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Cameroon's goalkeeper, Andre Onana, and the nation's legendary striker, Samuel Eto'o, have supposedly not spoken since the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

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• Cameroon goalkeeper and great feud deepens
• Cameroon AFCON hopes hang in balance
• Onana was sent home from World Cup by Eto'o

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The cloud that has been hanging over the Cameroonian side refuses to clear as the feud remains unresolved according to Chris Wheeler of the . Eto'o, elected as the Cameroon Football Federation President in 2021, has had a number of arguments with Onana and the player was sent home for disciplinary issues at the 2022 World Cup. Onana retired from international duty before being recalled, yet he has since been further accused of disrespecting his national team after arriving at AFCON late in order to minimise the Manchester United games he missed.

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  WHAT WHEELER SAID

  Posting on X, Wheeler said: "There doesn’t appear to be any change in Andre Onana’s feud with Cameroon FA president Samuel Eto’o. It’s said they haven’t spoken since the World Cup in Qatar, and their relationship is broken and irreconcilable. Onana could be back [at Manchester United] this week if Cameroon go out of AFCON on Tuesday."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The rift between Onana and Eto'o does not appear to have an end in sight. The disagreements between the nation's star goalkeeper and president will only serve to hamper Cameroon's chances of victory at not just this year's AFCON, but in future tournaments as well.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR ONANA?

  Onana's Cameroon are on the brink of elimination from AFCON. They sit third in their group behind Senegal and Guinea having accrued just one point. They face Gambia on Tuesday knowing qualification is only possible if they better Guinea's result against Senegal.

Birmingham boosted their hopes of qualifying for the NatWest T20 Blast knockout stages with a 30-run win over Leicestershire at Grace Road

ECB Reporters Network26-Jul-2017
ScorecardFile photo – Sam Hain’s half-century provided the platform for Birmingham•Getty Images

Birmingham boosted their hopes of qualifying for the NatWest T20 Blast knockout stages with a 30-run win over Leicestershire at Grace Road.Sam Hain struck 57 off 35 balls as the Bears recovered from a shaky start to post 187 for 7 after they were stuck in. Boyd Rankin and Aaron Thomason then each took three wickets and Jeetan Patel was at his economical best to restrict the Foxes to 157 for eight.The win moved Birmingham level on eight points with Leicestershire, who slipped to their second consecutive defeat, in the North Group.Young opener Ed Pollock, who had hit 66 off 40 balls on debut against Derbyshire in the previous game, was stumped by Luke Ronchi for 5 from a clever piece of bowling by left-arm spinner Callum Parkinson. Then Ian Bell, having lofted one straight four, tried to repeat the shot against Clint Mckay and skied high to Tom Wells at mid-off.But having been struggling on 23 for 2 off four overs, Hain and Will Porterfield took 29 off the last two overs of the Powerplay, with the latter hitting the offspin of Colin Ackermann for two sixes.Hain was fortunate to survive on 21, when Gavin Griffiths dropped a straightforward caught-and-bowled opportunity, and it was to prove an expensive miss by the Foxes.Porterfield was also caught by Wells, at long-on off Parkinson, having added 63 with Hain off just 39 balls, but Hain went on to a half-century from just 28 deliveries. His presence enabled Colin de Grandhomme and Grant Elliott to hit out to good, if brief, effect.Mat Pillans, expensive in his early overs, came back well to pick up the wickets of Thomason and then Hain, but Keith Barker and Alex Mellor compiled an unbroken partnership of 43 for the eighth wicket to ensure the visitors went into the break having maintained the initiative.On a flat pitch, a run-rate of 9.3 looked attainable, and 32 came off Keith Barker’s opening two overs. But Leicestershire’s top order found Rankin harder to get away, and Cameron Delport could not clear mid-on.Mark Cosgrove looked in wonderful touch before wastefully carving Thomason’s gentle medium-pace to Birmingham captain Bell at extra cover to go for 22. Patel bowled Ackermann and the writing was on the wall when Thomason bowled Ronchi for 27.Wells and Pillans added 53 for the seventh wicket, but it was a case of steering the Foxes’ score towards respectability as Patel conceded just 17 from his four overs.

