Journalist Gabriele Marcotti has questioned why Barcelona would want to bring Lionel Messi back to the club in their current financial situation.

What's going on with Messi and Barcelona?

The Argentine superstar is out of contract at Paris Saint-Germain at the end of the season, and reports have emerged that the 35-year-old wants to return to the Camp Nou.

Messi has 18 goals and 17 assists this season, but has been blamed in some quarters for PSG's disappointing Champions League exit.

Barcelona are currently in a tricky financial situation, as they have to lower their wage bill significantly to even register midfielder Gavi, meaning new signings may have to wait until the problems can be resolved.

Speaking on ESPN FC (1.10), Marcotti questioned why Barcelona would choose to sign Messi, who currently earns £1.1m-per-week, given their financial troubles.

"In terms of having Messi back on anything like the salary that he has now, that wouldn't be just be one step backwards, that would be 10 steps backwards," he stated.

"Given Barcelona's financial reality, given the investment that they've made in the position that Messi plays, in terms of the wingers that they have there from Dembele to Raphinha to Ferran Torres to Ansu Fati, it simply makes zero sense,"

Do Barcelona need another attacker?

Barcelona are well stocked on the wings, with two natural wingers on both sides, and midfielders Pedri and Gavi both able to play out wide.

Upfront they have veteran Robert Lewandowski, with Fati and Torres both capable of filling in through the middle. Overall, they area well stocked in attack, and given their financial situation, unless there are outgoings in this position, a return for Messi seems counter-productive.

Although Messi's output this season has been higher than any current Barcelona attacker, given his age, it may not be a viable long-term solution to tear up the squad to be able to fit him in.

An emotional return for the Barcelona legend would excite both Messi and the club's fans, but it would be a deal which could harm the club further down the line given the finances involved.

If the club decide to move one of the current attackers on, such as Raphinha, to make room for Messi, it may be a move which they regret further down the line. Xavi has so far managed to build a team which has shown a lot of promise for the future, with his side 12 points clear at the top of the table, and an expensive return for Messi could jeopardise this.

A round-up of all the news coming out of the IPL, on April 13, 2016

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Apr-2016

Ashish Nehra will miss Sunrisers Hyderabad’s next two matches, against Kolkata Knight Riders and Mumbai Indians at home, due to a groin injury. Nehra picked up the knock during Sunrisers’ 45-run defeat to Royal Challengers Bangalore on Tuesday, hobbling off the field after just 2.1 overs in the first innings.”Nehra has hurt his groin. He will be out for a couple of games,” David Warner, Sunrisers’ captain, said after the game. “We have to look back and look at positives and turn it around. We have a good batting track at Hyderabad. We should not lose wickets in clumps.”When you look at the outcome of the game, it really hurts when the bowler goes down. You have to reassess you plans and when two batsmen are going hard here, it’s very difficult to stop them. One bowler going down really hurts and you plans are thrown off the track.”Nehra was one of India’s standout performers at the recently-concluded World T20, picking up five wickets from five matches at an impressive economy-rate of 5.94.’I regret retiring’ – HoggChinaman bowler Brad Hogg has said he regrets having given up international cricket in 2008, just when it looked like he might have a good run in Test cricket given Shane Warne’s first-class career was at an end then. Hogg gave up ODIs and Tests in February 2008 soon after his 37th birthday due to issues on the personal front, before making a T20I comeback in early 2012 at 40.”I do regret retiring back in 2008. I had a Test berth for Australia at that stage but I had some personal issues with family and yes, I retired there,” Hogg was quoted as saying by PTI, on the eve of Kolkata Knight Riders’ game against Mumbai Indians. “I wish I didn’t, because the marriage did not survive. Luckily it did not, because I met a new partner and she’s someone who supports me. There’s talk about me when I’m going to stop and she just says play as long as you possibly can. We’re going to try get there to fifty.”Hogg said he still looks forward to playing every game, and that keeps him going at 45. “I think it’s just having the passion of wanting to play. Everyone knows I retired in 2008, had about two-three years out of the game. To have an opportunity [to do] what you love, I don’t take it for granted. I just love it, I still have the passion of a five-year-old kid, when I first had that dream of playing for Australia. The game has changed, it has evolved. It has given a new lease of life to cricket and it has given a new lease of life to me.”Kings XI co-owner keen to help out drought victims
Ness Wadia, one of the co-owners of Kings XI Punjab, has said he is willing to shift his franchise’s matches out of Maharashtra, given the drought issues in the state. He also said he was willing to help out those affected by the drought, if directed how to.”IPL is about enjoyment and fun. But where’s the fun when there’s death and malnutrition and basic facilities like water are unavailable? The IPL is important in its own way, but the matches can always be shifted,” Wadia told the . “If we’re told in whichever way we can contribute, we’re willing to participate. Whether it’s contributing to the chief minister’s fund or adopting villages in the region or anything else that would help us do something to help.”The case relating to holding IPL games – which require large amounts of water to maintain the grounds, etc – in the drought-hit Indian state is ongoing in the Bombay High Court, with the court yet to make a final ruling.

