Vengsarkar: If Shreyas gets runs, he’ll be in better position to call…

As T20 world champions India are on the verge of losing their straight second T20I series after suffering a massive 125-run loss to England at Nottingham on Tuesday, former skipper Dilip Vengsarkar believes Shreyas Iyer, whose captaincy stint has begun on a poor note, needs runs under his belt to lead from the front.

Vengsarkar, a 116-Test veteran, is speaking from his rich experience. In his first Test as skipper, Vengsarkar scored 102 against the Viv Richards-led West Indies at Delhi in 1987-88 before India lost by five wickets. The hosts drew the second at Wankhede with captain Vengsarkar scoring 51 and 40 not out respectively. In the drawn third Test at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, Vengsarkar again led from the front, smashing 102 before retiring hurt. liveiplscore.homes

India skipper Shreyas Iyer during their defeat to England in Nottingham on Tuesday. Pic/BCCI

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“The captain has to perform because if he [Iyer] is among the runs, he can call the shots better. But if he’s struggling for runs, it affects his confidence, and that affects the confidence of the team too,” Dilip Vengsarkar told mid-day on Wednesday.

Iyer, who replaced T20 World Cup-winning captain Suryakumar Yadav as India skipper, lost his first T20I series (two matches) to Ireland (0-2) at Belfast last month, where he scored just three and 10. He then got a 47-ball 68 in the rain-abandoned first T20I against England at Chester-le-Street on July 1 before scoring 37 and five in defeats at Manchester and Nottingham respectively.

Vengsarkar though has a lot of faith in Iyer. “Shreyas is a good batsman. He can come into form anytime, and that’s necessary, not just for him as an individual but even for the Indian team,” he said.

Vengsarkar, the only overseas batsman to score three successive Test centuries at Lord’s, also blamed the frequent changes in the top order for India’s poor show. “There’s a lot of chopping and changing in the top order and that has an effect on players because they feel the uncertainty and their game suffers. If players have proved themselves then you must give them a long rope where they have room to perform,” said Vengsarkar adding that even acclimatisation could be an issue for the Indians.

“In English conditions, you take time to get acclimatized and the Indian team did not get that time. Had they played a couple of T20 matches against an England ‘A’ team or a County team, it would’ve helped. But if you directly play an international match overseas, it’s tough, especially in countries like Australia and England,” Vengsarkar concluded.

4
No. of defeats for Shreyas Iyer in his first 5 T20Is as skipper; the first Indian to experience this

Will July 7 now be remembered as another dark day in Atlanta’s sporting history?

It is difficult to describe it any other way. The aftermath of the Argentina-Egypt World Cup match has turned French referee François Letexier into the central figure of a global controversy. At the heart of it all is Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium, which has become the focal point of debate across the footballing world. The discussions have become so intense that, at times, they seem to overshadow even one of the city’s darkest sporting memories—the controversy surrounding the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

Back then, it was July 27, 1996. The Summer Olympics were underway when a bomb exploded at Centennial Olympic Park. Authorities later identified extremist Eric Rudolph as the man responsible for the attack. The explosion left one person dead and injured 111 others.

Nothing of that magnitude happened physically after the Argentina-Egypt match on July 7. There were no casualties. Yet millions of football supporters around the world feel something far more intangible was taken away from them. The outrage over Letexier’s decisions has divided the football community like few refereeing performances ever have.

Away from football, Letexier is a lawyer by profession. Many believe that explains his officiating style. Critics argue that he places greater emphasis on applying the laws of the game to the letter than preserving its spirit. Maintaining the flow of football, they say, is secondary to ensuring every technical aspect of the rulebook is followed. His reliance on VAR has drawn criticism before, and Tuesday’s Round of 16 clash only intensified those concerns.

The biggest talking point came when Egypt’s Mostafa Ziko thought he had scored against Argentina. While the Egyptian players celebrated, Letexier reviewed the sequence through VAR and ruled that, nearly 30 seconds before the goal, midfielder Marwan Attia had committed a foul on Argentine defender Lisandro Martínez during the build-up. The goal was disallowed.

The controversy stems from what happened after that challenge. Egypt completed several more passes before Ziko eventually found the net. Had the goal stood, Egypt would have gone 3-0 ahead. Whether Argentina could have staged the remarkable comeback that followed is now one of football’s biggest “what ifs.”

The debate became even louder towards the end of the match. Egypt felt Mohamed Salah was brought down inside the penalty area, but no penalty was awarded. More significantly, the referee did not even consult VAR.

How could two situations in the same match be treated so differently?

Technically, the Laws of the Game allow VAR to review an attacking phase leading to a goal. The referee was within his rights to go back and identify a foul if he believed one had occurred. But whether to scrutinise an incident that far back in the build-up remains a matter of judgement. That naturally raises another question: if such extensive review was justified for Argentina’s benefit, why was VAR not used for Egypt’s penalty appeal?

It is precisely this inconsistency that has split opinion across the sporting world.

The controversy has reached well beyond football. Former world chess champion Garry Kasparov publicly criticised FIFA, alleging that the governing body consistently favours football’s biggest stars. He questioned how a goal could be ruled out because of an incident so far earlier in the move, while Egypt’s penalty appeal received no VAR review at all.

The Egyptian Football Association reacted immediately after the final whistle. Following an emergency meeting, it lodged a formal complaint with FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee against Letexier, alleging biased officiating and requesting that he be removed from officiating any remaining matches at the tournament.

Whether FIFA acts on that request or not, it will not change Egypt’s fate. Their World Cup journey is over, and they must now wait another four years for another opportunity.

Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan did not hold back after the match.

“What the referee did to us was institutional theft,” he said. “He found a reason to review and cancel our goal, but when it came to us, he suddenly became blind.”

Hassan went further, suggesting that commercial interests influence football’s biggest tournament.

“FIFA talks about fair play, but acts differently. When the intention is to ensure the bigger teams reach the latter stages, what is the point of inviting teams like us? Keeping Messi in the tournament is also a commercial decision. Billions of dollars are involved. That is why decisions like these are made against smaller nations.”

The Egyptian coach revealed that he confronted Letexier after the match and told him history would never forgive his decisions. He suggested the referee may have succumbed to pressures beyond the game itself.

The controversy has added to a growing list of issues surrounding the World Cup in the United States. Since the tournament began, there have already been complaints over ticket prices and concerns about the treatment of Iran. Now, many believe another underdog has been denied its rightful chance.

Inside the Egyptian dressing room after the final whistle, Mostafa Ziko and goalkeeper El Shenawy were reportedly in tears. Captain Mohamed Salah tried to console them.

“The whole world saw what happened to us today,” Salah reportedly told his teammates. “We did not lose. We were made to lose.”

It is only natural that Egypt’s players and coaching staff would protest after such a painful exit. But after Tuesday night in Atlanta, many observers across the football world appear to be giving serious thought to the questions raised by Hossam Hassan.

Are underdog nations truly competing on equal terms? Or do commercial interests worth billions of dollars influence the biggest decisions in world football?

Also Read: Did the Officials Get It Right? Breaking Down the Biggest Calls in Argentina vs Egypt

The post The Night Atlanta Became Football’s Most Controversial Stage appeared first on Sports News Portal | Revsportz.

Missouri [US], July 9 (ANI): England midfielder Morgan Rogers admits there may be no perfect way to stop Norway star Erling Haaland but believes cutting off the striker’s supply lines will be key when the two sides meet in the FIFA World Cup 2026 quarter-finals.

England will take on Norway in Miami on Saturday (local time) with a place in the semi-finals at stake, facing a Haaland-led attack that has been among the tournament’s most dangerous. The Manchester City forward has already netted seven goals at this World Cup, making him one of the competition’s leading scorers.

Asked how England is planning to contain the prolific striker, Rogers acknowledged the scale of the challenge.

“Has anyone ever stopped Erling Haaland? Not sure they have, but we’re gonna try," Rogers told reporters, as per Reuters.

“He’s such an unbelievable player, the things he does, the numbers he puts up, you just know how good he is that we’re gonna have to maybe try and … stop how the balls go into him and how he gets his chances, because he’s so deadly in front of the goal," he said.

Rogers is no stranger to facing Haaland, with his club, Aston Villa, keeping the Norwegian scoreless during Manchester City’s last four visits to Villa Park. However, the 23-year-old was quick to downplay that record and warned that Norway possess quality throughout the squad, including Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard.

England head into the contest on the back of one of their most memorable World Cup victories in recent years, a dramatic 3-2 Round of 16 triumph over Mexico despite playing with 10 men for much of the match.

The physically demanding encounter left the squad exhausted after returning to their Kansas City base in the early hours of Monday morning, but Rogers insisted the focus has quickly shifted to the next challenge.

“That was the message today with our first training session back, is that we go for it again, we go and get more, and we can still improve and get better," he said.

“For a lot of us, this will be the biggest game we’ve been involved in, especially at a World Cup in the circumstances," Rogers added.

England also received a timely morale boost with the return of experienced midfielder Jordan Henderson, who rejoined the squad after undergoing surgery on the arm injury he sustained while celebrating the victory over Mexico.

“That just shows exactly what he’s like as a person," Rogers said, according to Reuters. “To see him this morning, smiling, and still as happy as he ever is, no matter what’s happened to him in the last 48 hours or whatnot, is so nice for us. He’s kind of the heartbeat of the group."

Off the pitch, England’s supporters have embraced a new World Cup tradition by singing Oasis’ iconic song ‘Wonderwall’ after matches. Rogers smiled when asked if he knew the lyrics.

“Don’t think you’re English if you don’t know the lyrics," he joked. “It’s such a known song, everyone has to know the lyrics of that. If not, you better learn them quick."

With Haaland standing between England and another World Cup semi-final, Thomas Tuchel’s side will be hoping their familiarity with the Norwegian striker from the Premier League can help them overcome one of football’s most formidable goalscorers. (ANI)

(This content is sourced from a syndicated feed and is published as received. The Tribune assumes no responsibility or liability for its accuracy, completeness, or content.)

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