Vernon Philander will work on his conditioning ahead of a packed home summer scheduled to feature 10 Tests, including two four-match series against India and Australia

Firdose Moonda at Old Trafford07-Aug-20171:54

Du Plessis challenges Philander to prove fitness

Vernon Philander will work on his conditioning ahead of a packed home summer scheduled to feature 10 Tests, including two four-match series against India and Australia, for which South Africa want him to be fully available.Philander struggled with a comeback from an ankle injury and a viral ailment in the first and third Tests in England respectively and then sat out the fourth with a back concern. He came under severe criticism from his former captain Graeme Smith and his current skipper Faf du Plessis has also weighed in, urging Philander to focus on his fitness.”It’s fair that you need to play a lot of cricket for your country and be available for selection and Vern accepts that,” he said. “If you’re only playing one or two Test matches and then off for one or two… there have just been too many times when we as a team go, gulp, ‘Vern might be injured again’. So he’s taken it on board from a fitness point of view.”We have important series coming up, not that we play series that are not important, but India and Australia at home, it’s eight Test matches and he needs to be fit to get through all of them.”Philander’s value to South Africa was underlined in the second Test when he turned in a Man of the Match performance at Trent Bridge. South Africa were depending on him as they sought the series lead at The Oval and though he bowled well on an opening day interrupted by toilet breaks, the rest of his participation was limited. He spent a second night in hospital and though he returned to bat, could not bowl as much as needed in the second innings in conditions that would have been perfect for him.Then, just as South Africa thought they would have Philander back for their must-win game at Old Trafford, he pulled up with back spasms, which left Smith fuming and du Plessis frustrated.”The last I spoke to you, I said he’s just got to do a small fitness test but he’ll be fine. So when he woke up with a stiff back the next morning it was frustrating,” du Plessis said. “For us to have competed and to win Test matches we needed Vern, you need your best players. Duanne bowled well this game but Vern is one of the best in these conditions, probably the best in seaming, swinging conditions which has been the case in all four Test matches, so not having him here was very frustrating and disappointing.”Philander played in all 11 Tests – two against New Zealand at home, three against Australia away, three against Sri Lanka at home and three against New Zealand away – prior to this series, but he struggled with injury in the early part of his career. He had injuries in three of his first four series – a knee, back and hamstring problem – before tearing ankle ligaments in India in November 2015 that kept him out of action for nine months. Philander has admitted it took time for him to fully trust the ankle again and it would not have helped that he injured the other one in the lead-up to this series.Given that he only plays one format at international level, Smith pointed out that Philander does not always have the benefit of a team trainer to put him through his paces. He has had to take that responsibility for himself and du Plessis said Philander has committed to doing more. “It is a challenge for Vern because it’s happened too often that he doesn’t play a full series. I’ve spoken to him about that and he’s accepted the challenge and that he needs to improve that.”

Mohamed Salah could potentially join an exclusive club – including Harry Kane and Wayne Rooney – if he scores for Liverpool against Newcastle.

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• Salah on the verge of another record
• Could join elite strikers Kane and Rooney
• Scored vs Magpies five times at Anfield

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Reds are locked in a fierce battle for the top spot in the Premier League with Arsenal. A crucial away win against Burnley helped Jurgen Klopp's team recapture pole position and open up a two-point lead over the Gunners at the top, albeit playing a match more. After drawing a blank against the Clarets, Salah would be fired up to get scoring again in his team's clash with Newcastle on January 1.

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  Salah recently scored his 150th goal in the English top-flight and now the Egyptian superstar remains just one goal away from reaching 150 for Liverpool in the competition. The goal will see him join an elite group, becoming the fifth player to achieve this remarkable feat for a single club – including the likes of Harry Kane (Tottenham), Sergio Aguero (Manchester City), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United), and Thierry Henry (Arsenal).