Chelsea have held talks with Luis Enrique over the managerial vacancy at Stamford Bridge after the Spaniard travelled to London for discussions.

When will Chelsea appoint a manager?

The Blues look ready to see out the remainder of the campaign now with Frank Lampard in the dugout once again after recent developments.

Bruno Salter stepped in as caretaker manager on Tuesday night as the Blues were forced to settle for a point against Liverpool at the Bridge.

However, Chelsea now have their man for the remaining games of the campaign in their former manager and player, Lampard.

But the search for Graham Potter's permanent successor continues and there are a number of potential candidates believed to be on Todd Boehly's list.

One of those being the former Barcelona manager Luis Enrique who is also believed to be on the radar of their London rivals, Tottenham Hotspur.

And speaking on his YouTube channel, Fabrizio Romano has claimed there have been talks held in London between the Premier League club and Enrique over the vacancy:

(1:15) "But also recently, Luis Enrique, was in London on Wednesday morning, together with Ivan de la Pena."

"So what's going on? Chelsea had conversations with [Julian] Nagelsmann to discuss about the long-term project and the impact was very good, very positive, but also conversation with Luis Enrique, who prepared something to explain [to] Chelsea his idea for the present and future.

"So both of them had approaches with Chelsea, we know that the race is still open because Chelsea decided to take some time."

"Luis Enrique is there and, from what I understand, Luis Enrique's 100% sure that he wants the job. He wants to go to England and he wants to try an experience in the Premier League. So he would be happy to become the new Chelsea manager. ​​​​​​"

Is Enrique the right man for Chelsea?

The 52-year-old certainly has the experience which is likely required to manage this current Chelsea side which is full of big-name players.

Enrique enjoyed most of his managerial success as the Barcelona manager where he managed the likes of Lionel Messi and Neymar which will put him in good stead to manage this Chelsea dressing room (via Transfermarkt).

And his record as the Barcelona manager is likely to be something which will impress Boehly given he has got his hands on the league title and the Champions League during his time in Spain.

However, that does not necessarily mean he could translate his success into this Chelsea side which is struggling dramatically this season.

Boehly has already seen a number of managers come and go in his brief spell as the Chelsea owner so it does feel as if they need to nail the next appointment.

And it will be interesting to see whether Enrique's latest job may hinder his chances of landing the post at Stamford Bridge over the coming months.

Enrique recently left his job as the manager of Spain's national side following their dismal World Cup display which saw them knocked out by Morocco on penalties in the last 16.

Enrique is undoubtedly a big name in the game, however, no Premier League experience and a poor World Cup performance hanging over his head could well prove an issue for the Blues.

BCB president Nazmul Hassan has said that the job of selecting Bangladesh’s representative teams will henceforth be divided between a three-member selection panel and a selection committee

Mohammad Isam05-Jun-2016BCB president Nazmul Hassan has said that the job of selecting Bangladesh’s representative teams will henceforth be divided between a three-member selection panel and a selection committee. The panel will select a squad and take it to the committee for further discussion, before the final outcome is submitted for the president’s approval. This would now make selection of any representative team a three-step process.Hassan said that the coach, the manager and the chairman of the cricket operations committee would be included in the proposed selection committee.”The selection panel will continue to have three selectors,” Hassan said. “One of the three would be the chief selector. They will select the squad. There will also be a selection committee, which will consist of the three selectors – the coach, the team operations manager and the cricket operations committee chairman as the convenor of the selection committee.”The head coach would inform the selectors beforehand of his strategy and what type of players he would require for a particular series. The manager would be presenting the opinion of the captain and vice-captain. They will all sit in a meeting, in which they will sign off the team and send it to me. There won’t be any disagreements.”Hassan said that this ended all discussions about the expansion of the selection committee, and the proposal is now awaiting the board of directors’ approval. Having been initiated by the board’s working committee, the proposal to bifurcate selection responsibilities was further considered by the technical committee, before Hassan and some BCB directors met with Bangladesh coach Chandika Hathurusingha to discuss it further on Sunday.In an apparent softening of his earlier position, Hassan said that the coach isn’t bound to watch domestic matches.”The coach isn’t bound to watch the matches. But if he is in Dhaka, he will watch domestic matches. He wants to watch the [Dhaka Premier League] matches tomorrow,” he said.

Pakistan’s new coach Mickey Arthur has said he will not compromise on discipline, fitness and fielding standards during his time with the side. Arthur was appointed Pakistan’s coach last week, filling the position vacated by Waqar Younis in April.The assignment with Pakistan is Arthur’s third with an international side, after South Africa and Australia. While he had considerable success with South Africa, his tenure with Australia was marked by an uneasy relationship with players that culminated in the infamous homeworkgate episode on the tour of India in 2013, when four players were axed for ignoring team orders. Arthur, who is expected to take over by the end of the month, stressed that discipline would bring better results for Pakistan.”I will be tough on discipline and that’s the way we can get better and better results,” he said. “I want everybody to start playing for the team and I don’t want any selfish players around.”Our bowling is good, but we need to lift our batting massively. I will also be tough on fielding and fitness, and need players who can play long term, and these issues are non-negotiable. I also want players who aren’t prepared to be bullied.”Discipline and fitness have been problem areas for Pakistan, who have slipped down the ICC rankings in limited-overs cricket. Earlier this month, Ahmed Shehzad and Umar Akmal were left out of the training camp for the England tour on disciplinary grounds. Waqar’s report following Pakistan’s early exit from the World T20 had also highlighted concerns around Shehzad and Akmal’s attitudes, and the former coach had suggested the pair should be made to re-earn their place in the national squad with performances in domestic cricket.Ranked No. 9 in ODIs after the ICC’s annual update, Pakistan have won only three bilateral series in the format since December 2013, of which two were against Zimbabwe. They were quarter-finalists in the 2015 World Cup but suffered early exits in the 2016 World T20 and the Asia Cup in February this year. They are currently ranked No. 7 in T20Is.Pakistan will travel to England and Ireland in July and September, where they are scheduled to play four Tests, five ODIs and one T20I against England, and two one-day matches against Ireland. Arthur admitted the conditions would challenge the Pakistan players.”For Pakistan players, those conditions are trying, but I want the team to be up for the challenge. Without a doubt we will go to win … If the players show improvement, then I know I am doing my job.”

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola isn't the world's best manager, according to former Citizens midfielder Didi Hamann.

Is Guardiola having a good season?

The Spaniard has arguably been the most influential figure of the Premier League era at the Etihad Stadium, inspiring City to a glorious period of success. Having arrived back in 2016, he has gone on to win four league titles, four EFL Cups and one FA Cup in the years since.

Granted, Champions League glory has continued to evade Guardiola at City – he won the competition twice during a prolific spell in charge of Barcelona – but he is surely the main reason among many for the club's success, playing some extraordinary football along the way.

This failure to win Europe's greatest club competition with the Citizens is a stick that is often used to beat the 51-year-old with, but he has the chance to silence the doubters this season, with City's quarter-final against Bayern Munich firmly under control heading into the second leg.

Is Man City boss the world's best manager?

Speaking to German outlet Solinger Tageblatt [via Sport Witness], Hamann appeared be one of those naysayers, assessing Guardiola negatively and saying he isn't the world's leading manager at this moment in time:

"In decisive situations, you need players who make decisions themselves. He takes that away from them. Julian Nagelsmann did that too. Tuchel doesn’t do that.

"Guardiola has not managed anything that others have not managed. Everybody tells you that a Pep Guardiola is the super father of coaches.

"But he was in a Champions League final in ten years with Bayern Munich and Man City – and he lost that himself. And now people tell me he’s the best manager in the world – sorry."

This is a strange take from Hamann, who admittedly isn't exactly shy when it comes to criticising great managers, quite often taking issue with Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp down the years.

While City's failure to win the Champions League is clearly disappointing, the job that Guardiola is still doing remains magnificent, with a fifth Premier League title in the space of six seasons coming their way if they can pip Arsenal to the trophy in the next month or so.

Whoever the world's best manager happens to be is clearly a subjective call, but to actively make an effort to downplay Guardiola's achievements seems strange from Hamann, especially given the vast influence he has had on English football in terms of the way so many teams play out from the ball now, among other examples.

YouTuber Conor McGilligan has slammed Leeds United midfielder Marc Roca after he put in an abject display in the club's most recent defeat.

What's the latest on Marc Roca and Leeds?

The Whites were unable to do much to aide their fight for survival in the Premier League on the weekend as they beaten comfortably away from home.

Indeed, Javi Gracia and co travelled to the Emirates take on league leaders Arsenal and shipped four goals in a 4-1 loss. Gabriel Jesus netted a double, while Ben White and Granit Xhaka also got in on the act, making Rasmus Kristensen's consolation essentially redundant.

No doubt, it was a difficult afternoon for the entire Leeds team but they actually went toe-to-toe with the Gunners in the early stages of the game, right up until conceding a penalty for the first goal.

And while talking about this period of the match on the One Leeds Fan Channel, McGilligan lamented Roca's inability to help his team control the game with a bit more quality on the ball.

He explained (05:25): "It's Marc Roca who I thought was poor today, I think a lot of you are going to be shocked that I objectively called him out. But listen, he's up against two top operators in [Thomas] Partey and Xhaka who have been fantastic this season.

"But once again, you know, not been able to keep hold of the ball in periods of time where Arsenal aren't that great. That's always going to affect you know.”

Was Marc Roca poor against Arsenal?

When writing the player ratings for LeedsLive, journalist Beren Cross wasn't quite as harsh on Roca, giving him a six out of ten and writing: "Not a bad afternoon for the Spaniard to say he was under the cosh for a lot of the afternoon. Carried the ball well and got Leeds out of some tight scrapes."

Perhaps this is why McGilligan suggests fans will be "shocked" by his criticism of the Spaniard. However, when looking at the stats on SofaScore, you can see that Roca was pretty loose with the ball.

Indeed, he gave it away 13 times – the second worst rate amongst the outfield players for Leeds – and he also had a pass rate of just 79 per cent when Xhaka and Partey were up at (94% and 96%), while completing zero out of five attempted crosses.

All in all, it's easy to see why the midfielder who earns £50k-p/w left a lot to be desired on the day.

Arsenal's reported summer target Declan Rice made no secrets about his post-match discussion with the Gunners manager Mikel Arteta.

Does Declan Rice want to join Arsenal?

The north London side have enjoyed an impressive 2022/23 campaign under their Spanish coach where they have put together a solid push for the Premier League title.

However, over the last two weeks, there have been indications that this title charge could be on the verge of collapsing with two-goal leads thrown away against Liverpool and West Ham United.

But it seems as if they are already looking ahead to the summer transfer window as their project under Arteta may need further reinforcements to solidify them as regular title competitors.

One name who has been linked with a serious interest from the north London club is West Ham's midfield general, Rice, who put in a solid shift on Sunday.

And after the game at the London Stadium, the £60k-per-week Rice was captured sharing an embrace with the Spaniard amid the transfer speculation.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Dean Jones has commented on the England midfielder not being concerned about the perception on his discussion with Arteta ahead of the summer window:

"What I think is interesting is that he (Rice) didn't care about being so public about those moments. He knows the stories are out there.

"But in his mind, he's given West Ham absolutely everything. And he's got nothing to hide in this situation. End of the day, he's making a career for himself."

Should Arsenal go all out for Rice?

Perhaps one of the surprise packages in this season's Premier League campaign has been Granit Xhaka in the middle of the Arsenal side.

The Swiss midfielder has even been booed off the pitch by his own fans in the past but he has received a lot of praise over recent months for his turnaround in north London.

However, he operates the midfield alongside Thomas Partey who has established himself in the side since his arrival from Atletico Madrid.

So it will provide Arteta with an interesting headache if Rice is to join over the summer given the Gunners already have such a strong midfield.

Rice has been hailed as a "superstar" by Bianca Westwood and it's clear to see why when he ranks inside the top ninth percentile for both clearances and interceptions (via FBref).

This is a player who could seriously improve the Arsenal midfield with their strength in depth taking a huge boost if Xhaka was willing to play a rotational role.

Rice (2.27) has more than doubled the number of tackles per 90 minutes that Xhaka (1.06) has returned this season with a much higher tackles-won percentage too (via FBref).

But it will leave an interesting dynamic in the camp and it would be intriguing to see whether – at 30 years old – Xhaka would be willing to take up a lesser role in the squad.

Rising Pune Supergiants, with one win from four games, will have to put a lot of things together to give stiff competition to table-toppers Kolkata Knight Riders

The Preview by Nagraj Gollapudi23-Apr-2016Match factsSunday, April 24, 2016
Start time 2000 local (1430 GMT)3:47

Cullinan: Opportunity for KKR to show their batting depth

Big pictureKolkata Knight Riders can chase. They can also continue their streak at the top of the table with another win. A four-day break between travels was spent by mixing work with fun. On Friday evening, the squad attended a special screening of their co-owner Shah Rukh Khan’s latest release ‘Fan’.The only fun MS Dhoni’s Rising Pune Supergiants have had was at the tournament opener, when they marched to a nine-wicket win over defending champions Mumbai Indians. Since then, they have failed to defend twice. On Friday, they stumbled to their third loss, against Royal Challengers Bangalore, even though the lower-order pairing of Thisara Perera and Rajat Bhatia pushed for a late dash.With Kevin Pietersen’s calf injury, Steven Smith would need to step up in the middle overs, where Supergiants have slowed down despite solid starts from Ajinkya Rahane and Faf du Plessis.On the other hand, Knight Riders’ opening combination of Gautam Gambhir and Robin Uthappa has set up all three wins so far. If the Supergiants bowlers can get past Gambhir and Uthappa, they can test the mettle of Knight Riders’ middle and lower order. But do Supergiants have the right combinations and the right mindset? Can captain MS Dhoni produce that out of his players?This contest is about a team in the ascendancy against a team still finding its footing. The only question for Knight Riders is how can they keep improving? The questions for Dhoni’s Supergiants are piling up by the day.Form guideRising Pune Supergiants LLLW (most recent matches first)
Kolkata Knight Riders WWLWIn the spotlightBeing the lead fast bowler, Ishant Sharma needs to man the frontline but he has failed so far. In this IPL, his economy rate in Powerplays is 8.36, the second-worst among all who have bowled five or more overs. In the death overs, Ishant’s figures are mournful: even though he has bowled just three overs, he has been caned for 48 runs. Ishant’s overall economy of 9.86 is the second-worst among 27 bowlers who have bowled 10 or more overs so till Friday.Team newsDhoni has said that Pietersen’s injury allows him the option of playing one of Mitchell Marsh or Albie Morkel. Marsh, who played for Pune Warriors, might be preferred. In swinging conditions, Dhoni may even be tempted to play Irfan Pathan or RP Singh ahead of the legspinner M Ashwin. RP Singh could even replace the out-of-form Ishant.Rising Pune Supergiants (probable): 1 Faf du Plessis, 2 Ajinkya Rahane, 3 Steven Smith, 4 MS Dhoni (cast & wk), 5 Mitchell Marsh, 6 Thisara Perera, 7 Rajat Bhatia, 8 R Ashwin, 9 M Ashwin/Irfan Pathan, 10 Ankit Sharma, 11 Ishant Sharma/RP SinghManish Pandey has been ruled out for a few matches with chicken pox. Suryakumar Yadav may be be promoted to No. 3.Kolkata Knight Riders (probable): 1 Gautam Gambhir (capt), 2 Robin Uthappa, 3 Sheldon Jackson, 4 Suryakumar Yadav, 5 Yusuf Pathan, 6 Andre Russell, 7 Shakib Al Hasan, 8 Piyush Chawla, 9 Sunil Narine, 10 Umesh Yadav, 11 Morne MorkelPitch and conditionsIf it is the same pitch as Friday, the ball could hold up in the surface, but will it benefit the slower bowlers?Stats and trivia Gambhir and Uthappa have scored 66.79% of Knight Riders’s runs so far in the tournament. The pair has three fifty-plus partnerships in their three wins Knight Riders have the best averages so far in the IPL. Their batting average is 47.75 while their bowling average is 19.51

Ben Duckett’s 189 saw Northamptonshire dominate the opening day against Essex at Wanatge Road. Duckett’s second century of the season moved Northants to 376 for 5 by the close

ECB Reporters Network28-May-2016
ScorecardBen Duckett was in the runs again•Getty Images

Ben Duckett’s 189 saw Northamptonshire dominate the opening day against Essex at Wanatge Road. Duckett’s second century of the season moved Northants to 376 for 5 by the close.Duckett followed up his 282 not out in the opening match against Sussex with a 255-ball stay here as Essex toiled having declined the toss and elected to bowl, although three wickets in eight balls from Ravi Bopara late in the day with the second new ball gave them some respectability.Duckett brought up his eighth first-class hundred midway through the afternoon session, from 138 balls with 18 fours. Having gone to three figures he opened his shoulders against Tom Westley’s offspin – swinging him over long-on for six before rocking back to cut the next ball for four. A second four followed over mid-on in the next over. He took tea 138 not out.After the break he moved past 150 in 200 balls and against the second new ball, played the most imperious stroke of the day – smashing Aaron Beard on the up through extra-cover. A second double-hundred of the season beckoned before Bopara returned to the attack and bowled the perfect yorker to hit middle and leg stumps.Duckett shared a completely untroubled opening stand of 167 with Rob Newton, who inexplicably slapped Bopara straight to point when on 75. The wicket was one of only two moments of joy for Essex until the last half hour of the day after captain Ryan ten Doeschate declined the toss and sent Northants into bat.After tea, Rob Keogh feathered a late cut to James Foster, giving Dan Lawrence and his part-time leg-spin a maiden first-class wicket. Adam Rossington chipped a pull to midwicket in the same Bopara over that removed Duckett and two balls into Bopara’s 18th of the day, he had Steven Crook caught at second slip for a third-ball duck.Until then, Essex were been given the runaround with four-an-over progress for most of the day. Duckett and Newton enjoyed an excellent untroubled morning as Northants reached lunch on 127 for 0. Newton looked in good touch after a second-innings century against Gloucestershire earlier in the week and played an equal hand in the third century opening partnership of the season for Northants at Wantage Road, striking seven fours in his 80-ball fifty.Josh Cobb, the stand-in captain with Alex Wakely ruled out with a groin strain, also moved towards a half-century late in the day with some classic straight driving, as well as clipping Matt Quinn through midwicket for consecutive boundaries.Quinn was making his Championship debut and, together with Beard in just his second game of the season, didn’t bowl consistently well enough to create problems in the first hour. That was Essex’s best chance of putting Northants under pressure. After that, there was little in it for the bowlers.