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Very little went New Zealand’s way on the opening day of the second Test and chancy Sri Lanka cashed in

Madushka Balasuriya26-Sep-2024Welcome to the multiverse of madness fine margins. Doesn’t quite roll off the tongue as the Marvel one, but don’t for a second think New Zealand wouldn’t consider making all sorts of morally ambiguous choices to slip right into any other universe right now. See, if you’re slow on the uptake (read: only clicked on this article and nothing else), that intro is not quite right.Yes, Sri Lanka won the toss and, yes, Nissanka edged behind off the final ball of the first over, but that’s about it. New Zealand thereafter embodied their slightly less competent self from seemingly another reality.Karunaratne was grassed by Daryl Mitchell at first slip, before later being let off as Tom Blundell fumbled a stumping. Chandimal, meanwhile, was fortunate to edge between third slip and gully when he was only on four, but then it happened again in the 13th over – this time as New Zealand had opted to go without a second slip.Related

• Chandimal, Mathews punish sloppy New Zealand to make it Sri Lanka's day

The end result of these costly errors (and some just regulation bad luck) was a 122-run second-wicket stand, which was precisely what skipper de Silva would have been hoping for when he won his sixth toss in a row in Tests (yeah, he definitely doesn’t want to inhabit a different universe).Even the breakthrough came against the run of play. Karunaratne’s call on a quick run to midwicket was turned down by Chandimal, leading to a mix-up which saw the former nowhere near returning to his crease. That he even made the frame was down to a throw from Glenn Phillips that found Tom Latham at short leg instead of Blundell closer to the stumps.But if New Zealand thought that this would prove to be a watershed in terms of their fortunes, the universe was only just getting started.You know that whole bit about Mathews being strangled down leg after a no-ball, well in this reality that ball too was a no-ball. Couldn’t script it, really, but then again there are supposedly an infinite number of realities. Mathews also wound up edging one behind shortly after, but as the fates would have it, the ball fell short of first slip.Chandimal’s chanced innings then continued with a leading edge dying on Tim Southee at short cover, four runs short of his 16th Test ton. And as if to really punctuate the milestone, once reaching it, he edged yet another drive past first slip.Tim Southee and Co found it hard to break the second-wicket stand•AFP/Getty ImagesWith New Zealand uncharacteristically unreliable in the field, Chandimal eventually fell after playing all around a sharp-turning off break from Phillips. By then Sri Lanka had 221 on the board, but if the first Test had shown anything, it is that wickets breed more wickets. Still, when you’re running bad even quads aren’t safe.See the scale of New Zealand’s misfortune by this point had already reached rotten levels, so much so that new units of measurement were being expediently crafted following the close of play.How else would you choose to surmise the series of events that followed: Kamindu edging twice through a vacant second slip region, before getting a full-blooded edge that Mitchell was only able to parry away for four. Disastrophy? That could work, potentially. Especially after Mathews became the third Sri Lankan batter to be dropped, as he fenced away a sharp bouncer from the luckless O’Rourke that Latham at second slip could only get fingertips on.Mercifully for the visitors, that was to be the last of their close calls, as Sri Lanka ended the day having piled on 306 runs for the loss of three wickets at stumps. But things can change quickly in Test cricket, particularly in Galle, and especially on a new day.”A lot of days are like that in Test cricket actually,” stated Glenn Phillips reflecting on the day’s play. “A lot of the time at home, especially on the greener wickets, they get edged quite often either just before or just over the slips fielders.”That’s part and parcel of the game, but it really makes you feel like you’re in it. And if you can create some pressure for a long period of time, then you definitely feel like you’re not that far away from a couple of quick ones. We could come out tomorrow and they could potentially be bowled out for 330, as simple as that.”But until then, New Zealand would, as a collective perhaps, do well to keep an eye out for any stray banana peels or rakes lying around.

