Australia head coach Andrew McDonald believes the team’s success in the Indore Test shows there is a core group of players who are learning what it takes to win in the subcontinent and can set the side up for greater success in the future.”One hour of chaos” in Delhi, as McDonald termed it, cost Australia the chance of regaining the Border-Gavaskar Trophy but having taken the opportunity to refresh and regroup during the long break before the third Test, they secured one of their finest overseas victories as they beat India at their own game on a pitch rated “poor” by the ICC.As a result, Australia have secured their place in the World Test Championship final, during a cycle that has also included Test wins in Pakistan and Sri Lanka, and they now have the chance of levelling the series in Ahmedabad.Related

• Head's learnings: back your plans and stay calm

• Adaptable Australia get their act together in Indore

• India may not mind more turning pitches despite loss

They don’t head back to India for another Test series until 2027 and a number of a senior players are unlikely to return, but they will visit Sri Lanka in 2025 and the likes of Travis Head, Cameron Green, Marnus Labuschagne and Todd Murphy have many subcontinent tours ahead of them.”Usman Khawaja’s performances here are probably tied back to his first experience in the subcontinent, Steve Smith as well,” McDonald said. “Everyone’s journey starts at some point in time on the subcontinent, and I think there’s a core group of players that will come back here more experienced and, in theory, better equipped for the challenges. We’re talking about a series here where we’ve had certain conditions that probably aren’t relatable to any other subcontinent tour over time, so it’s always a different challenge when you do arrive here.”

Australia keep calm after another collapse

Australia did suffer another batting collapse in Indore, losing 6 for 11 on the second day to miss the chance to build an overwhelming lead. But they retained their composure and, led by Nathan Lyon’s eight wickets, kept the pressure on India before making a target of 76 appear simpler than appeared likely.”You have almost got to be near perfect against India in India. I think this game besides that 6 for 11 was near perfect,” McDonald said. “We had a little bit of luck. Marnus getting bowled off a no-ball, how critical was that at that point in time, [and] that allowed a partnership to flourish. We took our opportunities as well. Usman’s flying catch and then Smudge [Smith] winding back the clock with that one at leg slip. You compare that to the Delhi game where Smudge dropped one at first slip and then we dropped one at leg slip in Matthew Renshaw, and they were critical.”We had one hour of chaos there and that cost us that Test match when we’d played pretty good cricket. We came here and doubled down on what we’d set out to achieve at the start of the tour.”So on the back of Delhi, it was ‘how clear are we going to be in what we need to do next’. Is this team good enough? Yes. What do we need to do next? We’d lost 6 for 11, nothing we can do about that. We go out there and Nathan Lyon as the experienced spinner delivers one of his best performances. It always takes an individual to do something special to get the team back on track, no doubt about that.”Alex Carey whips the bails off to send Rohit Sharma back in the first innings•BCCI

Praise for Alex Carey’s wicketkeeping

Amid the headline-grabbing performances of Lyon, Matt Kuhnemann, Khawaja and Head, McDonald picked out Alex Carey for special praise after his display of wicketkeeping on the devilish surface. He only conceded three byes for the match where some deliveries leapt while others scuttled and McDonald viewed his stumping of Rohit Sharma, the first wicket of the Test, as a vital moment.”One part that hasn’t been spoken about enough is Alex Carey’s keeping,” he said. “I think that on day one, that ball to Sharma, that high take, that stumping, if he doesn’t execute that Sharma gets a look at the wicket, he plays differently and the game rolls in a different direction.”I think sometimes we are quick to criticise wicketkeepers. In this instance, I thought that day one was an absolute clinic and gave us control of the game. We saw [KS] Bharat miss a couple of half-chances, or get his leg in the way of balls that could have gone to first slip. So I thought that was a key moment in the game.””I think the more extreme the conditions, the less the toss is relevant”•Getty Images

Pitches make the toss irrelevant

McDonald remained diplomatic about the pitch in Indore, saying that all the players could do was perform on whatever surface they were given, but did say conditions had been “extreme”. However, as in Pune in 2017, it likely helped narrow the gap between the teams.”I think you can see that in the fact that all three games have been won against the toss, teams batting first have lost, and that’s rare,” he said. “It’s usually pretty hard to win against the toss but here we’ve seen three matches go that way. I think the more extreme the conditions, the less the toss is relevant.”Before the third Test, Rohit had floated the notion of India asking for a green pitch in Ahmedabad if they had secured their place in the WTC final. Now they still require a victory to be assured of meeting Australia at The Oval, although if Sri Lanka don’t win against New Zealand in the Test that runs concurrently in Christchurch, the result won’t matter. Regardless, McDonald felt the pressure in the series has now been switched.”I don’t think we know what we’re going to get in Ahmedabad, I don’t think anyone does,” he said with a hint of a smile. “But we’ve definitely put some pressure into that change room. Full credit to the guys. [It’s] great reward for a group that over the past couple of weeks have had their challenges.”

