All posts by h716a5.icu

Kylian Mbappe has reportedly turned down Paris Saint-Germain’s latest contract offer, with Real Madrid waiting on a transfer “green light”.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Working on deal through to 2024Yet to agree an extensionBlancos remain keen on forwardWHAT HAPPENED?

The World Cup-winning forward is only tied to terms at Parc des Princes through to the summer of 2024. PSG are being backed into a corner as a result, with big decisions needing to be made on the 24-year-old’s future.

Advertisement(C)Getty imagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

PSG had been hoping to agree a new deal with Mbappe, after blocking the exits, with release clauses being inserted into fresh terms that would allow him to move on at some stage. The France international has, according to , snubbed the latest proposal put to him.

AND WHAT'S MORE

It is claimed that an offer was put to Mbappe on Wednesday, which he has now knocked back. PSG’s owners in Qatar are prepared to leave the matter in the hands of club chairman Nasser Al Khelaifi, with a decision needing to be made on whether to spend the 2023-24 trying to convince the superstar forward to stay put or make him available for sale at this point.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti has ruled out a move being made for Mbappe in the current window, as PSG put a world-record asking price around the neck of their most prized asset, but Marca claim that the Liga giants are waiting on a “green light” that would allow them to enter into talks for a player that is said to have agreed already terms on a potential switch to Spain as a free agent in 2024.

Jonty Rhodes, the former South Africa batsman and current Mumbai Indians fielding coach, will be in Sri Lanka from Tuesday for a 10-day stint as fielding coach ahead of the side’s home series against Pakistan next month

ESPNcricinfo staff26-May-2015Jonty Rhodes, the former South Africa batsman and current Mumbai Indians fielding coach, will be in Sri Lanka from Tuesday for a 10-day stint as fielding coach ahead of the side’s home series against Pakistan next month.Rhodes will educate the coaches, the Sri Lanka players and other national, development and junior teams on the latest techniques of fielding.He had been in talks with Sri Lanka Cricket to work with the national side and the board had asked him for a program.

Which of the wonderkids featuring in Israel could become big names for African national sides?

Getty ImagesEl Chadaille Bitshiabu

The towering centre-back will be the rock at the heart of the France backline during the U-17 Euros, where he’ll be keen to bring his outstanding form from Paris Saint-Germain’s Youth League campaign to bear in Israel.

He’s already featured for Mauricio Pochettino’s side at senior level, although with his route to more playing time with PSG’s first team arguably blocked, the likes of Bayern Munich, ManchesterCity and RB Leipzig are all understood to be monitoring his services.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesDario Essugo

With experience already of having played with Portugal’s U-19 team, Essugo has the potential to dominate contests at the U-17 Euro.

He’s already become Sporting Lisbon’s youngest ever player—a remarkable achievement at such an institution—and the youngster, who’s also eligible for Angola, should impress with his defensive qualities and work with the ball.

Realmadrid.comElyaz Zidane

Son of French footballing royalty, Zinedine’s son Elyaz certainly has some high standards to live up to, although having progressed through the ranks at Real Madrid, he’s well used to demanding environments.

Eligible for both Algeria and Spain, Zidane jr is turning out for France at the U-17 Euros, and while he’s the youngest of Zidane’s four boys, he may turn out to be the most exciting.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Antoni Milambo

Feyenoord’s youngest ever first team player, Milambo made his debut for the Dutch giants only four months and nine days after his 16th birthday—testament to his maturity and his raw ability.

Eligible for the Democratic Republic of Congo, but featuring for the Netherlands at the U-17 showpiece, Milambo has the quality to hurt teams between the lines, and there won’t be too many players at the tournament who already have experience of playing in senior level continental club competitions.

Kai Havertz scored during Arsenal's 6-0 rout of Lens, and Mikel Arteta revealed a key change in the German after his second goal in as many games.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Arsenal win 6-0 against LensHavertz scores again Arteta highlights Havertz's confidence Getty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

The German star has suffered through the start of his career at Arsenal, as he failed to make a positive start following his £65 million move from Chelsea in the summer. The last few games, however, have seen the 24-year-old contribute more and more to Arteta's side. The Spaniard pointed towards in an increase confidence to explain Havertz's recent upturn in form, after he scored twice in two games following the late winner against Brentford on the weekend.

