Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka is set to depart the club, and a move to Bayer Leverkusen is nearly complete, Fabrizio Romano has confirmed.

What's the latest on Xhaka and Arsenal?

The Switzerland international has had his most productive season in an Arsenal shirt, notching up seven goals and seven assists in all competitions, but with one year left on his deal, all parties have decided to part ways.

He is closing in on a return to the Bundesliga, with Xabi Alonso's Bayer Leverkusen set to complete a deal for the 30-year-old.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Romano confirmed that the deal was nearing completion, with Arsenal set to receive around £13m for the midfielder.

"I can confirm now that talks are very advanced between Arsenal and Bayer Leverkusen for Granit Xhaka, so Xhaka will leave Arsenal at the end of the season, and 90% he will become a Bayer Leverkusen player," he stated.

"They're just waiting to complete some of the final details. It's a €15m deal, so Arsenal will get €15m and also the player will get a four-year contract at Bayer Leverkusen. Everything is almost ready."

How much will Arsenal miss Xhaka?

Although he has been a divisive figure at times during his seven-year spell in north London, his performances this season have made him a popular figure among the media, and he has become a crucial part of the midfield three.

He was only omitted from the starting XI twice in the league this season, and Arsenal struggled in both games. They found themselves 2-0 down at home to Bournemouth before he was substituted on, and they fell to a damaging draw against Southampton when he was absent with illness.

The £120k-per-week star was described as "brilliant" earlier on this season, as his strong performances helped Arsenal sustain an unexpected title challenge throughout the campaign, and the club will need to replace him well.

There have been strong links with Declan Rice as well as Moises Caicedo, as two younger, robust midfielders who can replace both Xhaka's physical contributions and his leadership in the middle of the park.

Xhaka's leadership skills were praised earlier this season as he helped lead Arsenal to a derby victory away at rivals Tottenham Hotspur, and he may prove a tough figure to replace both on and off the pitch as one of the more vocal players in the squad.

ECB Reporters Network25-Aug-2016
ScorecardDaryl Mitchell brought up his hundred on a rain-wrecked day•Getty Images

Worcestershire captain Daryl Mitchell scored his first Specsavers County Championship hundred for 13 months on a drastically curtailed third day against Northamptonshire at New Road.The 32-year-old, who is in his benefit year with the County, went to his century off 164 balls with 16 boundaries to end a lean run of form. He now needs only another 28 runs to complete 10,000 runs in his career in first-class cricket.However, only 17.2 overs were possible in the day as Worcestershire added 42 runs for the loss of two wickets in reaching 195 for 3 – still 356 in arrears.With leaders Essex winning against Leicestershire at Grace Road, Worcestershire have to win to retain their slim hopes of promotion although it remains to be seen whether the two sides will collude tomorrow to try and force a positive result.Worcestershire resumed on 153 for 1 from 40 overs but added only seven more runs before Ben Sanderson accounted for Tom Fell (66) who was caught behind. His stand with Mitchell had been worth 152 in 42 overs.Mitchell, who had been on 86 overnight, reached three figures with an edge for four through the slips off Sanderson. It was his first three-figure score since a double hundred against Hampshire at New Road in July 2015.Play was halted after 12.3 overs and there was then a four-hour delay before the players returned for two brief interludes.In the first of those Joe Clarke (6) played a loose shot at yesterday’s debutant century-maker Chad Barrett and was caught by Ben Duckett at first slip.When umpires Steve Gale and Graham Lloyd called off play for the day at 5.35pm, Mitchell was unbeaten on 102.

Manchester United are in huge danger of watching their once-promising season crumble in the space of just one week, as today they travel to Wembley hoping to book their spot in the FA Cup final.

Having crashed out of the Europa League in embarrassing fashion, on the end of a 3-0 hammering at the hands of Sevilla, Brighton and Hove Albion now pose an arguably even tougher challenge as both sides clash for the honour to face Manchester City.

With the EFL Cup already under his belt, and top four well in his sights, Erik ten Hag would certainly have chalked this debut campaign down as a roaring success. However, the opportunity they had to win further silverware is melting away, whether it be through fatigue, a mentality shift or injuries.

