Gujarat Lions guaranteed themselves a top-two finish on the IPL league table after a 96-run partnership between Brendon McCullum and Suresh Raina set them up for an six-wicket win over Mumbai Indians

The Report by Karthik Krishnaswamy21-May-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsDwayne Bravo’s end-overs bowling played a key role in restricting Mumbai Indians to 172 in excellent batting conditions•BCCIBravo fined 50% of match fee

Dwayne Bravo has been fined 50% of his match fee for breaching the IPL code of conduct during Gujarat Lions’ match against Mumbai Indians on Saturday. Bravo has admitted to the Level 2 offence of “inappropriate and deliberate physical contact with a player in the course of play during a match”.
While the IPL’s media release did not detail Bravo’s code violation, the incident may have occurred during the 14th over of Mumbai’s innings, when Bravo, after fielding a defensive shot off his own bowling, walked up to the batsman, Kieron Pollard, and shoulder-bumped him.
“Ridiculous outcome…!! Again I have seen worst happen obscenities used no outcome but @DJBravo47 fined,” Pollard tweeted, in response to news of the fine. “It’s slowly turning into a robotic game.. No emotions no actions nothing …2020 = entertainment !! Rigorous battles !! Evrything is a fine”.

Gujarat Lions guaranteed themselves a top-two finish on the IPL league table, and earned themselves two shots at a place in the final, after a 96-run partnership between Brendon McCullum and Suresh Raina set them up for a six-wicket win over Mumbai Indians. Lions ended the league stage on 18 points while Mumbai finished on 14. To make the playoffs, Mumbai will need Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Daredevils – who also have 14 points each – to lose their matches on Sunday, and lose by big enough margins for their net run rates to dip below Mumbai’s -0.146.Rohit Sharma noted, after Raina chose to bowl, that the Green Park pitch wasn’t as green as it had been on Thursday when Lions had restricted Knight Riders to 124. It wasn’t just less green. It was even-paced, with the ball coming nicely on to the bat, and Mumbai’s total of 172 proved well short of challenging as Lions, given a strong platform by Raina and McCullum, and a sure finish by Dwayne Smith – who swapped places in the batting order with Aaron Finch – cruised home with 13 balls remaining.Mumbai got off to an excellent start with the bat, with Rohit enjoying the batting-friendly conditions to move to 30 off 16 balls, with four fours and two sixes, before pulling Dhawal Kulkarni straight to deep square leg in the fourth over. Nitish Rana walked in and pulled his first ball for four.Dwayne Smith had picked up four wickets on Thursday, and Raina tossed him the ball at the start of the fifth over even though the conditions were rather different this time. Martin Guptill, invisible till then, glanced his second ball for four, and should have put away his third one as well. It was shortish, and offered plenty of swinging room for Guptill to flat-bat it anywhere he pleased; he ended up dragging it to mid-on.With Smith’s deceptively quick bouncer consuming Krunal Pandya in the same over, Mumbai were forced into rebuilding mode. Rana and Jos Buttler only scored 27 runs in the first 30 balls of their partnership, and Mumbai were 72 for 3 at the halfway stage.Fifteen came off the 11th, as Rana slogged Ravindra Jadeja over long-on and Buttler chopped him to the backward point boundary. Rana began the 12th over with a four and a six off Smith, and Mumbai were back on track.Rana favoured the pull and the slog-sweep, and those strengths, and his left-handedness, was probably the reason Raina only used Jadeja for one over. Rana hit Shadab Jakati, Lions’ other left-arm spinner, for a six in the 13th over, and three fours – two in the midwicket region – in the 15th.Fourteen came off that over, and with Rana past the half-century mark, Mumbai were nicely placed going into the last five. They had lost Buttler to a reflex caught-and-bowled from Dwayne Bravo, but at the crease was Kieron Pollard, in the kind of situation he enjoys batting in.Rana clubbed another leg-side six off Dhawal Kulkarni in the 16th, going deep in his crease to shorten the length of the ball, but he miscued to deep square leg when he tried the same shot off Bravo in the next over. Pollard cleared long-on with a top-edge in the 18th before swatting a full-toss from Kulkarni straight down long-off’s throat. Suddenly, Mumbai had two new batsmen at the crease with only two overs to go.They would only get 12 from the last two, as Bravo and Praveen Kumar, both going around the wicket, either speared it too full for Hardik Pandya and Harbhajan Singh to get under, or dangled it too slow to line up perfectly. Both batsmen fell in the final over as Mumbai finished on 172 for 8. They had only scored 27 in the last four overs.Finch fell in the first over of Lions’ innings, victim to his tendency to get stuck on the crease early in his innings, but McCullum and Raina quickly got the chase into gear. Bowlers tend to attack Raina’s rib cage early on, but Mitchell McClenaghan overused the short ball in the third over, and the batsman pulled, slapped and uppercut three fours, having already picked up a boundary when Hardik let a drive slip between his legs at cover point.McCullum hit Krunal for two fours and a pulled six in the fifth over, and Lions were already past 50. With the field still in, Raina’s chancy slogs off Jasprit Bumrah’s slower balls proved quite productive in the sixth over – one went to the third man boundary off the top edge, and the other, not quite middled, sailed over deep midwicket. Rattled, Bumrah fed McCullum on his pads and then gave him width; 19 came off that over and Lions’ required rate dipped to 7.35.With the spinners, Krunal and Harbhajan Singh, routinely dropping short, Lions were racing home. This being the IPL, there was a small wobble, as McCullum, Dinesh Karthik and Raina fell in the space of 19 balls to leave 51 needed from 46. Smith, though, conveyed cold authority right from the time he flat-batted the second ball he faced back over Bumrah’s head, and he steered Lions home with a calm, unbeaten 37 off 23.

