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Cameron Gannon’s five-wicket haul helped secure a 100-run lead but the home side hit back

Tristan Lavalette12-Mar-2024Victoria’s attack hit back against Western Australia late on a dramatic day two as the fight for a spot in the Sheffield Shield final intensified.In what has been a see-saw contest with so much at stake, 15 wickets fell in the day’s play in tough batting conditions at Junction Oval.After dismissing Victoria for 144 to gain a 100-run lead, WA’s top-order fell apart to slump to 31 for 4 before Cameron Bancroft and Josh Inglis provided a steadying 75-run partnership.Related

• McSweeney's ton and McAndrew's strikes put pressure on leaders Tasmania

• Boland makes his return count to lift Victoria in finals race

Inglis fell for 45 near the close, but Bancroft held firm with a gutsy unbeaten 42 off 151 balls to stretch WA’s lead to 219 runs.With top-placed Tasmania in a major battle against South Australia in the concurrent fixture, WA could leapfrog them with victory and clinch a home final starting on March 21.Tasmania have already secured a place in the five-day decider and they will play either Victoria or WA, who only need a draw to get through.Victoria fought back well after their batting order wilted to be bowled out in 43 overs as their bid for a third straight final’s appearance nosedived.Having overlooked spinning allrounder Ashton Agar, who has been unable to squeeze into the Shield line-up this season, WA were vindicated with their quartet of seamers menacing on a green-tinged surface marked by widening divots.After searing heat on day one, conditions cooled considerably as per Melbourne’s notoriously fickle weather. Cameron Gannon and Joel Paris relished the overcast skies as Victoria lost three wickets in the opening 30 minutes to slump to 21 for 4 in reply to WA’s first innings of 244.WA were ignited by a spectacular one-handed catch from wicketkeeper Inglis, who dove low to his left to remove Marcus Harris for 17. Paris then took over with the wickets of Campbell Kellaway and Peter Handscomb in successive overs.An onlooker to the flurry of wickets, Mitchell Perry dug in to continue his knack of producing indefatigable knocks as a nightwatcher against WA. He combined in a steadying 90-run partnership with Matthew Short, who scored runs quickly in a counterattack.Short raced to his half-century, but gifted his wicket after holing out to left-arm quick Liam Haskett on what was the last ball before lunch. It triggered a collapse after the interval with Victoria losing 5 for 33 as a number of their batters provided catching practice to WA’s outfielders.Skipper Will Sutherland tried to play aggressively, but fell into an awkward position to miss-hit a short-pitched Haskett delivery to fine-leg. Perry’s 95-ball rearguard ended tamely when he hit Haskett straight to square leg as Victoria’s lower-order offered little resistance.Without injured frontline quicks Jhye Richardson, Lance Morris and Matt Kelly, WA’s deep pace stocks have been underlined by the strong performances of Gannon and Haskett, who combined for eight wickets.Victoria desperately needed early wickets and Fergus O’Neill stood up with a terrific new-ball spell to dismiss opener Sam Whiteman before claiming the wickets of Jayden Goodwin and Hilton Cartwright on successive deliveries.WA’s collapse continued when Perry had Aaron Hardie caught at second slip with a cracking delivery that bounced sharply and shaped away. But Inglis came out firing after tea with his best shot being a belligerent pull shot to whack a short delivery from Scott Boland for six.WA appeared to have regained a stranglehold until offspinner Todd Murphy provided a late twist by having Inglis edging to Short at slip. He then had Charlie Stobo stumped in his next over as this crucial contest is fittingly headed for a grandstand finish.