Uncapped offspinner could have been in contention, but Pakistan heritage causes immigration delay

Vithushan Ehantharajah23-Jan-2024Ben Stokes says he is “frustrated” by the ongoing delay with Shoaib Bashir’s visa application for England’s tour of India, which has forced the Somerset offspinner to return to the UK, subsequently ruling him out of the first Test.England arrived in India on Sunday without Bashir, who remained in Abu Dhabi where the squad had been training ahead of the series, along with Stuart Hooper, the ECB’s director of cricket operations. It was initially hoped he would join his teammates in Hyderabad on Tuesday. But after further delays, the 20-year-old has returned home in the hope of facilitating the process.Bashir was born in Surrey and has a British passport. But as someone of Pakistani heritage, he is experiencing all-too familiar issues entering India because of the deep-rooted unrest between the neighbouring countries.In the last year alone, Usman Khawaja, who was born in Islamabad, also arrived late for Australia’s tour at the start of 2023 due to a similar visa delay. Pakistan’s visas for the recent ODI World Cup were only issued a day before they were scheduled to fly out, forcing them to cancel a pre-season training camp in Dubai.The application for Bashir, along with the rest of the players and support staff, was submitted soon after the squad was named on December 11. Rehan Ahmed, the other England player on this tour with a similar background, already possessed the necessary paperwork having been on standby for the World Cup.There is optimism that Bashir will be in situ by the weekend. But Stokes remains irked at the ordeal he has been put through, at the start of his maiden England tour.”Especially as captain I find it particularly frustrating,” Stokes said.”We announced that squad in mid-December, and now Bash finds himself without a visa to get here. I am more frustrated for him. I didn’t want this type of situation to be his first experience of what it’s like to be in the England Test team. I feel for him.Related

• Shoaib Bashir receives India visa, will join Test squad over weekend

• Ben Stokes on comeback from knee surgery: 'I've done everything I needed to'

• Switch Hit: Let the spin cycle commence

• Dravid expects Hyderabad pitch for England Test to offer turn

• Kohli to skip first two Tests against England for 'personal reasons'

“But he’s not the first cricketer to go through this, I have played with a lot of people who have had the same issues. I find it frustrating that we have picked a player and he’s not with us because of visa issues. Especially for a young lad, I’m devastated for him. It’s a frustrating situation to be in, but a lot of people have been trying to get it through. It’s unfortunate and I’m very frustrated for him.”Bashir earned selection through an impressive showing on an England Lions training camp in November. It was there he showcased his wares as a six-foot-four offspinner who could impart a healthy amount of revolutions on the ball, forcing selectors to look beyond the raw numbers of just 10 wickets at an average of 67 from six first-class matches.He was said to have taken the step-up to the Test squad well, bowling impressively throughout the 10-day training camp in the UAE. With a spinning pitch in the offing for the series opener, he would have been under consideration for a debut this week. A lack of visa now makes that prospect redundant, even if he was able to arrive on Wednesday, the day before the start of the Test.”Him not being able to be here rules him out,” Stokes confirmed on Tuesday. “We didn’t come here with preconceived ideas about what we will do with the first team. In India you do like to have a good look at the pitch to see how it might play. With Bash unfortunately not able to be here, it rules him out of this game.”

Former Bengal captain requests BCCI to take steps to increase the significance of the Ranji Trophy

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Feb-2024

Manoj Tiwary feels the BCCI’s warning to its centrally contracted players and those part of the wider target pool against prioritising IPL over domestic cricket merely reiterates the concerns he has raised about India’s first-class competition over the years.”Ranji Trophy should be scrapped off from the calendar from the next season onwards,” Tiwary posted on X (formerly Twitter) earlier this month. In the post, he underlined a number of issues – poor umpiring, scheduling of games in the north and east during peak winters, and unplanned scheduling of ‘A’ tours that eroded a number of first-class teams of their top players. Bengal themselves were without Abhimanyu Easwaran, Mukesh Kumar and Akash Deep at different stages of the ongoing Ranji Trophy.The timing of the post – in the middle of Bengal’s penultimate group fixture – led to him being docked 20% of his match fees. On Monday, Tiwary added to it during a felicitation function to celebrate his nearly two-decade long career that he drew curtains on following Bengal’s Ranji Trophy exit.Related