The latter in particular is an easy source of blame, especially with the huge absences of Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez at the back.

Missing one is bearable, but with both out it has meant Harry Maguire has had to partner Victor Lindelof once again. Their display in Spain was enough to prove this was far from sustainable.

Therefore, in front of a packed-out Wembley crowd, perhaps the Dutch tactician could return to an old idea that had been trialled earlier in the season with success; to deputise Luke Shaw at centre-back and in turn drop their £80m flop.

Will Luke Shaw be available vs Brighton?

Despite having picked up a knock in their last game, the England full-back reportedly claimed "I'm good" following the match that he still finished.

To start the £150k-per-week ace at the heart of defence has been a tactic that has worked at times this year, and led to huge praise from Ten Hag: "He’s showed a lot of leadership capacities – he’s the example at this moment – and with his skills and with his physical power he brings a lot to the team. But now also with his mentality.

"He’s an example of how to win big games. I’m really happy with his development. I think it’s been huge either at centre-half or left full-back, he’s a great player and a great personality for the dressing room."

Shaw's 7.08 average rating this season is indicative of this, where he marks himself out as a defensive leader by boasting 1.7 tackles and 1.8 clearances per game, via Sofascore. However, by putting the mobile star at centre back, it could allow greater control of the ball, with his speed sure to quell the threat Roberto De Zerbi's free-flowing outfit pose.

Especially in the place of Maguire, who earned an abysmal 6.3 rating last time out of which only David De Gea was handed worse. Both were particularly bad, with the former notably being dispossessed in awful fashion for the opener. With his culpability for mistakes in key areas and positional deficiencies, the natural centre half cannot be trusted to avoid another disasterclass that would knock them out of a different cup.

The 27-year-old is far from a huge physical downgrade to his 30-year-old teammate too, standing at 6 foot 1 and having been branded a "monster" by recruitment analyst Daniel Sebestyen.

To once again remove the former Leicester City man from the scrutiny of the limelight could be good not only to bolster the team but to defend Maguire from further scathing criticism.

James Anderson and Stuart Broad have been ruled out of action for the rest of the season due to injury

George Dobell27-Aug-2016

James Anderson and Stuart Broad have been ruled out of action for the rest of the season due to injury.While neither man was named in the England limited-overs squads, both had hopes of playing county cricket with a view to helping their teams, Lancashire and Nottinghamshire respectively, avoid relegation in the County Championship.A statement released by the ECB explained that “Anderson requires ongoing rehabilitation of his right shoulder and Broad, who last played in the NatWest T20 Finals Day for Nottinghamshire last week, is recovering from an ankle problem.”The news will come as a blow to both clubs. Nottinghamshire are currently bottom of the Division One table, 35 points beneath Durham, who are in seventh position (with a game in hand). Lancashire are sixth but, having won three of their first five games, have not won any of their last eight Championship matches in a run that extends back to May. The teams placed eighth and ninth will be relegated.”Both players have managed their injuries through the summer,” the ECB statement continued. “A break from cricket is needed to best prepare the Test opening bowling pair for England’s winter campaign that begins this October in Bangladesh.”The ECB also announced that Jonny Bairstow was to be released from the ODI squad to play for Yorkshire in Sunday’s Royal London semi-final against Surrey. David Willey, who has a hand injury, is not deemed to be fit enough to play.

South Africa outbatted Australia to beat them 5-0 in the ODI series but stand-in captain Faf du Plessis believes they will need to outbowl them if they are to win the Test series next month