ESPN journalist Luis Miguel Echegaray has been left in disbelief as Chelsea cool their interest in former Barcelona boss Luis Enrique.

What’s the latest on Enrique to Chelsea?

The 52-year-old has been on Todd Boehly’s radar since the west Londoners opted to dismiss former manager Graham Potter at the start of April.

Enrique is also reliably believed to have even flown to England for talks with Chelsea recently, coming as the club step up their pursuit of a new manager.

Frank Lampard has been placed in temporary charge until the end of the Premier League campaign, a tenure which has gone disastrously thus far with still no victory since taking the hot seat.

Out of the Champions League and with zero chance of clinching silverware, it’s back to the drawing board for Boehly with managers high on the agenda.

Enrique was thought to be among the primary contenders to take over at Chelsea alongside former Bayern Munich boss Julian Nagelsmann, with the latter sacked unceremoniously despite leading his former club to a Champions League quarter-final.

Now, though, according to a report by The Telegraph, Chelsea have apparently cooled their interest in Enrique – with the Champions League winner not among Boehly’s main contenders for the role.

Reacting to this news, Echegaray has been left surprised – explaining that Enrique could be ‘perfect’ for the job.

Taking to social media, he explained:

Instead of the former Spain boss, it is believed that Nagelsmann and former Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino are set for further talks and Boehly has even already been ‘impressed’ with the latter coach.

Should Chelsea turn away?

Enrique has plenty of credentials and arguably far more than some other names to have been linked.

Indeed, the former Celta Vigo boss holds multiple league titles alongside a Champions League winners medal – all while encouraging a possession-based, attack-minded style of football.

His status as a free agent stands out as yet another incentive for Chelsea to make a move for him, so The Telegraph’s update does indeed come as a surprising one.

Perhaps it was Enrique’s lack of experience in England which ultimately lead to this decision, but one way or another, some supporters will be disappointed.

Gary Ballance took his century to 132 on a largely uneventful day at Scarborough

David Hopps04-Jul-2016
ScorecardAndrew Hodd was struck on the helmet by Steve Finn•Getty Images