AdvertisementWHAT ARTETA SAID

"He’s becoming better and better, he’s more confident," Arteta said to club media. "His two goals, two very important goals as well, because one won us the game and today he opened the scoring. His overall contribution again was really, really good."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

In a performance that has left many Gunners fans excited, Havertz also made two crucial passes and prevailed in three of four aerial duals. After 21 appearances across all competitions, he has three goals and one assist to his name thus far.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

WHAT NEXT FOR HAVERTZ?

The 24-year-old will now be involved when the Gunners take on Wolves on Saturday, December 2 as the Premier League log leaders look to increase their lead at the top.

Barcelona are reportedly ready to pay €15 million to keep Joao Cancelo but might miss out on Joao Felix due to Atletico Madrid's demand of €70m.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Barcelona eager to retain Cancelo permanentlyMight have to reluctantly let go of Felix Both players do not have a purchase optionGetty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

Both players arrived at Barcelona on loan last summer, a move necessitated by the Camp Nou side's financial constraints preventing them from pursuing permanent signings. Despite their temporary status, the Blaugrana are eager to retain both Cancelo and Felix for the upcoming season, with discussions already underway at the Catalan headquarters.

AdvertisementTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Cancelo, who has impressed with his versatile performances, has seamlessly adapted to various positions on the pitch, including filling in for the injured Alejandro Balde on the left side of defence. They are keen to negotiate a permanent deal with Manchester City and are prepared to offer between €15m (£13m/$16m) and €20 million (£17m/$22m)to secure his services permanently, according to

ATLETICO DEMAND €70M FOR FELIX

Barca signed Felix without a buy option, and although there have been discussions about a permanent transfer, Atletico's hefty demands of €70m (£60m/$76m) make it financially unfeasible for the cash-strapped club. However, the Catalan club allegedly remain open to negotiating another loan deal for the 24-year-old. If they fail to get a deal over the line, they might not be too worried as Felix has struggled to nail down a starting berth for himself in recent weeks, with Pedri being preferred in his inverted left-wing role.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?

As the club grapples with financial constraints, finding a feasible solution to tie down both Cancelo and Felix remains a challenge for Deco, Barcelona's sporting director. While presidentJoan Laporta has assured fans that they are working on solutions which will allow them to keep the Portuguese duo permanently at the club next season, it remains to be seen if he can walk the talk.

Shane Watson’s place as Australia’s vice-captain and even as a member of the Test team is far from guaranteed, after national selector John Inverarity indicated that the sometime-allrounder’s future would be a major topic for discussion between now and th

Daniel Brettig26-Mar-2013Shane Watson’s place as Australia’s vice-captain and even as a member of the Test team is far from guaranteed, after national selector John Inverarity indicated that the sometime-allrounder’s future would be a major topic for discussion between now and the Ashes tour.Having gone to India as a non-bowling batsman and as a player with an enormous amount of experience on the subcontinent in a squad largely ignorant of its challenges, Watson produced nothing of substance with the bat and blotted his off-field leadership copybook by being among the four players suspended from the Mohali Test for failing to follow instructions.Nonetheless, Watson was then appointed captain in Michael Clarke’s stead for the dead final Test, in which he was twice out cheaply while leading the team to a fourth consecutive heavy defeat. Inverarity revealed there had been discussions around whether or not Watson should be interim captain in the circumstances, and that the national selection panel will deliberate further about his place in coming days.”I won’t go into details there but it was all carefully considered,” Inverarity told reporters of the captaincy choice for Delhi. “There were a couple of other options and that was the preferred option. He was tour vice-captain and he was the one who had captaincy experience at international level, and from all quarters that was the preferred option.”The national selection panel will have discussions later this week and through April and every player will be discussed. Things will always be discussed. Every aspect of the team will be discussed. Players in leadership roles. That is absolutely normal.”Watson’s habit of flattering to deceive as a Test batsman was summed up by Inverarity in the gap between his often commanding appearance at the batting crease and his mediocre record, which has now been devoid of a Test century for two and a half years.”We’re concerned about his performances,” Inverarity said. “In those ODI matches back in Australia [against the West Indies] his form looked to be outstanding, and in the first couple of Test matches when I was there he was playing well until the ball of his dismissal.”But we need him, he is one of those senior players, and talented players and experienced players, and we need him performing. All I know is that when I see him play well I think, ‘Wow, this guy can play’. He is a wonderful talent. It is just crazy he has not been able to perform at Test level in recent years.”Watson’s place as Clarke’s deputy has also been placed at the forefront of the selectors’ minds by the captain’s injury struggles. Clarke is now set to spend the next two months recovering from the back and hamstring problems he accumulated over the home summer and then in India. The need for a reliable back-up leadership option has increased.”All those things are under consideration,” Inverarity said. “The facts are, at the moment, there is a team in transition. In terms of experience and strong consistent performances over a period of time, we’re a little bit short on those things, the options we have at the moment are a little less than in previous years.”We’ve got to do the best we can with what’s available and we’ll be doing all we can in terms of trying to get leadership qualities coming through and a good back-up plan. Michael, who has trouble with his back and hamstring, I haven’t known anyone [to] prepare better and treat that adversity better than he does, and we just hope he can stay on the park.”

