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The batsman, who also contributed with his medium-pace bowling, last played an international match for West Indies in March 2015 at the World Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Mar-2017West Indies batsman Dwayne Smith has announced his retirement from all international cricket. Smith, 33, who is playing for Islamabad United in the ongoing Pakistan Super League, confirmed the decision before the start of the second qualifying final against Karachi Kings in Sharjah. His last West Indies appearance came at the 2015 World Cup.Smith made his international debut on West Indies’ tour of South Africa 2003-04, beginning with the New Year’s Test in Cape Town in January 2004, after Marlon Samuels flew home with a knee injury. He made an impression straightaway, scoring a century on debut – a run-a-ball unbeaten 105, his only international century – in the second innings of the game, to help West Indies draw the match and end their streak of seven successive Test losses in South Africa. The team, however, did lose the series 3-1. Smith played only nine more Tests, scoring a total of 320 runs in the format. His last Test appearance for West Indies was in March 2006, against New Zealand in Napier.Smith had a far more substantial run in the limited-overs sides, where he also made useful contributions with his medium-pace, although his batting returns remained modest. Having begun in the lower order, Smith was promoted to the top order, including as an opener, after 2014 and did better there. Six of his eight ODI fifties came when he batted in the top three, and his average of 25.27 was better than his overall career average of 18.57. Overall, he played 105 ODIs scoring 1560 runs at a strike rate of 92.69. He also took 61 wickets in ODIs, with a career-best of 5 for 45 and three four-fors.Smith was part of two World Cup squads for West Indies in 2007 and in 2015, where his final appearance came against UAE in Napier. Following West Indies’ early exit from the 2007 World Cup, Smith spent close to three years out of the ODI and T20I squads before making his return in 2010.He was part of three World T20 squads – in 2007, 2012 and 2014. While he played only one match during West Indies’ title run in the 2012 World T20, he was picked in the next edition as the side’s designated opener and scored 125 runs in five matches. In 33 T20 internationals, he scored 582 runs at 18.18 with a strike rate of 122.78, although he only made three fifties.Smith has been a popular cricketer on the T20 circuit, over the last few years, turning out to play for franchises in the Indian Premier League, the Caribbean Premier League, the Bangladesh Premier League and the Pakistan Super League, as well as the NatWest Blast in England.

A round-up of the action from day 4 of Ranji Trophy’s Group A matches

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Nov-2016Railways won their first match of the season by seven wickets, as they reached the 113-run target set by Baroda early on the final day in Nagpur.Railways started the day on 90 for 2 and added the required 23 runs in just 20 balls, with the loss of a wicket. Opener Shivakant Shukla was unbeaten on 56, his 16th first-class fifty, as Railways collected six points and leapfrogged out of last place, where Baroda replaced them.Debutant Aditya Dhumal picked up five wickets as Mumbai beat Uttar Pradesh by 121 runs in Mysore to remain on top of Group A.UP started the day on 43 for 1, needing 232 more to win. Overnight batsmen Shivam Chaudhary (50) and Samarth Singh (42) added a further 42 to their second-wicket partnership, taking it to 81, before Dhumal dismissed both of them with his left-arm spin, to reduce UP from 87 for 1 to 105 for 3. Dhumal then combined with Vishal Dabholkar (4-43), Mumbai’s other left-arm spinner, and the pair struck regularly as they shared the last nine wickets between them to bowl UP out for 173. Dhumal’s 5 for 53 gave seven wickets on his first-class debut.Suryakumar Yadav was declared Player of the Match for his knocks of 99 and 90 in the match.K Vignesh was named Man of the Match for Tamil Nadu as they took three points from their draw against Bengal in Rajkot.Vignesh followed up his 4 for 70 in the first innings with an unbeaten 34 at No.10, that led the 44-run stand for the last wicket with T Natarajan (12) which had taken TN past Bengal’s 337. The stand ended early on the final day, as Natarajan fell to medium-pacer Sayan Ghosh (5-123), who completed his first five-wicket haul.Shreevats Goswami (61) and Aamir Gani (45) put on 87 for the sixth wicket, after TN entertained the hopes of an outright victory when they reduced Bengal to 66 for 5 in the 31st over. The partnership played out a valuable 23.3 overs before Gani was dimissed, and Goswami’s seventh-wicket stand with Ashok Dinda (28) frustrated TN for a further 13.4 overs, as Bengal managed to hold on and force a draw.Harpreet Singh’s second century of the season helped Madhya Pradesh survive an early scare in their chase, and draw their game against Gujarat in Nagathone. Gujarat picked up three points from the game.Hapreet Singh came in at 36 for 4 in the 17th over, after MP were set 375 to chase in 57 overs. Rush Kalaria was the wrecker-in-chief, adding three wickets to go with his four-for in the first innings. But Harpreet joined hands with Naman Ojha (52) and was the dominant one in their partnership of 113, that could only be broken in the 52nd over. Ojha’s 52 took 135 deliveries, in contrast to Harpreet’s unbeaten 103 that came off 129 and featured 17 fours and a six. MP lost no further wickets and play ended when they were on 176 for 5.Earlier, Gujarat added 96 runs in 22 overs to their overnight score of 228 for 2, as they pushed for a declaration. Both overnight batsmen brought up centuries, although Samit Gohel (104) fell in the third over of the day, while Parthiv Patel (139*) remained unbeaten.