Shortly after half-past four, bad light at Scarborough brought a sudden exodus. The bulk of the spectators tramped for the exit, in no mood to kill time in the hope of more play. “Seen enough,” said one Yorkshire supporter implacably, a self-appointed spokesman for the determinedly departed. Down North Marine Road they stampeded, faces set, for the warmth of the guest houses or the nearest pub.It has been that sort of summer. It has been that sort of Championship season. The first week of July and it has still to come to life, even in Yorkshire where the White Rose is seeking a hat-trick of titles. Middlesex 130 for 2 in reply to Yorkshire’s 406 and, after Gary Ballance’s century on the first day, not much to reflect upon.First the spectators prematurely called off play for the day, then the Yorkshire PA announcer sounded as if he had done the same. The umpires, stoutly awaiting a break in the weather, must have wondered what was going on. Never call off play while you can still see the Scarborough windmill.A former Yorkshire secretary, Joe Lister, used to make the PA announcements himself, in between fielding correspondence and making his daily run to the bookmakers’ tent. “The umpires have called off play for the day,” he would say, making huge play on the word “reluctantly”, even though everybody knew he wanted rid of the crowd as soon as possible.One day, he inadvertently left his microphone on. Having issued his edict, he added: “Thank heavens for that, time for another gin and tonic.””Gerr’em out there Bird,” came a traditional cry from the tiny minority who were prepared to hang around in the hope of more play: they were rewarded with 21 balls, thoroughly inconsequential.Dickie Bird stood in his last Test 20 years ago, but the call still goes out in Yorkshire in celebration of his well-worn tale about how he was once barracked entering a Headingley Test during a stoppage for a wet outfield, complete with the punchline: “I wasn’t even umpiring”. It is good to imagine that the shout will be heard as long as county cricket is played.The morning had been taken up by the dregs of Yorkshire’s first innings, Ballance, 106 not out overnight, moving on to 132 before a checked drive fell into the hands of the bowler, James Franklin. Azeem Rafiq, caught at the wicket later that over, made nought on his Championship return before a spirited counter-attack brought 72 for the last two wickets in 15 overs.Andrew Hodd, who led the resistance, was struck on the helmet by Steven Finn during Yorkshire’s rally, with no ill effects. Steven Patterson was bowled by Finn stepping outrageously to leg, slapping his bat in the crease in self-admonishment, before last man Jack Brooks gained dressing room bragging rights by hooking Finn for six into the pavilion seats.This is an okay pitch: slow – how can it not be after all this rain? – but with a little in it for the bowlers. For Middlesex, Sam Robson played attractively for his 40 as Yorkshire’s attack began moderately, well enough to believe reports from those who have watched him more regularly that he is a better player than the timid debutant who made the last of his seven Test appearances against India two years ago.Brooks dismissed him attempting a swivel pull, but top-edging to midwicket. Nick Gubbins fell lbw to a fullish ball around leg stump in Will Rhodes’ first over.

Journalist Dean Jones has warned that Manchester United should not rush Bruno Fernandes back from injury too early after hearing how the player wants to play "through the pain".

What's the latest Man United injury news?

The Red Devils battled hard on the weekend to confirm their spot in the FA Cup final after beating Brighton & Hove Albion on penalties after 120 minutes of goalless action.

However, it seems as though that victory did not come without some cost. Indeed, key midfielder Fernandes picked up a knock in the match and has since been spotted in a protective boot.

As a result, the player is now a major doubt ahead of the Premier League fixture away at top-four rivals Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday night.

While speaking about the injury on Chasing Green Arrows, insider Jones explained that he'd heard that Fernandes was trying to play on through the pain.

The journalist suggested that could have further aggravated the issue and Man Utd must be careful not to rush him back with an FA Cup final on the horizon to consider as well.

Jones said: "He was actually injured during the game and carried on for, I think, longer than he probably should have.

"I don't know if that's aggravated it or not, but I was speaking to someone who seemed to think that he was just determined not to let the injury get the better of him.

"He doesn't miss games through injury, he plays through the pain.

"And while [Erik] ten Hag will be desperate to give him the benefit of the doubt – like, he needs him as much as he can get him out there – you don't want to make the problem worse.

"You don't want Bruno missing the back end of this season, especially now they've got an FA Cup final to look out for as well."

Will Bruno Fernandes play against Spurs?

The £240k-per-week star is obviously a vital part of the United team having played 49 games in all competitions this term, scoring 10 goals and providing 13 assists.

In the Premier League and the Europa League, in fact, the only time he's missed a game this season is due to suspension – showing just how impressive his fitness record is.

With that being the case, Fernandes will no doubt be desperate to push himself to get back into the starting team against Spurs.

