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Brendon McCullum has strongly resisted claims that New Zealand have gone into the series against England with a mindset of trying to avoid defeat rather than aiming for victory

Andrew McGlashan in Wellington18-Mar-2013Brendon McCullum has strongly resisted claims that New Zealand have gone into the series against England with a mindset of trying to avoid defeat rather than aiming for victory. Their previous Test series had been a torrid affair in South Africa, where the top order understandably failed to cope with the No. 1 bowling attack in the world, but he insisted there was no hangover from that contest.The nature of the two Tests support McCullum’s stance; they set the pace in Dunedin, scoring at nearly four-an-over in their innings as they tried to make up for lost time and never stopped trying to dismiss England for a second time over the final two days. Their approach to this Test in Wellington was dictated by a poor first day, which left them trying to make up ground and they fought back on the second, but once England reached 465 they had to set their stall out to save the match.”If you’ve seen the way we’ve played in the last two Tests we’ve been reasonably proactive,” McCullum said. “We go into every game trying to win, it’s not about hanging on for a draw. We see it as a great opportunity to clinch a series win against England, which is something we’d all hold very fondly.”McCullum also defended the Test pitches and hopes the surface in Auckland is similar to those served up during the series so far. He is adamant that it has been the weather, rather than the nature of the 22 yards, which has led to two stalemates and set up a deciding match later in the week.It has been hard work for the bowlers on both sides during the series, but there has been success for some to enjoy notably Neil Wagner in Dunedin and Stuart Broad in Wellington. McCullum made a pointed reference to David Saker’s comments about the pitches not being ideal for Test cricket on Sunday, but is more than pleased with the conditions he has been given.”I’ve read and heard a lot about our pitches being too flat. It seems to be bowling coaches who have an issue with them. It’s always going to be the way,” he said. “If you look at the first Test we lost a whole day to rain and there would have been a result in that game and in this Test as well we’ve lost a day and a half to rain and it would have been interestingly poised. There would probably have been a result, too.”It’s not three or four-day Tests, it’s five-day grinding wickets were you have to work incredible hard for your fruits but I don’t see anything wrong with our wickets and they have certainly allowed both teams periods of dominance. For me, I’d like a wicket similar to these last two [in Auckland].”Alastair Cook maintained England’s view they would like more bounce from the pitches. “In an ideal world, we would,” he said. “It makes for slightly more exciting cricket certainly. Whichever wicket we get, we’ve got to try to find the best way of winning the game.”Even if there is more life on offer at Eden Park – which will use a drop-in surface and will host a Test just days after the latest rugby game at the ground – McCullum has seen enough of his batsmen that he is convinced they can adapt to the challenge.”If it is a bit bouncier than we’ve seen in this one, and especially in Dunedin, we’ll have to come up with a strategy to overcome it and I’m confident that the guys are treading in the right direction. We’ll see how we respond,” he said. “It’s been a good series for us so far, we are learning a bit about ourselves and were we are at. We have made some improvements from previous series but we know the third Test is what we will be decided on.”He also backed his decision to bowl by saying, as Tim Southee did during the match, that the bowlers did not make the most of conditions. “Certainly no regrets in this game,” he said. “If you do that you won’t be able to get out of bed each morning. It was about the best way to win this Test, which was to get some favourable conditions on day one. Even though the Test didn’t last five days we didn’t see the wicket breaking up. I don’t think it’s too bad a strategy for playing Test cricket in New Zealand.”McCullum suggested that he favours an unchanged team for the final Test – his pace bowlers have had a decent break after England enforced the follow-on followed by the rain – although he will wait to see how Doug Bracewell comes through his domestic one-day outing on Wednesday, where he will test his injured foot, before making a clearer plan over how he will attack the final Test.

