Category Uncategorized

Batter has been out with injury since May; Central Zone squad also named

PTI24-Aug-2022

Ajinkya Rahane has not played competitive cricket since May this year•AFP via Getty Images

A fit-again Ajinkya Rahane will lead a powerful West Zone side in the Duleep Trophy, which is scheduled to be played in Tamil Nadu from September 8 to 25.It was reported by PTI last Sunday that Rahane, who is recuperating from a groin injury, will make a comeback to competitive cricket at the Duleep Trophy.Rahane has not played competitive cricket since May, when he picked up an injury while turning out for Kolkata Knight Riders at the IPL. He missed the Ranji Trophy knockouts for Mumbai due to injury.Mumbai eventually finished runners-up, and several members of that squad, including internationals Prithvi Shaw and Shardul Thakur, have been picked. Others from Mumbai in the squad include Yashashvi Jaiswal, Shams Mulani, Hardik Tamore and Tanush Kotian.From Saurashtra, veteran pacer Jaydev Unadkat and Rahul Tripathi, who recently made it to national squad for the Zimbabwe ODIs, make it to the West Zone squad.Central Zone also announced their squad, with most of the stars of Madhya Pradesh’s Ranji Trophy winning squad in the side, including Yash Dubey, Shubham Sharma and Kumar Kartikeya. Venkatesh Iyer, who last played first-class cricket in 2020, has also been included.West Zone squad: Ajinkya Rahane (capt; Mumbai), Prithvi Shaw (Mumbai), Yashasvi Jaiswal (Mumbai), Shreyas Iyer (Mumbai), Hardik Tamore (wk; Mumbai), Shams Mulani (Mumbai), Tanush Kotian (Mumbai), Shardul Thakur (Mumbai), Rahul Tripathi (Maharashtra), Satyajeet Bachhav (Maharashtra), Het Patel (Gujarat), Chintan Gaja (Gujarat), Jaydev Unadkat (Saurashtra), Chirag Jani (Saurashtra), Atit Sheth (Baroda)Central Zone squad: Karan Sharma (capt; Uttar Pradesh), Shubham Sharma (vice-capt; Madhya Pradesh), Himanshu Mantri (wk; Madhya Pradesh), Yash Dubey (Madhya Pradesh), Priyam Garg (Uttar Pradesh), Rinku Singh (Uttar Pradesh), Ashok Menaria (Rajasthan), Akshay Wadkar (wk; Vidarbha), Gaurav Yadav (Madhya Pradesh), Venkatesh Iyer (Madhya Pradesh), Deepak Dhapola (Uttarakhand), Aniket Choudhary (Rajasthan), Kumar Kartikeya (Madhya Pradesh), Aditya Sarwate (Vidarbha), Ankit Rajpoot (Uttar Pradesh)

KL Rahul is unlikely to travel to the West Indies for the five-match T20I series, as earlier anticipated. ESPNcricinfo understands that though the isolation period for Rahul, who had tested positive for Covid-19 last week, ends today, he has been advised one more week’s rest and recuperation by the BCCI’s medical professionals.Rahul had been recovering at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru since undergoing a sports hernia surgery in late June. He was understood to be a doubt for the T20I leg of the West Indies tour even if he returned the two mandatory negative tests.Depending on the outcome of his cardiovascular tests, Rahul could have been in consideration for the USA leg of the West Indies T20Is, on August 6 and 7. But now it appears certain that he will skip the tour altogether and instead focus on the ODIs in Zimbabwe, which are part of the World Cup Super League. India have already qualified for the 2023 ODI World Cup by virtue of being the hosts of the tournament.The ODI series will finish less than a week before the start of the 2022 Asia Cup, which will be played between August 27 and September 11 in the UAE.Rahul’s absence could mean an extended run as an opener for Rishabh Pant. India also have Ishan Kishan in the squad as another backup opener.Rahul hasn’t played any competitive cricket since the IPL 2022 Eliminator on May 25, when his team, Lucknow Super Giants, lost to Royal Challengers Bangalore in Kolkata. He was subsequently named captain for the five-match T20I series at home against South Africa, but picked up a right groin injury on the eve of the first match. That also ruled him out for the England tour.After the sports hernia surgery, he was racing against time to prove his fitness for the West Indies T20Is. Now, it looks like he will have to wait for some more time for his comeback.India are currently leading the three-match ODI series in the West Indies 2-0, with one match to go.

Marnus Labuschagne will be aiming to copy Joe Root’s playbook in Sri Lanka as he prepares for what he expects will be his toughest challenge yet against spin.Labuschagne completed his latest county stint with Glamorgan on Sunday in an abandoned T20 clash against Surrey, but not before he had taken 2 for 27 from his four overs ahead of a tour were his legspin could be used more regularly by Aaron Finch and Pat Cummins.However, it will be with the bat where he will have his best chance to define games, especially the two Tests in Galle which conclude the tour.Related

• Warning signs for Australia ahead of litmus test against spin in Galle

• 'Told him not to walk out into the ball' – the Warner advice that might have helped Finch

• Tim David looms large in Australia's plans despite Sri Lanka absence

• Mitchell Marsh's belief soars after career-shaping 12 months

• Hazlewood comfortable in new avatar as full-time T20I bowler, part-time Test quick

Root had a phenomenal Test series in Sri Lanka in early 2021 where he made first-innings scores of 228 and 186 in Galle which followed a century in Pallekele on the previous tour.Labuschagne’s Test career started against Pakistan in the UAE in 2018 but his only other experience in Asia was the recent series in Pakistan. The home side’s spinners underwhelmed in those three matches where Labuschagne started with 90 in Rawalpindi before collecting first-innings ducks in the next two games.”For me, it’s my first real subcontinent challenge against spin, it’s about conquering that challenge,” Labuschagne told . “Joe Root played phenomenally over there, I’ve learned a lot from how he went about his game there.”As a team we want to be the best in the world, it doesn’t matter where you take us, we want to be winning games and I certainly think we can do that in Sri Lanka. I’ll have to get used to conditions, the heat and sweating it out, which is something we haven’t had the last few games [in the UK].”Although Labuschagne is now returning to Australia duty at the start of what will be a hectic period of national action he is keen for another pre-Ashes stint with Glamorgan next year.Labuschagne’s schedule is not as crammed as some of Australia’s three-format players as he is not yet a regular in the T20I side, but there are 11 Tests scheduled up to next March plus a lot of ODI cricket so he is aware he may need to manage his workload while his wife Rebekah is also expecting their first child later in the year.He has often credited his 2019 spell with Glamorgan as a key part of why he was able to have immediate success when parachuted into the side as Steven Smith’s concussion substitute at Lord’s.”There’s a lot of things in the mix, but I can’t see anything wrong with trying to copy the last time I played in the Ashes here, and play some county cricket with Glamorgan [going] into the Ashes next summer,” he said.”That’s our blueprint but we’ve got so much cricket this year, around 16 Tests and 18 one-day games, so we’re going to have to make sure I’m fit and healthy, and also get to spend time at home with my wife and child at some stage.”

Arsenal are now willing to make a huge offer to win the race for a striker who’s been described as a “monster”, according to a report.

Gunners searching for January forward signing

Gabriel Jesus has finally found his shooting boots in recent weeks, but it may be too little too late for the Brazilian, with manager Mikel Arteta still keen on bringing in a new striker, perhaps as soon as January. The Gunners are said to be plotting a move for Paris Saint-Germain forward Randal Kolo Muani, who will be allowed to leave this winter after failing to force his way into Luis Enrique’s plans so far this season.

Victor Osimhen is another name on Arteta’s list of targets, with the Nigerian currently being monitored ahead of a potential “box office” move this January, although there is set to be competition from Premier League rivals Manchester United and Chelsea.

Osimhen is not the only high-profile name who Arteta has in mind, however, with reports from Spain detailing that Dusan Vlahovic is now a target for Arsenal, and there are indications they could be willing to spend big to win the race for his signature. The Gunners are now prepared to ‘invest a significant amount’ to beat Chelsea to the Serbian’s signature, with Arteta seeking a top-tier forward capable of bringing goals and leadership to the frontline.

The 24-year-old, who cost Juventus £67m back in January 2022, would be willing to listen to offers from the top clubs lining up for his signature, and the Italian club could be willing to sanction his departure in order to balance the books. As such, it appears as though a deal could be there to be done, should Arsenal meet Juventus’ asking price.

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Although Kai Havertz has scored in his last two Premier League outings, there are doubts over whether he is at the level to lead the line for Arsenal long-term, and Jesus has been inconsistent in front of goal for quite some time.

As such, it makes sense that Arteta is keen on bringing in a top striker, and Vlahovic could be the answer to his problems, given his impressive goal record in Serie A over the course of a number of years.

Season

Serie A appearances

Goals

2019-20

30

6

2020-21

37

21

2021-22

36

24

2022-23

27

10

2023-24

33

16

2024-25

16

7

Such is the 24-year-old’s ability, he has been lauded as a “monster” by members of the Italian media, and his keen eye for goal could be exactly what Arsenal need to hunt down Liverpool in the race for the Premier League title.

After the Reds’ impressive 5-0 victory against West Ham United yesterday, the Gunners are trailing by nine points, so they will need a near-perfect second half of the season if they are to close the gap.

MatériaMais Notícias

O trabalho de reformulação no departamento de futebol do Internacional está a todo vapor. Paulo Autuori foi escolhido para assumir o cargo de coordenador técnico.

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Antes de chegar ao Colorado, Autuori estava no Goiás. Porém, pediu demissão após um mês de trabalho e resolveu topar o desafio no Inter.

– VEJA A TABELA DA SÉRIE A DO BRASILEIRÃO

O agora coordenador técnico volta a trabalhar no Beira-Rio depois de 23 anos. Em 1999, Autuori foi o treinador do time e levou o Inter até a semifinal da Copa do Brasil.

MatériaMais Notícias

O lado emocional de Andreas Pereira voltou a estar em pauta depois de sua fraca atuação contra o Vasco, em que perdeu a bola no gol dos rivais e passou a ser vaiado desde então. O Flamengo venceu o clássico, por 2 a 1, mas Paulo Sousa fez questão de abraçá-lo e falar ao pé de seu ouvido em dois momentos no Estádio Nilton Santos, no último domingo: ao ser substituído e na saída para o vestiário, após o apito final. O meio-campista estava cabisbaixo em ambos.

GALERIA > Após falha contra o Vasco, Andreas Pereira sofre com montagens dos torcedores; veja aqui

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Ainda não é assinante do Cariocão-2022? Acesse www.cariocaoplay.com.br, preencha o cadastro e ganhe 5% de desconto com o cupom especial do LANCE!: GE-JK-FF-ZSW

Andreas já tinha saído vaiado na última rodada da Taça Guanabara, no empate por 2 a 2 com o Resende. Sempre que tocava na bola o jogador ouvia os protestos dos rubro-negros nas arquibancadas, assim como Diego Alves e até Gabigol. Publicamente, Paulo Sousa apostou no discurso por “unidade”:

– Todos somos importantes e necessários. Em qualquer momento, bons e ruins, temos que estar muito unidos. Temos que estar muito próximos. Acho que a unidade vai fazer muita diferença. Temos uma nação cheia de energia que com certeza vai nos ajudar com que todos nós tenhamos performances muito elevadas, como é a exigência da torcida. Mas é uma unidade muito importante. Temos que estar todos juntos, dentro, mas também fora, o clube está à frente de todos nós. Na unidade vamos conseguir ajudar individualmente.

Saída do Andreas, vaiado, com acolhimento de Paulo Sousa #lanceNILTAO pic.twitter.com/0KoxF6Ljg3

— Lazlo Dalfovo (@lazlodalfovo) March 6, 2022

Amdreas vem em necessidade de recuperação psicológica depois da falha que custou o título da Libertadores para o Flamengo contra o Palmeiras. Neste Carioca, o meio-campista ainda não reencontrou seu melhor futebol e vem sendo constantemente contestado.

Contra o Madureira, por exemplo, escapou de ser expulso depois que empurrou um adversário. Contra o Vasco, voltou a levar um cartão amarelo bobo, externando o seu destempero quando não consegue desempenhar à altura de seu potencial. Está devendo muito, tanto defensivamente quanto ofensivamente.

E a pressão aumenta ainda pelo alto valor que o Fla está prestes a desembolsar por Andreas. Para assinar um contrato até dezembro de 2026, o Rubro-Negro sinalizou pagar 10,5 milhões de euros (R$ 63 milhões) ao Manchester United (ING), que permaneceria com 25% dos direitos. A operação está parada neste momento por conta de um processo do Banco Central, cuja ação poderá custar R$ 127 milhões em penhora. O fardo não é leve, e o camisa 18 se mostra ciente de que está longe de engrenar na “operação resgaste”.

SUSPENSO PARA O PRÓXIMO JOGO

> Veja e simule a tabela do Cariocão

O Flamengo garantiu a segunda posição da Taça Guanabara e, assim, terá a vantagem do empate na semifinal do Campeonato Carioca. A última rodada definirá se o adversário será o Vasco ou o Botafogo. O Fla enfrenta o Bangu no próximo sábado, às 19h30, no Maracanã, mas Andreas está suspenso.

O meio-campista terá longos dias sem jogar para reforçar o lado psicológico, às vésperas das decisões no Estadual.

le Roux stars for Ireland in their win over Canada

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Jan-2022A 12-run last-wicket partnership took UAE over the line in a tense contest against Uganda in the first Plate quarter-final in Port of Spain. Legspinner Adhitya Shetty played a crucial role in the win. First, his legspin yielded figures of 4 for 29 to bowl Uganda out for 123. Then, he made an unbeaten 11 from No. 10 to take his side over the line.Shetty was among the wickets early in the game when he got the first wicket of the day, dismissing Uganda opener Ronald Opio for 12. Nilansh Keswani struck from the other end, and the three wickets had reduced Uganda from 30 for no loss to 39 for 3. Ronald Lutaaya (25) and Uganda captain Pascal Murungi (23) then added 35 for the fourth wicket, but once Shetty broke the partnership, the rest of the wickets quickly followed. Shetty himself took two more, while Aayan Afzal Khan took two lower order wickets to set themselves a 124-run target.A 43-run opening stand for between top-scorer Kai Smith (25) and Dhruv Parashar gave UAE a solid start in the chase, but Uganda spinners Joseph Baguma (3-29) and Matthew Musinguzi (3-21) ran through the UAE batting line-up to have them reeling at 82 for 7. Aayan, the No. 9, scored a 38-ball 22 to take UAE closer to the target, but when the ninth wicket fell, the side was still nine runs away from victory. However, Shetty and Jash Giyanani (4*) held on to pip Uganda in a low-scoring thriller.In another low-scoring match, Ireland successfully defended 179 against Canada, with Philippus le Roux being the standout batter.Le Roux made an unbeaten 83 in 107 balls for Ireland, a clear outlier in the match where the second-highest score from either team was 25. His innings of 12 fours lifted Ireland to 179, after which a combined Irish bowling performance left Canada all out for a sub-100 score.Ireland seamer Reuben Wilson pegged Canada back early in the chase when he dismissed both openers cheaply. Liam Doherty then reduced Canada to 12 for 3, and by the time Nathan McGuire removed Gurnek Johal Singh, Canada were 41 for 5. Kairav Sharma displayed brief resistance in his 30-ball stay of 19 but two wickets for Jamie Forbes and Wilson’s third scalp ended Canada’s innings on 85 in the 30th over.Le Roux, the Ireland No. 5, walked in at 34 for 3 in the first innings and stayed unbeaten right till the end. He put on 33 with the captain Tim Tector for the fourth wicket, but a flurry of wickets at the other end had Ireland struggling at 90 for 7. However, a 48-run eighth-wicket stand between le Roux and Forbes (25) took Ireland closer to 140, and a 37-run ninth-wicket stand with Muzamil Sherzad (13) took Ireland to 179.

West Ham United are now “well-placed” to sign an “electric” player who Ange Postecoglou is reportedly keen on signing for Tottenham.

West Ham contemplate January signings amid Lopetegui struggles

Manager Julen Lopetegui has endured a nightmare start to his London Stadium career, with West Ham struggling to galvanise any kind of winning momentum or clear footballing identity during his early tenure in charge.

Related What "close sources at West Ham" are saying about Lopetegui being sacked

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West Ham have been slammed under Lopetegui, and they’ve been accused of regressing under the 58-year-old’s watch following the departure of David Moyes, who guided the east Londoners through back-to-back campaigns in Europe and won them their first trophy in decades.

“I don’t think Lopetegui is capable of turning this around,” wrote journalist Roshane Thomas.

Match

Date

Opponent

Competition

Result

#13

09/11/2024

Everton (H)

Premier League

0-0 draw

#12

02/11/2024

Nottingham Forest (A)

Premier League

3-0 loss

#11

27/10/2024

Man United (H)

Premier League

2-1 win

#10

19/10/2024

Tottenham (A)

Premier League

4-1 loss

#9

05/10/2024

Ipswich (H)

Premier League

4-1 win

#8

28/09/2024

Brentford (A)

Premier League

1-1 draw

#7

25/09/2024

Liverpool (A)

Carabao Cup

5-1 loss

#6

21/09/2024

Chelsea (H)

Premier League

3-0 loss

#5

14/09/2024

Fulham (A)

Premier League

1-1 draw

#4

31/08/2024

Man City (H)

Premier League

3-1 loss

#3

28/08/2024

Bournemouth (H)

Carabao Cup

1-0 win

#2

24/08/2024

Crystal Palace (A)

Premier League

2-0 win

#1

17/08/2024

Aston Villa (H)

Premier League

2-1 loss

“He was the wrong appointment. This team has regressed, has no identity, the players look despondent and the formation/tactics are questionable. Lopetegui wants fans to reserve judgement until May, but there is little encouragement that things will improve. He keeps persisting with out of form Rodriguez, Summerville brought off early again and another game with a different formation. I could go on all day.”

In the past few weeks, reports have claimed that Lopetegui is urging the West Ham hierarchy to make January signings, as the former Real Madrid boss looks to preserve his job at the London Stadium.

A lot of the rumours have surrounded the potential addition of a new attacking option, amid striker Niclas Fullkrug’s struggles with injury, but it is now believed that West Ham are contenders to sign Brighton starlet Tariq Lamptey.

West Ham "well-placed" to sign Tariq Lamptey

According to Football Insider, West Ham are “well-placed” to sign Lamptey over interest from the likes of Everton, and Brighton could push him out the door in January, rather than lose him for free at the end of his contract.

This represents an opportunity for the Irons to bring in a capable deputy for Aaron Wan-Bissaka in the long-term, considering Vladimir Coufal is out of contract at the end of this season, although they will also face competition from Tottenham, with Postecoglou keen to find an alternative option to Pedro Porro.

“He’s such a level-headed character – I don’t think I’ve met anybody quite like him, in fairness, in terms of how humble he is,” said former Brighton boss Graham Potter in 2020.

“I’ve got no concerns for him in terms of what the outside noise says. He just wants to help the team, he wants to do well for himself and his family. He’s just a fantastic character.

“He’s got such electric pace, but lots of players have that. It’s having the ability to run in behind. The ability to run into space is often what separates players. Tariq does that, but he’s got courage, he does his defensive work. The boys love him and he’s in a good place.”

Hasan Ali’s spill in the deep off Matthew Wade turns tight contest on its head

Danyal Rasool11-Nov-2021Pakistan captain Babar Azam acknowledged that Hasan Ali’s key dropped catch in the 19th over might have cost his side a spot in the T20 World Cup final. Speaking immediately after Australia’s five-wicket win in Dubai that put an end to Pakistan’s hopes of emulating their victory in the 2009 tournament, a visibly gutted Babar said mistakes at this level were bound to be punished.With the game finely poised and Shaheen Shah Afridi bowling a make-or-break 19th over, Australia needed 20 off 10 balls for victory. Marcus Stoinis and Matthew Wade had dragged Australia back into the game with a 61-run stand for the sixth wicket, but the momentum looked set to swing again when Wade mistimed a drive to deep midwicket, only for Hasan to put down the chance.The moment capped a difficult day – and tournament – in general, for Hasan, who had just conceded 15 runs in the previous over. Wade went on to hit Shaheen for three sixes off the next three balls as Australia sealed a sensational heist.”When you give teams like Aus a chance they take the match away from you,” Babar said after the game. “If that catch that Hasan Ali dropped had been taken, maybe the result would have been different. As a player, you have to be on your toes and avail any opportunity you get. We made a mistake and it cost us the match.”Watch cricket live on ESPN+

Sign up for ESPN+ and catch all the action from the Men’s T20 World Cup live in the USA. Match highlights of the second semi-final is available in English, and in Hindi (USA only).

