Macaulay Langstaff considers being told to “f*ck off” by Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, while also being called “handsome”, to be a compliment.
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Mumbai crashed out of the Vijay Hazare Trophy despite chasing down 96 against Goa in 5.4 overs in Chennai. After allrounder Abhishek Nayar’s 4 for 23 skittled Goa for 95, Suryakumar Yadav and Aditya Tare shared an unbroken 76-run stand off 20 balls to mow down the target and seal an eight-wicket win.Mumbai, chasing the second quarter-final spot from Group C, won with 266 balls to spare – the second biggest (in terms of balls remaining) in List A history in India – but it was not enough. Gujarat pipped Mumbai on net run rate and qualified along with Bengal.Earlier, Goa’s innings lasted only 35 overs with only captain Sagun Kamat and Darshan Misal passing 20. Nayar did the bulk of the damage and was assisted by Dhawal Kukarni and Shardul Thakur who took five wickets between them.Bengal suffered their first loss of this season’s Vijay Hazare Trophy, against Gujarat at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. Captain Parthiv Patel struck an 82-ball 88 in Gujarat’s seven-wicket win; Bengal were also through to the quarter-finals. Mohammed Shami, playing his first competitive match after four months, conceded 36 runs in seven overs without picking up a wicket.Jasprit Bumrah, though, had sparkled with 3 for 27 to help bowl Bengal out for 168. Ashav Panchal and Rujul Bhatt, meanwhile, shared four wickets between them. Abhimanyu Easwaran (37), Aamir Gani (37), and Ashok Dinda (33) flickered briefly before Bengal were dismissed in 49.1 overs.Parthiv and Priyank Panchal then laid the foundation for the chase with a 69-run opening stand. Parthiv then fell with his team two runs away from the target, but Bhargav Merai and Bhatt completed the victory.Hanuma Vihari’s career-best 135 not out helped Andhra ace their chase of 236 against Rajasthan in Chennai. He added 146 with Prasanth Kumar, who scored 62 off 84 balls before falling to Salman Khan. Vihari, however, stayed till the end to give Hyderabad a consolation win.Having been sent in, Rajasthan were quickly reduced to 49 for 4 with Manender Singh, Salman, and Puneet Yadav bagging ducks. However, 17-year-old Mahipal Lomror’s second successive fifty and Tajinder Singh’s first List A fifty revived Rajasthan to 235 for 7. Seamer P Vijaykumar was the pick of the bowlers for Andhra, finishing with 3 for 17 in 10 overs.
Manchester United would love to also add Declan Rice to their midfield this summer if their financial situation was to allow a potential move.
How much is Declan Rice worth?
Champions League football in on the menu at Old Trafford for next season and it seems they are not looking to waste any time in bringing in some new faces this summer.
Indeed, reports would suggest the Red Devils are keen to acquire the services of Chelsea's Mason Mount to provide Erik ten Hag some strength in midfield.
It has been claimed that the Londoners would be looking for a fee in the region of £68m this summer for their 24-year-old who only has one-year remaining on his current deal.
However, there is another 24-year-old midfielder from London who finds himself surrounded in transfer speculation this summer.
And it happens to be Mount's best friend, Rice, who now looks set to leave West Ham United following their Europa Conference League triumph.
Reports would suggest the Hammers are looking for a fee in excess of £100m this summer for their England international with the likes of Chelsea and Arsenal said to be interested.
Speaking on TalkSPORT, insider Alex Crook has claimed those at Old Trafford would love to bring Rice to the Theatre of Dreams this summer but the finances could prove an issue:
"I think United would love to try and sign Declan Rice but again it comes down to economics. We know they want a number nine they want a centre-back as well."
What is Man United's transfer budget?
There have been some suggestions that United will only be handed around £100m to spend this summer which will leave them in need of selling some of their players to create funds.
Adding to their limitations as a result of the FFP regulations, it may be a tricky summer of spending to navigate for the Red Devils.