MS Dhoni has defended the rotation policy between the three senior India openers in the triangular series, which may suggest that Gautam Gambhir might be rested for the next game despite consecutive scores in the 90s from him

Sidharth Monga15-Feb-2012MS Dhoni has defended the rotation policy between the three senior India openers in the triangular series, which may suggest that Gautam Gambhir might be rested for the next game despite consecutive scores in the 90s from him. After India tied their fourth match of the tournament, against Sri Lanka, Dhoni was asked if it made a lot of sense resting a batsman who had hit form. Dhoni’s argument remained that the youngsters should keep getting more chances.”What we want is, all the players should be fit by the time we come into the finals,” Dhoni said. “All of them should be scoring runs by that time. It’s a good exposure. Rohit [Sharma] is a very talented guy. Manoj Tiwary is on the bench. He scored in the last series that he played, so we are giving ample chances to them because these are players who, for sure, will come back to Australia once we play the next World Cup. There is no surety that some of us who are playing [will return], Sachin [Tendulkar] or Viru [Virender Sehwag] or even Gautam, all of us are 30-plus, and it’s big out-fields out here. So it’s about giving the youngsters a fair exposure as to how difficult it is or how easy it is, or how different it is to play here.”How difficult is it to rest a batsman who has scored 92 and 91 in his previous two outings? “As I said, what’s important is to get everybody going,” Dhoni said. “What may also happen is the guy who is playing all the games may get injured by the finals, and you will find someone coming in his place who has not played many games and not scored runs.”It’s a long tournament. It’s four games against each opposition before the finals. The first series that I played was three games against Bangladesh, so this is equivalent to three series and then the finals. It’s a very demanding tournament, in the sense that the out-fields are very big, the batsmen put pressure on you, you can get injured at any time. If you are looking to save that one run and you are in a bad position to throw, you may get injured. We want all the guys to be fit, and at the same time for the youngsters to get exposure by the start of the finals… if we reach the finals.”Moreover, Dhoni said, India could afford to experiment a bit now that they have had a decent start to the tournament, winning two and tying one of their first four matches. “The interest of the team comes first,” he said. “This is the time when we can really look to do that [experiment], because if were in a bad shape by the end of the fourth game, it would have been fair to say we wouldn’t really be in a position to give that chance to the other players. And we would have had to be careful.”Now we are in a position where we can do that. It’s good to see Gautam scoring runs. We want to see Viru get runs and Sachin also to get runs so that the best XI comes and plays the finals.”Dhoni was full of praise for Gambhir. “It [his coming into form] is really good because once he gets going he comes out with a big score, and he looks to play more than 35 to 40 overs, it allows the other batsmen to come in and play a bit freely. Of course the difficulty is, we have been chasing so you can’t always express yourself.”It’s good to have someone like Gautam in the side. Plays the spinners really well, and he runs well between the wickets well. It gives the team a chance to come back just in case a couple of batsmen make mistakes in the middle of the innings, because you have someone who is on one side going through with his innings.”After the previous game against Australia, though, which India won in the 50th over, Gambhir had said that India should have finished it off around the 48th over. It was Dhoni who had delayed the final assault, cutting it too tight before finishing it off in typical style. At the toss of the next game, against Sri Lanka, Dhoni said that if a batsman scores about 50 he should make sure he finishes the game off. Dhoni was asked if everything was fine between him and Gambhir.”There is nothing [uneasy between us],” Dhoni said. “It’s different when you are playing in the middle. If you see his innings today, he also found it difficult to rotate the strike consistently, and once you are in that situation it is very difficult to play a big shot. You can easily play big shots, but the difference is it always has to pay off. If it doesn’t, what do you say?”So I am never in a hurry to finish it in the 48th over or 47th over. Even if it goes to the 49th or 50th over, I am quite happy. [Since I bat down the order] I don’t have the luxury of batsmen behind me. If I go in to bat, I like to finish the job. It’s different with different people. Some people like to finish the game early, take a bit more risk in the middle and finish off the game, but I have a different perspective about it.”It’s a very individual thing. There’s nothing wrong. If you ask Viru [Sehwag], he would have said ‘why not 25 overs?'”

