“Felt like a debut call”: England’s Ollie Pope on Test return for Pak…

London [UK], August 7 (ANI): England batter Ollie Pope, dropped from the Test squad after a poor Ashes tour to Australia, said that his recall to the side for Pakistan Tests feels like a “debut call" and has his eyes set on next year’s Ashes at home, saying that he still has a lot to prove. xsportfeed.life

Pope, England’s long-time number three, earned a recall for the first two Tests against Pakistan, with a home three-match series starting from August 19 onwards. He was poor during England’s 1-4 loss to the Aussies, scoring just 125 runs in six innings at an average of just over 20.

Having lost his number three spot to Jacob Bethell, he now returns to a different set-up, with his Test skipper Ben Stokes having retired from international cricket and now Stephen Fleming taking over the coaching role from Brendon McCullum.

On Thursday, it was confirmed that wicketkeeper-batter Jordan Cox would bat at number three and Dan Lawrence would replace Stokes at number six. Pope, who led England in five Tests, filling in for Stokes, returns as a utility pick with an experience of 64 Tests, with only Joe Root having played more Tests.

After being omitted from the side, Pope grinded it out in County colours for Surrey, scoring 510 runs in 12 innings at an average of 56.66, with a century and four fifties.

“The frustrating thing I had in the county stuff was that I got out for about 70 about four times (83*, 69, 76, 73). In my mind I was kind of like, ‘am I gonna be kicking myself whenever selection comes back around that I did not make them 150, 170?," said Pope, reflecting on his county performances as quoted by Cricinfo.

Pope reflected that the last year and a half has been a “kind of rollercoaster" for him in Test cricket.

“It felt like a debut call yesterday. Something I was hoping for but wasn’t expecting. I might not be first name on the team sheet, but it is kind of one step closer to where I want to be," he said.

“I played in all the places in the world. I have had experiences of doing well, and know what I need to do now more than ever to do well in these conditions. What I was missing was that series where you go hundred, hundred, hundred. It is just making sure I give myself the best chance to do that whenever I do get the nod," he added.

Pope said that he understood why he was omitted from the team for the New Zealand Tests and everything the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and the team management has done over the last year and a half, particularly a review of the Ashes outing in Australia.

“I understand the change (in the team at the start of the summer). I understand everything that they have done over time. And, I guess, whatever they have changed over the last year or so, the main thing is whatever they think the best team is now. The fact that I am in the frame for that is a massive positive," he said.

“It is obviously great having their confidence to pick me … I am just focusing on making sure my game’s as ready as it can be. And if I do get a go in this series, making sure I have smoothed out the technique, and got my head in the right spot," he added.

Having scored just 282 runs in 16 innings at an average of 17.62, with a best score of 46, Pope’s long-term focus is next year’s Ashes series at home.

“I feel like I have still got a lot to prove against Australia. The winter, look… it was tough. I had two, two bad games, which cost me my spot in the team, and the feeling out there was shocking… I cannot really swear on this.. it was a pretty bang average feeling," he said.

Pope said that while there was a perception that his dismissals in Australia were a mental thing, he disagrees and feels his technique and game were not where he wanted them to be against the “best in the world" and it got him “exposed".

“There’s an Ashes next summer. I played a game with a dislocated shoulder here (Lord’s), and I played one game at Edgbaston, and I feel like I have still got a lot to prove against Australia," he said.

“The longer-term goal is to play in that. But, look – I have not made it back into the XI yet, and I have got a lot of work to do. But the one thing that I never wanted to happen was to be written off before I was 30," he signed off. (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.)

Cairo [Egypt], August 7 (ANI): The executive committee of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) extended its support to FIFA president Gianni Infantino as he battles to retain his post and has welcomed the update presented by him and secretary general Mattias Grafstrom on the ‘FIFA Forward Enterprise’ initiative, reported Goal.com.

In their official statement, CAF noted the content of the update, which acknowledged the errors that occurred during the creation of the proposed ‘FIFA Forward Enterprise’. Both FIFA and Infantino have come under intense scrutiny since the announcement of the FFE, a proposed entity aimed at consolidating the sale of FIFA’s commercial rights–including broadcasting, sponsorship, ticketing and licensing–along with the operational delivery of its tournaments.

Under the plan, FIFA intended to raise upto USD 4.2 billion by selling minority, non-controlling stakes in the FFE to external investors. After facing the wrath of UEFA, the Football Association and concerns from CONCACAF, FIFA rolled back the plan. Infantino and Grafstrom apologised for the errors and pledged that they would not be repeated, a review would be done and findings would be submitted to the FIFA Council during the next meeting.