The bench also slapped Nepal legspinner with a fine of Rs 300,000

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Jan-2024Nepal spinner Sandeep Lamichhane has been sentenced to eight years in jail by a Kathmandu court for rape, the has reported.A single-judge bench of the Kathmandu District Court had last month found Lamichhane guilty of of raping an 18-year-old woman, and the sentence was announced on January 10. The bench also slapped him with a fine of Rs 300,000 (USD 2255 approx) and ordered him to pay Rs 200,000 (USD 1500 approx) in compensation to the victim. Lamichhane’s lawyer, Saroj Ghimire, told that he “will appeal the decision in a higher court.”On January 11, following the verdict, Lamichhane was suspended by the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN). “We inform you that Sandeep Lamichhane has been suspended from any kind of domestic and international cricket activities as he has been convicted and sentenced,” CAN said.In early September 2022, Lamichhane, then the Nepal captain, was suspended by CAN after an arrest warrant was issued against him in Kathmandu over the matter. It followed the news that a complaint against Lamichhane had been lodged in a Kathmandu police station.Related

• Kathmandu court finds Lamichhane guilty of rape

• Lamichhane suspended by Nepal board after arrest warrant against him

At the time, Lamichhane was in the West Indies with Jamaica Tallawahs taking part in CPL 2022. The club announced that Lamichhane would be leaving the tournament with immediate effect. Upon landing at the airport in Kathmandu in early October, he had been taken into custody.Shortly before being arrested, Lamichhane had written on Facebook that he would “fully cooperate in all stages of the investigation and will fight a legal battle to prove my innocence” and called it a “conspiracy and wrongful allegation”.He returned to the Nepal side in February last year – amid protests from rights groups at home – for a Cricket World Cup League 2 tri-series at home, against Namibia and Scotland, during which opposition players did not shake his hand after the games. Subsequently, he was not considered for Nepal’s squad for the Cricket World Cup League 2 tri-series in Dubai in early 2023, but joined the team later as an injury replacement. He has continued to turn out for Nepal since then, including at the ODI World Cup qualifier in Zimbabwe in June-July last year and the ODI Asia Cup in August-September.On the day of his conviction, December 29, Lamichhane had led PARSA Club XI to a win over Nepal Army Club in a Nepal Pro Club Championship match in Birgunj.

Enzo Maresca's side recovered from a woeful first half to crush the Spanish side after the break in Wroclaw

Chelsea pulled off an incredible second-half comeback to demolish Real Betis 4-1 in the Conference League final on Wednesday. The Blues fell behind early on and looked shaky all over the field before becoming a dominant force in the second half, with Cole Palmer setting up two quickfire goals before Jadon Sancho and Moises Caicedo wrapped up the win.

After a bright start to the match, Chelsea were behind just nine minutes in when Malo Gusto gave the ball away in the middle of his own half. An ingenious pass from Isco to Abde Ezzalzouli found the winger in space and he smashed it beyond Filip Jorgensen. Shortly afterwards, Marc Bartra tried his luck from distance with Jorgensen off his line, but the goalkeeper did well to push it out for a corner.

Chelsea were second-best for the majority of the first half as Isco caused problems with his passes in the final third, but they sparked into life at the start of the second half. They had a penalty shout denied 10 minutes after the break when Nicolas Jackson was clattered by the goalkeeper, and the Senegal striker had a tame shot saved moments later.

Enzo Maresca's side looked more than capable of pulling level, however, and the moment finally came in the 66th minute as Palmer burst deep into Betis' half and sent a diagonal cross into the box, where Enzo Fernandez rose to divert it past Adrian.

Less than five minutes later, Palmer carved out another goal, beating his man on the right wing and smacking it in via Jackson's chest. The Senegal striker then had the chance to make it 3-1 as he drove forward on the counte- attack, but let the ball get too far ahead of him to let Adrian stop the threat.

The fun wasn't over, though as Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, fresh off the bench, charged towards goal before unleashing fellow substitute Sancho, who sent it curling into the net. And just before full-time, Caicedo completed the rout when he blasted in following a pass from Fernandez.

GOAL rates Chelsea's players from Wroclaw Stadium…

Getty Images SportGoalkeeper & Defence

Filip Jorgensen (5/10):

Made two saves, but had little to do in the second half.

