Neymar does not consider former PSG team-mate Kylian Mbappe to be a leading contender for the Ballon d’Or, with the Brazilian picking his top three.
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Chelsea have reportedly agreed an £18.5 million ($24m) deal to sign another Sporting CP star after already sealing a move for Geovany Quenda.
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The WI allrounder found a way past a top-order collapse and took Rajshahi home with an unbeaten 54 off 22 balls
Mohammad Isam16-Jan-2020Rajshahi Royals are 80 for 4 in the 14th over in pursuit of 165 in the second qualifier. Their captain Andre Russell munches on some fruits and gulps down coconut water. Russell’s plan is stand still, let the head follow the ball, swing hard, and take the game as deep as possible.”I tried to hit the ball out of anyone’s way,” Russell said of his unbeaten 54 off 22 balls.All seven of his sixes on Wednesday evening sailed easily into the Shere Bangla National Stadium’s stands. His fours thudded into the fence. There are no half measures in Russell’s world. However, it was the simplicity of his plan that stood out.Russell said he doesn’t like batsmen who charge at bowlers in the slog overs. He is someone who can biff yorkers from the crease. And he delivered for Rajshahi when it really mattered. Rajshahi had played some impressive cricket in the league phase, but due to some lethargic batting in a knockout, they were in danger of slipping out of the tournament. Russell, though, had other ideas and pulled off a remarkable win.”I love playing in these situations, when it is 12, 13 or 14 runs [needed] per over,” Russell said. “Sometimes I love when it’s like even 15 or 16. I like these challenges. I am strong and I know if I stay as still as possible, I will always have an open mindset and I don’t premeditate. I was upset with one of our batters who got out. He advanced down the wicket. The bowler is already under pressure at the death. Once you stay still, you give yourself every chance.”Russell praised No. 10 Abu Jayed for keeping his composure under pressure and giving him the strike in the penultimate over against Mehedi Hasan Rana. Russell took on one of the most impressive fast bowlers in the tournament and slammed him for three successive boundaries to narrow the equation to eight off six balls. He then finished it off with a six in the last over, bowled by allrounder Asela Gunaratne.”The plan was just stay there until the end,” Russell said. “I wasn’t worried about the falling wickets but as more wickets fell, it put pressure on me. I just wanted one person from one end, and then let me do my thing at the other end. [Abu Jayed] Rahi stood up with me. Well done to him. I think every run was really important. These scores can be very tricky at times.”Russell said that he will hold back the celebrations for now and will set his focus towards winning the final against Khula Tigers on Friday. The star allrounder’s presence in the final might attract a full house at the ground and a larger TV audience, something that has been missing so far this BPL season.
Cody Gakpo has revealed what it was like to work with Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool and the valuable lesson he learned from the German.
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Ex-Lille boss Paulo Fonseca has been confirmed as AC Milan's new manager, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic hoping they can play "dominant football" under him.