However, their reported interest in Mount and Harry Kane would potentially see that figure swallowed up immediately over the two potential deals.
Indeed, with Chelsea believed to be holding out for close to £70m for Mount, a possible deal for Kane would see United needing to raise some significant cash.
It is believed Tottenham Hotspur will be doing everything they can this summer to keep their all-time record goalscorer in north London.
But if the England captain is to force a move away, then Spurs will be looking for a figure in excess of £100m for the 29-year-old striker.
And with all of this in mind, you do have to question where a potential move for Rice could fit in?
Potentially if moves for Kane and Mount fall flat then United could look at a deal for the "absolute monster", Rice, however, it looks as if Arsenal are not going to waste any time in their pursuit of the 24-year-old.
Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur said his batsmen had given West Indies legspinner Devendra Bishoo “eight soft wickets” during their second-innings collapse on the fourth day of the day-night Test
ESPNcricinfo staff17-Oct-20163:16
Want to be a team that closes the opposition out – Arthur
Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur said his batsmen had given West Indies legspinner Devendra Bishoo “eight soft wickets” during their second-innings collapse on the fourth day of the day-night Test in Dubai. Having taken a 222-run lead in the first innings, Pakistan were dismissed for 123 in 31.5 overs, losing their last six wickets for 11 runs. Chasing 346, West Indies were 95 for 2 at stumps with senior batsmen Marlon Samuels and Darren Bravo at the crease.Arthur praised Bishoo but rued that the collapse had given West Indies a chance to win the game. He said Pakistan’s plan when they chose not to enforce the follow-on was to score about 180 runs in 45 overs and shut West Indies out of the match.”I am not going to take anything away from the way Bishoo bowled because he bowled really, really well,” Arthur said. “I thought we gave him eight soft wickets. We were cutting against the spin, some lazy shots. That is something we have spoken hard about because that’s not how we play the game. We worked so hard to get ourselves in front of the game and then in one session we lost 6 for 11 and that gave West Indies a sniff. We want to be better than that. We want to be a team that closes the opposition out when we get the opportunity and we didn’t.”The message was very simple: we wanted a score of 180 in 45-50 overs. We felt that would have given us 25-30 overs tonight and a full day tomorrow. So we were looking at 180 in probably 45 overs at the most and we played poorly.”Bishoo, whose returns of 8 for 49 were the best by a visiting bowler in Asia, said he had reflected on his performance in the first innings – 2 for 125 in 35 overs – and decided to bowl straighter, targeting the stumps, in the second innings.”Last evening I spent some time thinking about how I had bowled in the first innings and I was bowling most likely fourth-fifth stump and they were cutting the ball down to cover for a single all the time,” Bishoo said. “So I tried to bowl straighter on the stumps. I expected the ball to spin more on the fourth and the fifth days, and that’s exactly what happened. I used the rough a little and I tried to use the crease a bit more and tried to bowl more on the stumps.”Arthur said the batting implosion had forced Pakistan to play slightly defensively when West Indies came out to chase on the fourth evening. He said the team was working towards eradicating issues, like the sudden collapse, from their game.”We’ve batted really well, certainly through the Test matches in England I thought we were excellent, and we were brilliant in the first innings here. So that is something we are trying to eradicate. We want to get this completely out of our game. Consistency is something we need to keep working on, we are talking long and hard about it.”We were disappointed that we took our foot off their throat and gave them a glimpse into the game when we should have put them out of it. Because what that would have done for our spinners tomorrow is it would have allowed us to have close catchers for longer. So tonight we have a man at sweeper and we haven’t got a silly point to Bravo and that’s simply because the game is getting closer.”
The WICB has taken legal advice in response to calls for a forensic audit
ESPNcricinfo staff15-Sep-2016The WICB has taken legal advice in response to calls for a forensic audit, claiming that it could carry the “suggestion of wrongdoing”. Terming the calls to carry out the forensic audit by six former board officials as “serious allegations”, the WICB has said that it is consulting Anthony Astaphan, a senior counsel in Dominica, for his advice and recommendations.”The Board has been advised that in a number of instances the call for a forensic audit carries the suggestion of wrong doing and misappropriation of WICB funds by present members of the WICB,” the WICB said in a media release, issued on Thursday. “Additionally, it suggests the auditors are either incompetent or complicit. These allegations are completely false, and seriously damaging to the reputation of the WICB, its members, and auditors.”The WICB has therefore decided that these are serious allegations and has referred the matter to Senior Counsel, Anthony Astaphan of Dominica, for his advice and recommendations.”Last week six former WICB officials – Ken Gordon, Pat Rousseau, Anthony Deyal, Charles Wilkin, Bruce Aanensen and Imran Khan – claimed that the current board administration under Dave Cameron has seemingly become “untouchable”, and not doing anything would lead to the “inevitable demise” of cricket in the Caribbean. As a remedy, the six men urged CARICOM to conduct a forensic audit to save West Indies cricket from “absolute and total downfall”.The WICB said the six men had ignored the facts. “These calls for a forensic audit by the former officials are without any basis in fact, and importantly, notwithstanding, that these former officials are aware that the WICB has for many years retained internal and external auditors.”As it pointed out last week, the WICB repeated once again today that the board’s internal and external audits are done and authorised by a pair of global consultants – PricewaterhouseCoopers and KPMG respectively. The release also noted that all the WICB accounts are published by or available from the WICB on all its platforms, including the board’s website where the reports are available.The WICB said that the allegations “appear triggered not by fact or evidence but an emotional reaction” to its response to the CARICOM sub-committee on cricket. Members of the sub-committee have repeatedly suggested the dissolution of WICB as a starting point to bring back Caribbean cricket to its glory days.
Back in 2009, an Arsenal youth side containing a spritely Jack Wilshere lifted the FA Youth Cup, defeating Liverpool by a 4-1 margin. Typically, Wilshere was a scorer on that evening, finding the back of the net courtesy of a penalty as he drove his teammates to success.The career that would fall upon the midfielder’s shoulders after that was extraordinary. He would go on to boss one of the best Barcelona teams we’ve seen in the Champions League as a teenager, but that was about as good as it got for the now 31-year-old.Nearly 14 years on, Wilshere has retired after an injury-ravaged career that saw him never reach his true potential.However, the former England international would prefer us to now focus on the positives. Last week, the gifted technician spoke of rediscovering his love for football.How has he done that? Well, by coaching Arsenal’s U18s. Wilshere was only ever going to land back at Arsenal but few would have predicted the roaring success he’d turn out to be behind the scenes.Now firmly involved in the academy set-up, the Stevenage-born hero took charge of his first game against non-league Hendon last summer. Fast forward several months and he’s now dining out at the Emirates, aptly guiding the club to another FA Youth Cup final.
They have achieved that feat in some style, with Myles Lewis-Skelly scoring a last-gasp extra-time winner against Manchester City at the Emirates a matter of days ago. The teenager lept the highest from a ball into the area and found the net in the dying seconds of the tie.
How poignant it would be if they were to now win that final. A key part of that has been wonderkid Ethan Nwaneri who will no doubt take most of the attention in the side, but there is a Wilshere-esque talent just lying in wait for Arsenal; Bradley Ibrahim.
Who is Bradley Ibrahim?
The 18-year-old is highly rated by those at Arsenal having trained among the senior team and been named on the bench during two Europa League clashes this term.
Described as an ‘an energetic box-to-box midfielder’ and a ‘tireless holding midfielder’ by the club’s website it’s clear to see where the comparisons to Wilshere come in.
Like his coach, Ibrahim is an able ball carrier while his passing range from deep is arguably what sets him apart from his peers.
His 81% pass success in the EFL Trophy, as per Sofascore, this term outlines the teen as someone who is calm in possession, while he is particularly good in front of the back four, maintaining a pass accuracy of 94% inside his own half.
The highly-gifted starlet’s range of passing was on full display in that semi-final win over Manchester City a few days ago, with scout Jacek Kulig going as far as to suggest he was sending “long diagonals like prime Xavi.”
That said, there is a physicality to Ibrahim’s game which suggests he could be like Thomas Partey too, having won two ground duels per game in the EFL Trophy.
Indeed, there are plenty of similarities between the two, with the Ghanaian notably adept at evading the press, bullying opponents and spraying cross-field passes.
It’s unlikely the FA Youth Cup star will ultimately rival Partey for a place but there is every reason to believe that Charlie Patino should be looking over his shoulder.
The Blackpool loanee is the current darling of the Arsenal academy and has been tipped for big things after scoring on his senior debut in last season’s Carabao Cup.
Indeed, after scoring three times and laying on four assists for the Tangerines this term, the 19-year-old has impressed a great deal after finally being handed regular senior minutes.
As such, it feels like there will be a place ready and waiting for him in the first team next term. He will likely now face competition from young Ibrahim, however, a combative presence who is learning from one of the best to come through Hale End and progressing at a rapid rate.
Whatever way you look at it, the future seems incredibly bright for the centre of Arsenal’s midfield.
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.
Josh Hazlewood has pleaded guilty to breaching the ICC’s Code of Conduct after showing dissent at the result of a decision review during New Zealand’s second innings in Christchurch. Hazlewood, who was fined 15% of his match fee for the incident, along with captain Steven Smith was part of an ugly confrontation with umpire Ranmore Martinesz in the last over before lunch.The incident occurred after the Australians appealed for lbw from a near yorker that Hazlewood delivered to Kane Williamson, and Martinesz ruled not-out. Smith immediately asked for a review from third umpire Richard Illingworth, who saw a small Hot Spot mark near the bottom of Williamson’s inside edge and instructed Martinesz to stay with his not-out decision.The Australians, who had seen the replays on the big screen at Hagley Oval, appeared to be furious with the review, indicating to Martinesz that they thought the Hot Spot was the result of Williamson’s bat hitting his boot. Smith walked towards Martinesz to remonstrate and Hazlewood was heard on the stump microphone to say: “Who the f*** is the third umpire?”Their reaction drew immediate criticism from the TV commentators on air at the time, Mark Richardson declaring the actions of the Australians as “intolerable” and Ian Smith saying that Martinesz “does not deserve a grilling out there”. Hazlewood also appeared to express frustration as the players walked off at the lunch break, speaking to New Zealand batsman Corey Anderson.”I didn’t actually hear anything, I got told that he was saying something to me,” Anderson said after play. “But I’m actually deaf in my left ear, so he could have been on my wrong side. Whether he said something or not, I’m not too concerned. You hear a little bit every now and then when you’re out there, but you’re so focused and consumed by what you do, you end up blocking most of it out.”One factor in the drama appeared to be that the replays shown on the big screen at Hagley Oval, which the players saw at the time, were less clear than those seen by TV viewers at home. Anderson said Williamson had been “unsure” whether he had nicked the ball or not, and that it was sometimes not until the players saw replays in the change-rooms that they understood the process.”It was one of those ones where it’s so close you don’t know sometimes whether you’ve whacked your foot or if you’ve whacked the ball,” Anderson said. “I know from the big screen there’s a few bits and pieces that are harder to tell. I know there was one yesterday with Joe Burns that we thought nicked the glove and it was turned down. Once you go back in the sheds and see what has actually happened, it’s a lot clearer.”It’s always one of those things. We’ve been on the end of those where you want a wicket so badly and you want something to happen in the game and it doesn’t quite go your way. It’s part of it. It’s happened before and it’ll happen again.”The incident occurred near the end of a session in which Australia had failed to take a wicket, despite a dropped catch, an edge that fell fractionally short of wicketkeeper Peter Nevill, and another lbw review that also showed an inside edge. Jackson Bird, who eventually finished with a five-wicket haul, said frustration had played a part in the response of the Australians.”We bowled pretty well in the first session and we probably thought it was out,” Bird said. “But those 50-50 calls, they either go your way or they don’t. So it was probably the frustration of the whole session. We’d bowled pretty well and hadn’t got a wicket. We’d been pretty close a couple of times. So you know – it’s one of those things. We couldn’t quite tell what was going on. It didn’t go our way but that’s how the game goes sometimes.”However, the Australians were unhappy at the fact that Hazlewood’s comment – “who the f*** is the third umpire?” – was broadcast. Stump microphones are not supposed to remain live when players and umpires are conversing.”Yeah it is a little bit [disappointing],” Bird said. “We’re all for having technology in the game, and all the new technology that comes out every year is great and great for the viewers at home. But I don’t see why the stump mics need to be broadcast to the whole world. I’m not sure why they were.”
Liverpool could ‘seriously attempt’ to sign Inter Milan midfielder Nicolo Barella in the summer transfer window, according to a fresh transfer rumour.
The Lowdown: Barella linked with Liverpool move
The Italian arguably is one of Serie A’s most influential players currently, standing out as a hugely important player for Inter, starting 22 league games this season.
Barella has scored five goals and registered six assists from midfield, and his performances have not gone unnoticed, with Liverpool linked with a move for him this summer.
The 26-year-old’s current Inter deal doesn’t expire until the summer of 2026 but it appears Jurgen Klopp is serious about testing the waters regardless.
The Latest: Reds could ‘seriously attempt’ signing
According to InterLive.it [via Sport Witness], FSG could ‘seriously attempt’ to sign Barella for Klopp this summer, with the Liverpool manager ‘preparing a revolution’.
AC Milan midfielder Ismael Bennacer is also noted as a potential signing in the report, having averaged 2.4 tackles per game in Serie A this season.
The Verdict: Ideal midfield addition
Barella could be a fantastic signing by Liverpool if they get a deal over the line, with the 42-cap Italy international someone who tasted Euro 2020 glory with his country, not to mention being described as a ‘top-class player’ by Klopp himself.
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The Inter star possesses both quality in possession and tenacity of the ball, enjoying an 84.8% pass completion rate and 1.3 tackles per match in the league in 2022/23 to date.
Whether or not Liverpool would be able to afford both Barella and Jude Bellingham is certainly up for discussion, but if they signed both, it would potentially transform their fortunes in the middle of the park for years to come.
Chelsea's Mauricio Pochettino admits he's "worried" about Romeo Lavia's injury setback – straight after spending four months out with an ankle issue.
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Lavia out for months with ankle issueInjured on club debut against PalacePochettino worried by this setbackGetty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?
Lavia was injured on his Chelsea debut in his side's 2-1 win over Crystal Palace in midweek. The £58 million ($73.7m) summer signing played the final 32 minutes of the clash at Stamford Bridge, having been injured since his arrival from Southampton in August. Now, manager Pochettino admits he is concerned about the 19-year-old, but hoped the midfielder's issue wasn't a big one.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesWHAT MAURICIO POCHETTINO SAID
The Argentine said on Friday: "He [Lavia] feels something, some issue. We need to check and hope it’s not [bad]. I'm a little bit worried. I don't know, because if you were watching the game [against Crystal Palace] you cannot appreciate I was changing the position with Lavia at the end because he was struggling to run. We will see what is going on. Hopefully it is not a big issue and he can play with us again. Important player that will recover and it is going to be a shame if we cannot use him in the next few games."
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Lavia was part of Chelsea's huge summer spending spree, alongside Moises Caicedo, Christopher Nkunku, Cole Palmer, Axel Disasi, Nicolas Jackson and more. But the Belgian international has played just a matter of minutes and some of their other signings have not hit the ground running as hoped. If Lavia is injured once again, that is a big blow for the Blues.
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WHAT NEXT?
After Saturday's trip to Kenilworth Road on Saturday, in what is their last game of 2023, Chelsea kick start 2024 with a home clash against Preston North End on January 6, followed by a trip to Middlesbrough three days later in the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup.