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The Zimbabwe captain was disappointed after a seven wicket defeat to Sri Lanka, saying his batsmen did not adjust to the change in the pitch on Sunday and play more straight-bat shots

Andrew Fidel Fernando02-Jul-2017Graeme Cremer conceded Zimbabwe’s batsmen may have been too eager on the sweeps and reverse sweeps during the second ODI on Sunday, even though those strokes had proved productive during Friday’s record chase. Sri Lanka’s best bowler Lakshan Sandakan, meanwhile, had come prepared for that tactic from Zimbabwe, which goes some way to explaining his match figures of 4 for 52.Zimbabwe had been 67 for 1 before the spinners came into operation in Galle, and prompted a collapse that cost the visitors five wickets in the space of 10.3 overs. Sean Williams, Sikandar Raza and Ryan Burl all fell attempting to sweep or reverse sweep.”Maybe with the wicket, we should have adjusted, should have hit the ball down the ground a bit more,” Cremer said after the seven-wicket defeat. “I thought the wicket was a little bit different from the pitch for the first game, and we didn’t adjust early enough. At one stage we could have batted off the overs – 230 could have been a decent score, but we lost too many wickets in the middle.”Sandakan, playing his first ODI since March, employed several strategies to counter Zimbabwe’s sweep-happy batsmen. Early in the innings, he overcame Hamilton Masakadza’s reverse sweep threat by firing deliveries on a leg-stump line. Later in the innings, the dip he achieved also made him a difficult bowler to play across the line.”We identified that they were sweeping us, and we tried to change the field, slow the ball up a bit and change our lengths,” Sandakan said. “We didn’t try too many changes, but length and pace was important and it worked for us today. We also bowled wicket to wicket – a little straighter – to stop some of those shots.”While Sandakan had made the more telling blows to the opposition innings, debutant legspinner Wanidu Hasaranga knocked out Zimbabwe’s tail with a hat-trick in his third over. After the match, captain Angelo Mathews said he had not known much about Hasaranga, which suggests Cremer and the Zimbabwe are likely to have been even less enlightened on the threat he posed.”To get a hat-trick on debut that something special,” Cremer said of Hasaranga. “He looked a little bit nervous when he started, which is understandable. But credit to him when he stuck at it, and credit to the skipper having faith in him to keep him on. To clean up the back end of the innings was excellent.”Sandakan also lauded the 19-year-old’s poise. “When someone is debuting, he is under pressure. He managed the pressure well and bowled his googlies, flippers and leg-spin nicely.”

With ODI cricket returning to Hambantota for the first time since 2015, the nature of the pitch for the third ODI between Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe remains a mystery

Andrew Fidel Fernando05-Jul-2017Match FactsJuly 6, 2017
Start time: 0945 local (0415GMT)Tendai Chatara’s discipline has earned him four of Zimbabwe’s eight wickets in the series so far•AFP

Big PictureOne comfortable pursuit of 317 for Zimbabwe, one crushing home victory set up by Sri Lanka’s spinners – not much about this series has been predictable, and the teams are now about to venture into more uncertainty. In the past two years, the ground at Hambantota has probably hosted more elephants than cricket matches, and no one is quite sure how the pitch will play after such a long hiatus. Will it tend to be on the faster, bouncier side, as it had been between 2011 and 2015? Or will it – as the hosts might prefer – take a little extra turn now?Mumba replaces injured W Masakadza

Zimbabwe left-arm spinner Wellington Masakadza has been ruled out of the series due to an ankle injury, and has been replaced by seamer Carl Mumba. Masakadza’s last ODI appearance for Zimbabwe was in 2015, and having made a return to the squad, he did not get a game against Sri Lanka. Mumba’s sole ODI match so far came against Sri Lanka in November last year.

There is also often a powerful crosswind to contend with, at the venue, which tends to favour the more adaptable side. In the past, batsmen who have chosen to base their innings around hitting with the wind have prospered in Hambantota: not only do their strokes carry further, the balls they hit into the air have also been notoriously difficult to catch. Sri Lanka, who have dropped no fewer than six chances across the first two games, may be especially vulnerable if the breeze picks up. Bowlers have also had highly contrasting experiences with the wind: it has helped boost the natural swing of some, and put others off their game completely.Whatever the conditions, appropriate use of the sweep shot is likely to have come up in Zimbabwe’s team discussions over the past 48 hours. They had lived by the stroke in the first game, then died by it in the second. They may aim to be more selective in their deployment of the stroke in Hambantota.Form guideSri Lanka WLLWL (completed matches, most recent first)
Zimbabwe LWWLLIn the spotlightAll through the Champions Trophy campaign there was wonderment in Sri Lanka as to why Lakshan Sandakan was not in the XI. Now that he has taken 4 for 52 upon his return, the head scratching has only intensified. For now, Sandakan is not a bowler who offers a lot of control, and perhaps on the less spin-friendly tracks in England, the selectors and team management felt he may become a liability. However, if any bowler has appeared as if he may correct Sri Lanka’s inability to take wickets through the middle overs, it has been Sandakan. The selectors might do well to now provide him with a secure place in the side, in order to determine if he can in fact fulfill that wicket-taking role, in the longer term.A longer run in the ODI side can help determine if Lakshan Sandakan’s potential, seen in his 4 for 52, can be fulfilled•AFP

Though batsmen’s handling of spin has dominated the series narrative so far, it is the skillful seam bowling of Tendai Chatara that has brought Zimbabwe half of their eight wickets in the series so far. There is no booming swing or searing pace for Chatara, but so far in the series, there has been a discipline to his bowling, and even on an unresponsive Galle pitch, he was one of the only quicks to glean some movement off the seam. If he can quickly modify his bowling to suit Hambantota’s unique conditions, Zimbabwe could again make an early breakthrough, as they have in each of the first two games.Team newsSpinner Amila Aponso and seam-bowling allrounder Lahiru Madushanka have been dropped from the squad for the last three ODIs, and in their place are seamer Lahiru Kumara and batsman Chamara Kapugedera (Suranga Lakmal was originally slated to be in the squad until he took ill). Unless the flu that has been making its way around the Sri Lanka side incapacitates another player on Thursday, the hosts may not wish to make a change to their winning XI, however.Sri Lanka (possible): 1 Niroshan Dickwella (wk), 2 Danushka Gunathilaka, 3 Kusal Mendis, 4 Upul Tharanga, 5 Angelo Mathews (capt.), 6 Asela Gunaratne, 7 Wanidu Hasaranga, 8 Dushmantha Chameera, 9 Lakshan Sandakan,10 Lasith Malinga, 11 Nuwan PradeepDespite the loss, Zimbabwe have a fairly settled outfit, and they may stick with the same XI. If any place is under scrutiny, it may be that of seamer Donald Tiripano. Chris Mpofu could potentially replace him.Zimbabwe (possible): 1 Solomon Mire, 2 Hamilton Masakadza, 3 Craig Ervine, 4 Sean Williams, 5 Sikander Raza, 6 Ryan Burl, 7 Peter Moor (wk), 8 Malcolm Waller, 9 Graeme Cremer (capt.), 10 Tendai Chatara, 11 Chris Mpofu/Donald TiripanoPitch and conditionsForecasts for this part of the country are notoriously unreliable, but the weather is expected to be dry and hot, with temperatures in the low thirties. How the pitch will play is anyone’s guess.Stats and trivia Sri Lanka have won seven and lost six of their 17 matches at Hambantota. 2017 is Chatara’s most successful ODI year so far, having taken 15 wickets in nine matches at 24.46.In addition to having become the third bowler to take a hat-trick on ODI debut, on Sunday, Wanidu Hasaranga became the first Sri Lanka spinner to claim a hat-trick in the format.Quotes”Assessing the conditions a little bit better is crucial. When the wicket is flatter like in the first game, you can play all your shots freely and chase down a huge score like that. In the second game it was probably not a wicket where you can go for your shots regularly. We need to do bit of work on that – assess conditions and stick to our plans.””Nuwan Pradeep has been our best bowler in the last three years in Test and ODI cricket, but for some reason he doesn’t pick up many wickets. He has improved his fielding too. He is one of the hardest working cricketers in the side.”

Josko Gvardiol has fully agreed personal terms with Manchester City and negotiations between the clubs over a fee are now very advanced as well.

How much will Gvardiol cost?

Gvardiol won't be cheap due to him showing outstanding ability at the highest level of the game at just 21-years-old. With a market value of €75million (£64.5m), even a deal on the low end of what RB Leipzig could ask for will require City chiefs to open their wallet.

While the higher reports have seen the German side asking for around €100m (£86m), a figure that would make him the most expensive defender ever, any sale would represent a huge profit on the €18.8m (£16m) which Leipzig spent on the Croatian in the summer of 2021.

It has previously been reported that Gvardiol is "keen to join" the treble winners according to journalist Rudy Galetti, and according to CalcioMercato, via Sport Witness, he is now a step closer to the move transpiring.

The report discloses that the versatile centre-back has a total "agreement" with the Blues over personal terms. Adding to this, all that is needed now is to complete the negotiations over a fee, which are said to be "already very advanced".

This likely means a transfer for Gvardiol should be expected sooner rather than later as Pep Guardiola looks to continue his incredible success for the blue side of Manchester.

How good is Gvardiol?

Being a young player who is already playing at such a high level, Gvardiol has had his flowers given to him multiple times already.

BBC Sport's Zach Lowy labelled Gvardiol as a "Rolls-Royce of a defender" at the World Cup last year, continuing: "20 years old and the best player on the pitch in a match that featured Kevin De Bruyne and Luka Modrić…sensational center back."

This wasn't the only example of high praise, with Gvardiol's national team boss Zlatko Dalic singing his praises throughout the winter tournament.

Dalic said: “Gvardiol is the best centre-back in the world. To play this maturely, it’s amazing. The way he plays, with what elegance he carries the ball.”

Meanwhile, football talent scout Jacek Kulig dubbed the 6 foot 1 Croatian as the "[Erling] Haaland of defenders", likely due to his mixture of physical dominance, technical ability, promising potential and already demonstrated his class at a high level.

Should City complete a deal for Gvardiol, he would definitely be of the required standard to slot in and improve Guardiola's champions – a scary prospect for the rest of the league.

The PCB has formed a three-man tribunal to hear the cases of Sharjeel Khan and Khalid Latif, the two players provisionally suspended as part of an investigation into alleged corruption during the PSL

Umar Farooq06-Mar-2017The PCB has formed a three-man tribunal to hear the cases of Sharjeel Khan and Khalid Latif, the two players provisionally suspended as part of an investigation into alleged corruption during the Pakistan Super League (PSL).The pair responded to the official charges laid against them on Saturday, and denied some of the alleged code-of-conduct breaches they were accused of by the PCB’s anti-corruption unit. The pair was provisionally suspended last month after what the board said was an organisation’s attempts to corrupt the second season of the PSL.Sharjeel and Latif, who played for Islamabad United, were handed official charge sheets of their alleged misdemeanours on February 18, and were given two weeks to respond. They were charged for breaching various articles of Clause 2 of the code of conduct, which pertains to corruption. The charges covered specific ones to attempt to corrupt a game, but also misdemeanours such as failing to disclose suspect approaches.Both players, it is believed, admitted to at least one of the more minor charges but denied the other more serious allegations, which prompted the PCB to appoint Justice (retired) Asghar Haider (head of the tribunal and a former legal advisor to the board), former PCB chairman Tauqir Zia, and former wicketkeeper Wasim Bari. The tribunal must have its first hearing within 90 days of the players’ provisional suspensions.The PCB’s anti-corruption department believes it has built a strong case against the players, who, if found guilty, could face sanctions ranging from suspension of a few years to a lifetime ban. Had the pair admitted to all the breaches in the charge sheet, the PCB would have formed a one-man disciplinary panel to decide on an appropriate sanction on the players.The charges emanate from the opening game of this year’s PSL in Dubai. Islamabad won the game, against eventual champions Peshawar Zalmi, in which Sharjeel was dismissed for 1 off four balls and Latif did not play.The pair, along with team-mate Mohammad Irfan, was first questioned by the PCB’s anti-corruption unit right after that game. No action was taken againstIrfan, who stayed on for the team’s campaign until their loss in the knockouts. In the immediate aftermath of those developments, Zulfiqar Babar from Quetta Gladiators and Shahzaib Hasan of Karachi Kings were also questioned. Both were cleared and continued to play for their respective franchises.The investigation into the alleged attempts to corrupt the PSL also led to the arrests of former Pakistan opener Nasir Jamshed, and one other  man in the UK. Both men are currently free on bail. Jamshed was also provisionally suspended by the PCB, days after the board took the same decision against Sharjeel and Latif.

Lionel Messi has called teammate Neymar a "beautiful person" in his goodbye message after the Argentine played his last game for Paris Saint-Germain.

What did Messi say to Neymar?

Having already sealed the Ligue 1 title, the 35-year-old took the pitch for the final time as a PSG player on the weekend – in a 3-2 loss at home to Clermont Foot.

His now former side confirmed the news on their official Twitter page, writing: "Paris Saint-Germain would like to warmly thank the seven-time Ballon d'Or, winner of a Trophée des Champions and two French championship titles wearing the Red & Blue colours."

Oddly enough, despite being universally loved for all his footballing achievements, the PSG fans actually booed Messi at his final game – apparently still unhappy with his performances in the Champions League and his recent unauthorised trip to Saudi Arabia (via Daily Mail).

However, it seems teammate Neymar still has the utmost respect for the World Cup winner as the Brazilian sent an emotional message on Instagram.

He wrote: "Brother… it didn't turn out as we thought but we tried everything. It was a pleasure to share two more years with you.

Good luck in your new stage and be happy. I love you."

To which Messi replied: "Thanks Ney! Beyond all that remains, that we enjoyed playing together and sharing the day-to-day. I wish you all the best. Besides being a crackhead, you're a beautiful person and that's all that matters at the end. I love you so much."

Where will Messi end up next?

Obviously, it catches the eye that Messi appears to call Neymar something which is interpreted as something derogatory in English but this is just a mistranslation as he writes "Aparte de ser crack". Crack is a phrase often used in Spanish as a compliment, so if you were saying someone is good at football, you might say: “Sos un crack en futbol”.

Of course, the Brazilian doesn't have the best reputation when it comes to his off-field behaviour. According to French paper Le Parisien (via The Sun), he has been throwing house parties this season that have "infuriated" his neighbours of late. And that same article claimed he threw a party that didn't finish until 5am after PSG sealed the Ligue 1 title last season.

But Messi isn't referencing any of this as he calls Neymar "a beautiful person" and points out that this actually matters more than anything he's done on the pitch.

All in all, it's quite a sweet interaction between the players, which is nice as they haven't quite achieved what they set out to in Paris – with the club still unable to win the Champions League.

The big question now is, though, where will Messi end up next? Barcelona, Inter Miami and teams in Saudi Arabia have all been touted.

After Vlatko Andonokski confirmed his roster on Wednesday, GOAL breaks down the best possible starting XI he could select in New Zealand

The roster has finally been assembled, 23 players with one mission: return home with yet another World Cup. Those are always the expectations for the United States women's national team, no matter the scenario, but this tournament may just be the toughest yet for a team that is still somewhat in transition.

It's been a grueling cycle for the U.S., one which saw Vlatko Andonovski explore plenty of new players throughout his player pool. The past few years have been about finding new solutions and new faces. Some of those processes worked out, while others certainly didn't.

Because of that, this USWNT squad is a mix of old guard and new blood, with the likes of Megan Rapinoe, Julie Ertz and Alex Morgan being joined by young stars Sophia Smith, Trinity Rodman and Alyssa Thompson. It is very much a stacked roster, to be fair, one loaded with players young and old that can contribute and shine at this level.

Still, it isn't the roster it could have been. Injuries to stars such as Becky Sauerbrunn, Mallory Swanson and Catarina Macario leave the U.S. somewhat shorthanded and missing several players who could have been starters. Because of that, there are some weak spots in this team, notably center-back, where Andonovski has only selected two players that primarily play the position.

The coach will have some decisions to make throughout this tournament, no doubt, as he looks to balance a somewhat unbalanced squad but, at their best, this USWNT XI basically picks itself.

GOAL has you covered with a look at the USWNT's best XI that we should see deployed by Andonovski at the World Cup:

• Getty Images
  

  GK: Alyssa Naeher

  No real doubt about this one, as Naher has been the starting goalkeeper for quite some time. The 35-year-old veteran has 90 caps to her name and has been the No.1 since the 2019 World Cup cycle.

  This will be her third World Cup, her second as a starter, so the U.S. should feel plenty confident with Naher between the posts.

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• LB: Crystal Dunn

  She may not particularly like playing the position, but Dunn is likely the USWNT's starter at left-back. Dunn could move into the midfield, especially with the injury issues there and the wealth of depth at full-back, but it seems Andonovski is content to keep her as a dynamic attacking left-back.

  Emily Fox could start here if Andonovski does, in fact, move Dunn further upfield, but it would be a surprise to see him do so this late in the cycle.

• CB: Alana Cook

  Absolutely no debate here, simply because there are only two center-backs in the squad. The 26-year-old Cook has blossomed into a star over the last two years, earning 15 of her 24 career caps in 2022.

  She scored her first goal back in April in a friendly win over Ireland, having established herself as a starter well before that big moment.

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• Getty
  

  CB: Naomi Girma

  The other half of the only center-back duo available to Andonovski, Girma is a young star ready to break out on the big stage. The 23-year-old central defender made her senior debut in April 2022 and immediately became a solid and reliable piece of the team's defense.

  The 2022 NWSL Defender and Rookie of the Year, Girma's adaptation to the international game has been totally smooth, even if this will obviously be her biggest test yet.

  In case of emergency, and Andonovski really won't want to do this, Julie Ertz or Emily Sonnett could fill in at center-back if one of the two starters is unable to play.

Newcastle United have a "very realistic possibility" of signing James Maddison this summer, according to an update from journalist Ben Jacobs.

Is Maddison on the move?

Leicester City may have had a hugely disappointing season, with relegation from the Premier League looking likely at this point, but Maddison has again been a standout player for his side. The £110,000-a-week midfielder has scored 10 goals and registered nine assists in the competition, catching the eye with his creativity and all-round end product.

If the Foxes go down this season, it is almost a given that the 26-year-old will leave the club, although he is likely to move on even if they retain their top-flight status. He could feel that he has come as far as he can at the King Power Stadium, especially as he comes into the peak years of his career.

Newcastle have been linked with a move for Maddison in recent months, with the Magpies potentially seeing him as someone who could excel in a No.10 role. They arguably look like the front-runners to snap him up and a fresh update further suggests that that is the case.

Is Maddison likely to join Newcastle?

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jacobs claimed that the Englishman is impressed with what is going on at St James' Park and that a move could easily come to fruition:

"I think that James Maddison has been at St. James's Park and has been quite wowed by the atmosphere, the culture and Newcastle are flying, so they do stand a very realistic possibility.

"I've always said many times, because Newcastle’s interest in Maddison dates back to last summer, it will only be this summer when Maddison goes. If Leicester go down, it will obviously be definite and there'll be a tremendous deal to be had. But I think even if they stay up, I expect Maddison to leave Leicester regardless."

This is an encouraging update from a Newcastle perspective, so much so that at this point, it would be a surprise if Maddison didn't join the Magpies this summer.

Should it happen, it could be an inspired piece of transfer business, with the two-cap England international scoring 55 goals and registering 41 assists for Leicester, as well as being "destined for the biggest stage", according to Graeme Souness, who isn't one to overly praise players. He could add extra guile to Newcastle's midfield, either as a No.8 or a No.10, and they could get five or six years of brilliance from him.

Crystal Palace midfielder Luka Milivojevic's time at Selhurst Park is "probably up", according to journalist Matt Woosnam.

What's the latest on Milivojevic's future?

The Eagles have ten players out of contract at the end of the season, with the 32-year-old being one of them, and his future is uncertain having fallen significantly down the pecking order under former manager Patrick Vieira and current boss Roy Hodgson.

The SE25 captain has made just five top-flight starts this term, and considering that he's not getting any younger, whoever is in charge next season is likely to want to build a team for the future rather than holding on to veterans.

The Serbian arrived in the Premier League back in January 2017 and has been a "brilliant servant" during his 196 appearances to date, as lauded by the i News reporter Daniel Storey, not to mention the leadership qualities he's provided as skipper – but there appears to be a growing feeling that he won't be extending his stay beyond the upcoming window.