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The board’s AGM was a reminder of the precarious position for the game in the current climate
Daniel Brettig29-Oct-2020If the message about multi-year cycles, expected revenue dips and the need to smooth out cricket’s funding in Australia to cater for year-on-year fluctuations was more or less the same, the difference of medium provided a stark reminder of the new world into which cricket boards must now operate.Cricket Australia’s AGM was held virtually for the first time, with its chair Earl Eddings and a selection of staff webcasting from Jolimont headquarters, while the interim chief executive Nick Hockley and New South Wales directors logged in from Sydney. Elsewhere the chairs of the state associations – CA’s technical owners – passed a constitutional resolution to add a 10th board director in Vanessa Guthrie and also elected the former NSW premier Mike Baird in place of the retiring Jacquie Hey.The headline figure of a A$45 million loss for CA on the 2019-20 season, with its lower box office touring teams from Pakistan and New Zealand, was not in itself a surprise. In fact, CA had recorded a bigger loss in recent pre-Covid times, when it saw funds dip by A$51 million for the 2016-17 summer attended by South Africa and Pakistan. The morning’s key graphic, showing how Australian cricket relies so heavily upon inbound tours from India and England to turn profits above the money already committed to costs and distributions to states, reinforced the notion.Unquestionably this was a world away from some of the projections made by the former chief executive Kevin Roberts back in April, when he suggested the possibility of CA going broke by August. Those kinds of contentions, made at a time that CA was standing down staff, applying for a credit facility and seeking deep cuts from the states and the players, have fortunately receded into the distance. That “crisis”, with the benefit of time, looks very much as though it was an inflated if not confected one designed to allow for cost cuts.What was clear, however, was the fact that amid the global economic shocks provided by a pandemic, on the tail of what was already an increasingly uncertain global media rights market, past assumptions about how much a summer may be worth have already been tested and will be like never before this time around. India’s most recent visit in 2018-19 turned only an A$18 million surplus, as against a bounty of nearly A$100 million in 2014-15, albeit with a World Cup also in tow.The summer schedule finally confirmed with considerable fanfare on Wednesday will provide a more or less identical amount of content for broadcasters at home and overseas as was the case two summers ago: four Tests between Australia and India and six white-ball games. The measure of CA’s response to Covid-19 and also the sustainability of the four-year funding model will be whether it can turn a bigger profit this time.”Media rights globally are under a lot of pressure, hence why we’re always refining our business models,” Eddings said afterwards. “I think the new norm if you like will be very different for all sports and organisations going forward, so as a board we’ll make sure we keep reflecting on what we think is the best business model. Luckily we’ve got great products in Australia, men’s and women’s domestic and international cricket, we’ve also got strong international partners who like showing Australian cricket around the world.”Free-to-air commitmentOf course, Eddings said these words at the precise moment CA stands in an unprecedented dispute with its free-to-air broadcaster Seven, which has challenged the governing body to offer a major discount to the remainder of its A$450 million broadcast rights deal alongside the A$750 million contract signed with Foxtel. That overall A$1.18 billion deal, signed in April 2018, has been a source of many pressure points since, and tellingly made Foxtel CA’s primary broadcast partner, with rights to Tests and most of the W/BBL, plus women’s internationals, shared with Seven.Eddings, though, insisted that free-to-air broadcast would continue to “underpin” CA’s broadcasting strategy. “We’re working behind the scenes with our partners around that, we don’t want to play it out in the media, but we’re confident of our position and we’ll deliver a full summer of cricket as we’ve always said we will,” he said of Seven’s dispute.”I think we’re seeing the emergence of new technologies all the time. We’re also bound by anti-siphoning laws to play international content on free-to-air TV, so that’s a great reach for us, it gets our games and our players out to fans all around Australia, so free to air TV is very important. We understand that free-to-air TV is going through a lot of challenges at the moment, so streaming and digital are increasing, but free-to-air TV will always underpin the value of our TV rights.”Keeping the show on the roadCA’s capacity to keep the global caravan of international cricket from teetering off a Covid cliff is of course at the mercy of health conditions elsewhere, as stressed by doubts around a tour of South Africa next year and the inaugural World Test Championship final scheduled for England soon after it.What’s left in the World Test Championship?•ESPNcricinfo Ltd
“I think it’s great that England are going there [South Africa] and obviously we want to tour as well. As you can understand, in Covid times things change very rapidly, so we’ll be watching with interest,” Eddings said. “In the end it comes down to the safety of our people and that’s the most important priority for all of us. Where it’s safe to do so, we will play.”I’d certainly like to see [the World Test Championship final] go ahead because I think we might make it. The UK is going through another peak at the moment, so our intention is to go over there and play, but that’s going to be subject to what the state of the nation is at the time and travel requirements.”We’re all in favour of playing as much cricket as we can. We need to give Test cricket relevance and something for everyone to play for. Covid’s obviously had a big impact on that around countries being able to play each other. It’s going to be a bit glitchy until we get it right, but certainly for the growth of Test cricket we need to have something to aim for, particularly with some of those Test matches that don’t mean anything with some countries. This gives everyone relevance and context.”Either side of the resignation of Roberts in June, CA had dispensed with 40 staff and made somewhere in the region of A$40 million in cost savings, as against a revenue hole that CA still puts at around A$120 million. At the same time, after a long and often fractious process, the state associations accepted a 12.5% reduction in their annual distributions (after originally rejecting a 45% cut), albeit with built-in upside should revenue be better than expected.Similar arrangements have been made with the Australian Cricketers Association, and it appears, relationally at least, that CA is on the improve. Whether the states, personified by association chairs looking on impassively through their webcams as the game’s finances were presented, are wholly content with the game’s current leadership and structure remains to be seen.