Firdose Moonda14-Oct-2016South Africa outbatted Australia to beat them 5-0 in the ODI series but stand-in captain Faf du Plessis believes they will need to outbowl them if they are to win the Test series next month. After South Africa went through most of last summer sans Dale Steyn or Vernon Philander, they will travel to Australia with both bowlers plus three other frontline seamers, and du Plessis hopes that collectively, they can carry the team to victory.”For us to have a successful tour of Australia, Dale Steyn will be the guy to make or break that for us because he is a huge player in that Test team. I am confident he will have a really good series,” du Plessis said. “His shoulder looks okay – that’s going to be the challenge. We need to make sure that he stays fit and he can bowl long periods of time. Test cricket is not just 10 overs, he will need to bowl 18 to 20 overs a day for the next month.”Steyn returned, after a broken shoulder kept him out of the England Test and ODI series in January-February, for the World T20, in which he played only two of South Africa’s four matches. He was left out of the triangular series in the Caribbean, officially rested but by his own admission dropped, and given permission to play in the NatWest T20 Blast instead. He took 11 wickets in five matches for Glamorgan and was then included in South Africa’s Test series against New Zealand, where his eight wickets in Centurion secured a series win.Although he has not looked his best with the white ball – he played four of the five ODIs against Australia for five wickets at 50.80 with an economy rate of 6.99 and received treatment on the shoulder throughout the series – Australia still considered Steyn remained a threat. “You’ve always got to respect Dale. He is a world-class bowler, a great athlete and you never want to upset him,” David Warner said. “He is a guy that can really get on top. He has this spark and this spell in him you’ve got to get through that and negate what he throws at you.”At Test level, du Plessis expects that will be even more difficult for the Australians to do. “Dale in Test cricket is a different breed. In one-day cricket, these things are going to happen. KG [Kagiso Rabada] as well, would be the first to say he didn’t bowl at his best. In Test cricket it’s about consistency. When Dale gets that red ball in his hand, he is just a different bowler. He is still our No.1 bowler in Test cricket.”South Africa will look to rise up the rankings again with hopes of having Morne Morkel back for the Tests•AFP

Rabada also played in four matches and took five wickets at 52.80 with an economy rate of 7.33. Both Steyn and Rabada were hurt by the game in Durban, where they conceded 96 and 86 runs respectively. Overall, they were overshadowed by Kyle Abbott and Andile Phehlukwayo, who have come to the fore as part of South Africa’s future. “Our bowling attack needs to be fit if we are to win in Australia,” du Plessis said.The other members of South Africa’s pace pack have also had injury concerns. Philander’s rehabilitation from torn ankle ligaments kept him out of action for almost three months but he also made a comeback against New Zealand while Morne Morkel has been on the sidelines since July with a back problem. Morkel returned to action in club cricket in Pretoria earlier this month and is currently playing for Titans against Warriors in a first-class match as a fitness test ahead of the Australia tour. He bowled 26 overs in the first innings, and picked three wickets, so all indications are that he will travel to Australia.South Africa have won their last two Tests series in Australia, in 2008-09 and 2012-13, although in very different circumstances. Both times, they were coming off series wins in England. This time, they are in the midst of a rebuilding process and recognise that Australia pose a tougher challenge than before. They will hope to carry some of their ODI momentum into the Tests. “Against Australia, any mental edge you can get you will take,” du Plessis said. “It’s the one-percenters that matter.”

Manchester United's primary focus this summer is likely to be on acquiring a new centre-forward asset, with the Red Devils having been forced to rely on an underwhelming duo of Wout Weghorst and Anthony Martial in recent months.

The latter man seemingly appears set for a departure at the end of the season having routinely been dogged by injury so far this term, while January arrival, Weghorst, may not have done enough to warrant a permanent deal, with the on-loan Burnley man having scored just twice in all competitions to date.

The obvious candidate to ease those striking woes is Tottenham Hotspur talisman, Harry Kane, with Sky Sports only recently revealing that United would "absolutely explore a deal" for the England captain if possible, albeit with the north Londoners still seemingly adamant that the 29-year-old is not for sale.

That fact will no doubt ensure that the Red Devils are also contemplating alternative targets to potentially lead the attack next season, with Football Insider recently naming Inter Milan marksman, Lautaro Martinez as one such candidate for the role, with the Serie A side said to be willing to cash in on the Argentine this summer.

The report suggests that the 25-year-old is seen as the "perfect forward" by manager Erik ten Hag, with the Old Trafford outfit also not set to be forced to pay over the odds for the 48-cap menace, with Inter said to value him at around £70m.

How would Lautaro Martinez fit in at Man United?