Australia were given further injury headaches ahead of the World Cup after Nathan Hauritz suffered a dislocated shoulder and Shaun Tait limped out of the attack

Andrew McGlashan at Bellerive Oval21-Jan-2011Australia were given further injury headaches ahead of the World Cup after Nathan Hauritz suffered a dislocated shoulder and Shaun Tait limped out of the attack during the second one-day international against England at Hobart.Hauritz’s injury is the more serious of the two and he went straight to hospital after being helped off the outfield in clear pain following a dive to stop the ball. He will have further scans in the morning and is unlikely to take any further part in the one-day series so it could mean a hasty reprieve for Xavier Doherty, the left-arm spinner, who missed out on the World Cup squad.Tait, meanwhile, went off five balls into his sixth over with a thigh strain that will be scanned on Saturday before any further decisions are made. The injuries add to the problems surrounding the Australia squad despite them now being 2-0 up against England after their 46-run victory. Mike Hussey is recovering from a serious hamstring injury which required surgery earlier this week and Ricky Ponting is yet to return from the broken finger he collected during the Ashes.However, with the start of the tournament on the subcontinent still a month away Michael Clarke, the Australia captain, was hopeful that both Hauritz and Tait would be fit to take their place in the 15-man unit.”We’re confident that they’ll both be alright for the World Cup,” Clarke said. “It is a setback though because you want to keep playing as much cricket as you can and get as much form under your belt as possible. Anytime anyone gets injured it’s a loss. They are disappointed personally, especially someone like Haury who has had to go back to first-class cricket where he’s been playing really well.”For this to happen now, I feel for him. Hopefully he’ll be right for the World Cup – he’ll play a big part in that.”Despite the injury blows this match continued Australia’s upward curve since the end of the Ashes. They took a share of a closely fought Twenty20 series and have now taken a significant early advantage in this seven-match contest, despite twice being in trouble with the bat on 4 for 33 and 8 for 142.They were led to a defendable total by Shaun Marsh’s 110 in his first innings as cover for Hussey, having been left out of the World Cup squad. He added an Australian-record 88 for the ninth wicket with renowned tail-end rabbit Doug Bollinger, who then made up for the late absence of Hauritz and Tait with 4 for 28.Given the batting woes the hosts have suffered this season Marsh can consider himself unfortunate not be a regular selection. “It shows we’ve got a lot of talent,” Clarke said. “What’s most pleasing for me is when you see someone come in like Shaun and get hold of his opportunity. That continues to show the depth in first-class cricket in Australia.”I know that’s been questioned this summer but I have 100 per cent belief that there is a lot of talent and good players out there. They’re just looking for an opportunity and Shaun showed that tonight. We gave him his chance and he’s grabbed it with both hands. He continues to do it at the international level,” Clarke added. “He’s performed opening the batting for Australia and he’s had success down the bottom of the order.”He’s come into this game in good form, scoring runs for Western Australia and it’s as good an innings as I’ve seen, under pressure and losing wickets around him. He really stood up today.”

A superb match needed a Super Over to split the teams and New Zealand prevailed to repay Brendan McCullum for his amazing century

The Bulletin by Peter English28-Feb-2010New Zealand 214 for 6 (McCullum 116*) tied with Australia 214 for 4 (Clarke 67, White 64*). New Zealand won after Super Over

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
McScoop Master: Brendon McCullum’s unbeaten 116 included bouts of brave brilliance•Getty Images

A superb match needed a Super Over to split the teams and New Zealand prevailed to repay Brendon McCullum for his amazing century. McCullum became the second-highest scorer in a Twenty20 international with an unbeaten 116, but after Michael Clarke and Cameron White exploded in the reply the scores were tied at 214 after 40 overs.A six-ball tiebreaker was required and the calm Tim Southee delivered another tight over to allow only six runs for White, David Warner and Brad Haddin. Shaun Tait’s waywardness, including two wides, assisted the locals and Martin Guptill finished the game with a four over point from the third legitimate delivery.The hosts were upset by a meek performance in Friday’s one-sided defeat, but McCullum showed his might with an unforgettable 56-ball demolition on a small ground that was rocking at the start and the end. Things were much quieter as Clarke organised the chase with 67 from 45 and White provided some much-needed muscle with 64 off 26 in a pursuit that was almost perfectly timed. However, Clarke and White could only scurry two from the final ball when three were required, with Clarke run out well short of his ground.Needing two off almost every delivery throughout the second innings, the Australians managed to stay on track after Warner departed for a McCullum-style 20 off 10. Haddin (47 off 37) and Clarke, who was travelling much quicker than his usual pace, were able to stay close to the rate so they required 125 from the final 60 balls.James Franklin slowed things down briefly with the wickets of Haddin and David Hussey (10) before White’s brute force arrived. White warmed up with a six over cover off Daniel Vettori, then caressed an inside-out clearance in the same area and was dropped on the boundary attempting a third.He then powered two fours and a six off Franklin before flicking Shane Bond into the spectators at square leg. The 13 that came from Bond’s final over left Australia wanting 36 off 18 deliveries, but the first of three magically controlled Southee efforts made it 30 from 12.White survived a run-out and found two boundaries and a six down the ground off Jacob Oram to cut the margin to 12. In Southee’s final over the bowler showed the maturity of a 30-year-old, not a boy who is 21, by delivering more pin-point yorkers to keep his side in the game.And he proved it wasn’t a fluke by doing it again in the Super Over. The result levelled the series and delivered Australia their first loss of their summer while setting up an intriguing five-match one-day contest beginning on Wednesday.Despite the flurry of absorbing action at the end, it was McCullum’s fireworks over the first half of the match that were the highlight. He showered boundaries around the tiny stadium and the change in attitude left the Australians, who had rested Mitchell Johnson and Shane Watson, wondering if there was any way to stop the run avalanche. They were able to slow it a couple of times, but McCullum carried his team through the loss of six wickets and achieved the side’s highest total.His hundred came up in 50 balls, equalling the record of Chris Gayle, the only other century-maker in this format. It was achieved with a single to deep cover, at which point the batsman ripped off his helmet to take in the applause, but he was not finished and carried his bat. Nathan McCullum joined his brother at the end, getting 14 in a 50-run stand in 3.2 overs on an afternoon that stunned everyone.The big crowd of 26,148 was sprinkled by McCullum’s eight sixes and he backed up with a dozen fours during the barrage. Four of the boundaries came with “McScoops” past or over the wicketkeeper, but that was nothing compared to the two sixes he managed to shovel behind himself off Tait. It was brave and brutal – one of the clearances off Tait came from a 155kph thunderbolt.McCullum proved he wouldn’t be intimidated by Australia’s quick bowlers when he charged the third ball of the day from Tait (2 for 40) and bashed him for four through cover. There were 10 runs from the eventful over, which also contained the ugly bowled of the out-classed Peter Ingram for 0 and Tait sending a finger signal to McCullum.In the second over McCullum planted a six through cover off Dirk Nannes’ opening delivery, was almost caught next ball top edging a pull, and quickly flicked him to fine leg for a boundary. The new-ball bowlers couldn’t match Friday’s performance as they gave up 42 in the first four overs.McCullum ended up on his back after his first attempt to scoop Nannes over the wicketkeeper, but he managed it the second time, with the ball just missing Haddin on the way to the boundary. He followed up by unleashing a huge six to midwicket to show he could mix the unorthodox and the traditional. Nannes returned for the 16th over and McCullum enjoyed swinging him twice into the stands on the legside as the bowler went for 51 off four.After losing the strike in the middle stages when some of his team-mates disappeared, McCullum focused by blasting a fierce straight four off Steven Smith and brought up his half-century in the same over when he pulled to midwicket. He dusted off the scoop to surprise Daniel Christian and then pulled him for six behind square – 57 of his runs came in that segment.Gareth Hopkins (36 off 17) was the perfect ally for McCullum as they put on 68 in five overs to regain their explosive momentum. McCullum kept going till the end and had a chance to seal the game in the Super Over, but he was as happy as every other local when Guptill squared the series.

Lionel Scaloni admits that a World Cup crown does not make Argentina “unbeatable”, with even Lionel Messi having to taste defeat sometimes.

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• Albiceleste captured global crown in Qatar
• Heading down path towards 2026 World Cup
• Remain top of CONMEBOL qualification table

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Albiceleste have grown accustomed to winning, with a global title captured in style at Qatar 2022. They suffered a shock setback against Saudi Arabia in their opening game of that tournament, but have not come unstuck since then.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  That impressive run has now come to a close, with a 2-0 defeat suffered at the hands of Uruguay in 2026 World Cup qualification. Ronald Araujo and Darwin Nunez were on target in that contest at La Bombonera, with Scaloni conceding that his side came up short despite having eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi at their disposal.

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  WHAT THEY SAID

  Argentina’s head coach told reporters: “The truth is that it was a game where we were never comfortable. They deserved the victory, without a doubt. We never found the way, that is the reality. We tried in the second half to correct it with some changes but well, it seems that it was not our day. But, I repeat, it is their credit for how they played. I would have to think about it a lot or watch the game again but in the short time that passed I think they were better, that's the reality. We were not in the game and then, well, I will be able to analyse things by looking closely at the development but the rival sometimes plays better and there it is. I really congratulate them.”

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• IS SCALONI WORRIED?

  Scaloni added on suffering just the sixth defeat of his 66-game tenure as Argentina boss: “I think this team showed ample signs that it can get out of difficult situations. Here you lose and win as a team, there is no other way. There are times when you have to give credit to your rival. We cannot think that because we are world champions we will never lose. We are not unbeatable, I said it and I will continue to say it. The players feel backed by the support of the people, I hope it will always be like that.”

The legendary striker has been one of the great characters of the football world, but how often did he step over the line?

Love him or loathe him, it's always been impossible to ignore Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

The Swedish superstar has just announced his retirement at the ripe old age of 41 – and it's a testament to both his incredible talent and strength of character that he managed to stay at the highest level for so long.

Indeed, while injuries took their toll in recent seasons, Ibrahimovic managed to remain a towering presence in the modern game.

Milan coach Stefano Pioli repeatedly hailed the striker for the transformative effect he had on the club from the moment he returned to San Siro in January 2020, eventually inspiring a relatively young squad to a surprise Serie A title triumph in 2021-22 with his leadership skills, impressive professionalism and winning mentality.

It obviously helps that Ibrahimovic is as charismatic as it comes. He has long held the attention of the football world as much for what he says off the field, as what he does on it, so it's hardly surprising that younger team-mates often hung on his every word.

Of course, it all felt part of an act, almost a parody of the stereotypical arrogant footballer, one cleverly and cynical constructed to build a lucrative brand. As Olivier Giroud revealed, Ibrahimovic the man is very different to his egotistical Zlatan persona.

“He is a nice person," the veteran French forward told the . "From the outside, he could seem focused on himself, but it’s not like this with those working with him every day."

Indeed, he once kicked Rodney Strasser in the head and yet the Sierra Leone international still insisted in an interview with the : "People think Ibra is a villain but he's a good guy, generous and nice."

However, there were plenty of fans and pundits who grew weary of Ibrahimovic's antics over the years, and there is certainly no denying that he occasionally stepped over the line.