Malo Gusto (3/10):

Gave the ball away for the opening goal due to playing a bizarre inverted role and was brutalised on the right of the defence. Understandably hooked at half-time.

Trevoh Chalobah (5/10):

Not the best partner for Badiashile and his passing was questionable.

Benoit Badiashile (4/10):

Was torn apart by Betis fairly easily and was taken off shortly after a yellow card early in the second half.

Marc Cucurella (6/10):

Had a tough time against Antony, but did well to keep him quiet at times.

AdvertisementGetty/GOALMidfield

Enzo Fernandez (7/10):

Headed in the equaliser from close range with a great run towards the back post.

Moises Caicedo (6/10):

Humiliated in the first half as Betis squandered a chance, but recovered with a better display in the second half, culminating in scoring the fourth goal.

Cole Palmer (8/10):

Picked out Enzo with a sublime ball to tie it up after driving into space and then created the second moments later.

Getty Images SportAttack

Noni Madueke (5/10):

Tried to create something with his crosses after finally growing into the game, but had little impact.

Nicolas Jackson (7/10):

Struggled to get into the game in the first half and got clattered 10 minutes into the second, but was well placed to nudge in the second goal.

Pedro Neto (5/10):

Had a rather quiet game overall.

AFPSubs & Manager

Reece James (6/10):

Provided an immediate boost in Gusto's place.

Levi Colwill (6/10):

Helped settle the defence as Chelsea became dominant.

Jadon Sancho (7/10):

Got into good positions but couldn't do much with it until he pulled out a gorgeous goal to kill the game off.

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (6/10):

On for the last 10 minutes and went on a great run to set up Sancho.

Marc Guiu (N/A):

Only on for the last few minutes.

Enzo Maresca (8/10):

His team were woeful in the first half, but the turnaround in the second was tremendous as they managed to bring Palmer and Jackson into the game.

Zak Crawley will consider entering the next IPL auction and is lining up a return to the Big Bash League this winter. Fresh from an Ashes series in which he finished as England’s leading run-scorer, he is plotting a route into their white-ball set-up.Crawley’s opportunities in white-ball cricket have been sporadic since his Test call-up in 2019. His three England ODI caps to date came two years ago, as part of the second-string team that whitewashed Pakistan, and he is yet to make an appearance in T20 internationals.But Crawley is targeting a place on the tour to the Caribbean in December, when England are likely to rest several first-choice players after the ODI World Cup, and hopes that he can earn his spot through performances for London Spirit in the Hundred over the next three weeks.”I’d love to go on that tour,” Crawley told ESPNcricinfo. “We’ll have to see how selection goes but the Caribbean is an awesome place to play – and I haven’t had the chance to go on a white ball tour for England yet, so any opportunity I get would be awesome. If they want me for that tour, I’d absolutely love to go.”After Alex Hales’ recent international retirement, there could be a vacancy alongside Jos Buttler at the top of England’s T20I batting order. “There’s obviously a few guys ahead of me at the moment,” Crawley said. “But if I score some runs then hopefully my name starts getting thrown into the hat.”England do not play another Test until late January, when they begin a five-match series in India. “I’m trying to look at where I can go, which leagues, before the tour of India,” he said. “I went to the Big Bash last year and loved it so if they would want me back then that would certainly be something I’d consider.”Zak Crawley played eight BBL games for Hobart Hurricanes last season•Getty Images

