USMNT star Sergino Dest has revealed what it was like to play alongside Lionel Messi during his time at Barcelona.
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Former New Zealand allrounder Grant Elliott provided resounding approval to the security measures for the World XI series in Lahore
ESPNcricinfo staff09-Sep-20174:31
‘The tour signifies world’s support for Pakistan’ – Raja
Former New Zealand allrounder Grant Elliott has provided resounding approval to the security measures for the World XI series in Lahore, saying “if no one felt safe, no one would be going”. Elliott is the only player from New Zealand in the visiting squad.A team of overseas players, comprising several first-choice picks in Hashim Amla, Tamim Iqbal, Morne Morkel, Samuel Badree, Imran Tahir, and led by Faf du Plessis, will play three T20 internationals on September 12, 13 and 15 as part of an effort to bring international cricket back to Pakistan. To ensure that the series goes on without a hitch, the PCB has promised presidential-level security to the visitors.”We get the reports from all the relevant agencies such as FICA (Federation of International Cricket Associations) and independent security firms,” Elliott told the . “You assess the risks involved and make a decision as a family. Of course the players are getting paid but, if no one felt safe, no one would be going.”These are small steps in returning cricket to Pakistan on a more permanent basis. It’s sad for them that they never play at home. They always talk about it with such passion. I think we can expect enthusiastic crowds. Wherever you go there are risks, and being away from home for long periods is always tough on the family.”The World XI series is being conducted on the back of a successful staging of the Pakistan Super League final at the Gaddafi Stadium in March. Elliott had been part of that tournament – his team Lahore Qalandars did not make it to the final – and he was looking forward to meeting up with some of his colleagues.”I got to know a few people in Pakistani cricket when I performed pretty well in those tournaments,” he said. “I’m also excited about some opportunities which might open up with the Lahore owners. They’ve just bought the Durban Qalandars franchise in South Africa, and I will be their assistant coach in November-December [for the inaugural Global League].”That doesn’t mean my playing days are over. I’m still keen to play, and have another year with the Birmingham Bears. I’ve just finished a successful tournament there.”Elliott retired from international cricket in March 2017, signing a Kolpak deal to play in England’s T20 Blast; he played the tournament final last week. “The shorter format is something I’m still passionate about, so I may as well keep doing it,” he said. “I thrived with the captaincy of the Bears towards the end. I enjoy helping younger guys achieve the pathways they want.”Should Elliot make the playing XI on Tuesday, Wednesday or Friday, he will be the first New Zealander to play cricket in Pakistan since December 2003.World XI squad: Faf du Plessis (capt), Hashim Amla, Samuel Badree, George Bailey, Paul Collingwood, Ben Cutting, Grant Elliott, Tamim Iqbal, David Miller, Morne Morkel, Tim Paine, Thisara Perera, Imran Tahir, Darren Sammy
Newcastle United have already started to add quality new additions to their impressive squad this summer with Sandro Tonali confirmed, and now a new update has emerged on the club's pursuit of another transfer target.
What's the latest on Newcastle's interest in Harvey Barnes?
According to The Telegraph's football news correspondent Matt Law, Newcastle are "closing in" on a deal for Leicester City winger Harvey Barnes.
In an article for the publication, the journalist reveals that Newcastle are beating West Ham United and Aston Villa to the signing of the forward this summer with the Magpies hoping to pay a transfer fee of £35m to secure his signature this summer.
It is further claimed that Barnes has been a long-standing prospect identified as a top target by Eddie Howe with the player keen to join Newcastle and a bid is expected to be tabled over the next few days.
What position does Harvey Barnes play?
Howe will be thrilled with the rapid progress his squad has made during his first 18 months in charge at the Tyneside club, however, now with Champions League football secured, there is definitely an opportunity and demand to add important depth to key roles.
Whilst competing on the elite European stage will play a huge part in Newcastle's campaign, the club and supporters will be desperate to seal some silverware after coming incredibly close in the League Cup final at Wembley against Manchester United last season and suffering a drought in major trophies since 1955.
As a result, the signing of Barnes could be a great opportunity for Newcastle to strengthen their wide options in the attacking threat and the recently relegated winger could be the perfect player to work alongside Alexander Isak to boost goal contributions and consistency in front of goal in all competitions next season.
Despite being unable to fight off a drop into the Championship last season, the 25-year-old – once hailed a "livewire" by pundit Alan Hutton – has been a consistent and reliable performer on the left side of the forward line for the Foxes, tallying up 45 goals and 32 assists over 187 appearances, with a goal contribution every 164 minutes.
Now the Newcastle squad and especially Isak could benefit from Barnes' keen eye for goal-scoring opportunities with more goals scored last season (13), more shots on target per 90 (1.13) and more goals per shot (1.13) than any of Howe's current crop of wingers, as per FBref.
Isak has been a revelation at St James' Park and has quickly cemented himself as a fan favourite at the North East club with his undeniable pace and finishing abilities playing a vital role in the club's Champions League qualification – as he netted ten goals in just 22 league games last term – so having a player who can provide the killer ball into the box would offer him even more opportunities to score next season.
With that being said, the signing of Barnes would be a great piece of business for Newcastle in their pursuit to compete at the highest level across all competitions next season and if the winger can have the desired impact by forming a partnership with Isak, there is no doubt that they would be an unstoppable threat.
Manchester City and England star Chloe Kelly has quoted Drake lyrics in a savage post mocking Manchester United after a derby win at Old Trafford.
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Eagerly-anticipated WSL clash in ManchesterBlues took the spoils in 3-1 winEngland star revels in memorable successWHAT HAPPENED?
The Lionesses forward, who famously netted the winning goal for her country in the Euro 2022 final, helped City to a memorable victory at the home of their fiercest rivals on Sunday. The visitors were comfortable in the end at the so-called ‘Theatre of Dreams’ as Jill Roord, Lauren Hemp and Bunny Shaw found the target in a 3-1 win.
AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE
Kelly has taken great delight in picking up three points in a derby encounter that saw England team-mate Mary Earps endure an afternoon to forget between the sticks for United – with the experienced goalkeeper making an uncharacteristic error for Shaw’s second-half goal.
DID YOU KNOW?
Unsurprisingly, City were not given the warmest of receptions at Old Trafford – with Kelly posting on social media afterwards: “Never much love when we go OT”. That message, which was accompanied by an image of the 25-year-old shushing the home support, offers a nod to the lyrics from the platinum-selling Drake track ‘One Dance’.
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WHAT NEXT?
City have now risen above United to sit third in the WSL standings – six points adrift of leaders Chelsea – and will be back in action on Wednesday when playing host to Leicester in the Women’s League Cup.
Potential new Manchester United owner Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani has been handed a transfer boost as he looks to sign Paris Saint-Germain superstar Kylian Mbappe.
What’s the latest Man United news involving Jassim and Mbappe?
Jassim has been interested in taking control from the Glazers for months now and has placed five Old Trafford offers, with the last being a take-it-or-leave-it bid. Should the Qatar group prove successful, Jassim would clear all of United’s debt and have a separate fund for the club and local community.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe's Ineos Group are the other main party in the race to purchase Manchester United, with both bidders yet to find out if their takeover attempts have been successful.
However, should Jassim come out on top, it appears as if he has an immediate transfer plan to win United supporters over. Reports have claimed that Jassim feels that Mbappe “belongs at Man United” and is planning a sensational transfer move for the star forward.
PSG would look to sell Mbappe if he doesn’t extend his stay at the Parc de Princes stay over the coming months and value the player at £170m.
Now, The Mirror have shared a further positive update on Mbappe and a potential move to Man United, saying:
“Paris Saint-Germain are prepared to sell Kylian Mbappe to Manchester United this summer should the Qatari-backed Sheikh Jassim takeover bid at Old Trafford prove successful.”
Is Kylian Mbappe signing for Manchester United?
Mbappe making the move to the red side of Manchester would be a huge deal and one that could take Erik ten Hag’s side to the next level.
The £893,000-a-week forward has scored a whopping 212 goals in 260 games for PSG and already has 38 goals in 68 games for France.
Still just 24 years of age, the World Cup winner netted 41 times in all competitions last season, with United scoring 58 goals in the Premier League, the fewest out of the top seven sides.
You can see how Mbappe would fit into this United side and possibly star in England, however, a lot still needs to happen before we can think about a transfer.
A deal needs to be struck between the Glazers and Jassim, and with Mike Keegan claiming it could take eight to 12 weeks for an approval process, meaning that the Glazers may remain in control at the start of next season, so a transfer could be tricky.
England Lions were put to the sword by an unbroken stand of 303 on another sweltering day in Dambulla
ESPNcricinfo staff25-Feb-2017Sri Lanka A 333 for 3 (Samarawickrama 177*, Karunaratne 140*) trail England Lions 353 (Livingstone 105, Westley 68, Pushpakumara 8-127) by 20 runs
ScorecardDimuth Karunaratne found form ahead of the Test series against Bangladesh•AFPEngland Lions were put to the sword by an unbroken stand of 303 on the second day in Dambulla. Test opener Dimuth Karunaratne and 21-year-old Sadeera Samarawickrama gorged themselves during the latter two sessions to put Sri Lanka A in control.The Lions had extended their total to 353 and when Sri Lanka A stumbled to 30 for 3 it looked a formidable score. But that changed dramatically as the day wore on, and it was Samarawickrama who led the way to finish unbeaten on a career-best 177 from 219 deliveries.He was given one life, on 90, when Tom Curran could not hold a leading edge off Jack Leach but otherwise it was a dominant performance. It was an expensive day for Leach, who missed the opening game after feeling uncertain about his remodelled action, as he finished with 0 for 76 from 12 overs.For Karunaratne this series is a chance to find some form ahead of the Test series against Bangladesh. He chipped in against South Africa, with scores of 43, 24 and 50 alongside three single-figure innings, but he had not reached 20 in his previous six completed first-class innings which included two failures in the opening match against the Lions.This time he survived the new ball and began to prosper against a tiring Lions attack. By the end of the day he had struck 15 boundaries in his 216-ball stay.The picture looked very different during the morning session. Tom Curran struck in his second over to have Udara Jayasundera, who carried his bat in the second innings of the previous match, caught behind and Ron Chandraguptha went the same way against Toby Roland-Jones.When Ollie Rayner trapped Sandun Weerakkody lbw sweeping the Lions were buoyant, but that proved the last moment of success on what became a day of toil. They are not the first England side to feel that in Asia this season.
Erik ten Hag wants to add a No.9, but has limited funds after signing Mason Mount, with the only solution to cash in on a number of his squad players
Manchester United's need for a striker could not have been more obvious as they stumbled through the final few weeks of last season. As it became increasingly clear Wout Weghorst was incapable of scoring, Erik ten Hag's side had to rely on a worn-out Marcus Rashford and a half-fit Anthony Martial to get them over the line in their bid for Champions League qualification.
Ten Hag made his feelings clear about the need for a striker but, one month after the season came to an end, the only new player to have arrived at Old Trafford is midfielder Mason Mount, burning a £60 million ($76m) hole in an already tight budget. The Red Devils have a maximum of £120m ($153m) to spend this summer due to the Premier League's Profitability and Sustainability rules, and they also need to sign a goalkeeper after doing a U-turn on a new contract for David de Gea.
It could take around £50 million ($63m) to get No.1 'keeper target Andre Onana from Inter, which would mean maxing out the budget with no new striker to show for it. But there is a way out of United's spending dilemma, and that is to sell players.
The club have been notoriously imprudent when it comes to selling players, pocketing a mere £133m ($170m) since 2013, the lowest of their fellow Premier League 'Big Six' teams and in stark contrast to Chelsea, who have earned £706m ($901m) from sales in the same period.
But United have plenty of players they can make money from, and selling them wisely is key to regenerating Ten Hag's squad. GOAL takes a look at who they can sell and for how much…
Getty ImagesJadon Sancho (£50m)
Sancho has fallen way short of what was expected from him after his £73m move from Borussia Dortmund. In two seasons and 79 appearances, he has contributed just 12 goals and six assists. It is a remarkable drop off from his time in Germany, when he scored 50 goals and provided 64 assists in 137 matches.
His second season at Old Trafford was no easier than his first, and despite making a good start by scoring against Liverpool, his confidence faded and Ten Hag removed him from the squad for over two months to work on his fitness and confidence.
There were some flashes of the Sancho who Dortmund fans knew and loved, but tangible, important contributions were few and far between. United know they will make a loss on Sancho if they do sell him, and if an offer in the region of £50m arrives they will surely bite.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesHarry Maguire (£40m)
Maguire played in fewer than half of United's league games last season, making only eight starts. And when he did play, he oftenstruggled badly.His stock has fallen so much that he has fallen to fifth-choice centre-back,even dropping behind left-back Luke Shawin the pecking order.
He is ill-equipped for the type of football Ten Hag wants United to play, but his career at the top level is by no means over. He remains first-choice for England despite everything that has happened this season, and he would have plenty of takers from mid-level clubs in the Premier League.
United will have to swallow their pride and admit they made a mistake making Maguire the most expensive defender in the world in 2019. But if they can make back even half of that fee then they should take it, especially as he has two years left on his contract.
Getty ImagesScott McTominay (£35m)
McTominay saw his playing time severely squeezed by the arrivals of Christian Eriksen and Casemiro, starting only 10 league games in 2022-23. And just when he was starting to get back in contention for a starting berth in April, he got injured. The arrival of Mount, even if not a like-for-like replacement, has seen him drop yet further down the pecking order.
But the Scotland midfielder has been in sensational form for his country, scoring five goals in his last four international appearances. He is still a player in demand and, at 26, has a fine career ahead of him.
Even though it would hurt to let one of their own go, a fee of between £30m and £40m would likely be enough to persuade United to part with McTominay.
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Getty ImagesAnthony Martial (£15m)
Since returning from a disappointing loan spell at Sevilla, Martial has proved two things most United fans already knew. Firstly, that he remains a quality player on his day, scoring six Premier League goals from only 11 starts. But secondly, that he is incapable of staying fit for long periods.
The Frenchman, who United paid £50m for in 2015, suffered five injuries last season, missing a total of 27 matches and never once completing 90 minutes. His frail fitness means that he is not much use as a back-up striker, and he missed the FA Cup final after suffering a hamstring injury in the final league game of the season.
Although it has been reported the club are looking for £25m for Martial, his long-running injury problems and the fact he only has one year left on his contract means his sell-on value is fading fast. An offer of £15m should be enough to convince the club to sell.
West Ham United are leading the race for Southampton midfielder James Ward-Prowse, according to a recent report from The Sun.
What's the latest West Ham transfer news?
The main transfer saga surrounding West Ham this summer will be about Declan Rice, with Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg recently reporting the midfielder could join Arsenal "immediately", despite the interest from Bayern Munich.
Plettenberg also claims Rice has held a telephone conversation with Bayern manager Thomas Tuchel, while it has previously been reported that both Manchester City and Manchester United are interested in the Irons captain.
With the 24-year-old seemingly heading for the exit door, David Moyes is now tasked with finding a suitable replacement, and the Hammers have recently been linked with moves for the likes of Conor Gallagher and Fabio Carvalho.
Another option for the Hammers appears to be Ward-Prowse, and they are now leading the race for the Southampton captain, who could cost as much as £40m, according to a report from The Sun.
The Saints are looking to fund a summer rebuild following their relegation from the Premier League, and they hope to receive a large fee for the 28-year-old, as he will be in high demand, and he still has three years remaining on his deal.
West Ham have tracked the central midfielder for a long time, and they are keen to bring him in alongside Fulham's Joao Palhinha, with both players being targeted to replace Rice.
Should West Ham sign James Ward-Prowse?
Hailed as "sensational" by pundit Darren Bent, the Englishman has, on a personal level, had a fantastic season in the Premier League, creating a remarkable 74 chances, the seventh-highest figure of any player in the top flight.
The midfielder, who shares the same agency as Gianluca Scamacca, played every single game for the Saints, being utilised in both attacking and defensive roles, and he has exhibited a number of different qualities over the past year, ranking in the 82nd percentile for interceptions, and in the 87th for non-penalty goals.
The 2022-23 campaign was not the first time the England international played every match for Southampton, as he became a Premier League record holder by becoming the first midfielder to play every minute of consecutive Premier League campaigns back in 2021.
Given that Rice also very rarely misses games, Ward-Prowse would be a like-for-like replacement in that regard, while he also poses more of a threat on the front foot, and he would be a very solid signing for West Ham.
Hampshire’s bowlers held their nerve to complete a nine-run win over Sussex at Hove and keep alive their hopes of reaching the knockout stages of the Royal London Cup
ECB Reporters Network27-Jul-2016
ScorecardJimmy Adams’ 92 helped lay the platform for Hampshire•Getty ImagesHampshire’s bowlers held their nerve to complete a nine-run win over Sussex at Hove and keep alive their hopes of reaching the knockout stages of the Royal London Cup.Chasing 269 to win, a fifth wicket stand of 125 in 17.3 overs between Chris Nash and Ben Brown gave Sussex hope after they had been 109 for 4 from 29. But Brown was superbly caught by wicketkeeper Lewis McManus diving to his right after making a List A best of 62 from 56 balls midway through the 47th over.The 48th over began with 31 needed but Brad Wheal conceded just three runs from it and Sussex’s race was run when Chris Jordan, who had just driven the second ball of the 49th over for six over extra cover, was bowled off the next delivery by Ryan McLaren. Sussex required 17 from the final over but Wheal restricted them to seven runs as they finished on 259 for 6 with Nash undefeated on 68 from 74 balls.Hampshire had earlier been indebted to a stylish 92 from opener Jimmy Adams and some late-order hitting by South African allrounder McLaren after they had been put in under overcast skies with the floodlights on from the start.Adams scored his runs from 97 balls with ten fours, and a six off Harry Finch in the same over that he reached his half-century. The opener shared a second-wicket stand of 87 in 15.2 overs with Adam Wheater (42) who was superbly run out by Jordan’s throw on the run from extra cover with only one stump to aim at.Hampshire struggled for momentum for a while after Wheater’s dismissal. Adams was fourth out in the 34th over, one of three victims for left-armer George Garton who surprised Adams with a bouncer which he could only touch to wicket keeper Brown.Garton, fresh from taking four wickets for England Lions on Tuesday, bowled with good pace in three spells down the slope to finish with 3 for 40 and also pulled off a stunning catch at square leg to remove Tom Alsop.In the absence of Bangladesh left-armer Mustafizur Rahman, who is unlikely to play for the county again because of a shoulder injury, Jofra Archer impressed on his first List A appearance at Hove with 1 for 46, occasionally finding some steepling bounce on a good pitch. It needed some robust hitting from McLaren to get Hampshire to a competitive score. He made an unbeaten 46 from 39 balls from No.6 and those runs were to prove crucial.Sussex were 81 for 3 after 22 overs of their reply with Ed Joyce, Phil Salt and Finch all unable to capitalise on starts but their chase was given impetus by Luke Wright, who made 45 from 60 balls. The Sussex skipper looked in the mood until he drove a full toss from Wheal to mid-on and departed mortified by his misjudgement.Brown and Nash took responsibility but fell short and a fifth defeat out of six has left Sussex with virtually no chance of reaching the last eight.
Some of South Africa’s international players will be unavailable for at least the first half of the domestic 20-over competition, which will impact CSA’s ability to grow the profile of the tournament
Firdose Moonda07-Jun-2016
The Ram Slam T20 Challenge has struggled to gain the same glamour as competitions like the IPL and the Big Bash League•Gallo Images
Some of South Africa’s international players will be unavailable for at least the first half of the domestic 20-over competition, which will impact CSA’s ability to grow the profile of the tournament. The fixtures of the Ram Slam T20 Challenge were announced on Tuesday and the tournament is scheduled to run from November 12 to December 16, which overlaps with the Test team’s tour to Australia that ends on November 28.This means international players, including Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers, Dale Steyn and Kagiso Rabada, will only feature peripherally in the tournament, despite CSA’s desire to have their big names available for as much of the competition as possible. Such was South Africa’s desire to try and promote their shortest format like India, Australia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, West Indies and England have done, that they moved a Test in Sri Lanka’s tour of South Africa from mid-December to mid-January to free up the holiday period for Ram Slam T20. Although they have achieved that, the first 18 matches of the 32-game tournament will take place with the Test team playing fixtures in Hobart and Adelaide.South Africa’s 20-over competition has struggled to gain the same glamour as some of its counterparts for two reasons. Chiefly, it has not attracted enough international stars, not even from South Africa, and this will only change in the second half of the event this year. The tournament has also been unable to contract too many big names as the declining Rand is an unattractive currency, and the timing of the tournament is awkward for many players. In some years, it clashed with the Big Bash League. In a few seasons, it has clashed with Test fixtures in other countries.The competition has retained its sponsor for now. Courier company RAM were reviewing their backing of the tournament after last season’s competition was marred by match-fixing allegations which saw Gulam Bodi banned for 20 years for attempting to manipulate matches. CSA insists Bodi did not succeed. The investigation into the allegations has not reached its conclusion with the South African board still expected to name other players it intends to sanction.The rest of South Africa’s domestic season will take place as normal, beginning with the four-day competition that is split into two rounds of five matches each. The one-day cup will be played in a single block in February and March, when the national side will be in New Zealand, which also makes them unavailable for those games.The second-tier semi-professional tournament still includes Namibia and will be played as three-day and one-day fixtures but the 20-over tournament has fallen away in favour of the season-opening Africa Cup. Now in its second edition, the Africa Cup is played over four weekends with the table-topping team from each pool advancing to a finals weekend. All teams play only three matches and it also includes teams from Zimbabwe, Namibia and Kenya.