Then again, his pithy put-downs and shocking outbursts are part of the reason why he was one of the most polarising and fascinating figures in football, as underlined by the selection of his most colourful and controversial quotes below…

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  Rejecting Wenger

  Legendary Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger was interested in signing a promising young forward by the name of Zlatan Ibrahimovic in2000. The player was offered a trial. Ibrahimovic turned it down.

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  Cutting Carew down to size

  The giant Norwegian striker John Carew once openly wondered if Ibrahimovic's tricks and flicks were really necessary. The slight provoked a predictably short and savage reply.

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  Threatening Van der Vaart

  During their time together at at Ajax, Rafael van der Vaart suffered ankle ligament that he claimed was the result of a deliberate foul by Ibrahimovic. Zlatan disagreed with the Dutchman.

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  Humiliating Henchoz

  Ajax went up against Liverpool in a pre-season friendly in the summer of 2001. Ibrahimovic took Stephane Henchoz to the cleaners, first on the field, and then again off it.

The Gunners host the Serie A giants at Emirates Stadium on Saturday night in their final game before the return of domestic action.

Arsenal play their final warm-up game ahead of the return of the Premier League on Saturday night, when they host Juventus at Emirates Stadium (6pm kick-off).

The Gunners go into the game on the back of two wins from two during their recent stay in Dubai, with Mikel Arteta’s side seeing off Lyon and Milan.

The Arsenal boss will want to see his team building on that momentum against Juventus this weekend as preparations step up ahead of Boxing Day’s crucial clash against West Ham in the Premier League.

So how are Arsenal shaping up going into the match with Juventus? GOAL takes a look.

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Granit Xhaka and Matt Turner are expected to return on Saturday, having spent time training with the squad in Dubai. Aaron Ramsdale, Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli are set to sit the game out, however, as they are integrated back into the squad over the next couple of days following their respective exits from the World Cup. Takehiro Tomiyasu did not go to Dubai following Japan’s World Cup elimination, but he was doing some fitness work at London Colney. There is a chance he could feature, although the likelihood is that he will join Ramsdale, Saka and Martinelli in watching from the sidelines. Oleksandr Zinchenko remains a doubt as he continues to battle back from a muscle injury, while William Saliba is still absent as he is with France ahead of Sunday’s World Cup final against Argentina.

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Unless a behind-closed-doors friendly is staged at London Colney next week, Saturday’s game will be Arsenal’s last before the Premier League returns. So this will be the final chance Arteta has to get some valuable minutes into his players ahead of the game against West Ham on Boxing Day. With the likes of Ramsdale, Saka and Martinelli set to sit the game out, Arsenal’s manager will not be able to play the exact starting XI he will be hoping to send out against the Hammers, but he will look to get as close to it as possible. Arsenal looked sharp in their two games in Dubai and Arteta was delighted with how the training camp went. But he will now want to see his side build on that against Juventus, who should offer a tougher challenge than both Lyon and Milan.

Getty ImagesWhat has Arteta said?

Speaking about how players returning from the World Cup are being integrated back into his squad, Arteta said: “It’s been very good, especially their reaction psychologically. Players were willing to come and stay in Dubai. Granit is already around the place and is desperate to start playing so it’s been really good. It happens in the summer as well when there are Euros or World Cups. You know you get players all the time coming at different stages and we have to adapt. We knew it, we tried to plan it and hopefully we can have the rest of them very soon.”

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Attendance watch

Arsenal have sold between 30,000 and 40,000 tickets for Saturday night's game. There are still tickets available, but the rail strike which is taking place over the weekend means that the match will be far from a sell-out.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Ninho da Gralha, CT do Paraná Clube, ganhou uma visita especial nesta sexta-feira. O atacante Guilherme Biteco marcou presença e deu início a um trabalho físico.

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Ao site oficial do Tricolor, o atleta agradeceu o carinho da diretoria, que abriu as portas para ele melhorar o condicionamento.