The offspinner took key wickets and kept a lid on Afghanistan’s scoring in the game’s decisive performance

Mohammad Isam17-Sep-20252:27

Abhinav lauds Bangladesh’s spin-choke tactic

Nasum Ahmed finds himself in controversies, and then bounces back with match-winning performances.He was at the wrong end of a senior cricketer’s ire a few years ago. Nasum was also the recipient of the alleged slap from then head coach Chandika Hathurusinghe. He lost a year of cricket because of the second incident. In his first match back after that, also against Afghanistan, Nasum hit 25 in 24 balls before taking 3 for 28 in the second ODI.This time, at the Asia Cup, Nasum was again making a comeback dealing with an off-field controversy. As soon the Bangladesh team landed in Abu Dhabi, Nasum had to issue a clarification about a private matter that was more complicated than what was reported. The incident had weighed Nasum down, as was evident in his voice when issuing the clarification.Related

• Controversy in the past, Nasum makes a comeback and a big statement

• Bangladesh finally see the power of hitting sixes

• Tanzid, Mustafizur keep Bangladesh's Asia Cup campaign alive

Give him a cricket ball, though, and Nasum is in his element. Against Afghanistan on Tuesday, his miserly 2 for 11 handed Bangladesh a lifeline in the Asia Cup. They remain in the tournament till Thursday, at least, when a favourable result (and a net run-rate swing) in the Afghanistan-Sri Lanka match could get them in the tournament’s second phase.Despite Afghanistan’s woeful record in chasing 150-plus totals in major tournaments, they held the momentum at the break in Abu Dhabi. Afghanistan had fought back with the ball, conceding just 35 runs in the last five overs. Early wickets was the only way Bangladesh could have mitigated their batting drop-off.Enter Nasum. He claimed a wicket off the first ball of the Afghanistan innings. The delivery spun back into left-hand batter Sediqullah Atal’s back foot. It was so plumb that Atal didn’t bother to review. It was also a wicket-maiden, and was followed by another wicket in his third over, when he got another delivery to crash into the back pad of right-hand batter Ibrahim Zadran.However, Litton Das kept Nasum out of the attack after that until Mustafizur Rahman conceded 14 runs in the 17th over. Nasum’s first ball again produced a wicket, albeit a run out – it was Nurul Hasan’s wicket, really, as put on a bit of the spectacular to send back Karim Janat. Nasum gave away just four runs in the over, leaving Afghanistan with a mountain to climb in the last two, which they couldn’t.Nasum Ahmed wheels ahead during his celebration during his match-winning spell•Associated Press”It is a wonderful and positive aspect that he makes an impact every time he returns to the playing XI,” Tanzid Hasan said afterwards. “He changed the complexion of this game from his first over. I think we won because of his bowling.”We have a lot of healthy competition within the team. Everyone is giving their 100% at every opportunity. He gives the same effort in training and match situation. Everyone does the same in the team.”Nasum’s start was crucial, but it was also followed by Rishad Hossain taking 2 for 18, while Taskin Ahmed and Mustafizur picked up five wickets between them.Despite the fifth-bowlers’ quota going for 55 runs in four overs, Tanzid praised the Bangladesh bowling for using their wealth of experience to pull off the win. “We have a world-class bowling line-up, who are well experienced in T20s,” he said. “We believed that we could defend the total. The credit goes to the bowlers.”Nasum also bowled 16 dot balls in his four overs. It is very rare for a Bangladesh bowler to be so miserly in a crucial match in a major tournament.Saif Hassan and Tanzid Hasan gave Bangladesh a rapid start•AFP/Getty ImagesBefore Nasum, Taskin bowled a similarly tight spell against Pakistan in the 2016 Asia Cup. For the other such example, were have to go all the way back to 2007, when Syed Rasel bowled 15 dots against a rampant West Indies line-up in the T20 World Cup.This was also Bangladesh’s first win against Afghanistan in an overseas T20I. Nasum was a key contributor but Bangladesh also started well with the bat. Tanzid and Saif Hassan added 63 runs for the first wicket, with Tanzid scoring a half-century. It was a crucial turnaround for Bangladesh, who had started their innings with two wicket-maidens against Sri Lanka in the previous game. Saif replaced Parvez Hossain in the line-up, among four changes, which paid off for Bangladesh.”We communicated well about the first couple of overs,” Tanzid said. “We struck boundaries in back-to-back overs, which helped us do well in the powerplay. I am not too worried about the past. It won’t come back. I tried to start afresh. I tried to give my best with the bat in a do-or-die match. I always try to be positive. You have to take risk in powerplays. I try looking for boundaries as much as possible.”Asked whether they were given any messages during the game about their net-run-rate equation, Tanzid said that they knew what they had to do, but were satisfied with just the win. “We had the opportunity [to increase our net run-rate]. We could have done it… but we couldn’t quite do it. We are happy to winning the game.”

