Anyone who questions or undermines how much of an anomaly Pau Cubarsi is, frankly, cannot be taken seriously.
Let me expand. I am not suggesting he’s absolved from all criticism, nor that he won’t be prone to his lapses. That’s all a natural part of development, especially for a CB, and it’s perfectly valid to point it out.
However, the levels he’s already shown, at 19, in the context of this system and its mandates, is something I’ve genuinely never seen from U20 CB. And you’d have to go back a very long way to find something similar.
Moreover, and this is vital to recognise, he’s had to play in environments of defensive chaos from day one of his professional career. Consider the mess we were in when he made his debut, and how it took this incredible 16YO to steady the ship.
My point is clear: the situations we’ve put him in from the very onset are so far against the grain of healthy development, especially for a CB, that only the extremely special would come out the other side. And Cubarsi is exactly that.
ARE YOU KIDDING ME @FANCODE???? Important Barca vs Atletico copa del rey match and your app is not working!!!!! You charge money for such terrible service and ruining the experience for fans??? 🤦
Dear @ICC,
It is with a heavy heart that we now announce our unavailability to replace Pakistan in the upcoming T20 World Cup. Regardless of whether they now withdraw, the short timescales ensure it is impossible for our squad to prepare in the professional manner necessary to compete effectively in this global cricketing spectacle. We are not like Scotland and able to turn up on a whim, with no kit sponsor.
Our players are from all walks of life and cannot simply drop their occupations to fly halfway around the world to experience temperatures only normally felt in Finnish saunas. Our captain, a professional baker, needs to attend to his oven, our ship captain needs to steer his vessel, and our bankers need to go bankrupt (again). This is the harsh reality of cricket at the amateur level of the game.
This news will be extremely disappointing to our fans. Despite being the most peaceful nation on Earth, we maintain an army of online followers, and are the world's 14th most followed national board on X. We were ready to give the Dutch the biggest shock they have experienced since William of Orange lost the Battle of Landen in 1693. And the Americans were looking forward to taking on Greenland, or so their orange-dyed leader thought.
Our loss is likely Uganda's gain. We wish them well. Their kits cannot be missed unless you have epilepsy, in which case they are probably best avoided.
The future is always ice, until it isn't.
Yours sincerely,
Icelandic Cricket Association
Senegal’s reserve goalkeeper Yehvan Diouf spent the entire game protecting Mendy’s towel from the Moroccan ball boys. He literally had to fight for it.
Christopher Nolan is one of the biggest filmmakers at the moment!
What makes his films so popular? The answer is "Sacrifice". Let’s understand...
A thread 🧵 /1