All posts by n8rngtd.top

Potentially handing Ruben Amorim the perfect welcome gift, Manchester United and INEOS are reportedly keeping tabs on a Champions League winner in what would instantly be the deal of the summer.

Man Utd transfer news

It’s been a hectic week at Old Trafford following the news that Erik ten Hag was shown the exit door to make way for Sporting CP boss Amorim, who will officially join the club on 11th November.

The new manager becomes the latest to be tasked with turning things around at Manchester United in what has been mission impossible for every single candidate who has attempted to bring success since Sir Alex Ferguson.

Before Amorim’s arrival, the task has been handed to club legend Ruud van Nistelrooy to take interim charge. The Dutchman has already secured one victory, smashing Leicester City in the Carabao Cup, and will be looking for the biggest win of his short tenure when the Red Devils square off against Chelsea this weekend.

Amorim could have had his own Beckham at Man Utd, but Ten Hag sold him

Manchester United may have allowed the youngster to leave too soon.

1

By
Ethan Lamb

Nov 2, 2024

Three points could be a sign of positives to come before INEOS potentially hand Amorim a summer transfer window to remember. According to Spanish outlet Relevo, INEOS and Manchester United are keeping tabs on Vinicius Junior alongside Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea as he commences talks over a new contract at Real Madrid.

Vinicius, of course, stole the headlines recently after missing out on the Ballon d’Or to Manchester City midfielder Rodri in a decision that saw Real Madrid opt out of travelling for the ceremony.

Not exactly taking the news of defeat well, the Brazilian could quickly become the ultimate thorn in City and Rodri’s side by joining Manchester United, becoming the catalyst behind their attempted return to the top of English football.

7 Future Premier League Ballon d'Or winners

Rodri was the Premier League’s first Ballon d’Or winner since 2008 – who could be the next to do it?

By
Barney Lane

Oct 24, 2024

"Crazy" Vinicius would be INEOS' best signing

Whilst it seems as though Manchester United have an outside chance of luring Vinicius away from Real Madrid, stranger things have happened in the Premier League. Of course, if they did manage to pull it off, the Brazilian would instantly go down as the best signing of the INEOS era – and perhaps one of the best in Premier League history if he brought his Real Madrid form with him.

To go from Antony to Vinicus would be a dream in itself for those at Old Trafford. From a player who’s struggled to make his mark to a Ballon d’Or nominee – some would argue deserved winner – would be a sensational move.

Former Man Utd man Owen Hargreaves is among those to have praised Vinicius this season, telling TNT Sports after he watched the £337,000-a-week Real Madrid star score a hat-trick against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League: “That’s been the big difference now, his finishing is crazy. His decision-making in front of goal is amazing. He looked very angry in the second half. I don’t know what Carlo [Ancelotti] said to him, but if he plays like that, he’s definitely unstoppable.”

Luis Enrique sent out a fiery warning for Liverpool after Paris Saint-Germain's thumping win over Rennes in the Ligue 1 on Saturday.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Enrique issued a warning for Liverpool
• PSG beat Rennes 4-1 on Saturday
• PSG face the Reds in the second leg on Tuesday

• AFP
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  After a demoralising 1-0 defeat at the hands of Liverpool in the first leg of their Champions League round of 16 fixture at home, PSG returned to winning ways as they crushed Rennes 4-1 in the Ligue 1 courtesy of a brace from Ousmane Dembele and goals from Bradley Barcola and Goncalo Ramos. Against the Reds, the French champions were the more dominant side, but Alisson's terrific goalkeeping and Merseyside club's unbelievable luck prevented them from picking up a victory at Parc des Princes.

Advertisement

• WHAT LUIS ENRIQUE SAID

  Manager Luis Enrique is now prepared to turn around the Champions League tie as he fired a warning towards Arne Slot's side. At his post-match press conference, the Spanish coach said: "We are in the best possible conditions to challenge Liverpool, we have nothing to lose and we will give everything to qualify. After the defeat against Liverpool (1-0, Wednesday), we were sad but we recovered, we regained our spirits. We played a good match against Rennes, who also played well, particularly at the start of the second half."

• AFP
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The PSG boss added: "It was difficult but we played seriously and that allows us to have a lot of hope for Liverpool. With the staff, we have to evaluate the conditions, we trust the players, their feelings, it's up to us to manage the load and the distribution of minutes so that it is as balanced as possible. I lied to you, of course we were thinking about Liverpool, as we have been since the draw."