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Salah boasts of an impressive track record against Newcastle, having scored in five of six games at Anfield. However, if he doesn't score in this game, he will have to wait until the conclusion of the African Cup of Nations, as he will depart to join his international teammates for the continental competition.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Newcastle have historically struggled to find success at Anfield as they have not won any of their last 27 Premier League away games against Liverpool, drawing five and losing 22, since the 2-0 triumph back in April 1994. Eddie Howe faces a tall challenge to amend the record for the better on Monday night as his team has been grappling with fatigue and injuries and have lost four of their last five league games.

Harry Kane could be reunited with Eric Dier as Bayern Munich have reportedly reached a surprise 'verbal agreement' to sign the Tottenham outcast.

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• Dier could leave Tottenham
• Could reunite with Kane at Bayern
• Has agreed personal terms with the German club

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to the centre-back is on the verge of leaving north London after seeing his minutes dwindle under head coach Ange Postecoglou. It is believed that Dier has already agreed to personal terms with the reigning Bundesliga champions and could once again share the dressing room with Kane.

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  Thomas Tuchel has taken a keen interest in Dier and believes that the centre-back could be useful in his setup as he is versatile enough to play in a variety of positions. With the defender keen for a fresh challenge to revive his career a decision is expected in the next few days.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Despite suspension and injuries to key players like Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven, Dier has failed to nail down a starting berth under Postecoglou. With less than six months remaining on his contract, it is anticipated that the 29-year-old England international will leave Spurs for greener pastures in January.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Spurs are reportedly pursuing Genoa's Radu Dragusin as a potential replacement and Dier could head out once the transfer is sealed. However, the Bavarians are likely to push for the transfer before they return to action on January 12 against Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga.

Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi and Arafat Sunny took combined figures of 2 for 50 from 10 overs to choke Chittagong to 139, a total they chased down with 11 balls to spare

The Report by Mohammad Isam14-Nov-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsRaton Gomes/BCB

Comilla Victorians beat Chittagong Kings by six wickets, in almost the same fashion as their other two wins in the tournament. After restricting their opponent to 139 for 4, Imrul Kayes and Jos Buttler almost walked them to the target.The pair added 74 runs for the third wicket before both were dismissed with not left to chase. Imrul top-scored with 45 while Buttler got out for 44 off 31 balls, which included three fours and two sixes.Chittagong, who have now lost three out of four games, lost just four wickets in their innings, but struggled for fluency right through. The Comilla spin trio – Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi and Arafat Sunny – put the brakes on with combined figures of 2 for 50 from 10 overs.Brisk start, slow finish, againLuke Ronchi provided Chittagong with another brisk start, with 31 off 19 balls. No other batsman score more despite consuming more deliveries. Sarkar used 32 balls for 30 runs, with two fours and a six over midwicket, before he was stumped off Nabi. Dilshan Munaweera made 19 off 25 balls, which had one six, before he was bowled by a beautiful Rashid Khan googly.Sikandar Raza found just one boundary in his 24-ball 20 which ended with a scoop to Al-Amin Hossain at short fine leg. Ronchi’s 19-ball 31 included five fours and a six that was hit over long-on off Nabi. He fell lbw to Mohammad Saifuddin.Imrul steadies another chaseMunaweera removed the returning Tamim Iqbal and Liton Das in seven overs but Imrul Kayes and Jos Buttler took control quickly. Imrul struck Subashis Roy for first six pulled over midwicket before lifting Sikandar over square leg for his second in the tenth over.His third six was his best, swatting Chris Jordan over midwicket off one knee as he struggled with cramps. He made 45 off 36 balls, having also struck two fours. It was his third successive match-winning innings, having remained unbeaten on the two previous occasions.

Lucas Ocampos was poked in the bum by a fan during a game at Rayo Vallencano, with the Sevilla star urging La Liga to take the incident “seriously”.