‘Aqui, sempre vou me sentir em casa. Sou grato à diretoria, que abriu as portas do clube para que eu possa fazer todo esse trabalho com profissionalismo e tranquilidade’, afirmou.

Entre 2017 e 2018 Guilherme Biteco defendeu o Paraná em 27 partidas, sendo 22 na primeira temporada. No segundo ano o jogador conviveu com lesões e pouco contribuiu dentro de campo.

Além das cores do Paraná, Biteco jogou pelo São Caetano, Oeste, Vasco, Grêmio e Hoffenheim-ALE.

West Indies’ breakaway Twenty20 players may have finally won themselves the place they have been seeking at the WICB negotiating table

Nagraj Gollapudi04-Apr-2016By claiming their second World Twenty20 title in dramatic circumstances, West Indies’ breakaway T20 players may have finally won themselves the place they have been seeking at the WICB negotiating table.Reacting to the strong criticism thrown at him and his board, the WICB president Dave Cameron announced that he would meet the players after the IPL at the annual review in June to find a “common ground” where the “best” players can represent the region in all formats.Cameron was reacting strongly to the critical remarks made by West Indies captain Darren Sammy immediately after becoming the first team to be crowned World T20 champions twice. In his acceptance speech Sammy said it was “very disappointing” to not hear from the WICB on the team’s triumph against England on Sunday evening in Kolkata.While expressing his disappointment at Sammy’s “inappropriate” comments, Cameron delivered his most conciliatory message to the players for some time. Previously, he has refused to speak with the group, insisting they must deal with the players association WIPA, whose president Wavell Hinds fell out with them when he agreed to a vastly inferior pay deal in 2014, leading to the disastrous walkout from that year’s ODI tour of India. Cameron has now changed his tune.”Coming up in May this year, the Board will host its annual review (retreat) with the players, WIPA, selectors and the technical team to review player, management and technical plans. We want to see how we can find common ground in ensuring that the best players in the region are available for selection for West Indies teams,” Cameron said in a statement delivered hours after Sammy and his men stunned England in a dazzling last-over finish.According to Cameron, the reason the meeting with the players, which would also involve selectors, team management and the West Indies Players Association (WIPA), was planned in June was because many of the senior Caribbean players like Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo, Kieron Pollard and Carlos Braithwaite would be busy with the IPL which will be played between April 9 and May 29.The board and selectors have omitted big names like Bravo, Sammy, Pollard from the ODI squads ever since West Indies abandoned the India tour. Bravo and Pollard were not considered for last year’s World Cup by the Clive Lloyd-led selection panel and have not played any ODI since October 2014. This January, when the WICB announced annual retainer contracts for 15 players, it said that the short list was arrived at by keeping only the Test players in mind.One of the major stumbling blocks for the players is WICB’s insistence that they play in the regional tournaments consistently in order to be eligible for the international engagements in all three formats. The WICB has said that the players who travel around the world playing in the T20 franchise-based tournaments, cannot expect to be picked solely on their experience and stature.Although Cameron has extended an olive branch, he highlighted that the WICB approach is hardly going to change going forward. “We are fully aware of the financial rewards on offer in the lucrative international T20 leagues, but we believe deeply in the importance of cricket to the people of the region and of West Indies cricket’s place in world cricket. It is therefore a priority to have all of our players competing and available for selection. We will also engage the ICC on this so that we protect not only the rich heritage and legacy of West Indies Cricket, but also its future. “Incidentally, the WICB release was titled ‘WICB President has high praises for World Twenty20 Organisers’. The only word of praise for Sammy and co came indirectly when Cameron described the WICB was “overjoyed” by the fact that two West Indies teams – women and men – had won the WT20 titles. But Cameron did not waste the opportunity to remind the players who was still in charge. Cameron “pledged” to address the issue of Sammy’s outspokenness and take any necessary action.”The President would like to however apologise for what could be deemed inappropriate, comments made by the West Indies’ male captain, Darren Sammy in a post-match interview and would like to apologize on behalf of the WICB, to the millions of fans who witnessed,” the statement said. “The President has pledged to enquire the reason and will have the matter addressed.”In an earlier media release the WICB had sent a thank you note to all the three teams – men, women and Under-19 – for emerging as the champions this year. “The men, women and Under-19 teams within the last three months have made the West Indies a region worthy of tremendous attention by being the best at the international level in World Cricket. We are indeed a proud set of people today and we want to thank ALL OF YOU for your tremendous support,” the release, titled ‘From the desks of the CEO (Micheal Muirhead) and President (Cameron)’, said.”The men’s team has been electric and exciting in their performances during the tournament and we are all PROUD. This is a defining moment for Cricket and we ought to thank each and every one of our Directors, Management, Staff and supporters for the support West Indies Cricket has received. This is a truly ecstatic moment and we are indeed proud of this momentous achievement.”The T20 format is a springboard to the other formats and we will use this as an opportunity to continue the development work we have to do to make the overall cricket product better. The men executed their comprehensive plan and we are pleased with the results. We salute the entire delegation on the hard work and commitment showed. We congratulate the team and management.”For the full coverage of the West Indies payment dispute, click HERE.