Harbhajan Singh, India’s most successful offspinner at the moment, has opposed the kind of surfaces the team has played on at home over the last ‘four’ years. He’s stated as much in several interviews. He used the hash tag ‘tailor-made conditions for spinners’ while referring to the Indore surface. He went on to say his and Anil Kumble’s wickets tally would have been “something else” if they had bowled more on such pitches. Virat Kohli, to whom the mention of the word ‘pitch’ is a red rag, was told of Harbhajan’s comments after India had completed the whitewash of New Zealand inside four days in Indore.Kohli was then asked if he attributed these wins to pitches or “something else”. “Who made that statement?” Kohli shot back. “Harbhajan Singh,” he was told. “Oh? Okay,” he stopped.It must be mentioned that while the conversation around pitches has been subdued this season because they haven’t been as dramatic as they were against South Africa last season. Kolkata, in fact, was a seaming pitch, which brought the New Zealand fast bowlers into the game. However, Harbhajan’s is the first instance of someone criticising the pitches from inside the system. He is an active cricketer who was a part of the India squad in the Asia Cup played in Bangladesh earlier this year. Kohli refrained from directly reacting to Harbhajan’s statement although he did sound a little taken aback.”Obviously, I mean,” Kohli paused. “See even if it is a turning pitch you have to bowl well. There is no… spin doesn’t happen only off the pitch. Spin is about how many revs you impart off the shoulder first. And then the ball will do something off the pitch. I quite clearly remember after we lost to New Zealand in the World T20, suddenly their spinners were quality and we were found out. I don’t see anyone talking about that now. The same spinners have played. Why have they not been able to pick wickets? It is as simple as that. Our fast bowlers picked wickets everywhere. We never complained about anything. So… see you can give a guy a cement track to bat on. He [still] needs to have the mindset to score runs. It is as simple as that.”Earlier when asked about complete team performances on three different tracks and how much confidence that gives India for the England series, Kohli once spoke about the pitches. “Well, we knew before the series that people are going to start talking about pitches,” Kohli said. “But we made it a point that we… we knew that there are monsoons everywhere, wickets are not going to be as dry. Especially in Kolkata, we knew that it wouldn’t be dry; it was a newly laid wicket. We didn’t say anything once. We believe in our abilities, we should be good enough to do it on any surface and against any team.”That is a step in the right direction as far as our team is concerned. We believe in our skill much more, and not focus on creating atmosphere or conditions that might suit us partially. We just wanted to express ourselves the way we can on a cricket field. We finished two games in four days on perfectly fine Test cricket pitches. That gives us a lot of confidence.”

