ZEIST: Ronald Koeman has been appointed as coach of the Netherlands national team up to and including the 2022 World Cup, the Dutch football association (KNVB) announced. The 54-year-old former international defender is the seventh coach in eight years for the Dutch team, who were runners-up at the 2010 World Cup and finished third in Brazil four years later but failed to qualify for the 2018 finals in Russia. He will be expected to help the Dutch to qualify for the next European Championship in 2020 and World Cup two years thereafter, reviving the team's fortunes in the process. Koeman, who earned 78 caps for the Netherlands, succeeds Dick Advocaat, who had been brought in midway through last year after the sacking of Danny Blind in March.
His first assignment will be a friendly against England at the Amsterdam Arena on March 23, followed by a meeting with Portugal in Geneva three days later. The Dutch are helping the two Russia-bound teams prepare for this year's World Cup. Koeman has been out of work since being dismissed by Everton last October after a poor run of form in the Premier League. He did, however, enjoy significant success as a club coach in his homeland winning three Eredivisie titles - two with Ajax Amsterdam (2001-02, 2003-04) and one with PSV Eindhoven (2006-07). He has also coached Vitesse Arnhem, Benfica, Valencia, AZ Alkmaar, Feyenoord and Southampton. His coaching career began as an assistant to Guus Hiddink with the Dutch side in 1997 but he left after a year to take up a similar role under Louis van Gaal at Barcelona. Former Dutch international Kees van Wonderen will be Koeman's assistant with Patrick Lodewijks as goalkeeper coach.
Christchurch :Afghanistan produced a superb all-round effort to stun New Zealand by 202 runs in a Super League quarter-final at the ICC U19 World Cup here on Thursday. Opting to bat first, Afghanistan rode on half-centuries from Rahmanullah, Ibrahim Zadran, Baheer Shah and Azmatullah to post a challenging total of 309/6 in their 50 overs. Mujeeb Zadranand Qais Ahmadthen claimed four wickets each as the Afghans bundled out New Zealand for a meagre 107 runs in 28.1 overs. Zadran returned figures of 4/14 while Ahmad claimed 4/33. Afghanistan will meet former champions Australia in the semi-finals.
The Afghan innings was off to an excellent start as Rahmanullah and Zadran put on an opening partnership of 117 runs in 20.4 overs. This was the biggest opening stand for Afghanistan at the U-19 level. Pacer Sandeep Patel struck the first blow for New Zealand when he bowled Rahmanullah in the 21st over. Rahmanullah scored 69 runs off 67 balls with seven boundaries and three sixes. When left-arm spinner Felix Murray pulled off a stunning caught and bowled effort in the 24th over to send back Ikram Ali Khil, it seemed like the Kiwis had brought the situation under control. But Shah joined Zadran in the middle and the duo proceeded to add 47 runs between them. Zadran posted a patient innings of 68 runs off 98 balls while Shah remained unbeaten on 67 off 72 deliveries. Patel proved to be the partnership breaker once again when he sent Zadran back to the pavilion. The fall of another couple of wickets seemed to have stalled the Afghans' momentum. But a quickfire 66 off just 23 balls by Azmatullah Omarzai and his 79-run stand with Shah helped the Afghans to a big total. Omarzai's innings was studded with three boundaries and seven sixes. In reply, the Kiwis never really managed to get their run chase going as they lost wickets at regular intervals. The Afghans struck early blows to reduce the hosts to 20/4 in the seventh over. The only bright spot of the Kiwi innings was a 66-run stand between Dale Phillips and Katene Clarke, who made the Afghans wait for almost 19 overs for their fifth wicket. Clarke was the highest scorer for New Zealand with 38 runs off 56 balls while Phillips scored 31 runs off 32 deliveries. But once Phillips was trapped leg before by Ahmed in the 20th over, it was virtually all over for the Kiwis. Brief scores: Afghanistan: 309/6 in 50 overs (Rahmanullah 69, Ibrahim Zadran 68, Baheer Shah 67 not out, Azmatullah Omarzai 66; Sandeep Patel 2/13) vs New Zealand: 107 in 28.1 overs (Katene Clarke 38, Dale Phillips 31; Mujeeb Zadran 4/14, Qais Ahmad 4/33).
MOUNT MAUNGANUI: Optimism mingled with an eagerness to know what lies ahead as India's potential future stars geared up to lock horns with Australia in their big-ticket campaign opener of the ICC U-19 World Cup on Sunday. Coached by the distinguished Rahul Dravid, there is no dearth of talent in the squad, and the former India captain's sprightly boys would have got acclimatised to the conditions by now having arrived many days prior to the start of the tournament. India are three-time champions, the last triumph coming in 2014. While Dravid, who has been at the helm of U-19 and India A squad for some time, may not like to focus on individuals, it is very difficult to not see the likes of skipper Prithvi Shaw as the vital cog in the team's batting wheel. Alongside Shaw, who has created ripples with his exploits in the domestic circuit for Mumbai, there is Himanshu Rana, who has also amassed plenty of runs in Youth ODIs. Punjab's Shubhman Gill at number three is one of the most exciting young batsmen going around, and with a few impressive first-class games this Ranji Trophy season, he will have gained in confidence.
The top-order's performance is likely to be crucial to India's chances in the tournament. The middle-order is likely to be manned by Anukul Roy and Abhishek Sharma, and they would certainly want to make their presence felt. Another exciting name doing the rounds is Bengal pacer Ishan Porel. With Mohammed Shami rarely turning up for his state team owing to national commitments, Porel has caught the eye in the limited opportunities that came his way. Porel is set to spearhead the pace attack and he could be complemented by Shivam Mavi, who will be aided by the seaming conditions in this part of the world. Mavi attracted the attention of the selectors after his performance in the zonal level 'Challengers' tournament where he bagged nine wickets in four matches. His right-arm fast-medium bowling helped India whitewash England in England last year. Shaw said he is happy with the team's preparations. "We've been here a week now, played a couple of games. Everything has gone well, the preparation of the team has been good. Our goal is obviously to win the World Cup but at the same time we are looking forward to our first game," he said. Asked if there are any Indian players in particular he thinks could have a lot of success at this tournament, Dravid said: "We don't like to focus too much on the individuals. We believe we've got a very good squad together and the opportunities for us to play well as a team are there." "We've been playing some very good cricket of late, so rather than focusing on individuals and naming a few people, at this age we really believe that every one of these kids is talented. "...They've got the ability to go on and do well in this tournament, and not only in this tournament but also to go on and play professional cricket and do well there." In the last edition of the tournament in 2016, India finished runner-up after losing to the West Indies in the final. Like his counterpart from India, Australia captain Jason Sangha has also made a mark in the domestic scene and adding to the tournament flavor will be the son of Steve Waugh, Austin. Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland's son Will is also in the national squad.