India’s captain said she always had belief in her team even when things got tough in the World Cup

Sruthi Ravindranath03-Nov-2025

Harmanpreet Kaur sprints off after taking the final catch of the tournament•ICC/Getty Images

If the semi-final win against Australia was emotional – captain Harmanpreet Kaur was unable to hold back tears in the dugout – the day India finally lifted their first-ever Women’s World Cup was filled with nothing but smiles. A beaming Harmanpreet walked into the press conference room, bringing the trophy along. The emotion this time was of a different kind, like the buzz of a dream realised. And the one word she kept returning to was “self-belief”.One of the first questions, inevitably, was about the feeling of finally touching a trophy that had long eluded India.”I’m just trying to express what I’m feeling. I’m numb, I’m not able to understand,” Harmanpreet said. “So, it’s just that there were ups and downs, but the team had self-belief. I’ve been saying this since day one. We weren’t looking to the left or right. We were only looking at our main end goal.Related

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“We felt we could win from the first ball itself because the way our team was playing in the last three games, a lot of things changed for us, especially our self-belief. We have played good cricket for a long time. We knew what we could do as a team. We knew there would be tough conditions for batting, but credit goes to Smriti [Mandhana] and Shafali [Verma]; they handled the first 10 overs very well.”There was laughter, too. Harmanpreet’s luck with the toss hadn’t improved all tournament – she won one in nine attempts – and she lost it again on the day of the final. “From the first ball itself, I had the belief that it doesn’t matter – because we don’t normally win the toss – we knew we had to bat first,” she said, smiling.There was belief, but there were also nerves. Laura Wolvaardt’s century had kept South Africa in the chase before her dismissal in the 42nd over finally swung momentum India’s way.”Our aim was simple. We knew that if we thought of a big target, we would come under pressure,” Harmanpreet said. “The main thing was to keep batting and keep playing our game. We tried to score 300 runs on the board; we were one run short. But after that, I think we came onto the field as a strong unit. Whenever we needed it, we got a breakthrough. It was a very good match.”It seems easy to say now, but there was a lot of tension in between when they were batting – like Laura, she was not giving a chance. But at the end of the day, I’m feeling great. I don’t know how to express it, but I’m just trying to tell you what I’m feeling.”After the final wicket fell – fittingly, with Harmanpreet taking the catch – India took a victory lap around a roaring DY Patil Stadium. At one point, former India players Mithali Raj, Jhulan Goswami and Anjum Chopra joined the team and were handed the trophy. Goswami was in tears as she embraced Harmanpreet and a few other team-mates in the middle.Pratika Rawal gets off her wheelchair to celebrate with her team-mates•ICC/Getty Images”Jhulan was my biggest support,” Harmanpreet said, when asked what it meant to share that moment with former players. “When I joined the team, she was leading it. She always supported me in my early days when I was very raw and didn’t know much about cricket. Anjum , too. Both of them have been a great support for me. I’m very grateful that I got to share a special moment with them. It was a very emotional moment. I think we all were waiting for this. Finally, we were able to touch this trophy.”The campaign itself had been a deeply emotional one. Harmanpreet revealed how injuries to Yastika Bhatia and Pratika Rawal had left the dressing room in tears.”When she [Pratika] got injured, everybody was crying…yet, everybody was so positive. Everyone was thinking that our end goal was this trophy. We had to keep working hard day and night. And this is the result.”India’s journey through the tournament was far from smooth. Two early wins were followed by three straight losses – to South Africa, Australia and England – before a recovery against New Zealand sealed their semi-final berth. Beating Australia in the semi-final was the breakthrough they needed.

We were waiting badly for this moment, and today we got a chance to live it. I don’t know how to express it, but I’m so happy and so proud of this teamHarmanpreet Kaur

“The last month has been very interesting,” Harmanpreet said. “It’s very rare that things don’t go according to your plan, and yet you stay so positive. After that day [the loss against England], a lot changed for us. Every time, we cannot go on repeating the same things. We had to come with a strong mind.”That defeat to England proved transformative. The squad turned inward, working on visualisation and meditation sessions to refocus.”That night changed a lot for us,” she added. “It had an impact on everyone. We were more prepared for the World Cup. We started visualisation and meditation. That showed we were here for something, and this time we had to do it.”There have been parallels drawn between this and India’s men’s World Cup win in 1983. For a side that had reached finals and semi-finals but always fallen just short, Harmanpreet saw this win as the long-awaited shift Indian women’s cricket.DY Patil Stadium was a sea of blue on Sunday•ICC/Getty Images”We have been talking about this for many years – we’ve been playing good cricket, but we had to win one big tournament. Without that, we couldn’t talk about change…we were waiting badly for this moment, and today we got a chance to live it. I don’t know how to express it, but I’m so happy and so proud of this team.”When the final wicket fell, Harmanpreet sprinted across the field, embracing each of her team-mates in celebration. But the longest hug was reserved for Smriti Mandhana, her partner across 106 ODIs.”I’ve played many World Cups with her [Mandhana]. Every time we lost, we went home heartbroken and stayed quiet for a few days. When we returned, we always said, ‘we have to start again from ball one’. It was heartbreaking because we played so many World Cups – reaching finals, semi-finals, and sometimes not even that far. We were always thinking, when will we break this?”The 39,555-strong Navi Mumbai crowd stayed through a two-hour rain delay, unrelenting in their chants for the home side. The DY Patil Stadium, which had hosted several women’s international and WPL fixtures, and long seen as the home of women’s cricket in India, once again proved a lucky venue. Harmanpreet also shared an anecdote about how the side felt relieved when the venue had changed from Bengaluru to Navi Mumbai in August.”As soon as we got to know that our venue had been changed to DY Patil Stadium, we all got so happy because we’ve always played good cricket there. We said, ‘We’ve come home now, and we’ll start fresh.’ We didn’t want to look back at previous World Cups, we left them there. The new World Cup had just started.”Celebrations stretched late into the night. After the victory lap and presentations, the team stayed on the ground with friends and family before heading to their hotel with a procession.”We’ve been waiting for this moment. The celebration will go on all night. And then let’s see what BCCI is planning for us,” Harmanpreet quipped.

كشف إبراهيم حسن، مدير منتخب مصر الأول لكرة القدم، موعد انطلاق معسكر الفراعنة الأخير استعدادًا لبطولة كأس أمم إفريقيا 2025 بالمغرب.

ويستعد منتخب مصر في الفترة الحالية، لخوض المعسكر الختامي قبل المشاركة في بطولة كأس أمم إفريقيا 2025 بالمغرب والمقرر أن تنطلق 21 ديسمبر الجاري.

طالع | قائمة منتخب مصر استعدادًا لـ كأس أمم إفريقيا 2025 .. موقف إمام عاشور

وقال حسن خلال تصريحات للمركز الإعلامي لاتحاد الكرة المصري: “معسكر منتخب مصر سينطلق غدًا الأربعاء 3 ديسمبر، وسيكون التدريب في الواحدة ظهرًا، بمشروع الهدف بالسادس من أكتوبر”.

وأضاف: “سنخوض مباراة ودية ضد نيجيريا يوم 14 ديسمبر، ثم السفر إلى المغرب يوم 17 ديسمبر للمشاركة في كأس أمم إفريقيا”.

وأتم: “معسكر منتخب مصر، سيكون مفتوح حتى يوم 6 ديسمبر على أن يدخل الفريق بعدها معسكر مغلق، حتي موعد السفر إلى المغرب”.

و⁠يبدأ منتخب مصر مبارياته ببطولة أمم إفريقيا يوم 22 ديسمبر بمواجهة زيمبابوي ثم جنوب إفريقيا يوم 26 وأنجولا يوم 29 ديسمبر في دور المجموعات.

The Cleveland Guardians could use a pitcher like Luis Ortiz amid their bid to stay in playoff contention—but it appears he won't be back anytime soon.

Major League Baseball has extended Ortiz's stay on non-disciplinary paid leave through Aug. 31, it announced Friday afternoon via Jeff Passan of ESPN.

MLB is investigating gambling activity around two Ortiz pitches earlier this year—one on June 15 against the Seattle Mariners and one on June 27 against the St. Louis Cardinals. The latter came in Ortiz's most recent start, in which he gave up four earned runs and lost 5–0.

The Guardians acquired Ortiz on Dec. 10, and he is currently 4-9 with a 4.36 ERA and 96 strikeouts in 88 2/3 innings.

Cleveland exits the All-Star break with a record of 46-49, putting them 4.5 games back of the Seattle Mariners for the American League's final wild-card playoff spot.

Pep Guardiola has made it clear he will not be pulling Gianluigi Donnarumma aside for a warning despite the goalkeeper amassing four bookings in just ten Premier League appearances. The Manchester City manager insisted the Italian is old enough to recognise that his temperament on the pitch must be reined in, even as he edges toward a disciplinary record no goalkeeper in the competition has ever reached.

• Donnarumma on verge of unwanted history

  Three of the cautions have stemmed from dissent, with the other issued for time-wasting, placing the 26-year-old on precarious footing. Should Donnarumma pick up another yellow in any of City’s next six league fixtures, he would become the first goalkeeper in Premier League history to serve a suspension for accumulating five bookings this early in a season. Although a dozen goalkeepers have reached at least five yellows in a campaign, none racked them up quickly enough to trigger the automatic ban before the 19-match threshold.

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• AFP
  

  What did Guardiola say?

  Asked whether he planned a stern conversation with his summer signing from Paris Saint-Germain, Guardiola was unmoved.

  "No, he is adult enough," Guardiola said. "He will, step by step, understand things in the league and [learn] new behaviours."

  Guardiola showed little appetite for revisiting Donnarumma’s yellow-card tally when he spoke on Monday ahead of City’s trip to Fulham. He responded curtly when asked whether the club were concerned about the possibility of a ban. "It is what it is," he said.

  The scrutiny surrounding Donnarumma intensified after Manchester City’s dramatic 3-2 win over Leeds, when Daniel Farke suggested the goalkeeper went down unnecessarily to hand Guardiola an opportunity to issue tactical instructions at a critical moment. Leeds had fought back from two goals down to haul themselves level at the Etihad, only for Phil Foden to strike in stoppage time and secure victory.

  Farke’s comments have added fuel to ongoing discussions among football lawmakers about potential rule changes to prevent teams from exploiting stoppages involving goalkeepers. Under current regulations, outfield players who require treatment must leave the pitch for thirty seconds before rejoining the action. Goalkeepers, however, are exempt due to the specialist nature of their role.

  According to reports, decision-makers spent considerable time debating whether this exemption should continue. One proposal gaining support would compel teams to temporarily remove an outfield player if their goalkeeper receives medical attention, thereby preventing managers from using the pause to reorganise their sides. Another suggestion involved banning players from approaching the dugout entirely during such interruptions.

• Getty
  

  Foden’s rise continues as Guardiola hopes for new deal

  While Donnarumma dominated the disciplinary conversation, Guardiola was more eager to discuss Phil Foden’s growing influence following his match-winning double against Leeds. The City manager expressed hope that the 25-year-old, whose current contract runs until 2027, will commit his long-term future to the club.

  "Hopefully he can stay all his career here," said Guardiola. "He is a special player, a Man City fan, from the academy."

  Foden himself suggested after Saturday’s game that he now sees himself as one of the leaders of the squad. Guardiola agreed that the playmaker has long demonstrated authority through his football, even if he is not the most vocal presence away from the pitch.

  "On the pitch, he's always been like that," said Guardiola. "Vocally he is not a guy who talks much in the dressing room but, on the pitch, he never hides behind the scenes."

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• Bernardo Silva also walking a fine line

  Donnarumma is not the only City player inching toward potential suspension. Bernardo Silva collected his fourth yellow of the season against Leeds, meaning he too is only one booking away from disciplinary action. City’s 19th league fixture, the game at Sunderland on New Year’s Day, marks the point at which the suspension threshold increases from five to ten cautions. Donnarumma and Silva, therefore, need to navigate the next few weeks without incident or face a forced absence.

  City can close the gap on league leaders Arsenal to just two points if they overcome Fulham on Tuesday night. Guardiola's side have been gathering momentum after a rocky start to the campaign. The Gunners will, however, have the chance to assert their status as title favourites when they face Brentford at home a day later. 

Chelsea kept their unbeaten November form going in both the Premier League and Champions League with a straightforward 2-0 victory away at Burnley on Saturday lunchtime.

Pedro Neto picked up his sixth goal contribution of the league season when handing the travelling Blues the 1-0 lead, before Enzo Fernandez made sure of all three points late on when he gobbled up a chance on the 88th minute that was all Marc Guiu’s making from off the bench.

Away from the goalscorers mentioned, Andrey Santos also stood out in the midfield ranks, with Enzo Maresca no doubt ready to select the 21-year-old more often, off the back of such an assured showing at Turf Moor.

Santos' performance in numbers

The number 17 was thrown into the starting XI in Lancashire, with Moises Caicedo rested back in Premier League action, after lining up for Ecuador deep into the international break.

Thankfully, Caicedo’s absence wasn’t felt whatsoever, as Santos’ individual showing was described as “outstanding” at the full-time whistle by former Stamford Bridge great Joe Cole.

Indeed, the 21-year-old came into the side and looked right at home in Caicedo’s midfield anchor role, winning seven duels and two tackles to really boost the Blues centrally when Burnley attempted to work openings.

On top of that, Santos looked assured and comfortable on the ball, too, without ever really looking flashy with 34 passes accurately registered.

While Maresca will take plenty away from Santos’ polished showing, with one Chelsea content creator stating that he was “everywhere”, he did need the likes of Neto to come up trumps with a moment of quality in attack to seal the win, away from the Brazilian, allowing the visitors to tick.

While Santos has previously showcased an eye for goal and demonstrated his qualities as a box-crashing 8, he’s not the only Blues star evoking memories of Stamford Bridge royalty in Frank Lampard.

Chelsea star could be Maresca's Lampard

Come the end of his illustrious Premier League career, Lampard would bag 177 top-flight goals, with the former Blues captain having a great habit of sneaking into the box and finishing off chances expertly.

Romelu Lukaku would even hail Lampard as an “unbelievable” finisher of chances when reminiscing about his brief time in the Chelsea first team alongside the modern great.

In the here and now, the aforementioned Fernandez also has a similarly impactful knack to be able to finish off chances, with Guiu playing a late pass into a dangerous space up against Burnley, knowing that his captain could be there to kill the game off.

After all, that’s amazingly Fernandez’s fourth Premier League goal of the season already, meaning the World Cup-winning star is now Chelsea’s joint-top goalscorer in league action for the season with Neto, which is an accolade Lampard would regularly claim during his celebrated stay in West London.

Yet, there is far more to both the Argentine’s game and Lampard’s game away from scoring big goals, with pundit Micah Richards going out of his way to hail the £107 man as having “everything” in his locker now to be a “leader” at Chelsea earlier in the season.

Enzo’s league numbers (25/26)

Stat (* = 90 mins)

Fernandez

Games played

11

Goals scored

4

Assists

1

Touches*

70.7

Accurate passes*

46.5 (85%)

Shots*

2.2

Big chances missed

4

Key passes*

1.8

Big chances created

4

Ball recoveries*

3.9

Total duels won*

3.9

Stats by Sofascore

The table above very much backs up Richards’ assessment of Fernandez being a complete midfield talent worthy of wearing Chelsea’s club armband, with an energy present in his game that matches that of Santos, with 3.9 ball recoveries averaged and 3.9 duels won per game this season in league action.

However, it is his ability to fashion chances galore and score plentiful goals that really does make that comparison to Lampard even stronger, with Fernandez beating the likes of Cole Palmer to the top prize when it comes to most goal contributions tallied up for the Blues over the last year, as the 24-year-old now sits on a weighty 21 goal contributions, next to the Englishman’s 15.

Fernandez also has a taste for silverware now, too, having lifted the Club World Cup in the summer, as he strives to lift Premier League titles like those before him, with Santos also wanting to mature into a consistent first-team star next to him.

Related Enzo Maresca now driving Chelsea move for "incredible" £79m Premier League star

The Italian is looking to sign a new defender, who is viewed as an ideal fit for his system.

Posts ByDominic Lund Nov 23, 2025

India’s complaint over gestures made by Farhan and Rauf will be heard on Friday

Shashank Kishore25-Sep-2025

Suryakumar Yadav, India’s T20I captain, has been told to refrain from making comments that could be construed as political following an ICC hearing conducted by match referee Richie Richardson on Thursday in Dubai. It’s not yet clear if Suryakumar faces any other sanctions.An official hearing was necessary because the Pakistan team management had filed a complaint alleging that Suryakumar made political remarks following India’s Asia Cup group-stage win over Pakistan on September 14, which the PCB’s top brass had pointed out at a press conference in Lahore last week.Related

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The Pakcroft drama: everything, everywhere, all at once

BCCI lodges complaint with ICC against Farhan and Rauf

ESPNcricinfo understands Suryakumar’s use of the term “Operation Sindoor” – a term coined by the Indian government during the military skirmish between the two countries that followed the Pahalgam terror attacks in April – was one of the PCB’s points of objection.Suryakumar had used the term at the post-match press conference following that September 14 match, while dedicating the win to the victims of the terror attacks as well as India’s armed forces.That match also caused another controversy, with Pakistan lodging a “formal protest” against match referee Andy Pycroft because he had “requested the captains not to shake hands during the toss”. At the time, the PCB had demanded Pycroft to be taken off the roster for their matches, which the ICC rejected.That incident threatened to snowball into something bigger when Pakistan didn’t arrive on time for their match against UAE. They eventually relented after Pycroft apologised for the “miscommunication” over the handshake incident.Meanwhile, India’s complaint to the ICC over gestures made by Sahibzada Farhan and Haris Rauf during their Super Fours clash will be heard on Friday since Pakistan were involved in a match on Thursday evening against Bangladesh.The gestures were made on the field during a tense game where the two sets of players exchanged words multiple times.At a press conference ahead of Pakistan’s match against Sri Lanka on Tuesday, Farhan had been asked about his machine-gun celebration after reaching his half-century against India. “That celebration was just a moment at that time,” he had said. “I do not do a lot of celebrations after scoring fifty. But, it suddenly came to my mind that let’s do a celebration today. I did that. I don’t know how people will take it. I don’t care about that.”

Lionel Messi left a loved-up couple in Barcelona stunned when casually wandering past them on his way to a secret visit at the revamped Camp Nou. Few have been granted access inside that venue, with construction work not yet completed, but special treatment is afforded to an icon of the club. Messi has been back in Catalunya after leaving the United States for international duty.

Why Messi has passed through Barcelona

World Cup winners Argentina are currently based in Alicante ahead of a friendly date with Angola on November 14. Messi forms part of their squad, alongside Inter Miami colleague Rodrigo De Paul. They made a point of passing through Barcelona before linking up with international colleagues.

Messi was granted access to Camp Nou, which will soon be throwing open its doors once more following an expensive upgrade. The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner last graced the field there on May 16, 2021, against Celta Vigo – with his last goal for the Blaugrana taking him to 672 in total.

AdvertisementWatch Messi caught on camera during secret Camp Nou visit

Messi in tears: Emotional farewell bid in 2021

He returned to familiar surroundings three months later to bid an emotional farewell to Barca and their global fan base. Messi was forced to leave as a free agent after financial issues prevented a contract extension from being agreed.

Messi said at the time, as he broke down in tears: "Everything was agreed and then at the last moment, because of the issue with La Liga, it could not be done. I did all I could to stay, that's what I wanted but it could not be done. I accepted a 50% pay cut and after that nothing else was asked of me. I feel so sad to leave the club I love at a moment that I did not expect. I never lied, I was always up front.

“I would like to thank the people's affection towards me, I would have liked to say goodbye in a different way. To be able to do it out there on the field, hear my last ovation, have them close, hear the cheering…I leave the Club without having seen them for a year and a half. I have felt the recognition and the love that I also feel for the Club. Let's hope I can return at some point and help as best I can because this Club is still the best in the world.”

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Love in Barcelona: Couple catch Messi wandering past

Messi has now stepped foot inside Camp Nou once more, with the Argentine GOAT posting on social media in another hint at his career path leading back to Catalunya at some stage – with more statements being made regarding an emotional return to a spiritual home alongside wife Antonela Rocuzzo and their three sons: “Last night I returned to a place I miss with all my heart. A place where I was immensely happy, where you made me feel a thousand times over like the happiest person in the world. I hope that one day I can return, and not just to say goodbye as a player, as I never could…”

While few were aware of Messi’s presence on November 9, a young couple knew that he was around. That is because, while filming a romantic video on the streets close to Barcelona's iconic home, they inadvertently caught Messi, De Paul and close friend Pepe Costa passing behind them. They wrote when posting the video online: “You ask your partner out on 9/11 with a small bouquet of violets and Messi appears to make it unforgettable.”

Tottenham Hotspur’s much-needed 2-0 win against Brentford yesterday could be the victory Thomas Frank needed to kickstart his career in charge in North London.

Xavi Simons and Richarlison’s first-half efforts were enough to secure all three points for the Lilywhites, subsequently securing the first league win since the end of October.

The win was just the club’s second home triumph of the campaign, with the only previous three points coming against Burnley way back on the opening day of the Premier League season.

However, it’s given the Dane the platform he needs to be a success in the role, especially after the pressure has ramped up on his shoulders over recent weeks.

Despite the win, numerous players once again struggled within Frank’s side, which could lead to the manager finally discovering his best starting eleven at the club.

Spurs’ poor performers against Brentford

Midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur has fallen way below his usual high standards over the last couple of weeks, with his showing against Brentford yet another disappointing one.

The Uruguayan international featured for 65 minutes before being withdrawn after losing possession on six separate occasions – just over once every ten minutes.

He also failed to complete any dribbles and was also dribbled past on one occasion, with youngster Archie Gray managing to outperform him during the meeting.

However, he wasn’t alone in failing to deliver, with full-back Djed Spence also enduring an uncharacteristically poor performance on home soil against the Bees.

The full-back featured for the entirety of the win, but only managed to achieve a 40% success rate from the ten duels that he entered down the left-hand side.

He also failed to make any tackles, whilst not finding a teammate with any of his four crosses – subsequently highlighting his struggles at both ends of the pitch.

The Spurs player who needs to be dropped after Brentford

Since Frank’s appointment as Spurs manager, he’s often tinkered with his squad to try and stumble across his best starting eleven to lead the club up the Premier League.

Whether it be various different partnerships across the squad, or players operating in unnatural positions, the Dane has tried it all to push the side in the right direction.

Undoubtedly, the first home win since August yesterday demonstrated glimpses of a successful side, with the Lilywhites restricting the visitors to limited opportunities throughout.

However, that didn’t stop numerous players from struggling to make a positive impact, as seen with the aforementioned pairing of Bentancur and Spence.

They weren’t alone in struggling, with Randal Kolo Muani, another who was unable to produce his best performance of the season against Keith Andrews’ side.

The Frenchman was asked to operate off the left wing rather than his usual centre-forward position – something which no doubt affected his lack of impact on proceedings.

He featured for 74 minutes before being replaced, but his hard work and work rate only merely covered up his lack of tangible impact during the 2-0 victory against the Bees.

Randal Kolo Muani – stats against Brentford

Statistics

Tally

Minutes played

74

Touches

40

Dribbles completed

0

Crosses completed

0

Big chances missed

1

Duels lost

88%

Duels won

12%

Fouls committed

2

Stats via FotMob

The 27-year-old only registered a total of 40 touches of the ball during his time on the pitch – with goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario managing more with his total of 45.

He also failed to complete any of his five attempted dribbles, whilst none of his crosses were able to find the men in white – showcasing his lack of impact in the final third.

When he did have the chance to find the back of the net, Kolo Muani did squander his opportunity, resulting in the loanee registering a missed big chance.

Out of possession, he was just as lacklustre in North London, subsequently winning just two of the 15 duels he entered – resulting in a total of 88% of duels lost.

There’s little denying that Kolo Muani has been a decent option for Frank’s men this season, but his showing was one to forget yesterday – which could lead to him being dropped from the side.

It was certainly a positive afternoon for Frank’s men, but one that has raised another issue for him, with the manager desperately needing to utilise the Frenchman in a more central role going forward.

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