Warwickshire’s opening batsman continues stellar run of form with unbeaten century
ECB Reporters Network and ESPNcricinfo staff02-Jul-2019Warwickshire 400 for 3 (Sibley 207*, Rhodes 109) trail Kent 585 for 7 dec (Bell-Drummond 166, Dickson 161) by 185 runsWarwickshire’s Dominic Sibley’s found claims that he had become the first batsman to reach 1,000 first-class runs for the season put under scrutiny as Glamorgan’s Marnus Labuschagne also laid claim to the honour.But what was abundantly clear was that Sibley – like Labuschagne – underlined that he is an Ashes contender as Kent’s bowlers continued their thankless toil on day three of this Specsavers County Championship run-fest in Canterbury.Sibley’s record includes runs in the pre-season opener to the county season between MCC and the Champion County which was traditionally staged at Lord’s but which now takes place in the UAE, and according to the ECB’s official scorers, he reached the mark a whole two minutes before Labuschagne.In a phenomenal display of concentration and will power, Sibley, the 23-year-old former Surrey batsman, took his total crease occupation to almost nine hours in reaching an unbeaten 207 from 409 balls and 31 fours.After his marathon innings a delighted Sibley said: “We’ve played on some tough wickets this year and I was thinking about this opportunity a lot last night, and I told myself that I really needed to make the most of this chance.”As for his chances of forcing his name into the hat for potential Ashes selection, Sibley added: “A lot of people are chatting about it and there’s a bit of hype surrounding my name, but I just want to keep batting and scoring runs. It’s really that simple. If I keep batting and stay in the grove then who knows? We’ll see what happens.”The World Cup has quickened conversation around Jason Roy but England are also watching Sibley – and neither England opening berth is pinned down with the likes of Keaton Jennings and Rory Burns the current incumbents.Sibley’s stoical innings helped Warwickshire to close on a season’s best 400 for 3 off 143 overs as the visitors responded to Kent’s summer’s-best total of 585 for 7 declared.Against a fellow Division One county in distress, which has had to resort to several loan signings to keep body and soul together, Kent have somehow produced one of the flattest pitches of the season.Sibley and his opening partner Will Rhodes took advantage of the most placid batting conditions of the season to post a record opening stand of 221 in first-class matches between Kent and Warwickshire.Having resumed on 142 without loss, Kent introduced the off-spin of Ollie Rayner after an hour but Rhodes swept his fifth delivery for a boundary to take Warwickshire past 196 – their previous best championship opening stand against Kent recorded by Dominic Ostler and Roger Twose at Edgbaston in 1989.Rhodes again swept Rayner for his 14th boundary to reach his first century of the summer from 218 balls, but, only nine runs later, the left-hander chased a wide, full delivery from Grant Stewart to be caught behind for 109.After lunch, Rob Yates succumbed to the second new ball when he nibbled outside off against Darren Stevens to be caught at slip as Kent’s attack, which had hitherto banked maximum bowling points in every game, missed out completely.Sibley, who became marooned in the 90s for 48 minutes, finally reached three-figures after tea with a clip to the mid-wicket ropes. The 10th century of his first-class career came off 241 balls and included 16 fours.Kent made their next breakthrough when Sam Hain (40) aimed to glance against Harry Podmore only to be caught off a fine edge by Ollie Robinson, the in-form Kent keeper, diving way to his left.Sibley ploughed on however, moving past his previous best score for Warwickshire of 144 not out scored against Sussex at Hove last season. He then went onto the back-foot to pull a Podmore bumper for four to reach 175 for his 1,000th first-class run of the season.The landmark boundary also took him past Nick Knight’s 174 scored against Kent at Canterbury in 1995, Warwickshire’s highest individual score in matches between the two counties.Sibley’s record-breaking continued when, just before stumps, he reached the third double century of his career and his first for Warwickshire from 406 balls and with 30 fours as he and Adam Hose cut Kent’s first-innings lead to 185 runs.Though Kent could only manage to pick up one wicket in each of the three sessions, they will take some solace in restricting the Bears to only three batting bonus points as the dogfight to avoid championship relegation continues.However, a final day of leather-chasing awaits Heino Kuhn’s side on Wednesday, when Sibley will have one eye on surpassing his career-best 242, scored for his native Surrey against Yorkshire at The Kia Oval in 2013.