MatériaMais Notícias

Sem vencer há oito jogos no Brasileirão, o Cruzeiro recebe o São Paulo nesta quarta-feira, às 21h, no Mineirão, tentando iniciar uma reação que o tire da zona de rebaixamento – não será nesta 26ª rodada, já que a distância da Raposa para o Ceará, 16º colocado, é de quatro pontos.

O São Paulo, por sua vez, vem em bom momento: venceu o rival Corinthians no último domingo e ainda está invicto sob o comando de Fernando Diniz, com duas vitórias e dois empates em quatro partidas. Se pontuar mais que o Corinthians, que visita o Goiás, o Tricolor retornará ao G4.

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O lateral-direito Edilson e o atacante David, que sentiram dores no empate com a Chapecoense, são as dúvidas do Cruzeiro. O São Paulo terá Daniel Alves (estava na Seleção principal), Antony (estava na Seleção olímpica), Juanfran (estava com desgaste muscular) e o ex-cruzeirense Raniel (estava com amigdalite) novamente à disposição. Os três primeiros são potenciais titulares, mas a utilização deles dependerá de avaliação física.

Veja abaixo as informações sobre o jogo:

Data/Horário: 16/10/2019, às 21h
Local: Mineirão, em Belo Horizonte (MG)
Árbitro: Wilton Pereira Sampaio (GO)
Assistentes:Fabricio Vilarinho da Silva (GO) eBruno Raphael Pires (GO)
Árbitro de vídeo:Elmo Alves Resende Cunha (GO)
Assistentes do VAR:Andre Luiz de Freitas Castro (GO) eLeone Carvalho Rocha (GO)
Onde acompanhar: Premiere e em tempo real no site do LANCE!.

CRUZEIRO:Fábio, Edilson (Weverton), Dedé, Fabricio Bruno e Egídio; Henrique, Ederson, Robinho e Thiago Neves; David (Pedro Rocha) e Fred. Técnico: Abel Braga.
Desfalques: Orejuela (seleção colombiana); Léo (machucado).
Pendurados:Pedro Rocha, Ederson, Fabrício Bruno, David, Fábio, Orejuela, Marquinhos Gabriel, Dedé, Ariel Cabral e Rodriguinho.

SÃO PAULO: Tiago Volpi, Igor Vinícius (Juanfran), Bruno Alves, Arboleda e Reinaldo; Luan, Liziero (Daniel Alves) e Hernanes; Tchê Tchê, Antony e Pato. Técnico: Fernando Diniz.
Desfalques: Rojas, Pablo, Everton e Toró (machucados).
Pendurados:Tchê Tchê, Pablo, Reinaldo, Liziero, Anderson Martins, Luan, Raniel e Igor Gomes.