The statement from CAF said, “The CAF Executive Committee (“EXCO") unanimously endorses the “Joint Update" by the FIFA President and Secretary General on the FIFA Forward Enterprise and will continue to focus on making African Football amongst the best in the world and adhering to governance and transparency global best practices."

“CAF has taken note of the statements in the “Joint Update" that: “we acknowledge mistakes were made in the process of the proposed establishment of the FIFA Forward Enterprise (‘FFE’). It was certainly not the intention for the FIFA Council and FIFA Member Associations to feel excluded from the process and it should have been handled differently. We sincerely apologise for these errors and commit to them not happening again. With this in mind, we will conduct a necessary review, and a report will be presented to the FIFA Council at its next scheduled meeting."

The President of CAF, Dr Patrice Motsepe said: “CAF welcomes and endorses the “Joint Update" by FIFA President Gianni Infantino and Secretary General Mattias Grafstrom. CAF will continue to focus on making African Football amongst the best in the world and is reaffirming its commitment to adhering to global governance, transparency and auditing best practices."

“For us in Africa, adherence to governance, due process and transparency is crucial and non-negotiable, as this is the practice and conduct we expect from our governments, business and other institutions and organisations. This is also the conduct that is expected from CAF. We are committed to continue working together with FIFA, its Member Associations, other Football Confederations and stakeholders to safeguard and adhere to governance, due process, and transparency global best practices and to contribute to the development and growth of Football worldwide. CAF will also continue to focus on developing our boys and girls football players, coaches and trainers, the National Teams of our 54 Member Associations and the amateur and professional leagues on the African Continent."

“Good progress is being made in discussions with our current and new sponsors, partners and investors to ensure that CAF continues to be financially self-supporting and independent and that stadiums and other Football infrastructure is constructed and upgraded. Progress is also being made in the preparations for the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (“AFCON") Kenya Tanzania Uganda (“PAMOJA") and other CAF Competitions," the statement continued.

The CAF EXCO also unanimously reconfirmed its support for FIFA President Gianni Infantino and thanked him for his support for African Football over the years. President Infantino, the FIFA Secretary Grafstrom and the FIFA Administration were also thanked for organizing a very successful FIFA World Cup 2026. (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.)

India Tour of Sri Lanka 2026: भारत और श्रीलंका के बीच 2 मैचों की टेस्ट सीरीज की शुरुआत 15 अगस्त से होगी। इस सीरीज से पहले टीम इंडिया को श्रीलंका XI के खिलाफ आज से एक प्रैक्टिस मैच खेलना है। पहले यह वॉर्म-अप मैच 4 दिन का होने वाला था, लेकिन बाद में इसे घटाकर 3 दिन का कर दिया गया। इस मैच के जरिए टीम इंडिया के पास रेड बॉल फॉर्मेट में ढलने और अपने कॉम्बिनेशन को आजमाकर प्लेइंग 11 चुनने का मौका मिल जाएगा। लेकिन बारिश की वजह से टीम इंडिया का यह प्लान फेल हो सकता है और तैयारी भी अधूरी रह सकती है। इसके अलावा शुभमन गिल की चोट ने टीम इंडिया की मुश्किलें बढ़ा दी हैं। उनकी जगह केएल राहुल कप्तानी करने उतरे।

For Indian men’s hockey, the last few years have brought belief back into the team. Winning bronze medals at the Tokyo and Paris Olympics showed that India can once again compete with the best teams in the world. After years of inconsistency, the team has become a regular contender on the biggest stage.

Yet one record continues to stand out. India have not reached the semi-finals of the Hockey World Cup since winning the title under Ajit Pal Singh in Kuala Lumpur in 1975. More than five decades have passed without a World Cup medal. While the Olympic drought ended in Tokyo, the World Cup remains unfinished business.

The 2026 Hockey World Cup presents perhaps India’s best opportunity in many years to change that.

A Different India Under Craig Fulton

When Craig Fulton took over as head coach, he did not promise attacking hockey or spectacular performances. Instead, he focused on making India much harder to beat.

His philosophy is simple, Press, Counter, Perform.

India now defend in a far more organised manner. Rather than committing too many players forward, they stay compact, absorb pressure and look to hit opponents quickly on the counter-attack. The change has been clear over the past year.

At the 2023 World Cup in Bhubaneswar, India’s defence struggled, especially in transition, and New Zealand knocked them out in the crossover match. Fulton has worked extensively to fix those weaknesses.

The improvement has already shown. India have registered impressive wins over world champions Germany and Olympic champions Netherlands in the FIH Pro League. Instead of relying only on individual skill, they now look like a side that understands how to control matches.

That defensive discipline could become their biggest strength in the World Cup.