Ajit Agarkar, who walked out on Mumbai midway through the Ranji season, is among the probables for the domestic one-dayers

Nagraj Gollapudi07-Feb-2012Ajit Agarkar, who had pulled out of the Mumbai squad midway through the Ranji Trophy season after he was dropped for the group match against Orissa, has been included among the 25 probables for the West Zone one-dayers of the Vijay Hazare Trophy.Agarkar met with Milind Rege, Mumbai’s chairman of selectors, Ratnakar Shetty, Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) vice-president, and Nitin Dalal, the MCA secretary on Monday afternoon to sort out the issues after Rege had messaged Agarkar last week, requesting for a meeting. It is understood that at the meeting, which lasted 45 minutes, both Agarkar and the MCA management regretted what had happened.”I am always happy to play for Mumbai and am looking forward to the return,” Agarkar told ESPNcricinfo. “I obviously can’t change what has happened. I now look forward to the one-dayers if selected.”On November 29, Mumbai were to start their Elite group match against Orissa in Cuttack. But the previous evening Agarkar was informed by the pair of Sulakshan Kulkarni and Wasim Jaffer (Mumbai coach and captain respectively) that he was not part of the playing XI. It was also Zaheer Khan’s first game of the Ranji season, as part of his recovery process from the injury he picked up during last year’s England tour.Annoyed at being dropped, Agarkar flew back to Mumbai on the morning of the match. The issue snowballed into a controversy after Zaheer supported Agarkar’s decision and blamed the pair of Rege and Kulkarni for “pulling down” Mumbai cricket. Thereafter Agarkar, who had played only one match in the season (against Karnataka and went wicketless) made himself unavailable for selection despite calls from Dalal and Shetty, who asked him to reconsider. In his absence, Mumbai’s fast bowling department lacked a leader.After Mumbai’s lukewarm performance during the Ranji Trophy campaign where they bowed out of the semi-finals against Tamil Nadu, the pressure increased on the selectors and the team management. Consequently, Wasim Jaffer, Mumbai’s captain for the last four years, stepped down, unhappy at the remarks expressed by Kulkarni to the media.Probably as a damage-control measure, Rege tried to convince Agarkar to return, to avoid any further rumblings in the dressing room.At Monday’s meeting, Agarkar once again made it clear to the MCA officials that if he was not picked in the playing XI, he would rather sit at home than “carry water.” “It is not that I have not been twelfth man in my life but there is a merit to it,” Agarkar said.Agarkar asked for a day to think over it before arriving at a decision. But later that evening, he called up Dalal to confirm his availability. Agarkar, who plays for the Delhi Daredevils in the IPL, said he also needed some match practice before the tournament begins in April, and the one-day tournament would be a good platform to get back to fitness.Probables: Ajinkya Rahane, Wasim Jaffer, Ajit Agarkar, Ramesh Powar, Aavishkar Salvi, Dhaval Kulkarni, Abhishek Nayar, Anup Revandkar, Praful Waghela, Siddharth Chitnis, Iqbal Abdullah, Ankit Chavan, Suryakumar Yadav, Parag Khanapurkar, Aditya Tare, Sushant Marathe, Kumar Subramanian, Balwinder Singh Sandhu Jnr, Kshemal Waingankar, Akhil Herwadkar, Kaustubh Pawar, Usman Malvi, Santosh Shinde, Murtuza Hussain, Shoaib Shaikh

After six and a half years away from Test cricket, Zimbabwe soak in their triumphant return after beating Bangladesh

Firdose Moonda in Harare08-Aug-2011Brendan Taylor, Kyle Jarvis and Alan Butcher, the Zimbabwe coach, were soaked in pink champagne and beer as they walked into their post match press conference after Zimbabwe’s historic win over Bangladesh. “Now I know what it means when they say you smell like a brewery,” Butcher said.What it really meant is that Butcher and his men had just sipped from the cup of victory, something Zimbabwe had not even had the chance to experience in the Test format in almost six years. To announce their return to the premier format of the game with authority was better than just a sip, it was gulp after gulp of satisfaction.”The good win might have silenced a few critics,” Taylor said. “Zimbabwe cricket invested in us and were patient with us encouraged us and we are really glad to replay that favour.”The new Test team represents a coming of age for some of the older players, who were once a group of young, inexperienced men thrown into the international scene out of need, not merit. After the player walkout in 2004, Zimbabwe had no choice but to field the best they had, even though many of them were not ready for the pressures of playing at the highest-level. Seven years have passed since then and their poise and self assurance has grown, their maturity is evident, and, finally, they appear ready. “It’s nice to see a lot us have stuck together,” Taylor said. “We’re a side that’s always worked really hard to try and improve.”The match had special significance for Taylor, who scored his maiden Test century in the second innings, at a time when the match was on the verge of tilting in Bangladesh’s favour. Zimbabwe resumed day four on 92 for 4, a lead of 175, but in a position that needed consolidation. “At the end of day three, we certainly felt a bit of pressure,” Taylor said. “I must commend Tatenda [Taibu] and Craig Ervine for the supporting role they played to get us back into a wining position.”Taibu scored 59 and Ervine, who was at the other end when Taylor reached his landmark, an unbeaten 35. “Getting the hundred was special but winning the match was more important,” Taylor said, taking the spotlight off himself and shining it on the collective effort. “The guys showed good courage and had smart heads on their shoulders.”Such a composed performance may seem somewhat extraordinary, given the length of time Zimbabwe has spent away from Test cricket, but it’s a testament to their domestic four-day tournament, which has become more competitive with the introduction of the franchise system two season ago, and the A team tours, such as the recent one against Australia A. “We prepared the best we could possibly prepare,” Taylor said, while Butcher added that even though the side lost to Australia A it showed them that could compete against big name players.One such big name player is Tamim Iqbal, who was named Test Player of the Year by the Wisden Cricketer magazine in 2010. The Bangladesh opening batsman was confident his side would chase down the target against an “ordinary” bowing attack. Instead, they crumbled, giving Taylor a reason to get his own back. “His [Tamim’s] performance was pretty ordinary too,” he said. “He is a quality player and his team were looking for him to get a big total and he got out pretty carelessly. He should let the performances do the talking and not concentrate too much with the mouth.”In particular, Tamim was made to eat his words about Jarvis, the bowler he called “just ok”, when Jarvis claimed the last two Bangladesh wickets after lunch to end with five for the match. Jarvis’ new-ball partner, Brian Vitori, also bagged five wickets and together they provided a big reason to be optimistic about Zimbabwe’s future. “They were outstanding,” Butcher said. “Every time they picked the ball up they looked a threat and made the Bangladeshis look uncomfortable.”With such an exciting side under his guidance, Butcher couldn’t hold back his smiles as he entered a new era with a Zimbabwe side that has gone from fractured to fertile under his tenure. “When I first took on the job, I felt that what the team needed was some love,” he said. “It seemed to me that any time that they did something wrong there were lots of people ready to jump down their throats. I have tried to instil a more positive outlook and culture and I think people have responded to that.”

Wasim Jaffer returned to form with a comfortable century, which forced Saurashtra to settle for the draw

Nagraj Gollapudi in Rajkot09-Dec-2011
Scorecard
Wasim Jaffer returned to form with a comfortable century, which became the only element of interest in the match on Friday, which Saurashtra had dominated on the previous three days before having to settle for a draw. They earned three valuable points to keep their chances of making the knockout stage still alive. Despite getting only a solitary point Mumbai are well placed, on 17 points and in second spot behind group leaders Karnataka.The early morning chill on Friday was an encouraging sign for the hosts’ new-ball pair of Jaydev Unadkat and Sandip Maniar, Saurashtra’s first-innings’ hero with a five-for. In the second over, Unadkat duly angled a delivery across a helpless Kaustubh Pawar, who could only edge it back to the wicketkeeper. Pawar had managed only eight runs in the first innings and the second time around he could add only five more.His opening partner Sushant Marathe, who had made an eight-ball duck on Wednesday evening, battled for 100 minutes for just one run. Then he played a cross-batted stroke too far from his body to a delivery that moved away from him. It seemed to take a thin edge on its way to wicketkeeper Sagar Jogiyani, who accepted his second offering of the morning. Marathe remained unimpressed with the umpire’s decision, shaking his head in disapproval throughout his walk back to the dressing room.As the sun came out, Jaffer and Suryakumar Yadav played with more assurance to dominate the bowlers. Yadav, who had hit an aggressive century in the first session on Thursday, was more circumspect and took eighteen deliveries to open his account. Jaffer, who hadn’t made even a fifty so far this season, returned to form, playing elegant strokes and lofting the slow bowlers for his trademark straight sixes.Once the match moved to the second session without the fall of any more wickets, it became of academic interest. So much so that Saurashtra bowled only spin after tea and Jaffer helped himself to his first century in twelve months. His last Ranji hundred came in a winning effort, against Gujarat last December which Mumbai won by an innings and 167 runs.

Patrick Cummins will be itching to make an impression if he gets the chance, but “the baggy green is obviously the pinnacle” for him

Nitin Sundar28-Sep-2011At 18, Patrick Cummins is physically at least some way from reaching his peak as a fast bowler. It was a point Greg Chappell stressed when Cummins missed the A tour to Zimbabwe with a back strain, an injury that had its roots in Cummins’ propensity for extreme pace. However, Chappell had added that, while Cummins was a few years from attaining maturity as a bowler, it did not rule him out for Australia duties. Cummins has now got his chance earlier than most would have anticipated, and will tour South Africa with the national Twenty20 and ODI squads.When he spoke to ESPNcricinfo four days prior to the Australian squad announcement, Cummins believed his rigorous pre-season training would stand him in good stead for the challenges ahead. His work-out regimen had extensively focused on developing the musculature to sustain his brand of bowling and prevent potential breakdowns in the future.”In hindsight, there was a silver lining to missing the A tour to Zimbabwe,” Cummins, who is in India with the New South Wales squad for the Champions League, said. “It gave me the chance to have a great pre-season where I did a lot of weight training. I spent most of that time working on building my muscles, and I am getting stronger all the time.”The back strain has not affected Cummins’ mindset one bit, and he remains focused on generating the sort of pace and bounce that got him 11 wickets in the Big Bash, making him the tournament’s top wicket-taker. He has chosen his fast-bowling role models well; he looks up to Stuart Clark as a mentor, and idolises Brett Lee, another famed purveyor of pace from his state.”In a sense I was lucky that my injury wasn’t too serious [like a stress fracture], so it is still about going out there and giving it my all,” Cummins said. “I want to bowl as fast as I can. If you try to fiddle around too much with the approach or the pace, you might end up with a completely different action.”The pre-season training seemed to have paid dividends for Cummins when he bustled in for a lively spell in his Champions League debut. New South Wales managed only 135, but Cummins came out and hustled the Cape Cobras openers with real speed and bounce, on a track that was so sluggish that it had relegated Dale Steyn to a spell full of offcutters earlier in the day.One Cummins bouncer took off from a length, past an in-form Herschelle Gibbs, who weaved away in a hurry, and almost carried over the head of the keeper who had to leap up full length to parry it down. Another short ball harried Gibbs into top-edging a pull that carried into the stands behind fine-leg – hardly standard fare on Chepauk’s lifeless strip.Gibbs was mighty impressed with what he saw of him, but advised Cummins to work on his variety. On South Africa’s spicy wickets, he will be a handful even without the variations, especially in spells that last only four overs. Cummins will be itching to make an impression if he gets the chance in the shorter formats but he said “the baggy green is obviously the pinnacle”.