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• Incident occurred during first-half
• Reported to the match referee
• Authorities now set to investigate

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The bizarre incident occurred in the 33rd minute of a Spanish top-flight fixture at Estadio de Vallecas. Ocampos was poked by the supporter in question as he prepared to take a throw-in. He turned to remonstrate with the individual involved before notifying the match referee of what had happened.

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• WHAT SEVILLA SAID

  Sevilla have said in a statement on the club’s : “We would like to place on record our disgust at the incident. Lucas Ocampos was subjected to an obscene and completely inappropriate act by a home fan. We hope that the appropriate measures outlined in the regulations will be taken to prevent such behaviour from happening again on a football field, and we have expressed this to La Liga directly.”

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Ray Vallecano added in a statement of their own: “This isolated action is solely the individual responsibility of the fan who carried it out. Rayo Vallecano is currently working to identify the fan so that, if he is a season ticket holder of the club, the appropriate disciplinary measures can be taken in accordance with the internal regulations.”

Jhye Richardson is a step closer to making his ODI debut with Josh Hazlewood laid low by a virus

Daniel Brettig18-Jan-2018Australia’s fast bowling plans for the ODI series against England have been thrown out by a virus afflicting Josh Hazlewood, meaning he is unavailable for the Brisbane game on Friday. Hazlewood’s unavailability places Jhye Richardson in line to debut.Having been rested from the first ODI on Sunday, Hazlewood was meant to have rejoined the squad at the Gabba with Pat Cummins to spend some time at home in Sydney after playing at the MCG.While Cummins is still resting, Hazlewood’s illness leaves the Australians with only 12 players to choose from. Richardson, who played two Twenty20 matches for Australia against Sri Lanka last summer, is likely to come into the side as a result.Hazlewood’s virus maintains a pattern of illness that has affected numerous members of both the Australia and England squads since the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne. Cummins was the first player to be affected, with Tim Paine, David Warner and Steven Smith all subsequently ill among the hosts. In the opposition camp, England captain Joe Root and top-order batsman James Vince have also been stricken while on tour.”We’ve seen it all through the summer from both sides, there’s been quite a lot of illness, which is strange,” opener Aaron Finch said. “While Josh has gone down – Patty and Steve during the Test match – does cause a bit of angst among the group. It causes a bit of separation. Guys don’t want to hang around with each other in case they’re spreading it on, but the guys that are there to come in and potentially take their spot if they need are in great form as well.”Paine is still feeling the effects of his illness, forcing the selectors to call up the South Australian wicketkeeper Alex Carey as cover.”Alex Carey, who will be on standby, just got a beautiful hundred last night,” Finch said. “He’s taken his game to another level. He showed a lot of promise in Shield cricket over the last couple of years, and then to come out this year, when there was a lot of talk about the Ashes ‘keeping spot, and who was going to play… The way that he put his hand up and has continued to do so for such a young guy is really impressive.”Richardson, clocked at speeds of up to 149 kph over the past year, has said he will be ready to fulfil whatever role Smith requires.”That’s something we have to sum up when we play,” he said before the Melbourne game. “I could come in and need to play a different role than being the impact bowler. I could have to come in and try to tie up an end during a period where they’re going really well. I’m ready for whatever challenge pops up. If I do get to play and I need to come in and do a particular job, then I’m ready for it.”You have to be quite disciplined, you’ve got 60 balls, not 24. In the Big Bash, you can go for a few boundaries but one dot ball out of 24 is [more important] than one out of 60. But having said that, if you go to the boundary more often in a one-day game, you’ve got 60 balls to do that, so you’ve got to be quite a lot more disciplined in the sense that you’ve got a lot more balls to bowl, a lot more good balls.”It’s not all about pace, we get told that quite early. Especially at this level, you can bowl as fast as you want but if you’re not bowling well it goes to the boundary just as quick.”

