old said the hardest part was missing this year's European Championships, as a late Ollie Watkins goal dashed the Netherlands' dreams of repeating their Euro 1988 triumph.

  "That was tough. I watched all the matches of the Dutch national team but not much of the rest. I did not want to be confronted with it every time," De Jong said.

  He was taken off on Sunday when Barcelona lost at Real Sociedad in LaLiga, but fears he would miss out for the Netherlands again were later abated.

  "I first got a blow on the muscle next to my shin and then another kick, but it was nothing to do with my knee or ankle," he said. 

  "I knew it was not a serious injury, but it did bother me a lot."