'Need to hear your players' – Dravid on domestic calendar

BCCI warns players: Don't prioritise IPL over domestic cricket

Ishan Kishan continues to skip Ranji Trophy

“In hindsight, I feel that the directive issued by the BCCI might not have been given had I not posted it on X,” Tiwary said. “Perhaps my post prompted the BCCI secretary to put the players under pressure now. The seriousness they have shown by taking this step in the crucial stage of the Ranji Trophy indicates their concern that many players, especially high-profile ones who have succeeded in the IPL with limited first-class cricket, are not giving enough importance to the Ranji Trophy.”In an email earlier this month, BCCI secretary Jay Shah had written about “severe implications” for those prioritising the IPL over domestic cricket. He said the “trend” was a “cause for concern”.”Some players have begun prioritising the IPL over domestic cricket, a shift that was not anticipated,” Shah wrote. “Domestic cricket has always been the foundation upon which Indian cricket stands, and it has never been undervalued in our vision for the sport.”The email had put in the spotlight players like Ishan Kishan and Deepak Chahar, among others, who have made themselves unavailable for the Ranji Trophy despite being fit. Kishan hasn’t played any form of cricket since withdrawing from the Test tour in South Africa citing mental fatigue. Chahar, who featured in the home series against Australia before withdrawing due to personal reasons, hasn’t played any competitive fixture since December.”I can observe that young players have adopted an IPL-centric mindset,” Tiwary said. “Those who don’t play IPL often go to Dubai or other places whenever they find some free time. However, this trend is diminishing the significance of the prestigious Ranji Trophy. IPL is a massive platform for all of us, but I also request the BCCI president and secretary to increase the significance of the Ranji Trophy.”

Tom Curran has been ruled out of the remainder of his BBL stint with Sydney Sixers due to a knee injury and would appear in doubt for his ILT20 deal with Desert Vipers.Curran picked up the injury in Sixers’ previous match against Melbourne Stars and will now miss the final two regular-season games as the team attempt to lock in a finals berth. He wasn’t due to be available for the BBL finals because of his ILT20 commitments. Vipers begin their campaign on January 21.Related

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“The full extent of the injury is currently not known with Curran set to return to the UK in the coming days and undergo further assessment at home,” a Sixers statement said.It has been a disrupted BBL tournament for Curran who was banned for four matches for intimidating fourth umpire Muhammad Qureshi when he continued to practice pre-match run-ups on the pitch in Launceston despite being told not to. He appealed the sanction but it was upheld.”I am genuinely sorry that I chose to continue to practice my run up in the direction of Umpire Qureshi and if he ever thought I sought to make physical contact with him,” Curran said.Curran’s best performance of the season came in that game against Hobart Hurricanes when he claimed 3 for 19.His absence could open the door for Hayden Kerr to return to the side depending on the balance they go with although Sixers will have Steven Smith available against Sydney Thunder on Friday. They will also lose James Vince for the finals as he has an ILT20 deal with Gulf Giants.

Atkinson has withdrawn from IPL 2024, with the ECB managing his schedule after a long winter away

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Feb-2024Kolkata Knight Riders have signed Sri Lanka fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera as a replacement for Gus Atkinson, who had been snapped up by the franchise for INR 1 crore (USD 120,000 approx) at the IPL 2024 auction in December last year.Chameera, who had gone unsold at the auction, will now join KKR for his base price of INR 50 lakh (USD 60,000 approx). The 32-year-old has been part of Rajasthan Royals, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Lucknow Super Giants in the past. Chameera can hit speeds north of 140kph and in his most recent T20 game, he had picked up 2 for 20 in his four overs for Dubai Capitals against Abu Dhabi, the UAE affiliate of Knight Riders in the ILT20.Atkinson, the 26-year-old England fast bowler, was due to play in the IPL for the first time, but he has now withdrawn from the tournament, with the ECB managing his schedule after a long winter away. Atkinson had played three games for England at the World Cup in India, then travelled to the Caribbean for a white-ball tour in December and has since returned to India for England’s ongoing Test series.As for Chameera, he has played 12 IPL games so far, taking nine wickets at an economy rate of 8.73. Apart from Chameera, Mitchell Starc is the only overseas frontline quick in Knight Riders’ squad. Starc was bought for a record INR 24.75 crore (USD 2.98 million approx.) at the auction.IPL 2024 is likely to be played between March 22 and the end of May, with the final schedule to be announced once the polling dates for India’s general elections have been finalised by the Election Commission.