It is evident to most that United are in need of a more reliable number nine to help lead the attack, with the aim no doubt to help ease the goalscoring burden on Marcus Rashford, with the 25-year-old having bagged 29 goals in all competitions so far this season.

While the Englishman has scored just two goals in his last seven Premier League outings, prior to that the £200k-per-week machine had been rather "unstoppable" following the World Cup break, as per his manager, after scoring ten goals in as many league games amid his return from Qatar.

That clinical form – as well as the woes of Martial and Weghorst – have seen the academy graduate moved into a central role on occasion this season, although it would appear that the in-form ace is at his brilliant best when operating from the left flank, having revealed his preference for that position earlier in the campaign.

The signing of Martinez, then, would allow Rashford to remain in that wide berth, with the World Cup-winning striker able to provide a ruthless and prolific presence in a centre-forward role.

The former Racing Club sensation would undoubtedly be able to ease the reliance on the current United talisman having been a reliable goalscoring presence in Italy in recent years, notably bagging 95 goals in 228 games in all competitions to date.

That includes a haul of 21 goals in 47 games across all fronts this term, with the "shot monster" – as hailed by presenter Joe Thomlinson – having been particularly lethal in the Italian top-flight with 17 league goals so far.

Having largely been deployed as part of a strike partnership during his time at San Siro – memorably scoring 41 league goals combined with Romelu Lukaku en route to the title in 2020/21 – Martinez could perhaps be able to dovetail nicely with Rashford as part of a fluid forward line.

That relatively youthful combination could go on to thrive together at the Theatre of Dreams for years to come, with it easy to see why the Inter man is looking like a possible option for Ten Hag and co.

Michael Beale has recently signed his third player for Glasgow Rangers, with midfielder Kieran Dowell joining the Ibrox side on a pre-contract deal until 2026.

He joins Nicolas Raskin and Todd Cantwell as Beale signings, and the signs are certainly looking positive ahead of what promises to be a busy transfer window, with plenty of ins and outs ahead of 2023/24.

The 42-year-old will have to be smart with his transfer dealings as funds may be in short supply, though according to Football Insider, the Gers have been linked with a move for defender Thierry Small, with a fee of around £1.2m demanded by Southampton.

The 18-year-old could follow in the same footsteps as former Ibrox left-back Calvin Bassey, who was sold to Ajax last summer for a club-record fee of £23m having enjoyed a stellar campaign which included a Scottish Cup winners' medal and a Europa League final appearance.

Could Thierry Small join Rangers this summer?

With Beale looking to rejig the squad, anything is possible, and for the aforementioned £1.2m fee, it could well prove to be an excellent investment, similar to that of Bassey.

The current Ajax star cost the Light Blues just £230k as a compensation fee to Leicester City in the summer of 2020, and having made sporadic appearances in his debut season, a defensive injury crisis last term gave him the chance to impress at centre-back as he played 50 games across all competitions.

Like Bassey, Small is also a left-back, while he can play slightly further forward if required, and he has spent the second half of the season on loan at St Mirren, giving him good experience of the physical nature of Scottish football.

Small is still in the embryonic stages of his career, with his 6.44/10 Sofascore rating indicating that he is still on a steep learning curve, however, he has managed to make one key pass per game while grabbing an assist, indicating that he has shown glimpses of his attacking abilities.

Defensively, the youngster averages 1.3 tackles and one clearance per game, which despite ranking him 7th and 14th in the squad respectively is rather respectable considering he has only started seven Premiership games.

Football writer Simon Peach lauded the defender as “exciting” and “highly rated” after he moved to Southampton from Everton in 2021, so he perhaps has the potential to make the breakthrough at Ibrox over the next year or two.

With Borna Barisic entering the final year of his contract, it appears as though Beale is looking at young talent to fill the void when he finally departs, and in the process, he may just unearth another £23m gem.

ScorecardSouth Africa A knocked over Australia A for 107 at the Tony Ireland Stadium in Townsville, before breezing to the target with eight wickets in hand and 174 balls to spare. In doing so, they registered their first win of the quadrangular series and picked up a bonus point, much as Australia A had done against India A a week ago at the same venue.The toss was just about the only thing to go Australia’s way, and, after electing to bat, they lost opener Marcus Stoinis for a duck on the third ball of the innings. Captain Chris Lynn followed three overs later, with an inside edge to the keeper off Dane Paterson to leave the score at 2 for 5. After a 63-ball hiatus, during which the hosts added a laborious 29 runs, Peter Handscomb was run-out when opener Cameron Bancroft drove a ball straight back and the bowler Andile Phehlukwayo got his fingers to the ball which hit the stumps, catching Handscomb well outside his crease.Soon, Bancroft chopped a ball from medium-pacer Malusi Siboto onto his stumps for a 48-ball 16. Paterson then had two more batsmen caught behind – Glenn Maxwell with a short ball and Alex Ross with a stifling line outside off. Then it was Tabraiz Shamsi’s turn – he trapped Kurtis Patterson lbw and had John Mennie caught at midwicket, to leave Australia reeling at 8 for 68 in the 30th over.An unbeaten 43-ball 34 by No. 9 Kane Richardon helped Australia crawl into three figures, before they were bowled out in 37.2 overs. Australia could have been dimissed much earlier but Richardson was dropped twice – on 27 by wicketkeeper Dane Vilas and on 29 by Dwaine Pretorius at mid-off. Paterson and Shamsi bagged three wickets apiece, while Siboto chipped in with two.”We had a look at [their] videos and we had specific plans and they came out good today,” Paterson said after the match. “As a bowling unit we clicked well today. We have been clicking but there were play and misses and stuff like that. All in all, everything clicked today.”South Africa lost Reeza Hendricks for 1 in the second over of the chase when he edged Mennie to third slip. Captain Heino Kuhn departed for 15 in the tenth over, to give Mennie his second wicket and leave South Africa A at 2 for 43. But a target of 108 never seemed to challenge the tourists. Theunis de Bruyn, at No. 3, stroked an unbeaten 57 off 73, and he was kept company by David Miller who ended up unbeaten on 20. The two guided South Africa past the finish line in 21 overs without any further losses. Legspinner Cameron Boyce was the most expensive bowler as he leaked 30 runs in only three overs.”Obviously 107 is going to be a big task for the bowlers to defend. But I think they were too good from pretty much the starting,” Richarson reflected later.The win catapults South Africa from bottom to second in the points table, behind National Performance Squad.

In 90 minutes of outlandish clean-striking, Glenn Maxwell marked a monumental return to form, sent Sri Lanka into freefall, and stole their T20 world record from under their noses

The Report by Andrew Fidel Fernando06-Sep-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details1:01

Australia set new T20 record score

In 90 minutes of outlandish clean-striking, Glenn Maxwell marked a monumental return to form, sent Sri Lanka into freefall, and stole their T20I world record from under their noses.The scorecard says he hit nine sixes in his 65-ball 145 not out, but it felt like he had hit so many more. It says there were 14 fours in this Maxwell mauling, but so quickly did they come, one after the other, that who is to tell when one boundary ended and another began? It was a blur of bludgeoned sweeps, of wallops down the ground and, occasionally, of enterprising strokes behind the wicket. Australia made 263 for 3. This is the joint-highest T20 score, in addition to being the biggest score in T20 internationals, beating the 260 Sri Lanka had hit against Kenya.Maxwell had opened the innings in place of the injured Aaron Finch, and he quickly set about knocking Sri Lanka’s bowlers out of shape. So battered were they by the end of the Powerplay, in which Australia had cracked 73 for 1, that they soon became helplessly complicit in Maxwell’s plunder. Thigh-high full tosses were sent down with masochistic abandon. Errors bred further errors in the outfield. In the 18th over, a catch was dropped, though that was off Travis Head, who was the second-highest scorer with 45 off 18 balls. Each of Sri Lanka’s four main bowlers conceded at least 12.75 per over.Senanayake fined for breaching code of conduct

Sri Lanka offspinner Sachithra Senanayake has been fined for breaching the ICC’s Code of Conduct during his team’s 85-run loss in the first T20 international against Australia in Pallekele.
Senanayake, who took 1 for 49, was found to have been in violation of Article 2.1.7, which relates to “using language, actions or gestures which disparage or which could provoke an aggressive reaction from a batsman upon his dismissal during an international match”.
Senanayake’s incident concerned his send-off for David Warner after bowling him in the fifth over of the match. Senanayake was docked 30% of his match fee.
Since Senanayake admitted to the offence and accepted the sanction imposed by Javagal Srinath, the match referee, there was no need for a formal hearing.

The hosts’ batting went much better, though they were never really in the hunt. The top three fell cheaply, but Dinesh Chandimal hit 58 off 43 and Chamara Kapugedera 43 off 25. Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland took three wickets apiece, as Sri Lanka finished on 178 for 9 – 86 runs short of the 264-run target.The first over had cost Sri Lanka only three runs, and though Maxwell hit the innings’ first boundary – smoking an overpitched Suranga Lakmal delivery through cover – it was David Warner who doused the scene with petrol, and began the raging fire. Warner eyed up seamer Kasun Rajitha, playing his third international, and banged four consecutive fours in the third over, three of those coming on the off side. It was not long before Maxwell matched that aggression. The first six of the match was a reverse-sweep off Sachithra Senanayake. A four followed next ball, off the same shot.Neither Warner’s dismissal by Senanayake nor the end of the Powerplay made much difference to Maxwell’s approach. Decent balls – like Rajitha’s slower one on the stumps in the ninth over – were whacked disdainfully over long-on. Then when the bad balls came, like the full toss from Rajitha immediately after, Maxwell biffed them over the boundary as well.The first of those consecutive sixes off Rajitha brought Maxwell his half-century, off 27 balls. He took a further 22 to reach his hundred. Sri Lanka rifled through bowlers in this period, trying offspin, left-arm spin, seam, and whatever it is that Thisara Perera bowls. None of this could make so much as a dent in Maxwell’s confidence, which by now was magnetic. Thisara, in fact, came closest to getting him out, in the 13th over, though that wasn’t particularly close: Kapugedera, who caught Maxwell on the deep midwicket boundary, had trod on the rope and had to abandon the catch anyway as his momentum was taking him over the rope.Having reached his first T20 century, and second in international cricket (both have come against Sri Lanka), Maxwell set his sights on the records. His first six in triple figures was perhaps the best of the lot, as he sliced Lakmal beautifully over the deep-cover boundary, immediately after having hit a four to fine leg. Finch, running the drinks in this match, holds the individual T20 record of 156, and Maxwell was in pursuit. When he biffed three consecutive sixes over long-on, off Senanayake, he moved to 134, with 19 balls still remaining in the innings. Head, though, indulged in some brutality of his own, hitting three sixes and four fours in his innings. One of those sixes came over long-on, off Thisara Perera. It was that shot which gave Australia the team total record.Tillakaratne Dilshan has led outrageous chases before, but when he was bowled trying to clang a Mitchell Starc ball through the leg side in the first over, Sri Lanka’s already slim chances became even slimmer. Kusal Perera was out slashing Boland to third man, soon after. By the end of the Powerplay, Sri Lanka had mustered 56 for 3, but with the required rate almost 15, the chase just became about limiting the severity of the loss.Kusal Mendis made an attractive 22 replete with a pulled six off James Faulkner, and an imperious, lofted off-drive off Moises Henriques, but he was out in the eighth over. Chandimal pulled his team through those early overs, scoring heavily with his horizontal bat shots, the flat-batted four down the ground off Boland in the fourth over the most memorable among them.Chandimal and Kapugedera put on Sri Lanka’s best partnership, taking a particular liking to the spinners as they made 44 from 29 balls. But they both holed out soon enough. Sri Lanka hit 100 runs in boundaries. Maxwell, who had been dropped from the squad entirely for the ODIs, struck 110 in boundaries by himself.

India and Tamil Nadu seamer L Balaji will reitre from first-class and List A cricket, but has stated that he will be available for smaller T20 leagues

Arun Venugopal16-Sep-20161:01

Quick Facts: Lakshmipathy Balaji

India and Tamil Nadu seamer L Balaji will retire from first-class and List A cricket, but has said he will be available for smaller T20 leagues.Balaji will meet TNCA president N Srinivasan later this evening to formally announce his retirement. The TNCA, it is learnt, is keen for Balaji to be bowling coach for the 2016-17 domestic season, a role he also fulfilled in the 2015-16 season. Balaji is expected to take a call after discussing the terms of his contract during his meeting with Srinivasan.”I have taken a decision on not playing senior-level cricket any longer in any format. I have asked the TNCA to not pick me for the Tamil Nadu team this season,” he told ESPNcricinfo. “I am still looking to continue playing the smaller leagues, but let’s see how it goes.”Balaji, 34, made his first-class debut for Tamil Nadu in the 2001-02 season, against the Colombo District Cricket Association, and took 37 wickets in his maiden first-class season in India. The following season, he finished as the joint highest wicket-taker in the Ranji Trophy in 2002-03, with 47 dismissals, and went on to make a Test debut in October 2003 against New Zealand in Ahmedabad.Overall, Balaji played 106 first-class matches, taking 330 wickets at an average of 26.10, with 16 five-fors and four ten-wicket hauls. In List A cricket, his record stands at 145 wickets in 100 matches at an average of 29.35. He also captained Tamil Nadu for three seasons – from 2011-12 to 2013-14, with the side reaching the Ranji Trophy final in 2011-12.Balaji picked the spell against Delhi in the Ranji Trophy semifinal in 2002-03 as one of his favourites in his first-class career. Balaji took 5 for 49 in the second innings, and seven in the match, to help Tamil Nadu beat Delhi by 132 runs. “I think I have been part of some very interesting matches,” he said. “I picked up a five-for in the second innings against a team that featured three, four Test players like Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag and Aakash Chopra. My spell of 6 for 24 against Bengal in 2008-09 [Ranji Trophy quarter-final] was also very special.”His last first-class appearance came in the 2014-15 Ranji Trophy final, in which Karnataka beat Tamil Nadu by an innings and 217 runs. Before the 2015-16 season, Balaji was named bowling coach and was also picked as a player, though he did not eventually play any first-class matches in the season. His appearances for Tamil Nadu in 2015-16 were limited to four one-day matches in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.Since then, Balaji has only played in the inaugural Tamil Nadu Premier League T20 tournament, where he has taken eight wickets so far for Albert TUTI Patriots.Balaji played eight Tests between 2003 and 2005, picking up 27 wickets at an average of 37.18. His best performances in Tests came against Pakistan in the 2003-04 and 2004-05 seasons. On the tour of Pakistan in 2004, Balaji took 12 wickets in the three-Test series, including a haul of 7 for 171 in the decisive Rawalpindi Test, which India won to claim the series 2-1.The following year, when Pakistan toured India, Balaji was among the wickets again, ending with 14 wickets in three matches. This included a match haul of nine in the first Test in Mohali, where he also claimed his only five-for in the format.Balaji also played 29 ODIs between November 2002 and August 2005, before suffering a career-threatening stress fracture for which he underwent back surgery. He eventually made a comeback to the Indian side after being picked for the ODIs in Sri Lanka in early 2009, but played only one match in the series.Despite his international career remaining ridden with injuries, Balaji said he was fortunate to having played alongside his childhood heroes. “To play alongside bigger brothers like Zaheer [Khan], Ashish [Nehra], Harbhajan [Singh] and Yuvi [Yuvraj Singh]… they have always been looking after me,” he said. “Also playing with the six legends – Viru [Virender Sehwag ], Sourav [Ganguly], Anil [Kumble] bhai, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman – was a dream come true.”I am very indebted to my seniors from my state; I have learnt a lot from every cricketer I have played and interacted with. The TNCA has been very supportive, especially when I had a surgery, and N Srinivasan, especially, backed me. Of course, I am indebted to my family, my wife, my sisters, and my friends, without whom I wouldn’t have made this level from being a tennis-ball cricketer.”I have made the physio’s job and the doctor’s job very tough for a few years, so I would like to thank them for helping me come out of a career-threatening injury. I kept them busy for sometime, and in the end made good friends in a different field.”