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT?

  PSG and Liverpool are all set to lock horns in an exciting Champions League round of 16 second leg fixture on Tuesday night at Anfield.

Ireland’s hefty loss showed that for their bowlers, every possible advantage must be stolen by their fielders in order to avoid a lopsided scoreboard

Daniel Brettig in Canberra03-Mar-20151:52

Trott: Ireland attack lacking in variety

“I suppose he’ll make a hundred now.”These words, immortally uttered by Durham’s wicketkeeper Chris Scott after turfing Brian Lara early in an innings that would balloon into 501 not out, could just as easily have escaped the lips of Ireland’s Ed Joyce when he put down Hashim Amla at Manuka Oval. Certainly they must have run through Joyce’s mind, for he has seen enough of Amla’s skill to understand what was likely to follow.South Africa’s subsequent destruction of Ireland provided a reminder of how adept they have always been at disposing of lower-ranked opposition in World Cup fixtures that do not possess quite the same level of intensity or pressure witnessed during marquee group matches or the knockout rounds. But it also showed that for Ireland’s bowlers, every possible advantage must be stolen by their fielders in order to avoid a lopsided scoreboard. It was a familiar tale for an Associate nation against more favoured opposition – the early optimism, the error, the deluge.On a pitch ideal for batting but likely to slow up later in the evening, the early overs offered a slim window for Ireland to take enough wickets to limit South African ambition. John Mooney started with impressive parsimony, and sufficient nip off the seam to beat the bat. In the case of Quinton de Kock it was just enough to kiss the outside edge, though a referral and overturned decision by the third umpire Ian Gould was required to send the ‘keeper on his way.Mooney had been let down to some degree by the looser offerings of Max Sorensen, who bled runs even as his fellow new-ball seamer delivered maidens. It was to be the beginning of a damaging theme that ran through the innings – not enough partnerships were formed between bowlers and fielders as Amla and Faf du Plessis formed a union that would be defining.But there had been hope of a manageable chase up to the moment that Kevin O’Brien replaced Sorensen. The first ball of a spell can occasionally bring a chance or at least an instance of re-adjustment for the batsman. William Porterfield posted a short midwicket for O’Brien, and a ball on the stumps was met with Amla’s trigger movement across and an obliging flick to Joyce, right there.But just as Amla did not seem fully conscious of the man in his vicinity, Joyce was not fully alert to the ball hurtling towards him, and his hands failed to close around it in time. Around Manuka, a largely Irish inclined crowd groaned, while Joyce looked ruefully towards the ground. Amla would, indeed, make a hundred now, to become by a distance the fastest man to 20 ODI centuries.Ireland did get one more chance to split Amal and du Plessis, albeit a far harder one. Paul Stirling’s unpretentious offspin has a knack for finding outside edges, and did so again when du Plessis leaned back to cut. O’Brien, having come up in expectation of the sorts of chances usually offered by the stroke, was unable to readjust when the edge flew lower between him and Gary Wilson. Whatever the subtlety, two opportunities missed left the Irish feeling they had missed the boat.This became evident in a bowling display that lacked the cohesive adherence to plans Porterfield had so hoped for on match eve. His words about the need to bowl consistently to fields and steadfastly to plans, even when AB de Villiers is at his most destructive, were sound but went largely unheeded as Amla and du Plessis were able to manoeuvre the ball all too easily, helped by deliveries that veered too often into their hitting zones on either side of the wicket. The batsmen made this more damaging through their contrasts, Amla favouring the off side and du Plessis the leg.In the end, de Villiers’ threatened assault barely eventuated, though a tally of 24 from nine balls would be startling enough coming from any other batsman. Instead, it was Amla who made the bowlers look foolish, contributing to some truly ugly analyses for the bowlers. After Mooney’s first five overs went for nine, his last two cost 43. Sorensen gave up 76 runs from six, and the cost of Joyce’s drop to O’Brien was an unsightly leak of 95 runs in seven.Ireland’s pursuit was thus made in an atmosphere of idle curiosity rather than any genuine ambition of passing a distant 411. Dale Steyn and Kyle Abbott ensured that another sensation began to emerge fairly rapidly in the early evening – that of futility. The rearguard put on by George Dockrell and Sorensen provided South Africa with their only frustration and offered something for Irish spectators to cheer, but it was relevant only to the margin, not the outcome.The gulf between the sides was such that by the close of the night it was possible to imagine that Joyce would not have been the only Irishman empathising with Scott after he dropped Lara that early June day in 1994. They had been well beaten, but what will grate is that they did not take every chance to avoid it being so.

“It’s a great time to be playing for England,” says captain after securing 3-0 whitewash in Pakistan

Vithushan Ehantharajah20-Dec-2022Ben Stokes said he has never had more fun in an England shirt after guiding the men’s Test side to an historic series win in Pakistan.Victory in Karachi, achieved in 67 deliveries of day four of the third Test, confirmed a 3-0 scoreline. England have bossed at least 12 of the 13 days of play and have now won nine of Stokes’ first 10 matches since becoming captain at the start of the summer. This was their third series win to boot.Stokes was there at the end, not out on 35, alongside Ben Duckett who struck the final delivery of the series for four to move to 82 not out. The pair embraced before walking off to join their team-mates, all with beaming smiles across their faces. The guts of the work had been achieved before Tuesday, thus the celebrations in the changing room – then back at the team hotel – were far more expressive than on Monday.Nevertheless, with a night to comprehend becoming the first team to sweep Pakistan in their own conditions, a week after they confirmed just their third series win in the country, the captain was under no illusions. In 12 years at international level, across both red- and white-ball codes, he has never enjoyed his cricket more as part of a winning side focused on entertaining the masses.Related

• T20s might be the future, but they won't thrive without bilateral cricket and its ecosystem

• McCullum admits Ashes 'a big carrot' – but tells England to 'enjoy' Pakistan success first

• The three best Tests I watched this year

• Brendon McCullum talks up Rehan Ahmed ahead of IPL auction

• Babar feels lack of experience hurt Pakistan

“Yeah, definitely,” Stokes answered, almost immediately, when asked if this was the most fun he has had as an England cricketer. “[We are] just going out and enjoying every moment we can, whatever situation we find ourselves in.”The first Test pitch [in Rawalpindi] was very, very flat and we just said, ‘enjoy the flatness boys – let’s just enjoy this challenge and see what we can do.’ We’ve had Jimmy Anderson smiling, which is an impressive thing in and of itself down on the field.”It is a great time to be in this dressing room and a great time to be playing for England. I’m just encouraging everyone to turn up every day and enjoy what you’re doing. Obviously, it is easier to do when we are winning the way we are at the moment.”The real test will be when things don’t go so well and that will be the time to make that even more of a thing for us to take out there. But I hope we don’t come to that.”ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Stokes, alongside head coach Brendon McCullum, have been responsible for instilling that sense of fun throughout the squad and backroom staff. In turn, players have become more expressive, bursting out of their shells to reach new heights. England’s two leading run-scorers, Harry Brook (468) and Duckett (357), have come in and assumed responsibility with ease.Meanwhile, 18-year-old Rehan Ahmed turned in a stellar performance at Karachi’s National Stadium to take seven wickets on debut, including a maiden five-wicket haul. Similarly Ollie Pope, who kept in the first two Tests having originally established a role as a No. 3 under Stokes, scored 238 – at an average of 47.60 – while also taking 12 catches, and a stumping with the gloves.”When you take that burden off individuals and the team, you see players excelling and showing more within themselves,” Stokes explained. “The ambition to win and play an entertaining brand of cricket, that over-rides any fear of failure.”You just accept [that] getting out is part of batting. I think just releasing that fear of failure is why we’ve produced the results.”There has also been a reinforcement of the togetherness off the back of circumstances encountered on this trip. A return to restricted living arrangements harked back to the Covid era of bubbles, but the most consistent challenge was illness. It began more or less as soon as they arrived in Pakistan, with half the squad struck down by a virus to such an extent there was a chance the start of the first Test would be delayed by 24 hours.While that was the worst it got as a collective, the bug has remained around the group with players having to be managed by both medication and leaving the field for impromptu comfort breaks.Mark Wood, who was ill during the first Test, which he sat out primarily because he was recovering from a pre-existing hip injury, emerged to play a vital part in the second in Multan, bowling England to a series-clinching 26-run win on the final day. It was his first match with a red ball since March of this year, having only returned from two elbow surgeries at the end of September.Ollie Robinson was the worst affected in this final match, leaving the field after three overs on day one when nature made an untimely call. Having known he was struggling before the teams were confirmed, he reiterated to the management group that he wanted to play, regardless.Mark Wood has struggled with illness throughout the tour•Matthew Lewis/Getty Images

“I was pretty crook the first day,” Robinson said, “but I said to Baz I really wanted to play to prove a point to everyone here, and back home, that I can play three Test matches. I got through it in the end and the 3-0 win makes it all worth it.”That commitment to the cause from individuals under duress has been a point of pride for Stokes. “When we’ve turned up the ground, we just crack on with the cricket, and everyone’s put that to one side and concentrated on what they needed to do to win the game at the time,” he said. “I don’t know if being ill and winning games has any correlation to us going any further, it just shows the way we crack on and get on with things.”I’m so proud of everyone. They got through the external stuff, with the illness that’s been floating around, and everyone’s put the effort in. We’ve had some days out in the field when the bowlers have come off drained and not feeling great. But they’ve rested up and then they’ve all turned up against the next day. Woody in particular, the role he’s played while not feeling great, is a huge effort, running in and bowling as fast as he does.”Stokes believes it will take a while for the achievement of winning in Pakistan to hit home, let alone through winning all three matches. It is a sentiment shared by his teammates.Though they are keen to live in the moment – to “be where our feet are”, as Jack Leach put it during the series – the temptation to look at the next frontiers are too great to ignore. A two-Test tour of New Zealand awaits in February, followed by a home summer with a one-off Test against Ireland and then the headliner of an Ashes series against Australia.While reticent to be drawn on specifics, particularly on how this style of play might fair against their biggest rivals, Stokes admitted a degree of excitement at what 2023 will hold. He hopes, above all else, that they face those challenges with exactly the same bravado and character they have shown so far under his watch.”I obviously have my eye on the Ashes and have got little things about that in the back of my head,” he said. “We will just continue to grow as team, spend more time here as a unit, and keep enjoying having fun, playing cricket with a smile on our face and win as much as we can.”

In front of more than 90,000 fans at the MCG, India prevailed over Pakistan in a nerve-racking finish

Alagappan Muthu23-Oct-20225:51

Rohit Sharma on Virat Kohli’s 82*: ‘One of India’s best knocks’

That front foot…Just the way it lunges at the ball…Even in this game…Even against these guys…Virat Kohli isn’t a man. He is a feeling. It’s why every time he walks out to bat, he lifts the entire world with him. Or at the very least roughly around one billion of its people.On a day where only the extraordinary was allowed into the MCG, one of India’s greatest played an innings that may be their greatest ever in T20 cricket. It has to be because, in the end, they beat Pakistan, and it brought a tear to his eye.Related

• Wounded Pakistan still 'feeling the pain and hurting', but morale remains intact

• Rohit on Kohli's innings: 'His best for sure, one of India's best too'

• Kohli: My best T20 innings because of the 'magnitude of the game and the situation'

• Drama at the death – a ball-by-ball account of a cracking finish

• 'Virat Kohli, what are you?'

How it ended
India went into the final three overs needing 48 runs to complete a chase of 160.And they were facing a bowling attack that was drawing every bit of venom available on a pitch that offered scary pace and seething bounce.Haris Rauf was more bolt of lighting than flesh and bone. He was the one who brought Pakistan back into this riotous game. So naturally he had to go.All night Kohli was batting at a level that shouldn’t be possible. Like a 27th letter of the English alphabet. It was preposterous. Just like the two sixes he hit to end the 19th over.The first one was a back-of-a-length slower ball climbing up above his waist. The only way he could have hit it straight over the bowler’s head is if his willpower actually bent the laws of physics.How can you clear the biggest cricket ground on the planet when there’s no pace on the ball, and when it was meant to get big on you? How?!An equation that read 28 off eight balls became 16 off six. And still mayhem lurked.On the other side of ecstasy, there’s agony – Mohammad Nawaz after the final over•Getty Images

Spin was the price this match paid to be this awesome. Anyone that couldn’t put pace on the ball was being dispatched. And Mohammad Nawaz knew the same fate awaited him when he fronted up for the final over.He started it well enough, with the wicket of Hardik Pandya, but when he ran into the day’s unstoppable force, everything changed.Kohli launched Nawaz over that giant square-leg boundary, and long before the ball landed, he was signalling for a no-ball. Pakistan didn’t like that. Babar Azam and the umpires were involved in a long, animated and emotional discussion. It was a marginal call, a full toss perhaps over waist-high, and in the end, India got what they wanted.A free hit, which Nawaz used to break Kohli’s stumps, but that didn’t matter. You can’t get bowled off a free hit. And, as the ball wandered away, Kohli sprinted three runs. Cue dissent from Pakistan once more. They felt the ball should’ve been dead once it had hit the stumps, but the umpires disagreed again. Rod Tucker signalled byes.India needed two off one, but Kohli was at the non-strikers’ end. And somewhere in the midst of all this Dinesh Karthik had been stumped.Two off one with R Ashwin on strike. Who writes these scripts?Nawaz ran in… and bowled a wide down the leg side. WHO WROTE THIS SCRIPT?!Ashwin, one of the cleverest going around, just sidestepped that ball, and then with one needed off one, he casually chipped the ball over mid-off. The sound barrier broke as 90,293 people at the MCG – and countless millions at home – all roared as one. Some in ecstasy, some in agony.Virat Kohli took a moment for himself after his incredible knock•Getty Images

Meanwhile, Kohli was on his knees – just as he was in Mohali, 2016. He punched the turf. This was new. And when he came up, he was mobbed. He allowed his team-mates their time with him but then wriggled away so he could be alone. Or well, as alone as he could be with a stadium full of people singing his name. He stared at the night sky, with his right hand raised, and his forefinger up. Was he saying thanks? Was he saying, ‘Ah, so this is why I went through that slump in form? Well, fair enough. Good deal.’ And then suddenly his thoughts were broken as the captain of the Indian cricket team hurtled onto the pitch and lifted him clean off his feet. When Rohit Sharma came to the presentation, he had no voice.The other hero
It now seems so long ago but India had another hero as well. His name was Arshdeep Singh. Last month at the Asia Cup, he shelled a catch in the dying moments of a very tight game against Pakistan and was met with the vilest abuse on social media. He’s 23 years old. All he wants to do is help his team win. And today he did just that, by removing Babar Azam lbw with his very first ball in a T20 World Cup.Back then, this game was all swing and hoop and the lurid geometry the white ball is capable of. Pakistan were reduced to 32 for 2 in the powerplay. Then Iftikhar Ahmed and Shan Masood built a partnership. They took down R Ashwin and Axar Patel. Spin just couldn’t catch a break in the game, leaking 107 runs in 72 balls, eight sixes and nine fours.Pakistan recovered to make 59 runs in the six overs immediately after the powerplay, prompting India to bring back their quicks, and within 12 balls Hardik and Mohammed Shami had three wickets. Shaheen Afridi came out at No. 9 and belted one NSFW six over the longest boundary of the ground at deep midwicket, pushing the total up to 159 for 8. And it was game on.Long before the pulsating denouement, Arshdeep Singh made crucial new-ball incisions to remove both Pakistan openers•Getty Images

The best vs the best
Defending 160 is hard work, even for Pakistan. Since 2019, they’ve only managed to do it thrice in 13 matches. This had all the looks of being lucky number four.Rohit and KL Rahul were given the short shrift. Suryakumar Yadav was bounced out. India were 45 for 4 after 10 overs. If they were going to win, they had to score nearly two runs a ball for half of their innings.Talk about goading a genius. Kohli was 12 off 21 then. He would pick himself up with a six off Nawaz – a thundering strike after stepping down the pitch. Hardik at the other end got going as well. India managed 55 runs in the five overs from 11th and 15th and Pakistan knew they had to bring back their big guns.Shaheen came on. But he hadn’t played any cricket since July 2022 and all that rust showed. A would-be leg-stump yorker turned into a low full toss – which isn’t the worst ball to bowl in T20 cricket, it still denies the batter the room they like to hit boundaries. But Kohli somehow managed it. And all it took was a twist of his wrist.That loft over extra cover which beat three fielders – one running back and two converging on it from deep cover point and long-off – was like a catharsis. Not so long ago, Kohli confessed to faking his intensity. Here, he felt its embrace and it was all natural. And it was all good. So good that he actually punched the air even though India still needed 37 off 15 balls.Hardik, though, was still struggling. The pressure to find those sixes was getting to him and he began searching in all the wrong places – like square of the wicket at the MCG. Rauf bowled a brilliant 19th over – the first four balls anyway – to push the equation up to 28 off 8. Then Kohli got on strike. He knew the straight boundaries were shorter. And he went for them. Got one down the ground. Then another behind the wicket. Poof, just like that, 12 off 2. To be that clear-headed, to be that calculative, in that situation, requires…Actually, there’s no real word for it.Kohli said it himself. “I have no words. I have no idea how this happened”.

Ronaldo Nazario is not impressed with Cristiano Ronaldo's recent GOAT claim and has named a host of players who could be considered the greatest.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• CR7 has declared himself the GOAT
• Ronaldo Nazario disagrees with Al-Nassr star
• Names five players he thinks are ahead of Ronaldo

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Ronaldo has recently declared himself the greatest player of all-time ahead of other legends to have graced the game such as Lionel Messi, Diego Maradona and Pele. The Portuguese superstar has won countless titles with Manchester United and Real Madrid as well as lifting a European Championship with Portugal. He's also banged in 925 goals during an incredibly prolific career and is still going strong at the age of 40 with Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr.

Advertisement

• Getty
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Ronaldo's GOAT claim has, unsurprisingly, generated plenty of debate already. Inter Miami boss Javier Mascherano has disagreed along with Lionel Messi's Argentina team-mate Nahuel Molina. Former Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema has also shared his thoughts and feels Ronaldo Nazario is the best the world has seen. The Brazilian legend has now been asked what he thinks of Ronaldo's GOAT claim and named the players he thinks are the best in history.

• WHAT RONALDO SAID

  He told : "I don't really like to get into this, I think people have too much self-esteem. I prefer people to talk about what I did and who I was rather than talking about myself. Cristiano Ronaldo has a fantastic story, he won everything, scored goals in every possible way. He is definitely among the best in history. Now, I don't agree with the best. But I respect his opinion… I would say he is easily in the top 10.

  "Pelé number 1 without a doubt, Messi and Maradona tied together, Zico, Romário, Cristiano Ronaldo, [Marco] Van Basten, [Zinedine] Zidane, [Luis] Figo, Rivaldo, Ronaldinho Gaúcho, a series of players, there are many great players on this list, and I'm sure I'm forgetting some. Every time someone asks me about this ranking, I make a different list. Only these first three are definitive."

• Getty
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR RONALDO

  Ronaldo's comments are unlikely to go down too well with his Portuguese namesake, who continues to hunt for trophies in Saudi Arabia despite being in the twilight of his career. However, Ronaldo is yet to win silverware with Al-Nassr and a league title is looking difficult again this season. Ronaldo's team are currently eight points behind leaders Al-Ittihad and have played one game more.

India’s courts have had some strong words to say on the 2013 IPL corruption scandal. Here’s a selection

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Jan-2015

May 23, 2014

“How did he stay on despite all the allegations? His staying on is nauseating for cricket… It seems that Mr Srinivasan has not taken the allegations seriously.”

September 1, 2014

“The BCCI’s annual general meeting is not our concern. Signing the account book cannot be a ground for reinstatement.”

November 24, 2014

“Your duty as President is to keep the show [IPL] running and to keep it clean. What is your duty as a team owner? To win the tournament. Is this not a conflict?”

“Do you want to sit over the liquidation of the game in this country?”

“You mean to say when a decision is taken in the BCCI, the President is a mute spectator in all this? That he has no say in the matter?”

“Recognition comes when one lakh [100,000] people turn up at Eden Gardens to watch a match. That recognition is not because of Srinivasan. The benefit of doubt must go to the game rather than the individual.”

“We expect you to challenge the Mudgal report and call it useless. We don’t expect people to stand up and confess.”

November 25, 2014

“Which private body sets up an anti-corruption body unless it feels there will be corruption?”

November 27, 2014

“What is more valuable to Mr Srinivasan? Is it his office or his team?”

“The distinction between Mr Srinivasan and India Cements is getting to a vanishing point.”

December 1, 2014

“Why are you taking his name? Dropping names of unconnected individuals in not permitted”
“Either there is a conflict of interest or there is no conflict of interest. There is no third truth.”

December 8, 2014

“Who should be allowed to fight [the BCCI election]? People who are subject to a matter of inquiry, people who are indicted by the commission? Should they proceed to capture the BCCI once again?”

“You are a contractor and you’re heading a contracting party.”

“Bias acts in a subtle way. Even as a president if you go away, the bias will continue to influence the judgement of other people. Will it make a difference? [If Srinivasan is distanced from the CSK case] It won’t.”

“The right to participate in the electoral process has nothing to do with conflict of interest. Why should I be saddled with the consequences due to the statements attributed to someone else?”

December 9, 2014

“If you wish to contest as president, your investment is endangered. If you don’t fight the elections, your investment is safe.”

“We can understand your passion for the game but not so much passion.”

“Have you invested money in cricket only for the love of the game? Business is business.”

December 10, 2014

“Could any other Board could call the team selected by them ‘Team India?’ You have a de facto and de jure monopoly”
“If you fail in your duty, can’t we get it corrected? If there is some temptation for a thief to enter, why can’t you stop it? Why are you averse to it?”

“So you want us to catch the thief but not plug the scope of future theft?”

“It doesn’t make a difference, betting is betting. You should have ensured you are not surrounded by people who bet”

December 15, 2014

“You knew [the] role of officials in betting, you did nothing despite the knowledge, was it like putting your job at stake?”

“What material did you expect? Did you think these people keep cash books and ledgers? Someone calls and says, ABC is betting, what will you ask? You will say you need actionable information?”

“You have done nothing. You are only looking after celebrities and just watching the fun.”

“You are saying that even if there are problems [in Indian cricket], the court should not intervene.”

December 16, 2014

“Your rules may be sacrosanct for you but not for us. You should take that off your mind that the court is powerless.

“This is not the case of a Masonic lodge or a co-operative society.”

“The IPL is in a different class of its own.”

“Sending out a team, selecting a team, calling it team India, offering players opportunities to play, barring players from discharging these opportunities because of a rule violation.”

December 17, 2014

“No IPL record of any player is considered during the selection of any Indian team at any level.”

“There are some general guidelines that are required, but we’re asking players and teams to just be sensible,” says Geoff Allardice

Shashank Kishore28-Feb-2022Strict bio-bubbles and daily Covid tests have been done away with for the 2022 Women’s World Cup in New Zealand, with the ICC planning to stage the tournament in a “managed environment” instead. The rules have been put in place after considering the fact that all teams and officials in the host country would have undergone Mandatory Isolation Quarantine (MIQ) upon arrival.”I think the approach is around having a managed environment around the tournament,” ICC chief executive Geoff Allardice explained in a chat with the media. “Testing will be infrequent; it won’t be daily testing. It’s really about players taking responsibility knowing they are in the country for a month and living away for that period not locked into a very tight bubble. It’s not going to be practical; it’s certainly not going to allow teams to play their best on the field.Related

• Australia allrounder Ash Gardner tests positive for Covid

• WWC warm-ups: West Indies no match for all-round India, Devine-Kerr-Bates show overpowers Australia

• Devine conscious of chance to leave a legacy

• Smriti Mandhana stable but under observation after blow to the helmet

• Lanning: Nine players at the WC would be 'interesting'

“There are some general guidelines that are required, but we’re asking players and teams to just be sensible, stay away from areas that are likely to create transmission. The other thing is, we found out in last few tournaments – like at the Under-19 World Cup [in the Caribbean in January-February] – is even though we had number of positive tests, the number of people displaying symptoms were very low. We want to focus on keeping people safe and healthy. It’s a bit of a change from where we may have been six months ago.”Allardice stressed on how tough the logistics of ensuring all teams reach New Zealand – whose borders are only partially open – first and then facilitating adequate preparation time following MIQs have been.”In November, the New Zealand government increased quarantine period to ten days, so we added extra time for teams to prepare. Then it went back to seven days. So, logistically, it has been challenging with dates and timings,” Allardice said. “They are now restrictions on number of people who can attend matches. We’re hopeful as the situation unfolds, we might be able to get a higher capacity at venues during the second half of the tournament.”With Covid still a major concern, the ICC has tweaked the playing conditions to ensure that all games go ahead as planned. One of the measures is to allow teams to take the field if they have a minimum of nine fit players available. Teams have been allowed extra travelling reserves to prevent such a scenario from cropping up.Allardice said learnings from staging the qualifying tournament in Zimbabwe last November, and the men’s Under-19 World Cup this year, had been taken into consideration while formulating regulations for this tournament.”I hope it doesn’t apply,” he said. “It was something we had to do over the last few months since the Omicron outbreak. In almost all of our tournaments, we have been challenged with number of players being unavailable due to isolation for positive Covid tests. We had quite a close call in the West Indies with the men’s Under-19 World Cup, where a number of teams had outbreaks.”We needed to have some contingency plans. I know they have attracted a bit of attention, but in terms of having to think these things through, how you give teams the best chance to prepare knowing what might happen, that’s the reason we came up with that protocol. The bottom line is, we want 11 vs 11. We have squads of 15, all teams are travelling with reserve players as a contingency.”The announcement or introduction of those protocols was very much given the uncertainty of the event we were dealing with. We had the Women’s World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe where one team was marginal in terms of players available for some of the matches. We had the same situation at the Under-19 World Cup [in the Caribbean]. Fingers crossed we don’t have to get anywhere near it. But there may be situations where if a team doesn’t have an XI available, we needed protocols to deal with that.”