Real Madrid players were compensated fairly as a reward of a gruelling season and for reaching the semi-finals of the Club World Cup.

Madrid earned a lot of revenue through CWCPlayers' efforts recognised by clubBonuses star players earned revealedFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

According to the Madrid stars were each given a hefty bonus as a show of appreciation from the Spanish giants, despite failing to achieve their goal of winning the summer competition in the United States.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Madrid reached the semi-finals of the Club World Cup, where new head coach Xabi Alonso was handed a brutal reality check by Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain. Les Parisiens humbled Los Blancos by slotting four past Thibaut Courtois without a goal in reply.

But, it wasn't all bad for Madrid, especially considering the financial point of view. Indeed, the 15-time Champions League winners earned over €80 million (£69m/$93m) in revenue thanks to their progress to the last-four. The club handed a stunning €280,000 bonus to every first-team player: €50,000 for progressing through the group stage, €80,000 for winning round of 16, and €150,000 for reaching the semi-finals. The team captains decided the bonus amount, the report further added.

DID YOU KNOW?

The bonus amount was the club's way of showing appreciation and acknowledging the players for giving their all during a gruelling season. The Merengues played 68 official games across all competitions, and competed for seven titles: La Liga, Champions League, Copa del Rey, the UEFA Super Cup, Supercopa de Espana, FIFA Intercontinental Cup and the Club World Cup.

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR REAL MADRID?

Alonso and his staff will have their task cut out for themselves ahead of the 2025-26 season. The squad will begin their pre-season training on August 4, just 15 days before they kick-off the new campaign in a La Liga opener against Osasuna.

Former Test wicketkeeper Matthew Wade will retire from first-class cricket after playing the Sheffield Shield final for Tasmania.The 36-year-old has announced the title decider starting on Thursday against Western Australia in Perth will be his 166th and final first-class match. Wade opted to delay his arrival at the IPL in order to be available for the Sheffield Shield final.Related

• WA chase historic hat-trick while Tasmania look to break 11-year drought

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• 'It's a difficult job' – Gannon prepares for Shield final after a career on the fringe

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• Sheffield Shield team of the season: Webster, Davies, McAndrew… and who else?

He will continue playing white-ball cricket and is likely to be part of Australia’s squad for the T20 World Cup in June.Hobart-born Wade has won four Shield titles with Victoria, including two as captain, but hasn’t tasted success with his home state.”Firstly, I would like to thank my family, my wife Julia, and kids Winter, Goldie, and Duke, for the sacrifices they have made throughout my career, as I travelled Australia and the world as a red ball cricketer.” Wade said in a statement. “I have thoroughly enjoyed the challenges that the long-form game provides, and although I will continue to play white ball cricket, wearing the baggy green while playing for my country remains a highlight of my career.”I am grateful to all of my team-mates throughout my career, along with Cricket Victoria for providing me with the foundations to grow as a first-class cricketer, and Cricket Tasmania for supporting me in finishing my career as a cricketer in my home state.”Wade played 36 Tests for Australia, averaging 29.87, in a career spanning from 2012 to 2021.He lost his Test wicketkeeping spot to fellow Tasmanian Tim Paine for the 2017-18 Ashes series, but returned to play against England in 2019 where he scored two centuries in the series. He briefly opened the batting for Australia in the 2020-21 series against India.Ahead of the Shield final, he has scored 9183 runs at an average of 40.81 and picked up 463 dismissals in a first-class career that began in 2007.”Red-ball cricket has always been my number one and favourite format,” Wade said at a press conference in Hobart. “What I’m going to miss is sitting down after four days of really grinding it out in a first-class game and having a beer with your teammates. I’ve played franchise leagues around the world and you don’t get that feeling.”Jeff Vaughan, the Tasmania coach, said: “I would like to personally thank and congratulate Matthew for all he has done for Tasmania and Australia in red ball cricket, he was always professional, and never shied away from the contest”While his career with our Shield squad may be coming to an end, we look forward to still having him around our group in white ball cricket for the coming years playing for the Tigers, and in purple for the Hurricanes.Matthew Wade will continue to play for Hobart Hurricanes for at least another two years•Getty Images

“We hope that we can help send him off with a win in the Sheffield Shield Final next week, and we know that he has given his all for our badge every time he played for Tasmania.”Wade told team-mates of his decision before Tasmania’s loss to South Australia in their final Shield game of the regular season, partly citing the effects of back problems which have sidelined him this season. Tasmania had been on track to host the final, but the heavy defeat in that match – and WA’s victory over Victoria – means they will have to travel west.”The last Shield I managed to win was the first time an away team had won in a long time so hopefully I can wind back the clock and get it done again,” he said.Wade has developed into a finisher in the shorter formats in recent years, and posted a match-winning knock in the 2021 T20 World Cup semi-final on Australia’s path to the trophy. He is contracted for another two years with Hobart Hurricanes in the BBL.”I want to be at my best for white-ball cricket, especially BBL,” he said “I feel like the squad we’ve got with the Hurricanes should be, it is spoken about every year…pushing for finals if not contending for titles.”Not playing the longer format of the game will give me an opportunity to get stronger, get in the gym a bit more and have some longevity in that format. I’ve got two years [with Hurricanes] but I’d love to play longer if I could. I feel fresh.”There certainly isn’t [an element of] ‘I’m not playing well enough or I don’t feel I can contribute enough’. It’s more the younger players have managed to shove me out the door.”

There was a perception that the previous committee had allowed the head coach or senior BCB officials to influence its decisions

Mohammad Isam13-Feb-2024Gazi Ashraf Hossain, is happy to have open lines of communication between his panel and the players and team management, but he said it was important for selectors to have the freedom to
make decisions. Ashraf had to address these concerns because of the perception that his predecessor Minhajul Abedin and his selection committee had allowed the head coach or senior BCB officials to influence their decisions.”I don’t want to talk about the previous process,” Ashraf, a former Bangladesh captain who played for the team in the late ’80s and early ’90s, said. “I have spoken to the board. There will be independence in this role. Captain [Najmul Hossain Shanto] and coach [Chandika Hathurusingha] will be involved in the discussion. We will try to stick to global standards.”I will interact with the players. I know most of the players. I don’t know most of the new players. I will try to meet them, speak to them. We will need to establish a relationship in time. I believe there’s a lot of enjoyment in working freely. Both ways, whether going in or out, are open.”Ashraf, who was also a former BCB director, said that he wants Bangladesh to have back-up players ready, touching upon the repeated changes to the batting order in the ODI World Cup last year. He said that both senior and junior cricketers must have a clear pathway. “We will definitely select teams according to opposition and conditions, but I also want to use data for our work. I want to keep an eye on load-management and injury-management and consider players’ age. A player must go at some point, so we have to ensure a clear pathway.”I have observed that some players travel with the team, but they don’t get to play. We have to monitor those players and find out why they didn’t get to play. We will form the best eleven or twelve, and then have three more players.”I want to have a clear concept about the batting order with my captain and coach. We have seen a lot of ups and downs in some places. If a player is not successful, we must have another player ready to take his place. We want players to be active in domestic cricket too,” he said.Ashraf was also asked if he is ready for the social media backlash that now comes with the territory of being a Bangladesh selector. “Minhajul Abedin Nannu and Habibul Bashar congratulated me immediately after I was appointed in this role,” he replied. “When I played domestic cricket with Nannu, we played in front of big crowds. We were abused either way; either by our own fans when we lost, or by opposition fans when we won. Cricket is all about pressure, from opposition bowling, run target, media, etc. If we have a clear conscious, it will be okay.”Ashraf was conscious of his new responsibilities and outlined his ambitions going forward. “I have had a few proposals to work with the board after Covid. My mother was sick at that time so I didn’t take those up. Many of you know that I was a board director. I have also represented Bangladesh in five ICC meetings during the caretaker government in 2007.”It is a completely different responsibility now. I am under the payroll. I was warmly welcomed to this post which I want to be equal to how a constitutionally-elected board director gets. It opened the door for me to become the selection committee chairman.”