A Caribbean Select XI will take on a Trinidad team on October 14 to help raise money for victims of the hurricanes that ravaged the Caribbean islands in September

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Oct-2017A Caribbean Select XI will take on a Trinidad side in Port of Spain on October 14 to raise funds for the victims of recent hurricanes in the Caribbean. The Trinidad side will be captained by Kieron Pollard, while St Lucia’s Darren Sammy will lead the Caribbean Select XI in the charity match themed ‘Rebuilding the Caribbean one over at a time’. Alongside the proceeds from ticket sales – a tickets cost $100 – containers will be placed around the ground to collect canned items and clothing.The move sustains fundraising efforts that took place during the ODI series between West Indies and England. Members of the West Indies team management, such as Joel Garner, could be seen during games taking collection buckets around the crowd. It is understood that all members of the playing squad have contributed.The Caribbean islands were ravaged by two Category 5 major hurricanes, Irma and Maria – the former being the most powerful recorded in the Atlantic since 2005 – among other hurricanes through August and September. Such was the level of devastation in some parts of the region, notably Dominica, Barbuda and St Martin, that communication with some communities is still difficult. Offspinner Shane Shillingfordwas only recently found, having gone missing for some time following the hurricanes. He is understood to be in good health.

A statistical look-back at Sachin Tendulkar’s career in ODIs

Mathew Varghese10-Oct-2007Sachin Tendulkar will become the first to play 400 ODIs for his national team, when he takes the field in Vadodara on October 10. Tendulkar, though, is a close second to Sanath Jayasuriya in reaching the mark in ODIs. Jayasuriya played his 400th against England in Dambulla, but four of his 402 appearances have not been for Sri Lanka. (For Tendulkar’s career summary, click here.)Since his debut in 1989, Tendulkar has risen to become the face of the one-day game. His 15,000 runs – and counting – will take some overtaking, considering that the only player younger than him in the 10,000-plus club is Ricky Ponting.

Besides the 15,000 runs, even his mark of 41 centuries looks a tough ask for any batsman.In the last 15 matches, Tendulkar has scored 716 runs at an average of 47.73. Fitness problems have plagued him in the current decade, and the 25 ODIs he’s played this year are the most he’s played in a calendar year since 2000, when he played 34 matches.Tendulkar’s average of 46.63 and strike-rate of 83.41 this year are marginally better than corresponding figures in the last three years, a clear indication that his powers are not on the wane.

The only conundrum Tendulkar has faced of late is reaching the three-figure mark. However, he will be playing in Vadodara, where he scored his last, against West Indies earlier this year. Since then, in 21 matches, he has come agonisingly close on four occasions, getting out in the nineties. Two of those came in successive matches, while he was out on 99 twice, the only other batsman to do so besides Jayasuriya.Had Tendulkar been Bradmanesque in converting his scores in the nineties to hundreds, he would be one short of a remarkable 100 hundreds in international cricket.Tendulkar was edgy in the previous match in Chandigarh, scratching around for a rather dull 119-ball 79. More importantly, though, he and Sourav Ganguly gave India a solid start with their stand of 91. The duo have been prolific opening the batting this season, commencing with the ODIs in Ireland.

Ganguly and Tendulkar have opened in seven of the eight matches India have won since June this year, and have averaged 89.14 in those games.Tendulkar is the highest run-getter against Australia in ODIs, and his tally of 2321 in 51 matches is second to his best of 2436 from 65 matches against Sri Lanka.Although the centuries aren’t coming as easily, his appetite for runs hasn’t reduced and he’s been able to consolidate on the starts he’s got, scoring marginally higher this year once he’s got a look-in.

Tendulkar’s batting largely overshadow his bowling abilities. He’s more than a handy bowler, with 152 wickets in ODIs so far. He also has two five-fors to his credit – both coming at Kochi – and his mix of spin and seam-up make him both an enigmatic and erratic bowler.With 118 catches as well, it’s no wonder he’s usually in the thick of the action.