Christchurch : It's considered the stepping stone for the stars of the future and 15 teams, including three-time champions India, would be aiming to discover their Virat Kohlis and Steve Smiths when the ICC Under-19 World Cup starts off here tomorrow. From Kohli to Smith, most modern-day greats have learnt the ropes in the biennial event, which has gained significance with every passing edition. The boys not only become men here, they also become household names with millions following the live broadcast of the competition. The event begins tomorrow with Pakistan taking on Afghanistan, and hosts New Zealand facing reigning champions West Indies. India, eager to prove themselves after their disastrous showing in the Asia Cup, open their campaign against Australia at Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui. The tournament's stature has risen to such an extent that a great like Rahul Dravid, the current India U-19 coach, would love to have been part of it back in the day. "We never played this tournament in my day. After 1988 they didn't hold the tournament for 10 years, so I've no exposure of playing and being part of this tournament. I tell a lot of these boys that I think it's a terrific opportunity for them to be a part of this tournament," Dravid had said in the lead up to the event. Countless number of U-19 players have gone on to represent their countries at the highest level. Each edition unearths oodles of talent and makes them overnight stars, be it Rishabh Pant or Alzaari Joseph from the previous edition in 2016 when three-time champions India lost the final to the West Indies. This edition too has created high expectations with a selected bunch already proving themselves at the first-class level. The likes of India captain Prithvi Shaw, teammate Shubham Gill, Australia captain Jason Sangha, Pakistan pacer Shaheen Afridi, Afghanistan batting sensation Baheer Shah, they all go into the event after making a mark on the domestic circuit back home. Shaw, Gill, Sangha and Shah already have a first-class hundred to their name while left-arm pacer Afridi hogged the limelight by taking eight for 39 in the Quad-e-Azam Trophy, the best figures by a Pakistani on first-class debut. The sensational performances of Baheer Shah too has created a buzz. The 17-year-old averages a staggering 121.77 in his seven-match first-class career, beating even the legendary Donald Bradman (95.14). He has the highest average in the list of players with at least 1000 first-class runs, leaving behind not just Bradman but also Vijay Merchant (71.64) and George Headley (69.86). The exploits of India captain and opener Shaw too are well-documented. After grabbing headlines with his performance in junior cricket, Shaw has graduated to the higher-level so seamlessly that he always belonged there. Therefore, it was not a surprise that he hit a match-winning hundred on Ranji Trophy debut 12 months ago. Adding to the tournament flavor will be the sons of Steve Waugh and Makhya Ntini Austin and Thando who will be turning up for Australia and South African respectively. Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland's son Will is also in the national squad. With the IPL auction round the corner, there is every possibility that a millionaire could from the U-19 World Cup, just like Pant had a bagged Rs 1.9 crore deal with Delhi Daredevils after his stellar showing in Bangladesh. The 22-day tournament, featuring 16 teams and being played across seven venues in the cities of Christchurch, Queenstown, Tauranga and Whangarei, will see 20 matches being broadcast live. Squads: India: Prithvi Shaw (C), Shubman Gill, Aryan Juyal, Abhishek Sharma, Arshdeep Singh, Harvik Desai, Manjot Kalra, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Pankaj Yadav, Riyan Parag, Ishan Porel, Himanshu Rana, Anukul Roy, Shivam Mavi, Shiva Singh. Pakistan: Hasan Khan (C), Rohail Nazir , Mohammad Ali Khan, Ali Zaryab, Ammad Alam, Arshad Iqbal, Imran Shah, Mohammad Taha, Muhammad Mohsin Khan, Muhammad Musa, Muhammad Zaid, Munir Riaz, Saad Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Suleman Shafqat. Bangladesh: Saif Hassan (C), Afif Hossain, Aminul Islam, Hasan Mahmud, Mahidul Islam Ankon, Mohammad Naim, Mohammad Rakib, Nayeem Hasan, Pinak Ghosh, Qazi Onik, Robiul Hoque, Roni Hossen , Shakil Hossain, Tipu Sultan, Towhid Hridoy. Sri Lanka: Kamindu Mendis (C), Jehan Daniel, Krishan Sanjula, Ashen Bandara, Hareen Buddila, Hasitha Boyagoda, Nipun Dananjaya, Thisaru Rashmika, Nawanidu Fernando, Santhush Gunathilaka, Praveen Jayawickrama, Dhananjaya Lakshan, Nishan Madushka, Nipun Malinga, Kalana Perera. Afghanistan: Naveen-ul-Haq (C), Azmatullah Omarzai, Baheer Shah, Darwish Rasooli, Ikram Ali Khil, Mohammad Ibrahim, Mujeeb Zadran, Nisar Wahdat, Qais Ahmad, Rahmanullah, Tariq Stanikzai, Wafadar ,Waqarullah Ishaq, Yousuf Zazai, Zahir Khan. Australia: Jason Sangha (C), Will Sutherland, Xavier Bartlett, Max Bryant, Jack Edwards, Zak Evans, Jarrod Freeman, Ryan Hadley, Baxter Holt, Nathan McSweeney, Jonathan Merlo, Lloyd Pope, Jason Ralston, Param Uppal, Austin Waugh. New Zealand: Kaylum Boshier (C), Finn Allen, Jakob Bhula, Max Chu, Katene Clarke, Matthew Fisher, Luke Georgeson, Ben Lockrose, Callum McLachlan, Felix Murray, Dale Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Sandeep Patel, Connor Sullivan, Todd Watson. Canada: Arslan Khan (C), Akash Gill, Ashtan Deosammy, Emanuel Khokhar, Kavian Naress, Kevin Singh, Pranav Sharma, Randhir Sandhu, Krishen Samuel, Faisal Jamkhandi, Arshdeep Dhaliwal, Rishiv Joshi, Aran Pathmanathan, Pieter Pretorius, Rommel Shazad. England: Harry Brook (C), Ethan Bamber, Liam Banks, Tom Banton, Jack Davies, Adam Finch, Luke Hollman, Will Jacks, Tom Lammonby, Dillon Pennington, Savin Perera, Tom Scriven, Prem Sisodiya, Fin Trenouth, Roman Walker. Ireland: Harry Tector (C), Ian Anders, Aaron Cawley, Varun Chopra, Mark Donegan, JJ Garth, Jamie Grassi, Reece Kelly, Graham Kennedy, Joshua Little, Sam Murphy, Max Neville, Neil Rock, Morgan Topping, Andrew Vincent. Kenya: Sachin Bhudia (C), Maxwel Ager, Abhishekh Chidambaran, Aveet Desai, Jay Doshi, Aman Gandhi, Ankit Hirani , Jasraj Kundi, Jayant Mepani, Gerard Mwendwa, Dennis Musyoka, Thomas Ochieng, Sukhdeep Singh, Siddharth Vasudev, Rene Were. Papua New Guinea: Sema Kamea (C), Eisa Eka, James Tau, Tau Toa Nou, Nou Rarua, Igo Mahuru, Simon Atai, Leke Morea, Vagi Karaho, Kevau Tau, Heagi Toua, Daure Aiga, Ovia Sam, Sinaka Arua, Boge Arua. Namibia: Lohan Louwrens (C), Henry Brink, Petrus Burger, Jan-Izak de Villiers, Shaun Fouche, Jurgen Linde, Nicol Loftie-Eaton, Gerhard Lottering, Erich van Mollendorf, Dewald Nell, Mauritius Ngupita, Ben Shikongo, Floris Steenkamp, Ramon Wilmot, Eben van Wyk. South Africa: Raynard van Tonder (C), Matthew Breetzke , Gerald Coetzee, Jade de Klerk, Jean du Plessism, Fraser Jones, Wandile Makwetu, Akhona Mnyaka, Andile Mokgakane, Kgaudisa Molefe, Jason Niemand, Thando Ntini, Jiveshan Pillay, Hermann Rolfes, Kenan Smith. West Indies: Emmanuel Stewart (C), Kirstan Kallicharan, Ronaldo Alimohamed, Alick Athanaze, Cephas Cooper, Jarion Hoyte, Kimani Melius, Ashmead Nedd, Kian Pemberton, Raymond Perez, Joshua Persaud, Jeavor Royal, Keagan Simmons, Bhaskar Yadram, Nyeem Young. Zimbabwe: Liam Roche (C), Robert Chimhinya, Jonathan Connolly, Gregory Dollar, Alistair Frost, Taun Harrison, Wesley Madhevere, Tanunurwa Makoni, Donald Mlambo, Dion Myers, Tinashe Nenhunzi, Nkosilatu Nunu, Kieran Robinson, Jayden Schadendorf, Milton Shumba. Source: News Agency