Lionel Messi had an "input" on Inter Miami's decision to hire Javier Mascherano as their new head coach, co-owner Jorge Mas has revealed.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Tata Martino left the club last month
• Mascherano hired to replace him
• Messi influenced the club's decision

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Herons chose to shake up their backroom staff after their unexpected early exit from the MLS playoffs, which led Tata Martino to resign. Another Argentine, Mascherano, who shares a close bond with Messi,replaced him in the hot seat. The duo played together for years at both FC Barcelona and the Argentine national team, building a strong camaraderie and understanding. During their eight years in Spain, they won two Champions League titles and four La Liga crowns together among a host of other trophies.

Advertisement

• (C)Getty Images
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  According to two notable names quickly emerged as frontrunners to replace Martino: Xavi Hernandez and Mascherano, both former teammates of Messi. Mascherano ultimately secured the role, with Miami co-owner Mas consulting Messi before making a final decision.

• WHAT MAS SAID

  “I had a specific conversation with him. Leo gave me what I asked him, which was input,” Mas told reporters during a press conference. “That was Leo’s involvement and engagement with me, which (happens) frankly all the time.”

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Messi’s influence on Inter Miami’s decisions mirrors the power wielded by other global football stars. For example, Kylian Mbappé’s input was a key factor in the departure of PSG’s sporting director Leonardo Araújo. Similarly, Cristiano Ronaldo’s influence at Al-Nassr saw the Saudi club replace manager Luis Castro with Stefano Pioli, as confirmed by CEO Guido Fienga.

Plays of the Day from the first day of the first Test between India and Australia in Chennai

Brydon Coverdale22-Feb-2013Edge of the day
Test matches can turn on moments like this. Shortly before tea, when Michael Clarke and Moises Henriques were rebuilding Australia’s innings, R Ashwin should have had his sixth wicket when Clarke, on 39, pushed forward and inside-edged onto his leg and up to the fielder at bat-pad. Vociferous appeals from the Indians were unable to sway the ICC’s Umpire of the Year Kumar Dharmasena, who ruled not out as Clarke nonchalantly re-marked his guard and settled in for a longer stay. With no DRS in place, there was nothing India could do about the decision, which saved Australia from becoming 206 for 6.Drop of the day
India could consider themselves unlucky not to have had Clarke, but they had nobody to blame but themselves earlier in the day for allowing David Warner a life. On 18, Warner was beaten in flight by Ashwin and his edge sailed towards Virender Sehwag at slip. But Sehwag’s reflexes deserted him and he didn’t manage to get his hands in the right position, spilling the chance and giving Warner what proved to be a somewhat costly reprieve. Warner went on to make 59.Unexpected six of the day
If a market had been framed for the first Australian to hit a six in this Test series, Ed Cowan might have been the ninth or tenth favourite. In a two-way market between Cowan and his opening partner Warner, Cowan would have still been a massive long-shot. So it was quite a surprise to see that when a batsman advanced to Harbhajan Singh and lofted the ball cleanly over the long-off boundary early in the day’s play, it was not Warner but Cowan who had taken the risk. Unfortunately for Cowan, a second attempt at a similar stroke off Ashwin brought about his downfall.Caps of the day
On a pitch that was clearly going to favour the spinners, it was interesting that both teams named medium-pacers to make their Test debuts. Moises Henriques became the second Portugal-born Test cricketer after the South African Dick Westcott and received his baggy green from Steve Rixon, the former Australia wicketkeeper and current assistant coach. Bhuvneshwar Kumar collected his cap from his team-mate and the only other seamer in the Indian outfit, Ishant Sharma.