The USA selectors have narrowed down their initial 30-man squad down to 22 for a five-day national-team camp from September 17 to 21 in Indianapolis

Peter Della Penna15-Sep-2016

USA’s 22-man squad

Danial Ahmed, Timroy Allen, Alex Amsterdam, Fahad Babar, Davion Davidson, Akeem Dodson, Muhammad Ghous, Elmore Hutchinson, Naseer Jamali, Ali Khan, Prashanth Nair, Timil Patel, Usman Rafiq, Saqib Saleem, Srini Santhanam, Hammad Shahid, Jasdeep Singh, Nicholas Standford, Steven Taylor, Ravi Timbawala, Shiva Vashishat
In: Abdullah Syed
Out: Adil Bhatti, Japen Patel, Nosthush Kenjige, Keon Lake, Aman Lobana, Francis Mendonca, Nisarg Patel, David Pieters, Arjun Thyagarajan

The USA selection panel headed by Ricardo Powell has narrowed down its initial 30-man squad from July down to 22 for a final five-day national-team camp from September 17 to 21 in Indianapolis, which will be used to pick a 14-man squad for USA’s Auty Cup series against Canada in mid-October followed by World Cricket League Division Four in Los Angeles from October 29 to November 5.According to multiple sources, only 20 players were originally invited to Indianapolis, but an opportunity was given to players participating in tour matches against the MCC in New York last weekend to earn a last-chance opportunity in front of new USA coach Pubudu Dassanayake. Two players did enough to get a late call – offspinner Muhammad Ghous and batsman Abdullah Syed.Ghous was named captain for last summer’s squad that competed at the World T20 Qualifier in Ireland and is one of USA’s most experienced players – he has taken 30 wickets in 39 T20s and 35 wickets in 32 50-over games for USA – but his spot has increasingly come under threat due to recent sub-par performances. He chose not to bowl his full quota of four overs in three of USA’s six games at the World T20 Qualifier in Ireland, and finished with four wickets, tied for third on the team.Ghous beat the CPL-contracted offspinner Nikhil Dutta for a spot in a combined ICC Americas team that played in the WICB Nagico Super50 in January, but played in just two games and was ineffective with combined figures of 0 for 53 in 7.5 overs. However, in the first of the two 50-over MCC tour matches played at Baisley Pond Park in New York on Saturday, Ghous took 3 for 20 in 10 overs with three maidens. It was enough to convince Dassanayake and national selector Barney Jones, who was also present in New York, that Ghous should still have a chance to compete in Indianapolis to retain his place in USA’s squad for Division Four.Syed, a hard hitting right-handed batsman, struck 34 off 23 balls, including three fours and three sixes, in the first match against MCC on Saturday and followed it up with 23 off 26 balls on Sunday, striking another two sixes. Former USA U-19 batsman Randall Wilson, who top-scored against the MCC with 76 off 105 balls while opening the batting alongside Syed on Saturday, was not invited to Indianapolis.According to multiple sources, Wilson was one of several players, including Syed, whom selectors wanted to have a further look at evaluating as a middle-order option on Sunday’s second match, taking into consideration USA’s top-order batsmen – Steven Taylor, Akeem Dodson, Fahad Babar, Alex Amsterdam – are unlikely to change. While Syed seized the opportunity to bat in the middle-order playing against the MCC on Sunday, Wilson chose to play for his local club side Atlantis CC in their league final on Sunday – he made a second-ball duck – rather than suit up once again for the New York XI and thus missed out on an opportunity for a final middle-order audition.In addition to Dassanayake, the camp will also have Trevor Penney serving as guest fielding coach. Penney, who is based in Montreal, Canada, has previously served as fielding coach for numerous international sides, most recently Sri Lanka. He was also India’s fielding coach from 2011 to 2014.

Arsenal travel to Manchester City on Wednesday evening in a potentially season-defining title clash, with Mikel Arteta no doubt desperately searching for ways to stop the prolific Erling Haaland.

Does Arteta need to make defensive changes at Arsenal?

The Gunners have struggled immensely from a defensive perspective following the injury to William Saliba, with Rob Holding so far proving an inadequate replacement for the Frenchman alongside Gabriel in the heart of Arsenal's defence.

It is often said that attack wins you games and defence wins you titles and right now Arsenal's defence is far from good enough, with no clean sheets in their last five Premier League games, which has included damaging draws against Liverpool, West Ham United and Southampton.