Kylian Mbappe has seen his 2024 Olympic Games dream dashed, with the Real Madrid-bound superstar left out of Thierry Henry’s squad.
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Only 49 overs possible as Miles Hammond joins captain in solid opening stand
ECB Reporters Network23-Jun-2019Chris Dent took his run tally in his last three Specsavers County Championship innings to 317 with an unbeaten 82 on the opening day of Gloucestershire’s match against Glamorgan at Bristol.The skipper followed up scores of 59 against Sussex and 176 against Leicestershire with another fluent half-century as his side reached 168 for 1 from 49 overs before rain intervened.Miles Hammond contributed 61 to an opening stand of 127 with Dent after an uncontested toss, Glamorgan’s bowlers erring in line and length on a green pitch.The visitors improved in the afternoon session and captain David Lloyd had Hammond caught at point. But Gloucestershire had moved into a strong position when the weather closed in.Umpires Rob Bailey and Ulhas Ghande decided on an early tea at 3.10pm and hopes of a resumption were frustrated by persistent light drizzle. Play was eventually abandoned for the day at 5.35pm.There looked to be something in the pitch for the seamers in the early overs, but Glamorgan bowled too short and wide to capitalise.Lloyd used six different bowlers in the opening hour and a half, including two spinners, without being able to force a breakthrough.When he brought himself on immediately after lunch, it was a seventh option. Hammond, who had reached a 72-ball half-century played a poor shot to direct a catch straight at Marnus Labuschagne.Glamorgan did not help their cause by spilling two slip chances, Lloyd giving Dent a reprieve on 58 and Nic Selman dropping James Bracey on 13, both off Marchant de Lange.Bracey has been prolific against Glamorgan during his short career and was poised menacingly on 21 when the rain came.Dent had gone to fifty off 64 balls, with eight fours, and looked increasingly at ease. By stumps he and Bracey had added 41 to build on Gloucestershire’s good start.Greater accuracy saw Glamorgan’s bowlers stem the run-rate after lunch, with Dent and Bracey having to work for their runs.The two left-handers took few risks and, while occasionally hurried by de Lange, displayed solid technique.Michael Hogan was the most economical Glamorgan bowler, conceding 30 runs from his 14 overs.
The Blaugrana finished their La Liga season with a typically tepid win over Sevilla as they said their final goodbyes to a club legend
Fermin Lopez and Robert Lewandowski grabbed the goals as an unconvincing Barcelona finished Xavi's reign with a 2-1 win over Sevilla.
The Blaugrana never looked secure, but found the net at key times to conclude a disappointing La Liga campaign.
Lamine Yamal had a good chance early on, forcing a goal-line clearance from Kike Salas. They opened the scoring after 15 minutes, Robert Lewandowski poking home at the back post after an angled cross from Joao Cancelo. Sevilla equalised after 30 minutes, easily carving up the Barca defence with a flowing move that Youssef En-Nesyri finished through the legs of Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
Barca took the lead for good in the second half, with Fermin cutting onto his right foot and lashing a shot in from outside the box – before celebrating wildly with his outgoing manager.
Xavi's side seldom looked secure in their lead, and were vulnerable on the break. Still, they hung on, and sent their manager off with three points – albeit in typically underwhelming circumstances.
GOAL rates Barcelona's players from Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan…