Chelsea have issued a statement defending Conor Gallagher after the midfielder faced heavy criticism when a video of him went viral on social media.
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National Bank fold for 44 (forty-four!)Perhaps no pitch truly is a 44 all out pitch, but if ever there was an exception, it would be had on the domestic circuit in Pakistan’s premier first-class competition (simply writing that is becoming embarrassing). In Faisalabad, A Shan Masood-led National Bank fell for 44 in under 18 overs against SNGPL – led by Misbah-ul-Haq still – bringing the nature of the pitches into sharp focus once more. Unkempt grounds, squalid dressing rooms and poorly prepared pitches have all been in evidence over the first few weeks of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy as the gulf between international and first-class cricket continues to widen.150 was crossed in all of the other three innings, with the match effectively decided when SNGPL opened up with 265 first up, thanks to a number of stellar contributions including a half-century from Adnan Akmal. Form continues to elude Misbah, however, whose scores of 2 and 7 mean he has mustered just 31 runs in four innings this season.The Lahore regions clinch thrillersAfter eight matches among them, neither Lahore side, the Whites or the Blues, had manged to scrape a win between them. But in their fifth match each, both got their campaigns off the ground, and in dramatic fashion too. Lahore Whites clinched a thrilling one-wicket win, with the No. 11 Bilal Anwar striking the winning boundary as they chased 184 against Peshawar. He was the hero in more ways than one, also taking five wickets in Peshawar’s second innings. The game had been evenly poised almost throughout, with Peshawar taking a slender 24-run lead in the first innings.Lahore Blues’ victory was similarly dramatic as they staved off an impressive Multan fightback to defend what had initially seemed like an insurmountable 263-run target. Usman Liaqat’s 86 took Multan to 241, but a five-wicket haul from the former Pakistan fast bowler Aizaz Cheema ensured Lahore Blues’ winless run wouldn’t extend as they put their first points on the board.Mohammad Asif? Consistency?When Mohammad Asif took five wickets in an innings in the previous round, it could be discounted as one of those spells he bowls once every so often, yet not nearly often enough to be taken seriously. Who knew, though, that the boy could follow it up with another five-for, this time against ZTBL. Seven wickets in the match – just like in his last game – from Asif helped WAPDA cruise to a nine-wicket victory, their fourth win in five matches. What’s more, he even scored 34 in the first innings; he had a highest score in international cricket of 29. The comparisons with Glenn McGrath were more multi-facteded than you’d appreciate at first thought.While we’re on the subject of wagging tails, though, it would be discourteous not to mention his teammate Ehsan Adil’s flourish. No allrounder himself, he smashed an unbeaten 85 in WAPDA’s first innings, 37 more than he has managed over eight international innings.
Former Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane is reportedly not in the running to replace outgoing Bayern Munich manager Thomas Tuchel.
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Bayern seeking Tuchel replacementTarget Alonso to stay at LeverkusenZidane no longer in the runningWHAT HAPPENED?
Sky Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg claims Zidane won't replace Tuchel at Bayern and Brighton's Roberto De Zerbi and Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann – who managed the Bavarians between 2021-23 – are among their top targets. This comes hours after frontrunner and Bayer Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso said he was staying put at the Bundesliga outfit.
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Alonso's decision to stay at Leverkusen – who are top of the Bundesliga – has sent shockwaves around the footballing world. Both Bayern and Liverpool saw him as their number one target but his act of loyalty means the two European giants will have to look elsewhere.
DID YOU KNOW?
Zidane, who managed Real Madrid between 2016-18 and 2019-21, won La Liga on two occasions and the Champions League three times as Los Blancos' manager but it seems his time away from the dugout is set to continue.
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While speculation continues to mount over who will replace Tuchel this summer, his second-placed Bayern side host Borussia Dortmund on Saturday evening, with Alonso's Leverkusen entertaining Hoffenheim earlier on in the afternoon.
Lancashire legspinner Parkinson has suffered a stress fracture of his back
ESPNcricinfo staff08-Dec-2018England fast bowler Liam Plunkett has been signed by Melbourne Stars as a replacement for legspinner Matt Parkinson who has been ruled out of the BBL with a back injury.Parkinson, who plays for Lancashire, had been withdrawn from the England Lions tour of the UAE after scans showed up a stress fracture and he has not recovered enough to take up his Stars deal.Plunkett is a key member of England’s white-ball sides and will share overseas duties with Nepal legspinner Sandeep Lamichhane. The Stars have also signed Dwayne Bravo for the duration of the tournament.Plunkett’s next international commitment is likely to be England’s one-day series against West Indies which starts on February 20. There is a warm-up match scheduled for February 18, the day after the BBL final, so depending on how far the Stars progress in the tournament his availability could be restricted in the closing stages.Melbourne Stars squad Michael Beer, Jackson Bird, Scott Boland, Liam Bowe, Dwayne Bravo, Jackson Coleman, Travis Dean, Ben Dunk, Seb Gotch, Evan Gulbis, Peter Handscomb, Sandeep Lamichhane, Nic Maddinson, Glenn Maxwell, Jonathan Merlo, Liam Plunkett, Marcus Stoinis, Daniel Worrall, Adam Zampa
The USMNT will have welcomed news that Josh Sargent is finally back to “normal” after receiving “proper treatment” on his injury issues.
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Ankle problems held forward backMissed out on Nations League gloryPositive fitness news for club & countryWHAT HAPPENED?
The 24-year-old forward sat out four months of action early in the 2023-24 campaign after being forced to undergo ankle surgery. He suffered another fitness setback during the March international break that prevented him from linking up with his country and savouring CONCACAF Nations League glory.
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That enforced rest did, however, work in Sargent’s favour as he was able to work his way back to peak physical condition. He has been in stunning form for club side Norwich of late, hitting a personal-best 14 goals for the season, and will be looking to net in a 10th successive home game when taking in a derby date with arch-rivals Ipswich on Saturday.
WHAT WAGNER SAID ABOUT SARGENT
Ahead of that contest, Canaries boss David Wagner has said when delivering an update on Sargent’s fitness: “Two full 90s in four days is a big step for him. He hasn't done this in recent months, to be fair, without any issues. Last week he was able to follow the full regime without any issues. Physically you will get fatigued as a player, but he recovered well and now we’d like to push him for the next game.
"Hopefully our season continues quite long; for the maximum it can be. And for this obviously his fitness will be crucial. To be fair in this (last) international break, we were not really able to work him. He had to rest and recover his ankle. But obviously it was possible to give him proper treatment. That was beneficial for his ankle because it looks like now is able to tolerate the normal workload and the normal routine, which he was not able to tolerate in recent months.”
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While Norwich are hoping to see Sargent fire them into the Championship play-offs, earning a shot at promotion to the Premier League along the way, the USMNT will be pleased to hear that the in-form frontman is in top shape heading towards a Copa America tournament on home soil this summer.
Paris Saint-Germain are “much more of a team” without Lionel Messi and Neymar, claims the club’s former manager Luis Fernandez.
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Warriors’ all-West Indian top five propelled their side to 140 for 3, and the Shahid Afridi-led Pakhtoons fell decisively short despite Andre Fletcher’s fireworks
The Report by Barny Read in Sharjah02-Dec-2018Northern Warriors sealed T10 League glory in Sharjah on Sunday night, thanks to a 22-run win over Pakhtoons.The Warriors had Rovman Powell (61*) and Andre Russell (38) to thank with the bat while Chris Green (2-11) and Hardus Viljoen (2-24) starred with the ball to deny Shahid Afridi, his thousands of fans, and the Pakhtoons a first T10 title.A public holiday celebrating the UAE’s 47th National Day and free entry to the north stand of the ground made for a packed Sharjah stadium in full party mode.Some Afridi stardust guaranteed a stream of yellow-clad Pakthoons supporters too, the man who has been Sharjah’s main draw for over two decades once again showing his pulling power.The result was a stadium swarming with fans both inside and out as hundreds sprawled across the roads surrounding the ground. And while a roaring crowd welcomed the two protagonists for the showpiece, many more chose the road’s partitions as a vantage point with their eyes fixed on the big screen that broadcasts back out to the stadium’s surrounds.Inside the ground, both teams were more than worthy finalists having topped their respective groups in the opening stage of the tournament and then finished at the top two in the final league table.They had avoided each other until Saturday’s first eliminator, which saw Pakhtoons advance to the final with a 13-run victory that meant the Warriors had to see off Bengal Tigers in the final qualifying match.Darren Sammy’s men duly obliged to set up Sunday’s showdown between the league’s most dominant teams.And having been put into bat by Afridi, the Warriors knew they were up against it considering just seven out of the previous 28 games had been won by the team batting first.But the side’s entirely West Indian top five made a more than competitive 140 for 3 from their ten overs with Powell’s unbeaten 61 from just 25 balls providing the bulk of the ammunition.Powell’s innings included eight fours and four sixes and the right-hander was ably supported by Russell (38 off 12) and Sammy (14* from 9).This year’s tournament has frequently seen individual moments turn games on their head and at the interval, Russell’s destruction of England all-rounder Liam Dawson looked like it could have been the defining over of the game as the Warriors man took Dawson for 27 in the sixth over.It left Pakhtoons with the task of making the highest successful chase ever across T10’s two seasons if they were to lift the trophy.Andre Fletcher – who has been superb throughout the T10 League – got his side off to the perfect start in reply and by the halfway stage, on 62 for 1, Pakhtoons were well on course. Fletcher departed just two balls later with 37 which, despite bringing hero of the hour Afridi to the crease, was a major setback.South African offspinner Green was the man to remove Fletcher and his two-over spell looked just as pivotal as Russell’s demolition of Dawson earlier on. It proved to be the case, despite Afridi (17) briefly threatening to send Sharjah into delirium with a rescue act that was abruptly ended by the tournament’s leading wicket-taker Viljoen.Those same fans that earlier flooded the entrances in their droves in the hope of seeing Afridi lift the trophy, headed for the exits in similar volume with the writing on the wall.Pakhtoons would go on to fall significantly short as Northern Warriors became the second T10 League champions following on from the rebranded Kerala Knights’ inaugural triumph.
Having watched Mushfiqur Rahim and Mominul Haque bat for close to two days after they had Bangladesh on the ropes at 26 for 3, Zimbabwe have been given a thorough lesson in how to apply themselves on a pitch that has occasionally offered something for the bowlers.”Our batters can learn a thing or two from him [Mushfiqur], from how he applied himself on that pitch,” said Shepherd Makunura, Zimbabwe’s fielding coach. “Earlier on, especially in the first session, the ball did quite a bit, but he batted quite well.”Mominul’s counterattacking ton and Mushfiqur’s watchful double allowed Bangladesh to seize control of the game after Zimbabwe’s early inroads. But Makunura presented a brave face when asked about what must have been a frustrating experience for the visitors.”That’s part of cricket,” he said. “Things like that will always happen. You do get a few wickets early on, but in Test cricket there’s bound to be partnerships along the way. The way the Bangladesh batters applied themselves, they set themselves up for the other batters coming in.”One of those other batters was Mehidy Hasan, who made an attacking, unbeaten 68 at No. 9 to extend Bangladesh to a total of 522. “Coming in to a set batter like Mushfiqur made it a little easier for him, and the stage was set for a good partnership,” Makunura said of Mehidy’s knock. “They did bat quite well, the two of them.”Helpful in Bangladesh’s recovery were Zimbabwe’s lapses in the field. They dropped Mominul three times during his 161, and also offered Mushfiqur a second life in the fourth over on Monday, when an inside edge ricocheted off his thigh and wicketkeeper Regis Chakabva put the chance down.”It’s always frustrating,” Makunura said of the drops, “But it’s part of the game. You catch some, you drop some, and it’s part of the game. We have to take it in our stride, and move on from there.”Zimbabwe were made to pay for their mistakes in the field, and their bowling attack struggled to maintain the consistency that had helped set up their win in Sylhet. Fast bowler Tendai Chatara was stretched off with a suspected Grade 2 tear on his left quadriceps muscle, and though Kyle Jarvis stuck to his lines to take 5 for 71 in his absence, he was given precious little support by Zimbabwe’s spin attack, who went wicketless.”I don’t think the guys were complacent,” Makunura said. “We spoke in our change rooms earlier on this was an opportunity for us to win an away Test series, which we haven’t done in a long time. I don’t think we bowled well enough, but I wouldn’t put that down to complacency. We didn’t bowl as well as we should have, but we also must give credit to the Bangladesh batters.”Makunura remained hopeful that Zimbabwe could learn from Mominul and Mushfiqur’s example and bat themselves back into the game, pointing to the first session of the third day as being crucial to their mission.”I think the game is still evenly poised, although Bangladesh batted quite well,” he said. “It’s all going to depend on how well we bat tomorrow, especially the first session. If we can negotiate the first session, we can make life a little easier for ourselves. It’s going to take a lot of batting for us.”
Fakhar Zaman, who was nursing an injured knee before the tour, batted for the tourists before stumps on the first day in Benoni
The Report by Liam Brickhill19-Dec-2018
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The touring Pakistanis eased into the first playing day in South Africa, against a young but talented CSA Invitation XI riding on captain Marques Ackerman’s hundred to declare at 318 for 7 in Benoni. There was a wicket apiece for Mohammad Amir and Hasan Ali, while Faheem Ashraf picked up two and Azhar Ali’s part-time legbreaks yielded 2 for 19.With Pakistan sweating on the match fitness of Shadab Khan and Mohammad Abbas, neither bowled a ball on the fist day. Opening batsman Fakhar Zaman is also not quite at 100%, having aggravated a knee injury picked up in October, but he came out to bat in Pakistan’s innings, suggesting he may have completed his rehabilitation sooner than expected. He and Imam-ul-Haq successfully negotiated the 18 balls bowled in Pakistan’s innings before stumps.In the absence of Shadab and Abbas, the four-pronged pace attack of Amir, Shaheen Afridi, Hasan and Faheem was given a good workout, all bowling between 12 and 16 overs each. They went about their work watched by around a hundred spectators at the ground.Led by the 22-year-old Ackerman, the Invitation XI team are all 25 or under, but there is certainly talent within their youthful ranks. Opening batsman Joshua Richards narrowly missed out on a hundred the day before his 20th birthday, scoring 98, but Ackerman went to his own century in the 85th over of the day, declaring the innings immediately after he raised his ton by punching Amir through extra cover for his 14th four.With scores of 100, 118, 132, 1, 4* and 145 leading up to this game, Richards was within touching distance of his fifth hundred in seven innings when he fell against the run of play earlier. Richards and Neil Brand had collected 87 runs in an opening stand that stretched to 26 overs before Brand was trapped in front of his stumps for 38 by Amir.Having perhaps bowled a little within themselves in the morning session, Pakistan’s quicks operated with a little more vim after lunch, and Tshepang Dithole was caught behind off Faheem soon after the interval. Matthew Breetzke, who was named South Africa Under-19 Cricketer of the Year at CSA’s annual awards in June, added a breezy 24 from 28 deliveries with three fours and a six before he aimed a wild swipe at Haris Sohail’s left-arm spin and was caught off a top edge at short third man.Ackerman and Richards then came together to add 38 for the fourth wicket, and with Richards closing in on his ton, Azhar was brought on for a twirl. His first delivery caught Richards by surprise, an attempted cut resulting only in an edge that was snaffled by Asad Shafiq.While Pakistan struck repeatedly at the other end, Hasan disturbing Onke Nyaku’s stumps and Faheem quickly repeating the treatment against Rivaldo Moonsamy, Ackerman marched on to his hundred. He got to the mark from the 132nd delivery he faced, prompting the declaration before Imam and Fakhar ended the first day without further drama.
Jesse Lingard has had a difficult start to life in Korea, but he received a warm welcome from Seoul FC fans on his return to the touchline.
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