Taking to Twitter on Wednesday following the Eagles' defeat at Wolves, Woosnam delivered his verdict on Milivojevic's future at Crystal Palace and admitted that he thinks he'll be on his way out of the exit door upon the conclusion of the 2022/23 campaign.

He wrote: "Last night may have been Luka Milivojevic's last start for Palace. Out of contract in the summer on a hefty salary, increasingly on [the] fringes of the team. Was an important player for several years & shouldn't be forgotten. But his time is probably up."

Should Crystal Palace sell Milivojevic?

Crystal Palace will know what a wonderful character Milivojevic is to have both on and off the pitch, and he's certainly played his part over the years, having posted 35 goal contributions (29 goals and six assists), but we think now would be the right time to allow him to depart.

The Kragujevac native has been an unused substitute on 15 occasions in the top flight this season, as per Transfermarkt, so it's clear that he isn't viewed as part of the club's long-term plans moving forward.

Milivojevic also currently pockets £75k per week, making him the joint-fifth-highest earner on the books, so moving onto pastures new would majorly help free up the wage bill and put funds towards new signings in the summer – and if he'd like to go elsewhere to receive more game time, this is an agreement that would perhaps be best for both parties.

West Ham United picked up a massive three points on Sunday afternoon as they defeated relegation rivals Southampton 1-0 at the London Stadium.

The performance was far from comprehensive against the Premier League's bottom side but David Moyes' side did enough to secure the win, with a result which moves them out of the relegation places and puts them a step closer to safety.

Who was West Ham's best player v Southampton?

Nayed Aguerd handed the Hammers the lead slightly against the run of play, as he was left unchallenged to head home Thilo Kehrer's free-kick, with Jarrod Bowen close to making it 2-0 when his right-footed curler hit the crossbar.

Moyes' side lived dangerously at times, with Lukasz Fabianski producing a strong hand to deny Romain Perraud, while he had his crossbar to thank for keeping out Paul Onuachu's header.

While Aguerd grabbed an impressive goal and clean sheet for the Hammers, it was arguably Lucas Paqueta who was Moyes' star performer on Sunday with attention deserving of diverting away from the backline.

The Brazilian has come in for his fair share of criticism since signing from Lyon last summer and was expected to be a creative force in the Hammers' midfield.

However, the club-record signing put everything on the line for the Hammers in a gritty win on Sunday, producing the most tackles by a West Ham player (10) in a Premier League game since 2012, which saw Opta Joe label him "relentless" on Twitter.

As per SofaScore, the 25-year-old would earn an impressive 7.1/10 rating for his performance, registering 78 touches and completing an impressive 40 passes, which was a slight improvement on the 38.3 he has averaged in the Premier League so far this campaign.

He also completed 100% of his dribbles and won a remarkable 15 duels, more than Declan Rice and Tomas Soucek combined, emphasising just how strong the Brazil international was in Moyes' midfield.

It was almost completely out of character for Paqueta to register ten tackles in just one game, as he has averaged just 2.2 per game in the top flight so far this season, but Moyes and West Ham fans will not be complaining if he continues to dominate the midfield in this way during his Hammers career.

If the former AC Milan man can add more goals and assists to his game, to go with his new-found defensive abilities, then West Ham could soon have a top midfielder on their hands and will surely continue to rise up the Premier League table.

Manchester United suffered their biggest loss since Boxing Day 1931 on Sunday and the largest-ever margin of defeat in a game between the Red Devils and Liverpool as they were on the end of a 7-0 battering at Anfield.

The form book was torn apart as Erik ten Hag’s previously resurgent side had won the Carabao Cup just a week earlier.

United were certainly the favourites for the clash last weekend but turned out what felt like the worst display of the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era.

There have been plenty of lows since the Scot departed Old Trafford but this was perhaps the nadir of life after the great trophy winner.

There were several poor performers on the night but Bruno Fernandes was undoubtedly the worst of the lot, with Gary Neville calling his behaviour a “disgrace”.

The Sky Sports pundit wasn’t the only one who got stuck into the Portuguese with several fans lamenting his horrendous attitude. Indeed, footage during the game appeared to show the United skipper completely giving up at one stage down the right-hand side of the pitch.

Seeing the clip on Twitter, several members of the footballing community had their say. Check out the video and the best of the reaction below…