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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

Steve Davies’ first Championship hundred for a year carried Surrey’s fight until Yorkshire hit back strongly with a late flurry of wickets at Headingley

ECB Reporters Network08-May-2016
ScorecardStephen Davies is congratulated on a hard-won century•Getty Images

Steven Davies kept his cool in the sun to complete a solid century that held Surrey together on the first day of the Specsavers County Championship match against title-holders Yorkshire at Headingley.It was the 21st first class century of Davies’ career and his first in the Championship for almost exactly a year. He was eventually out for a defiant 117 off 163 balls with 20 fours and Surrey were bowled out for 330 after winning the toss. Yorkshire were left with two overs in which to bat and they closed on 15 without loss.”I have not got the wicketkeeping gloves at the moment, so it is all about scoring big runs,” Davies said. “There are a few spots there in the England side and I just need to keep knocking at the door. I just wanted to concentrate on my batting for a while and I didn’t want the gloves but I feel motivated and energised again and would like to wear them but so far the club have not gone down that route.”For much of the time, Surrey appeared to have the upper hand but Yorkshire rallied late in the day, six wickets falling in 20 overs and four of them to the second new ball.Many in the 1,803 crowd were not in their seats by the starting time, a half-marathon in Leeds causing roads leading up to the ground to be closed off from early morning until lunchtime.But those who did make it saw a first hour of fluctuating fortunes with 40 runs scored, two wickets going down and three catches being dropped.When Rory Burns nicked David Willey into Jonathan Bairstow’s gloves with the score on 14, Arun Harinath had already survived a sharp chance to Gary Ballance at fourth slip and he enjoyed two further lives, Jack Brooks failing to hold on at long leg and Adam Lyth putting one down at second slip.The latter escape came off the third ball of Liam Plunkett’s spell but his next delivery was miscued by Harinath and popped to Ballance at cover.Surrey were 38 for two but Kumar Sangakkara and Davies soon rattled along with the Sri Lankan in his most majestic form and finding the boundary with a succession of drives through the cover point region.Sangakkara was 45 and Davies 21 at lunch which arrived with Surrey on 96 for two but the third wicket pair continued to blossom in the afternoon as each batsman reached his half-century, Sangakkara off 78 balls with nine fours and Davies from 94 deliveries with eight boundaries.Yorkshire were beginning to wonder where a wicket would come from but after skipper Andrew Gale had temporarily left the field for treatment after diving on to the rope, two went down in consecutive overs.Sangakkara had looked invincible until he tried to guide Plunkett over the slips and was well caught by Alex Lees for 73 off 101 balls with 13 boundaries to take his runs tally for Surrey to 470 in seven knocks.Then Jason Roy departed to his fourth ball from Brooks, superbly held low down to his left at third slip by Joe Root. Roy hung around for a while, possibly feeling he had played the ball into the ground, and he responded gently to the jeers of the crowd as he left the field.At 161 for four, Surrey could have slipped further if Davies had not calmly held things together by following up his 122 stand with Sangakkara with another century partnership with Ben Foakes.Runs came steadily and without too much difficulty, Davies on-driving Root to complete a handsome century off 137 balls with 18 fours and at tea Surrey were well placed on 230 for four.But just as two wickets had gone down unexpectedly earlier on, the same was to happen again in consecutive overs from Steve Patterson as Davies drove gently to Root at short cover to end his 103 stand with Foakes who was caught by Lees at first slip for 45.Again, Yorkshire had the chance to make further inroads with Surrey on 273 for six but James Burke and Tom Curran kept the initiative with the visitors until Burke and Gareth Batty fell lbw at 309 to leave Willey on a hat-trick, the first ball of his next over being safely pushed out to gully by Ravi Rampaul.Yorkshire were hitting back in some style and Brooks comprehensively bowled Curran at 321 to bring the Champions maximum bowling points. The innings was wrapped up when Rampaul top-edged a high catch to Bairstow of Brooks who finished with three wickets, as did Willey.

Liverpool are interested in a swoop for Bayern Munich midfielder Ryan Gravenberch, who has been struggling to find his feet in the German Bundesliga.

What's the latest on Gravenberch to Liverpool?

According to The Athletic's James Pearce, the Dutch maestro is "under consideration" by Reds manager Jurgen Klopp and technical director Julian Ward, with a bid possibly forthcoming this summer.

The precocious midfielder joined Bayern in the summer for €24m (£20m) from Ajax, but has failed to make the impact desired thus far, subsequently linked with a move to Merseyside in January, though the player rebuffed the advances from Premier League suitors.

Valued at £44m by CIES Football Observatory, it is unlikely that the ace would be available for anything even close to cheaper than that fee, but with Liverpool interested in signing Jude Bellingham, who is rated at €125m (£110m), Gravenberch could be a shrewd alternative.

Should Liverpool sign Gravenberch?

Hailed as "one of the biggest talents in Europe" by Bavarian sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic, Gravenberch made a resounding start to life in Europe, attracting attention from a plethora of top outfits before making the move to Munich.

With Ajax, the 20-year-old scored 12 goals and supplied 13 assists from 103 appearances in the maiden phase of his career, flourishing as indeed one of the best teenage talents on the globe.

His spell at Bayern has certainly been less fruitful thus far, having scored just one goal and assist apiece and starting only four times across all competitions, but given the imperious nature of Julian Nagelsmann's outfit and Gravenberch's tender age, this is hardly a detriment to his impressive skill set.

The prowess of the Netherlands' "greatest talent" – as dubbed by former Ajax forward Wim Kieft – is evidenced through statistics provided by FBref, with the £156k-per-week phenom ranking among the top 11% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues for shot-creating actions, the top 8% for total shots and the top 9% for progressive passes received, illustrating a transitional nature that would be a coveted asset at Anfield right now.

Frankly, Liverpool have been lacklustre and lifeless for large parts of the season, out of every cup competition and languishing six points off Tottenham Hotspur who occupy fourth spot.

And with the ever-reliable David Ornstein recently revealing that the Reds' prospects of clinching their top target, Bellingham, hang by a thread after concerns over the price involved and affluence of rival suitors, Klopp might be wise to make contingency plans.

The £27k-per-week ​​​​​​​"superstar" – as lauded by Rio Ferdinand – ranks himself among the top 11% of midfielders for shot-creating actions and progressive passes received per 90, also ranking among the top 1% for successful take-ons and the top 6% for progressive passes, and Bayern's prodigy seems to mirror the skill set; perhaps not quite refined, Klopp could mould the gem to his clay nonetheless.

Proclaimed to be a future "world-beater" by De Telegraaf journalist Marcel van der Kraan, Gravenberch holds the acumen and wields the tools to be a superlative midfield force over the coming years, and with minutes hard to come by at the Allianz Arena, Klopp must instigate a swoop and replenish Liverpool's midfield.

A lot of players can go under the radar at Manchester City. Simply put, Pep Guardiola’s system isn’t designed for individual standouts. It is designed for every player to play their role to perfection, both on and off the ball. And this naturally leads to a number of underrated, yet important figures emerging.

Such is the genius of Guardiola, some may believe that the former Bayern Munich manager could hand pick a number of players for each role in his starting 11. But, this isn’t the case; certain players deserve credit for the job they do; jobs that not many others could take on with such success. 

With that said, we’ve ranked Manchester City’s most underrated player of the Premier League era. 

10) Oleksandr Zinchenko 

Oleksandr Zinchenko is one of the biggest victims of Manchester City’s constant spending on improvement. The left-back has always performed well in his role, but has still seen that same role taken by other players as soon as they walk through the door.

As a result, he left for Arsenal in the summer, and they’re now top of the Premier League table; coincidence? We think not. 

Indeed, Zinchenko never made more than 20 appearances in one Premier League season during his time at City.

That feels like a ridiculous stat when you think about it, but it just shows the riches City have at their disposal.

9) Samir Nasri 

An increasingly controversial character as his career went on, Samir Nasri often went under the radar at Manchester City.

The silky Frenchman played an important role in City’s first ever Premier League title win in 2012, recording 14 goal involvements in the league. 

Nasri totalled 176 appearances for City during his time at the club and one has to say that the club had the best version of him.

After leaving, Nasri endured a nomadic period, playing in Turkey, as well as featuring for West Ham and Anderlecht.

He’s not remembered as he should be.

8) Mario Balotelli 

Speaking of controversial, not many have a bigger track record of that exact trait than Mario Balotelli. And that’s perhaps why his time at Manchester City went under the radar.

Whether he was putting the ball in on the goal-line with his shoulder, or scoring against Manchester United and unveiling the famous ‘why always me’ shirt, the Italian was superb at times. To this day, he remains the only Italian to win the Premier League title.

Balotelli may have seen his legacy somewhat dimmed by the fact that he never recaptured the City form anywhere else.

But he’s one of the most mercurial players we’ve ever seen at City.

7) Pablo Zabaleta 

Pablo Zabaleta was unfortunate enough to feature in an era when full-backs were not quite as appreciated as they are today.

The Argentine right-back was as good going forward as he was defensively, and was a huge part of Manchester City’s Premier League title wins in 2011/12 and 2013/14.

He made over 300 appearances, and often wore the captain’s armband. 

He left City with two Premier League titles under his belt, as well as two League Cups and one FA Cup.

6) Edin Dzeko 

When it comes to underrated forwards in Premier League history, Edin Dzeko is right near the top.

He was a key part of City’s title-winning sides in 2011/12 and 2013/14, and, by the time he left city, he had scored an impressive 72 goals in 189 appearances.

Many seem to forget, too, that it was his goal that put City level with Queens Park Rangers on the final day of the 11/12 season.

It took a long time for City to find another striker who was as selfless and brilliant as the Bosnia and Herzegovina international.

5) Ilkay Gundogan 

The Ilkay Gundogan fan club may have increased in numbers recently, but he still goes far too much under the radar for our liking.

The final day of last season epitomised the German as a player, with his brace helping to overturn a 2-0 deficit against Aston Villa to win the game 3-2 and seal the Premier League title.

Where there is an important moment, there seems to be a Gundogan goal.

He’s played over 280 times for the club and if he does leave soon enough, he will be sorely missed.

4) Aleksandar Kolarov 

Like Zabaleta, Aleksandar Kolarov was unlucky to enjoy his best years in an era outside of the full-back popularity that we so often see today.

That does not take away just how good he was, however, with his rocket of a left foot making the difference on more than one occasion at The Etihad, clocking up 247 appearances. 

He was a regular during the time that City were becoming a truly immense force in English football.

Defensively brilliant and an attacking threat too, Kolarov was a truly world-class left-back.

3) Raheem Sterling 

A player with 131 goals and 95 assists shouldn’t be able to warrant a place on this list. But, the fact is, Raheem Sterling is nowhere near appreciated enough at Manchester City and in the Premier League as a whole.

In total, he won four Premier League titles at the Etihad Stadium, along with five League Cups and one FA Cup.

He has left an immense hole in the City squad after moving to Chelsea, and it remains to be seen if the club can find a way to properly replace him. 

Their form this season suggests they are struggling to do so.

2) Joe Hart 

The arrival and subsequent performances of Ederson can make people forget about just how good Joe Hart was at Manchester City.

Of course, he didn’t suit the change of style under Pep Guardiola, but, prior to that, he was head and shoulders (pun fully intended) above many Premier League shot-stoppers. He remains a key figure in City’s recent history. 

One of the best goalkeepers in Europe at his peak, Hart was also England’s No.1 at a variety of major tournaments.

At his best, there were few better in the world.

1) Fernandinho 

Fernandinho was always going to have his place on this list.

He is one of the most underrated players in Premier League history. And, in a way, that’s exactly what you want from your defensive midfielder. If they’re in the spotlight then, chances are, they’ve made a mistake.

Fernandinho has successfully been the foundation of City’s success over the years, whilst rarely being exposed on the main stage.

He made 383 appearances in total, playing a key role in every season from 2013/14 right up until last season. 

With the way that Pep Guardiola sets up his side, it would come as no surprise if more players went under the radar in the next few years. As a collective, Manchester City are the best team in the Premier League, and arguably the world. Meanwhile, if you shoved the majority of their players into the spotlight and forced them to play in a system which requires individual carrying jobs, they’d fit straight in. 

It speaks volumes of the trust that the players have in Guardiola, that they have remained so disciplined over the years and stuck to their roles, whether that be in or out of the spotlight.

After losing Declan Rice, David Moyes' main two goals would have been to strengthen his West Ham United side using the reported £105m gained from the sale to Arsenal, and avoid any other major exit. With the summer transfer window closed, the former Manchester United boss can comfortably place two bold ticks in both boxes.

The Hammers have welcomed some big names, like Mohammed Kudus, whilst keeping hold of players linked with a move away, such as Lucas Paqueta. When it comes to departures though, the desire of the player can be crucial, and Moyes got a first-hand glimpse at that in the summer, with reports emerging that a West Ham star had ample opportunity to leave the club in the summer transfer window.

The player in question opted to repay the manager's faith in him, however, and now a report may have revealed the two unnamed Premier League clubs reportedly chasing his signature.

What's the latest West Ham United transfer news?

Reports suggest that West Ham did well to lose only Rice in the summer transfer window, and have had their stubborn nature in the market repaid ever since, remaining unbeaten in four Premier League games.

One player they did particularly well to keep a hold of is Nayef Aguerd. According to Roshane Thomas of The Athletic, the defender received offers from Saudi Arabia and two unnamed mystery suitors, but rejected every offer, opting to repay the faith that Moyes showed in him during his debut season at the club.

It now seems as though the two unnamed European clubs could have been revealed. According to The Sun, via West Ham Zone, both Liverpool and Manchester City are monitoring the centre-back, as they look to improve their defensive options. With that said, it wouldn't be a shock if the two unnamed suitors who provided Aguerd with an offer over the summer turned out to be the two Premier League giants.

How has Nayef Aguerd performed so far this season?

After struggling to stay fit during his debut season at the club, missing a total of 22 games for West Ham, some may have been worried about the lack of impact that Aguerd was having at the London Stadium.

With four games gone this season, however, those doubters have been silenced. The Morrocon has featured in three of the Hammers' four Premier League games, and was on course for a perfect start until he received his marching orders in a victory over Chelsea after he initially scored the opening goal.

Back from suspension, Aguerd will face his toughest test yet this season, up against Manchester City, but, given the form he and his side have shown, a shock may well be on the cards.

It's a major credit to the work that Moyes has done that their game against City is a top of the table clash which could see the London club climb top of the Premier League table, if only temporarily. There's no doubt that Aguerd will be at the centre of that result should it take place after repaying Moyes' faith this season.

Leeds United were relegated from the Premier League earlier this year and went through a mass summer of change during the transfer window.

Who left Leeds United this summer?

Alongside manager Sam Allardyce, who was replaced by Daniel Farke, the Whites allowed a staggering 15 players to depart the club either on loan or permanently.

Rodrigo

Permanent

Joel Robles

Permanent

Adam Forshaw

Permanent

Tyler Adams

Permanent

Tyler Roberts

Permanent

Robin Koch

Loan

Max Wober

Loan

Rasmus Kristensen

Loan

Marc Roca

Loan

Luis Sinisterra

Loan

Brenden Aaronson

Loan

Sam Greenwood

Loan

Cody Drameh

Loan

Sonny Perkins

Loan

Jack Harrison

Loan

The Yorkshire-based outfit moved on a number of first-team stars, alongside a few of their younger players to gain experience, to shift the mood amongst the group in preparation to attack the Championship with a positive mindset under the German head coach.

One of the players who moved on was right-back Rasmus Kristensen and, as it stands, the decision to sign him in 2022 was a huge howler by then-manager Jesse Marsch, before his departure later that season.

How much did Leeds pay to sign Rasmus Kristensen?

In June of last year, the American head coach snapped the defender up from his former club RB Salzburg for a reported fee of £10m, whilst Sky Sports claimed that he was also a target for German giants Borussia Dortmund and Premier League side Brentford.

He was also on a reported wage of £40k-per-week throughout the 2022/23 campaign, which added an extra £2m to the amount of money they paid for his services last term.

It was a significant fee to pay for a player who had yet to prove himself in a major European league, albeit he had played 27 matches for Ajax earlier in his career, and the gamble did not come off for the Whites.

Why did Leeds sign Rasmus Kristensen?

Marsch snapped him up after a campaign of sublime performances for Salzburg during the 2021/22 campaign that suggested that he had the potential to be a superb signing for the club.

Kristensen averaged a phenomenal Sofascore rating of 7.31 across 29 Bundesliga matches as he caught the eye with his displays at both ends of the pitch, whilst no outfield player for Leeds managed a score higher than 6.99 that season.

The marauding full-back chipped in with seven goals and seven 'big chances' created, to go along with an impressive haul of 1.2 key passes per match, for the Austrian side.

He also won 72% of his aerial duels, which highlighted his dominance in the air against opposition forwards, and was only dribbled past 0.4 times per game as players found it difficult to get past him on a regular basis, as per Sofascore.

What happened to Rasmus Kristensen?

Kristensen was, unfortunately, unable to make the step up to Premier League football after his impressive year with Salzburg in Austria.

The 24-year-old warrior averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.70 across 26 top-flight outings for Leeds as they were relegated to the Championship.

This was the 11th-highest average score within the squad and that suggests that he was far away from being one of the team's top performers, which does not shine well on the right-back given how poorly the side performed on the road to finishing within the bottom three.

The Denmark international was dribbled past 1.3 times per game throughout the season. Luke Ayling (1.5) was the only defender who was dribbled past more times per match than him, which shows that opposition forwards found it far too easy to take the ball past him week-in-week-out to create chances for their respective sides.

Kristensen did not make up for his sloppy defensive work with quality attacking play from right-back as he rarely created opportunities for his teammates going forward either.

The £10m signing averaged 0.3 key passes per outing for Leeds and created just two 'big chances' in total, which led to one assist for the Dane.

To put that in context, 18 players within the Leeds squad averaged more key passes per game than Kristensen, showing that he was one of the worst attacking players on the team as he struggled to make things happen at the top end of the pitch with regularity.

Where is Rasmus Kristensen now?

The 24-year-old, who was rather harshly described as like a "League One defender" by Leeds YouTuber Conor McGilligan last season, was sent out on loan to Italian giants AS Roma to work with Jose Mourinho this summer.

It appeared to be a fantastic move for the Danish defender on paper, given his poor performances for Leeds, but it has not gone to plan for him so far.

He averaged a dismal Sofascore rating of 6.44 and scored one own goal across his five pre-season friendly appearances with the Serie A outfit and carried that form into the opening match of the league season with a rating of 6.4 against Salernitana.

Mourinho gave him another chance from the start against Verona in their next Serie A clash but embarrassingly substituted him at half-time, which led to the Whites flop being an unused substitute for their most recent game against AC Milan.

Kristensen has been dealt another blow this week as the Portuguese head coach has opted to exclude him from the club's squad for the Europa League group stages this season.

This does not bode well for his chances of being a regular starter in the Serie A for the remainder of the campaign as the former Chelsea manager seemingly has other options that he would prefer to use.

A lack of time on the pitch this season with Roma could be more bad news for Leeds as it is likely to lower his possible resell value even further. Indeed, any onlooking clubs are currently seeing him struggle at a second club for a successive year and may be wary of spending money to sign him.

This could affect their chances of being able to cash in on the Danish defender next summer, or in January if Roma opt to cut the loan deal short.

Overall, this transfer has certainly turned out to be a huge howler by Marsch and one that has been an expensive failure for Leeds, barring a miraculous turnaround in fortunes and performances before his time at Elland Road comes to an end.

The fast bowler also said that on a surface that was “flatter than Wellington,” West Indies would have taken having New Zealand seven down at stumps

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Dec-2017Although West Indies “didn’t assess the wicket well enough,” they would have taken having New Zealand seven down at stumps, according to fast bowler Shannon Gabriel. New Zealand finished the first day in Hamilton at 286 for 7 after they were put in on a grassy surface.”I think they scored 30 or 40 runs too much, but it was a good day of Test cricket,” Gabriel said. “I think if we told ourselves this morning we’d win the toss and have them seven down by the end of the day’s play, we’d have taken that.”I think judging from what happened in the last game, once we win the toss, you back yourself when it’s bowler-friendly. But I don’t think that was the case on this wicket, I think it was a bit more flat than in Wellington.”West Indies conceded 87 runs in the first session at 3.10 runs per over, and Gabriel allowed 36 of those in six overs. He said West Indies switched tactics at lunch, choosing patience over aggression.Getty Images”After lunch, we decided that we wanted to be patient and luckily things happened for us,” Gabriel said. “When we started this morning we bowled a little too full – myself. It was a bit soggy, the crease. So my landing was skidding along the wicket, and it was a bit difficult to control my line and my length. But when the sun came out the pitch got a bit dry so it was a little bit easier for me.”We told ourselves once we soak up the runs and bowl the ball back into the wicket it was going to be a bit difficult to score runs. Once we build that pressure, we know 90% of the time a wicket is going to come. In cricket, you could be 100 for 1 and you could be 150 all out. We just had to believe in ourselves, as a group we always believe in ourselves.”In conditions that assisted seam more than spin, Gabriel backed stand-in captain Kraigg Brathwaite’s decision to pick Raymon Reifer over legspinner Devendra Bishoo.”Most of the guys started well this morning,” Gabriel said. “Hats off to Raymon, I think he bowled beautifully, his figures didn’t really show how he stuck to his task. The conditions may favour Bishoo a little bit, he’s been our No 1 spinner for the past two years, so it’s a bit difficult leaving him out. But I think the fast bowlers bowled good enough in the last game to warrant a place in this team for this game.”

Jaydev Unadkat, Shaurya Sanandia and Kushang Patel dismissed Haryana cheaply in their first-innings in Lahli and the hosts need another 78 runs to make Saurashtra bat again

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Oct-2017Saurashtra’s bowlers took 16 wickets on the second day in Rohtak to take control against Haryana, who need another 78 runs to make Saurashtra bat again. Shaurya Sanandia took six wickets on the day – four in the first innings and two in the second – while Kushang Patel and Jaydev Unadkat took four wickets each on the day, as Haryana were forced to follow on after being bowled out for 107. In their second innings, Haryana’s batsmen – barring Chaitanya Bishnoi (53*) – struggled once again, finishing the day on 93 for 6.Resuming from 271 for 7, Saurashtra were all out in the eighth over after adding seven runs to their overnight score. Ashish Hooda took two more wickets for Haryana to finish with figures of 6 for 61. Unadkat delivered a fiery opening spell for Saurashtra after that, dismissing the top order to reduce Haryana to 28 for 3. Sanandia then took the next three wickets as Haryana slipped further to 41 for 6. Rahul Tewatia (23) and Deepak Punia (18) then added 34 runs for the seventh, but after that partnership was broken by Sanandia, offspinner Kushang cleaned up the tail.Saurashtra asked Haryana to bat again, and the hosts’ batting faltered once more. Sanandia and Unadkat together reduced Haryana to 14 for 3 in their opening spell, before Chaitanya Joshi took control with a 97-ball 53. Joshi hung on till stumps, but three more wickets fell along the way as Haryana ended the day staring at a probable innings defeat.Mohammed Mudhasir’s five-wicket haul helped Jammu & Kashmir wrap up Rajasthan’s first innings in short time on the second day of their Group B clash at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur. Robin Bist, the overnight centurion was dismissed after adding just eight runs to his tally, for 113, while his partner Tanvir-ul-Haq was sent back without scoring. Rajesh Bishnoi resisted with 43 at No. 7 before becoming Mudhasir’s fifth and final victim as Rajasthan, who resumed on 249 for 4, folded for 330. Medium-pacer Samiullah Beigh and Parvez Rasool, the J&K captain, split the rest of the wickets between them.J&K’s openers made a strong reply thereafter, putting on 109 before Shubham Khajuria was bowled by the medium pace of Tanvir-ul-Haq. Ahmed Bandy, Khajuria’s opening partner, remained unbeaten on 72 and took J&K to 150 for 1 at stumps in the company of Pranav Gupta.Jharkhand offspinner Sunny Gupta ripped through Kerala’s top order but a fifty from Mohammed Azharuddeen and Jalaj Saxena’s unbeaten 47 helped the hosts take a 48-run first-innings lead in Trivandrum.Sunny had dismissed Kerala’s top four batsmen with only 77 runs on the board but Azharuddeen and Sachin Baby led a brief recovery through a 43-run partnership. Once Azharuddeen was dismissed for 51 off 66 balls, Jalaj Saxena guided the lower order. Gupta went on to pick two more wickets to end the day with returns of 6 for 94.The day began with Jharkhand nine down for 200. It took Kerala’s bowlers just 14 deliveries to wrap up the innings for 202. Gupta was the last batsman dismissed, losing his stumps to seamer Sandeep Warrier.

USMNT star Sergino Dest has revealed what it was like to play alongside Lionel Messi during his time at Barcelona.

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• Dest reveals what playing with Messi like
• Admits he learned a lot from him
• Says everyone struggled to replicate him

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Speaking to , Dest revealed that he learned a lot during the year he played alongside the now eight-time Ballon d'Or winner. In 2020, the duo crafted their trade together in La Liga and across Europe.

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  WHAT DEST SAID

  He said: "I played with Messi for one year, and even though it is impossible to do what he does, I learned a lot of things just by watching him.”

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Dest's time at Barcelona truly never want to plan, however, he's found massive success in the Netherlands with PSV. He's become a go-to starter under Peter Bosz, flourishing with fellow internationals Malik Tillman and Ricardo Pepi. The Dutch side are top of the Eredivisie and have advanced to the last 16 of the Champions League.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR DEST

  The Dutch side return to action on January 13 against Excelsior, with their next Champions League match coming against Borussia Dortmund on February 20.

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