However, as Jones points out, should he come back too soon having not properly recovered, any further aggravation could force him to spend a longer spell on the sidelines.

And with a spot in the top four still on the line, as well as that FA Cup final to come, it may be best if the Red Devils err on a side of caution for now.

As Manchester United continue their push for Champions League qualification and further silverware, a key figure for the Red Devils yet again this season has been Bruno Fernandes, with the Portugal international proving truly influential in the centre of the park.

The 28-year-old – who signed for the Red Devils back in January 2020 – has arguably had his "best" campaign yet since arriving in Manchester, according to journalist Samuel Luckhurst, notably offering the versatility and willingness to feature in a variety of roles for his side, including on the flanks.

Something of an everpresent during his time at Old Trafford – having remarkably missed just one game through injury or illness over the last three years – the former Sporting CP man has again been a mainstay in midfield this term, starting 47 games in all competitions to date.

The playmaking sensation has racked up a stellar haul of 22 goal involvements across all fronts in that time, with it no doubt unsurprising that Erik ten Hag has followed in the footsteps of the likes of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick in making the one-time Udinese ace his main man.

There will, however, be concern with regard to the over-reliance on Fernandes in that playmaking berth, with the only other senior alternative in that position, Donny van de Beek, having failed to score or register an assist this term, prior to his season-curtailing injury.

As such, Ten Hag could have potentially identified a dream heir or competitor to Fernandes in the form of Feyenoord captain, Orkun Kokcu, with The Mirror having reported that United sent scouts to watch the Turkey international – who could be the subject of a £31m offer from Benfica – in action of late.

Would Kokcu be a good signing for Man United?

Much like United's stand-in skipper – who has been "leading the team" according to Ten Hag – Kokcu is also a "true leader" in his current home, as per talent scout Jacek Kulig, with the 22-year-old having taken on the armband despite his relative youth.

The Netherlands-born maestro – who can operate in a central midfield or attacking midfield berth – has also enjoyed a standout campaign for the Eredivisie title hopefuls, providing 12 goals and four assists in 38 games across all fronts.

Clearly a player who can make the difference in the final third, like Fernandes, the 5 foot 9 gem also shares the Portuguese's creative prowess having created nine big chances and averaged 2.8 key passes per game in 26 league games this season, while the United man has created 21 big chances and averaged 3.0 key passes from his 28 top-flight outings.

Kokcu also clearly possesses that knack for sparking attacks for his side from deep as he has averaged 11.85 progressive passes per 90 over the past 365 days, with that actually far better than what even Fernandes has achieved (6.71).

That standout metric is an illustration of just what a coup it could be if Ten Hag is to utilise his Dutch connections to sign the 20-cap ace from Rotterdam, with it looking as if the youngster could be a dream successor to United's number 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

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.

Pakistan opener Ahmed Shehzad, who had been left out of the side’s training camp on disciplinary grounds at the start of May, was omitted from 22-man preliminary squad for the England tour in July-August as well. ESPNcricinfo understands that Shehzad was left out on disciplinary grounds again, despite being the leading run-getter in the 50-over Pakistan Cup with 372 runs at an average of 74.40, including a century and three fifties.The selectors picked the probables mainly from the ongoing boot camp at the Pakistan Military Academy in Abbottabad. After that camp, the selected players will report for a skills camp between May 20 and June 5.Mohammad Hafeez, who had missed the training camp because of a knee injury, and legspinner Yasir Shah who was undergoing rehabilitation for a knee injury of his own, found places in the list of probables.Hafeez underwent a medical test on Wednesday, which will determine his availability for the four-match Test series. Sami Aslam, Shan Masood and Khurram Manzoor were the other openers to be picked. Yasir, meanwhile, is expected to be fit in a week.The selection committee, headed by Inzamam-ul-Haq, called up two uncapped Karachi batsmen – Asif Zakir and Akbar-ur-Rehman. Asif had scored 791 runs in 10 first-class matches in 2015-16 at an average of 56.50, while Akbar-ur-Rehman made 761 runs in 10 first-class games at 58.53.Left-handed batsman Fawad Alam, who was picked in the squad for the England series in the UAE in 2015-16, was left out despite topping the fitness tests – he was joint top with Mohammad Rizwan and Masood. Instead, batsman Iftikhar Ahmed, who could bowl offspin, has been picked. Iftikhar, who is uncapped in Tests, had made his ODI debut against England last year.Inzamam said that Alam’s name was discussed, but Iftikhar got the nod because of his all-round ability. “We did consider him [Alam] for the selection, but we have a packed middle order with Younis Khan, Misbah, Asad Shafiq, and we have an option of Iftikhar Ahmed who can bowl offspin from which we can have an edge against left-hand batsmen.”Sarfaraz Ahmed, whose fitness has been a major talking point, also made the cut despite a poor showing in the fitness tests, with Rizwan as a back-up option. Zulfiqar Babar was the second specialist spinner in the squad, and Wahab Riaz, who is playing county cricket for Essex, was also named. Given Wahab is already in England, he will miss the skills camp but join the squad directly in England should he make the final squad. Mohammad Amir, Rahat Ali, Imran Khan, Sohail Khan, Junaid Khan and Ehsan Adil are the other seam-bowling options.Inzamam admitted that Pakistan were struggling to find genuine allrounders. “Since Abdul Razzaq and Azhar Mahmood, we haven’t found a real allrounder who can come and can maintain the balance of the team. But still we can make an XI without an allrounder,” he said.The list of 22 players will be trimmed to 16 next month.The selectors also named the final squad for the A team’s tour of England for the tri-series also involving the hosts and Sri Lanka A. Opener Sharjeel Khan, seam-bowling allrounder Bilawal Bhatti, and left-arm spinning allrounder Mohammad Nawaz made the cut. The players chosen for the A squad will also attend the skills camp with the Test probables.Batsman Haris Sohail and left-arm spinner Imad Wasim were left out of both squads because of injuries.Pakistan’s probables for the England tour
Openers: Mohammad Hafeez (subject to fitness), Sami Aslam, Shan Masood, Khurram Manzoor
Middle-order batsmen: Azhar Ali, Younis Khan, Misbah ul Haq, Asad Shafiq, Iftikhar Ahmed, Asif Zakir, Akbar-ur-Rehman
Seamers: Mohammad Amir, Rahat Ali, Imran Khan, Sohail Khan, Junaid Khan, Ehsan Adil, Wahab Riaz
Spinners: Yasir Shah (subject to fitness), Zulfiqar Babar
Wicketkeepers: Sarfraz Ahmed, Mohammad Rizwan
Pakistan A players for the tri-series
Openers: Sharjeel Khan, Farukh Zaman, Jahid Ali
Middle-order batsmen: Saud Shakil, Babar Azam, Umer Siddique, Abdur Rehman Muzammil
Allrounders: Mohammad Nawaz
Seamers: Hasan Ali, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Abbas, Azeez Ullah, Bilawal Bhatti
Spinners: Mohammad Asghar, Shadab Khan

Crystal Palace have received an approach from the agents of Bayern Munich defender Noussair Mazraoui to let them know that he will be available this summer, according to reports.

What's the latest on Mazraoui's future?

The Premier League outfit have Nathaniel Clyne and Joel Ward as their current options at right-back, but with the pair both out of contract at the end of the season, Roy Hodgson will need to enter the market to find suitable replacements should they not extend their stay.

The Moroccan international only arrived at the Allianz Arena in July 2022 on a free transfer from Ajax so still has another three years remaining on his deal.

However, having made just six Bayern league starts before their game against Mainz today, he is significantly low down in the pecking order.

Should the 25-year-old want to receive more regular game time and nail down a starting place next season, he could therefore be tempted to look elsewhere during the upcoming window, and should that be the case, he wouldn’t be short of a potential suitor at Selhurst Park.

According to 90min, Crystal Palace, Manchester United, Newcastle United, Wolves, Arsenal and West Ham United have all been “alerted” to Mazraoui’s potential availability and are expected to be “kept informed” of how his transfer situation unfolds at Bayern. Borussia Dortmund and Atletico Madrid have additionally been “told” that he might be on the lookout for his next destination this summer.

Would Mazraoui be a good signing for Palace?

Crystal Palace have previously been linked with another move for Aaron Wan-Bissaka whose future at United is uncertain, and whilst Mazraoui isn’t as high-profile of a name as the Red Devils right-back, he would be a fantastic acquisition for Hodgson should he sign on the dotted line.

The Adidas-sponsored gem has won over 12 tackles from 17 players challenged this season so is strong in the defensive aspect of his game but is also capable of contributing to efforts at the opposite end of the pitch with 48 goal contributions (26 assists and 22 goals) to his name in over 258 career appearances.

Hailed a “superb” player by football expert Alex Barker, the £135k-per-week full-back will know what it takes to be successful having got his hands on seven senior trophies since bursting onto the professional scene so he would be able to pass on his winning mentality to the rest of the squad at Selhurst Park.

The Afghanistan Cricket Board have named former India batsman Lalchand Rajput as the new head coach of their national team

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Jun-2016

The Afghanistan Cricket Board has named former India batsman Lalchand Rajput as the new head coach of their national team. He takes over the position vacated by former Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq in April 2016 and his first assignment is a tour of Scotland, Ireland and the Netherlands in July and August.According to ACB chief executive Shaiqullah Stanikzai, Rajput was chosen ahead of former Pakistan batsman Mohammad Yousuf, former South Africa batsman Herschelle Gibbs and former West Indies fast bowler Corey Collymore. The three of them had applied through their agents while Rajput’s name was recommended by the BCCI.Previous coaching experience and administrative work had given Rajput an edge. He was in charge of the Indian team when they won World T20 in 2007 and for the controversial tour to Australia in 2007-08. Following his retirement after a 17-year playing career, he served as joint honourary secretary of the Mumbai Cricket Association.Rajput is in line for a two-year contract, but that decision would be finalised after the upcoming tour of Europe. Afghanistan play seven ODIs against Scotland and Ireland, and an Intercontinental Cup match against Netherlands.”I am excited to work again with an international team,” Rajput told ESPNcricinfo. “The challenge is to get Afghanistan into the top 10. They also don’t have the Test status and so our goal would be to work towards achieving that in the long term.”It is learnt that the ACB had been in talks with former Sri Lanka fast bowler Chaminda Vaas, but they fell through.Rajput has played two Tests and four ODIs for India, to go along with his 110 matches and 7988 runs in first-class cricket. He has also coached his state side Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy and in the Indian Premier League. Rajput has had successful stints at the helm of India Under-19 and A teams. He was also among the final contenders to take over as India’s full-time head coach. But with Anil Kumble’s appointment on Thursday, Rajput was free to take up the ACB’s offer.

A decision on Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman’s availability for his stint with Sussex will be taken after two weeks, once the bowler completes rehabilitation in Dhaka for his right hamstring and ankle injuries, which he suffered during his debut IPL season.In March, Sussex had announced that Mustafizur would be their second overseas player and participate in the NatWest T20 Blast and the Royal London One-Day Cup. The Bangladesh bowler was scheduled to join the Sussex squad at the end of the IPL but had been eager for a break after playing 16 matches for his franchise, Sunrisers Hyderabad. Mustafizur, who was the fifth-highest wicket-taker in the tournament, was also named the emerging player of IPL 2016 and missed only one game in the tournament.Mustafizur’s rehabilitation began on Thursday and Bangladesh’s physiotherapist Bayjidul Islam said the focus of the first week was on fitness and not cricket training. ESPNcricinfo learned that Mustafizur will be assessed again after eight days while his rehabilitation will extend for two weeks.”We will take a decision on him when we see his improvement,” Bayjidul said. “For the first week I don’t see any possibility of him taking the field. We are working on his hamstring and ankle injuries. He has recovered from the shoulder and side strain.”Bayjidul and Bangladesh trainer Mario Villavarayen rechecked Mustafizur’s physical condition. There was slight concern about the bowler’s weight but Bayjidul said he was happy with the current measurements.Mustafizur has struggled with injuries this year. A shoulder injury during a T20I against Zimbabwe in February ruled him out of the inaugural Pakistan Super League. He played only three matches in the Asia Cup before a side strain ended his participation in the tournament.Sussex have played three games in the NatWest T20 Blast so far and are placed second in the South Group points table after two wins. The team, however, lost both their Royal London One-Day Cup matches, with the next game on June 12 against Middlesex.