Experience Meets Youth

India’s squad has a healthy balance between experienced players and exciting young talent.

Captain Harmanpreet Singh remains the team’s biggest match-winner. His penalty-corner conversion is among the best in the world, while his defensive leadership gives India confidence at the back. In close matches, one drag-flick can decide everything, making Harmanpreet India’s most important player.

Alongside him is Manpreet Singh, India’s most-capped player. His experience, game awareness and calmness remain invaluable in midfield.

Players like Hardik Singh and Vivek Sagar Prasad bring energy and creativity, helping India move quickly from defence into attack.

Up front, Abhishek, Sukhjeet Singh and Mandeep Singh fit perfectly into Fulton’s system. Their constant pressing forces mistakes from opposition defenders and creates opportunities to launch quick counter-attacks.

Pool D: A Group India Must Get Through

India begin their campaign in Pool D at the Wagener Stadium in Amstelveen. The objective is straightforward, finish in the top two and avoid the crossover matches.

The crossover proved costly in 2023, and India will want to stay away from another sudden-death situation.

Their group fixtures are:

• August 15 – Wales: India will be expected to start with a victory. A convincing win could also improve their goal difference, which may become important later.
• August 17 – England: This promises to be India’s toughest group match. England are physically strong and well organised, making this a good test of India’s defensive structure.
• August 19 – Pakistan: Few matches in world hockey carry as much emotion as India versus Pakistan. While emotions will naturally be high, India will need to stick to their tactical plan rather than get carried away by the occasion.

If India finish in the top two, they move into the second group stage and avoid the uncertainty of the crossover round.

Results Don’t Tell the Full Story

Looking only at the final FIH Pro League table would suggest India are struggling. They finished eighth, with only Pakistan below them.

But the season was divided into two very different phases. The home leg in Rourkela was disappointing. India lost all four matches, including a heavy 8-0 defeat against Argentina. At that stage, questions were being asked about the team’s form.

The European leg painted a completely different picture. India defeated the Netherlands 3-2 and Germany 3-1 in Rotterdam before moving to London. There, they narrowly lost 2-1 to Germany, beat Pakistan twice by 4-3 and 7-1, and split their two shootout matches against England.

More importantly, the performances looked much sharper than the results in Rourkela. This follows a pattern under Fulton. Before the Paris Olympics, India also had mixed results in the build-up. Fulton was more interested in testing combinations and managing workloads than chasing victories. When the Olympics began, India looked fully prepared and went on to win another bronze medal.

The recent Pro League performances suggest a similar approach ahead of the World Cup.

The Bigger Challenge May Still Be Ahead

If India progress from Pool D, the task becomes much harder. Based on the current draw, they are likely to face teams such as Netherlands and Argentina in the second group stage.

The Netherlands remain one of the strongest teams in world hockey, while Argentina continue to be among the toughest opponents on the international circuit.

Getting through that stage and reaching the semi-finals would mark India’s best World Cup performance since 1975.

Time to Break the Barrier

India have already proved they belong among the world’s top teams.

Two Olympic bronze medals have restored confidence. The squad is experienced, the young players have matured and Craig Fulton has built a side that understands how to win difficult matches.

The question now is whether they can produce the same level of consistency in a World Cup.

Given the progress made over the last few years and a favourable group draw, anything less than a place in the semi-finals would feel like a missed opportunity.

The 2026 Hockey World Cup offers India their best chance in more than half a century to end their long wait for a World Cup medal.

The journey begins on August 15. By the end of the tournament, this team has the opportunity to write a new chapter in Indian hockey history.

Also Read: “Our Fighting Spirit Must Be Visible”: Salima Tete Ahead of the World Cup

The post From Olympic Podium to World Cup Drought: Can India Finally End a 51-Year Wait? appeared first on Sports News Portal | Revsportz.

IND vs SL XI Warm Up Match Update: भारत और श्रीलंका XI के बीच शुरू हुए वॉर्म अप मैच से पहले टीम इंडिया को बड़ा झटका लगा और पहले दिन के खेल से कप्तान शुभमन गिल बाहर हो गए। टीम इंडिया के अनुभवी विकेटकीपर बल्लेबाज केएल राहुल को कमान सौंपी गई है। इस दौरान श्रीलंका XI के कप्तान सोनल दिनुशा ने टॉस जीतकर पहले बल्लेबाजी करने का फैसला किया है। यह मैच टेस्ट सीरीज से पहले टीम इंडिया के लिए अहम मानी जा रही है। इस मुकाबले में खेलकर कई खिलाड़ियों के पास श्रीलंकाई सरजमीं पर खुद का ढालने का मौका होगा।