Holding has been a big reason behind those defensive difficulties, as his woeful average rating of 6.26 from WhoScored is a stark contrast to Saliba's strong 6.77 rating this term.

Unfortunately, the French youngster won't be fit for the trip to the Etihad and with the title potentially on the line, Arteta must make changes to his backline if he wants to stop City and the dangerous Haaland.

Should Tierney start against Manchester City?

One potential change could see the Gunners revert to a three-at-the-back formation, with Gabriel and Ben White starting alongside Kieran Tierney at centre-back, with the former Celtic man adopting the role he undertakes on international duty with Scotland.

Steve Clarke was left with a difficult decision when selecting Tierney or Andrew Robertson at left-back for Scotland and now describes the Arsenal man as "the best overlapping centre-back in world football," so it is certainly a role he could perform for the Gunners at the Etihad tonight.

This would free up Oleksandr Zinchenko to play in an inverted wing-back role which could give him more time and space in the midfield, while also ensuring that he isn't left so exposed defensively after struggling in recent weeks, with Bukayo Saka more than capable of playing in a wing-back role on the right.

Tierney's pace could also be crucial on the cover against the explosive Haaland, as Arsenal could find themselves completely overwhelmed if Holding and Gabriel are asked to deal with him, given the former's lack of speed, in particular.

The 25-year-old may have struggled with injuries and consistent form since joining the Gunners but there is no doubting his "warrior" attitude – as per Ashley Cole – which could prove vital in what will be the biggest test of Arsenal's title credentials at the Etihad.

Pep Guardiola's side head into the game as favourites but if Arteta opts to surprise his former mentor by unleashing the "unbelievable" Tierney – as dubbed by Kris Boyd – in a centre-back role, it could just see the Gunners get their title bid back on track with a huge win.

Crystal Palace are keen on a move to bring Steve Biko FC striker Adama Bojang to the Premier League, according to reports.

Who is Adama Bojang?

The Gambian is an exciting, up-and-coming talent who has worked his way through the ranks to become a regular feature for his current club. The £650k-valued forward has also started making a name for himself on the international stage, having recently represented his country at the AFCON U20s tournament and is expected to feature at the U20 World Cup later this year.

Recent reports have suggested that the 18-year-old is hoping to put himself in the shop window by delivering a consistent run of strong performances for Gambia’s youth side, and it would appear that his hard work has already paid off, having caught the eye of the Eagles.

According to the Daily Mail, Crystal Palace and Chelsea are the latest clubs to “register an interest” in securing the services of Bojang ahead of the 2023/24 term. Tottenham Hotspur and Nottingham Forest are also name-checked as teams “monitoring” the teenager’s development. The Premier League sides are all “considering” purchasing the striker and sending him straight back out on loan as a result of potential issues arising when it comes to arranging a work permit. Meanwhile, Marseille, Ajax, Royal Antwerp and Napoli are also “in the mix”.

Would Bojang be a good signing for Palace?

Bojang is still very much in the early stages of his development and career as a whole, and would need to gain more senior experience before being considered a member of the first team, but he would almost certainly be an exciting signing for the long-term future at Palace.

The SPOCS Global Sports client scored four goals and provided one assist in six appearances at the AFCON tournament in Egypt where he significantly contributed to his side making it all the way to the final back in March, as per Transfermarkt. Standing at 6 foot 3, the youngster could also be an ideal target man, with his height making him a useful option and focal point to have in the final third when it comes to getting on the end of long balls and set pieces.

Finally, Bojang has been likened to AS Roma and former Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham by talent scout Jacek Kulig, so should he possess similar qualities, he could yet be an extremely positive acquisition at Selhurst Park.