Division One leaders seal second win from three games inside first session on day three

ECB Reporters Network21-Apr-2024

Jamie Porter and Shane Snater blasted through a brittle Lancashire batting line-up to give Essex victory by an innings inside three days at Chelmsford. The Essex pace bowlers exploited a pitch playing low by taking three wickets apiece as Lancashire capitulated in just 41 overs for the second time in the match.Porter set the ball rolling with the first of nine Lancashire wickets to fall in the session to finish with 3 for 24 before Snater took his match figures to 7 for 59 with 3 for 17 in the second innings. Essex’s second win of the season, worth 22 points, took them further clear at the top of the Vitality County Championship with only three games played.”We have started the season fantastically well,” Essex captain Tom Westley said. “Even that last game against Kent we were a bit unlucky with the weather so potentially, it could have been three wins from three.”We’ve been successful for a while now as a club so every game is a big game and we look to win every single game. We’ve just played some fantastic cricket and I think this is one of our better, most complete performances.”I thought the bowlers bowled amazingly well and I think our challenge is to maintain this momentum and keep the standards as high as they currently are.”We know what a good side Lancashire are, they are always identified at the start of the year as contenders to win the division. So to control the game and win every session is a huge pat on the back for Essex.”Lancashire had started day three on 10 for 1 and requiring another 221 runs to make Essex bat again. They lost five wickets in the first hour and never recovered with the game wrapped up in extra time before the scheduled lunch interval.Essex were forced to field 19-year-old Ronnie McKenna as substitute behind the stumps when Michael Pepper pulled out with a finger injury suffered the night before. The Basildon-born 2nd XI wicketkeeper, the third to do the job for Essex in three Championship matches this season, had four leg byes sail past him down the leg side in the first over from Cook.However, 11 balls into his first-team appearance, he was celebrating a first significant contribution as nightwatcher Will Williams edged Porter into his gloves having hung around for 36 balls.That precipitated a catastrophic collapse with four wickets falling in 16 balls. Josh Bohannon lasted 25 balls before he walked across a delivery from Cook and was lbw, while Luke Wells was beaten all ends up by Snater to be bowled for a 54-ball 21. In the same Snater over George Balderson saw the umpire’s finger go up as he played down the wrong line before Tom Bruce had his off stump sent cartwheeling by Porter.There was a 10-over hiatus while Matty Hurst and George Bell put on 30 runs before the wicketkeeper scooped Snater into square leg’s hands.Offspinner Simon Harmer had not bowled much on this seamer’s paradise, but in his fourth over of the innings he had Tom Bailey walking down the wicket and patting the ball back for a simple caught and bowled. Next over Jack Blatherwick followed Bailey’s lead and gave Harmer more catching practice by chipping the ball back to the bowler.Bell had hung around for 40 balls and appeared to be heading for a third fifty in four innings at Chelmsford when he nicked Cook to Dean Elgar at first slip to wrap up the match.

Incident on family game reserve comes years after a crocodile was found under his bed

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Apr-2024Guy Whittall, the former Zimbabwe allrounder, has undergone emergency surgery in Harare after being mauled by a leopard while on a hunting expedition.The incident, which occurred earlier this week, comes several years after Whittall survived another brush with the local wildlife, when an eight-foot crocodile was found to have been under his bed while he slept.Whittall, who played 46 Tests and 147 ODIs for Zimbabwe between 1993 and 2003, now runs a safari business with his family in Humani, in the South East of the country, where it is understood he was tracking a leopard that had previously been wounded by a client.His wife, Hannah Stooks-Whittall, confirmed the incident in a Facebook post, accompanied by graphic pictures of Whittall being treated in the bush after sustaining cuts to his arms and legs, as well as a 5-inch gash to his head.A later picture showed Whittall in hospital with his head heavily bandaged, but giving a thumbs-up to the camera. He lost “a lot of blood” in the attack, Hannah added, but his injuries might have been even more severe had it not been for his “faithful K9″, Chikara, who helped to wrestle the leopard off him.”Chikara [is] coming up tomorrow to the vet after being mauled by the leopard and getting the cat off Guy!” she wrote. “Very special boy.Look what’s under the bed: Guy Whittall had an unexpected guest in 2013•Twitter/Guy Whittall”Guy and I are overwhelmed by the hundreds of messages of well-wishers after Guy’s run in with a wounded leopard earlier today,” she added. “We are very fortunate that he was stabilized at Hippo Clinic by wonderful staff. He was then Airlifted from Buffalo Range by Ace Ambulance to Harare, then transferred to Milton Park Hospital for treatment.”Whittall’s post-cricket career hit the headlines again in 2013 after he discovered an eight-foot, 165kg Nile crocodile had made its way from the nearby Turgwe river into his bedroom at the game reserve and spent the night there.Speaking at the time, Whittall recalled how he had dangled his feet over the side of the bed before leaving the room, and had only been alerted to the intruder by the terrified screams of the housemaid.”He really is one lucky man,” Hannah told MailOnline. “First he had the crocodile and now the leopard, he really is the cat with nine lives.”