Crawley made a single half-century in his eight appearances for Hobart Hurricanes last year, but was a popular member of the dressing room and could return: “I can’t speak highly enough of him,” said Nathan Ellis, one of his team-mates. “He’s not only one of the most talented batters in the world, he’s one of the nicest guys as well.”And beyond the BBL, Crawley is considering nominating himself for the next IPL auction. “It’s the biggest franchise tournament in the world,” he said. “It’s the only place to see all the best playing against each other. It’s great cricket and to be able to test yourself in that tournament would be awesome.”We’ll see how I go. If I score some runs and it looks like I’ve half a chance then, then potentially I will [put my name forward]. I’m a realistic guy though, so if I feel like there’s no chance then I won’t… If I was good enough one day to play in the IPL and someone wanted me, then I’d absolutely love to go.”Earlier this year, he watched Harry Brook score an unbeaten hundred for Sunrisers Hyderabad in his fourth IPL game. “Obviously I’d love to do that,” Crawley said. “He’s going to do a lot of stuff that I wish I could do throughout his career. I won’t get too cut up on what Harry does otherwise I’d be pretty disappointed my whole career.”Related

• Brook added to England's ODI squad to set up World Cup shoot-out

• Crawley expands repertoire in bid to bring Ashes form into Hundred

• Hales: I would 'do a Will Smeed' if I were 21 again now

• Crawley keen for chance to test Bazball in India

• McCullum: Crawley's success validates England's approach

Crawley’s white-ball ambitions meant that, rather than going on holiday after the end of the Ashes, he played for Spirit in Manchester five days after the end of the fifth Test. “I wanted to get straight into it,” he said, speaking at the launch of KP Snacks’ community cricket pitches initiative.”I played a bit of the Hundred last year, but that was stop-start… I probably haven’t played as much white-ball [cricket] as I would have liked. I’m glad that the schedule now has allowed for the full Hundred. That’s why I was very keen to get going and play some white-ball cricket: it looks like it’s going to be the future of the game so you don’t want to be left behind.”KP Snacks are funding 100 new community cricket pitches over the next three years. To find out more and search for a pitch visit: www.everyonein.co.uk/pitchfinder

Arsenal have reportedly submitted an opening bid for Sporting CP goal machine Viktor Gyokeres amid fears Chelsea could target the striker.

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Arsenal submit opening bid for GyokeresGunners fear Chelsea can outbid them in the transfer raceArsenal want to sign a new striker in the summerFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

After going trophyless in yet another disappointing campaign this year, Arsenal are in desperate need of a new centre-forward ahead of the 2025-26 season. According to , the Gunners have submitted an offer worth €75 million (£63m/$84m) for Sporting talisman Gyokeres. However, the report adds that the Portuguese side's president Frederico Varandas sees this as an opening bid as he aims to get more money for the prolific hitman.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

While the north London club are desperate to win the transfer battle for the Swedish striker, they are fearful of fellow Premier League side Chelsea as they believe the Blues could place an offer close to the player's release clause of €100m (£85m/$112m).

DID YOU KNOW?

Mikel Arteta's side are on the verge of completing their first signing of the new season as they have reportedly agreed personal terms with Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi.

(C)Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR ARSENAL?

Arsenal will play their penultimate match of the season on Sunday as they visit Anfield to take on newly-crowned English champions Liverpool. They will hope their potential reinforcements can help them close the gap in 2025-26.

Essex batter has leapfrogged Lawrence and looks set for opportunity in December

Matt Roller19-Oct-2024Jordan Cox is set to make his Test debut as England’s wicketkeeper during their upcoming tour to New Zealand, with Jamie Smith due to miss part of the series on paternity leave. Cox, who turns 24 on Monday, has been England’s spare batter for their last five Tests and will get his chance to impress in December.Smith and his partner are expecting their first child in mid-December, with the birth likely to clash with either England’s second or third Test in New Zealand. “Being at the birth of my son is not something I want to miss,” he told the recently. “It will be a memory that I cherish more than any in cricket anyway, so if I lost my place because of it, so be it.”Cox made his international debut in England’s T20I series against Australia last month, and will soon be added to the squads for their upcoming white-ball tour to the Caribbean. He was unable to keep wicket for Essex this summer after a horrific broken finger sustained in the Hundred last year, but has been working on his keeping with Brendon McCullum in Pakistan.”It’s life, right?” McCullum said of Smith’s absence. “People have kids and we wish them all the best, to be there and support their partners. At this stage, it looks like Jamie will probably play the first [Test in New Zealand] and may miss the next two. We’re not totally sure – it’s up to Mother Nature a little – but we know we’ve got Jordan Cox in the squad here.”It will not concern England that Cox has hardly kept in the last year, as shown with Smith’s own selection earlier this summer despite being second-choice behind Ben Foakes at Surrey. McCullum believes from his own experience that New Zealand is “a comfortable place” to keep wicket, and wants to see how Cox – whose glovework he describes as “solid” – fares at Test level.Cox is a self-assured character who, by his own admission, would get “bored” once he had reached 40 while playing for a struggling Kent side last year. He moved to Essex after feeling like he “needed a change” that would help him “reignite” his passion for four-day cricket, and scored four hundreds while averaging 65.57 in his first County Championship season for them.Related

Pope and gory: Ollie's ugly exit means execution may be nigh

'All three formats would be awesome' – Jordan Cox in dreamland after maiden Test call-up

The inside story of county cricket's most eye-catching transfers

Shan Masood hails 'important win for Pakistan cricket'

Ben Stokes apologises for frustration after lapses cost England dear

He filled the No. 4 spot at Essex vacated by Dan Lawrence’s move to Surrey, and Lawrence’s own recent experiences highlight the problem with being England’s spare batter. After making a decent impression in the Caribbean in March 2022, Lawrence spent more than two years waiting for another opportunity in the middle order, only to be thrown in as an opener with predictable results. Now, he has slipped below Cox in the pecking order.Unless England lose a batter to injury or illness before Thursday’s third Test in Rawalpindi, Cox will be added to their white-ball squads and travel to the Caribbean, most likely along with Rehan Ahmed. Marcus Trescothick, who is interim white-ball coach for the three ODIs and five T20Is against West Indies, has already left Pakistan ahead of that tour.Cox should make his ODI debut in that series and will have a chance to stake a late claim for a spot in England’s squad for next year’s Champions Trophy. But it is the prospect of a Test debut later this year that could satisfy his restlessness, and provide vindication for the air miles he will rack up in the first half of the English winter.”He’s annoyingly good at everything he does – particularly on the golf course,” McCullum said. “He’s one of those guys that you look at and say he’s got a high ceiling in terms of talent, particularly with bat in hand. There’s a fair chance that he’ll get the opportunity in New Zealand, if Jamie does return home, to bat down the order and take the gloves.”

da betcris： Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin announced his departure from the club last week upon the expiration of his contract.

da brdice： “After nine remarkable years at this club, I’ve made the incredibly difficult decision – together with my family – to begin a new chapter in my career,” said the Englishman on social media, confirming the news.

The previous few seasons haven’t quite gone to plan, as he scored just 11 goals since the start of the 2023/24 campaign.

David Moyes now faces the challenge of bringing in another attacker who can replace the former Sheffield United man. Might a move be close for someone linked recently?

Everton ramping up talks to sign La Liga centre-forward

While Calvert-Lewin was reduced to a bit part figure at Goodison Park last season, he still needs replacing, and Beto still needs some competition up top.

Well, the Toffees may well have found their man already.

Indeed, according to TEAMtalk, Everton are currently in talks to sign Villarreal striker Thierno Barry and are ramping up their efforts to bring him to the Premier League now knowing that Calvert-Lewin is departing.

The La Liga side are desperate to keep their prized asset, and unless a club matches his €40m (£34m) release clause, the Frenchman won’t be going anywhere.

“We want the player, and if he were to leave, it would have to be, if not for the release clause, something very close to it. If not, he won’t leave.” commented Villarreal Sporting Director Fernando Roig Nogueroles.

With Calvert-Lewin’s £120k-per-week wage now off the bill, Moyes will have some flexibility regarding potential incomings.

Not only would Barry be an excellent signing, but the youngster would also be an upgrade on the former Toffees frontman.

Why Everton must sign Thierno Barry

Calvert-Lewin has really struggled for form over the previous two seasons. Last term, he managed to score just three times in the Premier League, recording two assists.

In comparison, Barry netted 19 times while assisting four times across all competitions, instantly suggesting he would be a big upgrade on the Englishman.

Furthermore, Barry also registered more shots on goal per game (2.1 vs 1.9) than Calvert-Lewin, along with scoring more frequently (a goal every 211 minutes vs every 543 minutes), created more big chances (seven vs one) and finished the season with a better goal conversion percentage (15% vs 6%) in their respective leagues.

By coming out on top across all of these metrics, Barry could give Everton some much-needed firepower next season under Moyes.

He was hailed by U23 scout Antonio Mango in May this year, who spoke glowingly of his 6 foot frame, noting that his “strong physique makes him menacing in the box.”

Thierno Barry’s 24/25 La Liga stats

Apps

35

Starts

25

Goals

11

xG

12.41

Total shots per game

2.1

Big chances missed

15

Chance conversion

15%

Assists

4

Big chances created

7

His hulking frame means Barry is excellent in the air. Indeed, when compared to his peers across Europe’s top five leagues, he ranks in the top 14% for aerials won (3.84) per 90.

This ability in the air will be music to Moyes’ ears, who can ask his wingers to deliver crosses into the box on a regular basis.

For a fee of just £34m, the Merseyside outfit can sign a player with proven ability in a top-five European league.

Not only that, Barry would be an instant upgrade to Calvert-Lewin.

Related Everton considering shock move to sign £40k-p/w ace likened to Messi

The Toffees could cause a shock…

Posts BySean Markus Clifford Jun 29, 2025

Allrounders Aaron Hardie and Matt Short have also been named alongside Alex Carey

Andrew McGlashan12-Jan-2025 • Updated on 13-Jan-2025

Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood have been named in Australia’s squad for the Champions Trophy after been ruled out of the upcoming Test tour of Sri Lanka.Cummins, who will captain the team, is on paternity leave for the birth of his second child, but it was also revealed last week that he was to undergo scans on a troublesome ankle he carried through the India Test series. George Bailey, the chair of selectors, said they were awaiting the outcome of the scans but with the ability to freely amend the squad for the next four weeks there was no imminent rush to make a final call.Related

Cummins 'heavily unlikely' for Champions Trophy, Smith or Head to lead Australia

Mitchell Marsh out of Champions Trophy with back injury

Extra ODI added to Australia's tour of Sri Lanka

Edwards, Sutherland, Hardie in Australia A squad for Sydney four-dayer against England Lions

Abbott: Didn't take ODI decision out of selectors' hands

“I want to give him a little bit of space at the back end of the Border-Gavaskar; obviously baby pending,” Bailey said. “We’ll work through that with Pat and obviously the selection panel and the medical team…but I know he’s very keen.”Hazlewood, meanwhile, hadn’t quite recovered in time from the calf injury that ended his series but should be able to take his place in the one-day side.Allrounders Aaron Hardie and Matthew Short, the latter who scored a 54-ball 109 for Adelaide Strikers two days ago, have also been included in the 15-player squad.Hardie is not currently bowling for Perth Scorchers in the BBL due to injury while Josh Inglis is also recovering from a calf strain he picked up while sub fielding during the Test series.Nathan Ellis has tipped out the likes of Sean Abbott and Xavier Bartlett to be the fourth pace bowler behind the big three.”This is a balanced and experienced squad with the core having been involved in the previous one-day World Cup, the West Indies series, last year’s successful tour of the UK and the more recent Pakistan home series,” Bailey said. “It offers a variety of options for touring management depending on opposition and the conditions that may present in Pakistan.”Alex Carey also finds a spot after making a successful return to the ODI side against England last year with scores of 74 and 77 not out having previously lost his place after one game of the 2023 World Cup. He could play as a specialist batter, as he did once in the England series, but also provides wicketkeeping back-up for Inglis.Adam Zampa is the one frontline spinner but will be supported by Short and Glenn Maxwell.Among younger players who featured against Pakistan earlier in the series, where Australia lost 2-1, Jake Fraser-McGurk has not made the cut amid an extended lean run which has included a top score of 26 in eight innings for Melbourne Renegades. Cooper Connolly, who was selected for the Sri Lanka Test tour, also can’t find a space.Australia will play a one-off ODI against Sri Lanka on February 13 before heading to Pakistan and discussions remain ongoing as to whether there will be another warm-up game. They are grouped with England (February 22), South Africa (February 25) and Afghanistan (February 28).The first semi-final will take place in Dubai on March 4 with the second in Lahore on March 5 following confirmation of the hybrid model due to India not traveling to Pakistan. The final will be on March 9, in either Dubai or Lahore depending on whether India qualify.Australia squad for Champions TrophyPat Cummins (capt), Alex Carey, Nathan Ellis, Aaron Hardie, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Short, Steven Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa

Samson’s exclusion comes after KCA decided to include players from the camp

Shashank Kishore18-Dec-2024Sanju Samson has been left out of Kerala’s squad for the Vijay Hazare Trophy beginning December 21. The move comes on the back of an internal decision to include only those players who participated in a preparatory camp in the lead-up to the tournament.Samson had led Kerala in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2024-25, where they narrowly missed out on qualifying for the knockouts, winning four out of their six matches. Samson, who had originally been named in the 30-member probable list, now finds himself out of the 19-member long list.ESPNcricinfo understands Samson had written to the association stating his unavailability for the camp, but the KCA has decided to stick to its original decision. With senior batter Sachin Baby also unavailable due to injury he picked up during SMAT, batter Salman Nizar has been named captain for the 50-over competition.Related

• Vijay Hazare Trophy: Agarawal, Tilak, Nair go big as tournament crosses halfway mark

• Shami named in Bengal's Vijay Hazare Trophy squad

• Prithvi Shaw dropped from Mumbai squad for Vijay Hazare Trophy

Samson, fresh off two T20I centuries on the tour of South Africa, played in five of Kerala’s six games at SMAT, scoring 135 runs including one half-century.Kerala squad: Salman Nizar (capt), Rohan Kunnummal, Shoun Roger, Mohammed Azharuddeen (wk), Anand Krishnan, Krishna Prasad, Jalaj Saxena, Aditya Sarwate, Sijomon Joseph, Basil Thampi, Basil NP, Nidheesh MD, Eden Apple Tom, Sharafuddeen, Akhil Scaria, Vishweshwar Suresh, Vaishak Chandran, Ajnas M (wk)

Karnataka ‘move on’ from Manish Pandey

Meanwhile, there’s churn elsewhere with Karnataka seemingly having “moved on” – as per KSCA selection committee chair J Abhiram – from a number of senior players in a bid to reset. Among those not considered is senior batter Manish Pandey.The KSCA believes Pandey’s exit at this point is purely on form and the possibility of a comeback seems “tough.” Pandey managed just 117 runs in five innings as Karnataka failed to make the SMAT knockouts; they finished fourth in the eight-team pool, losing out to Baroda and Saurashtra.The last of Karnataka’s white-ball trophies – Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in 2018-19 and 2019-20 – came under Manish Pandey’s captaincy•MPCA

The association has also gone to the extent of saying Pandey, who was vice-captain to Mayank Agarwal for the first half of Ranji Trophy 2024-25, won’t be considered for the back end of the competition that will resume in January. Pandey managed a solitary half-century in six innings, with Karnataka needing a miracle to qualify for the knockouts.”We as an association have realised that we need to move on from the players of old and bring in new blood,” Abhiram said. “We cannot live in past glory.”If Pandey has indeed played his last game, it marks the end of a glorious career in which he was part of two Ranji Trophy-winning squads [2013-14 and 2014-15], apart from winning a number of white-ball championships. Interestingly, Karnataka won their most-recent silverware under his leadership – the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy back-to-back in 2018-19 and 2019-20.Pandey has 7973 runs in 118 first-class matches at an average of 50.78, with 25 centuries. Overall, he also has over 13,000 runs across the white-ball formats. He played the most-recent of his 68 white-ball games for India in 2021. Last month, he was re-signed by reigning IPL champions Kolkata Knight Riders ahead of the 2025 season.Pandey’s ouster from Karnataka comes hot on the heels of a number of high-profile exits. K Gowtham, the allrounder, hasn’t been considered across formats since the end of the 2022-23 season despite compelling performances in club cricket as well as the state-run Maharaja T20 Trophy.R Samarth, the opener, has moved to Uttarakhand to play across formats, something he wasn’t able to at Karnataka with the selectors considering him as a red-ball specialist. Shreyas Gopal, the legspinner, left for Kerala for a season but has since returned to the Karnataka fold.It appears now that senior players, including captain Agarwal, will be under close scrutiny from the selection committee should they continue to flounder. “When we won the double-treble, it was a young Karnataka team,” Abhiram said. “We’re banking on youth once again to get us there.”Karnataka squad: Mayank Agarwal (capt), Shreyas Gopal (vice-capt), S Nikin Jose, KV Aneesh, R Smaran, KL Shrijith, Abhinav Manohar, Hardik Raj, Vyshak Vijaykumar, Vasuki Koushik, Vidyadhar Patil, Kishan Bedare, Abhilash Shetty, Manoj Bhandage, Pravin Dubey, Luvnith Sisodia

Saul Niguez believes Atletico Madrid have no excuse for not challenging for major honours after all the money they have spent in recent years.

Praises Simeone’s honesty in final talksSlams ‘fake’ figures inside the clubDemands trophies after €400m investmentFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Former Atletico midfielder Saul has hit out at his old club during an interview with , saying they have “no excuse” not to challenge for major silverware this season. The Spaniard officially left the club this summer to complete a move to Brazilian side Flamengo and has reflected on his 13-year spell at the Spanish club.

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Atleti have strengthened over the summer and expectations are rising, with president Enrique Cerezo recently challenging Simeone to deliver Champions League, La Liga and Copa del Rey crowns. They have already Alex Baena, David Hancko, Johnny Cardoso and Matteo Ruggeri among others this summer, and are reportedly working on the signing of Stuttgart's Enzo Millot and Giacomo Raspadori from Napoli.

Having spent big for the second summer in a row, Saul believes it is time for the capital club to challenge Barcelona and Real Madrid for domestic silverware and set their sights on delivering European glory at the same time.

WHAT SAUL SAID

He said: "They have fewer and fewer excuses. Last year they spent 200 million and this year they've paid another 200. Now the reality is different. They're already spending the same as other clubs and they have to compete for everything. Last year wasn't as bad as some people make it out to be. It was a year they came close to winning and didn't. As long as Cholo's message continues to resonate with the players, I think he's got a long way to go."

Saul also reflected on his final conversation with Simeone while he was still on loan at Sevilla, saying: "My relationship with Simeone had ups and downs, but he was always direct, he wasn't fake like some others at the club. He may have been a little more distant as a manager, but everything he said to me was always to my face. In my last chat with him at the Sanchez-Pizjuan, he told me that he wasn't counting on me for the following season. I think it was a very good chat because in the end it was thought that I was going to complain about anything, but in the end it was the opposite."

AFPWHAT NEXT FOR ATLETICO?

Saul’s remarks shine a light on internal dynamics and raise fresh questions about whether Simeone can evolve tactically and emotionally to meet the moment. It’s now or never if Atleti are to reclaim their place at Europe’s top table.