BK Garudachar, India’s oldest first-class cricketer, who represented Mysore (as Karnataka was called till 1974), United Province and Bombay, died in Bangalore on Friday aged 99

Arun Venugopal26-Feb-2016BK Garudachar, India’s oldest living first-class cricketer, who represented Mysore (as Karnataka was called till 1974), United Province and Bombay, died in Bangalore on Friday aged 99.A right-hand batsman and a leg-break bowler, Garudachar scored 1126 runs at an average of 29.63 from 27 matches in first-class cricket between 1935 and 1946. Born on January 13, 1917 in Chikamagalur, Karnataka, Garudachar graduated in engineering from the Benares University, and started playing for Mysore before turning out for United Province and Bombay in the 1940s.As a bowler, Garudachar finished his career with exactly 100 wickets, which included seven five-fors and three ten-wicket match hauls. His solitary century came against the Holkar team in the 1946 Ranji Trophy semi-final. That 164 held a pride of place for Garudachar, who captained Mysore against a side led by CK Nayudu. That match against Holkar also turned out to be Garudachar’s farewell tofirst-class cricket.”We never knew the kind of leather hunt we were in for. Holkar played for two-and-a-half days and destroyed our attack to score 912 for 8 declared,” Garudachar told journalist ES Ramachandran in the 1980s, during an interview. “Six of the first eight Holkar batsmen scored centuries with Mushtaq Ali who rarely ever failed, being caught and bowled for 2!”I felt, if we had run all the way to Bangalore we would have reached earlier than the time we took running around the field fetching the ballfrom the boundary.”Former India and Karnataka batsman GR Viswanath called Garudachar’s death a sad day for Karnataka cricket. “[It is] very unfortunate that he couldn’t complete his century there and I could make out that he wanted to live a 100 years,” Viswanath told ESPNcricinfo.”I have never watched him play, but whenever I met former cricketers they used to mention his name. He was a very versatile cricketer and everyone felt he should have played for the country. I have met him quite a few times and listening to him you could make out his knowledge about the game.”Viswanath said he always made it a point to listen to the anecdotes that Garudachar would recount: “He himself would tell: ‘Vishu, I used to bowl fast-ish offspinners but in between I used to bowl the googly and the batsman would think it was a leg break. They used to play for a leg break and it used to go in. I got quite a few wickets like that.’ It used to amaze me because you always hear about googly bowlers being legspinners but it was strange to see an offspinner bowling a googly.”Whenever I have met him he was very jovial. I used to go and sit next to him because I wanted to hear stories of cricket from his era. He used to say how my batting style was similar to [former Mysore batsman] CJ Ramdev. When people of that stature say such things it will be with you throughout.”Former India offspinner Erapalli Prasanna felt Garudachar’s contributions did not receive enough credit. “He has done a lot of yeoman service for the Mysore State Cricket Association when he was playing,” Prasanna told ESPNcricinfo. “In spite of his achievements and his contributions, he was very simple and straightforward. The only time I have met him was in one of the KSCA functions when he was given some award. At that point of time I congratulated him even though the appreciation was not in direct proportion to the contribution that he had done for the state.”

Chelsea are preparing a big-money offer to bring Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong to the Premier League, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Previous talks held

The Blues have several central players soon out of contract, with N’Golo Kante and Denis Zakaria’s deals expiring this summer and Mason Mount, Mateo Kovacic and Ruben Loftus-Cheek in 2024.

The Dutchman turned down a move to Manchester United last year despite Erik ten Hag being keen on a reunion and it sounds like Graham Potter is hoping to entice him to Stamford Bridge instead.

Football.London report that the SW6 outfit have admired the 25-year-old for several years, having held talks regarding a potential deal when Thomas Tuchel was in charge.

The Latest: Chelsea readying bid

Now, according to Spanish reports (via Sport Witness), Chelsea are ‘planning to launch an offer that would be around €80m’ (£71m).

It’s believed this would be compiled of a fixed sum plus added bonuses, but Todd Boehly might find it difficult to prise him away.

The Camp Nou maestro ‘would not be willing’ to leave the La Liga outfit as it stands so a deal could prove tricky to complete on the personal side.

The Verdict: No-brainer

De Jong has been dubbed a ‘monster’ by talent scout Jacek Kulig and should the opportunity to sign him somehow arise, Chelsea have a no-brainer of a decision to make.

The Nike-sponsored ace has posted 34 goal contributions for Barcelona and currently ranks in the 97th percentile for most progressive carries per game by midfielders in the top leagues.

The Arkel native also knows how to control the game with a 90.5% pass success rate and would offer flexibility with his ability to operate in six different positions across the field.