It was Pakistan’s first defeat after cruising through the group stages with five wins out of five, including a famous ten-wicket win over India and a five-wicket victory over their fellow qualifiers New Zealand, who went on to complete a successful run-chase against England in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday to book their own place in Sunday’s final.”The way we played the tournament and gelled together as a team, I am very satisfied with my team’s efforts as captain,” Babar said. “We’ll try and learn from our mistakes and come back stronger. When you play a big tournament so well, it’s good but you have to perform on the day. You can’t relax in any department.”The semi-final defeat stung particularly hard for Pakistan given that they had been the most settled team of the tournament. They made no changes to their line-up throughout their group-stage dominance but, as was the case in a famous T20 World Cup semi-final against Australia in 2010, Pakistan found themselves undone by a fightback from the lower middle order to deprive them of a place in the final. Babar, however, said the tournament there were plenty of positives through the tournament to take forward.”We’ll try and continue our efforts; how we performed gave us confidence and we’ll try and build on from that,” he said. “The roles we had defined for everyone, they executed brilliantly, and you saw that from us on the field. The way the crowd supported us was very enjoyable. We always enjoy ourselves here and I’m thankful to the fans back home for supporting us.”

Manchester United have held talks with a “genius” manager to replace Erik ten Hag and have had an instant reply, according to a report.

Man Utd hold meeting over Ten Hag future

The Red Devils have made their worst start to a Premier League season under Ten Hag, eclipsing the unwelcome record broken during the 2023/24 campaign after seven games. Just two victories have come United’s way during that time, an opening day win against Fulham and a 3-0 win at Southampton, with defeats to Brighton, Liverpool and Tottenham.

Man Utd vs Brentford

October 19

Fenerbahce vs Man Utd

October 24

West Ham vs Man Utd

October 27

Man Utd vs Leicester City

October 30

Man Utd vs Chelsea

November 3

As a result, pressure has been building on Ten Hag, and Sir Jim Ratcliffe was questioned on Ten Hag’s future recently, telling the BBC: “I don’t want to answer that question. I like Erik. I think he’s a very good coach but at the end of the day, it’s not my call, it’s the management team that’s running Manchester United that have to decide how best we run the team in many different respects.

“They’ve not been there a long time, so they need to take stock and make some sensible decisions. Our objective is very clear – we want to take Manchester United back to where it should be, and it’s not there yet, obviously – that’s very clear.”

Man Utd believe they'll sign £10m-a-year target even if they sack Ten Hag

Man Utd have their eye on a player they would like to sign whether Ten Hag stays or leaves.

ByBrett Worthington Oct 9, 2024

During the international break, Man Utd chiefs held a meeting to discuss Ten Hag’s future among other Old Trafford topics. The Times say that after six hours, the Dutchman avoided the sack and will continue as boss for the time being.

However, a new report has shared contact between Man Utd and a serious target who seemingly could have replaced Ten Hag.

Man Utd hold talks with Inter Milan's Simone Inzaghi

One manager who has been linked with Man Utd is Inter Milan’s Simone Inzaghi. Reports in recent weeks and months have claimed that he is a firm target and was liked by Ratcliffe as a possible Ten Hag successor.

Now, according to reports from FC Inter News, Man Utd held talks with Inzaghi just last month, although the 3-5-2 style manager declined the approach from the Red Devils.

The report states that Inzaghi has had interest from Chelsea and Liverpool earlier in the year and has now had a phone call with Man Utd but he is looking ‘to continue to win trophies in Italy, aiming to do well in the Champions League’.

Inzaghi, dubbed a “genius” by Thierry Henry, politely said “no thank you” to Man Utd, according to the report, who said it would have been crazy to swap jobs so early into the season. Whether or not Man Utd return for Inzaghi in. the future remains to be seen, but for now, Ten Hag survives.