The Blues have a major task on their hands if they want to secure De Jong, but with him sharing the same agent as Zakaria, this could prove to be a useful advantage in getting a deal over the line.

Liverpool's Curtis Jones has sent a message to England boss Gareth Southgate as he believes that he is doing well enough to warrant a call up.

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Jones believes he deserves England call-upStill uncapped by SouthgateReveals Klopp shock after announcement(C)GettyImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

With Euro 2024 coming up fast, Southgate has only two more games to finalise his squad for the tournament. The 53-year-old's future post the tournament is up in the air and a positive result this summer could see him extend till the 2026 World Cup. Jones has been flirting around the edge of the selection, but has never been capped despite featuring prominently for Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool. Later on in the same interview, Jones also discussed the shocking departure of the German from the Merseyside club.

AdvertisementWHAT JONES SAID

Talking to the BBC, Jones said: "It’s not easy. The lads I’m against are doing well. Gareth and the staff have got a choice, but I think I’m doing enough. Everything around me is going well, so we’ll see."

On Klopp's announcement: "We were in the changing room, actually in the gym, and everyone was told we needed to come in at half 10. It was a bit of a strange one. We didn’t know what was going to be said, but I could feel it amongst the lads it was a little bit strange. He broke the news, it was tough to take. He’s his own man. You've got to respect he’s got his own things he wants to do with his family. He turned me from a boy to a man. I’m grateful for him, so are the teams, the fans, the city."

Getty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Jones was handed his professional debut for Liverpool by the German coach in 2019 when the midfielder played against Wolves in the FA Cup third-round clash. Since then, the 23-year-old has become a mainstay in the Liverpool squad, however, the same has not been the case for him with his nation as he hasn't got a single cap for the Three Lions' senior team.

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WHAT NEXT FOR JONES?

If Southgate has any intention of integrating Jones in the England squad, he will only have two games to do so before the tournament. Before Euro 2024, the Three Lions have friendlies against Brazil and Belgium in late March, before facing Bosnia and Herzegovina and Iceland in early June ahead of the tournament.

The New York/New Jersey's MetLife Stadium was picked over Dallas to host the 2026 World Cup final with Kim Kardashian set to play a key role.

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• AT&T & MetLife were locked in an intense battle
• Opportunities for commercial activations played a major role in the pick
• Kardashian to continue playing a major role in collaboration with FIFA

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to the intense competition to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup final narrowed down to Dallas and New York City, with stadiums in Arlington, Texas (AT&T Stadium), and East Rutherford, New Jersey (MetLife Stadium), respectively, being the focal points. Dallas seemed poised for victory, but after FIFA president, Giani Infantino revealed that the city would host nine matches, the most among all host cities, it was obvious that their rivals had checkmated in the race to host the title decider of the showpiece event in 2026.

  However, the unexpected decision to award the final to New York/New Jersey took many by surprise, indicating how close Dallas was to clinching the prestigious event. This choice underscored the intricate dynamics of FIFA politics, where apparent frontrunners may not always secure the bid.

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• (C)Getty Images
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  New York City presented compelling advantages from the outset, including its extensive public transportation network, a comparatively less controversial political climate than Texas, and a lucrative media market in a favourable time zone. The potential for commercial engagements around iconic landmarks further enhanced its appeal. MetLife Stadium's successful hosting of the Copa America Centenario final in 2016 also bolstered confidence in its capability to stage high-profile matches.

• WHAT JERRY JONES, OWNER DALLAS COWBOYS, SAID

  Speaking to Jerry Jones, owner of the Dallas Cowboys, said: "It was a hell of a battle. We almost got there.”

  Although New Jersey did bag the biggest prize New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy was uncertain until the last moment.

  “I started a war game in my mind that that probably meant that they weren’t going to get the final,” Murphy said.

  "I felt at that point that it was, more likely than not, that it would be us.”

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  Reality TV star Kim Kardashian announced on a FIFA live stream that the USMNT will host their first game at Los Angeles' SoFi Stadium. Infantino also posted an Instagram collaboration with the pop celebrity as part of the promotion of the launch event. It is reported that it is just the beginning and her presence was not a one-off appearance as several other superstars and legends of the sport have been lined up for similar activities.